Welcome to the Wild Cooks’ Blog

We hope you enjoy reading our blog and that together we can learn to look at the wild side of food with a smile! The Wild Cooks x

P.S. if you’ve got any feedback or ideas, we’d love to hear from you.

Harewood House

Dear Wild Cooks

Whether you pronounce it “Harwood” or “Harewood” this place is beautiful and a mere 6.9 miles away from Rudding Park.

Harewood House Estate provides some great walks and a chance to go foraging too. Following the Christmas excess eating and drinking period I felt it was time to take charge of the waist line and do something about it!

Steph going wild on the Harewood walk!

If you like picturesque views, Harewood is a great place to explore and one to quite literally get your feet wet on a windy wet winter’s day (try saying that after a few Christmas Sherries!) Remember to pick up your camera on the way out – you’re sure to get some great shots.

Through the gates.... Yorkshire looking mean, moody and magnificent!

Home of the Lascelles family, Harewood House is open to the public and offers guided tours, cafes, gift shops and an adventure playground. The last time I came to Harewood was to watch a drive in movie screening of ‘Top Gun’. As Maverick says “I felt the need for speed” time to head back to Harewood…

So last weekend I rooted out the walking boots and drove to the village of Harewood, parked up and walked past the impressive Harewood House gates. We then walked past the Harewood Arms Pub and set off down the back lane and into the estate.

A peaceful walking route to follow

The picnic had been packed, the weather was the best it had been for a good few weeks and, as we set off a little later than anticipated, we even packed the torch incase it began to get dark! Surprisingly there was no Kendal Mint Cake in my rucksack – an oversight on my part but I am trying to lose weight!

Baar Humbug- Sheep busy bleating the Christmas Blues

The walk was not too busy and the sound of pheasants and my sighting of two deer in the fields was brilliant. The walk had many foraging items along the way including burdock “velcro” buds which indicated places where there would later be amazing burdock roots to pull up, peel and honey roast with parsnips! Please remember that with any root ingredients you must get permission from the owner of the field before pulling it up.

Harewood House in the distance

I found Douglas-fir on my walk. This is a particular type of fir that can be safely eaten however you have to know your stuff Wild Cooks as some types of fir can be poisonous and we do not want that on your plate!

Fir, Fir, Fir Fantastic...A group of Fir trees

So I found some Douglas-fir and decided to make homemade pizzas for dinner. The recipe is simple to follow and good fun to make. If you are concerned about using Douglas-fir, try something else, a herb perhaps to flavour up your dough.

Kneading the dough

Douglas-fir is a foraged item used by a fellow contestant on something I cannot talk about (under embargo) being shown on TV in four months…! Initially I was worried about using fir as some are honestly quite dangerous but I managed to find what I was looking for and knew it was safe.

Pizza fun Wild Cook style

As we were heading back to the car and passed the magnificent House, the sun began to fall and the torch was our savior! We were in almost complete darkness for the last 1/2 mile but arrived safely to be met with a flask of hot coffee! When exercising it is great to have a reward and what better a reward than a nice slice of homemade healthy pizza.

Pizza Recipe

Walking has never been such fun!

Steph (your intrepid Wild Cook explorer) x

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat…

Wild Cooks take a goosey goosey gander at this…..

Is your family a fan of turkey or goose on Christmas Day? I have to confess my family and I usually opt for the traditional turkey, however this year an offer of a goose from one of my farming family friends has given me the goose bumps!

Do we go for goose and, if so, what are the draw backs…?

As a child I always remember being traumatized by our goose, Petunia, when I went to hang out washing or feed the lambs. I was delighted when my Dad said Petunia ‘was going’, then I was re-traumatized when she turned up three days later on my plate! I simply could not eat it, the thought of that nasty hissing goose (which I secretly quite liked!!) on my dinner plate turned my stomach!

So the thought of cooking goose on Christmas Day really fills me with woe! Crazy as it sounds, I have been cooking for 22 years now and have had barely any experience cooking goose - perhaps these traumas have subconsciously
stayed with me! So Goose Goose please let loose…

Hugh, one of our Wild Cooks gurus, roasts it with apple sauce.

Gordon keeps the fat for the winter months

Jamie cooks his a day before and re heats it

Delia stuffs hers with prunes soaked in Armagnac

Nigella has done more for goose fat sales when roasting potatoes than anyone!

