LIFE IN FOOD
The Michelin-starred chef at Grantley Hall, Ripon, shares his life in food
SEASONAL INGREDIENT
Once June arrives you know that the summer is well and truly here, and when I think of June, my first thought when it comes to fresh ingredients has to be strawberries. To me they summarise what it means to enjoy all things quintessentially British and celebrate some of our most precious produce. My favourites are sourced from Annabel’s Deliciously British, a fantastic Yorkshire-based supplier which specialises in growing beautiful strawberries amongst other produce.
Think of Wimbledon – it wouldn’t quite be complete without strawberries and cream, Pimm’s and the hot weather that June hopefully brings with it. I will be attending, as I do each year, and I can’t wait to delve into a portion of strawberries and cream as I soak up the sporting and social festivities.
For many of us, strawberries also evoke strong childhood memories of a ‘pick your own’ strawberry farm in the summer holidays, making them taste even better.
To celebrate the season, I will be making one of my family’s best-loved desserts of strawberry and lavender panna cotta. It’s a light dessert that is best enjoyed on a warm summer’s evening. If you can find them, choose strawberries from a local farm shop, pick your own or use those from your garden.
10g sachet of gelatine
650ml whipping cream
120g caster sugar
10g dried lavender
500g fresh strawberries Black pepper
½ lemon Icing sugar, to dust
1. To make the panna cotta, soak the gelatine in 90ml of water.
2. Put the cream, caster sugar and lavender into a heavy saucepan and gently bring to the boil over a medium heat.
3. Add the gelatine water. Stir and then pass through a fine sieve into a jug.
4. Blend 250g of strawberries in a liquidiser and add to the mix, blend well.
5. Cut the remaining strawberries in half, mix with some black pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dusting of icing sugar.
6. Pour the panna cotta mix evenly between the glasses. Place a spoonfu
