Salcombe Crab Risotto on a Campfire

I’m so pleased we’ve stumbled across Salcombe. We liked it so much earlier in the summer that we returned with Edwin and Anna who brought a beautiful old Alfa Romeo to the party and Nick and Harriet who are experts in fishing and outdoor living. So between the 6 of us we were well equipped for a long weekend of camping.

Higher Rew campsite nestles South West of Salcombe, protected from the sea by Bolthead which is renowned for lending itself to spectacular walks. Cowie and I arrived early and secured a prime spot at the top of the hill, hidden from all the other tents and blessed with a view that would have made Thomas Hardy, hard.

Thanks to some local knowledge, sent our way by Chris Smith (who I don’t think is the outed Labour Minister), we knew to avoid the fishmonger in the centre of Salcombe and instead to pay a visit to Yeoward and Dowie which is a boatyard on Island Street. Not only are they experts in mending and chartering boats, but they sell live lobsters and crabs!

We soon found the crab and lobster tank and were mesmerized by the shell clad beauties that jostled around like passengers in a Ryan Air queue. Lobster tentacles occasionally breached the water like U-boats erecting their periscopes.

In order to feed 6 we decided to buy a couple of large crabs which they very kindly cooked for us and kept in the fridge until we returned from our mackerel fishing trip.

We returned back to our campsite with the sun beginning to think about turning in for the day and set about making what turned out to be a fantastic crab risotto using our cataplana pan.

First of all Edwin and Nick did a phenomenal job of picking as much meat out of our crabs as possible with the help of a large screw driver and Cowie’s tweezers!

We then made stock with the shell, with a vegetable stock cube lobbed in for good measure as well.

Whilst the stock was bubbling away we also grilled a bunch of Cowie’s favourite vegetables which we added into the risotto towards the end to add some extra charry interest.

Once the stock was ready we set it aside along with the veggies and nestled the cataplana into the hot coals. Once it was up to heat we fried 2 onions along with some garlic until soft. Then we poured in a bag of Arborio rice and listened to it crackle. This has to be one of my favourite sounds. It’s so reassuring and is synonmysous with being able to enjoy cooking at a leisurely pace. It’s a million miles from the clack of a toaster or ping of a microwave. It’s the sound of cooking for pleasure.

Once the sizzling had died down we threw a good glug of white wine and felt our faces dampen and numb slightly with wine fumes. Once the wine had whooshed away we then ladled in the crab stock and stirred, religiously, for the next hour.

As the heat waned we found that clamping the lid of the cataplana shut worked brilliantly to get the risotto bubbling again. After 45 minutes it had swelled and thickened, taking on a creamy quality that was impossible to see in the dark, but you could sense from the feel.

At this point we mixed in the char grilled peppers and aubergines before adding half of the crab meat. Plenty of salt, pepper and a nudge of chilli helped to add some seasoning. Spinach added colour. And a lashing of crème fraiche and knob of butter added gloss and luxury. We thhen added a topping of the remaining crab meat to each portion and a sprinkle of parsley.

We ate it in the pitch dark, in a scene reminiscent of an outdoor Dans le Noir, and sat back in bliss. Given the context it is without question the most memorable risotto I’ve ever eaten or cooked and has to go down as one of the year’s main highlights.

Idyllic River Cottage Veggie Patch

The finale of our trip was lunch at River Cottage HQ. We’ve been to River Cottage for a fantastic day of mushroom foraging in the past as well as to their Autumn festival. So we were keen to introduce Rad of squirrel and hare fame to the delights of Hugh’s rural utopia.

We were given a fascinating tour of the kitchen garden by a charming Chris Evans lookalike who had lots of ingenious suggestions such as:

Grown your seedlings, cress and other micro herbs in guttering. It seems to work brilliantly and is a piece of cake to do.

Try braising the stems of thistles which apparently are delicious.

Use tyres to create unusual containers that are ideal for growing things like potatoes in. The black rubber absorbs the sunshine and therefore keeps the soil warm. Also when it come to harvesting you can just remove a layer of tyres to get to the next level.

Try growing your tomatoes and potatoes in inside out plastic compost bags. It’s a great way of recycling, otherwise wasteful plastic bags.

Rainbow chard looked stunning.

As did the deep red, and slightly seductive, stems of this plant.

The best advice was about how to plan your kitchen garden / allotment. All too often we get a bit overexcited and dive in withouth thinking. We plant rows and rows of potatoes and acres of tomatoes both of which you can buy in the shops. It’s much better to find some interesting varieties of vegetables you love and can’t find in the shops or are expensive, or need to be eaten as soon as they are harvested and concentrate on them. Things like asparagus, raspberries, sweet-corn, squashes and artichokes spring to mind. It’s also well worth developing a strong herb garden and think about planting flowers such as nasturtium which not only taste great in salads but also attract the bugs and therefore save your prize vegetables from getting nailed.

