CRISPY CRICKETS & PEARL BARLEY STIR FRY

Pear barley is a great substitute for rice. Produced in the UK, it has less food miles then rice, and is healthier as it releases energy slowly. Beetroot and leek are both flavoursome and compliment each other well. Dehydrating, sound more difficult and nerdy then it really is. This way of cooking concentrates the flavour and can be done at home with a conventional oven. In this case, dehydrating the leeks and beetroot makes the dish less stodgy and stops the beetroot turning the whole dish purple. The crickets can be bought from pet shops or specialist bug shops. It “art” of eating insects is called enthomophagy, and is practiced around the world, but there is reluctance in the West. Many people have claimed that this could be the future of protein consumption, as not only are insets high in nutritional value and low in fat, but they are abundant and beneficial to the environment. Whilst it takes 10kg of animal feed to produce 1kg of beef, with locust, we see nine times as much being the outcome. 9kg of locust contains enough protein to keep a person sustained for just over a month. Insects can be cultivated at home, and need not be killed before eating. It is vital to feed the crickets on fruit or herby leaves for a few days before cooking. This gives them a nicer flavour. The day before cooking, place the crickets in the freezer, as this allows them to fall into a deep sleep, making the cooking process easier and preventing any guilty feelings.

Ingredients

2 Cups Pearl Barley
4 Cups Chicken stock
Fresh Grated Beetroot
Thinly sliced Leeks
Field Crickets
Rapeseed Oil
Salt & Pepper

Method

Turn the oven on to 130 degrees Celsius. Place the pearl in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over heat and allow to boil. Drain, and rinse thoroughly under cold water. This washes of the starch and prevents the pearls from sticking to each other. Return the barley to the pan and cover with cold chicken stock. Bring up to the boil, then reduce and let simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Cover two baking trays with greaseproof paper, and spread the beetroot on one, and the leeks on the other. Place on the bottom shelf in the oven, and leave the oven door ajar. After about an hour, the beetroot and leek should have turned crispy. For even dehydration, carefully move the small pieces around every so often. To cook the crickets, heat up some oil in a frying pan. Once the oil starts to steam, place the crickets in and cook for about 2 minuets on each side, depending on the size. Place on tissue paper and allow to cool. Assemble plate, and sprinkle liberally with the crispy crickets. The legs are especially delicious, as are the heads.

Crispy Gnocchi With Mushroom Gravy and Cheddar

Gnocchi is a classic Italian staple made from potato. In England we are lucky to be abundant in many different varieties of spuds. Using standard British ingredients, I have given a twist to an Italian favourite. Meatless, but still rich in protein and carbohydrates, this dish is filling and warming and is perfectly satisfactory for winter blues. I used cold pressed rapeseed oil, a more sustainable British oil which is seeing a reappearance in British cooking. Subtler in taste then olive oil, which also doesn’t overpower the palate. Perfect for when you want the ingredients to speak for them selves.

Ingredients

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup plain flour
Salt to taste
One large red onion
Garlic
Chucky chopped chestnut mushrooms
One large red onion
½ pint of Vegetable stock
Salt
Pepper
Cold pressed Rape Seed Oil

Method

Boil skinned potatoes. Mash well whist hot to a smooth consistency, and sieve in the flour. Mix well, and then turn out to a wooden board, or surface. Kneed with hand until the gnocchi mixture is slightly glutinous. Divide the mixture into six, and roll each section into long cylinders then cut into walnut sized pieces. Put to one side to let dry out. Start boiling a saucepan full f water for the gnocchi, thill then, fry thinly sliced onions and crushed garlic to rapeseed oil in a pan. Fry till tinged, then add the roughly chopped mushroom. Add the vegetable stock to the mushrooms and season well, then allow to reduce. Whist the mushroom gravy reduces, add the gnocchi pieces to boiling water. Once they float to the surface, drain then fry in a hot pan of rapeseed oil. Stir regularly. Once the pieces have crisped and gardened, remove from pan, and serve with the mushroom sauce and a liberal grating of cheddar cheese. Enyjoy!

Rabbit Liver Pate

Rabbits are available all year round, and are also considered pests to rural framers. The heart, liver and kidneys of the rabbit are all edible. Rabbits are suitable for both rural and urban environments. If one can get beyond the idea of eating Thumper, then one will find the meat lean, and very similar to chicken, but more flavoursome.

Ingredients

2 Rabbit livers
1 white onion, diced finely
Handful of parsley stalks
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Black pepper
Sea salt
Good quality cider
50 grams salted butter
250 ml whisked double cream

Method

Fry the onion in some oil with the parsley stalks, until the stalks wilt and the onions start to turn brown. Add the livers to the pan and sears on either side add the cider to the pan and a pinch of nutmeg. After the sauce has reduced, and the livers are fully cooked, drain and blend with the butter in a food processor. Once blended to a fine consistency, fold into the whisked cream. Once the mixture is an evenly mixed, pour into ramekins, and let set in the fridge for 4 hours. Serve with crusty bread.

Mock Pineapple Jelly

Mock Pineapple Jelly

The combination of Rhubarb and Strawberry recreates a very similar flavour to Pineapple. So I have called this Jelly recipe mock Pineapple, as during the war time there were quite a few “mock” recipes which tried to recreate flavours and textures of unavailable or expensive ingredients. I decided to add natural yellow food colouring as it looks more like pineapple jelly.

Ingredients

Preserved Rhubarb in syrup
Preserved Strawberry in syrup
Gelatine leaves
Natural yellow food colouring

Method

Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water. It is recommended that four leaves are sufficient for a pint of liquid, but this is all dependant on how firm you like your jelly. In a saucepan, heat up some preserved strawberries and rhubarb in their syrup, but be careful not to boil. Once the gelatine leaves are softened, add them to the saucepan and whisk till totally dissolved. Pour into mould, and leave to cool to room temperature. Pop in the fridge to set for five hours. Serve with whipped cream.