Celebrating the Welsh coast
Honey and ginger muffins recipe
The Wales Coast Path has just turned 10 years old. It was a remarkable feat then, and still is now. The 1,400-km (870-mile) path starts at Chepstow in the southeast, traverses the entire coast of Wales and ends near Chester in the northeast. If you link it up with Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail that runs the length of the border between England and Wales, you can navigate the complete circumference of Wales on foot. It’s still the only path in the world to span an entire country's coastline – although I hear England is making similar plans.
I've only ever done parts of the walk, but I would very much like to try to do the whole thing at some point, visiting and learning about all the food and produce on the way. That'll need some planning, as it would probably take a good few months – and someone willing to pay me to write about it. Travel editors take note! If I did do it, I’d pass 100 beaches (including 42 Blue Flag beaches), 16 coastal castles, 30 RNLI lifeboat stations, and come very near to more than 200 shipwrecks.
The coast is inextricably linked to the history of Wales, both for industry, navigation, immigration, pleasure and food. Carwyn Graves in his new book Welsh Food Stories notes:
“The widespread use of shellfish and seaweed by the coastal population was often pointed out as distinctive. In 1775, for example, this description of the fare of the inhabitants of Anglesey by an outsider notes with surprise that: ‘they eat little meat, but cheese and butter, bacon, tame and wild fowls, sea fish, oysters, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, prawns, mussels and cockles’”.
He also goes on to explain about Welsh salt marsh lamb and how we have the coast and sea to thank for it – the sheep munch quite happily on the samphire, sorrel, a sea lavender that grows with abundance on the sea marsh wetlands.
As much as I love a mountain, I relish being by the sea. Perhaps it’s growing up in a port town, or holidaying in caravan at the seaside, I’m not sure. There’s something about the air (“You’ll sleep well with all this sea air,” my Nannie Gwen used to say), the constant change from the lapping tide, which itself causes constant change of the coast by chipping away at cliffs and rocks, or depositing sand on the shore. And coastal food is spectacular wherever you are in the world. Did you know that off the Welsh coast you can find bass, cod, mackerel, mullet, rays, bream, pollack, eels, herring, turbot, dogfish, plaice, squid, cuttlefish, crab, lobster, prawns, cockles, seaweed, mussels and more? Add to that the great land produce you can find at the coast too, such as Pembrokeshire early potatoes – grown here because the salty sea air means it’s temperate year-round – it makes me wonder why I’m not living in a tent on the beach.
I think I’ll have to get my walking boots out again and head to the Wales Coast Path in the not-too-distant future. Until then, I’ll just have to sit with a fish finger sandwich and watch this:
The Recipe
Honey and ginger muffins
Sifting through all the Welsh recipe books I own (about 65 and counting, yikes!), a version of this recipe crops up all the time. It seems to have quite old origins, when honey and dried fruit were used as a sweetener instead of sugar. The Welsh have always been fond of a spice and the ginger gives a lovely kick alongside the sweetness.
Usually, you find this done as a loaf but I fancied muffins, so that’s what we’ve got. Some recipes suggest keeping the loaf version for two weeks before cutting for best results. Well done if you can keep your hands off it for that long! Either way, when you’re ready to eat either the muffins or the loaf, slice it and spread with salty butter.
Ingredients (makes 8)
60g butter
100g runny honey, plus extra for glazing
4 tbsp milk
75g sultanas/raisins/mixed dried fruit
1 tbsp ground ginger
250g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
2 free-range eggs, gently beaten
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/350°F/180°C. Line a muffin tin with paper cases or grease the tin well.
In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter and honey together and stir in the milk. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, sift your flour, ginger and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir in the dried fruit.
Gently pour the honey mix into the bowl, add the eggs and mix everything well.
Divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases, and then pop in the oven for about 20 minutes until well risen and turning golden.
Remove from the oven and brush the tops with honey and allow to cool.
If you try the recipe out, don’t forget to tag any photos with #mywelshkitchen.
The Playlist
To me, cooking and music go hand in hand, whether that’s singing at the top of your voice using a wooden spoon as a microphone while waiting for pasta to boil, or dancing around with the oven gloves on as the oven timer counts down. Here are this week’s ideas for your Welsh Kitchen playlist.
This week we’re listening to Amen Corner. The band was formed in the 1960s in Cardiff and had several hits, and many of the members including Andy Fairweather Low went on to have successful solo careers. The second is a song all about Swansea from the legendary Max Boyce.
(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice by Amen Corner
Swansea Town by Max Boyce
The Pantry
Good food is nothing without good ingredients and thankfully there are plenty of fantastic Welsh products on the market. Here is where you’ll find recommendations to stock up your cupboard, fridge or fruit bowl, or a really great place for food.
Velfrey Vineyard Wines
I had the great fortune to meet Fiona from Velfrey Vineyard recently at the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival. I was lucky enough to be hosting the wine theatre, but managed to sneak away for a few moments to taste some wine from Velfrey. They were fantastic. This young family-run vineyard started in 2016 and has just launched its first still white wine, a Solaris, and a 2019 vintage sparkling white. If you’re in Pembrokeshire, get in touch with Fiona and the team and pop in for a tasting and nosey around the vineyard.
Great newsletter! I had no idea about the Coastal Pathway, that sounds wonderful. I must add it to my list for exploring. Thanks for sharing ❤️