Oysters

This jewel of the sea is perhaps one of the most famously hailed aphrodisiacs of all, and science can prove it too as it is the zinc and amino acids contained which produce testosterone and progesterone increasing libido in men and women. For any of us who have enjoyed these live molluscs, there is little doubt they cause some sort of effect, especially when enjoyed with a little sparkling wine.
Far from the luxury they are today, oysters were cheap and eaten in huge quantities in the past. However, in order to keep up with demand in the nineteenth century, especially from London, over fishing had a devastating effect on oyster beds. Increasing fears of food poisoning also helped in their demise. Despite today’s vastly improved water quality, oysters are still scarce in our waters, so the price is high. Far from avoiding them, we are now encouraged to eat more native oysters to help commercial re-establishment of oyster beds. These reefs also serve as breeding habitats for fish, help to protect our coastlines and the oysters themselves filter an enormous amount of seawater.

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Chilli

This spicy fruit has been revered by many ancient cultures as both a natural anaesthetic as well as aphrodisiac. The active component, capsaicin, releases endorphins which gets the blood pumping and can even create a natural high. Far from being proven whether chilli actually increases sex drive in its own right, it certainly raises body temperature, gets the heart rate up and can even make lips swell. It has been hailed over the years as a preventer of heart attacks and blood pressure reducer, but best to avoid eating many of the very hottest as these have been known to actually cause heart failure.
There are, today, hundreds of varieties of chillies that vary hugely in heat intensity. Glasshouses throughout the south now cultivate chillies and one of the hottest to be grown is Naga as used by local chutney maker, Bartie of Sussex Faire. When cook-ing with these, Bartie has to wear goggles and wrap a wet tea towel around his head to protect himself. One of the hottest chillies in the world includes the Moruga Scorpion chilli with a Scoville rating of over two million, whilst the timid Banana Pepper is rated at a mere 900.

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Chocolate

Our love affair with chocolate goes back over 2,000 years when it was first consumed in ancient South America in the form of frothy drinks. Aztec ruler, Montezuma, drank chocolate, fortified with chilli, for its aphrodisiac properties before entering his harem and scientists have now proven the dark substance promotes feelings of excitement, attraction and pleasure. Chocolate is also rich in antioxidants, helping to reduce the risk of chronic ailments such as heart disease and cancer.
It was in the 1860s that chocolate was first packaged in a heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day and today chocolate is the most popular gift from generous lovers. Locally, there is an
increasing number of very talented artisans using this rich ingredient bringing us traditional handmade chocolate confectionery, chocolate brownies and cakes. Whilst our big chocolate
names may be changing their dark stuff so it’s far more like candy, now is the time to discover local real chocolate again.

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Coffee

Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world, perhaps due to it being the universal stimulant of choice. But a newer discovery should be of interest to those hoping to woo their chosen one: a recent study found the smell of coffee is so evocative to women that most judged men more attractive when subjected to this particular aroma. And don’t think that a jar of instant will do it. The aroma has to be that of freshly roasted coffee beans which also helps make the perfect cup too.
Small scale roasters pay particular attention to where they source their beans from in the world with a huge variation of both flavours and even ethics. The roasting process is a whole science in its own right and the barista is then expected to follow through with precise grinding of beans, tampering, temperature, type of milk and how it is added. An international coffee news site swears that freshly roasted coffee from local independents offers some of the best you’ve ever tasted.

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Dark and slow chilli

www.crateslocal.co.uk
Serves four

Ingredients:
600g diced beef: use cut suitable for slow cooking such as chuck, skirt or flank
Two teaspoons olive or rapeseed oil
Tin chopped tomatoes
Two tablespoons tomato purée and/or ketchup
500ml beef stock
One tin red kidney or black beans (or 75g dried – soaked as required)
Two chilli peppers depending on taste: jalapeño, bird’s eye (or habanero for the brave)
One red onion
Two cloves garlic
One teaspoon paprika
Quarter teaspoon allspice (or equal amounts of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg)
One tablespoon plain flour
50g finely chopped dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa
Avocado, fresh coriander, tortillas and grated cheese as accompaniments

