Thursday, 17 August 2023

Win the Brand New Konnected Joe BBQ and Meal at Paul Ainsworth's Cornish Pub

This summer, Cornwall's renowned Michelin-starred chef, Paul Ainsworth, has joined with Kamado Joe, the ceramic grill masters, to deliver an adventurous and utterly unparalleled cooking experience with the launch of the innovative Konnected Joe.

Revolutionising the BBQ world with cutting-edge technology, the Konnected Joe boasts a unique fusion of integrated digital controls within its iconic red ceramic shell. 

Instantly igniting with a simple press of one button, this innovation offers effortless temperature control using its user-friendly digital dial. 

And now Kamado Joe is offering the public an opportunity to win a Konnected Joe, giving the lucky winner the opportunity to be among the first to embrace the future of barbecue in their own back garden.

To make the competition even more special, the adventure doesn't stop there. The lucky winner and a friend will have the chance to spend the day on the beautiful Cornish coast enjoying lunch or dinner and a proper pint at Paul Ainsworth's public house in Rock - The Mariners. 

To win, simply hop over to Paul Ainsworth and Kamado Joe's Instagram pages - @paulainsw6rth and @kamadojoeuk for further details.

RECIPE: Paul Ainsworth's Dog's Pollock on the Kamado Joe

This dish with its own cult-following from chef Paul Ainsworth is served in his Cornish public house, The Mariners. Now, adapted for Kamado Joe with a charcoal smoke-twist, you can create your own version of Paul's iconic Dog's Pollock on your BBQ at home.

Serves Six

Ingredients

For the fish brine

1ltr water

50g salt

40g caster sugar

1 bay leaf

Fresh thyme

Pinch of white peppercorns

For the basting butter

1 tbsp yeast extract

250g butter, softened

50g sundried tomatoes, chopped

Good squeeze lemon juice

For the triple mustard mayonnaise

125g mayonnaise

10g English mustard

10g American mustard

10g Dijon mustard

For the tartare mayonnaise

125g mayonnaise

Squeeze lemon juice

½ a shallot, diced

1 large gherkin, sliced

20g capers

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Zest of half a lemon, zest

For the cucumber pickle

600ml water

200g caster sugar

200g white wine vinegar

1 star anise

20g mustard seeds

50ml extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cucumber, sliced

For the pangrattato 

4 slices of bread, torn into pieces

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

50g butter

3 tbsp crispy onions

To serve

6 x 130-150g fillets

6 hot dog brioche buns

2 baby gem lettuce, shredded

1 bunch of fresh dill

Dried seaweed powder for seasoning

Lemon zest

Method

To start, add all the fish brine ingredients to a large pan and place over a low heat. When the sugar and salt has dissolved, turn off the heat and place the fish in the brine from 45 minutes - 2 hours. Take out the pollock, rinse under cold water and dry with a dry cloth. Carefully insert a skewer through the centre of each fish fillet and set aside.

To make the butter, blitz the softened butter with the sundried tomatoes, yeast extract, lemon juice and seasoning until you have a smooth mixture.

To make the mustard mayonnaise, mix all the ingredients together and season to taste. 

For the tartare mayonnaise, fold all dry ingredients into the mayonnaise and add seasoning to taste. Fold a spoonful of this mixture into the shredded lettuce - just enough to bind it together.

For the cucumber pickle, place all ingredients into a pan and bring to a boil. Once cool, add the sliced cucumber and leave for 10-15 minutes.

To make the pangrattato, add the bread and garlic to a food processor and blitz until broken down into fine breadcrumbs. Place the  pan over a medium heat, add the butter and when melted, add the breadcrumb mixture. When the breadcrumbs are golden brown, tip them into a bowl. Stir through the crispy onions and set aside.

Set the BBQ to 200c. Place the dog's pollock skewers directly over the coals so the fish doesn't touch the grill. Using the skewer, turn your fish periodically. Baste with the butter mixture and cook for a further couple of minutes. Baste again with butter and cook for no longer than 4 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 60c. Remove from the heat but leave on the skewer. Baste with the butter mixture all over and sprinkle the pangrattato all over the fish.

Open the BBQ vent until it reaches a searing temperature. 

Lightly rub a little oil on the brioche hot dog buns and place on the grill for 15 seconds on each side.

