A Dutch name for Belle de Boskoop, a large, irregular and asymmetrical, all-purpose, Dutch apple discovered in 1856 by KJW Ottolander and which was first introduced commercially in the United Kingdom in the 1920s. This outstanding apple has rough, matt, yellowish-green skin, russeted with greyish dark red blush. It has firm, creamy yellow flesh with sharp flavour and is good for tarts and charlottes as it retains its shape during cooking. It is a late-season variety, picked from early October in South-East England, is stored and is at its best between October and April. It retains its shape on cooking so is good in pies and tarts, but also makes good purée.
Painted comner. A type of comber fish. Painted comber or lettered perch, more common in the Mediterranean than in the Atlantic. A bony fish with very good flavour, useful for soups or cooked whole. The skin looks almost as if it has been written on.
Petit gris. A small, common variety of snail. These are the best and most tender of snails. They should be kept and fed on a controlled diet for a few days to improve their own flavour. This might include anything from barley to vermicelli.
