No, not the gooey stuff you get from bones Cheese Dave, but the overgrown courgettes that nobody finds particularly interesting to cook with. This week I have cooked two marrow recipes from Nigel Slater's Tender Vol. 1 and both were delicious. The best one was this evening and has the imaginative title 'Baked marrow, minced pork':
Serves 2
for the marrow
young marrow or large courgette - 750g
garlic - two cloves, crushed
mint leaves - a handful
olive oil
the juice of half a lemon
for the pork
dill - a small handful
parsley - a small bunch
garlic - a couple of cloves
red chillies - 2 small, hot
olive oil
minced pork - 450g
the grated zest and juice of a lime
Halve the marrow and remove the seeds and fibre. I peel it only if the skin is particularly thick. Cut the flesh into thick chunks and toss in a roasting tin with the crushed garlic, mint leaves, a couple of generous glugs of olive oil and the lemon juice. Set aside for an hour.
Set the oven at 180C/Gas 4. Bake the marrow for forty five minutes or so, till soft and tender. Roughly chop the dill and its stalks, the parsley leaves and the garlic. Finely chop the chillies, removing the seeds if you like a milder effect.
To cook the pork, get a couple of tablespoons of olive oil smoking hot in a shallow pan, then add the meat. At this point I don't turn or stir it, however tempting, till the underside has had a chance to colour and crisp. [this is important. It took a while to get it dark and crispy but be patient, it's worth it] Turn when you can to brown the other side. Add the dill parsley, garlic and chilli. Let the mixture cook over a high heat till all is fragrant, sizzling and golden. Season generously with salt and pepper, then stir in the lime juice and zest. Serve mixed with the baked marrow.
I do hope you try this when a marrow comes your way. Not the most attractive dish to look at, but veeery tasty. Oh, and I poured natural yogurt over it once served which made it even tastier.
Serves 2
for the marrow
young marrow or large courgette - 750g
garlic - two cloves, crushed
mint leaves - a handful
olive oil
the juice of half a lemon
for the pork
dill - a small handful
parsley - a small bunch
garlic - a couple of cloves
red chillies - 2 small, hot
olive oil
minced pork - 450g
the grated zest and juice of a lime
Halve the marrow and remove the seeds and fibre. I peel it only if the skin is particularly thick. Cut the flesh into thick chunks and toss in a roasting tin with the crushed garlic, mint leaves, a couple of generous glugs of olive oil and the lemon juice. Set aside for an hour.
Set the oven at 180C/Gas 4. Bake the marrow for forty five minutes or so, till soft and tender. Roughly chop the dill and its stalks, the parsley leaves and the garlic. Finely chop the chillies, removing the seeds if you like a milder effect.
To cook the pork, get a couple of tablespoons of olive oil smoking hot in a shallow pan, then add the meat. At this point I don't turn or stir it, however tempting, till the underside has had a chance to colour and crisp. [this is important. It took a while to get it dark and crispy but be patient, it's worth it] Turn when you can to brown the other side. Add the dill parsley, garlic and chilli. Let the mixture cook over a high heat till all is fragrant, sizzling and golden. Season generously with salt and pepper, then stir in the lime juice and zest. Serve mixed with the baked marrow.
I do hope you try this when a marrow comes your way. Not the most attractive dish to look at, but veeery tasty. Oh, and I poured natural yogurt over it once served which made it even tastier.
