When not slaving away with only Twitter and mad dog for company, I occasionally have a 'life.' This usually entails cooking for friends, trying far too many wines, and the occasional entire day out. I will post my ramblings, recipes and recommendations here on the 'Gourmet on the Go' blog. Hope you find something of interest!
Due to the unseasonably warm weather, the British Asparagus season has started early! To celebrate this short season, buy the best of local asparagus from some of our listed farm shops in Essex. You cannot beat the fresh from the field flavour.
The following recipe is a great sharing dish or tapas/starter dish for four. You can either create separately in small ovenproof dishes, or in one big dish to place centre table and just dig in.
The piquant, sweet and fruity piquillo peppers work wonderfully with the spicy paprika punch of the meaty chorizo, rich duck eggs and tender full flavoured asparagus – a fabulous contrast of flavours and textures. This dish is a real treat and very simple to make…
Baked duck egg with chorizo, piquillo peppers and asparagus recipe
Serves 4 as a starter or lunch/supper dish.
Ingredients
8 large English asparagus spears, trimmed and ends peeled
extra virgin olive oil
4 piquillo peppers from a jar, drained and finely sliced
150g chorizo skinned and finely diced
4 duck eggs
Sea Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 160?C/gas 3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the asparagus spears for 2 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and refresh in cold water to stop the cooking process.
To assemble, grease a large ovenproof dish with some extra virgin olive oil. Add the piquillo peppers, asparagus and chorizo, arranging the ingredients evenly. Crack the duck eggs on top of the mix, keeping some space in-between each. Season well with salt and pepper, and then bake for 15–18 minutes or until the chorizo is cooked, the egg whites are set and the yolk is hot but still runny. (Alternatively you could divide and cook ingredients in four separate small dishes.)
Today is a day to herald and celebrate much that is British. It is of course Saint Georges day, where as a nation we celebrate our patron saints slaying of a mythical dragon, even though it is doubtful St George ever laid foot on our green and pleasant land. William Shakespeare was also born on this day in 1564. The ‘Bard of Avon’ is of course one of the greatest and most acclaimed English writers.
Still, all of that aside, if you want cause for real celebration, welcome in the new season asparagus! The British asparagus season is short, only around 8 weeks. Being as our Asparagus is considered by many to be the very best in the world, it is time to savour the wonderful flavour and buy your asparagus now.
Asparagus is best eaten freshly picked. As asparagus ages from field to shop, the natural sugars turn to starch, negatively affecting both the flavour and texture. So, buying from a local farm shop is your best bet to assure you of prime, fresh and delicious asparagus.
Asparagus can be cooked in a multitude of ways; blanched and griddled, steamed, boiled or roasted. These wonderful, tender spears are excellent just eaten on their own with melted butter, hollandaise sauce, aioli, or a tasty vinaigrette, or cut them up and add to stir fries, pasta dishes, tarts, quiches, risottos, and the list goes on.
Here are some local farm shops that will be stocking the best of local asparagus this weekend and the coming weeks. I have also included a few recipes to whet your appetite.
Essex Asparagus – Where to buy the best
Blackwells Farm Shop, Coggeshall – will be stocking Asaparagus from this weekend, sourced from local farms and growers in the area.
Calcott Hall Farm Shop, Brentwood – will be harvesting their own Asparagus crop which will be available in their farm shop this weekend.
Lathcoats Farm Shop, Galleywood – have started to harvest their own Asparagus, now available in their farm shop.
Sarah Green’s Organics Farm Shop, Tillingham – will harvest their own organic Asparagus available in their farm shop as of today.
If you need an excuse to buy local produce, now is the time. The 8th British Food Fortnight runs from the 19th September to the 4th October, celebrating the diversity, premium quality and abundance of local, fresh seasonal produce throughout the country.
Numerous businesses, supermarkets, shops, farms, restaurants, pubs and schools are participating in this celebratory event to promote local British food at its finest.
British Food - Eat Well, Eat Local
From an Essex viewpoint, The Bell Inn, Horndon on the Hill are partaking in this national event by providing the best of local seasonal produce on their imaginative menus.
It’s also a time to visit your local farm shops and farmers markets to indulge in the wonderful autumnal bounty that is on offer, from locally reared free range meats to delicious fresh & crisp vegetables. For dessert, try a sumptuous tart or crumble with apples, pears or plums that are at their best right now; Lathcoats Farm Shop, Galleywood, provide over 40 varieties of their own orchard apples, as well as the best of local produce.
Marks Hall, Coggeshall hold their monthly Food Market on Saturday 26th featuring a wide array of local producers selling fresh and prepared meats, seasonal vegetables and fruit, bread and cakes, wines, beers and juices. Try before you buy, or stock up on the ingredients to create your own local feast.
For the fervent foodie, this year’s Aldeburgh food & drink festival gets underway on the 26th of Sept for 10 days of celebrations. The Festival takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Snape Maltings, near Aldeburgh on the Suffolk Coast. A showcase of over 70 local exhibitors, cookery demonstrations, walks, talks and fine local fare will greet you in what has become renowned as one of the most significant food and drink festivals in Britain.
Due to the unseasonably warm weather, the British Asparagus season has started early! To celebrate this short season, buy the best of local asparagus from some of our listed farm shops in Essex. You cannot beat the fresh from the field flavour.
Today is a day to herald and celebrate much that is British. It is of course Saint Georges day, where as a nation we celebrate our patron saints slaying of a mythical dragon, even though it is doubtful St George ever laid foot on our green and pleasant land. William Shakespeare was also born on this day in 1564. The ‘Bard of Avon’ is of course one of the greatest and most acclaimed English writers. 
Eating Out In Essex