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Febuary

Halibut

The halibut is a huge flat fish that can grow to lengths of four metres or more and weigh more than 20 kilos. These large fish are sold as steaks or fillet pieces but small halibut, called chicken halibut, which weigh up to about two kilos, can be bought whole. A white fish with a good flavour, it needs careful cooking because the flesh dries out easily. Pan fry in butter and olive oil, or poach wrapped in foil, to keep in the juices.

Guinea fowl

Native to West Africa, the guinea fowl has graced British kitchens for hundreds of years. It is a small bird, wild or bred, and it needs careful attention when cooking because the flesh tends to dry out easily. The flavour is similar to that of chicken but it has a hint of gaminess, which means it goes well with flavours such as chestnuts, apples, herbs, bacon, cider or brandy. When roasting, the bird needs to be basted at intervals with butter, or covered with pork or bacon fat to keep the meat tender and moist. Casseroling is a perfect cooking method for guinea fowl as the slow cooking in liquid ensures sweet and tender meat in a flavoursome sauce.

Mussels

Often regarded as poor man's shellfish, mussels are cheap and plentiful. In the wild, they grow on coastline rocks and stones but they are also farmed off suitable coastal waters. Scottish waters are perfect for mussels to grow and, indeed, mussels were collected and eaten by Scottish peasants. It was common for fishwives to sell them as street food, setting up stalls selling mussels in saucers with a little cooking broth. If you do collect your own mussels, make sure the waters are unpolluted and avoid hunting for them in the warmer weather as mussels are only in season where there is an 'r' in the month.
Try
Wok Cooked Mussels

Cabbage

Cabbage is one of the oldest known vegetables; there is evidence that cabbage was part of the Chinese diet thousands of years ago. Today, there are many varieties that are harvested at various times of the year and winter brings the Savoy, white, green and red cabbages. Raw, cooked or preserved, the cabbage plays an important role in the cuisines of the Orient and Europe, west and east. This vegetable is packed with vitamins, is high in iron and potassium, and very low in calories. Cabbage is excellent shredded and eaten raw in salads. When cooked, the briefest cooking methods, such as steaming or stir-frying, are best. Apart from red cabbage, which breaks the rule and benefits from long cooking, overcooked cabbage releases sulphur which reminds many of school dinners and is the reason why, for most of us, cabbage was not a childhood favourite.

Chicory

Chicory is a member of the lettuce family. It comes in red and white varieties and is available during the winter months. Chicory is propagated by growing the roots in warm, moist peat or sand and leaving the white, fleshy leaves to develop in darkness. Once picked and exposed to light, the leaves start to become bitter, so they should be stored wrapped in paper to keep out the light and eaten as soon after picking as possible. Chicory can be eaten raw or cooked: the leaves are excellent eaten fresh in a salad, tossed in a little vinaigrette, or stir-fried and served as a vegetable side dish or simply as a dish on its own. Whole heads of chicory can be baked, poached or griddled and served with pheasant, chicken or bacon.

Whats in season information taken from the BBC food website.