This is a classic English version of a fruit cobbler, a little time consuming (as you need to stew the damsons and remove the stones), but the end result makes it more than worthwhile.
Ingredients
- 2lb (900g) damsons
- 4oz (100g) caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons elderflower cordial
- 6 demerara sugar cubes, crushed coarsely, or 1 heaped teaspoon loose sugar
For the topping
- 8oz (225) plain flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 level teaspoons baking powder
- 4oz (110g) ice-cold butter or margarine, cut into chunks
- 6fl oz (170ml) buttermilk or fresh milk
You will also need a baking dish approximately 9” in diameter and 2½” deep (23cm and 6cm deep).
Method
- Stew the fruit in a pan with a little water and sugar until soft, leave to cool and remove the stones – you may want to wear gloves to avoid staining your fingers!
- Arrange the damsons, sugar and elderflower cordial in the baking dish.
- Place the sifted flour, salt, baking power and butter into a food processor.
- Pulse the processor (i.e. turn it on and off quickly) several times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Pour in the buttermilk (or milk) and switch on again briefly until you have a thick, very sticky dough.
- Spoon tablespoons of the mixture over the fruit – you can do this as haphazardly as you like.
- Finally sprinkle the crushed sugar over the top of the dough, and put the dish on a high self in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until it is a crusty golden brown.
- Serve it warm from the oven with Ice Cream.
In Season this Month
Fruits & Nuts
Apples, Apricot, Aubergine, Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Loganberries, Peaches, Plums, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Strawberries, White currants, Cobnuts, Hazelnuts, Quince
Vegetables & Herbs
Artichokes, Aubergines, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbages, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chard, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Lamb’s Lettuce, Onions, Pak Choi, Peas (inc. Sugar Snaps) Potatoes, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Salsify, Scorzonera, Samphire, Sorrel, Spinach, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes, Watercress
Meat & Game
Lamb, Rabbit, Venison, Wood Pigeon
Fish & Shellfish
Black Bream, Crab (brown, hen & Spider), Signal Crayfish, Grey Mullet, Lobster, Mackerel, Pollack, Prawns, Scallops, Sea Bass, Squid, Trout (river – brown and rainbow)
Going out of season
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherry, Mange tout, Peach, Redcurrant, Strawberries (many of these towards the month).