Time and Tide by Emily Scott

 

Time & Tide: Recipes and stories from my coastal Kitchen by Emily Scott

 

"A beautiful and soul-comforting book for anyone who loves to cook." - Stanley Tucci

 

In celebration of Fortnum & Mason On Sea, our summer-long collaboration with acclaimed chef, author and restaurateur Emily Scott, we're delighted to give Fortnum's readers a sneak peek inside Emily's new book, Time & Tide.

 

Read the book's introduction, discover a mouthwatering recipe from its page, and find out more about Emily below.

 

 

 

Introduction: A Call to the Coast

 

 

This is my life by the sea, where hawthorn and gorse bloom and tamarisk trees meet the edges of the cliffs, where wild coastal flowers – fennel, teasels and ox daisies – drift down to the edge of the sea. Grassy hillsides are laden with bracken. Gateways lead the way around the rocky landscape of North Cornwall, the place I call home. Colourful flowers and herbs line the wooden fences and stony pathways that run along the rugged, carved headlands, wild and beautiful through each season. Sea mists, chase the blues of the swirling skies. The granite colour of the roaring sea, merging sometimes into all the hues of blue and green. The sound of the screeching gulls and the echoes of the other sea birds swooping along the cliff side, all busy with their day. Quintessential slate-hung cottages look out to sea. Babbling streams. Dragonflies and butterflies. Rock pooling shoreside, a world of wonder – so many textures and colours, and the sea life – botanicals, crabs, shrimps, limpets, anemones, starfish, whelks and more. Leaning over the small pools on the rocky shoreline, both as a child and later with my own children, has always been a seaside highlight for me. Cornwall is beautiful, whatever the season, and will always lift your spirits. I am so excited that you are returning to the seaside in beautiful Cornwall with me, to discover my coastal kitchen, which is very much at the heart of everything I do. In my first book, Sea & Shore, I took you through the seasons by the sea with chapters on Spring Tides, Summer Seas, High Summer, Autumn Tides, Noël and Winter Seas. In Time & Tide, I will take you through the heart of my kitchen as the days unfold in moments of time, to tell you about what is important to me and brings me joy. From my style and how to keep things simple yet thoughtful, to my favourite times of the day and the importance of making time. I begin with Rise & Shine, and the recipes with which I love to start my day; then move on to Morning Café, a ritual that will never be broken; on to My Kitchen Table and the recipes that have been important to me and my family; never far from the water, I share some of my favourite recipes for on the go in On the Boat; slowing down for relaxed Seaside Soirées and Lazy Sunday Lunches. Last, but not least, in Time to Preserve I share my love for preserving ingredients so they can be enjoyed throughout the year. Join me to discover recipes from my coastal garden, for long lunches, beach days, boat days, salty swims and sunsets by the sea, all using beautiful ingredients, with nostalgia and provenance always at the core of my cooking.

 

 

 

A Recipe from Tide & Time 

 

 

Whole Mackerel Over Coals with Garlic & Garden Leaves

 

For me, cooking these little fish over coals to blacken the skin is the perfect way to eat them. I have spent many hours mackerel fishing off the coast of Cornwall – they will always have a place at my table, especially when cooked over coals.

 

SERVES 6

 

• 6 tablespoons good olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 ½ teaspoons chilli (hot pepper) flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) mackerel, cleaned and heads removed
• Cornish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

TO SERVE

• Green Leaf Salad
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

 

In a large bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the olive oil with the lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the chilli flakes, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and some salt and pepper. Add the mackerel, toss to cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, fire up the barbecue. Cook the marinated mackerel directly on the bars of the barbecue for 4–5 minutes until caramelised and charred (or use a griddle pan – just make sure it is really hot, as this will help the mackerel not stick). Place on a warm serving plate and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Accompany with a green leaf salad and some lemon wedges.

 

COOK’S NOTE Sardines also work wonderfully over coals. If you don’t have a barbecue, bake the fish in a hot oven. For even quicker cooking, ask your fishmonger to butterfly fillet the fish.

 

About Emily Scott

 

 

To put it simply, Emily is passionate about food and it is in her kitchen where she feels most at home. Emily loves nothing more than delighting others through food, bringing friends and family together around the table.

 

Emily’s passion for the connection between food, a sense of place and storytelling is infectious, intriguing and comforting all at the same time. Her story is one which interweaves the sentimental tales of a childhood in Provence with her grandfather ‘Papa’ collecting strawberries from the fields to the hum of crickets in the warm sunshine, to the beautiful shores of Cornwall and golden sandy beaches. Experience and memories are translated into ingredients which collectively are heightening into simplistic, rustic dishes which are easily recreated at home.

 

Emily trained in London and France and her classical training forms the backbone of her cooking style. When Emily was 23, she moved to Cornwall where she successfully ran the Harbour Restaurant in Port Isaac. Emily was named best chef in the South West by Food magazine and was listed in the top 100 most influential women in the hospitality industry for two years running. Emily has been recognised by Michelin since 2016 and appeared on BBC 2's Great British Menu, representing the South West, in 2019.

 

Emily’s new restaurant opened at Watergate Bay on May 18th 2021. Her ethos being no faffing, no fussing, just beautiful food.

 

Also in May 2021, Emily was also commissioned by the Cabinet Office to create, cook and style a dinner for Royalty and the World Leaders for the G7 summit. This dinner took place at the Eden Project. This was an extraordinary event, which saw Emily become the first woman to cook for the leaders of the western worlds. Meeting POTUS was a particular highlight for Emily and her team.

 

Emily’s debut cookbook Sea & Shore: Recipes & Stories from a Kitchen in Cornwall was published in June 2021 with Hardie Grant. Writing her first cookbook was a dream come true for Emily, and her second cookbook, Time & Tide, is out now, published by Hardie Grant. Emily lives in Cornwall with her partner Mark Hellyar, a winemaker. She has three children: Oscar, Finn and Evie.

 

 

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Follow Emily

@emilyscottfood
emilyscottfood.substack.com