SHEPHERD MARKET SWEET TART

Thank you Elizabeth David

She is responsible for bringing garlic, courgettes and olive oil to name a few into british homes in the 1950’s. What more can I say. Elizabeth David is a gastronomical deity.
 
You may be thinking, calm down, thats a bit much, or even “who the hell is Elizabeth David” (shame on you for not knowing) but in a post-war Britain, ground down by dull and rationed food, Elizabeth David bought the joys of Mediterranean cooking to our shores. In her books such as ‘Italian Food’ and ‘Mediterranean Food’  she celebrated rural and regional recipes from all over the Mediterranean in her own unique writing style, which is characterised by her descriptions and historical references. She wasn’t afraid to be completely honest and sometimes scathing in her books, if she didn’t like something she wouldn’t hold back! She hated poor quality food, so in those post war years she had alot to complain about and as a girl who likes a good moan if my food isn’t up to scratch, I feel like saying “Yeah Liz, you tell em” (in my head of course).

I recently came across this quote. So wise, our Liz

“A world devoid of tomato soup, tomato sauce, tomato ketchup and tomato paste is hard to visualize. Could the tin and processed food industries have got where they have without the benefit of the tomato compounds which colour, flavour, thicken and conceal so many deficiencies? How did the Italians eat spaghetti before the advent of the tomato? Was there such a thing as tomato-less Neapolitan pizza?” An Omlette and a glass of Wine, 1984.

In her honour, and drawing inspiration from where I live (it’s all in the name), I made ‘Spagetti Alla Puttanesca’…

There are varying myths behind Puttanesca sauce, but the story I like to believe (as it sounds quite exotic) is that the recipe was credited to Italian prostitutes back in the day, who when not occupied with ‘comforting their clients’, they would whip up a quick meal using staple ingredients they found in the pantry, as they were not allowed to pick up fresh produce from the market place. Supposedly the heady and robust aroma of this sauce wafting into the streets would entice more clients to their doors. What a great image, men being led by their noses to a brothel!

 

Spagetti Alla Puttanesca (Rick Stein’s Recipe)

Ingredients

  • 450g/1lb small cherry, plum or vine-ripened tomatoes
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
  • 4 sage leaves, shredded thinly
  • a good pinch of dried chilli flakes, or 1 red finger chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  • 55g/2oz salted capers, excess salt rubbed off
  • 110g/4oz small black olives, pitted
  • 2 x 50g/2oz cans of anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped oregano
  • 450g/1lb dried bucatini or spaghetti
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring 3.4 litre/6 pint water and 2 tbsp salt to the boil for the pasta.

For the sauce, squeeze the tomatoes into the sink to get rid of most of the juice, then cut each one in half. I actually found that this made the sauce too dry, so later added a glug of red wine, so I would advice that you don’t go too mad when squeezing out the juice. (Be sure to wear an apron, it’s messy work!).

Heat the oil in a pan with the garlic, rosemary and sage and cook gently for about 1 minute without browning.

Add the chilli, tomatoes, capers, olives, anchovies, oregano and some black pepper and leave to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Anchovies can be an aquired taste but don’t worry about the amount in this recipe as they melt down and give the sauce a rich flavour.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the pan of boiling water and cook for about 7 minutes or until al dente.

Drain and tip it into a large warmed serving bowl. Pour over the sauce, add the chopped parsley and toss together well. Serve straight away, with plenty of red wine.

 

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