How To | Make a Zero Waste Meal

Brains : Love

16 March 2021

We've all been there: you've got a fridge full of food and yet the temptation to order a take away is strong enough that it makes it almost justifiable. Next thing you know, you've done this so many times a week that you've wasted half your wages on Deliveroo and all that lovely food that was brought to be eaten has had to be thrown in the bin.

But with a Native at Home meal, that needn't be the case. While we're unable to dine in the Native restaurant found in the new Browns Brook Street store (which is due to open in April), they've created dining kits so that you can replicate the experience at home. Specialising in seasonal and sustainably sourced cuisine, a Native at Home meal will tantalise your tastebuds with food you wouldn't have even thought to cook with.

Learn about their ethos from co-founder of the restaurant, Imogen Davis, and follow her tips so you can make the recipe at home.

Step 1 - Keeping your ingredients Fresh
Always refrigerate the kit (except the waffle, cake and crumbs!) as soon as it arrives and ensure you use everything within two days to guarantee the highest quality of the freshest seasonal and locally foraged ingredients.

Step 2 - Let’s get cooking
To make your delicious meal, you will need the following:
+ 1 Small saucepan
+ 1 Medium-sized saucepan
+ 1 Heavy-based frying pan
+ 2 Small oven or baking trays
+ Vegetable oil
+ Table salt
+ Kitchen tongs
+ Kitchen roll
+ Cheese grater or microplane
+ Small knob of butter or equivalent

Before you start:
Remove everything from the fridge 1 hour before you are ready to begin. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and half fill a medium-sized pot with boiling water and place lid on top.

Starter

Fermented Potato Waffle With Chicken Liver Parfait & Rhubarb
Remove waffle from packaging and place on a tray into a 180°C oven for 4 minutes.
Remove and cover with a small knob of butter.
Spoon out a generous scoop of parfait and place on top of the waffle to serve.

Brown Carb Speltotto, Lincolnshire Poacher & White Crab Salsa
Place the bag of crab speltotto into a pot with water on a medium simmer whilst you enjoy the parfait. (You can keep the water for your main course).
Pour the contents of your speltotto into a small pan, place on a medium heat and cook until heated through.
Remove speltotto from the heat and grate in your cheese.
Mix the cheese and speltotto together and divide evenly into two bowls.
Spoon over the crab dressing to serve.

Main

Burnt Hispi With Miso Butter
Heat your heavy-based pan on a high heat with no oil for 2 minutes.
Place the cabbage cut side down and cook for 2 minutes or until blackened.
Remove the pan from the heat and turn over your cabbage.
Add the miso butter and 50ml of water to the pan, baste cabbage with butter and water mixture, coating all the layers.
Remove from the pan and place on a small tray and cook in the oven for 5 minutes before serving.

South Downs Venison With Celeriac, Oyster Mushroom & Bone Marrow Crumb
Bring a pan of water to the boil, remove from the heat and place sealed vacuum-packed bags of vegetables and puree into the water for 5 minutes with the lid on.
Remove venison from the bag, keeping the garlic, thyme, oil and butter to one side. Season all over with sea salt.
Heat the heavy-based pan on a medium high heat and add the oil. Sear the venison all over to get a golden colour on all sides. Add the garlic, thyme and butter to the pan and cook for a further 30 seconds.
Remove the venison from the pan and place on an oven tray, pouring over the liquid from the pan and cook at 180°C for 5 minutes for medium rare, 6 minutes for medium or 7+ minutes for well done, then remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. N.B. Please half the cooking time for a 3 course box.
Carve venison into 4 slices across the grain. If it's too pink for you then flash in the oven in the roasting juices until it’s to your taste.
Empty the vegetables into the pan and cook until lightly caramelised.
Heat the jus in a small pan.

Plating:
Warm two plates and spoon the puree from onto each, flattening out slightly with the back of a spoon.
Place vegetables on top of the puree and add two venison slices seasoned with sea salt to the plate and pour over hot jus. Spoon half the crumb topping onto each plate and serve.

Sweets

Rhubarb & Rosemary Brown Butter Cake With Meadowsweet Cream
Keep the cake in its packaging to heat in the oven for 5 minutes at 180°C. Cut into slices.
Place honeycomb and rhubarb shards on each slice.
Spoon on some cream before serving.

Native’s Signature Marrowmel
Turn on your grill to high temp and allow it to heat up for 5 minutes.
Take marrowmel out of the vacuum pack bag and place on a baking tray.
Place under the grill on the top shelf for 2 to 3 minutes and keep watching it.
The caramel on top will bubble a little.
Take out of the grill and leave to rest for 3 minutes before eating to allow the caramel to set and season with a little Maldon Sea Salt if available.

Order a Native at Home dinner kit here.