Blueberry, honey and lavender mess

Summer

I was invited to the Arctic Circle in the autumn, walking in the hills, cooking by the ocean, before the snow came and the cod left. Blueberries grow wild everywhere. They were smaller than I imagined, but honeyed with good skin. They grow low, so you have to kneel down to pick them, next to white moss and mushrooms. When you stand up again your knees are blue with juice.

I didn’t come up with this combination then – it was earlier in the summer, at home when our lavender was in flower. It’s worth growing lavender for.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

200g (7oz) blueberries
2 tbsp runny honey
3–4 lavender heads, plus extra petals to serve
150ml (5fl oz) double cream
About 20g (¾oz) or 4 meringues, broken into pieces

Method

Place the blueberries in a medium pan with 1 tablespoon of water,
1 tablespoon of the honey and the petals from the lavender heads. Set the pan over a medium heat and bring the mixture up to the simmer. Cook the blueberries for 3–4 minutes, or until they are just beginning to soften and collapse. Remove the fruit compote from the heat and allow it to cool, then transfer to the fridge to chill.

When you’re ready to serve, whip the cream with the remaining honey until it holds soft peaks. Fold in the broken meringue pieces along with the blueberry compote, but take care not to over-mix – you want a nice rippling effect. Spoon the mess into 4 small bowls or glasses. Sprinkle each serving with a few lavender petals before eating.

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