Archive for November, 2010

Christmas is fast approaching and you may be starting to think about what to munch on during the festive period. Visit our Christmas shop if you need some inspiration. From the best quality meat to buttery artisan panettone and much more, there’s something to suit every taste. Just make sure you book your delivery in time…

London (areas served by Natoora vans. Click for details)

Good news! We deliver to large parts of London, Twickenham and some Kingston postcodes with our own vans. Unlike courier deliveries, these are unlikely to be affected by bad weather,  except in the most extreme circumstances. See below for more details on when we are delivering in these areas and your last dates for ordering…

Christmas

Last Order Date: Thursday 23rd December by 11PM
Last Deliveries: Friday 24th December until 8PM (but try not to leave it to the last minute in case we eat all the mince pies!)

New Year

Last Order Date:  Thursday 30th December by 11PM
Delivery Dates: Wednesday 29th December to Friday 31st December
Last Deliveries: Friday 31st December until 8PM

Deliveries in the New Year from 4th January 2011 onwards.

Outside London (areas served by TNT. Click for details)

Due to the backlogs caused by the bad weather of 2 weeks ago and with more bad weather expected over the weekend, deliveries by courier are likely to be delayed or subject to cancellation. We will do our best to keep you informed and we would ask that if you experience heavy snowfall and think it is unlikely that couriers will be able to reach you, then please let us know.

For more information on terms and conditions surrounding delays and cancellations, please click here and refer in particular to section 8.

In case of severe weather disruption, we may attempt to fulfill deliveries close to London using our own vans. If this applies to you, we will be in touch as soon as possible to arrange this. It may be necessary to rearrange the delivery date in these cases.

Christmas*

Last Order Date:  Tuesday 21st December by 11PM
Last Delivery Date: Thursday 23rd December between 8AM-12PM

*Delivery surcharges may apply to certain slots during Christmas week

New Year

Last Order Date: Tuesday 28th December by 11PM
Delivery Dates: Thursday 30th December
Last Deliveries: Thursday 30th December between 9AM-6PM

Deliveries in the New Year from 5th January 2011 onwards.

Please note: All slots and delivery days are subject to availability and weather permitting. As we use couriers we do not take orders for delivery on Christmas or New Year’s Eve outside London in order to avoid disappointment due to missed deliveries.

Who stays…you decide (with a little help from us)

With less than a month to go before the big day, it’s time to think about what will be gracing your festive dinner plate.

Turkey

Traditionally turkey is the most popular choice and with our Appledore Free Range Bronze Turkeys, you can forget about dry, tasteless meat…

Appledore Free Range & Organic Bronze Turkeys

Appledore turkeys are a slow growing traditional breed and have been raised to full maturity for a deliciously dense meat and a natural layer of fat under the skin to retain moisture whilst cooking. In December, the turkeys are dry-plucked by hand and game-hung for at least two weeks in the traditional way. “This enables the rich, traditional flavour to develop fully, ensuring the finest taste and texture for Christmas day” (Richard, Manager, Moen and Sons)
Shop Now From £30.74
Try our Turkey Crown Meal Box, £78.75

Goose

If you’re looking for a step away from the traditional turkey, try a Goodman’s goose. They have a thick layer of fat to keep the bird nicely succulent but be sure to render the fat down and baste frequently to avoid it becoming too fatty. The meat is richer than turkey and more flavoursome…

Goodman’s Free Range Goose

Goodman’s Geese come from a proud heritage of expert farming. All geese are reared free range, grazing over large grass paddocks and fed an all-natural diet of home-grown corn, grass, straw and a specially prepared ration containing no additives or growth promoters.

Shop Now From £64.80
Try our Goose Meal Box, £188.89

Capon

Capons are becoming an increasingly popular Christmas Day alternative as the meat is very tender compared to other birds. You may have noticed that all the top chefs rave about capon, so why not bring a little something special to the table this year…

Johnson’s Organic Free Range Capons

Capons are perfect for a festive meal as they have a flavourful flesh which is more tender than other birds. All our capons are organic, free range and from a top quality producer meaning superb taste!