Our tour finished with a casual lunch for 50 in their converted barn. Canapes of rabbit in a light jelly and smoked mackerel pate on a slice of cucumber were deliciously simple and comforting.

And don’t tell Hugh, but we may have nibbled on some of his prize peas as well…

Our main course of uber-local lamb cooked two ways was pretty special too. The shoulder was slow cooked for about a year and half with enough Middle-Eastern spices to deplete a well stocked souk.

Whilst the leg was flash roasted and served beautifully pink. Some slow cooked tomatoes helped to marry the two styles of lamb together, like a squirt of ketchup does with BBQ’d meat…

A slice of cake with fresh English fruit and stiff nutty cream brought our magical meal and adventure around the South West to a memorable close and sent us home wishing we could stay forever at River Cottage.

This is part of our trip around the South West.

King’s Arms in Strete, Devon

And so to a pub called the King’s Arms in a village, next to Saunton Sands, called Strete. Meandering along this stretch of coast is like leafing through my lever arch file from my pre-GCSE geography lessons. Spits, spurs, tombolas and stacks whizzed past. I’d never really thought about these features as being anything more than just diagrams! And now I see what all the fuss is about. The scenery was breathtaking.

Our BnB, proudly displaying its Silver Award like a goodie twoshoes school boy wears his prefect badge, was a delight. It was hard to believe that our room was actually the loft on top of a garage. The view, overlooking this sensational stretch of coast, was awesome. Cows sloped past our balcony as if they had been told to frame our view.

We dashed down to the headland to soak in the remnants of the day’s sunshine and found ourselves lost for words by the beauty that surrounded us. We nestled down in the sheep grazed grass overlooking the twinkling bay and opened a bottle of chilled white wine, hit play on itunes and felt all the stresses of the world dissolve. Cheesy as it sounds, it was one of life’s perfect moments.

We floated along to the King’s Arms in a blissful trance that didn’t disappear for the whole meal. The site of Diana Henry’s book on the side was a subtle indication that we were in for a memorable meal.

Cowie’s fish soup was deep, textured and gutsy. As masculine as the Gurnard’s Head version had been feminine. It was the first of many confirmations that the King’s Head has a wizzard’s touch with fish.

My herring roe looked horrific. Like small grey calves tounges or ash coloured giant snails. They’d not only fallen out of the ugly tree but clattered into every branch and twig on the way down. And then been snotted on. However, they were as ugly as they were delicious. They swam around in garlic, parsley and lemon butter which oozed out of my lightly charred toast. Dare I say they are they best thing I’ve eaten this year?

Cowie’s skate with brown caper butter was everything that Sam’s wasn’t. It was perfectly cooked allowing Cowie to tease strands of flesh of like a child dissecting a cheese straw. The butter had been treated perfectly by a kitchen that could knock this dish out in its sleep.

My lemon sole in a lime butter was quite unusual. The skin was gently charred and the flesh was perfectly moist. The sauce balanced the acidity of the lime with a touch of syrupy sweetness. I had worried the cooked lime may have become bitter, as it often does, but it had been handled by a pro and added late in the cooking.

We swooned throughout and left on the same cloud that carried us in singing the praises of such a first rate pub. It deserves all the praise it gets. Just don’t listen to a word of the drivel that the gaunt lady next to us was spewing about the lighting and the décor. When the food’s this good it’s worth travelling a long way for.

On our walk home we stumbled across the Laughing Monk which was alive with gregarious diners. If you’re in Strete for two days, it might be worth checking out.

This is part of a series about our trip around the South West.

Riverford Farm, Kitley, Nr. Plymouth, Devon

My tummy was grumbling. I was in a bad mood. (The two are rarely unlinked). The rain was saturating the whole of Devon with the view to the North giving me nightmares that the Baskerville’s psychopathic guard dog might attack us. As we zoomed past Plymouth, on our way to Salcombe from Fowey, I secretly prayed for a decent lunch. Moments later, out of the dismal gloom, emerged an outpost of Riverford Organcs. Look no further than this for proof of the existence of a greater being.

We’ve been to the Riverford Organics HQ before now and had a quite brilliant day out. The food was all fresh, organic, vibrant and very memorable. It was an experience that opened my mind to the amazing things you can do with vegetables. It made me realize that they needn’t be an afterthought. If you can get your hands on their cookery book, you won’t go far wrong either.

