Newsletter December 2005
Modern Country Living - Domestic Bliss
Game On: Woodcock - December 2005
I have a great empathy with the spelling of woodcock
– I wonder if the little birds suffer the same trouble I do when
pronouncing my name? People ask it then immediately say ah yes
Wilcox – It is very boring and very irritating when people put
an “x” or an “s” on my name I say – “NO! 2 “LL’s” one COCK!!”
Do you think woodcock say 2 “oo’s and one cock…… just a thought.
On to this month’s recipe, I think you should treat
woodcock with old fashioned respect and just cook it the traditional
way but I love the way Italians cook game and I came across this
wonderful accompaniment in a fantastic old Italian cookery book.
It is also delicious with pheasant and partridge and you can bottle
it up and give it as a Christmas Pressie.
Happy Christmas see you in 2006!
Pumpkin, ginger and mustard seed relish
1 kg pumpkin, peeled and sliced and cut into little
neat cubes
750g caster sugar
700g water
1 organic lemon sliced
2 tablespoons chopped stem ginger along with 2-3 tablespoons of
it the syrup
1 tsp mustard seeds
First soak the mustard seeds in some boiling water
– enough to cover them for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Use a wide shallow saucepan.
Bring the water, sugar, lemon slices and ginger
syrup up to a boil and reduce until you have a thin syrup – so
that a drop with stick to a wooden spoon. Then add the pumpkin
cubes and mustard seeds. Boil for a further 15 minutes then add
the chopped ginger. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes then ladle
into small sterilised jars. Seal and when cool label.
Serve with woodcock and other game.
TIP:
I was in Northallerton in North Yorkshire – I am in love with
Yorkshire – and was introduced to Lewis & Cooper, “purveyors
of fine food and wine since 1899”. It is a delight, a gem! Old
fashioned manners are very much in vogue in Yorkshire and Lewis
& Cooper’s staff has them in spades. Oh, and the hamper department
is to die for! www.lewisandcooper.co.uk
tel. 01609 772880
This article by Amy Willcock appears
in The Shooting Gazette December 2005, and is reproduced here with
permission.
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