“Johnson’s capons are fed an all-natural diet. They are fully matured and absolutely delicious” (Richard, Manager, Moen and Sons)
Shop Now From £33.60

Multi-Bird Roasts

Still can’t decide? How about a multi-bird roast!

Multi-Bird Roasts from Moen and Sons

Create a real stir this Christmas when you present to your festive table an outstanding 3 or 5 bird roast. Enjoy the flavours of Free Range Chicken, Duck and Pheasant on your Christmas dinner plate! Shop Now From £52.80

Click here to visit our Christmas butcher.

During my youth I was never really a fan of mushrooms. I remember going mushroom picking with my father on the Dolomites, it was such a hard job but I always loved the smell of the woods in the early mornings. But when at dinner time a reward was given to every other member of my family in the shape of hand made tagliatelle with the “picking” of the day, I was feeling rather unsatisfied.

It was only about a year ago, at the end of the summer, when I walked into one of the coldrooms in the Natoora warehouse and that beautiful smell of wild mushroom took my memory back so many years and tempted me so much that I could no longer resist. I got a generous portion for two and the same evening I cooked them for me and my wife.

It’s a shame it took me nearly 40 years but hey, I am now eating so many of them! This must be one of my favourite dishes for the autumn, especially if accompanied by a good bottle of red vino!

Tagliatelle with Wild Mushrooms

Serves 4

4 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped garlic clove
450g mixed wild mushrooms
Thyme
500g fresh tagliatelle
30g Parmesan
Black Truffle (optional)

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil (at least 5 litres).

Meanwhile warm a large pan with 4 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Then add the cleaned mixed mushrooms, a pinch of salt and a couple of branches of thyme off the stem, bring the pan to high heat and cook for about 3 minutes.

Now pour the fresh tagliatelle  into the boiling water and cook for no more than 2 minutes, drain the pasta and quickly add it to mushrooms pan, stir together for 30 seconds, add about gr 30 of parmesan cheese and dish out.

If using black truffle, with the help of a parmesan grater grate the black truffle on top of the dish and serve.

You can buy a recipe kit of these ingredients, including a recipe card here

Serves 4

1 pack fresh pasta sheets
500g caciotta
1 bergamot
4 carrots
1 leek
3 celery stalks
2 turnips
4 onions
1 bayleaf
5g whole peppercorns
salt and pepper
nutmeg (optional)
sprig of thyme

BUY ALL THE INGREDIENTS HERE

Finely grate the Caciotta using a Microplane or box grater into a bowl, season with a little freshly ground pepper and a small pinch of nutmeg if you wish. You should be able to clump the mixture together.

Lightly wet the pasta sheets so that they will later stick. Cut the pasta sheets in 4cm squares and fill each square with a small amount of Caciotta – about a pea sized ball. Fold over into a triangle, squeezing out all the air around the filling. Pinch the two side corners and join together (to make a little hat). Leave in the fridge.

Roughly chop the vegetables and add to 2litres of cold water. You can add a small amount of salt at this stage if you wish. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for one hour. Strain so you are just left with the liquid and reduce further for 10-15 minutes. Taste and add seasoning if required, or continue reducing if you want to intensify the flavour.

Cook the pasta for 2 minutes, strain and then add to the broth for a final minute. Place the tortellini on your serving plate and ladle over some broth. Sprinkle with a few thyme leaves and finish by grating some bergamot on top with a very fine grater.

Recreate this fantastic dish at home with our recipe kit!

