“olive” May 2006 Issue
Pride in British food takes centre stage in May’s olive magazine. First up is an article about UK chefs who wave the British culinary banner overseas, and a listing of 50 reasons to celebrate British food, ranging from the ubiquitous fish & chips, traditional high tea and and Brighton rock, to food writers, farmers’ markets, Fergus Henderson and elderflower cordial. I must admit an especial fondness for the latter!
Writer and doyenne of the famous La Fromagerie shops, Patricia Michelson picks the top 20 British cheeses she’d be proud to serve at her own table – amongst them, such fascinating names as Stinking Bishop (a soft mild cheese with a rind washed in perry), Waterloo (a rich creamy Guernsey cow’s milk cheese), Lord of the Hundreds (a sheep’s milk pecorino-like dry cheese), Richard III Wensleydale and Ticklemore (a hard flaky, fruity goats cheese). Of them all, I’ve only tried the Appleby’s Cheshire, which was superb, so I now have my very own cheese shopping list. . .
Jersey Royals are the sovereigns of the potato world, according to Doug Le Masurier, one of the British Channel Islands farmers who specialises in producing them. Jersey Royal exports apparently are worth an estimated £28 million a year for the islanders – clear proof of the demand for this small, deliciously sweet variety.
North vs. South – chefs Paul Heathcote and John Burton Race argue over which side of the country boasts the best food scene. Needless to say, they both have valid points which leave us undecided.
BBC’s Paul Merrett tells us what to eat now and provides recipes to whet our appetites – Jersey Royals being one of those items, alongside watercress, asparagus and baby radishes.
In the face of the trend of buying only expensive premium meat cuts and foods, Gordon Ramsay advocates the use of cheaper ingredients. Expensive isn’t always best, he says and insists humbler items, such as pork belly and chicken thighs, deserve special attention. Illustrating his point is a recipe for mackerel with potato salad & cucumber, although I rather think the addition of quails’ eggs and caviar (even the recommended substitute of Onuga herring eggs) somewhat negates the ‘cheap’ aspect of his argument.
Max Allen tells us to relax and experiment when matching food with wines and ales. Giving some classic combos, he then offers some innovative alternate choices. Most interesting to me was the recommendation of fortified wine (in particular, manzanilla or my favourite, amontillado) with oysters, and the advice that you never, ever, ever match raw pineapple with shiraz. The word ‘vomit’ features in there, so I’m not sure I really want to know how he worked that one out…
