The Hidden Hut: Irresistible Recipes from Cornwall’s Best-kept Secret

Put half the butter in a non-stick frying pan and melt it over a medium-low heat. Mix the melted butter into the batter.

Put the frying pan back over the heat and add tablespoonfuls of the mixture in small pools around the pan — you should be able to do 4–5 at a time. Cook for 1 minute on the first side, or until bubbles form on the surface. Flip them over and cook for 1 minute.

Remove from the pan and keep warm on a plate wrapped up in a tea towel in the oven while you cook the remaining batter in the same way, adding a little more of the remaining butter to the pan each time.

Serve the drop cakes warm, drizzled with lemon curd, some crème fraîche and fresh berries and a sprinkle of mint sugar.

ROASTED FIGS WITH HONEY AND RICOTTA ON WALNUT TOAST

Hot walnut toast with whipped cinnamon butter served with roasted figs, ricotta, flaked almonds (crushed pistachios also work really well) and honey. You can make the loaf and cinnamon butter the day before, if you wish. Your kitchen will smell like a Danish bakery!

FEAST

Serves 8–10

750g spelt flour

2 tsp sea salt

1½ tsp active dried yeast

3 rounded tsp honey

2 tbsp walnut oil

40g walnuts, chopped

oil, for greasing

FOR THE WHIPPED CINNAMON BUTTER

170g butter, softened

45g soft dark brown sugar

2½ tsp ground cinnamon

FOR THE ROASTED FIGS

50g butter

5 star anise

10 large, ripe figs, halved

TO SERVE

50g flaked almonds

honey, for drizzling

ricotta cheese

lemon zest

First, make the walnut loaf. You’ll need to start at least 3 hours before serving, or make it the night before. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the honey and 450ml warm water, and give it a good stir until it begins to come together. Add the oil and knead for 10 minutes or until soft and supple. Cover the dough in the bowl with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave it to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

Once doubled in size, it’s time to do a bit more kneading. This time you want to incorporate the walnuts. Keep going until the walnuts have become part of the dough. Grease a baking tray and form the dough into a loaf shape, then leave it to rest on the tray for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan oven) gas mark 7.

Bake the loaf on the top shelf of the oven for 35 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped underneath. If it makes a dent when tapped, it’s not quite done. Leave it to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

To make the cinnamon butter, beat all the ingredients together until fluffy. Roll in greaseproof paper and form into a sausage, then chill in the fridge until needed. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before serving (this will enhance the cinnamon flavour).

For the roasted figs, preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan oven) gas mark 9. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, and allow it to foam. Add the star anise and cook over a low heat for 10–15 minutes until the anise flavours the butter.

Put the figs, cut side up, on a baking tray and drizzle over the star anise butter. Roast for 15–20 minutes until the figs are tender.

Slice the bread and toast it, then spread the hot toast with the cinnamon butter. Top with the figs, sprinkle with flaked almonds and serve with honey, ricotta and a sprinkling of lemon zest.

GRILLED MACKEREL WITH A WARM CORNISH SPLIT AND HORSERADISH SOURED CREAM

We serve these filled splits during the annual Portscatho Fish Festival. The mackerel comes in straight from the boats and onto our big wood-fired grills on the harbour jetty. Try to use the freshest possible mackerel. If you can, choose mackerel that are whole so that you can check if the eyes are clear and bright. Then ask the fishmonger to fillet and pin-bone them for you, leaving the skin on.

Splits are like a proven scone. They are well worth the effort, especially when served warm from the oven. The subtle sweetness of the split and the punch from the horseradish really complement the oily mackerel. If you have a sweet tooth, try a bit of gooseberry jam in there too; it might just make your day.

Serves 6

12 mackerel fillets, about 100g each, boned (see here (#ulink_4f6cc4d6-b117-51e6-80af-e2f57b798fe4)), with skin

sunflower oil, for frying

100g watercress

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

gooseberry jam (optional), to serve

FOR THE SPLITS

10g active dried yeast

1 rounded tsp caster sugar

200ml whole milk, lukewarm

265g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

100g plain flour