#49 A Berry Bonanza and a poorly pooch

Oh wow - another week has literally evaporated, and not for the best reasons… can I get an extension please? Olive (aka Puppy Blackwell) was stung at the weekend; we believe the culprit was a small but mighty wasp. Said sting resulted in 3 separate visits to the vet throughout the week because she was so distressed – one during the Wimbledon final on Sunday which I selfishly found quite irritating. Thankfully, she is now on the mend, although, quite comically, she appears to think that the wicked wasp is still attached to her because she keeps randomly flinching and trying to pounce on her own leg.

Anyway, as a consequence of said ordeal, I’ve spent the week achieving next to nothing other than worry, feel tired, Google various animal symptoms, speak to vets, and conclude that I have a dog with a similar degree of hypochondria & anxiety as me – excellent!

What this also means is that I have had distinctly less time to dedicate to writing this week’s newsletter so I’m sorry if it all seems a bit brief.

… I do, however, have some pressing matters to discuss…

Firstly, let’s backtrack…. How bloomin’ EPIC was that Men’s Wimbledon final? How many of you watched it? You all know I love sport, and Wimbledon is up there as one of my all-time favourites, but I do struggle to avidly watch some matches. All too often I get overly invested in a player/team/contestant which results in me becoming too nervous to sit still for the full duration. Sunday was different though, despite being very much ‘team Alcaraz’, I was totally gripped for the full duration… excluding the brief trip to the vet during set 2. I’m also really excited to see how Alcaraz matures - I reckon he’s gonna be the next big thing! 

Second, has anyone else been watching ‘Hijack’ on Apple TV? I came across it having seen a short clip on Gogglebox and started watching it during the week – I’m obsessed!
It may be quite far-fetched and a little bit ridiculous but I love all things plane-related, so this is totally up my street! Additionally, Idris Elba is in it, which is a major plus - I adore him!   

Third on the list this week - a new knife! I was absolutely delighted (and incredibly grateful) to receive a BEAUTIFUL new knife from Nakano knives this week. I subsequently spent longer than I care to admit randomly chopping a heap of veg (don’t worry, all the veg was subsequently consumed as part of my lunch). Due to a fairly embarrassing knife collection, I find it quite a novelty to possess something that chops food without me needing to saw it… needless to say, this kept me entertained for quite some time (quite chuffed to report that all my fingers are still attached too). Admittedly I’m no knife expert, but I am overwhelmingly impressed with this one, it’s smaller than another version of theirs that I have tried in the past and therefore much easier to handle and operate. Nakano have kindly given me a discount code to share with my friends (wahoo) which gets you 10% off an order… follow THIS link and use the code BLACKWELL at the checkout - happy knife shopping everyone!

… and I think that’s your lot for updates this week, let’s talk food…

RECIPES

This week’s recipes come with a warning… DO.NOT.WEAR.ANYTHING.WHITE whilst preparing, eating… or even being in the same room as, any of them… I’ve warned you, don’t come crying to me if you end up with a tomato or berry strewn crisp white tee! 

As promised last week, I’m coming to you with a recipe for one of my all time fave desserts, summer pudding, as well as a wicked summer berry compote (ft ideas of how to use it) and my recipe for Pasta Alla Norma – you are in for a right treat if you try any (or all) of these. Meanwhile, over on TCC+ you can find my recipe for cinnamon sugar madeleines, which are wickedly addictive!

ENJOY!!!!

---

Summer pudding

When I was growing up, we rarely had huge gatherings or dinner parties at home, but when close friends visited, Mum, who wasn’t an enthusiastic cook or baker, always managed to roll out a flawless array of freshly prepared meals – she’s one of those annoying people who can do just about anything without much thought.

One of her go-to desserts was summer pud, which on paper really doesn’t get the tastebuds tingling, but in reality, is arguably one of the greatest summer desserts. As I said, it’s not the easiest concept to ‘sell’ to those who haven’t tried it – ‘oh yes, do tuck into a bowl of this juicy compacted fruit encased in bread and liberally doused in something creamy’, but I’ve found it only takes one mouthful for people to appreciate what I’m raving on about. 

My version isn’t dissimilar to others out there, I do however like to infuse the fruit with additional flavour in the form of a squeeze of lemon and a dash of rich Madagascan vanilla and I always opt for decent white bread – Shokupan or a soft milk/white bread, either homemade or sourced from a bakery, yields the best results in my opinion. Below are a couple of other tips for how I produce my ultimate summer pud (full credit to Mum here).

• Controversially, I prefer to use frozen fruit over fresh as I find it more reliably flavoursome, however, you can absolutely use fresh if you know it’s in season and tasting fabulous. Additionally, I find that redcurrants and blackcurrants – both essential to this pud for a necessary pop of sharpness - are often hard to source fresh in the supermarkets, however, mixed frozen berries seem to be quite readily available year-round.

