Walking out of the tube, near the Borough Market, the soaring towers of both ancient Southwark Cathedral and the Shard Building – a 21st century pyramid-shaped glass office, hotel and residential tower – clue me in as to the diversity thriving in this revived South East London neighborhood. Set beneath railway viaducts between the river Thames and Borough High Street, most of extensive Borough Market weaves its path under rumbling tracks, through open air stalls along Southwark's garden wall and into vast vaulted market halls.
Moving patiently with the crowds through narrow aisles lined with Middle Eastern pastries, Thai shrimp in coconut sauce, fresh English truffles and heaps of multi colored produce the experience is both exotic yet modern.
13th century Market on Borough High Street
The 13th century Borough Market straddles a time divide between even older Southwark Cathedral’s inviting garden – open for impromptu picnics – and the 21st century trend for everything from grilled venison to freshly picked Chicken of the Woods mushrooms. I spent over four hours simply getting an overview of the market and talking to a dozen vendors out of over 130. The highest standards of quality and freshness were on display whether the vendor was offering prepared foods or ingredients for a cook to create whatever they desired.
Vendors such as Furness Fish & Game will provide fresh partridge, baby squid or Morcambe Bay potted shrimps. Any number of vendors offer a plethora of fresh produce from local mushrooms to exotic fruits. Richard Howard’s Oysters are shucked to order. A dozen succulent Spanish hams are lined up at Brindisa’s ready to be hand sliced into paper thin sheets. Traditional English meat pie sellers, olive vendors, bakeries, small dairy farm non-pasteurized cheeses, chocolatiers, makers of jams, Everything Licorice and gatherers of teas and honey abound.
Eco-Vendors
Flax Farm has everything made from linseed. Gourmet Woodland Mushrooms offers a home mushroom growing kit, the Book Recycler. Organic, unpasteurized, artesian, locally sourced, urban honey are all terms that have certified clout in England’s regulated farming and food industry and are the norm at the Market. Naturally, there are the berry and flower vendors who loudly hawk their multicolored products.
Long lines are to be taken for granted at any food vendor and most every stall. Finding places to sit and eat any purchase at the market are limited. Southwark Cathedral does open its garden gates allowing Market goers to sit anywhere outdoors to rest and/or picnic. There is some seating on the Market side of the garden wall as well.
Prepared Foods at Borough Market
The Market is an international food court with two dozen sit down venues and many more stalls for take away. The available menus are a dizzying array of the cuisines from the many areas of the globe that were once the British Empire. Dishes run the full gamut of nearly anyone’s desires – from traditional fish and chips at Fish! Kitchen to 22 varieties of Turkish delight at the Turkish Deli. The Market website is a good resource.
A recipe folder at one vendor’s stall featured London Chef Jose Souto’s wild game recipes. All ingredients would easily be available at Borough Market. I am sure that chicken could be substituted for pheasant although it would impart a lighter flavor.
Pot Roast Pheasant with an Apple, Cider, Sage and Cream Sauce - 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 whole pheasant (or 3 to 4 pound frying chicken)
- 2 green apples
- 12 ounces apple cider
- 1/4 cup cream
- fresh sage
- Chicken stock, if needed
- olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Preparation
- Truss the pheasant/chicken tying the legs together. Heat a little oil in a heavy, deep, lidded oven proof roasting dish and sear all sides of the bird until light caramel brown. Turn off heat.
- Peal, core and slice the apples. Lift the bird with tongs and place half the apples on the bottom of the dish. Place the bird on top of the apples and cover with the remaining apples. Add 5 sage leaves and the cider. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Place the lid on the dish and place in a pre-heated 400º oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350º and roast an additional 25 minutes. The bird should register 160º on a meat thermometer.
- Remove bird from the roasting pan to a platter. Add the cream to the apples and cooking juices in the roasting pan, If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little hot chicken stock. Heat the sauce to a gentle simmer scrapping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Carve the pheasant as you would a chicken. Strain the sauce and serve.
If I lived in London I know that I would never be farther than walking distance from the ingredients of the world.
Marc d'Entremont - Years of experience as a chef, historian and teacher guides my travel and food writing. I explore all things that shape a culture.
Join the Conversation