March, What’s in Season This Month

In March, the weather starts to warm up (or so it should be doing), the time from now until about the middle of May is a tricky one for the shopper, grower, and greengrocer, winter vegetables are fading out whereas the spring veggies haven’t so far really got under way, however there is plenty of purple sprouting broccoli around so make use of it. The commencement of the purple sprouting broccoli season heralds a much wanted addition to the winter vegetable enjoyment.

Merely steamed or boiled, this lively cousin of broccoli can be used in the same way it is leafier and deeper in colour than Calabrese; it always adds vitality and crunch to vegetable dishes and it goes well with almost any fish or meat dish. Broccoli is a cruciferous plant, from the same genus as the cabbage, and is associated to the cauliflower; cruciferous foods are nowadays hailed as having a number of significant health benefits. Purple Sprouting Broccoli contains the phytochemical sulphoraphane, which is thought to help prevent cancer. Furthermore it could provide resistance against heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes. It is packed with vitamin C and is a good source of caretenoids, iron, folic acid, calcium, fibre, and vitamin A.

Did I mention that it tastes great just simply steamed and served with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice?

As with the British asparagus season, the Jersey Royals season and the first of the British Artichokes we always look forward to the first of the purple sprouting broccoli, in our opinion events like these are what makes British seasonal produce the finest in the world.

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Even so we are seeing more and more spring vegetables in the markets and some supermarkets earlier than in the past (Climate Change?), so with excited expectation our thoughts are turning to lighter dishes as we see Chicory, Chives, Mint, Parsley, Radishes, Rosemary, Sorrel, Spring Greens, Thyme, and Watercress coming into their season, and Cornish Spring greens are also becoming more plentiful and are very tasty jam packed full of flavour and very sweet, the two biggest enemies of cabbage are water and overcooking, the one thing you don’t want to do is boil it to death in a large saucepan of water. Simply remove any damaged outer leaves, cut it in quarters, removing the tough white ‘core’ in the middle, and slice it finely then you can either stir-fry it in a wok with oil, a little water and soy sauce or tip it into a saucepan with about 3 cm boiling water and cook it fast for about 3 minutes, turning it over as you go. Drain it thoroughly, add a good chunk of butter, and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. A small to medium size cabbage will easily serve four persons.

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In the spring month of March (yes it’s a spring month), Saint David’s day proclaims the month of March, and with St Patrick's Day on the 17th, now is the time to think what we can be doing with all those tasty expected spring veggies, Lincolnshire starts to harvest carrots, beetroot, purple sprouting broccoli and calabrese broccoli as do other regions of Britain, so make the most from the first bloom.

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New season's artichokes from Italy, Cyprus, and Egypt are making their first appearance on the shelves, together with the first of the tomatoes with taste from Sicily and the black volcanic soil of Tenerife and Fuerteventura. Fast on their heels will be new potatoes from around the Mediterranean, asparagus from the Murcia and Valencia provinces in Spain, and strawberries from Huelva in Andalucia.

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Leeks are good in early spring, and we like to use them, not only as vegetables to go together with poultry, meat and fish, but in soups, salads and tarts for first courses we like to lightly braise baby leeks as a lovely light side dish.

Don’t be afraid to buy them loose and covered with dirt the taste is much better than ones that have been washed and pre-packed.

Just cut off the top half of the green leaves and remove the root and any damaged outer leaves, cut vertically down the leek almost to the base and wash thoroughly between the leaves with cold running water slice the leeks thickly and wash again then cook in a little butter and oil. They also make superb soups and we think they are very good in egg and cheese dishes.

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Tasty tender spring carrots, you can get a good sized carrot enough to make a salad for under 15p which makes it a brilliant student buy. Even organic ones which generally have much more flavour are affordable. Use them raw and freshly grated or just slice them, toss them in a pan with a little oil and melted butter, season them with salt, pepper and a pinch of ground cumin or coriander, add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover the pan with a lid or a piece of foil and let them cook very slowly in their own juices for about 20 minutes. They also make great soup and are a must for casseroles stews and stir-fries

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The one (and only) awful feature about the appearance of spring is that our beloved native mussels are off the seasonal menu until September we still have the rope grown imported mussels but they are not quite the same so, fill up on these juicy morsels while you can native oysters are now becoming more difficult to find and will soon be out of season however the pacific or rock oyster will always be a good substitute (just about) as they offer smaller portions with a more subtle taste.

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Fish And Shellfish At Their Best This Month Are:

Brill, Clams, Cockles, Cod, Conger Eel, Crab, Dabs, Dover Sole, Eel, Elvers, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, John Dory, Langoustine, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Plaice, Pollack, Scottish Wild Salmon is back in season, Sardines, Scallops, Sea Bream, Sea Trout, Skate, Squid, Turbot, Whitebait, and Winkles.

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Vegetables At Their Best This Month Are:

Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes (new), Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Salsify, Shallots, Spinach, Spring Greens, Swede and Turnips.

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Fruit At Their Best This Month Are:

Apples, Forced Rhubarb, Pears

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Meat, Poultry, and Game This Month;

Beef, Chicken, Duck, and Pork are all very good and we are eagerly waiting for the first of British Spring Lamb, make the most of Rabbit this month wild rabbit meat, which is leaner and tastier than the farmed kind, has a wonderful delicate, gamey taste, very different from splendidly flavoured hare. Local Rabbit dishes reveal the fact that rabbit is very flexible and works well with those flavours used in chicken dishes, such as mustard and cream, tomato and herbs, and believe it or not chilli, I have had some superb rabbit dishes in Mexico, Turkey, Venison and Wood Pigeon are still good.

