HAVING a self-catering holiday in Cornwall, and want to cook up a truly Cornish feast?
Ross Cook, head chef at the Tregenna Castle Resort in St. Ives, offers his shortlist of regional favourites … from something simple to more ambitious dishes.
Fowey Mussels: Local mussels are a fantastic treat for anyone visiting the area, and perfect served as a lunchtime dish or in the evening.
Start by softening garlic and shallots in butter for around four minutes before adding white wine, cream and mussels and cooking over a low heat for a further seven to ten minutes. Remember not to eat the mussels unless they are open and serve with crusty bread and enjoy a taste of the seaside town.
Serves 4:
2.5 lbs mussels
Butter to cook
1 garlic clove
1 shallot
3.5fl oz dry white wine
4fl oz double cream
Seafood Marinara: We have a great source of seafood down here on the coast, and what better way to enjoy it than with this dish, currently on our main menu.
Start by softening garlic and shallots in butter before adding wine and seafood. Leave to simmer for about 6 minutes before adding the tomato sauce and cooked pasta. Stir and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Then serve in a pasta bowl and garnish with rocket and parmesan cheese.
Serves 4:
1 Hake Portion in small pieces.
1 Salmon Portion in small pieces
2 1b Mussels
12 tiger prawns
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 shallots finely chopped
4 fl oz. cooking wine
Butter to cook
Tomato sauce
Cooked Fettuccini pasta (Approx. 125g per person)
Rocket and parmesan cheese to garnish
Cornish Pasty: We couldn’t do a run down of recipes without including the Cornish Pasty.
To create our traditional dish, place the flour and butter together in a bowl and rub the butter into the flour to make breadcrumbs. Add water and stir with a knife cutting the water into the breadcrumbs until the dough binds together. Or, if you have one, use a food processor. Then wrap the dough in cling film to chill for about 30 minutes. Cut up the meat and vegetables and place in a bowl and mix together seasoning with salt and pepper. When you come back to the pastry divide it up into four and cut into circles. Place the meat and vegetables on one half of the circle, brushing the edges with a beaten egg. Fold the pastry over the filling and pinch the edges together. Finish by brushing the pasty all over with the rest of the beaten egg and bake in an oven at 220C for 45 minutes. While this isn’t a quick dish to cook it is well worthwhile and can pass an hour or two with the family.
Serves 4:
110g plain flour
55g butter
50g onion
120g potatoes
100g swede
110g steak
Salt and pepper
1 egg
Cornish cheese omelette: This is a quick dish, but it tastes great with Davidstow Cheddar.
Begin by heating a frying pan and adding some butter. Meanwhile crack your eggs into a bowl and beat lighting. When the butter is heated add salt and pepper to the eggs and pour half into the pan. Run your fork through the mixture until it begins to set. Leave until this is nearly set and add half your filling before folding the set egg mix over, fold over the other side and serve. Use the remaining mixture for the second omelette.
Serves 2:
0.5oz butter
3-4 large eggs
Grated Davidstow Cheddar
Two slices of bacon
Crab Salad: Cornish crab is delicious and not to be missed during a visit to the South-West coast
Visit a St.Ives fishmonger and pick up the crab meat. Begin by creating the dressing, mix red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, white sugar and salt together, shake and set aside. Create you salad and mix the crab into the salad. Then, using the dressing, pour over and stir until the salad and crab are very lightly coated. Serve with warm crusty bread.
Serves 4:
1lb of crab meat
4fl oz of red wine vinegar
4fl oz olive oil
Small clove of crushed garlic
Pinch of white sugar
Pinch of salt
Cornish Blue Burger: This is another dish from our main menu, and is always a popular choice.
Begin by lightly frying the burger, when cooked to your liking top with Cornish Blue cheese and wait a few moments until the cheese melts lightly over the meat. Serve in a bun with some salad and red onion chutney.
Serves 4:
4x 8oz beef burgers
Cornish Blue cheese
4x buns
Salad
Cornish Potato Cake: This traditional Cornish recipe can be served as a side dish or on its own as a snack.
Peel, cube and then boil your potatoes in lightly salted water. When cooked mash with milk. In a separate bowl rub margarine or butter together with flour before mixing together. Form into patties and fry before serving.
4 potatoes
Milk for mashing
4oz plain flour
2oz margarine
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Scone: A fun recipe for a rainy day, served with jam and Cornish clotted cream of course.
Begin by rubbing the flour and butter together. The stir in the sugar and milk to get a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Once kneaded make sure dough is about 2cm thick and cut rounds out before placing on a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a beaten egg and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Makes around 10 scones:
8oz self raising flour
2oz butter
1oz caster sugar
5fl oz milk
1 egg
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Picture Credit: www.tregennacastle resort
