As always The Big Feastival has got a stunning music and food line-up ready for festival-goers on Alex James’ Kingham farm this August. READ ABOUT IT HERE
Food-wise, it’s really come into its own this year with an exciting array of culinary events and names. From famous chefs Nathan Outlaw, Anna Haugh and Ching He Huang MBE to comedian and chef George Egg, the line-up is impressive.
Don’t miss brand new stage The Fire Pit where top chefs such as chef and founder of The Hidden Hut in Cornwall Simon Stallard, talented North-London chef, YouTube presenter Big Has and long term Feastival collaborator DJ BBQ, alongside demos from Michelin green star restaurant Terroir Tapas’ Matt Cross, George Wood and Sam Elliot.
Feast on the Farm is back with its sit down rustic dining experience by renowned steak house Pasture, who specialise in fire-based cooking. Book the three-course sit down feast for lunch, dinner or brunch. BOOK HERE
Feast wise, the Table Sessions are really popular. Get up close and personal with your favourite chefs and industry experts through workshops and tastings! Learn insider tips and innovative ideas, get hands on and learn new skills. PRE-BOOK HERE
Young chefs will enjoy the M&S Food Little Cooks Kitchen Garden tent where children can learn about food and get stuck into cooking. BOOK HERE
Feastival highlight, The Big Kitchen stage hosts a diverse array of demonstrations across the weekend from an incredible line-up including Asma Khan, Nathan Outlaw and Anna Haugh. Other big names include Asthma Khan, Becky Excell, Genevieve Taylor, James Strawbridge, Jude Kereama, Julius Roberts, Lisa Goodwin-Allen. Pippy Eats, Seema Pankhania and Steven Lamb.
So to whet your appetites we’ve got our hands on some incredible recipes by those performing in THE BIG KITCHEN during THE BIG FEASTIVAL from August 25-27.
- Greens and Feta Tarte Soleil by Max La Manna (Serves 4)
Ingredients: 280g mixed leafy greens, roughly chopped (e.g. spinach, kale, rocket, lettuce, pak choi), 2 tbsp freshly chopped dill, 2 tbsp freshly chopped mint, 3 spring onions, thinly sliced zest of 1 lemon 60g feta, crumbled, 30g walnuts, roughly chopped, 2 garlic cloves, grated, 2 sheets puff pastry plain flour, for dusting 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp milk salt and black pepper
Method: In a large mixing bowl, combine the leafy greens, herbs, spring onions, lemon zest, feta, walnuts, garlic, a generous pinch of salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and stir well to combine until it’s a thick, spreadable paste. Set aside.
Place one of the pastry sheets on a lightly floured work surface (or still on its paper) and dust lightly with flour on both sides to keep it from sticking. If necessary, roll it out, but don’t make it too thin. Place a plate, around 22cm diameter, on top of the pastry and use a knife to cut around it. (Wrap and chill the leftover pastry to use in another recipe.) Lift the pastry circle onto a baking sheet, cover with a clean dry tea towel and chill. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry and chill them both for about 10 minutes.
Spoon the filling onto one of the pastry circles, leaving a 1cm border all the way round. Mix the olive oil and milk together and brush around the edge of the pastry. Cover with the second pastry Now you’re going to create the soleil part of your tart!
Gently press a small glass (about 5cm diameter) in the middle of the pastry. Using a large sharp knife, cut the pastry into quarters – but stop at the indent the glass made in the middle.
Then cut each quarter into quarters, to make 16 ‘sun rays! Chill for 10-15 minutes. Gently lift up one ‘sun ray’ and twist it over 3 times. Bring the outer edge of the pastry roughly back to where it started.
Repeat all around your sun. Chill again for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Brush the pastry with the remaining olive oil and milk wash, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and bake for about 35 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.
2) Egg Foo Yung by Ching He Haung (Serves 2)
INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, small handful of fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut into 1cm ( ½ inch) slices, stalks discarded, 1 tablespoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry, 2 large cos leaves, cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) slices
For the sauce: 120ml ( ½ cup) cold vegetable stock, ¼ teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon low-sodium light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornflour, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
For the omelette: 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, a small handful of beansprouts, 1 medium carrot, grated, 5 eggs, lightly beaten, seasoned with a pinch each of sea salt flakes and ground white pepper and a dash of toasted sesame oil, 1 spring onion, finely sliced on the diagonal into horse ear shapes
Method: Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl, then set aside. Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking and add 1 teaspoon rapeseed oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the shiitake mushrooms. Toss for a few seconds, then add the Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry.
Pour in the sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring, until the sauce has thickened and is glossy and shiny. Transfer the mushroom gravy to a glass heatproof jug, cover with foil and keep warm.
Give the wok a quick rinse with water then place over a high heat to make the omelette. Add 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, then add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the beansprouts and carrot and toss for 1 minute, then pour in the seasoned beaten eggs and leave to settle for a few seconds.
Slowly unfurl the sides of the omelette, loosening them with a flat spatula, and cook for a further 20 seconds. Sprinkle with the spring onion, then flip it over and cook for a few more seconds.
Transfer the omelette to a serving plate, pour the mushroom gravy over the top and garnish with the cos lettuce leaves in the centre for a crunchy freshness.
