Food & Drink

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Eat out, drink up

Rogue's Richard

Alexander

SllOVEl TO MOUTH NEW POTATOES AND GARDEN PEAS With potatoes so easily found on supermarket shelves and corner veg stalls. you might reasonably ask: why grow your own? Well, because it's dead easy and truly satisfying to pull your own spuds from the soil. Space IL; not an issue. either. Three seed potatoes in a plastic 40cm bell pot (less than 9‘3 at the local pOund saver) ‘.'/liil bog standard compost will if wellwalered (drill holes for drainage) produce at least about three dozen smooth skinned beauties. Plant in April and simply tip them out today. l’eas: supposedly pose a bit more of a challi inge, but you can grow a variety, from organic Rondo to sugar snap, lll the ground and again in pots. twrnes Scrambling up ramshackle bamboo—cane wigwams. You‘d be amazed what can come from a packet of seeds.

Richard Alexander, head chef at Rogue. has devised a menu using both vegetables: steamed cod with new potato and garden pea risotto and tarragon oil. ‘This risotto is not only a delicious garnish to the cod,‘ he says. “it's an ideal vegetarian dish for those neurotic hippie loser friends you're too embarrassed to take to a restaurant.’ The following recipe serves six as a fish dish or four as a vegetarian main course. (Barry Shelby)

Cod

6 x 180g portions. preferably cut from the thicker end of the fillet.

Season with salt and pepper, steam for four mins.

Risotto

250g Arborio rice

800ml vegetable stock. hot

1 small onion, finely diced

2 sticks celery. finely diced

2 cloves of garlic. crushed

5009 baby new Charlotte potatoes, cooked. cooled and cut into quarters 5009 fresh garden peas. (podded weight). blanched for two mins.

42 THE LIST 2-9 Aug 2001

Growing your own potatoes is easy and satisfying

refreshed

759 Parmesan, grated

2 sprigs of tarragon. chopped extra virgin olive oil

Heat oil in large pan. Add onion and celery. Cook for two mins. medium heat. Do not colour.

Add garlic and rice. Stir until rice becomes translucent.

Add half of stock. Turn heat to gentle simmer. Allow the rice to absorb stock then add remaining stock. ladle by ladle until rice is cooked al dente about 20 mins.

Stir in potatoes and peas to warm through. When ready. add tarragon and parmesan. Check seasoning. Serve immediately.

Tarragon Oil

1 bunch tarragon

300ml grapeseed oil

300ml extra virgin olive oil

Throw the tarragon into a pot of boiling water and remove from heat. Drain and plunge into ice water or beneath very cold running water. When cool squeeze dry. Place in a blender with the oils and blitz for four mins. Store in the fridge for 24 hours. (Don't cheat. The flavour won't be there if you do.) Bring to room temperature and pass through a very

fine sieve or muslin cloth.

(This produces more than you'll need, but don't make any less. It won‘t work. Keep any remainder refrigerated. It's quite delicious served with mushrooms on toast. to flavour your eggs in the morning or simply allow your guests to dip their bread into a bowl instead of using butter.)

Finally. spoon risotto into middle of the plate, lay the cod on top and drizzle the oil around.

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Lose yourself in The Forest

Side dishes

Extra help/rigs of news

THE FOREST HAS RETURNED TO 9 West Port in Edinburgh. This is the second year the not-for-profit café has popped up for the Festival - and there are hints that if all goes well it may remain in place. The laid-back space doubles as a gallery, multi-media and performance venue. In fact, any one with creative ideas is encouraged to make a proposal. STIR HAS Ol’liNl'l) A St (Ml-ll ‘llll at 63 Lothian Heart. l (illlii'lltiil ll soup specialist plans tr, lllr’irli‘t itu .-.r : iwwwstiritdtiki and war r ' Wit" lwww.stir.|td.uk. inrlexnxxnili vtw whenever the selections cliaii'iw ll - care now does lunch time rlw'im'w prornising that on illl‘: ri'rlr-rrrig'

next ingredient it WI” l», stirring If t i' ‘homemade' range of lil’)’ill’ tr.

THE CITY’S MEADOW BAR (IN Buccleuch Street) has had a bit of a makeover, while not changing its basic friendly and fun-loving character. Upstairs now features God’s Kitchen with a menu that includes the Rory burger (featuring the option of toppings such as Monterey Jack cheese or pineapple), a chorizo sausage Poor Boy sandwich as well as traditional and veggie fry-ups. Food is served until 8pm during the week and 6pm at the weekend.

Hoegaarden