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11 October 2011 A week in the life of the City Gates food group
This week in Food Group
by Mim Butt
Billingsgate Fish Market
In the early hours of Wednesday, five Food Group members slid out of their beds and stumbled down dark streets, cool bags in hand, and piled their still-sleep-heavy bodies into the minibus. Trundling through the near deserted streets, excitement grew as recipe plans were discussed, shopping lists compared, coffee consumed.
Billingsgate market, whose history dates back to the 16th century, is now the UK's biggest inland fish market, and covers 13 acres. Behind it lies the sparkling towerblocks of Canary Wharf, dwarfing the market and the hundreds of white vans and lorries loading and unloading in the car park, transporting the freshest of fish to caterers within the south east.
We entered with some apprehension, not sure whether our custom would be welcomed. These traders deal with huge orders, and we wanted to buy one fish, not a box of 25! We were relieved to see other 'normal people' pottering around and were soon emboldened as the white-coated vendors enthusiastically started showing us their different fish: mini sharks, 1.5m conger eels, blue parrot fish, inky squid, glistening silvery mullet, yellow spotted plaice - the list was endless!
There are 54 different companies selling fish from all over the world, from the warm Indian Ocean to the icy North Sea. Before we knew it, Cleverson was bargaining for a huge sack of mussels, Dan was being told the history of the market by a veteran, and Shirley was eyeing up whole salmon. We were amazed at the friendliness of all the sellers and were even taught a little cockney rhyming slang by an Italian.
By 7.30am the market was slowing packing up, and we sat down in a cafe on the market floor to a breakfast of bacon and scallop rolls, with a strong cup of tea. Satisfied, we piled back into the minibus with our haul of scallops, mussels, mackerel, salmon and catfish. Anybody hungry?!
Black Garlic Symposium
Saturday night saw The Living Room transformed into a culinary laboratory. Glauce introduced us to Black Garlic (newly available in Tesco and Waitrose). It's normal garlic that has been fermented for three weeks in a special machine. A change in the protein structure means the garlic becomes completely black, with a consistency of liquorice. The flavour is sweet and mellow, with a garlicky tang.
Glauce made a delightful apple-filled sweet omlette with a black garlic and cocoa sauce. It was wonderful; I can taste it as I write this! We had stuffed portobello mushrooms flavoured with the garlic, sauted greens with balsamic vinegar and black garlic, and an seafood stir fry with black garlic. Thankfully everyone liked black garlic, and it doesn't make your breath smell! Why don't you try it sometime?
Food Group is a ministry group for those who are confident in cooking and want to dicuss recipes, ingedients and technique. In the future the group will be looking to widen its approach, offering practical classes and advice to others. For more information, email office@citygateschurch.net.
by Mim Butt
Billingsgate Fish Market
In the early hours of Wednesday, five Food Group members slid out of their beds and stumbled down dark streets, cool bags in hand, and piled their still-sleep-heavy bodies into the minibus. Trundling through the near deserted streets, excitement grew as recipe plans were discussed, shopping lists compared, coffee consumed.
Billingsgate market, whose history dates back to the 16th century, is now the UK's biggest inland fish market, and covers 13 acres. Behind it lies the sparkling towerblocks of Canary Wharf, dwarfing the market and the hundreds of white vans and lorries loading and unloading in the car park, transporting the freshest of fish to caterers within the south east.
We entered with some apprehension, not sure whether our custom would be welcomed. These traders deal with huge orders, and we wanted to buy one fish, not a box of 25! We were relieved to see other 'normal people' pottering around and were soon emboldened as the white-coated vendors enthusiastically started showing us their different fish: mini sharks, 1.5m conger eels, blue parrot fish, inky squid, glistening silvery mullet, yellow spotted plaice - the list was endless!
There are 54 different companies selling fish from all over the world, from the warm Indian Ocean to the icy North Sea. Before we knew it, Cleverson was bargaining for a huge sack of mussels, Dan was being told the history of the market by a veteran, and Shirley was eyeing up whole salmon. We were amazed at the friendliness of all the sellers and were even taught a little cockney rhyming slang by an Italian.
By 7.30am the market was slowing packing up, and we sat down in a cafe on the market floor to a breakfast of bacon and scallop rolls, with a strong cup of tea. Satisfied, we piled back into the minibus with our haul of scallops, mussels, mackerel, salmon and catfish. Anybody hungry?!
Black Garlic Symposium
Saturday night saw The Living Room transformed into a culinary laboratory. Glauce introduced us to Black Garlic (newly available in Tesco and Waitrose). It's normal garlic that has been fermented for three weeks in a special machine. A change in the protein structure means the garlic becomes completely black, with a consistency of liquorice. The flavour is sweet and mellow, with a garlicky tang.
Glauce made a delightful apple-filled sweet omlette with a black garlic and cocoa sauce. It was wonderful; I can taste it as I write this! We had stuffed portobello mushrooms flavoured with the garlic, sauted greens with balsamic vinegar and black garlic, and an seafood stir fry with black garlic. Thankfully everyone liked black garlic, and it doesn't make your breath smell! Why don't you try it sometime?
Food Group is a ministry group for those who are confident in cooking and want to dicuss recipes, ingedients and technique. In the future the group will be looking to widen its approach, offering practical classes and advice to others. For more information, email office@citygateschurch.net.
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