Anthony Demetre is an amazingly successful chef and restaurateur. With his business partner Will Smith he has achieved a bounty of accolades with Wild Honey, Arbutus and most recently Les Deux Salons. Natoora is a proud supplier of these restaurants and Anthony has kindly provided this delicious recipe made using our produce. You can buy all the ingredients to make this superb dish with our easy recipe kit which contains all the produce required and a recipe card from Anthony. You can also read the full recipe here…

Serves 4
For the cod
4 pieces of cod, 160g per piece
100g butter
100ml olive oil

For the chicory
2 chicory, split lengthways
1 orange zest and juice
50g butter
splash of olive oil
5 juniper berries, crushed
sprig of thyme
salt and pepper
50ml water
knob of butter

Buy all the ingredients here!

Heat a non-stick pan, add 80g butter and wait until it foams. Add the fish, splash of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and gently cook the fish, basting frequently. The fish should take on a nut brown colour, finally add ½ juiced lemon and baste well. Take off the heat and leave to cool in the pan. Set aside on a separate plate and keep warm.

In a thick bottomed pan heat the butter and olive oil, colour the endive all over until nicely golden brown. Add all the remaining ingredients except the butter and bring to the boil. Bake in the oven at 130°C for about 35-40 mins or until soft.

When cooked, take out the endive – set aside, boil the stock, enrich with the butter, add the endive and serve.

Jacob Kenedy is chef and owner of the amazing Bocca di Lupo restaurant in Soho. The venue was awarded Restaurant of the Year in 2008 and first place in Time Out’s Top 50 Restaurants in 2009. As a customer of Natoora, Jacob creates the most superb dishes using our produce and has been kind enough to share this one with us – bone marrow & treviso risotto. You can buy all the ingredients to make this superb dish with our easy recipe kit which contains all the produce required and a recipe card from Jacob. You can also read the full recipe here…

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
75g butter
1 head radicchio di treviso
160g carnaroli rice
160ml barbera d’assti libera wine
360ml beef stock (approx.)
60g bone marrow, diced 5mm (the raw marrow scooped from about half a whole marrow bone)
50g grated parmesan
a drop of goof olive oil

Buy all the ingredients here!

Gently fry the onion, celery and garlic in 50g of the butter with a good pinch of salt until tender – about 10 minutes over a moderate heat. Meanwhile, prepare the radicchio – shred it about 5mm, discarding the stalk. Add the shredded lettuce to the pan and fry for a further 5 minutes until wilted, then add the rice and fry gently for a couple of minutes more. Add 120ml of the wine and cook until it has been absorbed, then add the stock gradually, in small additions, waiting after each for it to be absorbed before pouring in the next.

Cook the risotto quite dry (not very saucy at this stage) and when you are satisfied that the rice is just a minute from being done, stir in the grated parmesan, bone marrow and butter. Stir over the heat until the butter is melted and the marrow largely so and take the pan off the heat. Stir in the remaining wine (the risotto is so rich it needs a little raw alcohol to cut through it) – at this point you can also add a spoonful more stock if needed, as the finished result should be gloopy but pourable. Taste one last time.

Warm up with this juicy autumn soup and make the most of two British classics – the beautiful russet apple and tangy Stilton…

A good knob of butter
1 leek, roughly chopped and washed
1 small head of celery, roughly chopped and washed, leaves reserved
1.5 litres vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 russet apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
2tbsp double cream
60-80g Stilton, rind removed and cut into small chunks
1tsp celery salt

Gently cook the leek and celery in the butter for 3-4 minutes in a covered pot, stirring every so often.

Add the stock, season lightly, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the apple and simmer for a further 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Blend until smooth and sieve out any lumps and stringy bits.

Add the cream and serve with the celery leaves torn into the soup with the chunks of Stilton and scatter with a little celery salt.

Taste: Apple lovers believe that Russets are the best tasting apples. They tend to have a spicy, nutty, pronounced and sweet flavour and a slightly dry texture. A truly amazing eating and cooking apple.

Appearance: Unsurprisingly, they have “russeting” on the skin – patches that are a different colour from the rest of the apple, and that give the apple a sandpapery, leathery texture. The colour of the russeting can be golden brown, burnt umber, silvery or grey.

