Samphire, Lemon and Poppy Muffins

My new favourite savoury muffin, salty, zesty and bits of crunchy texture. Samphire is a salty vegetable that grows in shallow sea waters or off rocks near coastal lines. Very delicate texture and taste similar to asparagus. I've seen samphire for sale in Waitrose near the seafood section, however not many other place's sell it. Maybe your local fish mongers if you're lucky!

450g plain flour
100g butter
2 eggs
100ml buttermilk
100ml milk
100g grated cheddar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
100g samphire
2 un-waxed lemons
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
Good pinch of salt

METHOD:
 Melt butter and place to one side to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl add flour, cheddar, baking powder, soda, samphire, zest of lemons, poppy seeds, salt and stir together. Beat the eggs in butter and add to the dry mixture along with buttermilk, milk and juice of lemons. Using a butter knife cut through the wet and dry till just under combined. Grease a 12 hold muffin pan with oil spray or butter and evenly distribute the mixture between the pan. Bake in oven set at 180oC for 25 minutes.
Once cooked leave to cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Sushi Salad

Deconstructed sushi and put back together in the form of a salad. Stupidly healthy apart from the wasabi cream, got to have something to lubricate your stomach with. Also if you've never tried samphire before you're missing out. Grown in the northern parts of Europe and picked from the shoreline it has a wonderful salty flavour with a hint of asparagus texture. My personal highlight from last weeks menu and looks great thanks to Etienne's amazing camera skills and photoshop wand haha.

400g raw peeled prawns
400g brown rice
200g samphire
1 cucumber
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

PICKLED GINGER:
100g nob of ginger
250ml water
50ml rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sea salt

WASABI CREAM:
200ml double cream
1 lime
2 tablespoons wasabi
Pinch of sea salt

METHOD:
First place 2 pots of water on to boil over high heat, in the mean time make the pickled ginger. Peel ginger and slice into match stick sized piece's and place in container with water, vinegar and salt. Put ginger to one side to pickle while you carry on with the rest of the salad. For dressing place double cream in a mixing bowl with salt and wasabi and beat together using a whisk till you have a floppy consistency then squeeze in juice of lime and stir till just combine, place in the fridge.
Once water is boiling pour rice in one pot and cook for 30-35 minutes, in the other pot add samphire and cook for 3 minutes then drain and cool under cold running water. Place separate pot over a medium heat and add sesame oil, once oil starts to smoke a little add the prawns and soy sauce, stir periodically for 5 minutes till prawns are just cooked then remove from heat.
Wash cucumber and using a peeler peel off thin long strips of cucumber and place to one side. Now its time to construct the salad, you can either make individual plates or one big platter its up to you. First lay out the rice followed by draping over samphire and strips of cucumber then evenly distribute prawns and garnish the top of salad with pickled ginger and desired amount of wasabi cream and serve.