We all know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but when the cover’s as beautiful as the one on The Sportsman at Home, it’s hard not to approach it with a heart a-brim with hope. Luckily, I can tell you that what’s inside Steven Harris’s book is every bit as uplifting. His subtitle promises Flavoursome Recipes for Nostalgic Eating, and that's exactly what he delivers and exactly what I’m in the mood for. He just can’t write about a dish without creating an urgent appetite for it. I dream now of Mussel Bread; Curried Carrot Soup; Beef and Guinness Pie; Boiled Bacon, Parsley Sauce and Pease Pudding; Pork Chop with Charred Leeks; Vincisgrassi (an early form of lasagne, give or take, featuring mushrooms, ham and cream); Devonshire Splits; Duck Liver Pâté; Blackcurrant and Almond Tart; Viennese Whirls; and Malt Loaf. And there are two chapters that I feel deserve mentioning by name: the first being Christmas; the second, thrillingly, An Ode To Cream. And the recipe I am delighted to be sharing with you today is his Tangerine Tart which is made, comfortingly, with just two ingredients, namely store-bought puff pastry and tangerines, though you have his permission to substitute mandarins or clementines!
Extracted from The Sportsman at Home, Stephen Harris (Quadrille, £30.00).
Photography ©Kim Lightbody.
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