Archive for September, 2011

The lovely people at wish.co.uk are offering readers of the Natoora blog a chance to win a superb experience day. We all know that the perfect recipe can be enhanced with a well-matched wine, but it can be very hard to know which one. So whether you are a budding wine critic, or simply enjoy the odd glass, this day is perfect:

Win with wish.co.uk: The Spirit of Vinopolis Experience*

One very lucky reader will get to visit Vinopolis, London’s premiere wine establishment based near London Bridge. Once there you will get to sample a wide array of wines from their envious selection, have a tour of the premises and enjoy a ‘How to taste wine’ session. You will also get to try some of their incredible beers, whiskeys, rums and even absinthe! If that doesn’t sound like enough, there’s even a Bombay Sapphire cocktail waiting for you! In case all that wine goes to your head, there will be a Vinopolis tasting notebook to help you remember your fantastic day…

For you chance of winning, just answer the following question:

What does “Vino” mean in Italian?

a. Absinthe

b. Wine

c. Chocolate

Please enter your details below:
Title:	Mr Miss Ms Mrs Dr
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Terms and Conditions:

Open to UK mainland residents only. Entry via online only. Closing date†is midnight 9/10/2011.
Multiple entries will be counted as one. Entries from third parties, bulk entries and automated entries will not be included.†There will be 1 winner. Prize will be awarded by Wish.co.uk and does not include transport. The winner†will be selected at random from all correct entries received by the†closing date. Winners will be notified by email by 12th October 2011. If you fail to respond to this email by the 16th October 2011, your prize may be forfeited.
By entering into the competition you agree to the terms and†conditions.

Contact us: 0207 627 1600

Email: food@natoora.co.uk

If you’re on the search for experience days then Wish.co.uk is the place to shop. With a fantastic collection of experiences, Wish has everything from exhilarating driving and flying experiences and to pampering spa treatments and unique days out. Head over to Wish now to find out more.

A great British recipe using great British produce – Prime Scottish beef from Moen and Sons, creamy Stilton from Neal’s Yard Dairy and tender purple sprouting broccoli from New Covent Garden market.

Serves 2

2 fillet steaks
4 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
400ml fresh chicken stock
150ml double cream
150g Stilton
350g purple sprouting broccoli
knob of butter
squeeze of lemon juice

Rub the steaks with some of the olive oil and season with freshly ground pepper and sea salt.

Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and cook the steaks to your taste – 3 minutes each side should be about medium. Remove from the pan and leave to rest.

Blanch the broccoli while you heat the chicken stock in a separate saucepan until boiling.

Remove the broccoli and sautee with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and butter.

Add the cream and Stilton to the chicken stock. Stir continuously and continue cooking on a low heat for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Serve the fillet steak, spooning over the Stilton sauce. Spoon the broccoli alongside and enjoy!

Fresh nuts are not something you usually find in the supermarkets. They have a very short season but well worth getting your hands on if you can!

At the moment, we are enjoying creamy fresh hazelnuts and almonds from France, Kentish cobnuts and Italian wet walnuts. The flavour is an incredible version of their dried counterparts – creamy, milky and delicate. They are described as ‘wet’ for their softer texture and consistency.

Try the more refined flavour of fresh nuts with game meats like grouse, or to compliment sweet cakes and ice creams.

You’ll struggle to find these at any other online store. Try them today!
Fresh Nuts, from £1.75/250g

Outstanding British chef Andre Garrett has this week kindly provided us with his signature recipe – fresh John Dory with orange glazed endive, cauliflower puree, curry oil, pine nuts and golden raisins. Andre is head chef at Michelin-Starred Galvin at Windows and is renowned for his innovative, ingredient-led cuisine.

“My aim as a chef is to buy the best produce and deliver it expertly cooked to my customers, Natoora are one of my most valuable and trusted suppliers and they get it every time, we share the same values, searching out the best produce for our customers.” (Andre Garrett)

Serves 4

2 6-800g John Dory, filleted

For the cauliflower puree:
1 large white cauliflower
30g butter
200ml milk
200ml single cream or crème fraiche

For the orange glazed endive:
2 large endive or chicory
2 lemons
2 oranges
50g icing sugar
water if needed

For the curry oil, pine nuts and golden raisins
50g Cochin curry powder
200ml corn oil
20g soaked golden raisins
20g toasted pine nuts
10g salted capers
Juice of half lemon

Forward planning: Soak the golden raisins in hot water over night, toast the pine nuts and keep.

Cauliflower puree:
Cut the cauliflower into small florets and discard the stalks, heat the butter in a large pan until foamy, add the cauliflower, season with a little salt and sweat gently over a low heat for 2 mins, turn up the heat to high and add the milk, cover with a lid and cook very quickly until cauliflower is tender, about 5-6 mins, drain in colander then transfer cooked cauliflower to blender, discard any left over milk, cover blender and blend on medium speed to start puree, bring single cream to boil and drizzle into cauliflower while still blending, you should have a thick smooth puree, pass through fine strainer and check for seasoning, this can be done advance and will keep in fridge for 1-2 days.

Orange glazed endive:
Zest both lemons and oranges and juice and keep aside, trim any dirty leaves from both endive and wash, dry on paper, heat large frying pan on medium heat, cut both endive in two length ways and dip cut side in sugar, add a splash of olive oil to the pan and add the endive sugar side down and allow to caramelize, when color turn over and color on both sides, add juice and zest and a little more sugar and allow to simmer and reduce for 10-12 mins to cook through and glaze, the endive should end by being soft and glazed with the sticky caramel, set aside.

