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Christmas Cockerel with Chestnuts & Marsala

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Roasted cockerel in roasting tray on farmhouse table, surrounded by accompaniments - kale to the left, roasted pumpkin, braised lentils and gravy jug behind. Lit candle and stack of off-white plates to the right, cutlery in the foreground. Wood burner with blazing fire in background, with a decorated Christmas tree beside it to the right.

My Christmas cockerel recipe is perfect for an Italian-inspired festive feast, offering a slight twist on the traditional. This wonderful, celebratory bird takes centre stage in an Italian-inspired Christmas feast. When it comes to Christmas dinner, many of us ponder whether this will finally be the year to cook something other than turkey with all the trimmings. This recipe offers a slight twist while keeping all the festive feels. Marsala and chestnuts combine with the cockerel’s juices to create a fabulously rich, distinctly Christmassy gravy.

Then there’s the stuffing, which would steal the show if not for the quality of the bird itself – thanks to mortadella and parmesan for an umami kick. Most people, of course, stick with tradition, and there’s no shame in that; a roast turkey with all the trimmings is both delicious and full of nostalgia. But if you’re ready to try something new this year, this recipe is a winner (and feel free to add some duck fat roasted potatoes too if you fancy!).

Serves: 8

Cook time: 5 hours

Ingredients

Kale

Stuffing

For the Braised lentils

For the roasted pumpkin

Method

  1. The first step in this adventure is most definitely to get your cockerel out of the fridge. I would suggest on Christmas Eve before you go to bed, or if not, then first thing in the morning.

Stuffing and Roasting the Bird

  1. Tip the pork mince into a bowl and add the mortadella, Parmesan, chopped rosemary, a good twist of white pepper, a grating of nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Mix all together.
  2. In a small pan, sweat off the shallots and garlic in the butter until soft and translucent. Allow to cool and then add to the mince.
  3. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and then add to the bowl along with the two eggs. Using your hands, mix everything together thoroughly, then take a little and fry gently in a pan. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
  4. Season the inside of the cockerel with a little sea salt and then add the stuffing, making sure to leave a little space at the top of the cavity for hot air to circulate. No more than three quarters full.
  5. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C.
  6. Find a roasting tray big enough to house the bird and scatter the chestnuts around the bottom. Then add the Marsala and 300ml of chicken stock.
  7. Rub the bird all over with olive oil and then season with sea salt. Place the bird in the middle of the tray and then the whole tray into the oven for 1 hour.
  8. Reduce the heat to 160°C and cook for a further 1 ½ – 2 hours.
  9. Remove the bird from the oven and leave to rest, somewhere warm, for at least 1 hour.

Preparing the Lentils

  1. Take a large, heavy bottomed pan and on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil add the lardons. Stirring regularly, let them brown whilst also rendering out their fat. Once browned and swimming in lovely fat, add the onions, carrots, garlic, celery, celeriac and a good pinch of salt. Cook this with a lid on, over a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. You want the veg to be soft and just beginning to colour a little; at which point add the lentils and the red wine. Bring the wine to the boil and then simmer for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken stock, herbs and 3 more tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plus another pinch of salt. Allow this to come up to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If at any point it is looking a bit dry, then add a dribble more chicken stock.
  2. Check the lentils. I personally don’t like my lentils al dente (although some people do, apparently), they should be soft and almost creamy, but importantly, not complete mush. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary – I find a good splash of sherry (or any other good vinegar) is what’s needed.

Roasting the Pumpkin

  1. Turn the oven back up to 180°C.
  2. Using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin or squash into large wedges and lay in a roasting dish. Be careful not to overfill the tray, as this will prevent even cooking. Use two trays if needed.
  3. Season well with seat salt and black pepper and then liberally drizzle olive oil over.
  4. Scatter the garlic cloves and sage and mix everything together. Then scatter over the cubed butter and transfer to the oven. Roast for 25 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and test the squash, the flesh should be tender when prodded with a small knife. Return to the oven if it needs a little more cooking.