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The Latest Grocery News for March 2011

Bringing you the hottest news on products in the high street, markets, corner stores, supermarkets and other major items of interest about British food; here is our analysis of what we think is of interest.

Following on from channel 4’s fish fight campaign sales of sustainable fish species such as Atlantic Pollock or Coley have risen. Sainsbury's say sales of Pollack have jumped 167 per cent and Waitrose state an increase of 163 per cent on Dover sole. The campaign has even encouraged Waitrose to start new fish selections like Sprats and Welsh flounder.

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Asda and Tesco's have been criticised for rejecting home produced pork and chicken in support of cheap imports. An NFU Scotland investigation found that Practically all' Asda's bacon is imported, as are their gammon and bacon joints, while its value range of pork chops is a mix of French and German. A recent 3 for £10 offer in Tesco was on Dutch chicken and pork and no British bacon appeared to be had. In contrast Morrisons was found to continue to demonstrate a substantial allegiance to Scottish and British produce.

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Sainsbury's is gearing up for a major push on regional foods. New signage, such as local images and claims about the products and number of farms involved, has been rolled out to stores in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales this month, with plans for Devon and Cornwall to follow in the next few months. Sainsbury's currently sells about 3,000 regional lines.

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Tesco has started a new website about the local foods it sells in an attempt to boost online sales of locally sourced products. The site will display all Tesco’s suppliers within 50 miles of your nearest store and gives you the choice to change this to either 30 or 100 miles. The site what's more permits you to propose a supplier as well as letting producers put themselves forward as probable suppliers. Click here to visit the site.

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A group of 40 Yorkshire based farmers are launching the first ever regional frozen pea brand, Yorkshire Peas

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Blueberries have overtaken raspberries as the UK's second favourite fresh berry. Strawberries remain the UK's best-selling fresh berries, but shoppers bought 11.4 per cent more blueberries last year than previous while volume sales of raspberries fell 12.9 per cent.

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The British Beekeeper's Association fear we may lose all our bees within a decade if we are not careful. Honey bees are essential for the pollination of nuts and berries and play varying roles in pollinating apples, onions, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, courgettes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, tomatoes, and broad beans.

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US cereal maker Kellogg has said that it will support the development of sustainable palm oil by purchasing GreenPalm certificates to offset all of its palm oil use.

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Last but not least elevated worldwide wheat costs are a massive expenditure for farmers using wheat-based grain to feed their animals. If the meats on the shelves are a few pennies more please don't be tempted to switch to a low-priced imported substitute. Join in supporting our farming industry and buy British!

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Seasonal foods at their best to look out for in the supermarkets this month:

Vegetables: Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes (Maincrop), Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Salsify, Shallots, Spinach, Swede and Turnips

Fruit: Apples and Pears

Herbs: Chives, Coriander, Mushrooms (Cultivated), and Parsley (Curly)

Meat: Beef, Chicken, Guinea Fowl, Hare, Mallard, Partridge, Pork, Rabbit, Turkey, Venison, and Wood Pigeon

Fish: Brill, Clams, Cockles, Conger Eel, Crab, Dab, Dover Sole, Eel, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, John Dory, Langoustine, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Mussels, Oysters, Salmon, Scallops, Shrimp, Skate, Turbot, Whitebait and Winkles

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Dates for Your Diary:

Spring 2011 - Pimlico Food Festival at Tachbrook Street Market

23rd April to 21st June 2011 - British Asparagus Festival, The town of Evesham is launching the world’s, first-ever Asparapancake Race as a prelude to the British Asparagus Festival which runs from 23rd April to 21st June. Evesham will host the race at 11am on Shrove Tuesday and participants, including Gus the Asparagus Man, will all be sporting green in tribute to this special vegetable. Local celebrity chef, Felice Tocchini, will be cooking up the pancakes for the race which will incorporate – you’ve guessed it - asparagus.

12 - 13 March, World of Women Festival, Southbank centre, London

Listen to Fatima Ali and Harriet Boatemaa, two cocoa farmers from Kuapa Kokoo co-operative in Ghana (which owns Divine Chocolate); speak at the World of Women Festival (WOW) at the Southbank Centre in London. Fatima Ali at 29 is the youngest person ever to be voted onto Kuapa Kokoo’s National Executive, while Harriet Boatemaa, at 27, has aspirations to be the co-operative President so she can inspire other young people to stay in villages and farm rather than migrate to the city in search of non-existent jobs.

18 – 27 March, Dine on Deeside, towns and village across Deeside.

This is a new foodie event which celebrates passion for regional cuisine. Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms produce is some of the finest quality in the UK and chefs from towns and villages across this beautiful area (including Ballater, Braemar, Banchory and Aboyne) will be serving up seasonal spring menus of everything from rustic bistro to fine dining. Special menus in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and bars will be on offer in price bands – - up to £10; £11 to £20; £21 to £30 and over £30

18 – 20 March, Cheese and Wine Festival, the Southbank Centre, London

This gastronomic delight of an event is now in its third year and is going from strength to strength. The weekend will host a whole array of cheese and wine specialists giving talks and demonstrations including Patricia Michelson founder of La Fromagerie, the Guardian’s wine writer Fiona Beckett, French Chef and Baker Richard Bertinet, renowned restaurateurs’ such as Henry Harris from Racine, Luisa Welch and John Quilter; and specialist premium suppliers such as Vintage Roots, Casa Leal and Auswineonline. Don’t miss it!