To assemble, take a chargrilled brioche hog dog bun, place the tartare lettuce inside, top with a chargrilled pollock and carefully slide the skewer out, top with pickled cucumber and garnish with triple mustard mayonnaise, fennel fronds and a little zest of lemon. Finally, sprinkle over a little seaweed powder.

https://www.kamadojoe.com

Mavrik Secures Award-winning Status for Core Range of Alcohol-free Cocktails

Hampshire's top premium alcohol-free cocktail brand, Mavrik, is celebrating a run of success following entries to a number of prestigious food & drink awards this year. 

The brand's core range of four natural, low calorie virgin cocktails presented in a funky ready-to-drink (RTD) can format, now boasts no less than four awards, with each variant now benefiting from an acknowledged industry accolade:

Mavrik's Aromatic G&T won a Bronze in this year's Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards

Mavrik's Cuban Mojito was awarded a Silver in the 2023 Free From Food Awards

Mavrik's Venetian Spritz and Storm & Spice were both winners in this year's Great Taste Awards, each achieving the much sought after 1* ranking

Commenting on the brand's achievements, Director Andrew Mallinson says, “With the no and low category now universally recognised as an important growth category – according to ISWR 2023, half of the UK adult population bought a no or low alcohol drink last year and 5.2m fewer UK adults are drinking alcohol weekly in 2023 vs 2021.

"The awards represent a highly credible, reliable recommendation to consumers who are now faced with such a plethora of no and low alcohol options. 

The accolades, alongside the brand's impressive taste experience, low calorie and all-natural credentials and shelf-shout, underpin the relevance of listing Mavrik to key trade stockists.”

Mavrik produces a full range of canned cocktails in six delicious flavours: Cuban Mojito, Aromatic G&T, Storm & Spice, Venetian Spritz, Passion Star Martini and Espresso Martini. 

For more information visit https://www.mavrik-drinks.com

Cumbrian Curl Toad in the Hole With Caramelised Sage Butter and Firecracker Apple Chilli Sauce

The Catherine wheel Cumbrian curl is the perfect dish to present on Bonfire Night or as a playful dinner as the evenings start to draw in. 

The caramelised sage butter is not a step you should omit. Why? Because it adds an absolutely terrific layer of complexity to the dish. Serve with a firecracker apple sauce for extra crackle.

Royal Warrant holder, DukesHill is renowned for championing artisan producers whose skilled use of unique and traditional methods create outstanding food and flavours. Their traditional British pork Cumbrian Curls are absolutely bursting with flavour from the addition of herbs and black pepper.


Serves 4

Ingredients

2 DukesHill Cumbrian Curls

285ml whole milk

115g plain flour

½ tsp sea salt

3 eggs

Neutral oil - sunflower, vegetable oil

6-8 sage leaves

75g salted butter

For the apple and chilli sauce

Vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 red chilli, sliced

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 cooking apples, peeled and chopped

4 tbsp cider vinegar

4 tbsp caster sugar

Salt and pepper

Method

To make the apple chilli sauce

Add a modest amount of oil to a pan over a medium heat and add the onions, coriander seeds and chilli. Allow to cook down for 7 or so minutes, before adding the apple, sugar and vinegar and seasoning to taste. Put a lid on the pan and gently cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the apple softens. Taste and correct the seasoning and adjust the balance of sugar and vinegar if necessary.

To make the toad in the hole

In an ideal world, make your batter in advance so it has time to rest in the fridge - preferably overnight. Failing that, 20 minutes of resting time will help to create a lighter batter. To make the batter, whisk the flour, milk, eggs and salt until thoroughly combined. Place in the fridge to rest.

Preheat your oven to 180c and pop a rack in the centre.

Add a generous amount of oil to two round ovenproof serving dishes - choose a size slightly larger than your Cumberland sausages. Place in the oven until the oil is hot.

Add the sausages and return to the oven for approx 10 minutes. Now, remove the sausages while you crank the oven up to the highest setting. When it is hot, add the batter to the hot oil around your sausages and place in the centre of the oven. Be very careful as it will spit! Close the oven door and don't be tempted to open it again while the batter is cooking. Allow to cook for 20 minutes - until the batter is risen and golden brown.

In the meantime, make the sage butter by heating the butter in a pan. When melted, add the sage and continue to cook until the butter has turned golden brown. Watch it closely and remove from the heat before it gets too dark as the residual heat will continue to darken the butter. Set to one side.

When the toad in the hole comes out of the oven, brush with the sage butter liberally. Serve with apple sauce on the side. Perfect with jacket potatoes, sweet potato wedges or mashed potatoes.

