A couple of stonking Kentish dinners

Not to blow my own trumpet, but I've made some blinding proper Kent dinners recently. I know it sounds trite, but the meals I make which get the most accolades are generally created from locally sourced ingredients. I know my Pig Out Partner in Crime is always complimentary, but when he's really excited, it's normally over produce I've walloped together from England's garden. There's some game, some fish and something veggie, they're all really simple and should feed at least two greedy buggers.

Anyway, let's show the goods, shall we?




Pigeon Casserole

2 Wood Pigeons (Drings)
1 parsnip (Kent Veg Box)
1 Carrot (that happened to stray into my Kent Veg Box)
1 onion (Supermarket- boo, hiss!)
1 apple (more boos and hissing)
2-3 rashers bacon (The Village Store)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
Chicken or vegetable stock
A generous few slugs of cider
bouquet garnet
onion powder
garlic powder
celery salt
salt & pepper

This recipe is blooming simple and amazingly yummy. The pigeons had been frozen for a couple of weeks and were still so flavoursome, and game is the most ethical meat in my eyes- provided it's wild, obvs.

  1. Pre-heat your oven, I went for gas mark 4-5. Grab your big casserole, stick it on the hob and brown the pigeons off in some butter. Remove and cut the birds in half.
  2. Back in the casserole, fry off the chopped bacon, onion, mustard seeds and apple, add the cider, carrot, parsnips, stock and any seasonings you like and bring to the boil.
  3. Return the birds to the pot, stick a lid on it and put in the oven to work it's magic for 2-3 hours.
  4. Serve with Kent kale and Kent goose fat roasted potatoes.
  5. Lick the plate and come back for more.



Cod in a Watercress Sauce with Peppered Squash

2 cod fillets (Dungeness fish)
1 big bunch of watercress (Kent Veg Box)
fish stock
4 tblsp cream
1 tsp horseradish (Tracklements, because I love them too much)
2 acorn squash (I think...Kent Veg Box)
salt & pepper
Cayenne pepper

paprika
lemon pepper
garlic cloves
olive oil
butter


  1. Pre heat oven to gas mark 5. Using a sharp knife and a heavy object, hack the squash in half,  scoop out the seeds, rub with olive oil and generous amounts of all the peppers and paprika and place a garlic clove in the well of the squash. Roast in the oven for about an hour.
  2. Wait for ages, have some wine.
  3. Chop your watercress finely and saute in some butter.
  4. Poach your fish in the the fish stock.
  5. Remove fish and add the fish stock to the watercress, add the cream and horseradish, get your stick blender in and whizz it all up until it's beautiful.
  6. Serve with veg of your choice. I happened to have some sweetcorn, and simply grilled it.
  7. The sauce was such a hit, that we used it for dipping grilled bits of halloumi later that evening. Fatties.


Yes, that is lumps of bacon and cheese in that bread...

Curried Squash and Sweetcorn Soup

2 cobs of corn (Kent Veg Box)
2 acorn squash (Kent Veg Box)
1 onion
vegetable stock
1 cup milk
chili flakes
curry powder
paprika
salt & pepper
garlic powder
olive oil
butter
  1. Get the oven to around gas mark 5. Chainsaw those tough squash into quarters. rub with olive oil, curry powder and paprika. Roast for an hour or so.
  2. Remove corn from cob.
  3. Saute onion in some oil, add the scooped out squash and half of the corn. Simmer in the vegetable stock, milk add garlic powder and season to taste. After 20 minutes or so, get the stick blender back in to do it's magic.
  4. Place the rest of the corn in a baking tray, cover with melted butter and chili flakes. Grill until done. Add to the soup.
  5. Be in awe of it's yellowy goodness. Eat it.

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