Sometimes known as glasswort or sea asparagus, samphire, a corruption of Saint Peter the patron Saint of Fishermen, is a vegetable that grows in the marshes along seaside river estuaries.
Beginning their growth season in the autumn and continuing through the winter until the start of the warm season, whether sautéed, steamed or blanched, samphire is perfectly seasonal and such a treat for eating with simple seafood.
Nutritionally, samphire is packed with goodness - strong in iodine and in vitamins A, C, B2 and B15, amino acids and minerals, such as iron, calcium and particularly magnesium.
Presenting, samphire ...
Let's put this together ...
First, the chips ... peel and slice up a good sized potato per person into thick chips.
Par boil by placing into cold water and raising the water to the boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, drain and set the chips out to steam off - we want them dry, so pat them with a kitchen towel, too.
In a large skillet, soften a good helping of goose fat. Goose fat is perfect for frying, with a high smoke point and a great flavour.
But, chips?
Chips represent a huge pack of carbohydrate and fat energy with a potentially high glycemic load ... unless they're eaten with fat. Simply put, fat slows the digestive process dramatically lowering the glycemic load.
Want to know more? Check out J Stanton's article on Fat and the Glycemic Index: The Myth of Complex Carbohydrates.
Normally, chips are deep fried - I'm shallow frying them here so they're more like sauté potatoes, but still have that outside crunch and powder softness in the middle.
Meanwhile, fry the steak - I set mine on a cast iron griddle pan, turning after a couple of minutes. I like my steak rare.
Just before serving, immerse the samphire in boiling water and remove immediately, drained and onto a plate, accompanied with the steak and chips.
What a meal! Right ... time to go ... I'm Fencing tonight.
En Garde!
