As the grounds begin to develop a warm amber glow, we are as pleased as ever to welcome Autumn to the Lodge. With the late season Summer harvests coming to an end, we can’t wait to be unearthing root veg, gourds, woody herbs, greens, autumn fruits and more this season!
One of our final jobs as the warmer weather lingers is to sow a dearth of greens. Once planted, the team are expecting to be able to harvest the first round in anywhere from two weeks to two months, and the kitchen will be full of – micro greens, parsley, basil, dill, broccoli, Burnet, beets, chervil, anise, spicy salad, fennel, oyster leaf, pak choi and more.
Another reason we are so pleased to see the return of autumn – is the grand return of Game Season! With Chef Patron Richard Corrigan at the helm, you know that both our traditional Irish kitchen and the London restaurants will be plating up the finest game the season has to offer. Here, we asked Chef Corrigan for one of his favourite game recipes to share, we do hope that you’ll enjoy.
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1.5kg game bird carcasses and/or legs
2 roughly chopped carrots
2 roughly chopped sticks of celery
1 roughly chopped medium onion
1 clove garlic
6 juniper berries
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 bayleaf
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig thyme
150ml port
150ml Maderia
2 litres chicken stock
125g puy or green lentils
100ml sweet white wine
3-4 tablespoons double cream
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or stockpot and brown the game bird bones and/or legs. Add the vegetables and garlic to the pan and continue to cook until nicely coloured and caramelised. Add the juniper berries along with the peppercorns and herbs and cook for a minute or so.
- Pour in the port and Madeira and bring up to the boil. bubble away to reduce by half, then pour in the stock and bring back to the boil. Cover the pan, turn down the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, skimming the surface from time to time to remove any impurities.
- When you have a nice rich stock, strain into a bowl, discard any vegetables and herbs and pour the strained liquid back into the saucepan. You should have around 1.5 litres left. return it to the heat and stir in the lentils. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes until lentils are soft.
- Meanwhile make the juniper cream. Brush the juniper berries in a pestle and mortar or chop as finely as you can. Put the shallot, crushed berries and white wine into a small pan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the shallots are softened and the wine has evaporated. Leave to cool.
- Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks and stir in the cooled shallots. Season lightly and keep on one side.
- When the lentils are ready, take the soup off the heat. Whiz it in a food processor then pass through a sieve into a warm bowl. It should be velvety smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, and serve piping hot with a spoonful of the juniper cream melting in the centre.