This book inspires ideas from free foods like mushrooms, berries, and seaweed
AS it’s foraging season, I’m getting lots of texts and messages about excess apples that people need taken away; the berries are still just about holding on to the trees; and this last blast of summer heat is making everything taste that bit plumper and juicier.
I recently did a talk on autumn berries and fruits and I brought a bottle of three-year-old sloe gin with me to pass around as tasters to the ladies.
It seems the rocket fuel on offer sent everybody over the limit on just one teaspoon. I had forgotten about fermenting and sugar and alcohol levels increasing and all that. No matter, there were no casualties.
It’s always good to find new recipes for foraged foods and this gorgeous book, Wild Food by Evan Doyle and Biddy White Lennon, had been peeking out from my shelves since I first got it, back in 2013.
Evan is famous for his Strawberry Tree Organic restaurant and is a huge devotee of wild and organic food. Biddy is a legend in Irish food writing and broadcasting.
This is the kind of book that sparks new ideas from things that have been there forever, like delectable free food growing under our noses; hazelnuts, rosehips, mushrooms, berries, and seaweeds.
As a seasoned cordial-maker, I have never made sloe cordial until now. I look forward to sampling the unique flavour of this deep and earthy berry.
A wise woman recently said to me: “You have to go backwards to go forwards.”
This book does just that, reacquainting us with recipes such as laverbreads, or thepreserving of seaweeds, or making wild damson cheese, carrigeen, and wild prawn bisque.
This is a book for foragers, cooks, and chefs, as the knowledge of the two writers shines in its authority and love of the subject.
In keeping with the season of sloes, I’ve chosen three sloe recipes; two for their simplicity and the macaroon one for its downright loveliness.
SLOE GIN
The amount of sugar you use determines whether this results in wild sloe schnapps or a wild sloe liqueur.
This version is our favourite and when complete should be served straight from the freezer, ice cold in shot glasses, to share with your friends at Christmas.
- 1 bottle really good gin divided (it’s for your friends, only the best!)
- Enough sugar to fill one third of the bottle
- Enough wild sloes to fill one half of the bottle
- A few shelled and peeled almonds (optional)
Fill the bottle one third full of sugar.
Each sloe must be pierced with a sharp fork or a darning needle and placed at once into the bottle (therapy!).
Top up with the spirit of your choice and refit the cap tightly. Shake to help dissolve the sugar and release the juice of the sloes.
Shake once a day for seven days and once a week for seven weeks. Halfway through, you can add the almonds.
At first the liquid will be tinged with pink and over the weeks it will darken into a rich purple.
Christmas is the traditional time to open the bottle. In reality, it is better if left for several more months.
Strain and decant the liquid alone into a fresh bottle.
Now shake out the wild sloes, and this is the best part. Pass through a mill and use the boozy pulp to add flavour to a dessert.
Syllabub, fruit fools, ice cream, tipsy cake, boozy fairy cakes, cheesecake, plum and almond tart immediately spring to mind, but it is also tasty in scones, brioche, breads, or even winter puds.
WILD SLOE GIN MACAROONS
(Recipe courtesy of The Strawberry Tree)
- 3 organic egg whites
- 10g caster or organic fine sugar
- 10g muscovado sugar
- 140g icing sugar
- 90g ground organic almonds
- 100g organic creamed cheese
- 50g organic butter
- 100g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp wild sloe gin pulp (see sloe gin recipe)
Sieve icing sugar and ground almonds together. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks form.
Add caster sugar, combine; then, add muscovado sugar. Whisk until you have stiff peaks.
Add in the icing sugar and ground almonds, folding quickly to create your batter/mix.
Place the mix in piping bag and pipe macaroons onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Bake at 150°C for 10–12 minutes. Remove and cool.
For the filling, whisk the cream cheese and butter together until combined smoothly; then, add icing sugar and combine again.
Fold sloe gin pulp into mix. Fill into a piping bag and pipe the mix onto the flat side of one macaroon then sandwich together with the second one.
What you get is a ‘French-style’ macaroon and a great way to use that fab sloe-ginny pulp that you have strained from your bottle.
Perfect as a Christmas present for your friends… well, those who are not already receiving a wild sloe gin gift
WILD BERRY SLOE CORDIAL
Sloes develop natural yeast, which shows as a bloom on the skin. This needs to be fully washed off for this drink.
- Enough wild sloes to half a fill half a bottle
- Enough sugar to almost half fill a bottle
- Boiled water, cooled to lukewarm
- Add sugar to bottle
Prick the sloes with a fork or darning needle and place in bottle. Top up with the water.
Cap really firmly and shake. Store at room temperature.
Shake once a day for seven days and once a week for seven weeks.
Strain and decant the liquid alone into a fresh bottle.
Drink diluted. Now shake out the wild sloes, and this is the best part as in the sloe gin recipe above; the sloes might not be boozy, but they definitely have been sweetened and can be used in all the recipe ideas for sloe berry pulp.
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