Author: drceit

Candied angelica

Angelica grows in profusion across North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist. First, rosettes of dark green leaves appear, and then from the centre, around the end of June, great fists of flower buds start fighting their way up above the grass, and then in July, domed panicles of white flowers come out. It is related to Alexanders, and you can candy their stems as well. Other endemic plants in the family, not all edible, include hogweed, and wild carrot, sweet cicely and wild parsnip. 

It is Angelica sylvestris that grows wild here, but there are cultivated varieties with a pinkish tinge, and also Angelica archangelica, a much larger cousin. You can read more about the botanical aspects on the Botanical Society of Scotland blog.  

This year, I decided I would work out how to make candied angelica. We used to get it in tiny squares and slivers, decorating cup cakes, and it is used as a flavouring in gin. First of all, at the very start of July, when the buds were beginning to burst upwards, I cut the stems while they were still tender. I blanched them, filling the kitchen with the most peculiar aroma. I left them in the boiling water for ten minutes and left them to cool. I reserved the poaching liquid. Once the stems were cool enough to handle, I peeled the outer layer off with a small sharp knife. 

At this stage, you could chop finely and add to rhubarb jam, about 50g per kilo of rhubarb.

To make candied angelica. I weighed the peeled angelica, and then added an equal amount of sugar to the poaching water. The ideal proportions would be for each 50g of stem, add 25g sugar, 25g glucose and 75ml water, but we can’t get glucose and I didn’t worry too much about weighing anything. I boiled the sugar and poaching water to a syrup and then added the angelica, and left it to cool. The next day, I removed the angelica, brought the syrup to a boil and then added the angelica again as it cooled. I repeated this every day until the syrup was the consistency of honey. I left the angelica in the syrup for a week at this point, then removed it and let it dry before storing in a sealed jar.

This is definitely more useful as a flavouring than as a sweet snack, the taste is completely unique, slightly bitter, and very herbal. The best thing I did with it was to add it to rhubarb jam after blanching it. It adds a hint of gin to the jam. 

 

 

Kale, pork and potatoes

An excellent, very simple meal, with bonus stock at the end for adding to soups and stews. I have a lot of kale this year, so look out for a series of kale recipes. This recipe serves 6 to 8 people. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Around 800g bacon joint or pre-soaked salted ham
  • 1 bayleaf
  • 1 tsp peppercorns
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tbsp date syrup or brown sugar
  • 1 level tsp salt (if not using salted ham)
  • around 500g shredded kale
  • 1kg peeled new potatoes cut into chunks.

METHOD:

  • Put the ham or bacon joint into a large saucepan, and just about cover with water. Add the bayleaf, peppercorns, cloves, all-spice, date syrup, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook over a low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Add the potatoes and cabbage, and simmer until the potatoes are just cooked
  • Strain off and reserve the stock
  • Slice the bacon and serve on a bed of potatoes and kale. You can pour melted butter over the latter. 

Rhubarb, pear and ginger

Another rhubarb jam revelation. I thought that the pear flavour would be drowned out, but no, this is a winner. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1kg rhubarb stems, chopped
  • 2 pears (around 200g)
  • 50g crystalised stem ginger
  • 1.2kg sugar
  • Juice of 2 lemons, or one lemon, one orange

METHOD:

  • Chop the rhubarb, and chop the ginger, mix and cover with the sugar
  • The next day, add the lemon juice, and the peeled chopped pears. 
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the jam is thick.
  • Pour into warmed jars. 

Rhubarb and dried fig jam

This is not the most visually appealing jam, but it sets well and tastes delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1kg chopped rhubarb stems
  • 500g dried figs
  • 600ml water
  • 1.5kg sugar
  • Juice of 2 large lemons (or one lemon, one orange)

METHOD:

  • Soak the figs in the water for 48 hours minimum
  • After 24 hours of soaking the figs, chop the rhubarb, put into the jam pan and cover with the sugar
  • After another 24 hours. add the lemon juice to the figs and water, and bring to a simmer. Keep a close watch, the mixture can quickly stick. As soon as it is  boiling, add to the jam pan, and bring everything to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes, until thick and jammy. Pour into warmed jars. 

