When this weighty tome thumped through my letter box (actually, it wouldn’t go through my letterbox, the postie delivered it right into my hands) I was somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer size and weight of the book. 

I read a little about the author: “Professional chef Madalene has worked at some of the country’s finest restaurants, from Aubergine (as part of Gordon Ramsay’s brigade) and Claridges, and under Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche…” blimey, this is a serious chef, how on earth am I going to make anything from a book by such a high powered chef?

However, reading on I found that Madalene and her partner Ross Pike had created a website to show off their love of seasonal produce, this led to them opening their Award winning Pub, The British Larder in Suffolk.  This gave me a little courage to think that perhaps there might be some recipes which suited my home cooking style.

Contents

The book starts with information about The British Larder and the author.  There are then some pages of notes on suppliers, ingredients and some basic recipes. The book is then divided into chapters by month,  with each month starting with a practical and beautifully written  essay on the foods available in that month.  Read carefully as there are some little gems of recipes hidden amongst the prose.  The book is also generously illustrated with stunning photographs taken my Madalane herself (RESPECT!)

Here is a taster of some of the recipes from each month:

January

Pan Roasted Cod with Jerusalem Artichokes, Venison Burgers with Roasted Parsnip Straws and Beetroot and Red Onion Relish. Braised Beef Ribs with January King Cabbage and Carrot Crush, Poppy Seed and Blood Orange Loaf Cake

February

Mussels with Smoky Bacon, Cider and Horseradish, Cauliflower and Shallot Piccalilli, Rhubarb Melting Moments (I can’t begin to describe how fantastic these look!)

March

Buckler Leaf Sorrel and Spinach Soup, Slow Cooked Duck Legs with Pickled Rhubarb, My Famous Treacle Tart

April

Smoked Bacon, Binham Blue and Wild Garlic Breakfast Muffins, Crispy Quack Eggs with Radish Mayonnaise, Cardamom and Golden Sultana Hot Cross Buns

May

Homemade Elderflower Cordial, Pan Seared Wood pigeon with English Asparagus and Broad Bean and Wild Mint Hummus, Chocolate and Fresh Mint Parfaits

June

Roasted Aubergine Soup with Dry-Roasted Almonds, Garden Herb-marinated Half Roast Chicken with Kohlrabi, Fennel and Peanut Slaw, Chocolate Fudge Cakes with Cherries in Red Wine

July

Beetroot Tarte Tatins with Frozen Broad Bean Crème Fraiche, Courgette –Wrapped Chicken Skewers, Gooseberry Curd and Brown Sugar Meringue Mess with Garibaldi Biscuits

August

Borlotti Bean and Courgette Hummus, Mustard Seed-smoked Beef with Soft-boiled Duck Eggs and Toasted Cobnuts, Victoria Plum and Blackberry Frozen Ice Cream Slices

September

Oven Roasted Acorn Squash with Salt-baked Beetroots and Rosehip and Elderberry Vinaigrette, Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Crab Apple  Jelly and Caramelised Damsons, Hedgerow Fruit Pastilles (yes, pastilles as in ‘sweets’).

October

Red Wine-poached Quinces and Goats Cheese Open Filo Tarts with Salted Caramel Walnuts, Pot Roasted Mallard with Cider Apples and Celeriac Mash, Apple Snow  with Warm Honey Madeleines.

November

Pulled Pork and Pumpkin Pies, Pheasant Ravioli with Chestnut Sauce, Pear Parfait with Liquorice Jelly and Spice-poached Pears

December

Sage, Prune and Armagnac-stuffed Turkey Breast with Prune Sauce,  Beef and Oyster Pie, Chocolate and Cranberry Salami.

Who is it for?

I got a copy of the Readers Digest Cookery Year when I was in my early twenties, I learned a lot about seasonal cooking and eating from that book.  It was also a great reference and source of techniques.  I think The British Larder could act in the same way for a cook who is keen to learn and would like to create ambitious dishes.  It is also good for those of us who would like a reminder and some fresh inspiration to cook seasonally.

I noticed there are quite a few ‘game’ recipes in this book.  Probably more than I have seen in a cookery book that is not devoted to game.  So if you like to cook and eat game you will find lots of inspiration and interesting recipes for venison, partridge, pheasant, woodcock and rabbit. 

Pros

The kind of cookbooks I really enjoy are the ones where the personality of the author comes through.  In The British Larder there is an introductory paragraph or two about every recipe, and it is here that Madalene really hooked me in.  Here is excerpt from one of the introductions:

“I find that a glass of wine, a chair, a chopping board and a sharp knife do the trick and, of course, if you have a friend to gossip with even better, the time passes quickly and before you know it, the beans are prepared and all that is left to do is the cooking” (Sweet and Sour Pickled Green Beans)

I loved the dessert recipes, although Madalene claims not to be much of a pastry chef, the flavour combinations would certainly suit my taste.  Preserves, cordials, pickles and chutneys also feature in many of the chapters with inspiring flavour combinations.

