delicious UK – April 2018

She’s not one to sufer from Seasonal Afective Disorder, but this

month,columnistKayPlunkett-Hoggecanfeelhersaprising

VISITING...

CHINAANDSIAM:THROUGHTHELENS

OF JOHN THOMSON at London’s Brunei

Gallery (johnthomsonexhibition.org),

openingon13April.Hewasthefirst

photographertovisitAngkorWat(inthe

1860s)andhecreatedanextensive

photographic record. Must-see stuff.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT...

DRINKING...

CORTEVETUSTOMEZCAL.Mezcalisthe

grandfatheroftequila.Tequilaisonly

made with blue agave, whereas mezcal

usesanyagave,whichmakesformore

variety. It’s smoky, earthy and mellow,

and great with lime juice, agave syrup,

alittlemuddledchilliandsoda.

READING...

HOWTOEATAPEACH,thelatestbook

fromDianaHenry(seep64andp78).It’s

packed with her beautiful writing, lush

recipes and wonderful storytelling. It’s

inspirational. In fact, it was herCrazy

Water, Pickled Lemonsfrom 2002

that made me want to write about food.

THIS MONTH I SHALL BE...

È È

ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

SPRING FEVER

‘O,tobeinEngland/NowthatApril’s

there...’ wrote Robert Browning. Given

that he was in northern Italy at the time,

wherespringisspectacularlybeautiful,

I suspect he must have forgotten how cold

and wet it can be – ‘ne’er cast a clout till

Maybeout’andallthat.

I adore spring, and April is possibly my

very favourite month. Buds pop up their

heads, ready to burst with promise. The

sun glimmers between the showers.

Everyone seems a little lighter and brighter.

All I can think about is scoffing as many

native oysters as I can before their season

ends, and (as those first young vegetables

appear in the shops) eating dishes like

navarin of lamb and spring veg – oh, and

lots of purple sprouting broccoli (see p48).

Sometimes I think purple sprouting

broccoli exists to warm us up for asparagus

season. It’s like the vegetable version of

pre-season training. But where asparagus

cries out for hollandaise, PSB’s glorious

florets can catch and hold a finer emulsion.

Think warm olive oil infused with chilli

and loads of garlic, into which you melt

anchovies, then finish with a scattering of

lemon zest. Dip in the steamed broccoli

head-first and devour it as the salty-

garlicky-spicy oil dribbles down your chin.

As for oysters, I’m old-fashioned enough

to stick to the diktat of not eating them

when there’s no R in the month, native or

not, at least in the UK. Somehow it doesn’t

bother me in France or Thailand. Or

anywhere else for that matter. But here it

does. I predict an end-of-April dash to West

Mersea for two dozen of Richard Haward’s

finest native oysters before the season ends.

I won’t be eating them again until today’s

blossom has turned to fruit. Now, that’s

something else to look forward to...

WELLNESS EXPERTS

Encountering a wellness expert would not,

I suspect, be something to look forward

to. What exactly is a wellness expert?

Answers on a postcard please, to delicious.

HQ... I know when I’m well. I know when

I am not. Ergo, I am a wellness expert.

food for thought.

20 deliciousmagazine.co.uk