I went blackberry picking today out along the canal by my flat and got a whole lunchbox full of lovely ripe blackberries for my pains (and pains there were, my friends, PAINS THERE WERE. I got prickled and impaled and stabbed all over the shop. A little bit stung by nettles, too. But BLACKBERRIES. And they're FREE.) There are loads of elderberry trees and rosehips and even a wild apple tree out along there too, and I'm seriously thinking about trying my hand at elderberry jelly or something, just for kicks.
But now that I have all these blackberries I had to figure out what to do with them. Pie is an obvious choice, but the last time I went out to dinner with my parents I had this wonderful venison in blackberry sauce that I really wanted to try and recreate. I didn't have any venison in (ha, like I ever have venison in!) so I went with roasted chicken instead.
I used this recipe here and I have to say it came out DELICIOUS. (Mine had lots more blackberries and sauce and purple than the picture.) I added a little bit of balsamic vinegar to the sauce which really seemed to work. I also roasted a whole load of potato, sweet potato, carrot, squash and courgette in oil and a little rosemary to go with it, which was totally yum too.
I still have most of my blackberries left though - anyone have any idea for what to do with them? I'm thinking puff pastry and cream, maybe a little nutmeg.