Love from Squirrel Nutkin
DEAR old St Valentine is coming round again, but I think I have practically ex- hausted suitable heart-connotated dishes. The only new to me goodies I have found mentioned are Plum Shuttles or Valentine Buns which used to be made in the now non-existent Rutland (such a blow when the ghastly powers that be mucked about with the counties; Rutland was particularly nice, being the smallest). Anyway these little oval buns were made in the form of a weaver's shuttle, full of currants and fla- voured with caraway seeds to be eaten on St Valentine's day. If they are still being made I should be delighted to receive the receipt. All I can suggest for your delecta- tion is a startling red risotto which I was served by Willie Landels last month. It is highly original, I should think, amazing to behold and most delicious, though it would make my lovely colleague, Clare Asquith, tremble with horror as she shies from beetroot as I do from spiders.
Ruby red risotto
3 medium-size cooked beetroots g fluid oz milk
11/2 pints chicken or veal stock
olive oil butter 1 medium-size onion 5 fluid oz red or white wine I/2 lb arborio rice fresh parmesan cheese
Risotto is not a pilaf or anything to do with the dishes requiring that every grain of rice should be separate, it is therefore essential to use the arborio rice which has plump, succulent and absorbent grains. Buy the white grains, never the yellowish ones.
Put the beetroots and the milk in a blender, whizz until smooth. Have the stock heating in a pouring saucepan. In another saucepan put about two table- spoons of olive oil and an ounce of butter to melt. Peel and chop the onion very finely, add to the oil and cook gently until golden but not brown. Stir in the rice until it is well impregnated with the oil and butter, pour in the wine and let it continue to cook gently until absorbed. Now add a pint of the stock, cup by cup. Let it cook and absorb, but keep your eye on it, giving the odd stir, pour in the beetroot mixture and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. At the end of the cooking, which will be about 20 minutes, stir continuously to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan
and add the last of the stock if necessary. The rice should be a creamy consistency like a bowl of porridge but still have a slight bite to it. Add a tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan cheese, turn off the heat and let it rest for a couple of minutes, when it will be 'ben mantecato' as the Italians put it. Serve at once with more parmesan on the side. This amount would be enough for four as a first course.
Sainsbury's, and doubtless other places, have been selling skinned turkey thighs lately, nice little hunks of meat which I find have far more flavour than the breast fillets. But you may prefer otherwise, so suit your own fancy. This is what I have done with the thigh pieces.
Turkey thighs with pancetta
2 pieces of turkey thighs each 2 slices of pancetta per piece juniper berries, bay leaf, sage madeira or medium sherry olive oil chicken or game stock salt and pepper
Let's say I am doing six pieces of thigh. Place them in a shallow dish, sprinkle with rock or sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Crumble a couple of bay leaves over the meat, about four fresh sage leaves or a large pinch of the dried ones. Dribble four or five tablespoons of the madeira or sherry over the top and annoint with two tablespoons of olive oil. Crush eight juniper berries and add to the mari- nade. Leave for about six hours or over- night, turning the turkey over every now and then. Buy the pancetta at your local Italian delicatessen. This is my answer to that horrible wet bacon we are served with nowadays. It is exactly the same cut of meat as streaky bacon, cured and some- times smoked. We want the pancetta `ste- sa'; have it cut into thin slices. Wrap each turkey piece in two slices of the pancetta, making nice little parcels. Place them in a suitable oven dish, pour the marinade over them and put in a small amount of stock to cover the bottom of the dish. Place in a preheated oven at Gas 6 F400 C205, for 30 minutes, turning over at half time. Even better is to stuff each piece with a very lightly sauteed slice of turkey liver. Serve with glazed carrots, broccoli and purée of potatoes. Darn good.
Jennifer Paterson
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