Method:
• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the beef and brown all over. Remove and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the chopped onion and chopped chillies (include seeds for extra heat if required)
and cook until the onion is softened.
• Add the garlic and spices and cook for a further couple of minutes before adding in the flour, stirring
all to coat.
• Place all in a slow cooker or casserole with lid and stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, beans, stock and beef. Cover and cook on a very low heat (100 degrees in oven) for around six to seven hours.
• Just prior to the end, stir in the chocolate, cover again and continue to cook on a high heat for no more than five minutes.
• Serve with diced avocado, coriander, tortillas and grated hard cheese.

Oysters Kilpatrick

www.crateslocal.co.uk
Serves two

Ingredients:
Six to twelve fresh oysters, rock or native
Two cloves garlic
One teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Six rashers streaky bacon or pancetta
One large or two small shallots
Two tablespoons tomato purée
One tablespoon red wine vinegar
One tablespoon brown sugar
One tablespoon soy sauce
One teaspoon Dijon mustard
Generous amount of rock salt if using a flat baking sheet
Lemon wedges to serve

Method:
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4. Prepare a flat baking sheet with mounds of rock salt on which to balance the oyster shells, or use a moulded pudding sheet.
• Finely chop the shallots and gently fry until they just turn brown. Add the tomato purée, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and mustard and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for five minutes or until the sauce thickens.
• Fry the bacon or pancetta until crispy and add to the sauce.
• Shuck and remove the oysters, set these aside. Clean the empty shells and dry thoroughly.
• Rub the inside of the shells with the garlic cloves and balance each shell on a mound of rock salt on the baking sheet or direct into each pudding centre. Add a few drops of hot pepper sauce to the bottom of each shell, return the oyster and drizzle over the sauce and bacon mixture.
• Bake for just fifteen minutes and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Coffee crème caramel

www.crateslocal.co.uk
Serves four

Ingredients:
150g castor sugar
One tablespoon Kahlua or whiskey
450ml milk
60ml espresso coffee, freshly made
Three eggs
Vanilla extract

Method:
• Using a heavy non-stick pan, heat 100g of the sugar with a tablespoon of water, stirring all the time until the sugar starts to melt. Stop stirring and tilt the pan to gently swirl the mixture until it turns golden brown.
• Carefully and slowly add the alcohol, swirl it in and then put the mix into the bottom of four large and deep ramekins and place in a roasting tin. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees.
• Gently heat the milk in a saucepan and just before it boils, whisk in the espresso coffee and set aside.
• Whisk together the eggs, remaining 50g sugar and vanilla gently, just enough to blend in the sugar. Pour just a small cupful of the hot milk and coffee into the egg mix and whip through. Add in the remaining hot milk and stir.
• Pour this into the ramekins, add boiling water to the roasting pan in which the ramekins are sitting, enough to cover half way up the outside of the ramekins.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until set. Allow to cool fully and refrigerate until serving.
• Best served at least four hours after making, ideally up to one day, and turn out of the ramekins upside down so the caramel coats.

Hot hot chocolate

www.crateslocal.co.uk
Makes two cups

Ingredients:
90g finely chopped dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa
Two tablespoons cocoa powder
Sugar, to taste
Half teaspoon chilli powder, ancho or similar pure chilli powder
Whole chilli pepper
400ml milk
50ml double cream
One cinnamon stick

Method:
• Mix together the chocolate, cocoa, sugar and chilli powder and place in saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk until the chocolate starts to melt.
• Gently whisk in the milk, a bit at a time, followed by the cream and add the chilli pepper and cinnamon stick.
• Allow the mix just to simmer a minute or two and remove from the heat. Cover and set aside for at least an hour.
• Taste and add sugar if needed, warm through, strain and serve.

essence info

Crates Local Produce, 24a Carfax, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1EB
Telephone: 01403 256435
Websites: www.crateslocal.co.uk