Walking into their garden centre-esque shed we were bowled over that such an unassuming façade could be home to such a gourmet wonderland. They’ve got a butcher, cheesemonger, deli, bakery, café and an array of interesting wines on top of the produce that is sourced from their farm.

Overwhelmed by choice, I pointed at a stuffed pepper and a frittata to keep my increasingly noisy stomach quiet. The pepper was sweet and smoky and filled with a very mild lamb korma mixed through with rice and raisins. It was utterly delicious and has now found its way onto my “will cook for dinner” short-list.

The frittata wasn’t such an enormous success. In contrast with the stuffed pepper, it was very bland. Some aggressive seasoning helped. I shouldn’t have asked for it cold… but then again I have an aversion to micro-waved egg dishes! I should have chosen something more manly, such as one of their incredible pork pies, scotch eggs or something on a slice of toasted sourdough. Or maybe even their Devon rarebit that’s made with cider instead of beer.

Next time we’re in the area we’re going to build a pit stop here into our plan. I’m already dreaming of tucking into one of their fully loaded breakfasts whilst reading all the papers and then picking up some top notch provisions to add some fun to our campsite cooking.

They say their aim is “to create a vibrant, informative, hassle-free, fresh local food emporium” and they’ve certainly managed that! If only every town had one.

Riverford Farm Shop – Kitley
Kitley
Yealmpton,
Devon
PL8 2LT

This is part of a series about our trip around the South West.

River Cottage Autumn Festival

Last year we fell head over heels for River Cottage when we were taken on a mushrooming tour de force by John Wright – Hugh’s brilliant mushroom expert. It’s taken us a nearly a year to return – but we did so eagerly.

The River Cottage Autumn Festival attracted 2,000 visitors over 2 days – each paying £15. Which means that over the course of a year Hugh’s seasonal festivals take £120,000 on the gate. Impressive stuff. Even more impressive when you look at the itinerary for the rest of the year. It’s great to see someone’s rustic dream become a lucrative success.

The festival itself was a jolly affair. Swarming with families and kids in wellies running around without a care in the world.

All the stalls were manned by slightly hippyish people – utterly dedicated to making things by hand, just like the good old days. This is the part that really excites me at the moment. I am dead keen both on smoking my own food and also have a burning desire to build a clay pizza oven.

By sheer coincidence, Cowie and I watched the episode of River Cottage where Hugh builds a smoker on the train down to Somerset. Having learnt how easy it is to do and now armed with a photograph I am planning to convert Cowie’s spare stable into a rustic smoker.

Perhaps more excitingly, I also had a chance to inspect Hugh’s collection of clay ovens. Whilst I can’t afford to go on his “Build a clay oven in a day” course, I have now got the seminal book on the subject. I’ve also found a brilliant website that explains exactly how to make them. All I need is a load of clay, another load of sand, some sleepers and a few spare weekends. Then I’ll be feasting on pizzas…

The folk music band was in full swing as we pottered into the farmers’ market tent. It was full of brilliant local foodie producers.

My favourite was the South Devon Chilli Farm.

Their chipotle sauce is now on my desk at work and has inspired me to smoke my next batch of chillies… Why not combine two of my favourite things. I guess I’ll have to then scatter them all over my innaugrual pizza!

Their chillies ranged from the mellow to the fierce. I’ve invested in 4 new types of chilli… with one weighing in at 450,000 Scoville units… frankly, I’m a bit scared!

We left the skwelchy car park full of beans, but starving! It was a great event that I am very hesitant about critcising… but not being able to provide enough food for a ticketed event is pretty poor… especially when you’re a chef at home on your own farm!

So we went to Lyme Regis and had some sensational fish and chips instead!

Riverford Farm, lovely walk and an even better lunch

A colleauge who spends a fair amount of time in Devon came back from a relaxing week away from work raving about how amazing Riverford Farm is. No sooner had he told me about this remote jewel than I had sent Cowie the link and she had booked us in. Efficiency is one of Cowie’s (many) strong points!

We tootled down to stay with Cowie’s parents in Somerset on Friday night and then set off bright and early with a classic Somerset breakfast inside us. Poached eggs and plenty of bacon for me and some porridge for Cowie. I was wary that owing to Riverford Farm’s planning regulations they force you to go on a yomp before you are even allowed in the field kitchen as they call it!

The weather couldn’t have been more pleasant. The weak winter sun streamed through my passenger window thawing the harsh West Country frost by the time we had got out of third gear. A mixture of Classic FM, Radio 5 Live and Gemini FM gave us our soundscape as Cowie wizzed past anything that was dawdling along – whichever one had the least bad reception!

