Just add Salts!

Food programmes have awakened our interest in the produce we put on our plates and how far it has travelled to get there. More people than ever are growing their own so consumer consciousness is something chefs are very well aware of.

Paul Hugo, who runs Salts Diner with fellow chef Paul Crowther, recognises the importance of using local produce wherever possible.

Meat for the Diner is sourced from Bolton Park Farm in Bolton Abbey. Paul explains they purchase a whole pig and the pork products such as home-made sausage and burgers are served up in the Diner.

Paul and his team prepare their own pates too. Almost all their cakes and puddings are handmade in the Diner.

Sliding a tray of freshly baked scones in front of me on to the pass Paul demonstrates how fresh their food really is.

A second tray slides into place on the pass full of warm bread rolls and a mouth-watering aroma lingers in the air enticing some to come and take a seat.

Amidst the clanging of pans piercing the early morning silence as Paul and his team busily prepare for the lunchtime rush, visitors sip an early morning brew before browsing the many outlets of interest here from art to trendy homeware.

Lancashire lad Paul arrived here 11 years ago. Cooking is in his genes. His family were growing their own veg long before the eco-conscious climbed aboard the bandwagon.

Paul’s father and uncle also ran a café on the dry ski slopes where Paul practised his sport with great expertise. He was an accomplished skier but cooking is where his art is so to speak.

The culinary masterpieces he and his team create range from traditional dishes to Mediterranean inspired meals. “The menu has a bit of something for everyone. We make our own pizzas but the main is traditional cooking. Obviously with our specials we do introduce spices and different things,” explains Paul.

His interest in cooking stems from baking with his mum when he was a young boy. He pursued his interest through home economics classes at school and then went to catering college to learn his craft.

While there, Paul was part of the winning team competing against colleges in the North of England in a college cookery competition. On the back of their success, the team were offered jobs at the famous Ritz Hotel in London but Paul turned the opportunity down. “I am a home person and it was the cost of living down there which steered me away from it,” he says.

Paul worked for Crest hotels after leaving college and has since spent his career in the kitchens of predominantly small, independent and family run eateries before arriving at Salts Diner.

Working in such an arty environment it’s no wonder Paul spends his time away from work experimenting with new ideas for culinary creations.

“It’s such a big place is this,” says Paul, referring to the hundreds he and his team feed here just on Saturdays. “And,” he adds “if you don’t keep up nowadays people can turn to somewhere else.”

Since the Diner opened in the late Eighties many more restaurants and street cafes have sprung up within Saltaire.

Sir Titus Salt’s model village has always been a tourist attraction and the village’s ‘World Heritage Site’ designation has compounded interest in the area.

Paul and his team know they can’t be complacent with so much competition on their doorstep but the fact Paul and his team are dedicated and committed to keeping their ideas as fresh as the food they serve is where their success lies.

Paul’s passion for his profession, and his workplace, is evident in the care and consideration he puts into his cooking.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years this year and I love the atmosphere and the creativity,” he says.

Cumberland Sausage with mash, onion gravy and butternut, apricot and almond chutney

(Serves 2)

Ingredients: 4 Cumberland sausage; 500g Maris Piper potatoes, for the mash; 300ml of homemade onion gravy; butternut, apricot and almond chutney (as per recipe below)

Butternut, apricot and almond chutney: Ingredients: 1 small butternut squash 400g; 1 small pumpkin 400g; 400 g granulated sugar; 600ml white wine vinegar; 2 onions diced; 225g dried apricots diced; juice and rind of one orange; ½ tsp mixed spice; salt and pepper.

Method: Heat sugar and vinegar in a thick bottomed pan until sugar has dissolved Add squash, onions, apricots, orange rind and juice and allspice.

Bring mixture slowly to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for approx 40 minutes stirring frequently until the consistency is thick with no excess liquid remaining.

Check seasoning – place in sterilized jars, cover and seal.

Lemon tart x 2

Ingredients: Sweet pastry - 500g plain flour; 250g butter; 150g sugar; milk to bind. Line tart tins and bake pastry blind.

Filling - six lemons, zest and juice; six whole eggs; eight egg yolks; 300g soft butter; 300g sugar; one leaf gelatine, soaked in cold water. Oven Temperature 230 degrees celsius. DO NOT LET MIXTURE BOIL!

Method: Put all the ingredients (except the butter) in a stainless saucepan over a low heat and whisk continuously until the eggs have broken down, the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot.

Add half the butter and continue to whisk. At this point the eggs will start to cook and the mixture will coat the back of a spoon.

Add the remaining butter and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes thick.

Remove from the heat and continue to whisk until lukewarm. At this point take the gelatine out of the cold water and melt in no more than 30ml of hot water until dissolved. Then whisk into the lukewarm lemon mix.

Pour into pastry cases and put in the oven at 230 degrees celsius for approximately five to eight minutes until lightly browned.

Seared Cod Loin with Roast Butternut Squash Puree

(Serves 2)

Ingredients: Two fresh cod loins 200g each (thick pieces, skin on); 1 large butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded and roughly chopped; 25g butter melted; olive oil; salt and white pepper; lemon.

Method: For the squash puree: Par boil the squash for three to four minutes in boiling water, drain then roast in a pre-heated oven dish with a little olive oil until soft enough to puree.

Place in a bowl and add melted butter, salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and blend until pureed, pass through a fine sieve for a smoother puree if desired.

Check seasoning, keep warm.

For the cod: Lightly oil and season the cod, not the pan! Heat pan until very hot and place cod in pan, skin side down, for two minutes. Turn over and seal the flesh side then place in a hot oven and roast for approximately six to eight minutes. Check they are cooked through.

Place the cod on a hot plate with the squash puree, drizzle with pesto and service with saute potatoes and rocket side salad.