Spanish Flavours by José Pizarro

Spanish Flavours
José Pizarro

Most of José Pizarro's recipes use admirably few ingredients.  Recipes can, I think, display a lack of confidence when lists are too long.  There is no such problem with those in Spanish Flavours, or in Pizarro's first book Seasonal Spanish Food.  Seeing Spain, from a culinary point of view, as many countries rolled into one, he has organised the book into five chapters covering North, East, Centre, South and the Balearic and Canary Islands.  It's not an original concept but it works.  Fish and seafood, of course, plays a major role throughout Spanish cuisine but regional specialities are brought into the mix and inspire these recipes.  Pizarro is also happy to credit his present home, London, where he owns restaurants José and Pizarro, as an influence on how he uses certain ingredients.

The North of Spain, which has high rainfall, is a dairy and farming region so as well as Griddled scallops with cauliflower puree and chorizo oil, there is a recipe for Baked cheesecakes with blueberries.  The East is rich in funghi, game and rice, demonstrated by Caldoso (meaning soupy rice) with quail, wild mushrooms, artichokes and black olives.  The Centre is where Pizarro is most at home, being a son of Extramadura.  Peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, saffron, and Manchego cheese are celebrated along with the products from the magnificent Iberico pig and Jamόn de Teruel.  A recipe for Braised Iberico pork with tomatoes, chorizo, thyme and black olives is the region personified.  The South has the Moorish influences represented here in dishes such as Spicy lamb albondigas, a take on kofta meatballs, flavoured with North African favourites cumin and coriander.  The final region is the Islands, where Pizarro found "simplicity, freshness and strong flavours" summed up the cuisine, inspiring dishes such as Lobster caldereta (stew) and Avocado with prawns and tomato vinaigrette. 

Puddings throughout rely heavily, and deliciously, on fruit.  Even the Spanish version of eggy bread manages to incorporate some orange.  Almond and honey creams with lemon verbena peaches and Orange-scented apple buñuelos are must-trys.

The atmospheric photography by Emma Lee successfully captures the rustic style of the dishes and the little explanatory drawing in the introduction is delightful.  This book certainly makes me want to get cooking - Braised peas and Jamόn with eggs, perhaps.


Spanish Flavours by José Pizarro
Published by Kyle Books
Book courtesy of Kyle Books

Paris Spring 2012 - Comme à Lisbonne and more

Hôtel de Sully
Le Marais, Paris

Hôtel de Sully is one of my favourite places in Paris.  In spring, birds make full use of the ivy-clad walls to nest.   At this time of year, the courtyard is full of birdsong and the hungry cries of baby birds.  History permeates this quiet and peaceful space in the heart of the Marais.  It was built in the late 1620s as a Hôtel Particulier, or private mansion, for the financier Mesme Gallet.  Soon afterwards Henry IV's former surintendant des Finances, Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully, acquired it.  At quiet times, like the one above, it has a still, ghostly air and makes you feel that you wouldn't be a bit surprised if M. Gallet were to appear in the doorway. 

These days Hôtel de Sully is a state-owned monument historique.  You'll find the entrance on the busy rue Saint-Antoine, close to Métro Saint-Paul.  In one corner of the building there's a lovely tranquil gallery where some fantastic photographic exhibitions are curated.  Walking out of the other side of the courtyard takes you into the historic Place des Vosges.

On this spring visit, a short walk from Hotel Sully, I came across Comme à Lisbonne on rue du Roi de Sicile (parallel with rue de Rivoli).  Instantly recognising the name from one of David Lebovitz's excellent posts on his Paris-based blog I stopped off for, coffee.  The shop is tiny but has a couple of stools where you can perch.  They offer one of the best Pastéis de Nata I've ever tasted.  The pastry was not quite the one I expect from this little Portuguese custard tart - maybe this is because the baker hails from the Azores rather than mainland Portugal  -  but it was undeniably good.  The custard filling was all the more delicious for not being thickened with cornflour, as is the norm.  The baking is done on the premises.  Fresh batches of tarts regularly arrive from the kitchen and there is an optional sprinkle of canelle (cinnamon).  The owners are charming and the take away trade is brisk.  Apart from stocking a small handful of Portuguese products, that's all there is to it - and it's all the better for it.  I'll definitely be returning.

