Chef - Jack Botha

Ark of Taste Product  - Kentish Cobnuts

Producer - Potash Farm

Chef Jack Botha creates an elegant but simple dish using sea buckthorn and Kentish cobnuts

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius

Make the biscuits by combining the flour, sea salt, ginger and sugar. Rub the butter into the flour mixture to resemble course breadcrumbs. Mix the chopped nuts in with your hands then work the mix with your hands for about a minute until you have a very stiff dough (If your mix is too stiff add a small touch of ice cold water). Shape to disk, wrap in cling film and set aside in the fridge until later.

Make the buckthorn creams by heating the sea buckthorn juice and sugar until a light syrup is reached.  Trickle the syrup over the egg yolks, slowly, whisking all the time. Once combined, set aside. Bring the cream to a boil, then pour through a fine sieve, over your egg and sugar mixture and stir immediately. Strain the mixture once more into a non-reactive jug and pour into four porcelain ramekins, standing merrily in an ovenproof dish with raised sides. Place your creams into the oven; just before closing the door, pour enough water to surround the ramekin dishes.

Cook the creams  in the oven for roughly 35 minutes – you want a generous wobble, much like a pannacotta.  Remove the creams from the ovenproof dish and set aside for 10 minutes before stowing in the fridge for a good hour until thoroughly chilled and set.

Whilst your creams are chilling, remove your biscuit dough from the fridge and roll until ½ cm thick. Cut to circles with a biscuit cutter (or the rim of a wine glass), place on a lined tray and bake for about 20 minutes, until solid yet pale.  Transfer to a wire rack and chill slightly.

Remove your creams from the fridge, sprinkle with sugar and caramelise under the grill or with a blowtorch.  Leave until the sugar has hardened (about 30 seconds) . Serve with a warm biscuit and wood sorrel garnished over the top.

Serve with blackcurrant jam.

For the sea buckthorn cream:

500ml organic double cream 5 large organic egg yolks 130g unrefined golden caster sugar 80ml organic sea buckthorn juice Unrefined golden caster sugar – for caramelising

 

For the cobnut biscuits:

70g roasted, de husked, coarsely chopped Kentish Cobnuts 80g organic golden caster sugar 130g organic, stoneground plain flour 130g unsalted, cold, cubed organic butter ½ tsp coarse sea salt ½ tsp ground ginger

Wood sorrel:

5g freshly picked wood sorrel