The Pickle chefs have been making the most of a rare quiet period in the catering calendar, not just by indulging in some RnR, but by doing one thing we really love…intensive recipe and menu testing! As you can imagine this involves experimenting with lots of lovely ingredients and sampling everything we create. The pounds are piling on, but all in the name of good food for our clients.
With this in mind we dispatched the newest member of the chef team, Tabatha – the new Pickle apprentice – to Borough Market in search of inspiration and ideas. Tabatha joined us back in May under a government-lead apprentice scheme. For the next year she will be working closely in the Pickle kitchen with Sarah and Charlie learning key skills and recipes.
Kentish Cobnuts at Borough Market
So last Friday afternoon Tabatha set off with her taste buds tingling ready to sample the delicious wares of one of London's most famous markets. August is a great time to visit because of the wonderful variety of things in season. Amongst the many ingredients and ideas Tabatha returned with was Kentish Cobnuts – bang in season and a nut native to the South East of England – so we were keen to experiment.
The cobnut is a cultivated type of hazelnut with a greeny/brown outer husk. Unlike other nuts they are often marketed fresh rather than dried out. Once picked they should be stored in a cool, dry place, allowing them to develop a real intense nutty flavor.
Pear, sticky toffee and cobnut tart
We decided to try a sweet recipe with our nuts, putting them in to a pear, sticky toffee and cobnut tart. We are loving ‘The Great British Bake Off’ at the moment, so naturally we opted for a Paul Hollywood recipe. The tart consists of a pastry case filled with quartered pears and a sticky toffee and cobnut mix. It is served with more toffee sauce and clotted cream – totally indulgent. Needless to say the team were happy with the results.