Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2008/January 2009 | Page 95

seasonal produce vegetable Brussel sprouts, curly kale, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, garlic, pumpkin, swedes, chard and spinach. Try this for Christmas: Brussel sprouts with caramelised onions and toasted almonds. Gently sweat the onions in butter for 6-8 minutes. Blanch the sprouts for 1 minute. Add the almonds, butter and add the sprouts for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Stir the onions and almonds through. Season with celery salt and lots of pepper. fish A whole turbot or seabass makes a nice change from poultry over Christmas. Carp, conger eel, Dover sole, mussels, oysters and skate. Lindisfarne Oysters Provencal Cover each oyster with garlic butter and a thick layer of Gruyere cheese and fresh breadcrumbs. Place under a hot grill or bake in a hot oven for 5 mins, or until crisp and golden. FOOD & DRINK life meat fruit Mallard makes a perfect dish for two, as each one weighs around 1 kg each. When you purchase them be sure to cook them as soon as possible, as I have found from experience that they go off very quickly, so check them when you buy them. Orange works very well with wild duck and in February Seville oranges are at their best, I add a little cointreau to intensify the flavour of the orange. Buttery brussels with chestnuts Plunge the brussels into boiling salted water and cook on a fairly fast boil for about four to five minutes. Cut the chestnuts and sprouts in half. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the sprouts and fry gently for five minutes. Add the chestnuts and heat through for a couple of minutes. Then season. Pheasant, partridge, mallard and grouse. Hare and wild rabbit. The Island's new funky radio station www.wightfm.com Apples, pears, pomegranate, quinces, medlars, almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts and walnuts. 95