Viva Lewes Issue #159 December 2019

RECIPE
Creamed Savoy cabbage with lardons
Jolly Sportsman chef Vincent Fayat on a succulent
accompaniment for any roast – including turkey
You might have heard that the Jolly Sportsman
has changed hands recently. I’m happy
to say the new owner hasn’t changed anything
about the food that’s being served: I’m continuing
as head chef, and I’m cooking the same
healthy portions of hearty, succulent fare.
I come from South-West France, and some of
the recipes I use come from my home country,
like the fondant potatoes you can see in the
photograph. But all the food we use in the
Jolly Sportsman kitchen is seasonal and locally
sourced. That’s very important to me.
Savoy cabbage is really tasty just boiled or
steamed, and served with a knob of butter,
but it’s even better cooked with cream and
lardons, in which case it becomes one of the
highlights of any meal. A cabbage will produce
four to six generous portions.
Chop the cabbage into quarters and cut off
and discard the woody bits from the centre,
then slice into half-centimetre-wide strips.
Immerse these in boiling water, in a large
saucepan, for five minutes or so. Don’t let the
cabbage get too soft: it needs to retain a bit
of crunch.
Prepare a bowl of iced water, by putting a tray
of ice cubes in tap water; place the drained
cabbage in this bowl. This will help it to retain
its colour, and thus its taste. Drain off in a
colander, and, using your fingers, squeeze as
much remaining water as you can out of the
cabbage. The more water you squeeze out, the
more cream it will be able to absorb.
Flash fry 120g or so of smoked lardons in
a tablespoon of sunflower oil for about five
minutes, stirring continuously with a wooden
spoon, then remove, and place in a bowl lined
with kitchen paper to soak up the excess fat.
Some people will use duck or goose fat instead
of sunflower oil, but be aware that most of it
will end up in the kitchen paper!
Pour 300ml of double cream into the saucepan,
and when it’s hot, add the lardons. When
the cream starts thickening, add the cabbage,
and mix up with a wooden spoon, for about
five minutes, until the cabbage has started
taking in the cream.
Season to taste, remembering that the lardons
will be salty, so be careful not to overdo the
salt. Grate in a little nutmeg, too, if you like,
that goes well with anything creamy.
One of the great things about the nights
drawing in is that partridge and pheasant have
come into season, and we’ll be serving one or
the other throughout the winter at the Jolly
Sportsman. In the picture the cabbage is an
accompaniment to partridge, which I have
cooked in two distinct ways, frying then roasting
the breast, and broiling the legs in a stew.
The preparation of those fondant potatoes
will remain one of my little secrets, for now…
Bon Appetit! As told to Alex Leith
Jolly Sportsman, East Chiltington,
01273 890400
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