36
FOOD
A Cut Above
With great flavour and texture,
Dukes Hill's premium bacon is a
handy ingredient for festive dishes.
Because it's crafted using traditional
methods that ensure it doesn't shrink
or release excess water when cooked,
Dukes Hill's bacon can be used for
'turkey weaves', which will help to
keep the bird moist, also for crispy
'pigs in blankets', as well as adding
deep and savoury notes to stuffing.
Dukes Hill's superior bacon is
made with expertise and hands-on
traditional techniques - and plenty
of time. It is dry-cured by hand
with a blend of salt and unrefined
brown sugar before being left to
mature for five days. The 'flitches' of
bacon are then hung to dry naturally
for up to another five days. As
the bacon matures, it develops an
robust flavour while remaining firm.
The absence of added water in the
production process means Dukes
Hill's bacon doesn't shrink that much
when cooked.
And there is quite a choice too.
There's old-fashioned rind-on middle
bacon, or smoked dry-cured back
bacon. Or look at the unsmoked
dry-cured back bacon or the smoked
dry-cured streaky bacon for an extra
flavourful punch. But if you like your
bacon without the extra oomph,
then try the unsmoked dry-cured
streaky bacon.
www.dukeshill.co.uk
A gin thing… spiced & subtly sweet flavour as our
award-winning Asian Parsnip gin but
with an extra kick at 57% alcohol.
American Mustard a warm and
savoury profile, the mustard is front
and central providing warmth while
being light on the tongue, paired
it with gherkin to counterbalance
the heat by giving a briny note
to the finished product. London
Drizzle recreates the sensation of
petrichor -m the smell of fresh
rain since most gins are designated
'London Dry' yet London generally
isn't! One of the key components of
petrichor is also present in beetroot,
which is combined with lovage,
bay, orange, and ginger to create
a gin designed to instantly invoke
the majesty of our often sodden
Sceptered Isle.
www.jamesgin.com
James Gin was launched in by TV
personality James May, who says,
"Any reasonably conceited TV
presenter or Hollywood actor will
eventually have a go at making a gin.
It's easier than whisky - no need to
hang around for 10 years for it to
be ready!"
May teamed up with Hugh
Anderson of Downton Distillery to
create his first gin: "My gin really is
mine, not a cynical branding exercise.
I came up with the idea of blending
the flavour of parsnip (because
it reminds me of England and its
dampness) with Asian spices (because
they add excitement). We eventually
arrived at the unequivocally named
Asian Parsnip Gin, celebrating both
my homeland and the pleasures
I've enjoyed over many decades of
international travel at other people's
expense."
Probably best known for his
role in TV car shows, May is also an
occasional flautist and the landlord
of a Wiltshire pub. It therefore
made sense for him to start a booze
brand… he chose gin. Beyond sticking
his face on a bottle, he come up with
some unique flavours called 'suitably
savoury gins. Each gin in the range
is based on May's love of cooking
as well as his global travels. Asian
Parsnip serves as an ode to the Great
British parsnip, with a touch of exotic
spices for excitement. His latest,
London Drizzle, aims to recreate
the uniquely British feeling of rain
on a damp London summer's day.
He says, "Originally, I'd intended to
make enough to sell in the pub. But
that experiment has turned into a
gin-fuelled monster. Like most things
involving gin, it's all got a bit out of
hand."
Asian Parsnip a warming gin with
lingering light sweet notes. Asian
Parsnip: Navy Strength the same