• Given my need for precision, I like to be in control of how much juice goes into the pudding – I find that using frozen fruit often means a little more juice is produced than would be the case with fresh fruit. This would potentially destabilise the pudding if it was all added. I therefore strain the fruit and add back a specific amount. I reserve any excess juice and add it having turned the pudding out. There is always an element of imprecision here as the absorbency of the bread you use/how long you ‘dunk’ it in the juices will vary slightly, but I have listed exactly what I do, and tend to find the result isn’t drastically impacted from one time to the next.

• Shop-bought sliced white bread will potentially be a bit flimsy and result in a saggy pudding, so try to source or make your own decent white loaf)

• YOU HAVE TO SERVE THIS WITH SOMETHING REALLY RICH AND CREAMY… double cream, the BEST french crème fraîche, or clotted cream are the only options please and thank you! 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1kg Mixed Frozen summer berries
2 Tbsp Lemon juice 
150g Caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
~400g/ 8 or 9 slices of day old Shokupan*/brioche or your choice of Soft white bread 
*find my recipe in last weekend’s TCC+ newsletter

To serve: 
a handful of mixed fresh berries
A few sprigs of fresh mint
Double cream/crème fraiche or clotted cream 

Method

First prepare the fruit, combine the frozen berries, caster sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Place over a low/medium heat, stirring gently every so often to help the berries thaw evenly. As the berries begin to defrost, they will start to release their juices – we want this to happen so don’t be tempted to remove any liquid. When all the berries have completely defrosted and are warm but not boiling, remove from the heat. Place a sieve over a large bowl and strain the berries collecting and reserving the juices in the bowl below.

Meanwhile, line a 1L capacity pudding or Pyrex bowl with clingfilm, ensure there is plenty of overhang around the rim – this can be a bit fiddly, but I find it can help if the inside of the bowl is slightly damp. If your loaf is still whole, cut into slices just under 1cm thick. Remove the crusts – snack on these, no waste please. Cut one slice into a circle – I use a cookie cutter for this, then cut 5 or 6 of the slices in half slightly on the diagonal to create a slightly wonky triangle and leave two slices whole for the top.

To assemble the pudding, briefly dunk one side of the round slice of bread in the juices and place at the base of the bowl – you don’t want to soak the bread or it will fall apart, just a quick dip - now, working around the bowl, dunk one side of each ‘triangle’ in the juices and lay them lengthways around the sides, very slightly overlap the slices to ensure there are no gaps and gently press them into the sides of the bowl. Once the base and sides are lined, spoon the berry mixture into the bread lined bowl – there should be a small gap between the surface of the berries and the top of the bread. Add 3 tablespoons of the reserved fruit juice on top of the berries, then dunk the remaining 2 slices of bread into the juices and arrange on top so that there are no gaps – you may need to trim the slices a bit and use any excess to plug the gaps – it doesn’t need to look that pretty. Finally spoon another 1-2 tbsp of the juices evenly over the top of the top bread layer allowing it to absorb as much as possible. Then cover with the clingfilm overlap. Reserve any excess juice for when you turn out the pudding.

Find a plate which perfectly fits inside the top of the bowl and place on top of the clingfilm covered pudding, place a weight on top of the plate – a couple of jars of jam or cans of beans will work well – and chill for 8 hours or overnight – weighing down the pudding and leaving it to chill is imperative in order for the flavours to all infuse, the bread to soak, and to ensure a robust structure to the pudding when it is turned out.

To serve the pudding, unwrap the cling film from the top and place a serving plate over the pudding. Carefully flip it over, remove the basin and carefully peel away the cling film – the pudding may need a gentle tease away from the sides of the bowl, use the clingfilm to help easing it out.

Once turned out, I like to brush some of the remaining juices on the sides and top of the pudding until it looks a radiant, then decorate the top with some fresh berries and mint leaves (the mint may seem unnecessary but I think it’s a wonderful addition), then serve wedges with double cream, crème fraîche or clotted cream and extra fruit juice for drizzling!

Summer berry compote – serves 4

Having made summer pudding at the beginning of the week, I realised how much I LOVE delicately sweetened juicy summer berries… and apparently a whole pudding’s worth wasn’t sufficient to satisfy my preoccupation with them.

Once the last of the summer pud was devoured, I rustled up a quick compote which I’ve subsequently been ladling onto my porridge each morning, and stirring through yoghurt come the evening. I find this compote so comforting, it’s the perfect balance of jammy, juicy, sharp, fresh and light, yet soothingly so. It would also be fabulous served on rice pudding I reckon!

