Lindy Wildsmith, freelance food and recipe writer

Many people ask me exactly what is curing – curing is a collective name for all forms of preserving; drying, salting, smoking, spicing, marinating, potting, pickling and raw. It is a subject as old as man himself – who even as a hunter gatherer faced the eternal problem of how to store food in times of plenty for leaner times.

What I love about curing is that it is culinary alchemy. It is like turning base metal into gold. For example a good jam captures the essence of the main ingredient. The flavour is intensified and takes on something of its own. This is true of every kind of preserving; think salmon then think about smoked salmon, think beef then think pastrami, and think pork think prosciutto. Curing is exciting and addictive and best of all it is easy to do; it uses few ingredients and simple techniques, but it takes its time. This is true slow food. Once you have mastered the basics you can play around with ingredients and create all kinds of new flavours.

You may say, why cure now that we have fridges and freezers. As I have already said curing intensifies, deepens and enriches the flavour and offers room for experimentation. Curing also prolongs the life of meat, fish and vegetables and once you have cured your loin of pork, smoked your salmon, potted your rabbit these delicious dishes keep really well which means you always have something delicious in the fridge to offer friends or simply to treat yourself with.

Like making preserves you need top quality seasonal ingredients. Let the seasons work for you and don’t rush things, be organised, start with small cuts of meat and fish until you have perfected the curer’s craft. Remember this is not science, there are rules but you must use some common sense. Temperature and humidity will affect timing, each piece of meat or fish will respond differently. There is much to learn from experience

Curing is liberating – we have all become slaves to the last minute meal but this puts great pressure on the cook. Gravadlax may take three days to make but it takes only a few minutes and a few ingredients to prepare – add boiled potatoes and a dill sauce and at the end of it you have a meal fit for a king with no hassle what so ever. You just need to think about it in advance.

One last word Curing is not only about preserving lumps of meat and fish; it allows you to make all kinds of delicate dishes on a very domestic level. Salting and spicing takes roast pheasant to another level. Confits de canard, transfers a few inexpensive stringy duck legs into a melt in the mouth treat. Smoking a trout on the top of your kitchen stove and eating it hot is sublime and the secret is simply to think ahead.

Once you have got your brining pot going in the fridge there is nothing you won’t want to put in it to try. Slow roast belly pork is always good but brining the pork first for anything from 24 hours to a week gives it a whole new melt in the mouth texture and depth of flavour.

Boil the ingredients up together to dissolve the salt and then leave to cool before immersing the meat and keep in the fridge or larder if you are lucky enough to have one.

Use for hams, belly pork, pig’s head, ears, hocks, trotters and lumps of pork skin.

In days gone by pickled pork as it was called was kept for up to two years without refrigeration but by simply changing the brine regularly.

Cut the belly pork from the rib bones (these can be brined and roasted too) and put the meat in a simple brine solution (see above) weight and refrigerate for anything from 24 hours to a week - the longer the better!

When the pork comes out of its brine, soak it overnight in clean cold water and dry it thoroughly. Score the rind in squares or diamonds, leave uncovered to dry for at least an hour. Finely chop the sage and rosemary leaves and the garlic and rub all over the meat. Stick a few cloves in the rind if liked. Set on a rack over a roasting pan – cover the base of the pan with water.

Rest for thirty minutes. Transfer the meat to a serving dish. Drain off the fat from the pan and reserve for use at a later date.

Cut the meat into squares or triangles and serve with apple sauce and mashed sweet potatoes or roasted pumpkin and salad.

Watercress has a distinctive peppery yet refreshing taste and a bright green colour guaranteed to cheer up the most tired palate. It lends itself perfectly to salads, sandwiches, sauces and soups but more often than not it is served as a garnish and often ends up left on the side of the plate.

Watercress contains more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, and more folate than bananas. It has high levels of antioxidants and as such increases the ability of cells to resist the damage to their DNA, helping protect against cell changes that can lead to cancer.

In Victorian London watercress was the original street food. It arrived in Covent Garden by rail. Street sellers bunched it in the early morning in time for the “mechanic’s breakfast”, then swarmed onto the streets crying “Fresh wo-orter-creases”; customers ate it in the hand like an ice cream cone. It was eaten in sandwiches for breakfast and in poorer homes on its own; earning itself the name “poor man’s bread”. Today it is more likely to be sold in anonymous salad bags but when I see it for sale in bunches I find it totally irresistible and take a leaf out of the Victorian’s book and munch it then and there.

Of late, watercress’s more glamorous Italian cousin rocket has stolen its fire to become the staple of the contemporary kitchen as a cushion for meat and fish dishes, an overlay for cured meats and for peppering up salads. The two plants are equally versatile and both are deliciously peppery but watercress has yet another dimension. Watercress’s stalks are succulent and cool and the leaves are tender and add a velvety texture to soups and sauces.

Whiz watercress and add to quark or mayonnaise to make a dip cum sauce or egg Mayo; stir last minute into eggy or creamy pasta dishes, stews or casserole to add vigour and freshness or make a delicious reviving soup to invigorate your tired January senses.

