Cook with the season

Make the most of November’s seasonal ingredients

Recipes ADAM BUSH
Photographs MOWIE KAY

in season this month

Pork

Pork was traditionally eaten in months ending in ‘r’ – in those months it is colder and, due to the lack of refrigeration, this stopped the meat from spoiling as quickly as in the hotter months.

COVER RECIPE

Pork belly with beans and pistou

If the crackling needs a little extra pop at the end then lift the pork out of the beans and put onto a baking tray. Turn the oven back up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and roast for another 15-20 mins or until the crackling is crisp.

SERVES 4 | PREP 25 MINS PLUS OVERNIGHT SOAKING AND MARINATING | COOK 4 HRS | EASY

200g dried cannellini beans

8 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

1kg pork belly, skin scored

4 long shallots, halved

1 tbsp olive oil

800ml chicken stock

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 lemon, sliced

PISTOU

1 garlic clove

a small bunch of basil leaves

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 The night before cooking the pork, put the dried beans into a large bowl with the garlic cloves and bay leaves, then pour over 2 litres of cold water, cover and leave at room temperature overnight. Also remove the pork from its wrapping and sprinkle heavily with sea salt flakes. Put into a roasting tin, uncovered, and into the fridge overnight.

2 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and leave the pork at room temperature for 30 mins while the oven heats. Tip the shallots into the roasting tray and pat the pork skin dry, then drizzle lightly with oil, getting into all the scores on the skin. Roast for 1 hr until the skin is beginning to get really crisp. Drain the beans through a fine sieve.

3 Remove the pork from the oven and turn down the temperature to 170C/150C fan/gas 2. Put the beans around the pork, being careful to avoid the skin, then pour in the stock and add the fennel seeds and sliced lemon. Roast for 3 hrs until the pork is meltingly tender and the beans are soft. Remove from the oven, loosely cover and leave to rest for 15 mins.

4 Make the pistou by using a pestle and mortar to crush the garlic clove and a pinch of sea salt flakes to a paste. Add the basil leaves and repeat, then mix in the oil.

5 Serve the pork and beans with the pistou.

Clementines

A type of mandarin that is small and sweet, and is in season over the winter months. When buying, look for unblemished skin.

Clementine posset

SERVES 6 | PREP 5 MINS | COOK 10 MINS | EASY | GF

600ml double cream

200g golden caster sugar

4 clementines, zested and juiced, plus extra zest to serve

1 lemon, zested and juiced

shortbread to serve

1 Pour the cream into a pan with the sugar and heat until the sugar fully dissolves. Add the clementine and lemon zests and juices, and whisk together. Divide between six glasses and chill for at least 2 hrs.

2 To serve, grate extra clementine zest over the top of each posset and serve with a piece of shortbread.

Celeriac

Similar in flavour to celery but with creamy, firm flesh. It takes on flavours extremely well and is very versatile. Buy it with the leaves on, if possible, as they are the best indication of freshness and quality.

Celeriac shawarma

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground turmeric

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp runny honey

1 lemon, juiced

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large celeriac, peeled

TO SERVE

flatbreads

red cabbage, shredded

pickled chillies

hummus chilli sauce

1 Tip all of the ground spices into a large bowl, then add the garlic, honey, lemon juice, 3 tbsp of the olive oil and plenty of seasoning, and whisk together. Trim the bottom off the celeriac so it sits flat. Cut horizontally into 1cm thick slices. Tip the celeriac into the marinade bowl and coat each slice in the spice mixture, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hrs or overnight.

2 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. In a roasting tin, layer up the celeriac in a tower with a larger piece on the bottom to ensure it’s stable. Put 2 metal skewers vertically down through the tower to help hold it upright. Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil to the marinade bowl and keep to one side. Put the celeriac into the oven for 20 mins.

3 Turn down the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3 and cook the celeriac for another 1 hr 30 mins, basting the edges with the excess marinade, until the celeriac is really tender.