So what are we going to do with ours?  Take a gander at this recipe of festive fun guaranteed to turn even the thinnest of necks! – sorry for the puns, they are coming in thick and fast it’s driving me quackers!

Look at our recipe here….

Merry Christmas!

Steph x

Top 10 Tips to Get the Most Out of the Humble Brussels Sprout

Dear Wild Cooks,

What can I say, I am a fan and indeed a great believer in the Great British sprout! The Brussels sprout eating challenge as a youngster was always won by my younger sister, Nancy, who would eat far more than my other sister, Georgina, or I could manage put together! She would then spend hours in agony on the sofa!

A bucket full of sprouting fun!

We like to have our sprouts with chestnuts or bacon but what else can be done?

Here are my sprouting top ten ideas:

Number 10

Healthy this one is not, but it certainly tastes good!

Brussels Sprouts with Cream and Crumbly Wensleydale Cheese

Method: Simply soften your Brussels sprouts in boiling salted water. Boil up some double cream in a pan and, as it starts to thicken, add your crumbled Wensleydale cheese and season with salt and pepper. Not the healthiest way to enjoy your sprouts but loads of fun.

Number 9

Oriental Brussels Sprouts

Method: Finely shred your Brussels sprouts and place to one side. Chop peeled garlic, finely chopped ginger and chilli (take care not to rub your eyes!). Fry in a little vegetable oil and add the finely shredded brussels sprouts and toss in the pan until softened. Add some Hoisin or Black Bean sauce and toss again.

This oriental flavour of Brussels sprouts will be a life changer for some of those more adventurous.

Roasted sprouts and other wintery vegetables- comfort food at its finest

Number 8

Chestnut Crumble with Brussels Sprouts and Tomatoes

Method: Mix together crumbled chestnuts, butter and flour with some oat flakes and crumbled digestives to create an interesting savoury crumble. Gently cook your Brussels until soft. Fry a chopped red onion and add the Brussels sprouts and Italian chopped tomatoes with some fresh tarragon and ground black pepper. Place the Brussels in an earthenware dish and crumble the topping on. Bake for ½ hour until hot and the crumble is cooked and golden.

Number 7

Pancetta Crisps with Brussels Sprouts and Toasted Pine Nuts

Method: This fun take on bacon and Brussels is a fun dish and really simple to do. The method is simple, pan fry the pancetta and place in the oven for a few minutes to crispen up. Boil your Brussels in salted water and then drain. Place the pancetta and Brussels in a serving bowl, season and add a little butter. The only thing to watch out for is that you need to put the pine nuts on last after they are toasted otherwise they will fall down the side of the Brussels sprouts and be lost for ever!

Number 6

Getting closer to the ultimate sprouting champion…

A Brussels health kick…Lemongrass Sprouts!

Method: Slice your Brussels thinly and place in a steamer over which has boiling lemongrass infused water (Simply bang the back of a knife onto a stick of lemongrass and place it in the water. This releases a gentle aroma of lemongrass into the Brussels sprouts)

Once steamed, season lightly with sea salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and finish with some toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on the top.

Everyone's favourite Christmas dinner with Brussels Sprouts

Number 5

Sprouts alive!  The list shrinks but the Brussels flavour increases…

Brussel Gratin with Parmesan and Breadcrumbs

Method: Not any old breadcrumb dear Wild Cooks but Panko breadcrumbs lightly toasted under the grill. You need to cook your Brussels beforehand in salted water but this way you get a lovely golden cheesy top.

Once your sprouts are cooked simply sprinkle grated Parmesan and Panko breadcrumbs on the top of the Brussels sprouts and grill lightly with some melted butter poured over the top before grilling.

Number 4

Brilliant Brussels with Bacon and Chestnut

Method: I know it is a classic but that is because it is good and everyone loves Brussels, bacon and chestnuts! Simply soften the Brussels in boiling salted water and then drain in a colander. Fry off some bacon pieces until crispy and then add the softened sprouts and mix throroughly. Add crumbled, toasted chestnuts over the top and a little melted butter and season with salt and pepper- lovely

Number 3

So close my sprouting buddies. All the obvious ingredients are now gone, what will the Wild Cook pull out of the bag? Yes you guessed it - time to don the wellies and go foraging!