Cons

There are quite a few inspired vegetarian dishes, but they are heavily outweighed by meat/fish/poultry recipes, so I wouldn’t recommend The British Larder for vegetarian or vegan cooks.

Ease of use

The recipes are well written and comprehensive; many of them feature useful ‘Cooks Notes’ with substitutions or additional ideas relating to the recipe.

I would have liked to make one of the imaginative and ambitious dishes that I've described, but in the end I decided to choose a classic to show you just how detailed and well written these recipes are, to the extent that I felt very comfortable adapting the ingredients to make some mini tarts.

My Famous Treacle Tart

100g day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed (weight given is for crustless bread)
1 egg
125ml double cream
300g golden syrup
40g clear honey
finely grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon
60g ground almonds
300g Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (see below)

The breadcrumb mixture is prepared then chilled overnight in the fridge, so you will need to start this recipe a day in advance (See Cook's Notes)
Whizz the sourdough bread in a food processor to make fine breadcrumbs.  Set aside. Whisk the egg and cream together in a small saucepan, just enough to make them runnier and easier to mix.  Remove from the heat.  Whisk the warmed golden syrup and honey and lemon zest and juice into the egg mixture, then stir in the ground almonds and breadcrumbs.  Dover and leave the mixture to rest in the fridge overnight.

The following day, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to about 2mm thickness and use it to line a (loose-bottomed, if you like) 35 x 10 x 2.5cm fluted oblong flan tin (leaving a slight overhang of pastry). Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 160C/Gas Mark 3.
Whisk the chilled breadcrumb mixture and pour it into the chilled pastry case.  Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until lightly set and golden - the tart will still have a  gentle wobble in the centre but his will firm up once cooled.

Remove from the oven to a wire rack and leave the tart to cool completely in the tin.  Once cold, trim the overhanging pastry from the top edges of the tart with a small serrated knife, then carefully remove the tart from the tin and cut it into slices.  Serve with whipped Chantilly cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Cooks Notes
I recommend using an oblong fluted flan tin instead of a round one for this recipe , so that the tart cooks more evenly and is easier to cut and handle.  

Use fresh bread that is a day old, cut the crusts off and the inside of the load only.  Can can use regular white bread for the recipe, but I prefer sourdough as it gives the tart that extra special taste. Do not use dried breadcrumbs.

Be patient when making this tart and follow the recipe - leave the breadcrumb mixture to rest overnight in the fridge, do not overcook the tart, and leave it to cool completely before cutting and eating.


Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (makes about 600g) I used half of this to make a dozen mini Treacle Tarts
175g unsalted butter, softened
75g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split in half length ways and seeds scraped out (optional)
a pinch of table salt
2 eggs, beaten
300g plain flour

Put the butter, sugar, vanilla seeds, if using, and the salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat together until fluffy and pale in colour.  Slowly add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.  Sift the flour over the creamed mixture, then slowly mix in the flour until the pastry comes together, being careful not to over mix.  (If you prefer, the pastry can be made by hand without a mixer, using a wooden spoon to beat and combine the ingredients, as directed.)

Turn the pastry on to a lightly floured work surface, but do not knead the pastry, just push it together.  This recipe makes about 600g pastry and you can either use it all or freeze some to use at a later date.  It's unwise to make this recipe in a smaller quantity and you can easily freeze half of it (or as much as you have leftover) to use another time

Wrap the pastry in cling film (either wrap it as one piece, or divide it into tow pieces and wrap each piece separately) and then leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out. (I like to shape the pastry into flat even square (s) so that they fit comfortably into my fridge or freezer.) Freeze the pastry you are not using an use within 3 months.  Defrost overnight in the fridge before use.

For the dozen mini treacle tarts,  I used about 300g of pastry, 50g breadcrumbs, half an egg, 60g double cream, 15og golden syrup, 1/2 a lemon and 30g of ground almonds. 

Recipe Review:  Lots of people seem not to like dried fruit, so I made these as an alternative to mince pies and they worked very well.  I was a little disappointed with the vanilla seeds in the pastry as I didn't feel that there was a real hit of vanilla, so would boost it with vanilla sugar. Great idea though.  The pastry is very soft even after a night in the fridge and not particularly easy to work with, I think I prefer my standard recipe but might try adding vanilla.  The Treacle Tart mixture is a real triumph, easy to make and tastes very good indeed.

The Verdict

This is an expensive book, even with on line discount prices, but I think it is good value for money and likely to become a new classic for British cooks, chefs and foodies.

Absolute Press (An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing)

RRP £30

Online Price £19.20

 

Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever with photographs by Leigh Beisch

It says something that  a whole book can be devoted to one flavouring ingredient .  Vanilla is the world’s most universally loved flavour and for good reason.  No flavour is more widely recognised, used and enjoyed across the globe.

