Bitten, We Proudly Champion the North
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ISSUE 08 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 FREE FOOD / DRINK / TRAVEL / LIFE 1 Contents 26 Bolster Moor Pies 05 19 37 52 Simnel Cake Ox Club The Pie-Off Travel 06 22 40 56 Bites Rise of Pies Spices Directory 13 33 42 58 The Pass Football Pies Good Pastry Q&A Guide 2 3 NORTHERN HEROES Bury Simnel Cake imnel Cakes come in Trade Bazaarʼ at Covent – cakey biscuits are a very Smany shapes and sizes, Garden in 1845. Practically Lancashire thing.) but none as distinctive, nor as the entire town took a day trip Baked to be eaten during the richly satisfying as the ones to gawp at it. Easter period, it was originally they bake in Bury – which is A springtime celebration destined to fuel us through the why the town’s recipe is the cake, the filling consists of long days of Lent – specifically one that’s become Britain’s mixed dried fruits with nuts, for the middle Sunday when, best loved. An early form cherries and peel. It’s covered for one glorious day only, of viral marketing might with icing (often with toasted the forty day fast would be have something to do with marzipan) and decorated relaxed, and we could have our its pre-eminence. That and with 11 sugar or paste balls – cake and eat it. So that makes the fact that it tastes so darn probably representing the 11 it March 6th this year. good. In the 19th Century, the good apostles. The naughty town presented a whopping one doesn’t deserve a slice of 70lb Bury Simnel to Queen anyone’s cake, really. There Buy it at Bettys Tea Victoria, and baked a monster are even some versions of Rooms (bettys.co.uk) in 170lb Bury Simnel as the the cake that are more like a Yorkshire, or Greenhalgh’s centrepiece of the town’s biscuit (see also the Chorley (greenhalghs.com) in Illustration: Alice Duke Alice Illustration: stand at the ‘National Free- cake and the Goosnargh cake Lancashire. 4 5 THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH Bites You know, at Bitten, we proudly champion the north. But one of our favourite pie shops positively makes us look southern. Lochinver Larder, way up in Sutherland, is the force of nature behind Pies by Post. Order them, freshly baked, and they’ll be with you within 48 hours. And SAY CHEESE boy are they good. Try the Haggis Neeps and Tatties for How to make the best onion (red and white), a twist main, and the divine Rhubarb cheese pie? According to of garlic and use puff pastry: WHAT WE'RE Simon Rimmer, it’s all about “The butteriness helps bring READING and Strawberry for dessert. the cheese. “It has to be out the flavour of the cheese.” Or maybe the Venison and Lancashire,” he says. “It’s the Serve? With pickled walnut, Christmas saw an avalanche Cranberry followed by the SAS of cheeses, it’s sturdy of course. But what cheese? of food and cooking books. Pear, Chocolate and Almond. enough to withstand the bake, Take a look at our back page, Sadly, no Hemsley and Highland hospitality at its and cooks really beautifully.” for a master-class in the white Hemsley. No, wait, not sadly most delicious. Throw in potato, two types of stuff. at all. We heartily recommend these three belters. piesbypost.co.uk The Dorito Effect (Mark Schatzker) Lifting the lid on the insanely addictive new (and frankly Frankenstein-like) flavours we're all craving these days, this fascinating book argues that these new tastes lie behind our obesity crisis. And he puts up a convincing argument. The Food Lab FLOAT ON (J. Kenji López-Alt) A weighty tome, this geek- tastic book takes a forensic Meat pie, upside down, in a look into the alchemy of bowl of mushy peas. With cooking – and asks all those ketchup. No, us neither. But searing questions you’ve this Aussie staple is sort of never thought of, but a seven medicinal. At least that’s the year old would. López-Alt way the origin story goes. Then, something to drink? We BIM BAM, specialises in breaking down love the range of Vietnamese culinary tricks and processes “It’s a proven hangover cure,” TURNING VIETNAMESE teas at Holland and Barrett. THANK YOU MAN to understand them better. says Nick Bishop, of San Organically grown at high And he includes some Francisco’s Aussie Pie Kitchen. With the arrival of Pho last autumn, another level by adding the other ingredients altitude, the range includes a Searching out African African Baobab Chilli Jam, seriously brilliant recipes/ The story goes that, in 1870 a green tea with lemongrass to Manchester’s the latest