In case it had slipped you by - and who's to blame you! - but we are two weeks into May and the official Summer months are nearly with us. What does that mean in the kitchen? Wildflowers are abundant and we have the time and incentive to do a little foraging, shop locally and rustle up something new in the kitchen. Some of the ingredients may be classed a little niche when it comes to stocking in the grocery stores, but they are all widely available online and usually much better quality too. I never used to be a fan of florals in my food, but a little bit of labour and a very active test kitchen = total conversion. Here's what I've been cooking:
Baked feta with Lavender, Honey & Thyme
This is a Marcus Wareing recipe that calls for the cook to make rye crisps. I prefer my bread a little chunkier and have adapted the recipe mildly.
200g of feta 1/2 loaf of rye bread 4 tbsp of olive oil 1 garlic clove, halved 4 tbsp of honey - if you can get your hands on lavender honey or blossom honey then even better 4 sprigs of thyme 2 lavender sprigs, or half a teaspoon of dried lavender sea salt freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Cover the feta with 2 pieces of kitchen paper and leave at room temperature for a short while to absorb excess moisture. Cut the rye bread into slim slices. Place these in a single layer on to a baking tray. Rub each slice with a piece of halved garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until golden and crisping. Remove the bread and turn the oven to its grill setting. Remove the kitchen paper from the cheese and place the feta in an ovenproof dish just large enough for it to fit neatly. Drizzle the honey on top, then add the thyme and lavender. Season well with salt and pepper and grill for 5–10 minutes until golden. Remove the cheese from the grill. Serve immediately with the rye bread for dipping and spreading.
Elderflower, Lemon, Chia & Flaxseed Pancakes
I know that flour is an ingredient hard to come by at the moment, but luckily you can make substitutions for this recipe (including self-raising for a ‘fluffier’ stack). My personal preference is with buckwheat or rye, as I like the nutty, savoury flavours. I am also very hit and miss with Elderflower – sometimes its great and sometimes it is too floral, so a savoury flour balances this out for me. You can also grind oats down to a flour and add elderflower here to really infuse the batter.
200g flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tbsp chia seeds 1 tbsp Milled Flaxseed mix Handful or fresh elderflowers, cleaned and trimmed of stalks Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp coconut sugar or any sugar/sweetener of choice 200ml milk or milk alternative Coconut oil for frying
Crush your elderflowers a little in a pestle & mortar along with some of the lemon juice, some chia seeds and some of the milk. In a large mixing bowl add all the remaining ingredients in the order above and whisk until smooth. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Heat a pan on a medium heat adding some coconut oil to melt. Simply pour in the mix and begin to fry until they start to solidify and colour, then flip and do the same until cooked through. I opt to make 2 larger pancakes which sometimes take a little more time, but you can make them as large or small as you wish. Top with lemon juice, yoghurt, fruit, honey and some edible flowers for extra effect. The plate is your oyster.
If pancakes aren’t your thing (because they aren’t usually mine!), then cook your porridge with them instead. Top with sliced peaches, blueberries, shredded coconut and yoghurt. It is divine.
Sea Bass Two Ways, Elderflower & Radish
As titled, I have made this Sea Bass dish in two ways. The first, I pan fried elderflowers with my sea bass so that the honey-like sweetness really seeped into the fish as they both cooked. The second, I served the fish raw and pan-fried the elderflowers with fennel seeds and olive oil to release the flavours before drizzling over the top of the fish. The image above is from another recipe.
The Elderflowers: make sure you pick the freshest you can find, bright white in colour and away from the roadside. These dishes can make use of the whole herb so there is no need to painstakingly pick the flowerheads off the stems. Simply remove the thick, mother stem so you are left with the thinner stalks and the bunch of flowers at the end. Gently rinse the flowers and put on some kitchen paper to dry. Chop into finer pieces and set aside.
1. Heat up a frying pan medium-high with a little oil. Sprinkle some of the elderflowers into the pan and add the sea bass fillets skin side down. Fry for about 3 minutes, then sprinkle with pepper and some more elderflowers before flipping so that the flesh can finish cooking. I am currently obsessed with raw radishes but feel free to add them to the pan to soften a little and to absorb some of the healthy fats and flavours from the fish and the sweetened oil. Serve with left-over cold potatoes and asparagus or salad. Drizzle with olive oil, splash on some lemon juice, et voila!