Wine pairing

Experience the Richness of Gouguenheim Blue Melosa Malbec all available from DukesHill.

The rustic charm of Cumbrian Curl sausages encased in crisp batter calls for a fruity, full-bodied wine such as this Malbec. The ripe fruit notes also stand up well to the hit of heat provided by the chili sauce. 

https://www.dukeshillham.co.uk

Wednesday, 16 August 2023

Celebrate National Mai Tai Day With a Don Papa Rum Twist!

I must admit I was totally unaware that it is National Mai Tai Day on August 30th.And Don Papa Rum invites us to celebrate National Mai Tai Day in the traditional Filippino way, with a Don Papa Rum Mai Tai Cocktail.

One of the key points for Don Papa Rum is to help you create great and exceptional,  really memorable moments. A nd what better way to mark this special day than by combining the classic Mai Tai with the rich, smooth flavours of Don Papa Rum with the Manila Jockey Club cocktail?

This spirit-forward twist on a classic seems to slow time down with every sip, delivering layers of bright, fruity notes paired really wonderfully with Don Papa Rum's unmistakable molasses profile.​

INGREDIENTS​

​50ml Don Papa Rum​

25ml Sweet Vermouth​

5ml Luxardo Maraschino​

1 Dash of Angostura Bitters​

1 Dash of Orange Bitters​

GLASSWARE​

​Chilled Cocktail Coupe​

HOW TO MAKE IT

​Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir for 15 seconds to chill down the cocktail. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe, and zest with orange oils. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry​ and serve.​ And enjoy, as this looks utterly delicious!


Rum, but Hattiers style

Hattiers is the UK's first B Corp certified rum and it has taken a fresh, exciting look at the traditional art of rum blending with an uncompromising, interesting approach to quality and sustainability.  

Only sourcing fine aged rums from over 25 distilleries worldwide, their versatile and accessible blends consist of carefully selected rums married together along with only pure Dartmoor water.     

Why not explore the Hattiers Rum collection and embark on a flavourful journey that will leave you longing for more?

Here are some cocktails for you to experiment with and enjoy!

The Hattiers Spritz

This cocktail is the epitome of long summer days and sure to impress guests. Aperol and Rum? Don't knock it until you try it!

What you'll need...

50ml Hattiers Egremont Premium Reserve Rum

20ml Aperol Spritz

Grapefruit juice

Lime Juice

Prosecco, Champagne or English sparkling wine

Torched grapefruit and mint to garnish

What to do...

Add Hattiers Egremont rum, Aperol Spritz and a squeeze of lime juice to a highball glass with ice and stir

Top up with equal parts grapefruit juice and prosecco

Garnish with a wedge of torched grapefruit and a sprig of fresh mint

The Casa Surgey

Tom Surgey puts his innovate spin on a Champagne Mojito using Hattiers Eminence Blended Aged White Rum

What you'll need…

14 mint leaves

60ml Hattiers Eminence Blended Aged White Rum

15ml fresh lime juice

10ml sugar syrup

30ml sparkling wine or Champagne

What to do…

Slap the mint leaves in the palm of your hand and add to the bottom of a highball glass. Fill with crushed ice. Add the sugar syrup and fresh lime juice, followed by the rum

Take a bar spoon with a flat bottom and use the disc to churn the mixture. You're looking for a frosting on the outside of the glass so that you know the mix is super cold

Cap with more ice so that the glass is full and the ice glistens on top

Top with sparkling wine or Champagne

Take the mint sprig and clap it between your hands to release the oils so that every sip will be accompanied with the aroma from the mint


Hattiers' Resolute Mule

Singing with spicy ginger and caramel notes, the Resolute Mule is a refreshing cocktail with a twist.

What you'll need…

50ml Hattiers Resolute Navy Strength Rum

Hot ginger beer

Angostura Bitters

Brown sugar

Lime

Iced, crushed ice is best for this recipe

What to do…

Half fill a highball glass with crushed ice

Add a generous squeeze of lime and half a teaspoon of brown sugar

Add 50ml Resolute Navy Strength Rum and stir well

Fill the glass to the top with fresh ice

Top up with hot ginger beer

Add a dash of Angostura Bitters and stir 

Garnish with a wheel of lime

The Hattiers Rum range is available at hattiers.com as well as Waitrose & Partners, Harvey Nichols, Master of Malt, Fortnum & Mason, The Whisky Exchange, Enotria & Coe and Drink Finder. 