Cooking the Kale

  1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil.
  2. Blanch the kale for 2 minutes, in batches if necessary, and then drain in a colander.
  3. In a separate, large, heavy bottomed pan, add 5 tablespoons of olive oil and set over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the garlic, a small pinch of chilli flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook the garlic until it becomes ‘sticky’ – you will notice the spoon start to feel sticky and the slices of garlic sticking together.
  4. Add the kale and stir well. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
  5. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Making the Gravy

  1. Remove the cockerel from the tray it was roasted in and transfer to a platter. As you remove the bird, make sure to let all the juices run off into the roasting tray.
  2. Heat 300ml of chicken stock in a small pan.
  3. Set the roasting tray over a medium heat (if it is suitable for direct heat, otherwise transfer to a pan) and once the liquid (with the chestnuts in it) is simmering, add a tablespoon of plain flour and mix well.
  4. Then add the hot stock whilst stirring continuously. Once all the stock is added, allow the gravy to simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
  5. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
  6. Decant to a gravy boat, with all the chestnuts.
  7. Gather everyone around the table, pour the wine and serve.

Order meat online

For 15 years, George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and spent five years as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. He earned praise for his simple, thoughtful cooking, with dishes rooted in the classics and always respectful of the ingredients.

In 2021, George realised a long-held ambition with the release of his first cookbook, A Year in the Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, guiding readers through the British seasons, showcasing native produce and encouraging creativity year-round.

In 2022, George left London and returned to his native Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cooking and respect for quality British ingredients have remained central to his work. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, open to new opportunities and always following his heart.