2. Heat up a small frying pan to medium heat. Add the fennel seeds before any oil so that they begin to toast and release some flavour. Add olive oil, turning the heat up just a touch. Add the elderflowers and after a minute or two turn the heat back down so you can prepare the sea bass. Use a sharp knife to remove the skin from the fillets, staying as closely to the underside as you can to save as much flesh as possible. Cut the fillets into thing strips and season with lime juice, salt and pepper. Place it or pile it onto your serving plate. By this time, the oil should be infused. Drizzle over the fish, let it rest for a minute then serve alongside a simple green salad with some sliced radishes and green apple. It’s a winner.
Rose Water Bostock, cashew yoghurt & coconut
This is one of my “cheat” recipes but it saves the planet by using up leftovers and is much healthier than a traditional recipe, but still oh-so-indulgent, so I have little shame. For those who haven’t heard of Bostock, it is similar to French toast but uses brioche, is baked in the oven, and is smothered in frangipane, candied nuts and icing sugar.
2 tbsp Rose Water 400g cashew or almond yoghurt 1 tbsp chia or flaxseeds, crushed 100g ground almonds 6-8 slices brioche 2 cardamom pods, seeded and crushed 50g flaked almonds, toasted 50g flaked coconut, toasted Dried rose petals Honey – omit if you’re vegan of course.
To make the ‘frangipane’, put the yoghurt in a mixing bowl. Add the almond flour, cardamom, a tiny splash of rose water, a heaped teaspoon of honey and the chia seeds and whip with a mixer then leave to rest for a few minutes. This should thicken the yoghurt ready for topping.
Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Cut your brioche into 2cm thick slices and put on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush the slices with the rose water so the brioche is soaked through. Drizzle on a little honey, then top with your thickened yoghurt mixture and the remaining coconut and almonds. Bake for 12-15 minutes then remove from the oven, leave to cool for a minute, sprinkle with icing sugar & rose petals and serve.
Rose Petal Jam
I first tried rose petal jam in January this year. Classic Amie (not-so-classily) enjoyed it by dipping a spoon in the jar and smoothing it on a Hovis biscuit. Spreading things on Hovis or Digestives is one of my guilty pleasures – so I tend not to buy them to save myself! But don’t let that stop you spreading the joy. It tastes gorgeous in a crisp warm croissant with some almond yoghurt or thick cream, it’s a pleasant surprise when used in a Victoria sponge instead of your classic red-berry jam, and I don’t know anybody who would say no to a cheese board. To hit the mark spectacularly pair it with a French Brie and a fresh baguette. Otherwise, pair with English goats cheese or an Italian hard cheese like Pecorino. Use as you would any other jam, but expect a result that’s far from it.
How to make Rose Petal Jam:
225g (8oz) of rose petals 450g (1lb) sugar Juice of 2 lemons around 1L. of water
Pick the petals from the roses and place them in a large bowl or saucepan. Add about half of the sugar and stir to bruise the petals slightly and distribute the sugar. Pour in 500ml of the water and simmer for five minutes. Add the remaining water, the lemon juice and the rest of the sugar and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil. Continue heating gently and allow to simmer quietly for 20 minutes. Then raise the cooking heat and boil for 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. To test your jelly, add a spoonful to chilled plate and place in the fridge for a minute or two. Press on it with your finger: If a skin has formed, the jelly is ready; if not then boil it for another minute or two and test again. Bottle into sterilised jars and allow to cool.
Or buy it here:
Hibiscus Bouquet: A Cocktail
50ml apple juice 15ml fresh lime juice 50ml vodka (we use Chase) 2 pinches dried hibiscus flower (widely available at healthfood shops and online) Palmer & Co. Brut Reserve ½ tsp. Rose water Elderflowers and Fresh mint, to garnish
Alternatives: Fentimans Rose lemonade
Use ice to chill a shaker. Add the vodka, lime juice, apple juice, rose water and hibiscus flower to the shaker and combine. Strain into a glass. Add ½ tsp. rose water to each glass and top with Palmer & Co. champagne or Rose Lemonade.
Two from the cookbooks:
Ottolenghi Pappardelle with Rose Harissa, Black Olives & Capers https://ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/pappardelle-with-rose-harissa-black-olives-and-capers
Nigel Slater’s Cherry Drizzle Cake – No Flour Required!
Happy cooking! AE x
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