Hattiers Rum is justifiably very proud to use no colourants to make their rums look artificially darker and they never add sugar or spice to their blends. They believe rum drinkers should know precisely what they're drinking and as a result all component rums, countries of origin, ages and distillation methods are detailed on the back of each and every bottle.  Premium rums in their range include Egremont Premium Reserve Rum, Eminence Blended Aged White Rum and Resolute Navy Strength Rum.

For further information about Hattiers Rum please visit www.hattiers.com or like and follow Hattiers Rum on Instagram: hattiers_rum and Facebook: HattiersRum.  


Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Can your pooch be a food star?

Pet owners have the opportunity to have their precious pup named the face of Earl’s Dog Food, Aldi’s popular own-label pet food.

Aldi is the UKs biggest-selling own brand pet food retailer with one in four packs of own-label pet food sold coming from Aldi.

Six lucky pooches will become the faces of the Earl’s range, complete with a professional photo shoot and a year’s supply of dog food.

Aldi is celebrating its popular Earl’s dog food range by giving lucky pet owners the chance to have their very own pup named as celebrity ambassadors. 

The UK’s favourite supermarket is refreshing the look of its dog food range, creating a new ‘family of Earl’s’, with six new dogs set to appear across its packaging. 

The competition launches as it was revealed earlier this year that an astonishing one in four packs of own label pet food now come from Aldi. Earl’s dog food has built a reputation as being a nutritious food, free of artificial colours and flavours at an unbeatable price. 

Open across Aldi’s Facebook and Twitter pages until 16th August, the unique national search will be looking for dogs from individual categories like small, medium, big, rescue, working and talented dogs. Pet parents will be able to submit the cutest photos of their treasured dogs, ready to be shortlisted by an expert team of judges. Once the list has been revealed, each pup will face a public vote across social media polls. 

Each prize-winning pooch will be invited to enjoy a professional photoshoot, plus receiving a year’s supply of Earl’s pet food. Owners will even be able to see their dogs in all their glory with special adverts ready to be spotted on daily strolls. 

Julie Ashfield, who is Aldi's MD of Buying, said: “More and more shoppers are recognising Aldi as a destination for premium quality pet food without the premium price tag. Our shoppers are at the forefront of everything we do so when we decided to refresh the look of the Earl’s range, it made perfect sense to put our shoppers’ own dogs front and centre. 

How to enter:  

Applicants should respond to Aldi’s post on 9th August, sharing their favourite picture of their pet along with their name and category (e.g. small dog, big dog, working dog) 

 Deadline for applicants is16th August 2023   

 Successful applicants will be notified via direct message. 

Terms and conditions apply. For full T&Cs email  dohbWxLSGHuDCmM3H3V6iw$g0@8.pdf (aldi-digital.co.uk) <dohbWxLSGHuDCmM3H3V6iw$g0@8.pdf (aldi-digital.co.uk)>;


New Home Farm Kitchen Lamb, Carrot & Prune Tagine from Eversfield Organic, Perfect for Autumn

One of the UKs top online organic food retailers, Eversfield Organic, is absolutely thrilled to unveil its new Home Farm Kitchen Lamb, Carrot & Prune Tagine just in time for the autumn months. 

The utterly delicious tagine captures the essence of the season, offering a warm and comforting meal for when the nights begin to draw in. 

Slow-cooked to utter perfection, Eversfield Organic's Home Farm Kitchen Lamb, Carrot & Prune Tagine is a chef-prepared dish employing (of course!) only the highest quality organic ingredients, sourced directly from Eversfield Organic's own organic pastures plus trusted local suppliers. 

By being able to prioritise sustainable farming practices, Eversfield Organic ensures the lamb used in the tagine is of the highest of welfare standards, guaranteeing a meal that's both ethical and delicious, too. 

The Home Farm Kitchen range helps contribute to their closed-loop sustainability ethos and minimises food waste, making certain all the delicious cuts of their organic meat are put to very good use.

The rich and juicy flavours of Eversfield Organic's lamb perfectly complement the sweetness of organic prunes and specially selected spices.  Brimming with authentic and utterly delicious North African flavours, this fragrant tagine doubles up as a quick and easy lunch or as a nourishing evening dish. 

Dispatched frozen to preserve its flavours and freshness, the Home Farm Kitchen Lamb, Carrot & Prune Tagine is very carefully packaged to ensure its safe delivery to your own kitchen. 