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Local Shopping

Tachbrook Street Market Address: Tachbrook Street, SW1

Trading hours: Monday to Saturday: 8am to 6pm

Nearest tube: Victoria or Pimlico

Bus: 2, 24, 36, 185, 436

Open every day except Sunday, the number of stalls in this ancient street market increases as the week moves forwards, the market offers a wide array of goods from home furnishings and gardening equipment, to fruit and veg, fresh meat, fish, shellfish and bread and cakes, the market is home to an array of events counting late night shopping, gourmet lunchtime offers, ‘Fashion Thursdays’.

Managed by Westminster Artisans Ltd on behalf of Westminster Council it is set to be a community hub thanks to its lively diverse array of stalls with scrumptious international hot food the paella is superb, fresh food, chocolate, cheese, olive oil, bread, funky fashion, and lots more. Discover different stalls on different days.

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On Sonny’s Stall on Tachbrook Street Market

Sonny’s stall this week again was a picture it is great to see such fresh produce full of lively colours, especially the Rhubarb it really looked vibrant and cooked up a treat when we made one of our favourite puddings so what else was on offer?

Well there were Apples English Braeburns and Bramleys, Artichokes, Beets, English Broccoli, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Courgettes, English King Edward Potatoes, Fennel, Field Mushrooms, Leeks, Mache (Lambs Lettuce), Parsnips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radish, Watercress, you can plainly see that all of what was available was in first-rate condition.

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Our Local Butchers have been getting in

Beef, lamb, and pork is good this month and our local butcher Freemans has some ox-tails and beef brisket in that is just so tasty his fore-rib of beef looked just about perfectly hung and at under £14 per kilo is probably the cheapest in London you really must give the classically trained butcher a go and just to see a real traditional butcher shop is a treat.

His special offer this week was corn-fed chicken leg portions at half price and very tasty they were too.

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Our Local Fishmonger Jon Norris on Tachbrook Street Market

Once again Jon has brought to market a fantastic array of fish and shellfish including some plump tasty razor clams (see below)

Every time we go to his stall we see more and more people queuing up for his wares and this week was no exception especially as he had plainly been taking advantage of all that fishing in British waters can produce.

He put on good show as usual with Cornish Brill, Clams including Razor Clams, Cod fillets, Cod steaks, Crab, Haddock, Cornish Hake, Halibut, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Megrim Sole, Dover Sole, Gilthead Bream, Cornish Gurnard, grey Mullet, Lobster, Scottish Mackerel, rope grown Mussels from the Shetland Isles, Monkfish, Cornish Octopus, there was Plaice from Scotland so plump and sweet, Prawns in the shell, there were Native Oysters, Rock Oysters, Scallops from the Isle of Man, wild Sea Bass, Skate, Sprats, Squid, Turbot, and Cornish Whiting.

And remember almost all Jon’s fish is sourced from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts and his prices are so reasonable you have got to give this gifted and extraordinary fishmonger a try, you won’t be sorry, I promise.

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Razor Clams

For the most part people couldn’t describe a razor clam, as they can be tricky to find, but like the name suggests they are shaped like an old-fashioned cut-throat razor and when we were small and went to Wales on holiday I can remember my father warning us to be careful not to cut ourselves on the razor sharp shells of this strange looking creature.

This extraordinary mollusc lives nestled in the sand and is collected by hand. The razor clam can reach 25 cm (10 inches) in length and is usually six times longer than it is wide, the Atlantic razor clam is sharp enough to cut skin, while other variety have an oval shape.

They are extremely easy to cook and have a superbly rich flavour the only way I can describe it is as a fusion of cockles and scallops that’s sweet and salty all at once, which means with a little seasoning of some lemon juice and maybe a splash of Tabasco they are simply superb.

Buying, Most likely to be found January and early summer, I mainly see them on the stall of my local fishmonger Jon Norris and the one place I see them all year round although infrequently is in oriental supermarkets.

They will usually be sold in bunches of half a dozen or so, and must be alive, this is easy to check Many of the clams will have extended themselves beyond the reach of their shells and will retract when picked up and they should smell of the seaside but not be pungently fishy.

Storing, It is always best to use bivalves the day you purchase them but if you need to keep them, wrap razor clams in a damp tea towel and leave them in the fridge. It is an error to soak all clams and cockles overnight as you can drown them.
Preparing and Cooking, It's best to give them a quick wash first under cold running water then lay them on a baking or roasting tray and give them a very quick go under a hot grill for a minute or so This should jolt open the shells as soon as they open remove them from under the grill.

As soon as they are cool enough to handle, take out the long, white, meaty clam. The digger (the dark bit at one end) needs to be cut off, as it is always gritty. You might also slice the clam open lengthways to check for sand.

Once they are clean, the clams can to go back under the grill, back in their shells and with another two minutes of cooking and they should be ready.

• As I said before, razor clams love a simple seasoning a classic recipe, popular in France and Spain, is to serve them plainly grilled, in the shells, with sizzling garlic butter spooned over at the last minute.
• Salsa Verde or Aioli set off all clams beautifully.
• If you don’t feel like grilling the clams, try steaming them open in a covered pan just add a bunch of razors, a tablespoon of olive oil and about half a glass of dry white wine or cider for tender clams in a mariniere style sauce within two minutes.
• Cooking in water seasoned with salt and pepper takes about 10 minutes for 30 or so razor clams (enough for 2 people).
• Cook in boiling water, and then finish in a frying pan with cream, garlic, and chives and serve with tagliatelle or rice.