Another find on this trip was a small, unassuming place on rue Oberkampf called Aux Deux Amis.  Serving natural wines at reasonable prices this neighbourhood cafe bar proved well worth seeking out.  Lunch was over by the time we got there but its aroma lingered enticingly.  I noted that it would be a good place to try for lunch on a future visit. On this occasion it was a welcome pitstop and reminder of genuine 60s cafe style.  

I still haven't had my fill of Pierre Cluizel's chocolates at Un Dimanche a Paris, which I've written about previously.  A cup of hot chocolate as you browse the chocolate, pâtisserie and glaces is a must.  The shop's a two minute walk from Métro Odéon on Cour du Commerce Saint-André in the 6th arondissement.  Take care not to turn an ankle on the the ancient cobblestones.

A ten minute stroll from here to the stylish rue Bonaparte brings you to Pierre Hermé's fantastic pâtisserie.  Although you can buy Hermé's macarons and chocolates in London now - from Selfridges and a Pierre Hermé shop at 13 Lowndes Square SW1 - to taste his baked goods you  have to go to Paris.  If you can bring yourself to disregard the fabulous pâtisserie, walk to the back of the shop to seek out an individual Kugelhopf.  Fluffy, coated with sugar syrup and spiked with excellent quality fruit, it is outstanding baking.  Take it to the nearby Luxembourg Gardens and enjoy amongst the collection of apple, pear and vines.

Hôtel de Sully
62 rue Saint-Antoine
(Marais 4th arondissement)
Paris

Comme à Lisbonne
37 rue du Roi de Sicile (4th)
Paris
Open: Tues-Sunday 11-8pm

Aux Deux Amis
45 rue Oberkampf
Paris 75011
Metro: Oberkampf
Open: Tuesday-Saturday

Pierre Hermé
72 rue Bonaparte
Paris 75006
(and other branches)

Other Paris postings on this blog that you may find useful:

Les Fies Gueules, Paris

Rose Bakery, Paris

Le Cristal de Sel

Du Pains et des Ideés

 Un Dimanche à Paris

The True Price of Fish

The Christchurch Fish stall

This is a very short but important post about the sad loss of two of our young fishermen.  Christchurch Fish from Dorset, which is a collective of 7 inshore fishing boats, bring their catch to London's Maltby Street (Ropewalk) and Kensington and St John's Wood Farmers' Markets every Saturday.  Please take the time to read the note from Les Lawrence below which brings home the true price of fish.

"dear customer

You may have seen the news a few days ago about the terrible loss in Weymouth last thursday of the three fishermen on "Purbeck Isle." Christchurch Fish has four boats in Christchurch and three in Weymouth,and Rob, one of the youngsters lost had been working working on one of them  for the last few years leaving to join the " Purbeck Isle" just last month. Jack, the other youngster crewed on another of our three Weymouth boats until a couple of years ago. Both were in their early twenties and Rob leaves three kids, all under 5. A fund has been set up with all monies going to the kids at 21, we will have a collection tin at the stall tomorrow for amyone wishing to contribute and if you aren't at the market tomorrow and wish to contribute you can send a cheque payable to " Weymouth and Portland Licensed Fisherman's and Boatman's Association " to

Purbeck Isle Appeal

Dorset Echo

Fleet House

Hampshire Road

Weymouth

DT4 9XD"

Taylor St Baristas

Taylor St Baristas
at Brooks Mews

Mayfair has long been a bit of a desert for good coffee.  So often, it seems to me, the pricier the area the poorer the food and drink choices.  My antennae are finely attuned to coffee and I'm always on the lookout for something good.  Passing through the west end a few months ago and glancing down Brooks Mews, at the back of Claridges Hotel, I spotted a new branch of Taylor St Baristas. 

