The Hungry Sailors in Exmouth
Dick and James begin the preparations for their evening meal by making their gamekeeper's pie, with venison, mushrooms and redcurrant jelly.
Get their Gamekeeper's pie recipe
Exmouth
In this episode Dick and James navigate the tricky and sometimes treacherous waters of the River Exe (with a bit of help!) in search of fabulous local food producers. They get a soaking whilst ‘tickling’ mussels which they later cook in a Thai sauce, admire the stunning grounds of Powderham Castle before rustling up a Gamekeeper’s Pie for dinner.
Brief history
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe.
Sir Walter Raleigh (born 1544) sailed on many of his voyages from Exmouth harbor. The town only really began to establish itself during the 18th century. Regarded as the oldest holiday resort in Devon, visitors unable to visit Europe due to the revolutionary turmoil in France, were attracted by the views and medicinal salt waters which were then so fashionable.
Exmouth became renowned as a destination for the wealthy to recover health. Notable visitors in this time included Lady Byron, and her daughter (later known as Ada Lovelace), and the long term residence of Lady Nelson, the estranged wife of Lord Nelson. Lady Nelson is buried in Littleham Churchyard. The word ‘Exe’ is an ancient Celtic word for fish, hence the name Exmouth. During the mid 17th Century the area was attacked by ‘Turkish Pirates’ who tried to capture sailors and visitors to sell as slaves in North Africa. Exmouth also boasts the longest seafront in Devon and Cornwall.
Featured local producers
The first stop for Dick and James is Exmouth Mussels Ltd to catch some mussels to cook later on the boat. The company has scooped 4 gold medals at the recent Tast of the West awards for the exceptional quality of their shellfish. Working from their base on Exmouth Docks this small innovative company has developed unique equipment to farm the fast flowing river Exe. By doing away with dredges and using a self-fluidising elevator, the cockles and mussels are teased from their muddy beds without impact on the stone layers beneath. Minimal disturbance and constant re-seeding allows the high density of fish, crabs and sponges that build up on these 'underwater rainforests' to be maintained. They pride themselves on operating responsibly and in accordance with all procedures laid down in law both on the river and on land.
More about Exmouth Mussels
Get Dick and James' recipe for Thai mussels with micro greens
The boys wanted to pick up some micro greens to use in their final meal, so they stopped at Teign Valley Micro Herbs. There they met Charlie and Julian who are growing their micro herbs hydroponically in greenhouses above the River Teign. They have worked incredibly hard over the past couple of years to build up the business and now supply micro greens to local restaurants and wholesalers. Micro greens are a tiny form of edible greens produced from the seeds of vegetables, herbs or other plants. They are picked between 6 and 21 days old. They range in size from 1-2 inches long, including stem and leaves. Micro greens can have surprisingly intense flavours considering they are so small, though not as strong as mature greens and herbs.
More about Teign Valley Microherbs
Next stop was Rod and Ben's for their organic seasonal foods. They provide wonderful, completely organic vegetable boxes and environmental integrity is at the heart of everything they do. They began growing organically at Bickham Farm in 1998, and since then have expanded from simply growing delicious vegetables of all sorts, to making organic soups from their own stock.
Father and son then headed to Powderham Castle which is located in a unique setting just outside Exeter, beside the Exe estuary. Six hundred years of history are contained within the walls of one of England's oldest family homes. Deer have been at Powderham for over 200 years, since the time when they first became fashionable in the 18th century. The family living in the home would have eaten venison on a regular basis, and the deer would have been shot for sport.
Finally, the boys stopped off at Otterton Mill to check out how they mill flour. The watermill there has been working since the days of William the Conqueror, and today Simon and Caroline Spiller combine its traditional use for milling flour with other attractions such as a restaurant, art gallery and live music events. Despite a potentially devastating flood only shortly after they took over the business in 2008, the mill is now a hugely successful business which amongst many other things, has its own bakery which bakes delicious fresh breads.
Also from this episode:
Dick's cream and sherry nightcap recipe
Broccoli and Stilton soup recipe
James' gazpacho recipe
