Top chef reveals 3 autumn ingredients to forage in UK and how to cook them safely
Crab apples – perfect for autumn
A top York chef reveals the best autumn ingredients to forage in the UK - and how to pick and cook them with confidence
AS autumn sets in across the UK, the countryside and hedgerows are filled with seasonal ingredients that can be foraged and transformed into delicious dishes at home.
Kevin Bonello, culinary director at The Grand’s Legacy, shares three seasonal ingredients to look out for this autumn – and gives advice on how to add them to recipes as well as responsible foraging.
1. Crab apples
Kevin says: "The first ingredient worth looking out for this autumn is crab apples. They’re one of the ancestors of the cultivated apple, and while they're too sharp to eat raw, that tartness is exactly what makes them so good in the kitchen.
Crab apples – perfect for autumn
"You'll find them in woodlands, parks and even city streets across the UK, with small, round fruits ready to forage from late summer through to November. As they ripe, they turn red or a yellow-green to orange colour, and a ripe fruit should come away easily when you twist the stem gently. Typically, the sharper the taste, the closer it is to a true wild crab apple.”
When it comes to cooking them, Kevin recommends: "I like to poach crab apples in a light, flavoursome syrup with verjus and lemon thyme, or char them on a plancha to create a caramelised outer layer while keeping the inside fresh and crisp. They're also lovely baked with honey, butter and aromatics such as thyme, vanilla or bay leaves. Their sharpness works particularly well with richer ingredients, so I like pairing them with scallops, smoked cheese or crab."
2. Wild mushrooms
Kevin says: "The second ingredient I’d look out for is wild mushrooms. October is peak season for mushroom hunting, and one of my favourites is the penny bun, also known as porcini or cep. It’s one of the most prized mushrooms in Europe thanks to its flavour and texture.
Kevin Bonello, top chef at The Grand, York
“They have a brown and dimpled cap that looks like a crusty bread roll, and you’ll often find them growing near oak, beech and birch trees. There are so many different mushroom varieties to discover, and each one can bring something different to a dish.”
On how he likes to cook with them, Kevin says: "Mushrooms are one of my favourite ingredients to cook with because there are so many ways to use them. Porcini can be pan-roasted with butter, garlic and thyme, while shiitake make a great mushroom parfait or can be dried and used to make a flavourful dashi. Girolles are lovely pickled in a kombu pickle, and lion's mane is great on the grill, brushed with miso and soy.
“But you don’t always need to do something complicated. One of my favourite ways to serve a medley of wild mushrooms is to shallow-fry them with truffle butter and serve them with a fried egg and some wilted greens."
3. Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts in their clusters and leaves of common hazel.
Kevin shares: "Another favourite ingredient of mine to forage are hazelnuts. Hazel trees are native to the UK, and the nuts ripen in September and October as the leaves begin to change colour. You'll know they're ready once the papery outer covering starts pulling back from the nut and it turns brown. If it's still green, it's not quite mature yet.
"Ripe nuts are often snapped up quickly by squirrels and birds, so if you want to bring some home, you can pick them and bring them home while they’re still green and leave them to ripen in a dry, dark place such as a cupboard.”
On his favourite ways to use them, Kevin adds: " Hazelnuts are incredibly versatile. I like turning them into a praline and using that in a gelato or ice cream, or making a hazelnut butter to finish sauces and risottos. They're also fantastic in a crumble, which can work just as well in both a savoury or sweet dish."
Kevin's tips and warnings on responsible foraging
Kevin warns: "Foraging is something you need to approach with care, and mistakes can be serious. Always cross-check your identification using more than one reliable source, and as a rule of thumb, never forage anything you cannot identify with complete certainty. Some parts of a plant are edible whilst others parts may not be safe to eat.
"It’s also important to know where you're allowed to forage too. Rules vary depending on the land and location, so check whether foraging is permitted before you go, and get the landowner's permission if you're on private land."
“It’s also important to pick selectively and leave enough behind for the plant and ecosystem to regenerate. I’d also avoid foraging near busy roads, sprayed fields or polluted waterways."