Cobnut and Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin & Cobnut Puree Canapes

This puree I made reference to in my homage to the dawn of autumn.  Not only does this make a great canape, it is the beginnings of many other possibilities.  Try serving this with the new season's game instead of potato, either as a dollop or a more elegant quenelle.  Or make a comforting autumn soup, recipe follows.

• 1 pumpkin peeled and chopped into chunks
• 1 medium onion peeled and cut into 8
• 2 cloves of  garlic unpeeled
• Rapeseed or olive oil
• 100gms shelled cobnuts
• Finely chopped parsley 
• Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 180C

1. Place the shelled cobnuts in the oven to dry roast for about 10 minutes, until they smell like toasted hazelnuts.  Reserve till cool and then blitz to fine crumbs.
2. Simply toss the chopped pumpkin and onion in the oil to coat liberally.
3. Season well, add the garlic cloves.
4. Roast in the oven until the corners start to tinge with a golden colour.
5. Tip into a blender and pulse, adding more oil to make a smooth puree.
6. Carefully season with salt and pepper, then fold in the ground cobnuts.

Cobnut and Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin and cobnut soup

Another way of using the roasted pumpkin and cobnut comination is as follows. 

From the big batch of roasted pumpkin puree I made a soup today which was a bowl of autumn itself.  

1. Follow the method above to roast the pumpkin, and roast and grind the cobnuts, set aside.
2. Peel and chop an onion and saute in olive oil, add the celery, carrot and leeks.  Saute until soft.
3. Add the roasted pumpkin and pour on the stock to a half centimetre above the vegetables. 
4. Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Blend with a stick blender.
6. Stir in the ground roasted cob nuts and serve with a cob roll (it would have to be really).

Smoked, Cured & Air Dried - The Ancient Art of Perserving Meat and Fish

Platter of Smoked & Cured English Meats

Hebridean Peat Smoked Sea Trout and Norfolk Smoked Mackerel Pate in Oatcake Cups

I catered to a party this week end where the host wanted me to choose the menu entirely. This is always a large blank canvas opportunity and instead of my usual seasonal influences I was drawn to preserved meat and fish. Man has been preserving his protein for millennia. It's a rather fascinating process if one stops to think about it. How did he work out how to do this, through smoking, hanging and more bizarely, rotting in some cases?

All was from the wealth of excellent choices from the British Isles, from rare breeds and wild game; all from small and remarkable producers who are strongly connected to the land and sea from where they farm and fish.

Here is the menu

Air Dried Herdwick Mutton with English Quince
Air Dried Galloway Beef on Potato Pancake with Damson Jelly
Beech Smoked Haunch of Roe Deer with Avocado
Wild Boar Cumberland Procuitto with Goats Curd
Smoked Widgeon with Rocket & Lemon
Confit of Aylesbury Duck on Fennel Biscuits with Fig Compot
Peat Smoked Hebridean Sea Trout Served on Pea Blinis with Creme Fraiche
Norfolk Smoked Mackeral Pate in Oatcake Cups
Norfolk Smoked Eel on Pea Blinis & Dill

This was as sumptious and rich as deep burgundy velvet curtains; old leather armchairs and dried rosebuds.  I hesitated over the avocado, but the texture of avocado matched so well with the roe deer, and thus allowed the presence of our air freighted guest amongst such esteemed indiginous company. It was a welcome companion.

I include the recipe for Smoke Mackeral Pate as everything else is just as it says.

Smoked Mackeral Pate

• 2 fillets of smoked mackerel
• 225gm cottage cheese
• 1 Tablespoon creme fraiche
• juice of one lemon
• a decent pinch of Cayenne pepper
• black pepper
  

Method: Simply blend all of the above.

It's a popular cocktail or canapes. Delicious spread on toast or crostini or in this case oatcake cups. Garnish with a chive.