Chances are you've probably heard of Brixton Village, even if you don't live in London yourself. The little warren of resturants and food stops hidden in South London's Brixton Market make up one of the country's most influential foodie areas. Big restaurants like Franco Manca and Honest Burger both got their start there and new openings often start a flurry of articles about the newest trend to hit the foodie scene.
In case you live too far away from Brixton Village to head down yourself and sample the magic, food blogger Miss South has created a book that's got recipes from some of the best restaurants that you can make at home and suffer foodie FOMO no more.
Here's two for you to try out.
Ackee and Saltfish
Ingredients
250g saltfish
1 x 540g tin ackee
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 scotch bonnet chilli, chopped
100g fresh tomatoes
Method
Boil the saltfish in water for about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse, then break the fish up into smaller pieces, retaining some texture. You should have removed most of the salt but still have a savoury flavour. You don't need to soak the saltfish overnight.
Drain the brine the tinned ackee comes in, then pour some fresh boiling water over them and leave for a few minutes. Heat the oil and fry the onions and chilli pepper for a few minutes. This is what Jamaicans call ‘seasoning’. Drain the ackee for a second time and then add to the 'seasoning' along with the saltfish. Allow to heat through for 3–4 minutes and then add the tomatoes and cook everything for another 2–3 minutes. Both the ackee and the saltfish are cooked; you just want to warm everything to meld the flavours together. Don’t stir it too much as you don’t want to break up the ackee or the saltfish.
Serve the ackee and saltfish with any starchy dish of your choice. Rice and peas, bread, dumpling or hard food (plantain, green banana and yam) are all delicious.
Elderflower Cordial
Ingredient
20 elderflower heads
1.5kg caster sugar
1.2 litres cold water
75g citric acid powder
2 lemons, cut into slices
Method
Cut large clusters of flowers from an elderflower tree, making sure you avoid trees close to main roads. Make sure the flowers are dry when you pick them and shake them to rid them of any insects. Remove the flowers from the stalks (which make the cordial bitter) and put them in a large bowl.
Put the sugar and the cold water in a large pan and bring to the boil to make a syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. Pour the syrup over the flowers and mix in the citric acid and lemon slices. Leave overnight to steep.
Next day strain the syrup through a clean muslin cloth into a large bowl or pan to remove the flowers and lemon slices. Pour into clean glass or plastic bottles and store in the fridge: it will keep for several months.
You can save the lemon slices and freeze them in a single layer on silicone paper; then add to your summer drinks for extra flavour.
Recipes from Brixton Village by Miss South is available from Brixton Village and good bookshops priced £15.99.
Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.