Skye Gyngell Kitchen Confidential

‘Spring’ is awakening for Skye Gyngell and her oh-so-pretty new restaurant of the same name at London’s Somerset House. Here she shares her favourite cold season ingredients

Cooking With

Spring’s menu is guided by the seasons, so in January we will make the most of lovely baby leeks, parsnips and celeriac. Walnuts are also wonderful at this time of year.Nature has a really amazing way of providing the produce you need when you need it.

During these frosty months, you may crave certain ingredients to eat and to cook with. Citrus fruits rich in vitamin C are my flu defence throughout the winter. This New Year is definitely about new beginnings as our restaurant, Spring is so fresh. It has been a labour of love and represents all I have ever dreamed of in a restaurant. I hope the New Year will be rewarding in the sense that people want to return to, and feel at home in its surrounds.

Our food is celebrated for its conviviality and the joyfulness of seasonal produce. Our cooking is heartfelt, wholesome, produce-driven and cooked by passionate people who feel truly privileged to work with beautiful quality ingredients. Cooking seasonally means that we don’t have any real mainstays on the menu as it often changes daily. We have a style of dishes instead. There’s always a plate of seasonal vegetables and pulses on the menu to share. During winter months this might be heirloom carrots, cima di rapa and chickpeas or braised cavolo nero and farro. We also consistently have a salad of foraged herbs, and these will change throughout the year.

In January we would expect chickweed, winter purslane and spinach. For me cooking seasonally simply makes sense. It’s very comforting knowing that ingredients work so harmoniously together from their own season and produce is at its best. We always have three seasonal ice creams and flavours change weekly. Right now, they tend to be chocolate, citrus or nut-based. Think burnt caramel and chocolate truffle, candied chestnuts and cream or blood orange with candied bergamot. I feel a disconnect between people and food origins, so to be able to grow your own food and reclaim this connection is vital. Home growing or sourcing from your local farmer develops awareness of seasonality and reawakens your palate as to how food should taste.

Who i'm using

Jersey Fresh Fish Company for oysters; Rhug Farm Estate are a good source of beef and lamb and Fern Verrow supplies leaves and vegetables.

Quote

‘It’s very comforting to know that ingredients work so harmoniously together from their own season’

Recipe

To make my walnut and honey tart, roll out short crust pastry to a large round, about 3mm thick. Drape over a 25cm flan tin, with a removable base and trim away any excess before pricking with a fork and refrigerating for 20 minutes. Place 400g shelled walnuts on a baking tray, drizzle with walnut oil and toss to coat.

Toast in the oven for 2-3 minutes and set aside while you make the caramel. Put 250g sugar and 125ml water in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Increase the heat and allow sugar syrup to bubble until caramelised to a pale amber colour. Tip in the nuts and stir to coat well. Remove from the heat and add 6tbs honey and 4tbsp crème fraîche, mix well. Set aside to cool.

Line a pastry case with greaseproof paper; blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove paper and return to oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool. Pile walnut filling in pastry case. Serve with crème fraîche.