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Jon’s tips to buying fish and shellfish;

Fresh Whole Fish

1. The eyes should be clear and convex, not sunken
2. The flesh should be firm and resilient to finger pressure
3. The fish should smell freshly and lightly of the sea
4. Don’t buy fish with a strong ‘fishy’ or sulphurous odour, or that smells of ammonia.
5. Oily fish like herring, mackerel, and salmon should have a light, fresh oil smell, like linseed oil. If they smell of rancid oil, don’t buy.

Fresh Fillets

1. The surface of the fillet should be moist, with no signs of discolouration.
2. The texture should be firm, with no mushiness. Some separation of the muscle flakes (caused by the filleting process) is completely normal, but it shouldn’t be excessive.
3. As with whole fish, the smell should be fresh and light, with no ‘off’ odours.
4. Live bi-valves (including mussels, clams and oysters)
5. The general rule of not buying bi-valves during any month spelled without an ‘r’ (i.e. May to August) still holds true, as this is the spawning season and quality will be poorer. When raw, the shells should be closed tight. Any slightly open shells that don’t close up in response to a few light taps should be discarded. When cooked, the shells should open – discard any that don’t.

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In The Garden

Nothing happening on our little balcony garden at the moment, although we are still cutting Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary and Sage, it will soon be time to have a good clean down and sow our salads, radish and spring onion seeds outside and tomato seeds inside.

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Recipe for March

Rhubarb Sponge Pudding

Perfect for a Sunday lunch served with rich, smooth, velvety custard or thick Jersey cream, Maureen can’t remember when she first made this it was probably at home in Longridge when she was small, Maureen says “ I have been making for a long time and John calls it real comfort food and always asks for it when the new season rhubarb appears”.

Serves / Makes: 4 servings, Prep-Time: 15 minutes, Cook-Time: 45 minutes

You Will Need

1. 100 grams soft butter
2. 100 grams caster sugar
3. 2 large eggs
4. 100 grams self-raising flour, sifted
5. 500 grams ripe rhubarb stalks
6. 100 grams, extra caster sugar

Method

• Heat the oven to 180°C/ 360°F/gas mark 4.
• Beat the butter and caster sugar in a bowl until light and creamy add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Gently fold in the sifted flour until you have a batter of dropping consistency.
• Cut the rhubarb stalks into 2cm lengths; discarding any, leaves arrange loosely in a buttered one-litre pie or baking dish and scatter with the 100 grams of extra caster sugar.
• Spoon the batter mixture on top of the fruit in clumps then smooth out the clumps to cover the rhubarb bake for 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden.
• Serve with rich cream or with velvety smooth custard and enjoy

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Notes

The outlandishly coloured vegetable that thinks it's a fruit. Rhubarb makes deliciously comforting puddings but its sharpness works extremely well with meat and oily fish dishes (the duck recipe below is a resounding success). Forced rhubarb (grown in the dark) has yellowish leaves and usually appears in January. The field-grown variety replaces it around April and is less tender but often more flavourful. Rhubarb was used as a medicine in ancient China. It was brought to Europe by Marco Polo and has been eaten as a food since the eighteenth century. Rhubarb is a good source of fibre and contains moderate levels of vitamin C and calcium. Studies have linked the fibre from rhubarb in the diet with reduced cholesterol levels. When buying choose crisp, firm, plump stalks with good colour. When kept in the fridge, fresh rhubarb will stay in reasonable condition for 1-2 weeks. Raw and cooked rhubarb freeze well. To prepare, wash and trim both ends of the stalks, and discard the poisonous leaves. Rhubarb, in particular the later field-grown variety, is very tart and requires considerable sweetening.

As with other relatively acidic foods it is recommended that it’s not cooked using aluminium pots

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John & Maureen Glen Tags: London, Pimlico, Tachbrook, “Seasonal Recipes”, “Seasonal Foodstuffs”, “Tachbrook Street Market”, “Jonathan Norris”, Fishmongers, Butchers, Freeman’s, Alhayat, Greengrocers, Fruiterers, November, “What’s in Season”, markets, shops, supermarkets, Razor Clams, Rhubarb, Puddings, Comfort Food, Traditional

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Related articles

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• Boost The Health Benefits of Broccoli (notecook.com)
• Penne with Romanesco Broccoli, Gorgonzola, Pine Nuts, and Leek Cream (fivestarfoodie.com)

World Cup 2010 USA, Crab Cakes from Joe's Stone Crab of Miami

This is the recipe I got from a chef at Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami, Florida, these crab cakes have got to be the best I have ever tasted they are superb just served with the mustard sauce and a mixed salad. When in Palm Springs we used to have flown in monthly stone crab claws, crab cakes and Joe’s famous mustard sauce from In fact most of the celebrities who lived in an around Palm Springs did including Frank Sinatra and Kirk Douglas, rather than wait for the mail order delivery Lord Hanson used to send his jet and Malcolm the senior travel manager to go and pick up the order so the claws etc couldn’t be fresher. I have included the recipes for the mustard sauce and blackened seasoning and a few notes on the stone crabs. In this recipe I of course just use white crab meat, the claw meat of our brown crabs is great to use but can work out a little costly but these crab cakes are worth it.
The Crab Cakes
Serves / Makes: 6 servings

Prep-Time: 10 minutes

Cook-Time: 10 minutes

You Will Need;

• 2/3 cup, mayonnaise
• 5 egg, yolks
• 2 teaspoons, lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons, Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons, Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons, black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon, salt
• ¼ teaspoon, blackened seasoning (see below)
• ¼ teaspoon, crushed red chillies
• ½ cup parsley, chopped fine
• 2½ cups, fresh bread crumbs
• 2 pounds, white crab meat

Mix all ingredients together, and form into 4 ounce cakes, coat with flour and fry in one inch of oil until golden brown Serve and Enjoy!

