Spring & Summer

Spring & Summer James Martin / Frogmary Green Farm / Brian Turner / Cyrus Todiwalla / Moro / Wester Ross / The Almanack / Liz McClarnon / Sophie Wright / Thomasina Miers / Nick Nairn / Paul Merrett / Leslie Waters / Kenniford Farm / Antony Worrall Thompson / Mark Hix / Alimentum / Leon / Simon Rimmer / Opus The Freedom Food Celebrity Recipe Collection About Freedom Food The Freedom Food scheme was launched by the RSPCA in 1994 – the only UK farm assurance scheme to focus solely on improving farm animal welfare. Since then, the amount of food available from farms inspected and approved to RSPCA welfare standards has increased dramatically. We cannot say that high welfare farming – to RSPCA welfare standards – is the norm, but things are steadily moving in the right direction. These days, most food retailers sell some Freedom Food labelled products. It might just be eggs from your corner shop, beef and lamb from a farm shop or chicken from one of the big supermarkets. But if you hunt for the Freedom Food logo, you should be able to find it – and if you can’t, ask for it! The Freedom Food logo on a pack or counter ticket is only found on meat, poultry, eggs, milk or salmon from animals looked after at each stage of their lives to RSPCA welfare standards. Some producers may claim to be high welfare, but if it is not carrying the logo, it hasn’t been reared on farms inspected to RSPCA welfare standards and subject to our rigorous traceability and audit system. About Freedom Food When you buy the high welfare ingredients to make the recipes in this book, you will be directly helping to improve farm animal welfare. Retailers really do take note of what we all buy and in turn will buy more from Freedom Food approved farms. Then more farmers will be persuaded to rear their livestock to RSPCA welfare standards and more farm animals will benefit. It’s a simple equation! And, following the lead of the celebrity chefs and restaurants featured in our collection, restaurants and pubs are beginning to take note of what you want as well – and are offering more and more high welfare ingredients. They have seen that we are increasingly making the right ethical choice when we shop – so why not when we eat out? We do have the power to bring about real change. For example, as a result of growing consumer demand, the 2012 Olympics will see a very significant amount of Freedom Food labelled products served to visitors and athletes alike. So, keep up the good work and steadily we shall see even more animals farmed to RSPCA welfare standards. The Freedom Food Celebrity Recipe Collection As a young chef, I don’t recall hearing many conversations in professional kitchens about ethical sourcing, standards of husbandry, sustainable fishing or food miles, or in fact any other issue concerning food production and purchase. Well times have changed – now any chef worth his or her salt (Fairtrade obviously!) needs to keep a keen eye on where their produce is coming from. The reasons that so many chefs are now taking such an interest in food sourcing are varied, but one thing is for sure – customers (that’s you!) are leading the charge by demanding to know where a restaurant sources its raw produce and customer demand is a major part of any business plan. Paul Merrett Freedom Food Celebrity Recipe Collection Contents Spring Sliced Yorkshire ham James Martin Chicken pot pies Nick Bragg, Frogmary Green Farm Rib of rose veal with honey and soy glaze Brian Turner Murg kay koftay curry Cyrus Todiwalla Asparagus with pine nuts, egg and herb sauce Moro, London Cheat’s salmon en croûte Gilpin Bradley, Wester Ross Free-range pork cutlets with persillade and spring greens in cider butter sauce Lee Cash, Peach Pubs, The Almanack, Leicester Chicken and guacamole salad Liz McClarnon Desserts Easter cupcakes Sophie Wright Mexican flan with tequila syrup and poached rhubarb Thomasina Miers Freedom Food Celebrity Recipe Collection Contents (cont.) Summer Teriyaki salmon Nick Nairn Lamb kofta skewers with tzatsiki and chargrilled aubergine Paul Merrett Thai green turkey burgers Leslie Waters Bacon and broad bean risotto Andrew Freemantle, Kenniford Farm American spicy chicken wings Antony Worrall Thompson Barbequed beef ribs Mark Hix Roast breast of duck with satay, peanut and lime, and broccoli Mark Poynton, Alimentum, Cambridge Chicken with green olives and preserved lemon Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, Leon, London Desserts Very naughty baked Alaska Simon Rimmer Crunchy cinnamon mousse David Colcombe, Opus, Birmingham Sliced Yorkshire ham with poached leeks and spring onions James Martin Spring Preparation time: 5 –10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes–1 hour Serves: 4 “The UK still produces the best pork in the world and we should make the most of it.” Sliced Yorkshire ham with poached leeks and spring onions Ingredients... 