Darina Allen: Three tasty recipes inspired by my visit to Bristol and Wales

The bread and homemade cultured butter came from Field bakery in Bridgwater. So good that we later made a pilgrimage to the source where the heritage wheat for the bread is grown by inspirational farmer and citizen scientist, Fred Pryce. Still at hyper seasonal Marmo with chef owner Cosmo Sterck and his wife Lily we loved the plate of six plump anchovies in a pool of extra virgin olive oil sprinkled with marjoram. Another highlight was fricco (a little rectangle of yeast dough, deep fried into a puffy pillow) with wafer thin slices of pancetta — they were just the starters.

The dry aged pork chop with silky mashed potato, girolles, sweetcorn, and tarragon were also memorable and oh, the chocolate mousse with a blanket of softly whipped jersey cream and a dusting of cocoa powder — I won’t forget the flavour and texture of that in a while. Little French in the Westbury Park area is another gem with an interesting natural wine list and a wonderful choice of edgy French classics.

Don’t miss the queen scallops served simply in the shell with various sauces. Really easy and delicious.

I’m halfway through the article and have only told you about two restaurants of the eight or 10 we enjoyed over five days. On another morning we were up at the crack of dawn to try to beat the queues at Farro. Maybe Bristol’s best bakery in a town that has many brilliant artisan bakeries, many of whom mill their own flour from ancient and heritage landrace wheat varieties for their natural sourdough loaves.

Quite unlike the faux sourdough in many supermarkets, real sourdough has just four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and natural levain. If you get to Farro, there are a whole range of temptations but don’t miss the kouign-amann and a West Country Queen and there are tender madeleines with a dab of icing on top and the spice bun. We also love Hart’s Bakery under the arches by the railway station and also check out The Bristol Loaf and Little Pantry.

There are many wine bars selling an exceptional choice of natural wines (no hangover). Look out for Limeburn Hill wines made by Robin and his wife Georgina on their biodynamic vineyard close to Chew Magna. Georgina shared the recipe for the delicious apple and almond tart that we enjoyed at her kitchen table. If you’re in Bristol on a Sunday morning, wander through The Tobacco Factory Market and Wapping Wharf and swing by Five Acre Farm Shop, then make sure you have lunch at Sonny’s Store on Birch Road. We loved the Cockles Aqua Pazza, and I’ll be back for more of that salted focaccia ice cream with extra-virgin olive oil.

Roast Scallops with Butter & Thyme

Recipe Allen By:darina

A Scallops The The Deliciously Of Leaves, Sweetness Enhance Fresh The Lemon French Shellfish And Sublime At Inspired Butter Thyme To The Cook Scallops, Way Little Beautiful By

Servings

4

Time Preparation

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Time Total

 20 mins

Course

 Starter

ingredients

• On Scallops Large Shell The Rounded Half 8

• Tsp Chopped 2 Thyme Leaves, Finely

• 1 Lemon Finely Grated Tsp

• An Zest From Organic Lemon

• Butter 25g

• Olive Tbsp Virgin 3 Extra Oil

• Freshly Sea Ground Flaky And Pepper Salt

• Wedges Serve: To Lemon

•  

method

1. 250°c/gas To The 10 Preheat Mark Oven

2. And Are The Remove Contents If The The Open In Scallops All Shell,

3. The Fringe, From The Muscle And Fish Coral Remove

4. The Coral Along Fringe Deep The Corals The In Discard With Trim Place Shell Neatly Back Scallop And The The Muscle

5. Olive Zest, And Butter, Mix Chopped Lemon Extra Oil Bowl Thyme Leaves, Grated Together In Soft The Virgin Freshly A

6. Ground And A Teaspoon Spoon Salt Little Pepper Freshly Onto Each Season With Scallop A

7. Minutes In Very Bake Oven Cooked, Barely Butter Until Scallops The Is 5 4 The And Hot The Approx Sizzling

8. Of With Juice Immediately Lemon Serve A Squeeze

 

