| Red faces, roof-top picnics, fires and sea swims. Early | | | | fry three at a time. When puffy and golden, take them |
| summer often enough seems to bring with it a spirit of | | | | out onto kitchen paper, lightly salt, and leave in a very |
| decadence. Reaching beyond one's means to | | | | low oven until all have been fried. |
| celebrate and indulge, before...well, no need to look | | | | Serve the oysters in their shells, with a little squeeze of |
| ahead when the fleeting sun shines. | | | | lemon juice, a couple of the cucumber matchsticks and |
| This will be my final early summer within the academic | | | | a elderflower fritter. |
| calendar - one that admittedly does so much to | | | | Raw halibut, courgette, elder and sun flower dressing |
| heighten the sense of release, perhaps beyond that | | | | The first Irish courgettes of the season will be |
| experienced in the early summers of the muggle world | | | | emerging in their polytunnels early June and being |
| of constant responsibility. Summer day-dreams having | | | | picked for market. They're used raw here, so small |
| become vivid enough to burst, the damp inhibitions of | | | | ones, which are especially nutty and sweet, will be |
| school are flung off with a blind eye. | | | | best. |
| Elderflower Cordial | | | | Pour just a little boiling water over plenty of |
| Make sure to pick your elder on a dry day and to | | | | elderflowers. Give them a shake and leave to infuse |
| avoid any growing on busy roadsides. | | | | overnight and then strain. The dressing should be about |
| For the lovely elderflower cordial, which brings with it | | | | one part lemon juice, two parts elderflower water to |
| endless possibilities: | | | | four parts extra virgin sunflower oil. Also shake a little |
| For a litre of water use 20-25 elderflower heads, a | | | | of the buds and pollen of some elderflowers in. Water |
| kilogram of sugar and two lemons. | | | | and oil don't emulsify but this dressing seems to work |
| Give the flowers a check for any lingering insects. | | | | well here as a 'split' one - giving soft, varying bursts. |
| Heat the water and the sugar to a syrup. When at a | | | | Ask the fishmonger for some boneless halibut fillet |
| boil pour over the elder. Add slivers of the zest of one | | | | rather than the usual steaks. Slice at a bias half an inch |
| of the lemons (if its not unwaxed give it a good wash | | | | thick. Then put the portions in between baking paper |
| in hot water). Leave to infuse for 24 hours, giving it the | | | | and bash them gently with a hammer (or the back of |
| occasional stir. | | | | a small pan) somewhat evenly, until they are half their |
| Then add the juice of the two lemons. Have a taste at | | | | original width. This will give them a more playful texture |
| this point, to check that it couldn't do with more lemon | | | | in the mouth and will give the dressing something more |
| juice (their acidity is irregular). Then strain and bottle. | | | | to cling too. |
| Three decadent recipes for early summer: | | | | (If you're preparing halibut in advance, give it a couple |
| Oyster, cucumber and elderflower fritter | | | | of minutes outside the fridge before serving. No matter |
| Use big and freshly picked elderflower heads, give | | | | how fresh, it has got little to say when it's cold.) |
| them a quick bug check but be real delicate with them | | | | Slice the courgettes as thinly as possible, though some |
| so to keep all the fragrant pollen in the flower. | | | | being thinner than others is no bad thing. |
| For enough batter for about ten fritters mix 125g of | | | | When ready to eat, sprinkle some flakey salt over the |
| flour with a pinch of salt, two tablespoons of olive oil, a | | | | halibut, then some courgette slices and then the |
| tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of rum or kirsch. | | | | dressing. |
| Then whisk in water - just enough to bring it to the | | | | Elderflower, champagne jelly and mint |
| consistency of thick paint - and let it stand for at least | | | | First of all make the jelly. Whether using gelatine in |
| half an hour in the fridge. | | | | powder or sheet form, the ratio needed to make jelly |
| Peel a cucumber and cut it into inch-and-a-half lengths. | | | | will be on the packet. Use half of the suggested |
| Doing the best you can, cut into shapes of matchsticks | | | | appropriate amount of gelatine so to end up with a |
| discarding the seeds. | | | | quivering mess of a jelly that will melt instantly in the |
| Heat a couple of inches of oil in a pan. | | | | mouth. Use just a little of your champagne to dissolve |
| Meanwhile, open your oysters and pour out the initial | | | | the gelatine in, give it a good whisk and then mix gently |
| juice (they say the secondary juice is plenty sweeter), | | | | through the rest of the champers so that it stays |
| sever them from their shells and flip them over so their | | | | thoroughly bubbly - and so they will eventually pop in |
| smooth side is facing up. | | | | mouths. Let the jelly set in the fridge in one big bowl or |
| When a small cube of white bread turns golden in a | | | | portion it into smalls bowls. |
| minute in the oil then the temperature is good. When | | | | For the elderflower, mix some cordial and water half |
| ready, turn down the heat to steady the temperature. | | | | and half. |
| Whisk two egg whites until they form soft peaks and | | | | When ready to eat, plate the jelly, either taking big |
| gently fold through the batter. Carefully dip in the | | | | spoonfuls from the big bowl or overturning the small |
| elderflower heads in, let any excess batter drip off and | | | | bowls. |