This book aims to show the versatility of vanilla and tell the story of vanilla from its start as a green pod nestled inside a tropical flower to its transformation into the fragrant beans we all recognise and love.

The comprehensive Introduction starts with a  brief history of vanilla tracing the history of vanilla from 1519 up to the present day.  The history is told in a very accessible way in short ‘bites’ of readable story.

In From Orchid to Extract, Shauna explains how Vanilla is produced and why it is so expensive.

There is also information about vanilla in all its forms.  An exploration of the different forms of vanilla you can use in your cooking and baking.

I had no idea there were different varieties of vanilla with different subtle tastes, but all is explained in the section: Vanilla origins, Varieties and Tasting notes . The introduction concludes with ‘Vanilla FAQs’ to answer any remaining questions. 

Makes 3 dozen cookies (I reduced the ingredients by a 1/3 to make 1 dozen)

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/14 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

 8oz white chocolate, chopped

2 tbsp Vanilla Fleur de Sel (make it like vanilla sugar, but with flaky sea salt) for sprinkling

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350F, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, whisk oats, flour, baking soda, and slat to blend well.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and vanilla extract on medium high speed until blended and creamy. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. I don't have a stand mixer so used an electric hand mixer.

Beat in the eggs 1 at a time.  Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add oat mixture, then white chocolate.

Scoop batter, 2 tbsp at a time, onto prepared baking sheets, about 8 cookies to a sheet, Sprinkle a bit of vanilla fleur de sel onto each cookie.

Bake until cookies are golden around the edges but still a bit soft in a centres, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets from front to back and top to bottom half way through baking. Do not over bake. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I'm not a huge fan of salted with sweet, so didn't bother with the Vanilla Fleur de Sel, the cookies went down well with my visitors and were the first to be chosen.  They have a nice texture, slightly soft and chewy.  I realise I have chosen two recipes with oats in as well as vanilla, not deliberate just what appealed to me!  There are lots more recipes with different ingredients, I've given you a taster of some of the titles below.

There are 80 recipes in the book divided into the following chapters:

Breakfasts including Vanilla Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon, Slow Cooked Vanilla Spice Oatmeal* and Buttery Baked Vanilla Bean French Toast.

Cakes and Pies Including Vanilla Cloud Cake, Twinkie Bundt Cake and Vanilla Cream Pie

Cookies and Bars including Vanilla Latte Cookies, Mini Vanilla Eclairs and Salted Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies*

Candies and Confections including Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, Golden Pear-Vanilla Jam and Vanilla Lollipops

Custards and Creams including Warm Vanilla-Rum Rice Pudding, Australian Vanilla Slice and Favourite Vanilla Ice Cream

Drinks including Vanilla Mojito, Fruity Vanilla Iced Tea and Melted White Hot Chocolate

Resources

Unfortunately, as this is an American book, the speciality stores are all in the US. 

Conversion Chart

I was pleased to see there was a conversion chart in the back of the book and I used it to reduce the ingredients for the Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Who is it for?

This book is for anyone who loves vanilla. The recipes are all cakes and desserts, but the two that I tried were not over-sweet, with much of the sweetness coming from the vanilla itself.  There are a number of interesting and different recipes, the drinks chapter was a bit of a revelation and there are lots of interesting new ideas to try in the Candies and Confections chapter.

Pros and Cons

If you read all the information in the introduction you will be much better informed about vanilla and how to use it to full advantage. The quantities for some of the recipes are huge, I don't usually make 3 dozen cookies at a time.

Ease of use

The recipes are varied, some very simple and others more challenging.  The recipes are well laid out and I found them easy to follow.

 1 cup steel-cut oats

1/2 vanilla bean , split length ways

2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional) plus more for serving

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

single or double cream for serving

 Coat the sleeve of a 5 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Place sleeve in slow cooker and combine all ingredients in it; add 3 1/2 cups water and stir to blend.  Set slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. Remove vanilla bean and scrape any remaining caviar into oatmeal.  Stir well and serve with brown sugar to taste and a drizzle of cream.

I don't have a slow cooker, but wanted to try this, so this is what I did:

I only used half the quantity and cooked the oatmeal with the water in the microwave for 1 minute until hot, add the other ingredients,except the cream, and pour into a wide mouthed vacuum flask Leave overnight and serve with Greek yogurt or creme fraiche.

 It worked brilliantly, the oatmeal could have been a little warmer but had absorbed all the vanilla and spice flavours and had a lovely texture.  I would definitely make this again.

Worth buying?

It’s a surprising book, with so many different ways to use vanilla.  However, I am not sure that I would buy a book that focused on one flavour, but if you really love vanilla then I’m sure you would have a lot of fun making these recipes.

Published by Quirk Books

Available at On line bookshop from £10.71

I received  a copy of Pure Vanilla to review, I was not paid to review this book and all opinions are my own.