6 black peppercorns pinch of salt 1 bay leaf 1 medium leek, trimmed and outer leaves removed 8 spring onions 400g Freedom Food labelled York or other roast ham, ready sliced if you prefer chervil leaves, to garnish ...for the glaze 4 tbsp English mustard 2 tsp runny honey 150ml rapeseed or extra virgin olive oil zest of 2 oranges 4 tsp white wine vinegar salt and black pepper Sliced Yorkshire ham with poached leeks and spring onions Method Half fill a large saucepan with water, add the peppercorns, salt and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Once the water is boiling, add the leek whole (if it doesn’t fit, cut in half widthways). Reduce the heat and cook for 6-8 minutes on a gentle simmer. Add the spring onions and cook for a further 3 minutes, then drain the vegetables and allow to cool. To make the glaze, place the mustard and honey in a bowl, slowly whisk in the rapeseed or olive oil, then add the orange zest and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and set aside. If you wish to warm the meat, place the whole ham or the slices on a baking tray and spoon half of the glaze over the top. Put in a preheated oven at 170°C / fan 150°C / Gas 3, for 1 hour if the ham is whole or, if it is ready-sliced, until heated through. Remove from the oven and, if necessary, carve the ham into slices. Place the sliced ham on a board or platter, then slice the leek into 1cm rounds and the spring onion into bite-sized lengths. Arrange these on the ham, drizzle with the rest of the glaze, place a few chervil leaves on top and serve. “It is not enough just to say we support welfare for farm animals, we must turn our words into actions. Just look for and buy higher welfare products like Freedom Food when you are out shopping – that’s all it takes.” – James Martin Chicken pot pies Nick Bragg, Frogmary Green Farm Spring Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 4 “We produce quality chicken and potatoes here – hence the chicken pot pie recipe.” Chicken pot pies Ingredients... ...for the sauce... 600ml milk 1 sprig thyme 1 bay leaf 30g butter 30g plain flour 3 tbsp Freedom Food labelled double cream ½ chicken stock cube ...for the filling 600g Freedom Food labelled chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces 1 tbsp oil 2 baby leeks, finely sliced 500g ready rolled puff pastry 1 Freedom Food labelled egg, beaten Chicken pot pies Method Preheat the oven to 200°C / fan 180°C / Gas 6. For the sauce: Place the milk and herbs in a pan and bring to just under the boil. Leave to cool, so the herbs can infuse the milk. Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Add the infused milk a little at a time stirring constantly. Take off the heat and whisk the mixture with a balloon whisk getting rid of all the lumps. Place the pan back onto a medium heat and whisk continuously until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add the double cream and the stock cube, crumbled. Stir well, then allow to cool. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the leeks for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the chicken and cook until evenly browned. Stir in the sauce. Spoon into 4 small dishes or 1 large pie dish. Cut out a pie lid large enough to cover the dish or dishes and a long strip to go round the edge. Dampen the edge of the dish and press on the strip of pastry. Cover with the pastry lid or lids and crimp the edges. Cut 2 slits in the middle to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg and bake for 25–30 minutes (the larger pie dish will need about 5–10 minutes longer) or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown in colour. Serve with a selection of vegetables. Nick Bragg, Frogmary Green Farm The enchantingly named Frogmary Green Farm nestles in the rolling green Somerset countryside near South Petherton – a rural outpost of village communities bound together by their farming heritage. Nick Bragg has farmed potatoes here for over 20 years, but for the last seven he has also farmed indoor chicken for the table, all with the RSPCA Freedom Food stamp of approval. “We simply don’t have enough space for free-range farming, so we opted for higher welfare indoor production which gives the birds more room, more activity and a longer, happier life than most indoor systems,” says Nick.

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