What food could be more erotic than a super rich chocolate brownie with jewels of pink and a sticky pomegranate molasses. This, for me, is a step on from my beetroot nemesis. Similar in the use of a slightly sour syrup, but so beautiful and rich that it’s best eaten with yoghurt to level out the intense levels of chocolate.

This coming Valentine’s I will be serving pomegranate brownies at our Forgotten Feast where we are partnering with Trevor Beattie’s Charitable Foundation at Space No.9, Shoreditch – with all event proceeds helping tackle food poverty. BOOK TICKETS HERE

Waste not: I prefer not to buy vegetables that aren’t imported by air freight so I buy European pomegranates in season from November to January, but if you’re lucky you will find them in February.

Ingredients - Makes 12 squares

150g chocolate 70%, broken into pieces
180g butter
100g ground almonds or just use flour
100g plain flour
150g sugar, I like to use dark brown
3 large eggs
100g pomegranate molasses and the seeds from 1 pomegranate

Method – Preheat the oven to 150°C

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.

Beat the the eggs and sugar until they are light, then mix into the chocolate mixture. Add the ground almonds and flour. Finally add the pomegranate seeds.

Grease and flour a medium tray, pour the mixture in. Now pour half the pomegranate syrup over the top. Swirl into the mixture to make a ripple.

Bake for 20 minutes. Resist temptation and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes so they set a little.

Serve warm with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and a little creme fraiche or greek yoghurt.

Here is a copy of our dream menu for Valentine’s. If you would like to join us please BOOK TICKETS HERE

An Alternative Valentine’s Banquet

Due to the sheer volume of food surplus we are able to pick the highest quality ingredients. As we are sourcing surplus food the menu is subject to change.

Smoked salmon pâté

made with trimmings from Hansen-Lydersen

Starter

Deep fried rock oyster with aioli

Representing the most sustainable seafood from Falmouth Bay.

Main course

Game ragu

Slowly braised wild game with saffron

Ox heart kebabs, salsa verde and flat bread with zatar

Ox hearts from Ginger Pig marinated in chipotle with organic herbs and zatar from Palestine

Or

Chestnut ragu with saffron

Organic glut vegetables with foraged British chestnuts

Served with

Celeriac boulangere,

carrots roasted with Douglas fir,

and braised leeks

Dessert

Pomegranate molasses brownies with crème fraîche

Forgotten Feast is a collective that supports the ugly, the unwanted and the unloved. They look to create a food experience that centres itself on the use of wild and seasonal food, suplus foods and foods that have been forgotten or ignored by the modern world.