Chef Ben Tish creates pork belly, roasted halibut and brown butter panna cotta recipes

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Dear chefs, Five fun-packed, festive, fevered, full weeks of trading until we come up for air and celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus. Wild Mushrooms

• The last week of Bulgarian ceps, I predict, before we switch to South Africa
• Girolles are now American
• The glut of trompette is slowing and prices therefore rising. We will be buying from France to start the   week.
• Pied de mouton from France
• Chanterelle gris from Finland
• Chanterelle jaune from Spain

Truffles White truffles are still excellent and at a good price. Autumn truffles continue, but I suspect we will wash our hands of them come December and the start of the mighty Perigord season. Fruits Time for a bit of citrus focus. As common a condiment as salt and pepper in today’s cuisine, here are just some of the fresh and preserved lines gracing our premises in New Covent Garden Market.

• Meyer lemons are due to come over from the US with girolles this week. Native to China (as so many fruits are), these little beauties are thought to be a mandarin/lemon cross, producing a mild orange scented juice and zest.
• I went on at some length about Italian bergamot oranges last week. I still haven’t made that vodka infusion, but I did manage a refreshing weak black tea with a slice of this fascinating fruit floating in it.
• Buddha’s hands - The joy in these alien fruits lies in candying the skins.
• Finger limes
• Clementines - both leafy and naked from Spain
• Unwaxed leafy lemons from southern Italy
• Kaffir limes and their leaves
• Our year-round offering of fresh lemons, limes, kumquats  and grapefruits
• Candied orange and lemon strips
• Moroccan-style preserved lemons
• Frozen lemon juice
• Frozen bergamot puree
• Frozen blood orange puree
• Frozen cactus lime puree
• Frozen lemon puree
• Frozen crushed lemon (a personal favourite) complete with just the right levels of zest to make a stunning classic lemon tart
• Frozen lime puree
• Frozen mandarin puree
• Frozen grapefruit puree
• Frozen yuzu puree

I guess it shows an impatient and gluttonous nature, but it would be nice to have decent blood and Seville oranges join the party. I guess you need to save some interest for January. Vegetables No real shift here from previous weeks’ updates. As a reminder, here is what we had to report last week:

• Jerusalem chokes and their milder helianthes cousin.
• Funky carrots, radishes, turnips and chards.
• Unusual squash remain strong.
• Purple sprouting broccoli
• Cima di rapa still good
• Lots of unusual members of the chicory family
• Beets and roots, clever Dutch and English flowers and shoots.
• A fine range of alliums and spuds aplenty.
• The mighty Alexander, a favourite and oft-neglected part of our foraged line. Cook the stems and use the leaves and flowers for garnish. Flavour profile akin to celery, asparagus and parsley. Here’s a link to a nice piece written on Jersey.

Also notable - crosnes (aka Japanese artichoke) prices have come down and mild conditions mean that our mighty offering remains intact. Caviar Promotion for Holiday Season Whilst other suppliers may be ramping up caviar prices for Christmas and New Year, we will be discounting our consistently excellent farmed oscietra to encourage decadence. As usual, this is just a smattering of what we have on offer. Call in on 0207498 5397 to speak to the team about what other treats we have  in store for you today.    And don’t forget, to get this newsletter into your inbox every week email: [email protected] to sign up.