4 Use a sharp knife to shave pieces off the celeriac into the tray and serve with flatbreads, shredded red cabbage, pickled chillies, hummus and chilli sauce.

Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are part of the cabbage family. When buying, look for bright green outer leaves that are tightly wrapped around each other.

Sprout som tam

100g green beans, halved

250g brussels sprouts, shredded

1 carrot, julienned

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

a handful of coriander, chopped

50g salted peanuts, chopped

DRESSING

1 small garlic clove

1 bird’s-eye chilli

2 limes, juiced

2 tbsp soft light brown sugar

3 tbsp fish sauce

1 Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and have a bowl of iced water ready. Briefly boil the beans for 2 mins until just tender. Drain the beans and plunge into the water for 3 mins, then drain well, drying thoroughly.

2 Tip the sprouts, carrot, tomatoes and beans into a large bowl and season lightly.

3 Make the dressing by using a pestle and mortar to bash the garlic clove and chilli until gently broken up and softened. Add the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce, and mix well. Pour into the sprout bowl and mix really well.

4 Spoon the salad between two plates and sprinkle each with coriander and the chopped peanuts.

Sticky miso roast sprouts

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE | PREP 5 MINS | COOK 35 MINS | EASY | VEGETARIAN

1 tbsp vegetable oil

500g brussels sprouts, halved

75g unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp miso

1 lime, juiced

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour the oil into a large roasting tray, tip in the sprouts, season and toss really well. Roast for 25 mins.

2 Put the butter in a bowl with the miso and lime juice, and mash together with a little seasoning.

3 Spoon the butter into the sprout tray and toss well. Put back into the oven for a further 10 mins until caramelised and glossy.

4 Tip into a serving dish and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Love your leftovers

Make the most out of a glut of seasonal produce with our clever ideas

Pork belly fried rice
(serves 2)

Fry 150g of diced left-over cooked pork belly in a little vegetable oil in a frying pan until really crisp. Scoop out onto a plate with a slotted spoon. Add a 250g rice pouch to the pan along with 1 thinly sliced pepper and 1 thinly sliced carrot. Fry for 3-4 mins or until crisping, then push everything to the side of the pan and crack in 2 eggs. Leave to cook for 1 minute, then scramble them. Add in 75g of frozen peas along with the cooked pork and mix. Add 1 tbsp of chiu chow chilli oil, 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of caster sugar, and mix well. Serve topped with thinly sliced spring onion.

Clementine and burrata salad
(serves 2)

Peel 2 clementines and then slice them horizontally and arrange on a platter. Tear over 2 balls of burrata and scatter over a 90g bag of rocket. Whisk together 1 tsp of dijon mustard, 1 finely chopped shallot, 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar. Spoon onto the salad and serve.

Spiced celeriac soup
(serves 4)

Fry 1 finely chopped onion, 4 finely chopped garlic cloves and a finely chopped knob of ginger in 75g of butter in a large pan over a medium heat for 10 mins until softened. Add 1 tbsp of cumin seeds, 1 tbsp of black mustard seeds, 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes and cook for 1 min. Add 1 peeled and diced celeriac along with a 400ml tin of coconut milk and 200ml of water. Cook for 20 mins until the celeriac is really soft, then blend with a stick blender until smooth. Season and squeeze in the juice of ½ a lime. Spoon into bowls and scatter over a few coriander leaves.

Sprout spaghetti
(serves 2)

Heat 3 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan over a low-medium heat and fry 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves for 2 mins to gently soften, then add 100g of shredded brussels sprouts. Cook gently for 10 mins until softened. Meanwhile, cook 200g of spaghetti in a pan of salted water until al dente. Use tongs to transfer the spaghetti to the sprout pan along with a little of the pasta cooking water. Add ½ tsp of freshly cracked black pepper and 50g of finely grated parmesan, and toss to combine. Divide between two plates and top with more grated parmesan.

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