Harvesting the season with Dolton Lodge

It’s that time of year when showstopping ingredients, ripened or fattened by the long days of summer, take centre stage. Head chef Dolton Lodge of Bearslake Inn on Dartmoor shares his favourite seasonal finds

Quick buck

One of our most popular dishes on the Bearslake menu is duo of deer served with Roscoff onion, smoked potato and charred tenderstem. We often source our venison from local hunter Geoff Reynolds, who shoots in Lydford and Halwill.

When roasting venison at home, try not to overcook it. The lean meat of saddle fillet or haunch can dry out easily; serve it on the rare side. Quickly sear the venison in a pan before placing the meat in the centre of the oven, then cook swiftly for maximum flavour.

Moreishly meaty

Monkfish often features on the Bearslake menu at this time of year. This marine bounty is landed in Brixham, then we roast it and pair it with Fowey mussels, lentil dahl, rainbow chard and coconut curry.
When cooking monkfish, treat it like meat. It holds up well to strong flavours and is scrumptious marinated in yogurt and tandoori spices. Simply roast it and then let it rest before serving.

Lucky duck

With its rich meat and crucial layer of fat, duck is a go-to whenever I want to create a sumptuous autumnal supper. We source it from Creedy Carver in Devon or Beech Ridge Farm in Somerset and serve it with hasselback potatoes, pea puree and chargrilled broccoli lavished with duck jus.

It’s easy to cook crisp-skinned, rosy-pink duck breast on the hob at home. Make sure you score the skin (not too deeply) and cook in a heavy-base pan over a medium heat, skin-side down. Spoon out the fat that’s rendered during the cooking and save it to fry the potatoes in later. When the duck breast’s skin is golden brown, salt it then turn over and cook for five to ten minutes more.

Golden globes

My favourite autumn vegetable is squash and, in particular, the crown prince variety (pictured top). At Bearslake, I often serve its sweet orange flesh with a pumpkin velouté, Quicke’s-cheddar custard and cheddar tuille.

Crown prince is a glorious vegetable to roast at home and is delicious skin-on, chopped into wedges, sloshed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, chilli flakes, thyme and bashed garlic cloves. The result is a dish with deep flavours to partner just about anything.