Starting out with a single shop in Richmond this independent coffee shop now has 5 more branches in London, including a garden shed in Shoreditch, and one shop in Brighton.  Using Marzocco and Nuova Simonelli machines, they produce excellent coffee from Union Coffee Roasters 100% arabica beans.  They describe their espresso as a "constant work in progress" and although the blend does change, it is always very drinkable.  Last week I sampled their introduction of a delicious Union single origin Tanzanian bean at the Mayfair branch.

All of the branches are different, from the primped-up smartness of Mayfair to the dress-down trendiness of the East End 'shed'.  What they have in common is the consistency of the coffee and the knowledgeable, genuinely friendly staff.  At the Mayfair branch they offer a good selection of sandwiches and cakes, preparing everything on-site.  It's off the main drag but close to Bond Street and a very welcome arrival in an area not well served by good coffee spots.

Taylor Street Baristas
22 Brooks Mews
Mayfair
London W1K 4DY
(and other branches)

New Park Farm Asparagus - Food Find

New Park Farm
Asparagus

Usually you can rely on the UK asparagus season starting on 1 May, sometimes a few days early, occasionally a few days late.  This is proving to be the strangest year for asparagus growing in the UK that I can recall.  There is always the odd grower who manages to get some to market a week or two early, but the long-term health of the plant depends on not over-stressing it by harvesting for more than about six weeks.  This year some Wye Valley spears could be bought in very early April due to an unseasonably warm March.  A cold wet April then plunged the crop back into dormancy.  I stubbornly resisted the temptation to buy the few, weedy stems on offer.  Until last week, that is, when one of my favourite restaurants, Rochelle Canteen, put some lovely, fairly plump, Essex-grown spears on their menu.  Finally the season has properly started with the arrival of my favourite Kent grower, New Park Farm.  Setting up stall at Borough Market today, they also expect to be at Marylebone Farmers Market tomorrow.  Offering three grades of asparagus, every year, normally from 1 May to mid-June, New Park Farm bring some of the very best asparagus to London's markets.  Buy it while you can as who knows whether the season will end prematurely this year.

Rochelle Canteen

Rochelle Canteen

I've just been told Tim Hayward has a review of Rochelle Canteen out today.  Damn the man's eyes, he writes like a dream!  Well, here goes anyway.  I really don't know why it took me so long to go back to Rochelle Canteen.  Maybe it had something to do with the fact you have to go through a school door to get to it - my relationship with learning was complicated.  You buzz for entry through the 'Boys' gate to find yourself in a small, partly-lawned school yard.  Ignoring the Victorian red-brick building you follow your nose to the bike shed.  That's more like it.

The door opens straight into the small, plainly stylish dining room set for communal eating, with the kitchen off to the left.  As you can see from the photograph it's quite a small space, around 30 covers, so it's best to book ahead.  In summer, tables are set up outside amongst a few pots of herbs and the odd bike.  This is Spitalfields so don't expect fancy.  I would say it's classy.

The menu changes daily and there is a blackboard of specials.  Rochelle Canteen's food is reliably seasonal and has the knack of being just what you want to suit the weather.  Chorizo and Potato Soup matched the stop-start feeling of spring this year.  Jersey Royal potatoes, Watercress and Soft Boiled Egg acknowledged the welcome appearance of the first potato of the year and the return of the peppery cress.  We ate a generous, creamy, portion of Brandade on Toast, a perfect balance between salt cod and potato.  Poor weather has caused the Asparagus season to get off to a haphazard start so a few Essex-grown spears simply served with clarified butter and a mound of sea salt was gratefully devoured. 

Mains of Boiled Meats and Green Sauce, Wild Sea Trout, Kohlrabi & Cucumber were on offer but Pollock Chips & Tartare Sauce proved too hard to resist for one.  The fish was fresh and flaky, the batter crispy, the chips just what you hope for.  The tartare sauce alongside was a bit too punchy for the Pollock but the traditional option of malt vinegar suited better.  Lamb, Artichoke and Rocket Salad was a plentiful plate of silky, pink roast, possibly hogget, given its good flavour, with well-dressed fresh artichokes and leaves.  We never made it to pudding but could have had Merinques and Poached Rhubarb, Lemon Posset and Strawberries (presumably Gariguette), or ice-creams.  You do need a good appetite if you're going to manage three courses here. 

