A very expensive fruit that I first came across in my early career at TheSavoy and The Connaught, is Fraises de Bois, or wild strawberries. They were guarded in the same way as caviar, and only seniority allowed you anywhere near. In more recent years, I’ve often noticed them growing in rocky borders in friends’ gardens. A few have told me that they leave them for the birds, as they ripen gradually, a few at a time, usually making it not worthwhile picking them. When I moved out to The Chiltern Hills, I inherited a couple of large terracotta tubs, which were home to some rather sad looking wild strawberry plants. The following spring, I gave them a little TLC, and have fed and watered them ever since. They have repaid me by generally producing enough fruit to put on the menu at Friends. Earlier this year, I decided to split some out and plant in other tubs. And do you know, they are very easy to grow! (This from a man without green fingers, I grow these, herbs and lawn!) At this time of year, I generally go out around 7.30 in the morning, and pick them on a daily basis. They freeze very well, and thaw quickly because of their size. I make ice cream, mousses, bavarois and a version of Eton Mess, with them. The recipe below includes Crème de fraise de bois, but you can leave it out, or use a more readily available liqueur, such as Grand Marnier.

Wild strawberry Eton Mess
Serves 4
400g wild strawberries
350ml double cream
4 Smallish ready-made meringues, crushed
1 tbsp Crème de fraises de bois (optional)
 4 small sprigs of mint, to garnish
1.    Crush half the wild strawberries, keeping  the remaining strawberries, for decoration.
2.    Whip the double cream until stiff peaks form, then fold in the crushed strawberries and meringue. Fold in the chopped strawberries and stir in the wild strawberry liqueur (Crème de fraises de bois*).
3.    Spoon equal amounts of the mixture into four cold glass dishes. Serve garnished with the remaining wild strawberries and a sprig of mint.

Feel good factor!
One of the most common culinary New Year traditions across the globe is to eat food that will bring good luck. In America, this could mean black eyed peas, while in Greece this means downing a handful of grapes. I’m not sure that I buy into lucky foods, but I am all for comfort food. I am also very aware of the health benefits of certain dishes, although there can be a psychological effect to this. If I’m feeling under the weather, I prepare one of my favourite repasts, “Tromp’s Bollito” !
I call it this, as during my time at The Savoy, The Chef, (or to give him his full title, Maître Chef des Cuisines) Silvino Trompetto MBE, would often get me to make this for his lunch. He would always extoll the virtues of this, much simplified version of Bollito Misto, which was very healthy to boot! I can’t say that I could understand the appeal at the time, but in recent years, I have made this when I need a bit of a lift, or have a cold or chill, and it never fails to make me feel better!
Tromp’s Bollito
Serves 4
1 x 1.5 kilo free range chicken, cut into 8 joints
150g carrots, cut into even sized batons
150g celery, cut into batons
150g leeks, cut into lozenge shapes
150g small turnips cut into wedges
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 large bay leaf
12 small new potatoes, peeled
100g peas, good quality frozen will suffice
Salt and freshly milled pepper
Place the chicken joints into a large sauce pan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil, skimming off all the fat and scum that rises to the top. Simmer for 20 minutes, skimming as necessary. Add a good pinch of salt, the bay leaf, garlic, potatoes and all the vegetables except the peas. Simmer for a further 20 minutes, then add the peas, cooking for 10 minutes more. The chicken and vegetables should now be cooked through, continue cooking for another 10 minutes if they are not. Season to taste and serve. Happy and healthy new year!