September Recipes
Bramble Martini
10 blackberries
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
Dash of dry vermouth
60ml gin
Thyme sprig (to serve)
For the pickling liquid, put the blackberries in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the caster sugar, salt and white wine vinegar, then pour it over the fruit. Leave for at least 15 minutes.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add a dash of dry vermouth, stir, then drain away almost all the liquid. Pour in the gin, stir well, then strain into a martini glass or coupe.
Add 1 tbsp of the pickling liquid, then garnish with one of the pickled blackberries and a sprig of thyme.
Herb-Crusted Cod Fillets
4 cod fillets
100g (3½oz) breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Finely grated zest 1 small lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
60g (2¼oz) butter, melted
1 lemon, quartered, to serve
Heat oven to 220°C (gas mark 7). Place the cod on a large greased baking tray and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest and herbs, and season well. Pour in the butter and mix with a large fork or your fingers, until combined. Cover the fillets with the crumbs, pressing down on each.
Transfer to the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Serve with a green salad.
Pear & Blackberry Crumble
800g conference pears, cubed
100g brown sugar
1 star anise
250g blackberries
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
100g plain flour
75g unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
100g oats
80g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
50g demerara sugar
Heat the oven to 190c/170 fan/ gas mark 5
Place the pears in a pan and add the maple syrup, brown sugar and star anise. Cook for 10 minutes until the pears start to soften. Add the blackberries, vanilla and remove from the heat and spread the mixture into a baking dish.
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Put the flour, butter, oats, demerara sugar and a pinch of salt into a large bowl then rub together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the hazelnuts and sugar and stir to combine.
Sprinkle the crumble over the cooked fruit and then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top and the fruit is bubbling.
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Serve with vanilla ice cream or custard.
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