Rochelle Canteen is run by Melanie Arnold & Margot Henderson (wife of Fergus Henderson of the St John establishments).   The cooking is gutsy and unflashy, less full-on than at St John.  It has no drinks licence but you can take a bottle - they charge a very fair £5 corkage.  When we were there a group of wine buffs were having a whale of a time pairing wine with the food.  It was nice to see them leave the unfinished bottles on the lunch table being set up for the chefs at the end of service.  The staff care and it's a good team.

You can't help wondering, as you look out onto the schoolyard, where all the kids are.  Rochelle School was built to educate the children of The Boundary Estate which replaced the Victoran slums centred around Old Nichol Street.  Arthur Morrison drew inspiration for his book A child of the Jago from the area.  Head for the distinctive landmark of Arnold Circus with its bandstand raised high on a mound.  It's midway between trendy, neat Hoxton Square and vibrant, dishevelled Brick Lane.  There is still a school in the Circus but the main Rochelle building now houses arts and media businesses and provides exhibition spaces.  The former bike shed serves as their Canteen but there is more around.  Calvert Avenue, running off Arnold Circus is home to the lovely Leila's Shop and Cafe.  Trendy Redchurch Street is a 5 minute walk away and you can go East to Columbia Road flower market in 10. 

Now, time to read Tim Hayward's review - damn his eyes.

Rochelle Canteen
Rochelle School
Arnold Circus
E2 7ES
Tel: 020 7729 5677

Open Mon-Fri for breakfast, lunch & tea (NOT DINNER) 9am-4.30pm 
Bring your own wine - corkage is a reasonable £5.
Around £60 for two including corkage
NEAREST TUBE STATIONS: Liverpool Street
http://www.arnoldandhenderson.com/

Cannellini Bean and Escarole Soup

Cannellini Bean and Escarole Soup

Having woken to London's first sunny day in weeks, I considered not publishing this recipe for a warming soup.  However, just as one swallow does not make a summer, one sunny day does not mean we are out of these dismal weather troughs yet.  So here is a really simple, healthy bowl of 'beans and greens' to get you through the next few days.

I have to own up to stealing this recipe a couple of months ago from Dave Cook.  He passed on some of his vast kitchen knowledge to a handful of keen amateurs, of which I was lucky enough to be one.  Like all simple dishes, it relies on good ingredients.

For the 'beans' element, I prefer to soak and cook dried ones for this soup but you could use the bottled Spanish Alubia beans which come in excellent cooking stock.  The freshness of packaged dried beans is difficult to judge.  The 'best before' date on the packet sitting on your supermarket shelf will lead you to believe they will keep for a year or more.  Well, yes they will but the longer they are kept the longer they will take to cook, and they will not taste so good.  Italian and Turkish food shops are good places to shop for dried beans as they are used a lot in the cuisines of both countries.  For this reason there is likely to be a fast turnover of stock.  If the locations are good for you, I can recommend Leilla's shop in Spitalfields or Lina Stores in Soho.  Any white bean will work in this recipe. 

The 'greens' in this recipe is escarole, a broad-leaved endive which looks a bit like a large, frilly romaine or cos lettuce but it is a bit more robust.  Escarole is sweeter and less bitter than its endive relatives with which you might be more familiar.  You could use something like turnip tops (cima di rapa) if you blanch them in boiling salted water for a minute or two first then plunge into cold water to retain the colour.  As I had some turnip tops, this is what I used for the soup photographed.

