Autumn is a ‘feast of riches’ for the seasonal eater, with the luxury of an extended overlap between the last of the summer ingredients and exciting newcomers like pumpkin, chestnuts, kale and game to name but a few. I like the autumn because as it turns cooler I find myself in the kitchen more experimenting with ingredients and updating my recipes.
Here is a list of some of the fruits and vegetables in season in autumn in the UK
Apples, blackberry, butternut squash, Brussel sprouts, cabbage (savoy and spring green), carrot, cauliflower, celery, kale, leak, onion, parsnip, pear, potato, pumpkin, spinach, turnip, Jerusalem artichokes, celeriac, elderberries.
Other ingredients not to be missed
Pheasant, partridge, grouse, wild ducks, hare, venison, hazelnuts, chestnuts, cobnuts, walnuts, chanterelles, horn of plenty, puffball.
Meal and snack ideas for autumn
- Try spiced porridge with fresh plums and dried figs
- Roast a batch of root vegetables with a little maple syrup
- Beetroot with honey and ginger
- Save any leftover butternut squash to use in muffins and cake bites
- Sweet and sour leeks. Saute leeks with garlic, lemon, sugar and soy
- Deep fry cauliflower with garlic and paprika oil
- Tangle of greens. Saute onion, smoked bacon, shredded savoy cabbage until soft, remove from the heat add spinach and watercress and allow to wilt. Serve with game of your choice.
Cooking Game
If your game bird or beast is young and in prime condition then the best thing is simply to roast it with a good sauce as an accompaniment. This does not mean putting it in an oven and forgetting about it, this means careful preparation, trussing it well, barding and larding then basting.
Later in the season when the game is a little older it will need braising or stewing. There is no reason why pigeons, partridges and venison cannot exchange recipes. These following recipes can be adapted by you to your own taste.
Tips
- Use all poultry trimmings such as neck, heart and wings, chop up into small pieces and sauté them and add to your sauce for an extra flavour.
- All meat should be left to rest after it has been removed from the oven. The resting time allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat, making the meat tender and easier to cut. Always cut the meat across the grain so that it is easier to eat.
- Rest all meat and game on a cooling rack or at an angle on the edge of a small plate turned upside down on top of a larger plate. This will allow air to circulate creating an even circulation of juices.
Happy cooking!
For more information about Peter visit www.petergortonmasterchef.co.uk