Market Report - UK Seasonal update 27 August 2013

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  Hello Chef OK that’s it, I’m calling it… It’s Autumn. Weather is turning and with it we lose the fresh strawberries and take on board the earthy flavours of game and foraged goodies; the wild boar a particular highlight starting next week. Leaving aside my groundhog like ability to predict the change of seasons, we reach the promised land; the produce itself.

Wild Mushrooms

Excellent girolles from Russia are still the safe bet, a good price coupled with good quality is one not to miss. Cusping with various degrees of availability Scottish girolles Scottish chicken of the wood Bulgarian trompette Bulgarian pied de mouton Giant puffballs from Norfolk  (The lovely clean Swedish mycology has started. Crops are low & expensive but stunning) Yellow legged chanterelle from Sweden Cep from Sweden In essence we are days away from the most glorious spread of fungi. It’s a daily fight to secure the highly prized specimens, until European flushes settle. Count on lovely girolles, and snap up autumnal favorites to garnish your deeply flavoured game dishes with a taste of the forest. I’m hanging around to buy some autumn chanterelle to dress an onion squash soup.

Truffles

Quality still good, though shelf life now diminishes and prices rise as availability isn’t quite as widespread as during this summer’s glut.

Fruit & Veg

Here’s what’s delicious & interesting with enough legs for a menu cycle:- Blood nectarines Blood peaches Cob nuts The awesome Bursa sticky black fig from Turkey Genuine Charentais melons Mighty flavour packed Muscat grapes White & yellow nectarines Flat, white & yellow peaches Greengage & Mirabelle plums Quince ( I have a soft spot for poached quince with Greek yoghurt and toasted almonds for breakfast. Muesli can go whistle) Crapaudine, golden & candy beet Artichokes a plenty Fresh coco beans Heritage coloured carrots Nettles Sea arrowgrass (if you like coriander you’ll love this foraged line) Wild damson plums Wood sorrel Wild fennel flowers Sea purslane Sea aster Excellent purple sprouting broccoli Baby veg a plenty Black garlic Iron bar pumpkins Romanesco Purple and golden cauliflowers A plethora of leaves, cresses and flowers Excellent iron rich large leafed spinach Curly kale The delicious onion squash are expected to flow again next week or the week after And so much more, but I can sense I’m losing your attention.

Game

We have flirted with this product for a number of years, but this year we enter a full blown love affair with the lean and tasty wild pig. This beautiful product will nicely coincide with the opening up of our game bird offering including the likes of delicious mallard and partridge. We are selling wild boar saddles, haunches and dice. I’m going to treat myself to a 2.5Kg bag of dice, make a rich ragu as pictured and freeze down in portions to serve with fresh pappardelle. As usual this is just the tip of a bountiful iceberg and there’s plenty more below the surface. Please call 020 7498 5397 to speak to the team about new products arriving daily.