The Essex Summer Menu

PUBLISHED: 09:33 21 July 2015 | UPDATED: 09:33 21 July 2015

Julian Read

The Dog & Gun

Archant

INGREDIENTS

Monkfish with broad beans, clams and chorizo.

Serves 2

2 monkfish tails (100g-200g each)

15-20 clams

50g of chorizo

50g of broad beans

Glass of white wine

1 clove of garlic

A handful of rocket

Bread to serve

50g of butter

Seasoning

1. Clean the clams and soak in fresh water for 20 minutes. Reject any that are open or cracked and clean any barnacles off. In a pan of salted, boiling water, cook the broad beans for 2 minutes until tender.

2. Melt the butter in a pan, add the monkfish and pan fry for 2 minutes until lightly coloured. Add the chorizo, then add the clams, the white wine and garlic. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes until all the clams are opened.

3. Add a sprinkling of cracked black pepper. Finish by tossing in the broad beans and present with fresh rocket and bread.

Lower Barn Café, Rayleigh

www.lowerbarnfarm.co.uk

Smoked rainbow trout and mackerel pate With Sauce Gribiche

INGREDIENTS

300g of smoked rainbow trout

300g of smoked mackerel

250g of unsalted butter

250g of cream cheese

200g of salted butter

Sauce Gribiche

3 hard boiled egg yolks

150ml of vegetable oil

1tsp of English mustard

50g of capers

50g of chopped cornichons

For the pate, place the smoked rainbow trout into a blender and blend until smooth. Add half of the unsalted butter and cream cheese and blend further until all is combined. Pass through a sieve to achieve a smooth texture. Pour into a terrine mould lined with cling film and leave to set in the fridge. Repeat this method for the mackerel. When the pate is set, smear with the salted butter.

Stick 4 terrines together (2 of each) to create a Battenburgh like pattern.

Place back in the fridge until firm and stuck together.

For a sauce gribiche, blend the egg yolks then slowly add the oil to emulsify the mix. Add the mustard and blend until combined. Add the capers and cornichons.

Check for seasoning.

Dog and Gun, Chelmsford

www.dogandgunchelmsford.co.uk

Pancetta braised lamb neck, confit potatoes, minted salsa verde, crispy mint

1 lamb neck fillet (250g)

Pancetta (10 slices)

3 maris piper potatoes

150g of butter

10 mint leaves

Small bunch parsley

Tarragon small sprig

1 shallot

2 cloves of garlic

2 gherkins

4 capers

METHOD

1. Cook the lamb neck in hot vegetable stock for 3 hours until soft. When cooled, roll in pancetta then pan fry in butter until golden brown.

2. For the minted salsa verde, in a food processor blitz some mint, capers, gherkin. shallot, rapeseed oil, parsley, tarragon, garlic, salt and pepper. For the crispy mint, pan fry 10 mint leaves in rapeseed oil until crispy.

3. For the confit potatoes, dice into cubes and brown in frying pan with 6 cubes of butter and 4 cups of water just to cover, cook for 20 minutes. Serve rustically piled high on a hot white plate, drizzled with the salsa. Garnish with mint leaves.

Hudson & Hudson, Colchester

www.hudson-hudson.co.uk