Mark Hix – showcasing hillfarm oil at Hixter City

by Clare Fairs, May 28, 2014

Mark Hix is frequently lauded as one of London’s most eminent restaurateurs with an unrivalled knowledge of ingredients with provenance. Mark has been a long term advocate of hillfarm’s cold rapeseed oil since he wrote about it in British Regional Food in 2008.

In April 2014 we gathered 15 food journalists and bloggers to enjoy a special lunch with Mark Hix at Hixter City to showcase the versatility of our oil. Mark’s menu illustrated the extraordinary colour, flavour and versatility of hillfarm oil.

The first course was Suffolk Asparagus with Rapeseed Oil Duck’s Egg Mayonnaise. The mayonnaise was rich and creamy which was a great dressing for the crunchy asparagus. We then enjoyed a little known secret of delicious rapeseed greens harvested from the young plants, the greens were served with mushrooms and had a delightful flavour, like the related brassica purple sprouting broccoli but in a class of its own. 

The memorable main course was salmon poached in a paper parcel with foraged sea vegetables. This was served with the most delicious boiled new potatoes dressed with the rapeseed oil and lemon. They were seemingly very simple ingredients but cooked with precision and balanced flavours.

The lunch was topped off with a simple but delicious light lemon cake made with our oil and served with a tangy ice cream with crunchy black rapeseeds for texture.

We’re grateful to Mark and his dedicated team for making us so welcome and inspiring us with new ways to use our oil.