Gaymer Cider Company has teamed up with two leading chefs to create recipes
ideal to match with cider.
Gastropub chef and food writer Tom Norrington Davies and Richard Guest of
the Castle in Taunton, Somerset, have created 12 recipes which match with
either its Addlestones or Orchard Reserve ciders including Stewley and
Stonesbrook.
The dishes are ideal for drinking with cider over the summer.
Norrington-Davies' recipes include grilled guinea fowl and quince aioli,
grilled sea bass with tomatoes and olives and fig, green bean and walnut
salad, which are all perfectly matched with Addlestones.
Richard Guest's recipes include sausage herb en croutes, which is matched
to Stewley cider.
A summer berries and soft goat's cheesecake is matched with Stonesbrook.
John Mills, Gaymer managing director, said: "Here at Gaymer Cider Company we
have a fantastic portfolio of ciders, including our more premium offerings
which when matched with food make for an exciting alternative to wine.
See recipes below:
Grilled guinea fowl and quince 'aioli'
Serves four
Tom Norrington Davies says: "Guinea fowl is a great bird for barbecuing,
leaner than chicken and more flavoursome. I'd give my guests half a bird
each, to be eaten with nothing more than a green salad and a simple
accompaniment. Which brings us to the aioli: made with a quince preserve
sometimes sold as quince cheese or by its Spanish name Membrillo. Quince and
apples are close relatives and this tastes great next to grilled meat and a
chilled glass of Addlestones."
You need:
For the BBQ:
* 2 guinea fowl, halved with the backbone removed
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
* 4 sprigs of thyme, leaves pinched off
Method:
* Combine seasonings and rub over guinea fowl halves. Allow them to rest for
30 minutes with the seasoning
* Heat a grill or barbecue until red hot and cook the guinea fowl, starting
skin down until it is marked as you wish*
* Once cooked, rest the guinea fowl for ten minutes before serving
For the aioli:
* 250g quince cheese
* 3 tbsp water
* Juice of half a lemon
* 1 clove garlic
* Half tsp salt
* 125ml light olive oil
Method:
* Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the quince into the water to
loosen it up
* Stir in the lemon juice
* Chop the garlic and stir it in to the quince
* Whisk oil slowly in either a food processor or bowl
* Stop adding oil when the sauce has emulsified to a mayonnaise-like
consistency and set aside until you are ready to serve
*Nb Poultry cooks best on a covered barbecue, and you get a slightly smoky
flavour that way. However you cook it, make sure you test it is cooked.
Insert a probe thermometer or a skewer at the point where the breast meets
the top of the leg. Any juices that run out from properly cooked poultry
should be clear, and not at all pink.
Grilled pork chop with apple and celeriac mash
Serves four
Tom Norrington Davies says: "This combo is perfect for late summer BBQs when
the evenings start to cool a little."
You need:
* 4 large pork chops, cut a good 2cm (1 inch) thick
* 2 medium sized, floury potatoes (approx weight 400g)
* 250 ml double cream
* 100 ml milk
* 50g unsalted butter
* 1 smallish celeriac (approx 500g)
* 2 eating apples
* Salt to taste
Method:
* Peel, quarter and boil the potatoes in salted water until tender enough to
mash
* Meanwhile, bring the cream, milk and butter to simmer in a pot. When the
butter has melted peel and dice the celeriac and pop into the pot
* Peel, core and dice the apple and add it to the celeriac and simmer gently
until both are tender
* Once cooked, puree the mixture, cream and all, before mashing the potatoes
and folding the celeriac through them, then let rest while you cook the
chops
* Hold the crackle down on the BBQ bars for just a minute per chop, before
cooking for about 8 minutes per side and resting for ten minutes before
serving
Grilled scallops with chilli, fennel and olive oil
Serves four people
"The dry notes in Addlestones are perfect for seafood. They know this in the
Basque region of Spain where tapas is often served with very dry, young
white wine or a cider. Try very chilled glasses of Addlestones with this
tapa of succulent scallops."
You need:
* 1 large red chilli
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 small bunch flat leafed parsley
* 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
* 12 diver caught scallops, out of the shell
* 2 bulbs fennel
* Juice of 1 lemon
* Half tsp salt
Method:
* Char the chilli over a gas flame or under a hot grill until the skin has
blistered and blackened slightly
* Place it in a bowl and cover it for ten minutes to steam and loosen the
skin
* When the chilli is cool enough to handle, carefully pull off the skin and
remove the seed cavity
* Chop the roasted chilli with the garlic and parsley then add two thirds of
the olive oil - this is now your dressing
* Slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Use a mooli or a blade on a food
processor if you have one
* Toss the fennel slices in the lemon juice and salt, then leave to sit for
30 minutes before cooking the scallops. The fennel will cure slightly in the
juice. Once this is done, spread it over a serving dish
* Toss the scallops in the remaining oil and sear on the BBQ for no more
than a minute on either side
* Place the scallops onto the fennel and dress them with the parsley and
chilli sauce
* Season with sea salt and serve immediately
Fig, green bean and walnut salad
Serves four
Ton Norrington Davies says: "You could serve this as a starter or in the
more traditional French manner, between a main course and a dessert. Either
way, the walnuts and green beans add a wonderfully savoury twist to the
sweet figs and the dish is a perfect foil for similar characteristics in the
cider."
You need:
* 400g fine green beans
* 100g fresh walnuts (use dry walnuts if fresh are not available)
* 2 heads of chicory or 1 radicchio lettuce
* 4 ripe figs
* 8 to 10 leaves of basil
* 2 tbsp walnut oil (use olive oil if this is unavailable)
* 1 tbsp cider vinegar
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Method:
* Pre heat the oven to 180 centigrade or gas mark 4. Shell the walnuts and
roast for twenty minutes then transfer to a colander and shake gently to
remove skin
* Top and tail the beans then blanch briefly in boiling water. Refresh them
in cold water and set aside
* Break the chicory or radicchio into bite size pieces. Place in large bowl
with basil leaves left whole
* Quarter the figs from top to bottom and add to the leaves along with the
nuts and beans. Combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to make your
dressing and fold it carefully through the salad before serving