Chef - Frances Atkins

Ark of Taste Product - Medlar

Producer - The Yorke Arms' Kitchen Garden

This is a perfect Slow Food dish using underused and underrated meats (mutton), encouraging a spot of foraging fun (Pine Ash) and celebrating another fabulous forgotten food, picked from the chef's very own kitchen garden (medlar). Frances has certainly ticked all the boxes with this unusual but delicious dish.

Method:

– For the pine ash, cook the 2 branches of pine in a moderate oven until burnt. Blitz to a fine powder and reserve until needed.

– Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

– In a large casserole dish, brown the shanks with the chopped vegetables and thyme, over a high heat with a little oil.  Season.

– Add the liquid to the dish and cover with a lid. Place in oven at 200°C for approx. 20 mins.

– Reduce heat to 160°C and cook for a further 2 hours.

– When the meat is soft, remove from oven and stand until cool. Strain the liquid and correct seasoning.

– Skim excess fat off the stock and reduce the liquid by half over a high heat.

– Add the shank to the liquid to form a nice glaze.

– Chop the potato into neat squares.  Peel and core medlars and chop into squares similar to the potato and squeeze the lemon juice over them to prevent discolouration.

– Pour in the apple juice over the chopped potato and medlar and roast for 20 mins (in a 180°C oven).  The potato and medlar will soak up the apple juice forming a nice caramelisation. Once cooked add the yellow raisins.

– In a pan of salted, boiling water, cook the baby turnips until soft, but still retaining some bite.

– To plate, spoon the medlar and potato onto the centre of the dish. Place the shank on top of the vegetables. Garnish with baby turnip and a sprinkling of the pine ash.

Ingredients:

2 Mutton Shanks 1 Onion, Chopped 1 Carrot, Chopped 1 Celery, Chopped 1 Leek, Chopped 750ml Chicken Stock 250ml Red Wine Salt & Pepper to taste 1 Bunch of Thyme 2 Medium Sized Potatoes Peeled 6 Medlars 250ml  Natural Apple Juice 6 Baby Turnips 10g Yellow Raisins Juice of 1 Lemon

2 small branches of strong pine.