When it was announced that pubs and restaurants could re-open for outside dining/drinking from 12th April, how many people’s thoughts immediately turned to the Great British weather?
Remember last year when lockdown 1.0 started and thankfully the unseasonably hot weather in March and April made being stuck at home a little bit more tolerable?
It was wishful thinking that this would repeated again now we can get back to the pubs and restaurants wasn’t it?
Yes, we are afraid it was.
It didn’t bode well when much of the country experienced freezing conditions and snow this week (well, the Prince song did say ‘Sometimes it Snows in April!).
According to the Met Office, the outlook for next week is not much better, with ‘changeable’ conditions expected.
But you know that come hail or shine (let’s hope it is the latter), the Great British weather is not going to prevent the Great British Public from getting back to the pub.
Many establishments are doing their bit by providing covered areas and patio heaters, and we can do ours by dressing for the worst. That means hats, scarves, gloves and blankets if it means supping a pint of ale or eating some pub grub.
Granted, rain would not be conducive to the enjoyment of said pint and grub, but let’s hope the Great British weather does us a favour and keeps the rain clouds at bay.
And in a month’s time (hopefully) when we’re all back inside pubs and restaurants again, we’ll probably look back at April and reminisce about the time we are scampi and chips in the snow.
Damn you Prince!
Breaded
Scampi, crinkle potatoes, minted crushed peas and homemade tartare sauce
Tartare sauce:
- 225g good quality mayonnaise
- 100g finely diced gherkins
- 50g finely diced shallots
- 50g of roughly chopped capers
- 10g chopped parsley
- 10g chopped dill
- Salt
- Pepper
- Juice of ½ a lemon
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well, season
with salt and pepper then chill.
Minted crushed peas:
- 500g frozen garden peas
- 50g salted butter
- 15g chopped mint
- Salt
- Pepper
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the peas and
cook till tender, drain in a colander. Using a potato masher crush the peas
then stir in the butter, mint and season well.
Crinkle
cut potatoes
Using a crinkle cutter slice the potatoes ¾ of a cm
thick, place in a large sauce pan cover with cold salted water. Bring to the
boil and simmer the potatoes till partially cooked, strain and then deep fry at
180°c till golden brown and crispy. Alternatively toss in olive oil and lay out
on a baking tray and bake at 180°c till golden brown and crispy. Season with
flaked sea salt.
Breaded
scampi
- 30 raw shelled king prawns
- 4 eggs whisked
- 50g plain flour
- 300g panko breadcrumbs
- Salt
- Pepper
First place all the prawns in the plain flour giving them
a good coating and then shaking to remove any excess flour, then dip in the
whisked egg followed by the breadcrumbs.
Heat a your deep fat fryer to 180°c and deep fry the
scampi for roughly 4-5 minutes until they are piping hot in the middle and
golden brown on the outside, season with salt and pepper.
Serve with crinkle potatoes, minted peas, buttered bread
and lashings of tartare sauce.
About Chris Brown
Sous Chef of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