Curry oil, pine nuts and golden raisins
Heat the curry powder in a dry pan over a medium heat to toast and cook the curry, keep moving and smelling as you cook and the flavor and aroma will develop in a warm, sweet curry fragrance, at this stage pour in the oil and mix, bring the oil to around 60 degrees and take off heat, leave to settle and cool, when cooled, pass though a cheese cloth and leave behind any sediment.

To serve:

Marinade the John Dory fillets for 20 mins before serving, when ready to serve, reheat the puree in a pan, reheat the endive in the pan, warm the raisins, capers and pine nuts in some of the oil.

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and place in the John dory skin side down, using the curry oil as the cooking medium, do not move while the skin is crisping and fry for 3 mins, turn and cook for a further 2-3 mins until the fish is firm and opaque, take out and drain.

Swipe some puree onto the warmed serving plates, top with the endive and arrange the fish across, dress with the warmed dressing and serve.

Chef’s tip: When blending the puree, use a blender with a tight fitting lid and start on low speed then move up to high.

This weekend marks the beginning of British Food Fortnight, a time to celebrate the best that British producers have to offer.

Britain’s culinary reputation has had a chequered past. We’re not sure who’s idea it was to put jelly with eels in the first place, but British food has come a long way since then.

Luckily at Natoora, we have some of the best fresh food that Britain has to offer, and to celebrate British Food Fortnight, we are offering 10% off our top 10!

Choose from sophisticated Scottish smoked salmon, juicy Jubilee strawberries from Kent, vibrant purple sprouting broccoli, succulent organic chicken from Herefordshire and much more…

SHOP NOW FOR 10% OFF OUR TOP TEN!

We’ve taken this beautiful recipe from “My Kitchen: Real Food from Near and Far” by Stevie Parle. Stevie is head chef at The Dock Kitchen, supplied by Natoora. He shares our passion for great quality seasonal produce and this simple quince recipe just goes to show how a few great ingredients can make a wonderful dish.

Baked Quince

Serves 2-4

2 large quinces
half a bottle of white wine
150g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
10 bay leaves
4 cloves
a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, chopped

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2.

Peel and core the quinces and cut into wedges. Put all the ingredients in a baking tray, completely seal with foil and bake for an hour or two; don’t let the quince dry out. Eat with cream or custard.

Enjoy!

Check out Stevie’s book for more great seasonal recipes and tips.

1 leg or shoulder of lamb
250g fresh plums, diced
1 tbsp. tomato puree
peel of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp sweet chilli sauce

Score the meat so that it will absorb all the flavours whilst cooking. Place in a crock pot.

Combine all the rest of the ingredients and pour over the meat.

Cook on low for about 8 hours.

Remove the lamb and carve. Drain the liquid into a saucepan and reduce. You can add some cornflour to thicken if you prefer. Serve with the meat and your preferred accompaniments.

Our white peaches are tasting amazing at the moment. They are naturally sweeter and less tart than the yellow variety and can be enjoyed when still not fully ripen. They are much larger than the ones generally found in the supermarket, full of that incredible flavour.

Until Thursday 15th September 10PM…

TRY OUR WHITE PEACHES – FOR FREE!*

When you spend £60
HURRY! EXPIRES THURSDAY 10PM
code: 4WHITE

*Offer entitles you to 4 free white peaches. Subject to availability. A suitable alternative may be offered. Minimum spend £60 excluding delivery fee. Offer expires 10pm 15/9/11. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer excluding price discounts. No cash alternative. Offer valid once per address or account holder. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. We reserve the right to refuse or restrict orders.

We love our new small long aubergines – they are ideal for grilling or even better when preserved. You can easily adjust this recipe according to the amount you have, and to suit your own tastes.

For 5kg aubergine, use 1ltr of vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
oregano
chillies
garlic
salt and pepper

Wash and dry the aubergines, then cut them lengthways into thin strips of about 3cm.

Layer them in a bowl, sprinkling with salt and some vinegar as you go. When you’ve used up all the aubergines, pour over the rest of the vinegar. Now cover with a plate and a heavy object on top. Leave to rest for 24 hours.

Prepare the seasoning by thinly slicing some garlic and mixing it with crushed chillies, pepper and oregano. Dress with plenty of olive oil and leave to rest for a couple of hours.

Drain the aubergines by squeezing them with your hands, and finally dress them with the herb mixture, adding more oil if necessary.

You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice for a lovely citrus kick.

You can serve these straight away or preserve them in glass jar, topping up with more olive oil.

Buy any of these mushrooms and get a free pack of handmade fresh pappardelle!

1. Place an order that includes any of the mushrooms listed below

2. Enter code MUSHROOM at checkout

3. Receive your free pack of pasta!

*Offer subject to availability. No cash alternative. We reserve the right to refuse or restrict orders. Offer may be withdrawn at any time and without notice.

Girolles: They have a faint fragrant fruity smell reminiscent of apricots or peaches, and a mildly peppery taste.  from £6.75/150g
Chanterelles: Their flavour is simply beautiful – delicate, lightly fruity and fragrant.  from £6/150g
Pied Bleu: Pied Bleu are not only beautifully coloured with their blue stem, but also extremely fragrant. They have a distinctive flavour suitable for both sweet and savoury dishes. from £6.75/100g
Trompette de la Mort: ”At the moment the trompette de la mort are really superb. You just compare them!” says our Natoora buyer.from £4.95/150g

SHOP FOR MUSHROOMS

READ ALL OUR MUSHROOM RECIPES