This pan is just perfect for cooking your crab cakes

Joe’s Stone Crab Mustard Sauce
Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon, dry mustard, Joe uses Coleman’s plus ½ teaspoon
• 1 cup, mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons, Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon, steak sauce, preferably A1 sauce but in the UK we use HP sauce 
• 2 tablespoons, double cream
• 2 tablespoons, milk
• Salt, to taste

Place the dry mustard in a mixing bowl and add the mayonnaise, beat for 1 minute then add the Worcestershire sauce, A1/HP sauce, cream and milk, and a pinch of salt and beat until the mixture is well blended and creamy
If you like a more mustard bite, whisk in ½ teaspoon more dry mustard until well blended.
Cover and chill the sauce then serve in small cups with the crab cakes, cooked and cracked stone crab claws, or in the UK crab claws or almost any type of shellfish.

Blackened Seasoning for Fish, or Chicken

• 2 teaspoons, ground paprika
• 4 teaspoons, dried leaf thyme
• 2 teaspoons, onion powder
• 2 teaspoons, garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon, granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons, salt
• 2 teaspoons, black pepper
• 1 teaspoon, ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
• 1 teaspoon, dried leaf oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon, ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon, ground nutmeg 

Place all ingredients in a jar and store in a cool dark place, shake jar well before each use.

• To cook fish etc with the seasoning, over a low heat, melt about 3 tablespoons of butter in a non-stick frying pan (enough butter to cover fish and the bottom of the pan).
• As soon as the butter is melted, place the fish in the pan, turning over it over to cover both sides with the butter and then generously coat the fish with the seasoning, turn over again and coat the other side with seasoning.
• Now turn up the heat to a medium-high and cook on one side until blackened and somewhat crispy.
• Turn over and cook the other side, add a little more butter whenever necessary.

Stone Crab (Menippe Mercenaria)
In order to assure the continued survival of the species: Only one claw may be removed so the crab can defend itself. Egg bearing females are not allowed to be declawed. The crabs are captured in baited traps. No spears or hooks are allowed. Four inches from the first joint to the tip is the minimum legal size, that's about two ounces. A colossal can weigh 25 ounces or more. The large crusher claw can exert extreme pressure. As much as 19000 lbs. per square inch. Although their massive claws serve as deterrents to most predators, fishermen have reported the stone crab falls prey to the octopus. Stone crab season in Florida runs from October 15th to May 15. Stone crabs exhibit carnivorous feeding behaviour. Sometimes in traps they resort to cannibalism! The claws make up half the weight of the whole crab; they are removed by carefully grabbing from the rear and twisting. The crab is returned to water and the claw regenerates. It takes between 12 to 24 months to reach legal size again. In 1963 stone crabs cost 30 cents a dozen wholesale.

World Cup 2010 England, Battered Dublin Bay Prawns

Some of the recipes I am posting now are really my suggestions for quick and easy dishes you can make to eat while watching the world cup, all of them will be great to share with family and friends, todays recipe is great traditional British dish perfect for a snack or starter, our version of deep frying succulent Dublin bay prawns coated with a light beer batter deep fried to a golden colour, serve with a garlic mayonnaise to dip.

Its another of Maureen’s favourite shellfish either in breadcrumbs, batter or as scampi Provencal, we have served this superb lobster like shellfish to many of the rich and famous here and in America. We like to serve these with a garlic mayonnaise or a homemade Tartare sauce.

Now for the recipe, you will need for 4 servings;

• 12, Dublin bay prawns, King Prawns can also be used for this recipe
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons, seasoned flour
• 1 cup, plain flour
• ¼ to ½ cup, light beer
• 1, whole egg
• Oil, for deep-frying
• Lemon wedge and parsley, for garnish

The method is all quite easy;

1. Remove heads and shell from prawns, leaving tail intact. Slit down the back of the prawn and remove the centre vein.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl, beat the egg and milk together, blend, and stir the flour to form a smooth paste. Add enough beer to form a batter consistency and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil for frying in a deep, heavy based pan. Toss the prawns in seasoned flour to season the flour add a sprinkling of salt and white pepper to plain flour.and dip into the batter one at a time. Lower six prawns carefully into the oil and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the prawns with strainer, drain well on absorbent paper, and keep warm. Cook the remaining prawns, drain well.
4. Serve on a warm serving plate and garnished with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges.
5.  Do not cook more than six prawns at once as this will lower the oil temperature and cause prawns to absorb excess oil.

We like this to deep-fry our fried dishes;


Langoustine, Scampi Or Dublin Bay Prawn, According to the Larousse Gastronomique, the Dublin Bay prawn is known in French as "langoustine”, while in Britain the shelled tail meat is generally referred to as "scampi”. The term "prawn" can be confusing since it is used to describe several varieties of shellfish: the first group includes members of the lobster family such as the Dublin Bay prawn (langoustine in French and langostino in Spanish), Danish lobster, Italian scampi, etc., while the second takes in large shrimp, particularly those that live in fresh water.