Rhubarb and angelica jam

Angelica is an interesting herb. It is one of the key ingredients in gin, fixing and stabilising the other flavours. It grows wild in Uist, and just about now, at the start of July, the flower stems are emerging. It is a biennial plant, growing in the first year, and flowering in the second year before dying. The flower stem itself is the best bit for preserving, which will affect seed production for the following year, so harvest wisely. 

For this recipe, use 50g chopped candied angelica for each kilo of rhubarb. It makes a rhubarb jam flavoured with a hint of gin. 

I think that adding the angelica and lemon juice at the start allows the angelica flavour to disperse well into the other ingredients. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1kg rhubarb
  • 50g angelica, chopped
  • juice of two lemons
  • 1kg sugar

METHOD:

  • Chop the rhubarb into 1cm lengths, and finely chop the angelica, and put into the jam pan with the lemon juice, and covered in sugar. Stir well and leave overnight
  • The next day, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, until thick. Pour into prepared jars. 

Rhubarb and ginger jam

The classic jam. For each kilo of rhubarb, I use 50 grams of chopped crystalised ginger. You can also used powdered ginger, and adjust according to taste. If you love ginger, double the amount. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1kg chopped rhubarb stems
  • 50g chopped crystalised ginger or 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger
  • 1kg sugar
  • juice of two small lemons

METHOD:

  • Chop the rhubarb and the ginger into the jam pan, and cover with the sugar. Leave overnight.
  • The next day, bring to the boil and then add the lemon juice. Simmer for around 20 minutes, until thick. 
  • Pour into warmed jars. 

Rhubarb and raspberry

This is a revelation, an excellent use of the reduced raspberries in the co-op, amazing flavour and a good setting jam. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1.2 kg rhubarb
  • 600g raspberries (four x 150g punnets)
  • You could substitute 600g strawberries, for strubarb jam. Raspberries work better, in my opinion. 
  • 1.8kg sugar
  • Juice of two lemons

METHOD:

  • Chop the rhubarb and put it in the jam pan and cover with sugar, leave overnight
  • The next day, add the raspberries (or strawberries), bring to a simmer for 20 minutes until the rhubarb is cooked. 
  • Add lemon juice, bring back to the boil and simmer until the jam is thickening. 
  • Pour into warmed clean jamjars.

 

Frittata with asparagus

There has been quite a lot of reduced asparagus in the co-op lately, and this is a quick meal to use it up. I made it with local free-range eggs. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pack of reduced asparagus, around 100g
  • 25g butter
  • 4 eggs
  • salt and pepper
  • finely chopped parsley
  • about 10g grated parmesan
  • about 10g crushed dried bread e.g. panko breadcrumbs (optional)

METHOD:

  • Wash and dry the asparagus, and chop into 2cm lengths
  • Prepare the egg mixture; beat together the four eggs, parsley, breadcrumbs, seasoning and cheese. 
  • Melt the butter in a small omlette pan, and fry the asparagus on a high setting for around three minutes
  • Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus, and reduce the heat. Once the frittata is almost set, turn it over and cook the other side. 

You can do this for other vegetables, for example try with little courgettes fried with onions in olive oil. I served this with brown toast. 

Rhubarb and Orange Jam

Every spring I buy Seville oranges to make marmalade, and I take care to buy extra, and I juice them and freeze this as an ingredient in the summer. You can make a delicious Seville orange curd, or use it for a delicate pie filling. This year, I used it to make rhubarb jam. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2kg rhubarb, chopped
  • 2kg jam sugar
  • 100 to 150ml Seville orange juice

METHOD:

  • Put the rhubarb in the jam pan, and pour over the sugar. Leave this to combine until the next day. 
  • Add the orange juice, bring to a boil and simmer for around 20 minutes. 
  • Once the mixture is thick, pour into warmed jam jars. 

Rhubarb conserve

Variation 1 on the great rhubarb jam sessions. This is from an old book called 500 recipes: jams, pickles and chutneys, by Marguerite Patten. Mine is priced 2/6 so it is quite old. 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 1kg rhubarb, chopped
  • 1kg jam sugar
  • 250g raisins or sultanas
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 orange

METHOD:

  • Put the chopped rhubarb in the jam pan and cover with sugar, and leave to stand until the next day
  • Add the raisins, and bring to a slow boil for 20 minutes
  • Add the juice and grated rind of one lemon and one orange, and boil until the jam is thick.
  • Pour into warmed jars, and leave to set.