Cannellini and escarole soup

250g dried cannellini beans (500g cooked)
1 whole carrot
1 whole stick of celery
Half a white onion
2 plump garlic cloves, sliced
1-2 small dried chillies, deseeded and crumbled
A handful of basil leaves, torn
a handful of parsley, roughly chopped
6 or more roughly torn escarole leaves
50g parmesan, plus more to serve
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water.  Drain and bring to the boil in a large pan of fresh water with the whole carrot, celery stick and half onion.  Boil fast for 10 minutes to remove toxins, skim off impurities then reduce to a simmer for an hour or more (depending on freshness of the beans).  When the beans are soft, discard the vegetables.  Remove a quarter of the beans, puree and then return them to the pan.  This will thicken the soup and give it a silky texture.

Fry the garlic and chilli in olive oil and cook without browning.  Add the basil, parsley and escarole and cook for 1 minute to wilt.  Add all to the beans pot.  Add grated parmesan and salt and pepper.  Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and shavings of extra parmesan. 

Dock Kitchen Cookbook by Stevie Parle

Dock Kitchen Cookbook
Stevie Parle

So many influences have informed Stevie Parle’s cooking at his Dock Kitchen restaurant in west London, on which this book is based.  Cooking in iconic London restaurants the River Cafe, Moro and Petersham Nurseries before working in New York, Tokyo, Malaysia and Sri Lanka is quite a mix.  Reading the Dock Kitchen Cookbook you quickly realise that despite being influenced by so many different cuisines, there is a common theme to these dishes.   Most, as Parle himself says, are "home cooking of one form or another from one place or another".  They are closer to "the cooking of the grandmothers of the globe" than much restaurant food.  Here we clearly have a chef who loves to eat as well as cook. 

The journey starts with a simple Iraqi White Bean soup and travels seasonally through Catalonian Fish Stew, Italian Chicken Roasted in Milk & Sage, southern Indian vegetable thorans, Thai Grilled Quail, Chinese Duck & Mushroom Congee and Mexican Pork Shoulder.  There’s a small but appealing chapter on Sweet Things, including a fragrant Persian Rice Pudding and a boozy take on the classic British Summer Pudding.  Wild Foods, Spice Mixes, Breads, Pickles & Chutneys are briefly covered too.  This book is all the encouragement you need to discover what to do with those dried limes or pomegranate molasses in your local ethnic food shop.  Helpfully, there is also advice on what to do if you can't find an ingredient. 

Most of the recipes are admirably concise, showing restraint both in elements and method resulting in an economical dish.  The Dock Kitchen Cookbook is packed with recipes I want to cook and eat.

Published by Quadrille
Book courtesy of Quadrille Publishing

Barcelona Spring 2012

Barcelona old town

I've grown to love Barcelona at this time of year, even if the weather is less than reliable.  It's possible to shake off the tourists on las Ramblas and la Boqueria and wander the old town in peace.  I have to admit I was a little apprehensive when we touched down in the city this year.  How would this vibrant, multi-ethnic city be coping with an unemployment rate edging towards 24%.  We did see a couple of small-scale demonstrations, but on the surface life seemed little different.  Only if you asked the question did anyone volunteer that times were tough.  Barcelona is still its welcoming self, so go and spend your Euros.  It's a great city for a short break, but not too short as there is a lot to see and do.

Staying in the El Born area, two minutes from Mercado de Santa Catarina, it was tempting to spend all our time wandering the old town, but we were in a mood to explore.  So here are a few recommendations for places to see in the old quarters of Barcelona and a few to take you closer to, and north of, Av. Diagonal. 

First the old, south of Placa de Catalunya and north of Barcelonetta.  Mid-way between Placa de Sant Jaume and Via Laietana you'll find Calle Dagueria, a typical narrow pedestrian street in the Barri Gotic.  No. 16 is home to Formatgeria la Seu, stocking a fine range of Spanish cheeses, some you may not have come across before.  They are carefully selected direct from the farms of artisan producers by Scottish, long-time Barcelona resident, Katherine McLaughlin to grace the shelves of this must visit cheese shop.  Just a couple of doors down is the great little typical Barcelona hole-in-the-wall bar, Zim, at No. 20 selling wine and plates of cheeses and membrillo from the shop.  Very cosy and packed with a good mix of residents, students and tourists when we visited.  Squeeze in, they like it that way.