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  • Sausages appear in great food cultures all over the world. We never tire of discovering them, and we always want to represent them properly. Which is why we love to make them in partnership with chefs, cooks, or true specialists in that cuisine, or passionate enthusiasts who know it from the inside. This is Kwa Ko — a Cambodian beef sausage made in collaboration with @barang_london , the project of @tomgeoffrey. Since launching his residency at The Globe in Borough Market, Tom has been bringing the fresh, vibrant flavours of Cambodia to London’s restaurant scene. It didn’t take long before the conversation turned to sausages. Cambodian sausage traditions are strong. What we’ve made together is genuinely distinctive: beef chuck and brisket with galangal, lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime leaves, white Kampot pepper and steamed jasmine rice. The rice is the detail that makes it, it gives the sausage a characteristic light sourness, another layer of complexity that sets it apart from anything we’ve made before. Available now, in limited numbers, so be quick!
  • We are firmly of the belief that our pork is as good as it has ever been, the breeding, the rearing, the dry ageing and of course the butchery. All of it functioning in harmony to provide us with some high-grade pork. Loin chops seem to be having their moment in the sun, currently a firm favourite amongst our restaurant community, and rightly so. A classic; the leaner eye meat enveloped by a lovely cover of fat, cut thick and cooked well, they are so, so good. A little less well known, but no less delicious, and a cracking option for sharing, our shoulder chops are a slightly different beast. We split our shoulders in half and age the so-called Boston butt, when ready, the shoulder chops are cut from this section. The eye meat is made up of the collar or neck fillet and has excellent natural marbling. You then get a little of the blade and the muscles that surround it, this is darker, more richly flavoured meat. You still get the cover of fat, which, once rendered, tastes incredible. All in all, a fantastic sharing chop and a slight point of difference from the loin chops. Both supremely delicious!
  • The process of developing a dish with chefs is a rewarding one, made all the more so when we have the chance to eat the end product. As was the case here upon a recent (ish) visit to @rambutan_ldn Conversations around the best steak to use for this dish began months ago and we were able to offer our expert advice as Sofia and her team fine-tuned the balance of flavours, spices and textures. A few different cuts were trialled, and, in the end, it was our rump steaks which triumphed! Their flavour and fat able to be carried by that rich and deep curry sauce, with brighter notes and acidity being offered up by the parsley temper and little pearls of onion. It is truly a triumph. A marriage of Yorkshire beef and traditional Sri Lankan flavours and we couldn’t be prouder to see it on the menu and being enjoyed by their lucky guests!
  • What salt should you use when cooking steaks and chops? Does it matter? Well, we have, in the past, taken some heat in the comments from people saying that we are using the wrong salt on our steaks. “You should be using fine salt!”, “flaky salt on steaks!! NO WAY!”, “It just falls off!”, to give you a few examples. So, to put the debate to bed we undertook an extremely controlled, scientific experiment to determine which salt is the best salt to use on your steaks. In a field, with a piece of goose skirt, a barbecue and two varieties of sea salt (that’s one important detail, to use sea salt, not table salt) and a desire to eat well seasoned steak. Poor us! Watch the video to find our conclusions, which will also feature in an academic journal soon – a seminal piece of scientific research. #sodiyum #flakysalt4life
  • A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
  • Take a little inspiration from our very own grill master @grylos when it comes to cooking your big, bone in steaks. This method takes time, skill and plenty of patience but the result is a deep, dark char, beautiful blushing pink flesh and melting buttery fat. We can safely say, after this day we spent in the field, that it is well worth the effort. Close to steak perfection. Plus, he knocked up a charred spring vegetable green sauce, which was an ideal foil for that most delicious of steaks – clever boy. The idea is to spend time building a char and crust with many short visits to the hottest part of the grill, interspersed with time away from the grill, somewhere warm, slowly coming up to temperature. Placing it directly on the coals at the end is a bit of a gimmick, however, it did yield excellent results, so maybe give it a go (only if you have good quality charcoal though!)! Steak perfection!!
  • To our friends down south, you might have noticed Yorkshire is still a good few weeks behind the march towards summer. The trees are only just coming into leaf in the Dales, especially up in Upper Wharfedale, and that gives us a little more time with the wild garlic. Here is @grylos with what feels like one of his best ideas to date. A proper use of those essential carcass balance cuts. Lamb hearts, though this would work just as well with tongues, sweetbreads or liver. Cooked simply, well seasoned, finished with a little lemon. Alongside it, wild garlic taken from the darker, shaded parts of the woodland where it is still fresh. Even if it has started to turn, it holds up. Treated like spinach, wilted down, then cooked with oil, salt and cream, left to reduce until it becomes rich and full of flavour. A brilliant little starter for our chefs blackboards, and something that will more than hold its own at home. A dish for the season, if ever there was one.
  • We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