An edible crustacean, Nephrops Norvegicus, of the order Decapoda, which is commercially sold as scampi, similar to a large prawn, it has a slender pinkish body, up to 7.87 in long, with long claws. It is widespread in the Mediterranean and NE Atlantic, living in sandy burrows at a depth of 10 to 12 ft. Dublin Bay prawns are usually fished by trawling and are marketed fresh, frozen, or cooked, shelled or unshelled, whole or as tails.

Can be cooked whole as a lobster and served cold with mayonnaise or the peeled, uncooked tail meat. They are delicate and need to be poached only for a few seconds in court bouillon. Unlike the rock lobster or spiny lobster (called "langouste" in French), or even shrimp, the Dublin Bay prawn changes colour little during cooking. It is better to undercook it rather than overcook it, so that it does not become tough and dry. When very fresh, Dublin Bay prawns have an outstanding slightly sweet flavour that is lost when they are frozen. They can be eaten plain, accompanied by melted butter. In North America, it is common to coat Dublin Bay prawns with breadcrumbs and butter and cook them briefly under a very hot broiler.

Molly’s Cockles and Mussels Pot

Cockles, Mussels, Sage, Thyme and a blend of Onions, Garlic, Celery, Peppers and Carrots combine to intensify elements of flavours to an unpretentious sauce of tomatoes and wine.

When we were younger and before we were married we found that we both loved shellfish especially mussels, and somehow “Molly” became Maureen’s pet name, it was I suppose from the Irish song “Molly Malone” (see below), anyhow this dish was born out of that love of shellfish and along with the cockles and mussels we do every now and then add a few medium size prawns (raw) they cook pleasingly in the steam from the cockles and mussels.

Serves / Makes: 6 servings
Prep-Time: 1 hour or so
Cook-Time: 20 minutes

You Will Need;

• 750 grams, live cockles, you could use clams
• 750 grams, live mussels
• 150mls, white wine
• 1 tablespoon, vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• ½ red pepper, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons, fresh thyme leaves
• 1 x 400 gram tin of chopped tomatoes
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons, roughly chopped parsley

Method;

Wash the cockles and mussels in a few changes of cold water, scrubbing to remove any beards still attached to the shells, throw away any that are damaged, or opened; (those that do not close when tapped) place the remaining shellfish in a large bowl, cover with cold water and set aside to soak for an hour. Drain the shellfish thoroughly and place in a large saucepan or mussel pot, add the wine, cover and cook over a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until all the shells have opened.
Strain off the cooking liquid and reserve, get rid of any shellfish that have not opened pick half the shellfish from the shells and leave half in their shells.
Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan, add the onion, garlic, celery, red pepper, carrot, thyme and sage and cook over a gentle heat until softened add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring often cook for 3 minutes, and then add the set aside cooking liquid from the shellfish, return to the boil lower the heat and simmer for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir the cockles and mussels into the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste stir in the parsley.
Serve and enjoy with fresh crusty bread or tasty vegetable rice.

We like to serve this dish in this style of Mussel pot;


Notes:

Mussels are truly one of nature’s most delightful delicacies; they are extremely high in proteins, calcium and iron while being low in fat and calories. They are also excellent for your heart, containing the highest amount of omega3’s of any shellfish (this is the naturally occurring fatty acid that is believed to lower blood pressure).mussels with fries or Moules frites are a characteristic Belgian dish, you get a big bowl (just about always pot) of steamed mussels, broth, and a side of frites.

Don't be tricked by how upmarket they look, mussels are the definitive uncomplicated seafood. Clean them, sauté them, steam them and hey up you'll have a dish everyone will be wowed there are many ways to serve the mussels, but the most classic is Moules Mariniere the mussels are offered in a sauce of white wine, shallots, parsley, and butter.

You can in addition find mussels served with sauces made with beer, or cream, or vegetable stock. For the greatest authenticity, use a shell to crack open the mussels, not your fork.

Mussels are at their best in cold weather, so their season is usually from October to March. When you see them in a fishmonger’s, a sign of freshness is that most of them are tightly closed: if there are a lot of open mussels don’t bother. When buying mussels you need to allow at least 1 pint (570 ml) per person for a first course, and 1½ to 2 pints (about 1 litre) for a main course. That may seem a lot, but some will have to be discarded and, once they have been shelled, mussels are very small and light.

The ritual of cleaning and preparing them sounds more bother than it actually is. When you get them home, plonk the mussels straightaway into a sinkful of cold water. First of all throw out any that float to the top, then leave the cold tap running over them while you take a small knife and scrape off all the barnacles and pull off the little hairy beards. Discard any mussels that are broken, and any that are open and refuse to close tight when given a sharp tap with a knife. After you’ve cleaned each one, place it straight in another bowl of clean water.

When they’re all in, swirl them around in three or four more changes of cold water to get rid of any lingering bits of grit or sand. Leave the cleaned mussels in cold water until you’re ready to cook them. As an extra safety precaution, always check mussels again after cooking this time discarding any whose shells haven’t opened.