East of the Barri Gotic, crossing the Via Laietana brings you into the El Born district.  The pace is more leisurely here and you can truly wander through the labyrinthine pedestrian-only streets.  Deep in El Born is where you'll find the Museu de Picasso, with the Mercado de Santa Catarina a 5-10 minute winding walk north and the famous Cal Pep restaurant the same distance due south. 

Casa Torras
Barcelona

A few minutes further east of Cal Pep is the Placa Commercial and the interesting dried goods shop Casa Torras.  You'll wish you'd travelled lighter when you see what you can buy.  If you're in need of lunch, Commerc 24 is a few steps away on Carrer de Commerc (haven't been but heard good things).  Alterntively, you can take the weight off your feet in nearby Parque de la Ciudadela and watch the antics of the noisy green parrots.


When you've had enough of the closed-in feeling of the old town, go north of Placa de Catalunya into the Gracia and Eixample areas of Barcelona.  The Passeig de Gracia is great for Gaudi spotting and for fashion and furniture shopping.  Just off to the right on C/Diputacio is Tapas 24, sister bar to Commerc24.  You may have to queue but it's a reliable and buzzy place to eat.  Further up, at the junction with Av. Diagonal, is the little green haven of the Jardine del Palau Robert.  Crossing Av. Diagonal at this point will take you into the more heavily residential area of Gracia and to Placa Llibertat. 

Lagrana
Mercado de Llibertat

Here you'll find the very untouristy Mercado de Llibertat, a paired-down version of Mercado de Santa Catarina.  As you'd expect, there are fantastic fish stalls and grocers in this local covered market.  Look out for the stall, Lagrana, selling a huge range of nuts and dried fruits, and the fish stall with its own bar selling cooked seafood dishes.

Look too outside at the shops lining the Placa, in particular the egg seller and the dairy.  There's also a little cafe called La Pubilla catering to the market traders.  

Jamonisimo
Barcelona

Useful to know about if you are in the area but a jamon bocadillo and coffee at La Pubilla did cost the same (6 Euros) as at the outstanding Jamonisimo a 10 minute walk away.  Take the Trav. di Gracia west from Placa Llibertat and turn right onto C/ Muntaner. You'll find the exceptional Jamonisimo, at No. 328. A non-functioning website and the apparent closure of one of their three branches has caused some confusion but I can assure you this branch is open. They sell a fantastic range of the best Jamon Iberico from Andalucia, Extramadura and Salamanca either machine cut or hand carved. There's also a smart little cafe at the back of the shop. Expect charming, professional service. The neighbouring food shop Lleonart a couple of doors up the hill is also worth a look for ready prepared dishes.  Walk 10 minutes north-west to find El Bulli trained baker and chocolatier Oriol Balaguer at 62 C/ Benet Mateu, near Placa Sant Gregori Taumaturg.

Forn de Llibreria
Barcelona

Retrace your steps to C/ Muntaner and go east one street to C/ Aribau, dropping down into the Eixample area towards Placa de Catalunya. You'll find bakery Forn de Llibreria at No.22. Baking on-site, they sell breads, coques, croissant-like ensaimades, magdelene pastries and, when we were there, delicious sugar-coated bunyols.


There's just one more market you really should take a look at. Mercado de la Concepcio at 311 C/ Arago just by Metro Passeig de Gracia. It sells all kinds of food and co-habits with a supermarket and a flower market.

Good tapas is not hard to find, but when you come to crave a 3 course lunch rather than a few tapas, take a look at my post on Gresca.

Other posts from my previous visits which you may find useful:

Mercado de Santa Catarina
Barcelona Roundup

Hop shoots - two bites of the bine

Risotto of hop shoots

If I lived in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Herefordshire or Worcestershire I'd probably be scouring the hedgerows for wild hops right now.  Since the 13th century these English counties have been centres of hop growing, mainly for use in flavouring and preserving ales.  Hops contain alpha-acids which turn sweet ale into bitter beer, a process first recorded in Bavaria in the 9th century.  Commercial growing in the UK is now more centralised but I'm told by those who forage that these fast growing perennial plants can be found in the wild.  I do know that hop bines grow vigorously and this 'cut-and-come-again' approach does no harm at this time year, and the young shoots make good eating.