Sonny Stores Salted Focaccia Ice Cream with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

By:darina Recipe Allen

Base, Chopped To Sharing Further Added Rosemary Special Way The A Up A Extract Stale Even Ice The And Focaccia Delicious Inspired Enhances Cream Also Pegs Vanilla To To For Ice Cream Is Brilliant, Use Thanks Little It

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Time Cooking

 25 mins

Time Total

 40 mins

Course

 Dessert

ingredients

• Stale 150g Focaccia 200g

• Virgin Oil Olive Extra

• Sprinkling Caster For Sugar,

• Milk ½ Litre

• Litre 1½ Cream

• Chopped 2 Teaspoons Or Freshly Extract Vanilla (optional) Rosemary ¼ Tsp

• 7 8 Yolks, Size On Depending Egg

• Caster 200g Sugar

• Maldon Salt Sea

method

1. The 4 Preheat 180°c/gas Mark Oven To

2. Extra Caster Drizzle Olive Focaccia Sized The Tear With A Baking Thumb Sugar With Oil Sprinkle And Virgin Pieces, Generously Pop Onto Into Tray,

3. Golden 25 Or Toss And And 20 Minutes Crispy For Bake Well Turning Until Occasionally

4. A Little Cool

5. Milk A Don’t The It Cream Until Saucepan To The And Es In Shivery Heavy Stage, Boil Bottom Heat

6. The Time Together Hot Yolks, Pale Vanilla Liquid, The Whisking And All Gradually Egg Sugar Extract Light The Whisk And Until Meanwhile, Add

7. Return Boil The And Medium Over (do Spoon Back Cook Coating Curdle) Mixture The Heat Allow Or Of Slightly, Saucepan Until The Will It A Barely Not A Thickens To To

8. Stainless Available Pan Dish, If A Steel Sided Gastro Low Onto A Pour Out

9. Over The On Fine) Out Focaccia Overnight Cover (not The Freeze Pour Focaccia And Mix Scoop Ice The And Ice Too Cream Day, With Cover Mixture The The Blend Leave Baking The Cream Tray, Next And

10. Serve To

11. Sea And Two Few One A Into A Of Plate, Put Little Olive Or Serve Scoops Drizzle With Good Immediately Bowl Or Salt, Flakes Virgin Sprinkle Oil With Extra Really A

 

River Cottage Apple & Almond Cake

Allen By:darina Recipe

Try Credit Which At Gives Full To Outside Cottage River This Delicious Enjoyed Cake Recently Limeburn Hill I Bristol Just Georgina Vineyard,

Servings

8

Time Preparation

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Baking

ingredients

• Apples 3 Eating

• Butter 25g

• 25g Granulated Sugar

• (optional) Cinnamon Tsp Ground ¼

• for The Batter

• 150g Butter

• Sugar 125g Caster

• Eggs 2

• 75g Flour Self Raising

• 75g Ground Almonds

• Round Tin 20cm Cake Springform

method

1. Tin Preheat To And Sides Mark Oven The The 3 Line Base 170ºc/gas The Of

2. Apples, And Quarter Quarters And The Core 3 Pieces Into Them Each Slice About Peel Then Into Cut

3. Gently An Until Then Even Stirring In Occasionally Colour Get Fry Butter And A The Frying The Pan, Apples, Heat They Sugar

4. And Followed They The Using) Nearly Sugar Cinnamon Add Eggs, By The Together Tender Take And When Off The Then (if Almonds The Caramelise, Light Fluffy, Ground Heat Cream Until Flour Butter Are And Add Starting The And The To

5. And Pan Apples Then Skewer On Arrange Top The Frying A Juices Into Spoon For The Out Tin, Scrape Smooth Over, From 45 Es Over Clean) Any Minutes The Bake 40 (until

6. Before With And Tin For Unclipping 20 Served To Cool Minutes The Best Leaving Cream Leave Warm