Chef and co-owner Joe Otway has released a new collection of dishes designed to highlight the best of early autumn British produce. The recipes focus on ingredients that are currently at their peak, including sweet corn, winter squash, and bitter leaves like radicchio. Otway, who runs Higher Ground, Bar Shrimp, and Flawd in Manchester, emphasizes that these dishes rely on a small number of carefully selected components to let the vegetables stand out.
Buttery Mature Cheddar Tart
The first dish is a set of individual cheese tarts that serve as a versatile starter or light meal. The pastry is made by rubbing unsalted butter into plain flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sixty grams of finely grated mature cheddar are kneaded into the dough, which is then divided into four portions and chilled for at least 30 minutes.
The filling is a simple custard made by blending whole eggs, whole milk, the remaining 50 grams of grated cheddar, and ready-made English mustard. Double cream is stirred in by hand, and the mixture is seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. The pastry cases are blind baked at 180C (160C fan) for 15 minutes with baking beans, then baked for another five minutes without the beans to crisp the base. The custard is poured in and baked for 15 to 25 minutes until lightly browned and just set with a slight wobble in the center.
These tarts are best served at room temperature, either on their own or alongside one of the accompanying salads. The recipe yields four individual tarts, each fitting into an 8-10cm tin.
Roasted Squash with ’Nduja and Honey
For a warmer main course, Otway suggests roasting winter squash wedges until they are tender and caramelized. The squash, ideally uchiki kuri but butternut works well too, is tossed with olive oil and salt before being roasted at 220C (200C fan) for 30 to 40 minutes. Pumpkin seeds are added to the tray for the final 10 minutes of cooking.
The dish is finished with a warm dressing made by gently heating ’nduja, honey, and olive oil in a small saucepan. This spicy mixture is spooned over the squash and seeds. A base of Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice and salt is spread on the serving platter, and the dish is garnished with roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Fresh Corn Salad and Bitter Leaf Vinaigrette
Two side dishes complete the menu, starting with a fresh sweetcorn salad. Fresh sweetcorn cobs are boiled for four or five minutes until tender, then the kernels are cut off and cooled. If using tinned corn, the kernels are simply drained. The corn is dressed with an oil made from blending fresh oregano leaves with olive oil, along with a mixture of soured cream, extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon juice.
The final component is a radicchio salad that uses the bitter leaves to balance the sweetness of the other dishes. The leaves are marinated in a vinaigrette made from extra-virgin olive oil, elderflower cordial, white-wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard. The elderflower cordial provides a floral note that complements the bitterness of the radicchio, treviso, chicory, or endive. The dressed leaves are left to marinate for five to 10 minutes to soften before being topped with shaved hard sheep’s cheese or pecorino.
Source: The Guardian