April is the time of year when, apart from perhaps a few hardy salad leaves and some kohlrabi there is little in the kitchen garden to harvest. In my own allotment, apart from some overwintering onions and garlic, only a barely-there row of spinach, sown three weeks ago, signals anything growing to rival the weeds. The early potatoes, peas, broad beans and chard are at last in the ground but it will be several weeks before there is anything to show for our planting efforts.  If you are impatient for the English asparagus season to really get going - there is asparagus around early this year but the flavour is not yet really formed - then look out for wild hops at market now (or in the hedgerow perhaps).  Here is a really good YouTube clip to help you identify hops in the wild.

The top 10cm tendrils are what you need. The plant will continue to grow vigorously and be good for harvesting in September for beer making.  Hops share some of the earthy characteristics of asparagus and, after boiling in salted water for a couple of minutes, are similarly good with eggs, pasta and rice dishes. 

Nicholas Culpeper  wrote in 1695 of the hops' blood-cleansing properties and declared them of great value in treating a large number of ailments - everything from ringworm to "the French Diseases".    Hops were grown by the Greeks and Romans as a garden crop, the young shoots being eaten and other parts being used medicinally - as a poultice for boils.  Much more recently, from the Veneto region of Italy, came Riso con  i Bruscandoli - a risotto of wild hops.  Claudia Roden, in her book, 'The Food of Italy', states that "the Veneto is richer in vegetables than any other region" and reminds me that Venetians like their Risotto quite liquid in comparison with other regions of northern Italy.  After the excesses of Easter, a tonic which also tastes great sounds like a good idea to me.  If you can't get your hands on hop shoots then you could use asparagus or broad bean tops.  As soon as broad beans flower, nip out the top 3-4cm of soft growth which is so tempting to blackfly, rinse the tops and add them to the risotto for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.

If you want to read more about the cultivation and use of hops in England I recommend 'English Hops' by George Clinch published in 1919.  You can find all 138 pages of it here.  It has a wonderful frontispiece showing a 1729 engraving of the "Hop Market in the Borough of Southwark" (site of the present Borough Market in south London) - close to where I buy mine today.

Here's my recipe for

Risotto of hop shoots
(serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are)

1 handful of hop shoots (the top 10cm tendrils of spring growth)
30g of unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely diced
1 large clove of garlic, sliced
150g of Carnaroli rice
50ml of white wine (optional)
About 800ml vegetable stock
A small pinch of saffron (optional - it's more for colour rather than flavour)
30g unsalted cold butter, diced
Salt & pepper
50g parmesan, grated + extra for serving

Wash the hop shoots thoroughly and cook in boiling salted water for two minutes.  Immerse them in cold water to preserve colour and bite.   Heat the stock to a simmer and if using the saffron, add it now. 

Melt the first of the butter in a large, round bottom pan and add the diced shallot.  Cook on a low to medium heat until soft then add the garlic.  Cook for another two minutes before adding the rice.  Stir for two minutes to coat the rice and until the grains become transluscent around the edges.  If using wine, add it now and cook until it has disappeared.  Add a ladleful of stock and some salt and pepper and stir.  Once the liquid has been taken up by the rice, add another ladleful and continue this way until the stock is used up and the rice is cooked (firm but tender without a chalky centre).  Add the hop shoots, roughly chopped, for the last 2-3 minutes.  

Once you start adding the stock, the dish should be ready in about 20 minutes. You don't need to stir the rice continually but do it often and towards the end make sure you stir it well.  The consistency should be creamy but, in the Venetian manner, quite loose.  Take the pan off the heat and stir in the diced butter and parmesan.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Serve with extra parmesan.