Just returned from Bristol last week after heading up there with a car full of freshly foraged ingredients for Flinty Red’s Wild Food Tasting Supper.
It’s the second one we’ve done and was a roaring success. I did this supper in colloboration with Matt Williamson, chef of Flinty Red and Rachel Higgens, wine expert, who matched each course with an organic or biodynamic wine.
Chef extraordinaire, Matt Williamson
Wine expert and owner of independent wine shop, Corks of Cotham, Rachel Higgens (right)
This was the menu:
Deep Fried Rock Samphire & Roasted Laver Seaweed
Bloody Mary’s with wild black mustard & alexanders salt
……..
Elderflower Cured Trout with Wood Sorrel & Chickweed
2010 Reserve de Gassac, Mas de Daumas Gassac
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Fresh Hallumi & Wilted Wild Greens
(Alexanders, Fat Hen, Wild Chervil, Three cornered leek)
2007 Pinot Gris, Mochel
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Laver Seaweed with Clams & Pancetta
2009 Casa de Mouraz Rose
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Mixed Wild Leaf Salad
(Black mustard, Common Sorrel, Navelwort, Pink Purslane, Hedge Bedstraw,
Sweet Violet Leaves, Chickweed, Rock Samphire, Hairy Bittercress)
………
Nettle Ravioli with Walnut Cream
2007 Negrette, Chateau Plaisance
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Carragheen Seaweed Pannacotta with Poached Japanese Knotweed
2009 Muscat de Saint-Jean de Minervois, Clos du Gravillas
It’s likely that this will be an annual event now. I usually display and label all the wild ingredients for everyone to see, touch and nibble and then as each course comes out I talk about the ingredients, where they come from and how we’ve used them in each dish.
Wild Food Samples displayed on the bar
It was great fun but I came down with a thump after losing my car key and having to pay £120 to replace it and whilst waiting for a new key got a parking ticket…..oh well, I felt a bit better after some retail therapy in Bristol’s charity shops! Where there is money people give away nice clothes. Down ‘ere at Lands End the car boot sale is our department store and we wear our clothes till they are rags!!