COCKLES

Cockles are extremely appreciated in many coastal regions, where they’re gathered at low tide from shoals and sandy bottoms. In the Magdalen Islands, they’re by tradition battered and deep-fried. Cockles are found in sandy or muddy areas shallowly buried to a depth of not more than about one inch. They may be most linked with Dublin, alive alive-o, but cockles are to be had all over the world. Their small, heart-shaped shells contain a petite, tantalizing morsel of flesh that can be eaten raw, steamed, or boiled. A member of the clam family, although cockles may seem like a lot of work for little return, they have a mouth-watering salty flavour that desires to be treated gently.

Buying Cockles, They are available throughout the year, but the best season is from September to March. Be sure the shells are tightly closed choose cockles with pale shells, as this indicates lighter flesh which is said to taste better.
Storing Cockles Place the cockles in a breathable container and cover with a damp cloth. Molluscs should be kept at a temperature between 0° and 4° C (32°-40° F). In their shells, they will keep for 1 or 2 days
Preparing Cockles, Discard any cockles with opened or broken shells. Place in a bowl, cover with cold salted water and allow them to release the sand and impurities they contain. Allow at least 2 hours of soaking half a day is better.
Cooking Cockles can be eaten raw or cooked. To cook, place them in a pan, cover and place over high heat with a small amount of water, shake them once or twice, and remove the cockles as soon as they begin to open.

In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! Alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

She was a fish-monger, but sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheeled their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! Alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

She died of a fever, and no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
But her ghost wheels her barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! Alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

Martins Seafresh, Local Fish

Sea Fresh Fish crabs, prawns and Lobsters from Martins Seafresh, this is in my opinion the premier fresh fish shopping site for fresh fish and shellfish, including live and cooked lobsters, crabs, oysters and mussels. Their speciality is Lobsters and Crabs caught off the North Cornish coast mostly by small inshore boats. They offer overnight delivery to the mainland UK.

A little locally run business with thirty years expertise and a love of all seafood. Direct contact to the boats means that their produce is always fresh. You can take advantage of their online shop and have your assortment delivered to you the following day. Martin's Seafresh takes delight in supplying the freshest possible seafood straight from Cornwall.

Maureen and I always use Martins Seafresh; the potted shrimps are a favourite of Maureen’s. We have never been let down with the quality of the fish. We get our fish delivered once or twice a month and it is always fresh, nicely cut or filleted always delivered on time and extremely good value it beats the London fishmongers hands down.

They have recently upgraded their website and it is a real joy to enter, navigating the site is so easy and, if any of the fish is not in stock it is greyed out in the shopping pages. They included great descriptions of the fish that they sell including the many different ways in which you can cook them.
One of the best and most important areas of the website is their “How-To Guides and Recipe Pages” they are a great area to visit.

It is always pleasant to receive the newsletters from them advising us of the best times to buy the fish and seafood and what is happening with the boats and staff.

In summary both, Maureen and I believe there is no finer online supplier of fresh fish, shellfish and live lobsters and crab. You just can't go wrong with Martin's Seafresh.

Martins Seafresh
St Columb Business Centre
Barn Lane
St Columb
Cornwall
TR9 6BU

Telephone: 01637 806 103
Email: jeff.martin@martins-seafresh.co.uk
Website: http://www.martins-seafresh.co.uk/
Contact: Jeff Martin

Northumbrian Cockle Soup

A classic North of England soup originally the cockles were boiled in seawater as we still do (sort of) we use a good Cornish sea salt added to our water. Almost everyone has his or her own version of this classic dish and this is ours.

Serves: 6
Time: 20 minutes, don’t forget that a good dish takes time, nature doesn’t rush so neither should you

You Will Need:

• 40-50 Cockles (You can use Clams)
• 1 Ounce, Butter
• 1 Ounce, Plain Flour
• 1 Pint, Full Fat Milk
• 2 Tablespoons, Onion, Finely Chopped
• 2 Tablespoons, Celery, Finely Chopped
• 1 Tablespoons, Chopped Fresh Thyme
• 2 Tablespoons, Parsley, Chopped Plus Extra For Garnish
• 4-6 Tablespoons, Cream
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
  

Method:
Clean the cockle shells very well under cold running water, discarding any that are already open. Place the cockles in a large saucepan and cover with cold, well-salted water. Bring slowly to the boil, shaking the saucepan from time to time. As soon as the cockles are open, they are ready Do not over-cook, as this will toughen them.
Allow the cockles to cool in the stock, then strain, keep back the stock, and remove the cockles from their shells using a sharp knife, strain the cooled stock again and make up to 1 ½ pints with water if necessary.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, gradually add the cockle stock, stirring to prevent lumps forming, bring to the boil then stir in the milk. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, for 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the parsley and pepper, and then stir in the cockles.
Heat through thoroughly and pour into 4-6 soup bowls. Swirl a tablespoon, of cream into each bowl and garnish with a little parsley.
Serve with crusty bread.

Crab and Mussel Chowder

This is a special favourite of ours, I used to put it on the menu at The Great Tree Hotel, Devon when the crab and mussels were at their best and we always sold out especially when served with our own home baked bread.

Serves: 10 this is for 10 servings as it is easier to increase from 10 servings.