Heat enough olive oil to cover the base of a frying pan, add shallots, garlic and nutmeg and fry over low heat until the onions are soft and gently caramelised. Give this plenty of time for the flavours to intensify. Quickly add the watercress and wilt. Then add the wine and stock and bring to the boil. Transfer to a blender and whiz until smooth. Adjust consistency with cream, yogurt or stock. Taste for seasoning and add salt and black pepper to please. Serve reheated with a grating of nutmeg and hot crusty bread.

The sauce:
1kg fresh clams in their shells
A wine glass of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
Piece of chilli
2 handfuls of parsley finely chopped

Wash the clams in plenty of running salted water until not a trace of sand is left. Drain well. Place the clams in a heavy based pan over high heat. Cover and shake the pan until all the clams have opened. Strain off the liquid and put through a fine sieve and reserve. Reduce if necessary.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan, add a little garlic and chilli and heat through gently. When the garlic starts to turn golden discard it with the chilli. Add the clams to the pan with the liquid, finely chopped parsley and cook gently for a minute or two for the flavours to come together.

Add the clams to the spaghettini and mix well. Tip onto a large serving plate and add lots of black pepper, a flurry of parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve at once.

Last month I extolled the benefits of watercress as a super food and this month I shall be using it again in a pesto to enhance a neck fillet of lamb to make a simple and delicious supper dish

I love all the fillets, pork, beef and lamb because they make simple cooking, good eating, and they lend themselves to innovation. You can cut them into thick slices or beat them flat or roll them and fry them, cut them into slivers for stir fries, into chunks for kebabs, cut them through the middle and stuff them and more besides.

Neck fillet of lamb is full of flavour and there is no waste and therefore makes good family eating. That said, this particular recipe would also make a good supper party dish. If you want any quantity you may have to order them from your butcher. Allow 100-150 g per person and for this recipe make sure the pieces are more or less the same thickness.

2 cm fresh red chilli, finely chopped (the chilli tends not to break down as quickly as the other ingredients)

Cut the 4 neck fillet pieces through and fold open, without cutting right through the meat. Lightly salt the cut surface.

Put the watercress, walnut pieces, the finely chopped chilli and the salt in a blender with the olive oil and reduce to a thick paste.

Spread a good spoonful of pesto down the middle of each piece of meat fold over and secure with two cocktail sticks. Do not worry if some of the pesto oozes out. Put it back in the blender. Then add 4 tablespoons of cold water to the remaining pesto and whiz again until smooth. Transfer to a jug and reserve.

When ready to eat, heat a frying pan over medium-to-high heat then add enough olive oil to cover the base of the pan, add the 4 pieces of neck fillet and fry until brown then turn and continue to fry until golden brown all over then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Transfer the meat to a dish to keep warm. Remove the cocktail sticks. Increase the heat again and add the white wine to the pan and simmer until reduced by half then add the reserved diluted pesto and heat through until it starts to simmer.

When ready to serve, divide the sauce between the serving plates. Then divide the reserved watercress into neat piles and top with a piece of neck fillet. Serve with mashed potatoes or mashed celeriac with whole grain mustard.

A MAGICAL OCCASION

Eating al fresco in the garden

Back from the holidays we all long to recreate that Mediterranean style of eating outdoors at home. What can be finer than a leisurely lunch in cool, leafy shade on a blisteringly hot day, a candlelit dinner in the balmy evening air, or a night spent chatting into the early hours?

You don’t need a large garden; a small paved area is just as good. You don’t even need special furniture; simply carry a table and chairs outside or throw a rug and cushions on the ground and dine Turkish style. In fact, creating a successful meal outdoors requires little extra effort. The important thing is to just do it!

Set up your table in a sheltered spot out of the wind, preferably not too far from the house, as everything you carry out will have to be carried in again later. At lunchtime provide some shade…not everyone enjoys sitting in direct sun. A garden parasol is the obvious solution, but the natural shade of a tree or a plant-covered pergola is heaven.

When choosing a menu, think about what is in season! It is summer so make sure you celebrate the fact. Salads are a good choice as you can use an array of vegetables and cook them in advance. Use mixed leaves and chopped spring onion as a base and add peas, broad beans, green beans, sliced baby beets, new potatoes and carrots to enrich the salad. Alternatively summer fruits such as strawberries and raspberries or sliced peaches and nectarines add a sweet and sour dimension. Add chopped celery or fennel, radishes or peppers, or a handful of nuts or seeds for some crunch. Chopped capers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives or anchovy fillets will add flavour. Finally, toss the salad in a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar and add seasoning.

To serve your salad as a starter, top with smoked fish, charcuterie or cheese. For a main course top with warm chargrilled or pan fried fish such as salmon or tuna, marinated chicken, pork or veal escallops, kidneys and drizzle with extra dressing before serving.

Whatever you choose as a main course, go for something simple that can be prepared in advance and cooked quickly before serving or even better something that can be made in advance and simply reheated when needed. Serve with a simple salad and either couscous, boiled rice or bread and it’s done. Remember to put the bread in a hot oven for five minutes to give it that freshly baked taste.