As the tagine makes its way to customers it will naturally defrost, allowing for a seamless cooking experience upon arrival at your home. This convenient feature saves busy families time in meal preparation while still enjoying a homemade, wholesome meal, allowing parents to spend more quality time with their children after a long day of work, school and other activities.

Eversfield Organic's Home Farm Kitchen Lamb, Carrot & Prune Tagine is now available to buy at www.eversfieldorganic.co.uk (£6.95; 550g). Each pack will serve three, although if hungry, then a more generous portion size will serve two!

For more information on Eversfield Organic please visit www.eversfieldorganic.co.uk or follow Eversfield Organic on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

 

Make this a summer of elegant excellence with Champagne Drappier


Celebrate the warmth of summer by gifting your loved ones some Champagne Drappier.

Champagne Drappier has been crafted with passion for in excess of  two centuries, with eight generations of the Drappier family caring and loving for the Pinot Noir grape variety. It's a bottle designed to indulge.

The Cuvée Carte d’Or expresses the identity of the Drappier House: A champagne of great aromatic richness with notes of vineyard peaches, quince jelly, and a touch of spice. Ideal as an aperitif, or as an accompaniment to cheese and paprika gougères. ideal for garden soirees, a Summer of endless elegance awaits you!

Champagne Drappier Brut Nature, created by Michel Drappier, is a Blanc de Noirs with a generous yet mineral style. A robe of white gold with copper hues. A nose redolent of freshly pressed plums, redcurrants, white flowers, and citrus fruits. It is a fine, tightly knit champagne of great purity. Best served with seafood, sea asparagus smoked salmon, soft goat’s cheese, and tabouleh.

For something a little different this Summer, why not try the organic Champagne Drappier Clarevallis?

 Inspired from Clairvaux, Champagne Clarevallis (the name given by Saint Bernard to the family’s home.) is made with grapes from the organically farmed Urville hillsides. Clarevallis is the expression of both the landscape and the land that has been tended since the 12th century. Clarevallis has a golden colour with fine bubbles and tasting notes of Elderberry and violet. It is best served at 7°C for an aperitif or for a meal, with lemon and olive oil marinated zucchini carpaccio, with fresh crumbled cheese.

Make the most of the warm days and make your get-togethers extra special this Summer with a glass of Champagne Drappier. You cannot possibly go wrong!

https://www.champagne-drappier.com.

That's Christmas: Unwrap the Magic of Christmas With Don Papa Rum's ...

That's Christmas: Unwrap the Magic of Christmas With Don Papa Rum's ...: Don Papa Rum, famed for crafting absolutely exceptional aged rums which encapsulate the rich heritage of the Philippines, is justifiably pro...

Monday, 14 August 2023

Morrisons offers customers double more card points for every litre of fuel purchased

Morrisons is offering its customers double More Card points on every litre of fuel purchased to help them make more savings with their weekly shop.

From today, Monday 14th August until Monday 28th August, customers can earn 10 points per litre of fuel purchased with no minimum spend in store necessary. The scheme runs across the bank holiday weekend, too, so those filling up for their travels can get more for their money.

Customers must have a Morrisons More Card membership to be able redeem the deal and must simply scan their card at the point of the transaction to qualify. 

Morrisons launched the More Card loyalty scheme earlier this year to allow customers to earn More Points on selected products in store, online and on fuel. When reaching ,5000 points, customers will be rewarded with a ‘Morrisons Fiver’ that can be spent in-store or online. 

During September, when scanning their More Card, some lucky customers will be invited to earn free points via the ‘Basket Bonus’ initiative. Morrisons also offers a collector scheme at seasonal moments like summer and Christmas. These enable customers to receive points rewards.

Rachel Eyre, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer at Morrisons, said: “Fuel is a vital, necessary purchase for many of our customers on a weekly basis. By offering double More Points at our fuel pumps, we're helping customers build up their points so they can be rewarded with Morrisons Fivers to reduce the cost of their weekly shop.”

Morrisons has 340 filling stations across the UK and for further information and the full terms & conditions please visit: https://www.morrisons.com/more/terms-and-conditions/.  

Please note: This offer excludes any franchised Morrisons Daily petrol stations.  

(EDITOR: Although not strictly a "food" story, I decided to include it because many people we know who shop at Morrisons do have and use More Cards and do buy fuel at Morrisons when they are doing the weekly or monthly grocery shop.)