Style & Creativity

Seasonal Recipe - Burrata with Asparagus, Courgette & Truffle

Burrata di Puglia.  The words roll off the tongue almost musically, evoking the romance of the sun drenched heel of Italy – a land of magical domed Trulli, endless coastline and these clouds of almost-liquid, extremely creamy mozzarella that have arguably become Italy’s most seductive export.

This light summer salad has become one of our most popular dishes, so much so that our beloved Italian specialist, Vallebona, has regularly had to send for emergency supplies to satisfy demand from our clients.  Serve individually or create a platter to share, adding some finely sliced Italian charcuterie, a bottle of two of chilled Gavi and a long, hot afternoon on which to enjoy….

BURRATA WITH SHAVED ASPARAGUS, YELLOW & GREEN COURGETTE AND A TRUFFLE DRESSING

For four people:

2 x burrata, each carefully broken into two

1 bunch asparagus

1 green courgette

1 yellow courgette

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs truffle oil

2 black summer truffles, finely chopped

1 tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Using a potato peeler, shave the asparagus length ways to create long ribbons.  Keep in iced water whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

Slice the courgettes very finely length ways, scatter with salt and leave to draw out some of the moisture.

Mix the two oils together, adding the chopped black truffle and flat leaf parsley plus seasoning to taste.

Assemble the dish: drain the asparagus, wipe any salty moisture off the courgettes and toss together in a little bit of dressing.  Place a small pile of the vegetables on each plate and top with half a burrata.  Garnish with a few ribbons of shaved asparagus, some summer herbs and a final drizzle of the truffle dressing.

Mad About Metallics

An undeniably enduring trend but with rose-gold and copper currently taking the homewares world by storm, we love the versatility, effortless elegance and reflective qualities of all the metallics and have chosen to use them as the influence for our beautiful range of canape presentation trays for the autumn/winter season.

canvashomestore.co.uk

National Velvet

This luxurious, regal fabric has always been one of our favourites and we were excited to see GP & J Baker’s collaboration with one of our venue partners, Historic Royal Palaces where we are a cross palace supplier. The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace have provided a wealth of inspiration for the collection and we especially love the Kings Velvet range with its dreamy palette of heritage colours.

gpjbaker.com

By Word of Mouth’s Festive Stuffing

A great match for your Christmas turkey and equally delicious served cold with some spiced chutney.

Serves 8-10
2 Onions, chopped
25g Butter
800g Sausage meat
1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored and diced
100g Pistachio nuts, shelled
150g White breadcrumbs
A large handful of fresh sage and flat leaf parsley
Sea salt and black pepper

Fry the onion in the butter until translucent. Chop the pistachios and herbs. Place the onion, nuts and herbs in a large bowl and mix in all the other stuffing ingredients, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Pack into a grease proof tin and bake for 45 mins in an oven preheated to 170C. Make sure the stuffing is cooked all the way through before serving.

Kurobuta

Scott Hallsworth’s casual, contemporary Japanese dining concept was originally a pop up but we are so pleased that his incredibly cool restaurant is now a permanent fixture in Chelsea SW3 and Marble Arch W1.

Think of it as Japanese tapas – little dishes that push the boundaries with their bold and inventive flavour combinations. Salmon gravadlax and avocado maki with dill mayo has a hint of Scandi-chic about it whilst the BBQ pork belly in steamed buns with spicy peanut soy never ceases to have us in raptures. If you needed any more persuasion, some seriously kick-ass cocktails with which to wash it all down are also on the menu.

kurobuta-london.com

Kindred Spirits

English wines are enjoying a surge in popularity and Chapel Down in Kent is one of the best known and most progressive producers, with over 100 acres of vineyards across Kent that enjoy very similar soil and growing conditions to the Champagne region. Two of our event planners, Harry and Georgie, toured the vineyards recently and commented on both the passion that the Chapel Down team put in throughout the winemaking process, as well as the diversity of the range they produce.

“As English wines become more fashionable, it is fantastic to work with one of the pioneers of the British wine industry, who shares By Word of Mouth’s commitment to quality and who continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with British wines, beers and ciders.”

chapeldown.com

To Market, To Market...

Just a few miles from our kitchens, New Covent Garden Market, the UK’s largest wholesale flower market, is a hub of exciting ideas and creative inspiration.

Spending an early morning wandering amongst the many stalls, it is impossible not to be excited by the enormous variety of seasonal flowers, foliage, plants, herbs and amazing props ranging from huge cast iron urns and neon pink candelabras to fabulous decorative pieces. Nowhere else could you find feather boas and gold sprayed shells sitting moments away from towering palm plants and stunning displays of flowers, many of which are British-grown. Every visit to the market is an inspiration as well as a great opportunity to pick a few more pieces for our own Aladdin’s cave!

newcoventgardenmarket.com