3) Cornish Paella by James Strawbridge (Serves 4)
Ingredients: Prawns, 1 Onion, finely diced, 2 Peppers, finely diced, 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced, 1 tbsp olive oil, 4 Chorizo sausages, roughly chopped into coins, 100g Squid or octopus, 100g Paella rice, 1 litre Fish stock, 100ml white wine, 3 bay leaves, 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp Smoked paprika, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 lemons, 1 tbsp Coriander, chopped, 1 tsp Smoked Sea salt.
METHOD: Soften the onion, peppers and garlic in oil. Add the sausage, paprika, turmeric, thyme and bay leaves. Cook the sausages for 5-10 minutes until they start to brown and then add in your paella rice. Stir for 2 minutes and then add in white wine.
Allow the wine to deglaze the pan and then follow with a ladle of stock. Add a little stock at a time until the rice starts to cook. Over 15-20 minutes cooking your rice will soften and soon the paella is ready to finish cooking on a medium to low heat.
Add in prawns and squid and don’t be afraid of allowing the rice and paella in the base of the pan to brown and cartelise (it’s called the socarrat and is delicious). Cook for a further 10 minutes and once the prawns turn bright salmon pink and the squid is cooked serve your paella with lemon segments and freshly chopped coriander. Season with smoked sea salt.
4) Paneer Skewers Stuffed with Mint & Coriander Chutney by Maunika Gowardhan (Serves 4)
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) paneer, melted butter for basting, chaat masala, to garnish
For the stuffing: 80 g (2¾ oz) mint leaves, 20 g (¾ oz) coriander (cilantro) leaves and stems, juice of 2 limes, pinch of salt
For the marinade: 5 tbsp Greek yoghurt, 2 tsp chickpea (gram) flour, 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped, 2cm (½ in) ginger root roughly chopped, 2 green bird’s-eye chillies, salt.
Method: Trim the edges from all sides of the block of paneer to neaten. Set aside the trimmings to add to the stuffing mixture. Cut the paneer into 4 equal pieces, then halve them lengthwise. Set aside while you make the stuffing and marinade.
To make the stuffing, put all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth paste thick enough to stuff the paneer and so, only if absolutely necessary, add 1 tablespoon of water. Crush or grate (shred) the paneer trimmings, add them to the stuffing and mix well.
Spread 1 teaspoon of the mint stuffing between two layers of the paneer to make a little sandwich and set aside. Leave the remaining stuffing in the blender but add the Greek yoghurt, chickpea (gram) flour, garlic, ginger and green chillies and season to taste. Blend to a smooth marinade and then transfer to a large bowl.
Heat the grill (broiler) to a high heat. Line a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack over the tray.
Submerge the paneer sandwiches in the yoghurt marinade until well coated and then place on the wire rack. (If the sandwiches come apart and the filling does not stay in place, secure them with wooden skewers or toothpicks.)
Grill on a high heat for 6 minutes. Turn the paneer sandwiches over, baste with melted butter and grill for a further 6 minutes until charred around the edges and cooked all the way through. Finish with a pinch of chaat masala. Serve warm with salad and chutney of your choice.
5) Strawberry Tiramisu by Lizzie Acker (Serves 4)
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of fruity gin, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 500g pounds fresh strawberries with the tops off, 1 tbsp strawberry jam, 100g caster sugar, 4 large egg yolks, 250g double cream, 250g mascarpone cheese, 1 pack of ladyfingers
Method: Place the washed, chopped strawberries on a baking tray with baking paper and roast at 170°C for 25 minutes. In a blender add the gin, balsamic vinegar, salt, strawberry jam and your roasted strawberries, and their juices and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl for later.
Using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale yellow and tripled in volume, which should take about 6 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
In another large bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone and beat on medium speed until combined then fold the mascarpone mixture into the egg yolk mixture. I have done mine in cute cups for individual servings, but you can do one large one if preferred
Gently turn the ladyfingers in the strawberry mixture until completely coated. Then place them next to each over until the bottom of the dish or cup is covered. Spread the ladyfingers with 1 heaped chunk of mascarpone mixture. Repeat the layers of strawberry mixture, ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture twice, ending with the mascarpone mixture
Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours to overnight. Decorate the top of the tiramisu with dried strawberry powder or grated white chocolate or strawberry slices. Then serve.
6) Twiglet Brownies by George Egg (Serves 4)
Do you remember the school playground experience of cramming your mouth full of chocolate AND crisps at the same time when the bell goes? This recreates that, and it’s seriously delicious.
Ingredients: 55g Dark chocolate (cheaper stuff seems to work better), 55g butter, 1 egg, 70g sugar, 35g Twiglets (ground or crushed to a powder), more Twiglets (the rest of the large bag really), 1 tsp Vanilla Essence, 1 tbsp Cacao Nibs, flakey Salt, a big handful of Pecans, or Walnuts, slightly crushed in a fist.
Method: Melt the butter and sugar together in a microwave, over a bain marie or even in a low oven, and then let it cool a little.
Beat the sugar and egg together with the vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the egg-and-sugar with the chocolate-and-butter.
Fold in the nuts, cacao nibs, the Twiglet flour and a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture into a lined loaf tin.
Arrange a raft of Twiglets across the top and bake in an oven at 175ºC for 19 minutes, exactly. Bring it out, leave it in the tin, let it cool, refrigerate, chop into pieces and tuck in.
THE BIG FEASTIVAL IN KINGHAM RUNS FROM AUGUST 25-27. FIND OUT ABOUT THE MUSIC LINE-UP AND MORE HERE https://thebigfeastival.com