A fruit-based pudding is an obvious choice at this time of year. Macerate sliced peaches, apricots and nectarines in a little liqueur such as Kirsch or Maraschino and sugar and serve with cream or ice cream. Alternatively, cover with a layer of double cream and brown sugar and set under the grill to caramelise. Make fruit sorbets in advance and keep in the freezer until required. That old standby Eaton mess is a simple solution to doing something special with soft fruit. A fruit platter is also a welcome treat at the end of a meal. Cut water melon and a couple of other types of melon into wedges, take off the skin and arrange on a large platter, drizzle with caramel or raspberries and serve very, very cold. Whatever you do get as much done before your friends arrive so you can enjoy the party too!

Don’t forget to chill wines and drinks. A large bucket or bowl discreetly hidden filled with iced water can double as an outdoor fridge. Pimms No 1 is the ideal summer drink but remember to add cucumber, mint and ice as well as the fruit and lemonade!

On hot summer days we eat in the dappled shade under the spreading branches of an old apple tree at the centre of our garden. For birthdays we hang the tree with coloured streamers and at night with twinkling lanterns. In early summer it is covered with its own frothy pink blossom and in late summer with picture-book red apples and needs no extra adornment.

Hang near-by bushes and trees with coloured lights and pretty lanterns. Colourful plates, cutlery and glasses look wonderful on an outdoor dining table. Lay the table with all the trappings you would use for an indoor party and don’t forget a simple bowl of flowers and lots and lots of candles if you are dining in the dark. Remember that anything light (napkins) or tallish (glasses, candle sticks) will blow away or topple over in the slightest breeze and a stronger breeze may even lift the cloth so weights on the corners can be useful. For a special occasion fill your garden with flares, lanterns and if you have a pond add some floating candles

It never ceases to amaze me how in spite of our dicey weather the great British public continues to party al fresco all summer long undaunted by cold weather, downpours and storms. The weather may not be reliable at home, but when the sun shines eating outdoors is a truly magical occasion.

Spiced chicken with pistachio nuts and caramelised peaches

Serves 4

Rub the chicken pieces with plenty of salt and pepper. Set a large frying pan over medium to high heat until hot then add enough olive oil to cover the base. Add the chicken thighs at once and fry all over until golden. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain.

Pour off excess chicken fat and reserve. Add stock to pan and set over low heat to deglaze then scrape up the juices and reserve. Return two tablespoons of chicken fat to the pan adding the onion, turmeric and cinnamon, mix well and cook over low heat until the onion is soft.

Increase the heat and return the chicken to the pan. Turn once or twice in the onion mixture; add grappa if using and continue to cook until it has evaporated. Pour the pan juices back onto the pan, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken and simmer again for 20 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over low heat, then add the peaches and cook for 1 minute. Add the lime juice and sugar and simmer again for 1 minute. Add the pistachio nuts and carefully add the fruit to the pan containing the chicken then cover and cook gently for 10 minutes.

When ready to serve transfer to a serving dish and scatter with extra pistachios. Serve with boiled rice, couscous or bread and a green salad.

The beach at Vieste is long and flat and is the perfect place for a morning walk any time of the year but most of all on a sunny morning out of season when the continuous rows of recliners have been put away for the winter and the beach is left to revert to nature’s way. In the months before and after high season the flat calm of the Adriatic is churned up into a frenzy of waves as if to wash away any last vestige of the tourist season.

The reason for my visit to this area is the famed Puglian antipasto. Every restaurant in the region worth its salt offers amazing spreads of delicious things to eat to kick off a meal before embarking on the pasta, fish and meat courses. Huge platters with mozzarellas still warm from the Buffalo; magnificent Cacciocavallo cheeses made with milk from the Podolica cows; torte rustiche (farmhouse pies) and calzoni filled with cheeses and vegetables; hams, salamis and other cured specialities; char-grilled, lightly floured deep fried and preserved vegetables and fish; octopus, squid, mussels and clams in varying sizes cooked in myriad ways; The elegantly dressed Puglian antipasto table heaves and groans with unimaginable culinary pleasure.

My visit to the market is to look for some local cured fish specialities so I fast track the heaps of sun dried tomatoes, jars of tomato passata, packs of homemade orecchiette and the heaps of fresh Mediterranean vegetables. Eventually I am stopped in my tracks by a colourful wall of jars two metres high. Big bulbous bright shiny preserved peppers, aubergines, courgettes, olives, lampasciuoli - local onions, mushrooms and every other vegetable known to the Gargano are enshrined in beautiful Puglian olive oil.

Next to these are stacks of jars of fishy concoctions, of prawns and seafood salad of every size. I bought a jar of rich pink coloured salted anchovies preserved in oil with chilli and another jar of fresh marinated anchovies pickled in vinegar and finished in oil with parsley, chilli and garlic and a totally irresistible jar of moscardini, perfect, tiny, pink octopus. The stall holder Antonio Calabrese makes most of the pickles himself and with little encouragement took the trouble to explain how they are made.