Food for Hipsters

Last weekend, I went to my local independent record store and bought an Record Store Day exclusive single (in see-through vinyl, natch) from a singer recommended to me by Vogue. I caught myself admiring someone's skinny red trousers in a meeting a fortnight ago. I've used a moleskine as my notebook-of-choice for some years. And after that vinyl-purchasing episode, I went to my local farmers' market and bought local vegetables you won't have heard of.

It's just about enough to make me qualify for hipster-status.

As I'm close, I may as well go all the way and cook some hipster food. Here are two great, quick pasta suppers (are we allowed to say supper now that David Cameron has used it? Should I call it tea instead?) which are sufficiently "authentic" and obscure to impress even those friends who possess no clothes other than checked shirts. Each serves two.


Smoked trout and sorrel


Smoked trout is just like smoked salmon, except without the complex ethical considerations (wild destroys stocks, farmed is diseased, organic is unethical behaviour towards my wallet). At least, the stuff I bought at my local farmers' market is. I can't promise anything if you shop at Tesco. Sorrel is a lemony-flavoured version of spinach, so in dire straits you can use spinach instead and add the juice of half a lemon to the sauce.

This would also be great with another hipster ingredient, a handful of wild garlic, added at the same time as the sorrel. Just don't mention that your "foraging" of it consisted of a stroll to the end of Mummy and Daddy's garden.*

150g pasta
120g cold-smoked trout
two large handfuls sorrel leaves
200ml tub creme fraiche

Put the pasta on to boil. Very roughly chop the trout into ribbons, and the sorrel likewise. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and combine all the ingredients.

*It was raining, ok? And cold. I had to wear a raincoat in a non-ironic way. If that doesn't qualify as foraging, what does?

'Nduja and PSB

This is great because it contains one ingredient which no-one will have heard of, and one which has an abbreviated codename. 'Nduja is a spicy salami, created so soft that it is spreadable and melts when heated. You can bring some back from your agroturismo week in Calabria, or in emergencies you can get it from Ocado. Chorizo would give you the same flavour, but a totally different texture. 

Purple Sprouting Broccoli has a higher proportion of stem to fluff than normal broccoli, so is ideal for pasta dishes where you need some structure to your vegetables. It's also one of the first British vegetables to come into season each spring, so do go out and buy some rather than shipping Tenderstem (TM) in from Spain or wherever.

150g pasta (wholewheat works well here)

1 onion

120g 'nduja

200g purple sprouting broccoli

2 tbs double cream

Put the pasta on to boil, and finely chop the onion. Saute the onion in a decent amount of oil until it softens and starts to brown. Cut each purple sprouting stem in half, and halfway through the pasta cooking time, add it to the water. Just before the pasta and purple sprouting is done, add the 'nduja to the onion pan and leave to melt in the heat, giving it a squish with a spoon to encourage it. 

Drain the pasta and purple sprouting, add to the onion/'nduja pan, and drizzle over the cream. Stir well to combine. 

PS. For a really awesome take-down of the latest foodie trends (minus any actually quite tasty recipes), see this press release for a new restaurant on twitter.