city to embrace the to suit your individual taste.” ingredients like baobab, superb with some cheese and experiments along the way. celebrated Melbourne drunk aid relaxation, an artichoke tea lip-smacking deliciousness of Vietnamese Daniel stalked the street food stalls of cashew, alligator pepper crackers; a blisteringly-hot, to help soothe digestive gripes and hibiscus flowers? Mold, but citrusy, African pepper stumbled into a cafe, ordered street food. Pho – a noodle broth made Ho Chi Minh City, to learn from the best. All Celebrity Diet Fails and a variety of diet teas. Flintshire isn’t exactly the first sauce; organic African tigernut, a meat pie and a bowl of pea sweet, sour and savoury by the addition of you need to do is rock up at the following to (Rebecca Harrington) Not sure if that’s especially place you’d consider, but that’s coconut and cashew butter soup. “He dropped his pie, with fish sauce, hoisin and chilli, is just what you sample this year’s best bowl dining. How to compare the five- scientific, but they taste divine. where the splendid family HQ (you’ll never go back to Sun ketchup, into the soup. Ate it need to fire you through the dregs of winter. palm-fulls-of-food-a-day diet of Bim’s Kitchen is. They don’t Pat after this one) and a great “Your first pho can be a daunting My Pho of Victoria Beckham, versus and, the next day he woke up have a shop front of their own baobab chocolate which blends experience,” says Daniel Sung, from 32 Ranelagh Street, Liverpool the steak and peanut butter and felt amazing. No hangover (yet) but James ‘Bim’ Adedeji the unctuous with the exotic. Liverpool’s My Pho. “Before you even think my-pho.uk sandwiches of Elizabeth for the first time in years.” and his wife Nicola have been All the products are gluten free, Taylor’s diet? Journalist of adding anything, take a couple of slurps Pie Minister’s take on the increasingly seen at food fairs vegetarian and most are vegan. Rebecca Harrington tries – to savour the unadulterated flavour of Pho ‘floater’ is slightly less lurid. in the North West with their and fails – a bewildering list the broth,” he says, of the dish that takes Trinity Kitchen, Leeds and range of sauces, jams, relishes bimskitchen.com of celebrity diets, so that we Mash on top of the pie, floating generations to perfect. Corn Exchange, Manchester and bottled fiery chilli treats don’t have to. She’s a great, in a gravy sea. “You make a “Purists will tell you the ideal pho doesn’t phocafe.co.uk over the last couple of years. Stockists include Lunya, witty and likeable guinea little well on the mash and put need any additional seasoning, but for Their range is widening daily Delifonseca in Liverpool; pig. But, really, you fear for the gravy into the well,” says most pho fanatics the essence of the pho I am Pho but some of our favourites so Taste of Honey Deli, Boulevard Madonna’s sanity. Jon Simon. experience is taking the blend of flavours to 44 George Street, Manchester far are the deep and complex Deli in West Didsbury. 6 7 In association with Burger and Lobster Let Them Eat Lobster There was a time when, unless you had a butler and personal chef, fresh lobster was mostly off the menu. And as for cooking it? GETTING INTO HOT WATER That all looks way too complicated, right? It’s the only pastry that’ll stand up to the rigours of a good long bake. And it’s a peculiarly English affair – for Executive Chef at Hawksmoor, Richard H Turner, it’s all about the hot water crust. Suitable for making hand raised meat pies, the pastry is rolled out in the usual way, but a mould is placed in the middle and the pastry is raised up around it and patted into shape. “Put boiling water onto the flour and lard mix, season it up, and you’ve got the perfect Victorian pastry – fatty inside and crispy on the outside” he says. His book, Hog – Perfect Pork Recipes from the Snout to the Squeak, pays homage to the versatility of his favourite meat. “Don’t be intimidated. Mastering the art is well worth the effort. Once you’ve got your head around them you’ll be able to take on many other wonderful dishes such as gala pies, game pies and terrines en croûte.” Put the kettle on. Directions Recipe Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then here was a time when, unless you had a peaceful journey. a Lobster (all for the set price of £20, and all stir in the sugar. Add the butter in pieces and rub Tbutler and personal chef, fresh lobster was Travelling all the way from the cool, clean are served with fries and salad).