We arrived at the pristine farm at noon – giving us an hour to tackle the route march. We called in at the field kitchen and were greeted by the most charming people who welcomed and congratulated us on coming such a long way and getting there first! Unheard of for us. Unless there is food involved!

They handed over a map and very sleek MP3 player with a build in speaker. The numbers on the map correlated with the tracks on the MP3 player. Extraordinary! A bit like an audio guide in an art gallery… but far more fun and home-made.

We took Bella and Hector with us on our lap of the fields and they absolutely loved it. Cowie had checked earlier in the week that it was OK and they replied saying that they love having dogs to visit! Such nice people! We kept them both under a tight lead until we got to an empty pasture field where we set them loose! Two happier dogs you are unlikely to see.

The audio guide was brilliant. Even though the fields are pretty barren in early February Guy’s friendly voice encourages you to look closely at what is going on. Rhubarb sprouting in one of the fields was great to see.

As was a bat box that is helping to keep the insect levels down in an eco fridnly way. I remember watching Oz Clark and James May potter around Nappa Valley – they visited a special vineyard that planted special plants that encouraged butterflies and birds which in turn kept their vines healthy and meant they didn’t have to use chemicals. Very clever stuff. Well done the bats.

It was quite fun being the only ones out on the walk because we caught up with Guy recording February’s new audio guide. We didn’t want to get in his way or distract him so didn’t get too close – but it was really fun to hear his live commentary as we went round. Apparently they feed all the children at the local school with Riverford Farm food – lucky kids! And they struggle to do it on £1.60.

we ended our trail by walking through a badger set surrounded by ash trees and then descended onto the field kitchen for a well earned lunch. Cowie and the dogs looked completely at home.

Now for the reason we came here. The food. Set in a newly built, barrel roofed building you are greeted with the apetite wheting smell of charred chicken. Fabulous. And the sight of an open kitchen full of eager young cooks busily preparing a fantastic spread. We sat on the table nearest the kitchen and immediately started chatting to our table mates. From the moment we said hello we never stopped chatting until the last drop of coffee had been slurped our coats were buttoned up. More charming, chatty people you will struggle to find anywhere. We talked about everything. From recent trips to River Cottage HQ, Istanbul, El Bulli, and the Fat Duck…. to the incredible success of Riverford Farm and the world of food, the West Country and Grand Designs! That’s the joy of school dining room tables. Everyone just mucks in together.

We were treated to the widest spread of vegetables I’ve ever seen:

Sweet and sour leeks
Sweet baked carrots with feta and nuts
Baked beetroot with yoghurt and honey
Kale
Tender stem brocoli
Safron mashed potato

Wow!

And then the icing on the cake – charred Moroccan chiken with chorizo and beans. Stunning. Smokey, juicy, succulent. And what a treat to have such incredibly fresh, tasty veggies. Apparently Jane, the maestro in the kitchen is bringing a book out in June. I’m going to pre-order it and cook everything in it. The style is very similar to other River Cafe alumnae such as Jamie and Hugh – allowing flavours to speak for themselves.

My plum crumble was spectacular too. Sharp. Sweet. Crumbly. And adorned by perfectly creamy custard. Bliss. The vibe in the field kitchen was idyllic. Young and old. Families. Friends. Everyone having a great time eating gorgeous food. Cowie loved her firey ginger beer and I devoured my Luscombe cider. Great stuff!

It turned out the chap on our table was the head bean counter of Riverford Farm. Apparently they are sending out 33,000 veg boxes a week from the Devon depot alone. Around 50,000 around the entire country. That’s a lot of organic veg. He pointed out that whilst veg boxes have a reputation for being expensive they are actually substantially cheaper than shopping at Waitrose, Tesco or Sainsbury when it comes to organic food. And whilst everyone is putting their prices up significantly Riverford have announced that they are only going to raise their prices by 5% this year. Far less than the supermarkets. They can afford to do so because they are their own suppliers! Riverford has gone from turning over £5million pounds a year several years ago to seven times that last year. Spectacular. I hope they continue to grow and flourish and drag the rest of the country kickking and screaming into the eco-foodie vision for the country that the likes of Guy, Hugh and Jamie are mapping out. I just hope the oncoming recession doesn’t bugger things up!

We reluctantly left quite swiftly in order to get back for the rugby but also poppped in to their farm shop too. What a great place. They even had vast vats of Ecover products that you use to refil containers you’ve brought from home. Their veg wasn’t bad either!

We drove back to Somerset with the wind at our back and the sun warming our faces – delighted with life. Happy to have experienced the perfect Saturday lunch.

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Loads of hits are coming in on this post from a Riverford Farm forum and I can’t get into it to see the context and it’s really frustrating! If you have found this post via that forum I would love to hear from you by commenting below.