Supper 7th Aug 2018

Anthony J Sargeant prepared fried Hake fillet on a bed of baby spinach served with Provencale sauce and black olives.

The beach at Bamburgh – late afternoon 2nd August 2018

Anthony J Sargeant took this photograph on a visit to Bamburgh, Northumbria, on the North-East coast of England. Taken from the beach in front of Bamburgh Castle at about 19.00hr  it is just possible to see Holy Island on the far right horizon of the picture.

Martin Lovett Cellist – Amadeus Quartet — TONY Anthony J SARGEANT

Tony Sargeant has this charming pen and ink with watercolour wash drawing which he bought at auction some time ago hidden among a number of uninteresting prints in a general sale. It brought back very happy memories of hearing the wonderful playing of the Amadeus Quartet in the 1970-80s. It is inscribed “Amadeus Quartet in Rehearsal RFH 1981” with an indistinct monogram (see below). The Cellist Martin Lovett is now 91 see below and the last surviving member of this supreme quartet (see detail below). I wonder if he remembers who did this drawing at the Royal Festival Hall in 1981? Perhaps a family member? If anybody reading this has any suggestions or contact with Mr Lovett I would love to hear from him or them t.sargeant@outlook.com

via Martin Lovett Cellist – Amadeus Quartet — TONY Anthony J SARGEANT

English Asparagus – do not throw the trimmings away!

Tony Sargeant says that when you have trimmed of the scales along the bottom two thirds of the stalk and then snapped off the base to remove any ‘woodiness’ in the base. Keep and use the trimmings to make soup.

Sweat-off some finely chopped onion in butter. Then with a sharp knife thinly slice the trimmed end (from which the scales have already been removed when preparing the whole stalk) until you start to feel any ‘woody’ resistance then discard. Add the thin cross-sections to the butter and onions and cook down until tender. Add a splash of white wine, reduce, add some stock (chicken or vegetable), season and then liquidise. The result is delicious garnished with a few cooked asparagus tips.

English Asparagus, Ham and a Poached Egg

Tony Sargeant thinks that good fresh ingredients carefully but simply cooked make for the best meals.

Here wonderfully fresh English asparagus has been cooked spread with a little butter, sea salt, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Served with locally cooked ham and a poached egg. Oh yes and by the by people often ask what is the secret of cooking a good poached egg – Well the answer is simple they need to be absolutely fresh – the egg shown here came out of the chicken a few hours earlier and dropped into a pan of simmering water the white is glutinous and sticks together to give a perfect poached egg – no need for all the nonsense of swirling the water around, adding vinegar to the water, or buying egg poaching devices. Bizarrely most supermarket eggs are left on uncooled shelves sometimes for 2 or 3 weeks so of course they do not poach very well (but if you have to buy eggs from a supermarket check the sell-by dates and pick the ones from the back of the shelf which are normally the freshest.

 

Fresh English Asparagus in season goes with almost anything – eat and enjoy while it is in season says Anthony Sargeant

Anthony J Sargeant cooked this fish stew (smoked Cod poached in Langoustine stock with added vegetables) and served with fresh English Asparagus as a side dish.

Asparagus Season in England – April 2018

Anthony J Sargeant says that you should not waste the trimmings when you snap off the base of the asparagus.

First trim the scales off the asparagus (they are very fibrous and it is best to remove them from the whole of the stalk up to about an inch or two of the top of the stalk). Do this before snapping off the bottom section of the stalk. But retain this trimming and using a sharp knife chop thin cress sections down towards the base. If you feel any woody resistance discard that very last section (often there is none). Sweat off some onion in butter (but do not brown) then add the thinly sliced asparagus sections and cook until tender. Add some chicken stock cook-off then liquidise, with seasoning added as required, until smooth. The result is a smooth asparagus soup which can be garnished with chives and perhaps a swirl of double cream. It is delicious and sweet.

Asparagus Season in England – Enjoy

Fresh Asparagus is in season in England. This was supper prepared a few evenings ago by Anthony J Sargeant. There is so little to do but the result is delicious. Served with melted butter, sea salt and grated parmesan topped with a poached egg. It was not necessary but served with a slice of quiche and a spoonful of Hollandaise.

Smoked Cod Poached in Milk

Smoked Fillet of Cod was cooked by Anthony J Sargeant for supper yesterday evening 21st April 2018. Poached in milk then the cod was reserved while the milk was thickened with creme fraiche and reduced somewhat. The fish was returned to rewarm in the sauce and served with a poached egg yolk and capers and chopped chives. With small new potatoes and sugar snaps

Smoked fillet of Cod

Hellebores in the April sunshine

Hellebores in flower in the garden of Anthony J Sargeant in Shropshire, England. Among the first of the spring flowers that have a occult quality in the way the blooms dip their heads.