Simon King, chef/proprietor at restaurant 1861 near Abergavenny.
Veggie treats for February
The January fervour for detox, ditching alcohol, and eating plant-based food has come to a close. But there's no reason why we can't bring a more healthy, sustainable aspect to our eating and consumption habits on a permanent basis.
Since Sir David Attenborough's BBC documentary highlighted the true horror of the plastic suffocating our oceans, we have become more aware of how much waste our society produces.
I try and avoid unnecessary packaging wherever possible, but it can be hard work. If you are a hurry, you sometimes have to grab what's available. It's infuriating to find vegetables such as aubergine, with their natural, tough, glossy skin, wrapped in a second skin of plastic, for instance.
When it comes to eating, I think a balance is best. Combining good quality, ethically reared meat products with a couple of days of veggie and or plant based meals works well, and keeps the variety in our diet.
It's fair to say that meat and fish free meals can be every bit as satisfying and delicious, and just as easy to prepare. The recipe below uses dried porcini mushrooms, which have a very good flavour. Preparing the home-made pasta can be a bit of a fiddle, but this dish will make a jaw-dropping centrepiece for a dinner party.
Porcini mushroom ravioli
Ingredients for the pasta
500g pasta flour
3 eggs
6 egg yolks
Splash olive oil
Splash of water
Pinch salt
Method
Place the flour and the eggs into a food processor and process to a breadcrumb consistency. Then add oil and water in equal quantities and process again to form a smooth dry dough. Rest in the fridge for a least 30 minutes.
The filling
150g porcini mushrooms,
1 large onion
1 handful parsley
Salt and pepper
Peel and dice the onion wash and trim the wild mushrooms, cutting them into single bite pieces. Sweat the onions in butter until soft and translucent add the mushrooms and cook until tender, season to taste.
To make the ravioli
Roll the pasta until thin. Spoon the mushroom mix into the centre and fold over the pasta, and cut using a cutter and ensuring the pasta is completely sealed.
Poach the ravioli in gently simmering water for 5 to 6 minutes to cook the pasta and the filling. Serve on a bed of wilted spinach and with a dash of grated truffle, cream and parmesan cheese.
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