Food and Drink - Recipe for Elderflower cordial, Mackerel with elderflower sauce and Strawberries with elderflower jelly jewels
Published: 9 June, 2011
by CLARE LATIMER
Helford Creek Apple Juice from Cornwall can now be bought at most of Oliver Peyton’s London restaurants such as Kew Gardens Orangery, and online through their website, www.helfordcreek.co.uk
The great thing about this juice is the variety of apples they use and that, unlike most other makes, they add no water. Owners Jem and Sarah started with pigs and cows, but when they realised the success of the apples, they decided to direct all their energy into this.
The apples are handpicked, given a water bath and then pressed into the cheese (puree) and put into stacks between cloths.
They are then pressed to squeeze out all the juice and then the juice is bottled – from whole apple to bottle in about one hour. The bottles are then gently pasteurised to 73 degrees for 20 minutes to kill the yeast and stop fermentation.
The only thing that is added is some vitamin C to keep the colour. All this is made on a farm down a tiny lane tucked into the woodlands of the Helford river.
When I went to visit them, they had huge vats of elderflowers and lemon brewing to make their delicious elderflower pressé, so I went straight off and picked some elderflowers, and now I have a pan brewing at home. I suggest you get picking and do the same.
Elderflower cordial
I do not store this recipe but use it within the week.
Ingredients
500ml water
200g granulated sugar
5 elderflower heads
1 lemon, quartered.
Method
Pour the boiling water on to the sugar in a saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the flower heads and lemon and then leave in a cool place for two days. Strain and keep in the fridge and use within two weeks.
Mackerel with elderflower sauce
The trick of eating mackerel is to buy them fresh, as they go through a chemical change after about 12 hours and turn too oily.
They should have bright eyes and very firm flesh. I would serve new English potatoes with fresh parsley and perhaps some new season broad beans.
Ingredients – serves 4
3 tbsp good mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 desp crème fraîche
1 lemon – halved
1 desp elderflower cordial
4 large, very fresh mackerel – gutted and head and tail removed
1 small splash white wine.
Method
Put the mayonnaise into a bowl and stir in the crème fraîche and the elderflower cordial.
Add some salt and pepper and juice of half a lemon. Put into a bowl and leave at room temperature.
Preheat the oven 180C / 350F / gas 4.
Place the mackerel in an oven-proof dish, side by side and splash over the white wine and season with little salt and pepper.
Slice the rest of the lemon and lay over the slices. Cover with a lid or foil and then bake in the oven until the fish is cooked through.
It will come off the bone very easily when cooked.
Serve hot with the sauce on the side.
Strawberries with elderflower jelly jewels
The combination of strawberries and elderflower together is wonderful and when the jelly is cut into little cubes and added to the fruit it looks like baby jewels glimmering among the fruit.
Using pressé adds that extra sparkle to the jelly but otherwise you can use cordial. Serve with whipped double cream.
Ingredients – serves 4
1 250ml bottle Elderflower pressé
1 heaped tsp gelatine powder
1 large punnet English strawberries, hulled
Method
Put quarter of the pressé into a small saucepan and sprinkle over the gelatine. Leave to sponge (soak up) and then put on a very low heat until dissolved.
Do not stir but you can tilt the pan.
When dissolved, add the rest of the pressé and now stir. Pour into a shallow dish and leave to cool and then chill to set in the fridge.
To serve, cut up the jelly into small squares and sprinkle over the strawberries and serve.