We caught up with Hugh ahead of the new series of River Cottage and his appearance at this year's Taste of London to talk fish sustainability, seasonal ingredients and how to impress a vegetarian at barbecue...
Lots of delicious recipes, of course; everything from herb sauces and marinades to homemade sourdough bread, gorseflower wine and my ultimate carrot cake. I’ll also be trying out some savoury dishes with strawberries, and attempting to persuade you of the joys of eating snails. In addition, there will be sheep-shearing, hedgerow foraging and competitive fish-cooking - and I’ll be visiting people in different parts of the country who are discovering the pleasures and benefits of growing their own fruit and veg. You’ll even find me inside a prison.
One of the issues I tackle in the show is veal. It's a meat we often recoil from because of the way some veal calves are raised. However, ethically-reared veal is something we should all eat more of, and I'll tell you why…
The current situation is certainly dire - some scientists say we could pretty much run out of fish altogether within the next 40 years. But I remain optimistic because I know we have the power to turn the situation around if we take the right action now. We need to avoid species that are threatened or unsustainably caught - things like Atlantic cod, skate and conventionally farmed tiger prawns - and turn instead to the fish which are abundant in our own local waters. For me that means pollack, Cornish seabass and mackerel, gurnard, spider crab, farmed mussels and many, many more. In addition, we must support the growing band of fishermen and retailers who are committed to using environmentally sound methods, and pay heed to the campaigners and conservationists who are using the latest scientific data to guide us in our fish choices. I recommend www.fishonline.org, the Marine Conservation Society’s site, which is packed with info on the fish we should and shouldn’t be eating. Check out the Marine Stewardship Council’s site too – www.msc.org – for a list of environmentally responsible fisheries.
Producing even a small amount of your own food is an incredibly significant achievement. Not only do you then eat produce at its freshest and best, you also reduce your impact on the environment and become less reliant on the huge industrialised food producers who dominate our food culture. But I know that many people who want to grow their own food struggle to find the land they need to do it. That’s where Landshare comes in – it’s a brilliantly simple project that brings people with land to spare (anything from a postage-stamp back garden to a few acres) together with people who want to start digging and planting. The scheme has already met with an incredibly enthusiastic response, and in back gardens, roof tops, car parks and derelict plots all over the UK, it is quite literally bearing fruit.
If you're careful about what you plant, and thoughtful about what you cook with it, it's certainly a great way to save money.
All sorts of things can still be grown from seed in June or even July, including beetroot, beans, carrots, chard and spinach, chicory, fennel, lettuces, radishes, spring onions and many herbs.
One ingredient that appears in several of the spring recipes is the sweet and delicious garden pea. I love freshly-podded peas in soups and salads, and in the show we make some very elegant canapés with them too. My top tip is: don't discard the pods! As you'll see, there are various ways you can eat those too…
There is no single, ultimate way. The cuts all cook differently, and suit various occasions. I've recently very much enjoyed boned shoulder of lamb, smeared with a pungent paste of herbs and anchovies, then rolled up and slow-roasted. Minced shoulder also makes a fine barbecue burger, especially if you flavour it with plenty of garlic and spices. One less-well known cut I’d encourage people to try is breast of lamb - rolled around a flavourful stuffing, it can be roasted to quite delicious effect. And don't forget the offal – I love lamb's hearts slow-simmered til tender, then quickly fried in a piquant devilled sauce.
I tend not to eat lamb until well into the summer, however, when I know the animals will have had six months of outdoor exercise and grass-eating. Lambs slaughtered in the spring have often lived entirely indoors. Earlier in the year I prefer hogget – a year-old sheep in its second spring or summer – which is usually very tender and exquisitely flavourful.
Spring primroses look wonderful set in a light jelly or coated with sugar and used to top cakes. I never let a spring go by without using elderflower in some way – infused to make a cordial perhaps, or dipped in batter and frittered, or used to flavour a creamy pannacotta. Later in the year, many herb flowers are very good in salads – try chive, woodruff or rocket flowers. Nasturtium blooms and leaves have a peppery flavour and look stunning in salads too.
It depends what you do with it!
The very first, tender, slender spears from my home asparagus bed are usually eaten raw within minutes of being cut. Otherwise, I love asparagus lightly cooked and dipped into the yolk of a soft-boiled egg, or tossed with oil, salt and pepper then seared on the barbecue.
Choose less expensive cuts – a whole, jointed chicken, say, or mince to make your own burgers, or pork spare ribs – and don’t over-meat. Part of the joy of barbecues is the delicious salads, sauces and breads that go with the protein.
By cutting some little gem lettuces in half, brushing them with oil and grilling them, along with some whole spring onions, until lightly charred, then serving them topped with a trickle of extra virgin rapeseed oil, some flaky salt, black pepper and a little crumbled goat's cheese.
Shred or chop your cold, leftover meats and combine with a cooked grain or pulse such as pearled spelt or barley, puy lentils, white beans, or even tiny pasta shapes. Toss together with a light vinaigrette dressing and some parsley and serve with the remains of your barbecue salads and side dishes.
Start growing your own with Hugh's Landshare scheme.
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