Quality: Our apples come straight from New Covent Garden market, where our buyers only select what’s looking and tasting best. They’re nothing like the waxed, shiny and tasteless apples from the supermarkets! We only buy British apples, and being in full season right now you can be sure they haven’t been sitting around for too long.

Cost: We always let you know the price per kg so you can easily compare our prices. However, it’s almost impossible to find these in a regular supermarket or grocery store. Unfortunately, the average consumer has come to believe that russeting on the skin indicates something is wrong with the apple, and therefore large stores prefer not to buy them.

For more real food comparisons, visit our blog!

Bergamot has got to be one of the most phenomenal fruits and by far the most interesting of all the citrus fruits. Mostly unknown to both consumers and the professional trade, its scent and flavour are simply superb – beautifully floral with the most delicate scent. This delicate element is key in its ability to work incredibly well with langoustine. Its versatility is impressive – last year (the time I discovered this gem) I did a version of classic Tortellini in Brodo. I made simple tortellini filled with caciotta served in a delicate vegetable broth, and finished off with grated bergamot zest…it worked beautifully.

So why aren’t these green orbs flooding the supermarket shelves? Leave supermarkets aside, we’re the only company in the UK able to supply them…so perhaps a better question is, how did we get our hands on them…?

It actually has an awful lot to do with their alluring scent. As equally alluring to tea makers as it is to perfumiers, you will find bergamot essence listed in the ingredients of Earl Grey Tea and some of the best known perfumes (1/3 of all men’s and half of all women’s fragrances contain bergamot). Bergamot is not widely produced and pretty much the entire production goes straight to the perfume companies. In addition, production of bergamot has been declining over the past 20 years, so whilst it’s widely available to buy as an essence, to find the actual fresh fruit is extremely difficult.

At Natoora we couldn’t let such a delicious citrus be kept off the menu. I still remember where I was when I first tried fresh bergamot, and I knew this was a phenomenal product which our chefs would want. There is no way I would ever leave it to chance to find fresh bergamot,  so thanks to our expertise we began sourcing producers very early on this year. Now we source ours straight from a farmer in Calabria where the best bergamots are grown. No other supermarket, online grocer or wholesaler has the same expertise and sourcing capability and for this reason, Natoora is the only place you can buy bergamot in the UK.

Since we started importing the bergamot and introducing it to the restaurants we supply, bergamot dishes have been appearing on the menus of some of the best restaurants in London. Antonin at The Greenhouse served me a brilliant langoustine dish, while Jacob at Bocca di Lupo makes a delicious and refreshing bergamot granita, topped with mereingue, and Claude at Hibiscus made a bergamot pie…I have yet to try it.

Now, you can also try it at home! The skin at the moment is a bright green, showing that they are at their best. These are picked early in the season when the fragrance and aroma are the most floral. Logically they are unwaxed so you must take advantage of the skin as well as the juice to flavour dishes. Enjoy the fantastic flavour of bergamot from now in to the new year – the season will last for a few months. We recommend them with shellfish, foie gras, made into marmalades and sorbets…simply use it as you would lemon, and place a few slices into a jug of iced water. Of course, that same slice into a cup of tea….well…..

Try it today

To make your Christmas taste even sweeter, we’ve offering all our customers one of Panarello’s beautiful Panettones FREE with your order! Panarello have been making cakes since 1885 and their buttery and light traditional Panettone is bursting with the flavours of an Italian Christmas.

How to claim your gift:

1. Place an order before 18th December 2010
2. Spend £100 or more
3. Enter code NATOOXMAS at checkout
4. Receive your free gift!*

Click here to start shopping

*Minimum spend excludes delivery fee. Subject to availablity. We reserve the right to replace with a suitable item of equivalent value if mentioned item is unavailale. Offer valid once per address or account holder and not valid on orders already placed. No cash alternative. We reserve the right to refuse or restrict orders. Offer may be withdrawn at any time and without notice. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer excluding price discounts.