Issue One

Food



How to Choose Things

These six ingredients are lynchpins of the Elliot’s menu. You should buy them, then use them.



Artichoke

Usually seen as a European ingredient, these grow especially well in the warmer parts of England too. Farmer Sean grows a small purple variety and ensures they’re picked at exactly the right time, meaning they’re so soft we can eat them whole. Choke and all.

Live Scallops

To be a scallop diver requires extreme dedication, skill and passion. Our man Les hand selects them for size, putting the small ones back to allow them to mature fully; this way the population can naturally regenerate itself. They’re almost impossibly sweet.

Mackerel

Without a doubt our favourite fish. Great eaten raw, cured or cooked whole over our wood fired grill. Possibly the easiest and most fun fish to catch. Every year the chefs spend a weekend pulling up mackerel by the dozen and barbequeing them on the beach. Our mackerel arrive so fresh and stiff they could be (and often are) used as weapons.

Live Shrimps

Only available when the weather allows the boats to sail into shallow waters. In general, prawn farming is a hugely destructive practice but ours are caught from the wild in small batches making them very sustainable. These are delivered live and are best quickly fried and eaten whole.


Wild Garlic

Nature's best wild ingredient. First shows itself as shoots in early spring, then leaves and flowers that flourish right throughout the summer. For optimum freshness they are picked daily from Chegworth farm, a fellow Borough market trader.


Wood

Most of our food ends up spending some time with our wood grill. It’s the single most important ingredient in the kitchen. We use it to impart subtle smoke flavours into our dishes, preferring a more delicate approach to what you might normally associate with wood fired cooking and smoking.
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Words: Brett Redman
Artwork: Craig & Karl