Spring Bounty

Chef patron Jude Kereama brings a flavour of spring to the table.

Spring has started in Cornwall with a full spring in everyone’s step as the days get longer and warmer. Spring is an exciting time in a chef’s calendar as we look to forage for all the ingredients that are popping up in the sun. One of our favourite ingredients is wild garlic, which is starting to appear in our secret foraging spots. We love to use wild garlic all year round, and we will be getting great use of it while it’s in season, as well as preserving it in soups, pickles, and oils that will last all year.

New potatoes are in abundance, and we will see the early-season asparagus, spring onions, alexanders, and wild mushrooms. As the seas warm, we will look forward to sardines, spring prawns, and more mackerel, joining the diverse array of fish available at this time of year.

An important date in March’s calendar is Mothering Sunday. It is the best day of the year to celebrate and show our appreciation for all those mums that we owe so much to. What are you going to do to celebrate your mum? Are you going to cook her a dinner to give her a well-deserved day off, or are you going to take her out for a lovely meal in your favourite restaurant? Kota and Kota Kai will both be open for Mother’s Day, and there will be special dishes in both restaurants, as well as different offerings and versions of their Sunday lunch. There will also be a free glass of bubbles for mum to start her day off the right way.

It’s also this weekend when the clocks go forward, and we all get to enjoy an extra hour of sunshine. That’s when you know we are really heading into the warm season. And with that warmth, we look forward to even more ingredients coming onto the menu, like peas, broad beans and morels.

Spring sees the start of a new menu at Kota Kai. It has been a couple of months since Ryan, our new head chef, started, and we are both really excited about the new changes. We are keeping the same Asian flavours but will also be introducing some Central and South American influences. We did a series of around-the-world nights during winter that were so popular we have incorporated quite a few of those dishes as inspiration for our Spring menu. Expect some big, bold flavours with the same great service.

Also new is our seasonal cocktail list. Ash, our bar manager, has created some wonderful new cocktails to whet your appetite. It has been a lot of fun tasting them, and I have found it very hard to pick a favourite.

Kota has been open with our new concept for a few weeks now. It has been amazing to see the transformation of the space, but also how well received it has been. I have really enjoyed the new, more relaxed vibe in the restaurant and the buzz around the room. The food has been really enjoyed by all, and our new format allows us to change the dishes more often. Already, within the first couple of weeks, we have changed a few dishes with the arrival of some beautiful ingredients. We are also hoping to launch the Kota Wine Club by the end of the month. This will be a fun way for people to try a case of six wines each month from our favourite winemakers and suppliers. There will be tasting notes and a couple of recipes that will go out with each box, and a six-course tasting night with wines each month. Enjoy the sunshine!

Massaman Lamb Shank Curry

The history of Thailand’s Massaman curry stems from a wonderful mix of cultures. The dish is popular in the south of the country towards its border with Malaysia. It’s said to have been first brought over from Persia and then adapted using local flavours and ingredients from the region. In comparison to other Thai curries, it’s very mild. The mix of nutmeg, coriander, cumin and cinnamon is wonderfully fragrant, and it goes really well with the lamb. 

Traditionally the dish is served with jasmine rice, but as an alternative I also like to serve it with some creamy mash potatoes, as you would with a traditional braised lamb shank.

Serves 4
COOK TIME: 3-3¾ hours 

INGREDIENTS
4 lamb shanks
200g waxy baby potatoes
800ml coconut milk
500ml chicken stock
3 tbsp palm sugar

For the massaman curry paste:

8 cloves garlic, chopped
3 banana shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 long red chillies, chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
1 small thumb ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1½ tsp shrimp paste
3 tbsp Thai fish sauce
4 cardamom pods crushed
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C and roast the peanuts on a tray for about 8 minutes until they’re golden brown. Put them to the side and reduce the oven to 150°C.

Set a pan on a medium heat and brown the lamb shanks all over. Season with salt and put aside. Put all the ingredients for the massaman paste in a blender and blitz to form a paste.

Heat the groundnut oil in a casserole dish on a medium heat and add the paste. Fry for around 8 minutes, until all the flavours and aromas are released from the paste. Add the lamb shanks, potatoes, coconut milk, chicken stock and palm sugar to the casserole dish and bring to a simmer.

With the lid on, cook in the oven for 3 to 3½ hours until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Season and garnish with the coriander, peanuts and crispy onions. Serve with your choice of rice.

KOTA & Kota Kai
Harbour Head, Porthleven TR13 9JY
01326 562407 / 01326 727707
www.kotarestaurant.co.uk
www.kotakai.co.uk