Ingredients

250g Mixed frozen summer berries
1 tbsp demerara Sugar
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Squeeze of lemon

Method

As with the summer pudding, combine the frozen fruit, sugar, vanilla, and squeeze of lemon in a saucepan and gently heat, stirring occasionally to help the fruit defrost. Once the fruit has defrosted and released some of its juices, bring to a simmer for around 5 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent the berries from catching at the bottom of the pan, until the berries have broken down quite a bit, look glossy, and are a deep mulberry colour.
Transfer the cooked fruit to a dish to cool, then cover and chill to use as you wish.

NOTES - ideas for ways of eating the compote:

For a snazzy breakfast that feels like dessert, try this ‘yoghurt berry crunch’:
Measure 20g your favourite granola into a glass tumbler, spoon over 50g of thick Greek yoghurt, followed by a couple of spoonful’s of the berry compote, repeat with a second layer of 20g granola, 50g yoghurt and top with another couple of spoonful’s of the compote. Devour.

Add it to your porridge: cook a bowl of porridge as per your preferences - (you can find my recipes in previous newsletters or via the recipe index I’ve pinned on my homepage). Top with a drizzle of kefir, some yoghurt (mascarpone or creme fraiche if you’re feeling a little decadent) and a good spoonful of the compote, sprinkle with something crunchy and devour!

A quick dessert - combine equal quantities of yoghurt (Full fat Greek - Fage is good) and double cream with a drizzle of honey (to taste) in a bowl and whip to medium/soft peaks, dollop into a bowl and top with the compote and a handful of tahini granola (last week’s newsletter) or toasted/caramelised nuts!

Pasta Alla Norma

On Monday I felt really sorry for myself - partly due dog-related worries, but also the weather was pants, I was tired, and I just needed comfort. The answer? Pasta of course.

For me, a big bowl of pasta laced in a tomato-y sauce and periodically heaped with parmesan as I consume it, is the ultimate heart and head soothing dish.
I happened to have a slightly sad looking aubergine lurking in the fridge so decided to whip up a Sicilian classic of spaghetti Alla Norma - named in honour of the opera ‘Norma’.

This sauce simply relies on good quality ingredients, treated with care and given a little time to work their magic together. I’m quite sure that purists would argue that my version is not at all classic… but I can’t get enough of it, so until I can make a trip to Sicily for the real deal, this is my next best option. I like to roast the aubergine as I find it imparts a slightly smoky flavour, it also allows me just enough time to prepare a simple garlicky tomato sauce, seasoned with a drizzle of honey and a good pinch of salt to cut through the acidity of the tomatoes. One the aubergine is cooked; I add it to the sauce with a good handful of fresh chopped basil. Then it’s simply a case of adding the cooked spaghetti, giving it a quick toss, and spooning it into a bowl. Job Done. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Ingredients

1 aubergine
Extra virgin Olive oil for roasting and frying
3 garlic cloves
1 tin of San Marzano tomatoes (I used Mutti)
10g basil leaves and stalks roughly chopped + a couple of whole leaves to serve
1/2 tsp honey
Maldon flaky sea salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
Optional pinch of chilli flakes
150g Dried wholewheat spaghetti

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/180C fan and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Slice the aubergine into 1cm thick discs, then quarter each disc. Spread over the baking tray in a single layer drizzle generously with olive oil, add a pinch of flaky salt, and roast for around 30 minutes - flipping them halfway through - or until they just begin to turn golden.

While the aubergine cooks, make the sauce. Peel and finely slice the garlic, pick the basil leaves, and finely chop the stalks. Heat around a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the garlic and chopped basil stalks and cook until the garlic smells aromatic and turns lightly golden - about 30 seconds, don’t let it catch. Add the tinned tomatoes, honey, pepper, around 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt, optional chilli flakes and just a splash of water. Let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens, around 20-30 minutes. Once the sauce is thickened add the cooked aubergine and stir to combine. Keep warm whilst you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pan of salty water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente (reserve some of the cooking water). Once ready, add the spaghetti to the sauce with a splash of the pasta cooking water and the chopped basil leaves, toss to combine.

Serve with a couple more basil leaves if you wish, a dash of olive oil and heaps of grated parmesan.

---

I wish I had some more nuggets of wisdom to share from the past 7 days but unless you need or want to hear about how to diagnose what’s wrong with your puppy (which of course I do not actually have the answer to lol!), I’m stumped! I’m so sorry!

I do hope you’re all plodding along nicely… in fact, is anyone off on holiday? I’m not this year, but I LOVE to hear about other people’s adventures so hit me up with your holiday destinations and summer antics!!!

Love and hugs as always, 

Steph x x x