Sausages appear in great food cultures all over the world. We never tire of discovering them, and we always want to represent them properly. Which is why we love to make them in partnership with chefs, cooks, or true specialists in that cuisine, or passionate enthusiasts who know it from the inside. This is Kwa Ko — a Cambodian beef sausage made in collaboration with @barang_london , the project of @tomgeoffrey. Since launching his residency at The Globe in Borough Market, Tom has been bringing the fresh, vibrant flavours of Cambodia to London’s restaurant scene. It didn’t take long before the conversation turned to sausages. Cambodian sausage traditions are strong. What we’ve made together is genuinely distinctive: beef chuck and brisket with galangal, lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime leaves, white Kampot pepper and steamed jasmine rice. The rice is the detail that makes it, it gives the sausage a characteristic light sourness, another layer of complexity that sets it apart from anything we’ve made before. Available now, in limited numbers, so be quick!
Sausages appear in great food cultures all over the world. We never tire of discovering them, and we always want to represent them properly. Which is why we love to make them in partnership with chefs, cooks, or true specialists in that cuisine, or passionate enthusiasts who know it from the inside. This is Kwa Ko — a Cambodian beef sausage made in collaboration with @barang_london , the project of @tomgeoffrey. Since launching his residency at The Globe in Borough Market, Tom has been bringing the fresh, vibrant flavours of Cambodia to London’s restaurant scene. It didn’t take long before the conversation turned to sausages. Cambodian sausage traditions are strong. What we’ve made together is genuinely distinctive: beef chuck and brisket with galangal, lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime leaves, white Kampot pepper and steamed jasmine rice. The rice is the detail that makes it, it gives the sausage a characteristic light sourness, another layer of complexity that sets it apart from anything we’ve made before. Available now, in limited numbers, so be quick!
Sausages appear in great food cultures all over the world. We never tire of discovering them, and we always want to represent them properly. Which is why we love to make them in partnership with chefs, cooks, or true specialists in that cuisine, or passionate enthusiasts who know it from the inside. This is Kwa Ko — a Cambodian beef sausage made in collaboration with @barang_london , the project of @tomgeoffrey. Since launching his residency at The Globe in Borough Market, Tom has been bringing the fresh, vibrant flavours of Cambodia to London’s restaurant scene. It didn’t take long before the conversation turned to sausages. Cambodian sausage traditions are strong. What we’ve made together is genuinely distinctive: beef chuck and brisket with galangal, lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime leaves, white Kampot pepper and steamed jasmine rice. The rice is the detail that makes it, it gives the sausage a characteristic light sourness, another layer of complexity that sets it apart from anything we’ve made before. Available now, in limited numbers, so be quick!
Sausages appear in great food cultures all over the world. We never tire of discovering them, and we always want to represent them properly. Which is why we love to make them in partnership with chefs, cooks, or true specialists in that cuisine, or passionate enthusiasts who know it from the inside. This is Kwa Ko — a Cambodian beef sausage made in collaboration with @barang_london , the project of @tomgeoffrey. Since launching his residency at The Globe in Borough Market, Tom has been bringing the fresh, vibrant flavours of Cambodia to London’s restaurant scene. It didn’t take long before the conversation turned to sausages. Cambodian sausage traditions are strong. What we’ve made together is genuinely distinctive: beef chuck and brisket with galangal, lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime leaves, white Kampot pepper and steamed jasmine rice. The rice is the detail that makes it, it gives the sausage a characteristic light sourness, another layer of complexity that sets it apart from anything we’ve made before. Available now, in limited numbers, so be quick!
Sausages appear in great food cultures all over the world. We never tire of discovering them, and we always want to represent them properly. Which is why we love to make them in partnership with chefs, cooks, or true specialists in that cuisine, or passionate enthusiasts who know it from the inside. This is Kwa Ko — a Cambodian beef sausage made in collaboration with @barang_london , the project of @tomgeoffrey. Since launching his residency at The Globe in Borough Market, Tom has been bringing the fresh, vibrant flavours of Cambodia to London’s restaurant scene. It didn’t take long before the conversation turned to sausages. Cambodian sausage traditions are strong. What we’ve made together is genuinely distinctive: beef chuck and brisket with galangal, lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime leaves, white Kampot pepper and steamed jasmine rice. The rice is the detail that makes it, it gives the sausage a characteristic light sourness, another layer of complexity that sets it apart from anything we’ve made before. Available now, in limited numbers, so be quick!
Sausages appear in great food cultures all over the world. We never tire of discovering them, and we always want to represent them properly. Which is why we love to make them in partnership with chefs, cooks, or true specialists in that cuisine, or passionate enthusiasts who know it from the inside. This is Kwa Ko — a Cambodian beef sausage made in collaboration with @barang_london , the project of @tomgeoffrey. Since launching his residency at The Globe in Borough Market, Tom has been bringing the fresh, vibrant flavours of Cambodia to London’s restaurant scene. It didn’t take long before the conversation turned to sausages. Cambodian sausage traditions are strong. What we’ve made together is genuinely distinctive: beef chuck and brisket with galangal, lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime leaves, white Kampot pepper and steamed jasmine rice. The rice is the detail that makes it, it gives the sausage a characteristic light sourness, another layer of complexity that sets it apart from anything we’ve made before. Available now, in limited numbers, so be quick!
