Trewithen Dairy is the exemplar of the multi-generational family business, with the Clarke family having owned and run Greymare Farm in the Glynn Valley since 1976, from where they began crafting dairy products back in 1994. And, as the business has grown, so too has their family. It all began with Bill and Rachel who, in the nascent days of dairy farming, would lovingly bottle the milk after the children were in bed, all ready to deliver bright and early the next morning. They even cooked their own clotted cream – after all, what Cornish dairy would be worthy of the name without it?
But when, by 2001, the business had garnered more contented customers than they could personally cook for and deliver to, they decided to sell their herd and move full time into producing milk, cream, butter and, more recently, yoghurt. It was a smart move; now, with their son Francis as director, they have just scooped a gold medal, awarded by the Taste of the West judging panel for 2023.
Here, food and drink writer Harry Hook demonstrates how to harness the cosy comfort of dairy in your kitchen this winter.
Recipes: Harry Hook for Trewithen Dairy
Images: Nick Hook
Savoury Camembert And Caramelised Onion Bread And Butter Pudding
This dish is a great way to elevate humble ingredients and make good use of leftovers – stale bread works wonders and you can use any cheese you like. Feel free to throw in any leftover roasted carrots, parsnips or meat if you wish. It’s a fine accompaniment to a roast dinner – or a comforting dish on its own.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 loaf of bread – stale is fine, sliced
100g salted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
2 garlic cloves, grated
Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
1 camembert – or any mix of cheeses that need using up
200ml Trewithen Dairy whole milk
2 eggs
50g Trewithen Dairy Cornish clotted cream
1 tsp mustard
Salt
Pepper
Caramelised onions
50g Trewithen Dairy salted butter
Glug of olive oil
3 red onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Method
Heat the butter and olive oil over a medium heat, add the onions and coat them in the buttery oil. Cook for at least 20 minutes, prodding from time to time, until they are all caramelised. Add the red wine vinegar and cook for a couple more minutes until sticky. Season well and set aside.
Stir the grated garlic into the softened butter, parsley and pepper until thoroughly combined.
Spread the garlic butter over the bread on both sides. Slice the bread into triangles, don’t worry about removing the crusts as you might a sweet bread and butter pudding.
Slice the Camembert into thick, oozy slices, if using. Otherwise, grate your cheese.
Grease a baking dish and arrange a layer of bread in the bottom. Spoon over a layer of caramelised onions and cheese. Repeat with bread, onions and cheese until it’s all used up.
Whisk the milk, eggs, clotted cream and mustard, before seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour over the bread until it is all soaked up.
If you have the time, allow to stand for a little while so the bread soaks up the mixture.
Preheat oven to 180c. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.
Chowder Gratin
Generous chunks of fish, sweetcorn and bacon in a creamy sauce, topped with a meaty crumb is the perfect way to warm the cockles on chilly days. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For The Chowder
20g butter
1 onion, sliced
300g fish pie mix
200g prawns
100g bacon lardons
2 Medium waxy potatoes e.g. desiree, peeled and cubed
200g tinned sweetcorn, drained
½ tsp cayenne
1 tbsp plain flour
200ml fish stock
30g Cornish clotted cream
Small bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
For The Crumb
150g stale bread
100g chorizo
Method
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat before adding the onion. Allow to sweet gently for 5 minutes, then push to one side and add the bacon lardons.
When the bacon is golden brown, add the plain flour and stir well. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes.
While stirring, pour the fish stock in and bring to a simmer. Add the cubed potatoes and cover for approx 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Add the sweetcorn, fish and seafood, before stirring through the clotted cream for richness. Add the cayenne to taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then stir through half the chopped parsley and remove from the heat.
To make the crumb, blitz the bread and chorizo in a food processor until you have a fine crumb. Add seasoning to taste - depending on the saltiness of the chorizo.
Place a frying pan over a medium to high heat and add the breadcrumb mix. The chorizo contains all the oils needed to coat the breadcrumbs. Fry for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden.
To serve, place the chowder into a serving bowl and spoon the crumb over the top. Serve with crusty bread.
Butternut Squash, Potato And Cheese Pithivier
Deceptively simple to make, this impressive centrepiece is the perfect main course for vegetarian guests. Layers of creamy potato, onion, butternut squash encased in flaky pastry, you can make it in advance until you’re ready to bake it.
Serves 6
Ingredients
500g all-butter puff pastry
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
300g waxy potatoes e.g. desiree, thinly sliced
1/2 butternut squash, thinly sliced
6-8 sage leaves
1 tbsp plain flour
50ml milk
50g Cornish clotted cream
200g gruyere cheese, grated
1 egg
Method
Preheat your oven to 220/ gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Bring a pan of salted water to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and allow to gently simmer for 5 minutes. Gently drain in a colander.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wide saucepan over a low to medium heat and add the onions. Saute for 15 minutes until soft and translucent.
Stir through the flour and cook out for a further couple of minutes.
Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly until you have a thick sauce. Add the clotted cream, Gruyere cheese and the majority of the sage leaves before adding salt and pepper to taste.
Tip in the potatoes, coating them in the creamy mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes before removing from the heat and allowing to cool completely.
Roll out half the pastry on a floured surface. Cut the pastry around a dinner plate, ensuring that it fits on the lined baking tray. Place on the tray.
Spoon half the cooled potato mixture onto the centre of the pastry, leaving a 2-3cm rim around the edge. Carefully stack the potato slices, building a dome shape. Halfway through, add a layer of butternut squash slices, then continue with potato, finishing with a final layer of butternut squash. This will help create structure for the beautiful dome shape. Brush the rim with water.
Roll the remaining pastry out on a floured surface. Fold it gently in half to help pick it up, then drape it over the pithivier. Carefully cut around the pithivier, leaving a small rim around the edge.
Press the edges together, before pressing a fork around the edges to seal the sides tightly. Then, make a small hole in the centre of the pastry, and score curved lines from the top to the bottom - taking care not to cut through.
In a mug or small bowl, add the egg and a dash of water. Whisk with a fork until thoroughly combined.
Brush the pastry all over with egg wash (reserving any remaining egg for a second coating), then chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
By Nancy Alsop
January 2024