Time: About 10 to 45 minutes that includes the prep time

• 16 ounces, potatoes


• ¼ cup olive oil


• 4 ounces, bacon


• 3 tablespoons, finely chopped garlic


• 1 teaspoon, lemon zest


• 3 tablespoons, finely chopped shallots


• 1 tablespoon, fresh thyme leaves


• 3 tablespoon, plain flour


• 1½ pounds, fresh mussels


• 2 cups, chopped leeks


• 750mls, white wine (I use a nice crisp Chardonnay)


• ½ cup double cream


• ¾ teaspoon, sea salt


• ¼ teaspoon, freshly ground pepper (I prefer to use white in this dish)


• 1 pound, white crabmeat

1. Parboil the potatoes, slice the potatoes into ¼-inch thick slices, place in a medium saucepan (at least 4-quart size) with about 2 inches of cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the potatoes just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set to one side.


2. Prepare the chowder, Heat the olive oil in the saucepan over a medium heat, add the bacon, garlic, lemon zest, shallots, thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots and garlic are softened and the bacon is lightly browned, about 6 minutes.


3. Gradually add the flour, stirring well, add the mussels and wine, and cover, bring to a low boil over a medium heat.


4. Remove the mussels as they open, using a slotted spoon, and set to one side. Reduce the heat to a medium low heat, and add the potatoes and leeks to the chowder and continue to cook until the potatoes and leeks are tender about 20 to 25 minutes.


5. Remove from the heat and stir in the double cream, season the chowder with the sea salt and pepper and lightly fold the crabmeat and mussels into the chowder, serve right away in warmed soup bowls with nice crusty bread.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/96202/crab-and-mussel-chowder.html

Quick & Easy Prawn (Shrimp) Creole

Quick & Easy Prawn (Shrimp) Creole

Ooh, we just love the Creole cuisine and shrimp Creole must be one of our favourites.
Shrimp Creole is a dish of Louisiana Creole origin (French and Spanish Legacy), consisting of cooked shrimp in a combination of whole or diced tomatoes, onion, celery and bell pepper, spiced with Tabasco sauce or another hot pepper sauce, and served over steamed or boiled white rice.
The shrimp may be cooked in the mixture or cooked separately and added at the end.

Other "Creole" dishes may be made by replacing with some other meat or seafood for the shrimp, or leave out the meat completely.

Serves: 4
Time: 15 to 20 minutes.

450g / 1lb, medium sized prawns (shrimps) without shells.

1 teaspoon, olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup green pepper, chopped

½ teaspoon dried chillies, crushed

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tins, chopped tomatoes

5 cups, cooked long grain rice

Coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray, or wipe a little olive oil with a paper towel. Place over a medium heat until hot. Add the onions, peppers and chillies and garlic and sauté until tender. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the prawns (shrimp), cover and cook for five minutes, or until the prawns turn pink.
Serve on the rice

Crab and Leek Tart

Crab and Leek Tart

A rich indulgent quiche/tart flavoured with herbs and saffron. This was a great hit at the Bowd Inn with summer visitors to Sidmouth and Devon. We always made it with seasonal crab that was caught locally our supplier was Stan Bagwell and I believe he is still supplying fresh fish and seafood to everyone. Now when we want the best of West Country seafood and fish we get it nice and fresh (the crab and lobster is live) online from Martins Seafresh (http://wzey1.ask.com/r?t=p&d=syneu&s=bvw&c=bvw1&l=dir&o=0&sv=0a5c4314&ip=51975e5c&id=587BCD3EE559FC3C83FF108EAF14DF6C&q=Fishmongers+Online&p=1&qs=121&ac=7&g=7039OEsNXceVOp&en=te&io=4&b=alg&tp=d&ec=10&pt=Fresh+Fish+and+Lobsters+from+Martins+Seafresh&ex=&url=&u=http://www.martins-seafresh.co.uk/)

Serves: 4 to 6 depends on who is a gannet

Time: You have all the time you need

You Will Need

FOR THE PASTRY

200 grams, plain flour

¼ teaspoon, sea salt

¼ teaspoon, cayenne pepper

50 grams unsalted, butter

50 grams, lard (this helps to make the pastry very elastic essential for a good savoury pie)

25 grams, mature cheddar cheese, grated

1, egg yolk

FOR THE FILLING

25 grams, unsalted butter

225 grams, leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon, saffron strands

300 grams white crab meat

3 whole, free-range eggs

2 teaspoons, lemon juice

1 or 2 dashes, of Worcestershire sauce

125 mls, double cream

Small handful snipped chives

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method:

For the pastry, sift the flour, salt, and cayenne pepper into a mixing bowl, rub in the butter and lard until the mixture is crumbly, mix in the cheese, then bind the pastry with the egg yolk and little cold water.

Leave the pastry to rest for 30 minutes roll out and line a non-stick baking tin

Preheat the oven to 190c gas mark 5, Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking peas or some dried pulses if you haven’t got the ceramic peas.

Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, remove the paper and peas, and return to the oven for a further 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Now prepare the filling, melt the butter in a frying pan/skillet and sauté the leeks for 5 minutes until they are softened but not browned.

Stir in the saffron and allow to cool and then turn into a mixing bowl, fold in the remaining filling ingredients and season well.

Spoon into the cooked pastry case and bake in the hot oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

We serve this hot or cold, crusty bread and a mixed salad dressed with a Sherry Vinegar డ్రెస్సింగ్

Sherry Vinegar Dressing

Just a superb dressing, need I say anything more

Serves: a couple of nice friends

Time: as long as it takes

You Will Need

1 tablespoon, sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon, walnut oil

1 tablespoon, garlic flavoured olive oil

The juice from half a lemon, about 2 tablespoons

½ teaspoon, sugar

A pinch of sea salt

Freshly grated black pepper

Method:

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until they thicken slightly

Drizzle over your salad and serve