Spring is a time of change, both outside and in the kitchen. One change for me, is beginning to write this regular column for TBE.
I took over the Shelburne Restaurant at Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort last September, and have been establishing my style of light fine dining ever since. Feedback so far has been very positive, long may it continue!
I hope to give you a small insight into the inner workings of a professional kitchen in this column, and hopefully a few tasty recipes for you to try at home.
Shelburne Restaurant is open to non-residents every night of the week as well as for Sunday lunch, so we would love to welcome you to Bowood to experience the food for yourself and all that we have to offer.
René Redzepi, of Noma fame, once said that when the world turns green in spring, so does the menu. Certainly, spring is an exciting time here at Bowood, and with wild garlic filling the fields and the first of our asparagus coming through, expect new season local vegetables to dominate the menu.
March saw the reopening of Bowood House and Gardens, whilst in the Hotel we launched our first monthly wine dinner, where we hope to show off some of our finest dishes and match them with some unusual and often surprising wines.
We will also see (weather permitting), the return of our fantastic outdoor dining area soon, with a brand new bar menu being launched. What better place to enjoy a cold crisp glass of white wine?
This recipe has a slight Easter theme to it, pairing a Moroccan spiced chicken terrine with soft boiled quail eggs, a wonderfully light dish to enjoy outside in the fresh spring air.
If you have any questions on this recipe, or anything else going on at the Bowood Estate, we would love to hear from you – Email: resort@bowood.org Until next time, happy cooking!
Moroccan Spiced Chicken Terrine with Soft Boiled Quail Eggs (Serves 6)
For the Chicken Terrine:
6 Chicken Leg
100g Sea Salt
500g Duck fat
1 Red Onion (Finely Chopped)
100g Chopped Dried Apricot
100g Chopped Toasted Pistachios
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Ras el Hanout
½ bunch Coriander, chopped
(leaves only)
1 lemon, zest and juice
To Garnish:
18 Quail Eggs
200ml White wine vinegar
400ml Water
Method:
1. Salt chicken legs for 12 hours, or over night.
2. After 12 hours, wash chicken legs thoroughly.
3. Heat oven to 130c, cover legs with duck fat in a
deep roasting tray, cook for 3 to 4 hours, until the
chicken flakes easily from the bone.
4. Leave to cool to room temperature, then remove all
meat from the legs, discarding the bones and any
skin or cartilage.
5. Mix through all other ingredients, adjust seasoning
to taste, then roll into two long sausages in double
thickness cling film.
Leave in fridge for 3 hours to firm up. When ready to serve, cut each sausage into three portions.
6. For the quail eggs, first soak them in the vinegar
and water for 15 minutes.
7. Then boil rapidly in a large pan of water for 2 ½
minutes, and plunge into cold iced water.
8. When cool, peel eggs by gently flicking them to
break the shells, remove the shell as delicately as
possible. Rinse under cold water.
9. Serve with a mixed leave salad and spiced mayonnaise.