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Sausages appear in great food cultures all over the world. We never tire of discovering them, and we always want to represent them properly. Which is why we love to make them in partnership with chefs, cooks, or true specialists in that cuisine, or passionate enthusiasts who know it from the inside. This is Kwa Ko — a Cambodian beef sausage made in collaboration with @barang_london , the project of @tomgeoffrey. Since launching his residency at The Globe in Borough Market, Tom has been bringing the fresh, vibrant flavours of Cambodia to London’s restaurant scene. It didn’t take long before the conversation turned to sausages. Cambodian sausage traditions are strong. What we’ve made together is genuinely distinctive: beef chuck and brisket with galangal, lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime leaves, white Kampot pepper and steamed jasmine rice. The rice is the detail that makes it, it gives the sausage a characteristic light sourness, another layer of complexity that sets it apart from anything we’ve made before. Available now, in limited numbers, so be quick!
1 week ago
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@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We are firmly of the belief that our pork is as good as it has ever been, the breeding, the rearing, the dry ageing and of course the butchery. All of it functioning in harmony to provide us with some high-grade pork. Loin chops seem to be having their moment in the sun, currently a firm favourite amongst our restaurant community, and rightly so. A classic; the leaner eye meat enveloped by a lovely cover of fat, cut thick and cooked well, they are so, so good. A little less well known, but no less delicious, and a cracking option for sharing, our shoulder chops are a slightly different beast. We split our shoulders in half and age the so-called Boston butt, when ready, the shoulder chops are cut from this section. The eye meat is made up of the collar or neck fillet and has excellent natural marbling. You then get a little of the blade and the muscles that surround it, this is darker, more richly flavoured meat. You still get the cover of fat, which, once rendered, tastes incredible. All in all, a fantastic sharing chop and a slight point of difference from the loin chops. Both supremely delicious!
2 weeks ago
947
View on Instagram |
2/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
The process of developing a dish with chefs is a rewarding one, made all the more so when we have the chance to eat the end product. As was the case here upon a recent (ish) visit to @rambutan_ldn Conversations around the best steak to use for this dish began months ago and we were able to offer our expert advice as Sofia and her team fine-tuned the balance of flavours, spices and textures. A few different cuts were trialled, and, in the end, it was our rump steaks which triumphed! Their flavour and fat able to be carried by that rich and deep curry sauce, with brighter notes and acidity being offered up by the parsley temper and little pearls of onion. It is truly a triumph. A marriage of Yorkshire beef and traditional Sri Lankan flavours and we couldn’t be prouder to see it on the menu and being enjoyed by their lucky guests!
3 weeks ago
745
View on Instagram |
3/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
What salt should you use when cooking steaks and chops? Does it matter? Well, we have, in the past, taken some heat in the comments from people saying that we are using the wrong salt on our steaks. “You should be using fine salt!”, “flaky salt on steaks!! NO WAY!”, “It just falls off!”, to give you a few examples. So, to put the debate to bed we undertook an extremely controlled, scientific experiment to determine which salt is the best salt to use on your steaks. In a field, with a piece of goose skirt, a barbecue and two varieties of sea salt (that’s one important detail, to use sea salt, not table salt) and a desire to eat well seasoned steak. Poor us! Watch the video to find our conclusions, which will also feature in an academic journal soon – a seminal piece of scientific research. #sodiyum #flakysalt4life
3 weeks ago
13215
View on Instagram |
4/8
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
@swaledalebutchers
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A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
4 weeks ago
462
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@swaledalebutchers
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Take a little inspiration from our very own grill master @grylos when it comes to cooking your big, bone in steaks. This method takes time, skill and plenty of patience but the result is a deep, dark char, beautiful blushing pink flesh and melting buttery fat. We can safely say, after this day we spent in the field, that it is well worth the effort. Close to steak perfection. Plus, he knocked up a charred spring vegetable green sauce, which was an ideal foil for that most delicious of steaks – clever boy. The idea is to spend time building a char and crust with many short visits to the hottest part of the grill, interspersed with time away from the grill, somewhere warm, slowly coming up to temperature. Placing it directly on the coals at the end is a bit of a gimmick, however, it did yield excellent results, so maybe give it a go (only if you have good quality charcoal though!)! Steak perfection!!
1 month ago
1,29232
View on Instagram |
6/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
To our friends down south, you might have noticed Yorkshire is still a good few weeks behind the march towards summer. The trees are only just coming into leaf in the Dales, especially up in Upper Wharfedale, and that gives us a little more time with the wild garlic. Here is @grylos with what feels like one of his best ideas to date. A proper use of those essential carcass balance cuts. Lamb hearts, though this would work just as well with tongues, sweetbreads or liver. Cooked simply, well seasoned, finished with a little lemon. Alongside it, wild garlic taken from the darker, shaded parts of the woodland where it is still fresh. Even if it has started to turn, it holds up. Treated like spinach, wilted down, then cooked with oil, salt and cream, left to reduce until it becomes rich and full of flavour. A brilliant little starter for our chefs blackboards, and something that will more than hold its own at home. A dish for the season, if ever there was one.
2 months ago
1849
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7/8
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
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We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
2 months ago
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