Brussels Sprout Petals with Wood Sorrel

Wood sorrel is everywhere at the moment and the citrus flavour of the sorrel goes well with the Brussels sprout. The best way to serve this is as follows…

Method: Simply soften the Brussels sprouts in some salted water then shell the leaves off the sprouts to leave individual petals of sprouts. Fleck these petals on a plate and sprinkle the wood sorrel over the petals. Serve this with a nice wintery meat such as venison with Brussels, wood sorrel and celeriac puree or brasied brisket with wood sorrel, Brussels, and honey roasted parsnips.

Number 2

Almost the whole sprout now folks…

Brussels Sprout Puree with Smoked Rapeseed Oil and Ground Ivy (This is an edible wild forager-find, not to be mistaken for Ivy which is poisonous and not to be eaten)

Method: Boil your sprouts until soft enough to puree. A top tip is not to over water the sprouts so they do not loose all there nutrients. Simply puree in a food processor and pass through a fine sieve and add the smoked oil until you are happy with the flavour. Season well.

Number 1

Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Wood Avens Root

Method: This is a classic. Wood avens root is clove-like in its flavour which is readily absorbed by the Brussels. Crumble some chestnuts in a pan with some homemade sloe gin to reduce into the chestnuts for a real wild flavour of fun. Simply boil the Brussels (Yes I know we have done this a lot in this top ten but it is Christmas!). Using the same pan sauté off your finely peeled and chopped wood avens root, add the drained brussels, a slash of sloe gin and butter. Boil until the flavours are absorbed by the sprouts and season.

A friend of Rudding Park and former employee, Charlotte Gale, sells some great brussels sprout Christmas cards- why not check out her website

http://www.pictur-esque.com/

I hope one of my top ten takes your fancy so you can “spruce up” your sprouts this Christmas!!!

Happy Brussels sprouting Wild Cooks….

Steph x

The Devonshire Food Festival 2011

Dear Wild Cooks,

It is not often that you get asked to be a part of a brand new food festival by a local Michelin starred establishment. So when I was approached by The Devonshire Arms to participate in their 2011 Food Festival it was a real pleasure to accept the challenge.

It was a battle between the Harrogate chefs as I competed against Tom Van Zeller from his award winning restaurant in Harrogate.

Harrogate Chef, Tom Van Zeller

The day started with an early morning cup of coffee with the Breakfast Chef at the Devonshire Arms…it all seemed so civilised! I then ran through my menu with Restaurant Manager, Valentin Gadjonov, and his team.

Briefing the Restaurant Manager and the team before the Devonshire Food Festival

Tickets sold out rapidly and therefore the pressure was on as we both demonstrated in front of a full house trying to win votes on their preferred menu.

Here is my menu:

Roast Duck Salad
beetroot hedgerow crisps and forager’s relish
( A Wild Cook’s idea of fun. I love the combination of the sweet and sour and the forager’s relish really cuts thought the fat of the Yorkshire free range Leven ducks)

Pork Fillet
confit potato cake, quince (forager’s fun again!) and Ampleforth amber liquor sauce
(The pork fillets were locally sourced from Easingwold. I also use confit of pork ashen in a potato cake with leeks rolled and fried in Scotch large oats – lovely stuff!)

Apples, Plums and Pears
(I left this to the guests’ imagination however it was made up of a dark chocolate marquise with flambé plums, pear parfait and apple crumble with vanilla sauce)

Plating up my starter

Tom’s menu
 
Scallops Escabeche
pumpkin sorbet and pumpkin seeds
(Escabeche literally means ‘marinated’)

Local Partridge
Tom’s partridge was rolled into a sausage shape and gently poached and served with a selection of accompaniments including black pudding crumbs and pastry parcels, it looked stunning.

Frozen Pannacotta
flambé quince

Tom with his Sous Chef, the Devonshire Pastry Chef Ellen and her colleague Archie prepare his pudding plates

Although Tom’s menu won on the day, it was a great challenge and a real pleasure for me to cook at The Devonshire Arms.

Personally I think Steve Smith, Head Chef at the Burlington Restaurant, is a legend on the northern food scene and in my opinion is arguably the finest chef in the North of England.

A special hello to Ellen de Jager, the Pastry Chef at The Devonshire Arms, and her Commis Chef Gemma. They did an amazing job helping me with my mini puddings!

All in all it was a great day and well done to Tom and the team at The Devonshire Arms. Rebecca Hill, Marketing Manager, did a fantastic job of organising and overseeing the day.

Steph x