It was quite by accident that I created a menu for a dinner party that we had last night, which ticked nearly every ethical, environmental, health and taste box! I had a feast which was gluten-free,  wheat-free ,mostly organic or wild, zero-food miles ( well practically, if you don’t count the butter, sugar and olive oil) contained all of your 5 a-day vegetable requirements and which cost precious little money to make.

MENU

Timbale of Trout with Fennel, Smoked Salmon and Prawns

Roast Partridge with Roast Potatoes, Jerusalem Artichoke Puree, Broccoli and Carrots

Hazelnut and Chocolate Torte.

All the vegetables came from my vegetable garden, including the hazelnuts. The trout was caught within 4 miles of here by my son this summer and frozen whole straight away. The partridges were shot very nearby by my husband, and the eggs came from my own hens!

The recipe for the pudding is on my previous post. The rest is fairly obvious, just dont overcook those birds, ( no more than15 to 20 minutes roasting please!) and REST them for at least half an hour.

A top tip for the starter is to line ramekin moulds with clingfilm before filling with the fish mixture which consists of cooked trout, some cheap smoked salmon, prawns and  full fat Creme Fraiche, all put into a food processor. Dont use King Prawns, but the more delicious small Atlantic prawns, and leave them whole for texture. Use some of the fennel tops finely chopped in the fish mixture, and serve the fennel bulb  as a salad ,really thinly sliced using a mandoline, and dressed  with Olive Oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper