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The humble blackberry – currently in abundance, and free, in our fields |
Summer rain clouds bring a berry nice bonus
Clare Latimer takes advantage of a bumper crop of blackberries and cooks up a delicious dish to bring a little cheer to our grey summer
I HAVE just got back from a few weeks in Cornwall and in the last few days I have noticed that the hedges are glistening with little black pearls, alias blackberries.
They seem to be extra good this year and maybe it is all the rain that has showered them and plumped them into tasty gems.
I picked a good bucket load and have frozen them in small amounts so that I can use them all through the autumn. I will also be stewing apples and then freezing them in shallow cake tins.
When frozen I then take them out and wrap them in plastic bags. It is then so easy to take straight from the freezer with all the preparation done.
It is sad that the summer is nearly over but it is a great time for free goodies from the fields so watch this space for more ideas in the next few weeks.
Duck Breasts with Blackberry Sauce
Great meat and fruit taste that combines very well.
Use really fresh blackberries, or fresh frozen, as their true flavour goes after about 24 hours.
I would serve this with a mix of mashed potato and celeriac and some cooked broccoli with crispy bits of bacon on the top.
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 desp olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Good pinch fresh thyme
Splash of port
225g fresh blackberries
10 fl oz chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 heaped desp cornflour
2 large duck breasts
Method
Put the olive oil, red onion and garlic into a medium saucepan and cook gently over a medium heat for about three minutes. Add the thyme and port and let this bubble for one minute.
Add the blackberries, stock, salt and pepper and stir well.
Cover and cook very slowly for about 10 minutes or until the blackberries are well cooked.
Put the cornflour into a cup and mix with about one tablespoon blackberry juices – then stir to a smooth paste.
At this point strain the sauce if you prefer not to have blackberry pips, and then add the cornflour mix to the rest of the sauce and heat gently stirring continuously over a low heat until it thickens.
Check for seasoning and then set aside.
To cook the duck breasts place them in a frying pan and cook over a high heat skin-side-down until turning brown.
Turn over and cook gently until cooked but still slightly pink inside. This will take about 10 minutes.
Slice the duck breasts and allow half a breast per person. Pour some sauce on each plate and then arrange the duck slices on the top of the sauce.
Blackberry and Apple Crumble
This oat-topped crumble is always a hit at any meal, and with chilled whipped cream or icecream it is just the best.
Served after a crispy crackly roast of pork you would feel like pig in whoopsy so give it a go!!
Ingredients
Serves 6
For the filling:
3 large Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
50g butter
125g caster sugar
1 desp runny honey
225g fresh blackberriesFor the crumble:
125g porridge oats
50g flour
85g softened butter
85g soft brown sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped pecans nuts, optional
Method
Preheat the oven 200ºC/ 400ºF/gas 6. Put the apple, butter, caster sugar, runny honey and a splash of water into a heavy based saucepan and getnly bring to the boil. Cover and simmer without browning for about five minutes or until the apple is nearly cooked.
Remove from the heat and add the blackberries. Pour into a large ovenproof dish.
To make the crumble put all the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and mix well either with your fingertips or a round bladed knife. The mixture should resemble breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle over the apple mixture and then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown. Serve warm. |
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