RECIPES ADDING VALUE TO DULL INGREDIENTS
ONIONS
by Jeremy Lee, Blueprint Cafe
www.blueprintcafe.co.uk
We get these lovely pink onions from Lincolnshire, and we fry them for as long as possible – we are talking about 30 to 40 minutes – so that they go really soft and turn a golden brown. When they are done, we then add lots of chopped parsley, cider vinegar and chopped mint. They are excellent heaped on cow's curd – Neal’s Yard dairy do good ones – and served up on grilled bread. Should you happen to have some broad beans, they would be a good addition too. This is a very satisfying thing to cook. Delicious.
STALE BREAD
by Tristan Welch, Launceston Place
www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk
Panzanella salad is great for using up a stale loaf. Dice the stale loaf of bread, toast in the oven for a few minutes to dry and crispen. Meanwhile, roughly chop some ripe tomatoes, tear up fresh basil, crush a mere corner of garlic, finely slice a couple of spring onions and place them all in a salad bowl with some virgin rape seed oil. Take another bowl with a little water, mix a splash of white wine vinegar and a pinch of a salt together and dip the bread it in the vinegary water briefly and remove it with a slotted spoon. Shake well to remove any excess water, add the bread directly into the rest of the salad, mix in well then serve.
BEETROOT
by Adrian Jones, The Salisbury
www.thesalisbury.co.uk
Pickled beetroot does not have to be horrible, like the stuff you get in a jar at the corner shop. To make ours we start by making a brine using red wine, red wine vinegar, sugar and chillies and we simmer it for 30 seconds. Then you let it cool down again to blood temperature, which takes about half an hour. Then you simply slice your beetroot thinly – don't cook it – and drop it into the brine and leave it for 24 hours. It makes a lovely crunchy pickle. We are serving it with peppered mackerel at the moment.