The Hidden Hut: Irresistible Recipes from Cornwall’s Best-kept Secret. Simon Stallard
ROASTED FIGS WITH HONEY AND RICOTTA ON WALNUT TOAST
Hot walnut toast with whipped cinnamon butter served with roasted figs, ricotta, flaked almonds (crushed pistachios also work really well) and honey. You can make the loaf and cinnamon butter the day before, if you wish. Your kitchen will smell like a Danish bakery!
FEAST
Serves 8–10
750g spelt flour
2 tsp sea salt
1½ tsp active dried yeast
3 rounded tsp honey
2 tbsp walnut oil
40g walnuts, chopped
oil, for greasing
FOR THE WHIPPED CINNAMON BUTTER
170g butter, softened
45g soft dark brown sugar
2½ tsp ground cinnamon
FOR THE ROASTED FIGS
50g butter
5 star anise
10 large, ripe figs, halved
TO SERVE
50g flaked almonds
honey, for drizzling
ricotta cheese
lemon zest
First, make the walnut loaf. You’ll need to start at least 3 hours before serving, or make it the night before. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the honey and 450ml warm water, and give it a good stir until it begins to come together. Add the oil and knead for 10 minutes or until soft and supple. Cover the dough in the bowl with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave it to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
Once doubled in size, it’s time to do a bit more kneading. This time you want to incorporate the walnuts. Keep going until the walnuts have become part of the dough. Grease a baking tray and form the dough into a loaf shape, then leave it to rest on the tray for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan oven) gas mark 7.
Bake the loaf on the top shelf of the oven for 35 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped underneath. If it makes a dent when tapped, it’s not quite done. Leave it to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
To make the cinnamon butter, beat all the ingredients together until fluffy. Roll in greaseproof paper and form into a sausage, then chill in the fridge until needed. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before serving (this will enhance the cinnamon flavour).
For the roasted figs, preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan oven) gas mark 9. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, and allow it to foam. Add the star anise and cook over a low heat for 10–15 minutes until the anise flavours the butter.
Put the figs, cut side up, on a baking tray and drizzle over the star anise butter. Roast for 15–20 minutes until the figs are tender.
Slice the bread and toast it, then spread the hot toast with the cinnamon butter. Top with the figs, sprinkle with flaked almonds and serve with honey, ricotta and a sprinkling of lemon zest.
GRILLED MACKEREL WITH A WARM CORNISH SPLIT AND HORSERADISH SOURED CREAM
We serve these filled splits during the annual Portscatho Fish Festival. The mackerel comes in straight from the boats and onto our big wood-fired grills on the harbour jetty. Try to use the freshest possible mackerel. If you can, choose mackerel that are whole so that you can check if the eyes are clear and bright. Then ask the fishmonger to fillet and pin-bone them for you, leaving the skin on.
Splits are like a proven scone. They are well worth the effort, especially when served warm from the oven. The subtle sweetness of the split and the punch from the horseradish really complement the oily mackerel. If you have a sweet tooth, try a bit of gooseberry jam in there too; it might just make your day.
Serves 6
12 mackerel fillets, about 100g each, boned (see here), with skin
sunflower oil, for frying
100g watercress
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
gooseberry jam (optional), to serve
FOR THE SPLITS
10g active dried yeast
1 rounded tsp caster sugar
200ml whole milk, lukewarm
265g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
100g plain flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
60g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
a little peeled and grated fresh horseradish
FOR THE HORSERADISH SOURED CREAM
4 tbsp soured cream
30g peeled and grated fresh horseradish
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
To make the splits, put the yeast in a bowl and mix in the sugar and milk. Leave to stand for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
Sift the bread flour and plain flour, and the salt, into a large mixing bowl, then rub the butter into the flour mix using your fingertips. Make a well in the centre, add the yeasty milk and mix to form a dough. Tip onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. Put in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl, knead again for 2 minutes, then shape into 6 rolls. Put these on a greased baking sheet. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle over a little grated horseradish. Leave to rise again in a warm place for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6.
Bake the rolls for 25–30 minutes until light golden — to test they are cooked, tap the bottom of one of the rolls; it should sound hollow when ready. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
To make the horseradish soured cream, mix all the ingredients together a bowl.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the mackerel well with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the frying pan and add the fillets skin-side down — cook in batches of 2–4 fillets, depending on the size of your pan. Press down for the first 10 seconds so that the mackerel doesn’t curl up. Cook for 2 minutes until crispy, then flip over and cook for a further 30 seconds on the other side. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
To serve, cut the warm splits horizontally like a burger bun, put two mackerel fillets in each bun along with a good spoonful of the horseradish soured cream and some watercress. If you have any gooseberry jam in the fridge, pop this out on the table, too, to add to the mackerel.
FLUFFIEST SMOKED HADDOCK OMELETTE
This is no ordinary omelette. Light, fluffy and delicately smokey, the yolks added towards the end give it a beautiful self-saucing finish when cut into.
Serves 4
300g skinless, boneless smoked haddock fillet
10 eggs
100ml double cream
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