Pastrami bagel of dreams. We used some rose veal pastrami from Broughgammon Farm in Ballycastle but any pastrami will do.
Pastrami & cheese bagels – serves 4
4 bagels
8 slices of gruyère
600g pastrami, finely sliced
175g sauerkraut
dill pickles, to serve
FOR THE DRESSING:
120g kewpie mayonnaise
1 tsp capers, rinsed and dried
6 cornichons, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
a squirt of tomato ketchup
a squirt of sriracha sauce
a squeeze of lemon juice
a dash of fish sauce
Make the dressing first by whisking all the ingredients together. Taste and season as needed.
If you have a sandwich press, heat it up. We don’t and so cooked these in a heavy frying pan with another heavy frying pan on top to act like a press.
Cut the bagels in half, then put a slice of cheese on the bottom half of each. Top with loosely folded pastrami, sauerkraut and another slice of cheese. Cover with the bagel tops. Cook in the press or in a frying pan for about 4 minutes or until the cheese has melted, then open the bagels and spoon over the dressing.
Serve with the dill pickles on the side.
(Original recipe from Everything I Love to Cook by Neil Perry, Murdoch Books, 2021.)
Who doesn’t love squeaky cheese? This baked halloumi is good as a side dish with some roasted chicken thighs, or you could serve as a starter with some flatbreads.
Baked halloumi with lemon, thyme & honey – serves 2-4
250g block halloumi cheese
2 tbsp garlic oil
1 heaped tbsp clear honey
finely grated zest of 1 large lemon and juice of half
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp pul biber chilli flakes
flatbread, to serve
Heat your oven to 220C (200C fan), Gas 7.
Prepare a piece of tinfoil, large enough to completely encase the halloumi. Line the tinfoil with a square of baking paper and put the halloumi in the middle. Scrunch the paper tighly around the block, leaving only the top exposed.
Mix all of the other ingredients together in a small bowl, then pour over the halloumi.
Scrunch the foil around the halloumi to make a sealed parcel. Put the parcel into a small ovenproof dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove form the oven and serve with warm flatbread.
(Original recipe from Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)
So tasty and an absolute doddle to prepare. We served with some crusty bread and baked halloumi. Delicious!
Za’atar, paprika & garlic chicken – serves 3
6 large chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 heaped tbsp za’atar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic granules
finely grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½
Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.
Line a baking tray with paper.
Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and add the spices, lemon zest and juice and lots of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to coat the chicken in the mixture.
Put the chicken onto the lined tray and roast for 1 hour or until well browned and cooked through (you can check at 45 minute if your thighs are small).
(Original recipe from Persian Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)
A bit like a classic lasagne but there’s no béchamel and definitely less fuss altogether. It tastes absolutely amazing too. The recipe is from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage; a book full of delicious things.
Wine Suggestion: we grabbed the first thing in the fridge which was the Zuani Bianco Riserva, an oaked Collio from North Eastern Italy which is a blend of Friulano, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Stunning, with so much complexity and layered fruits, savouriness and creamy textures. An under-rated part of the world. If you can’t find something like this, look for a lightly oaked white with a fresh acidity and a nutty finish.
Squash and sage lasagne gratin – serves 4 (generously)
half a large butternut squash, peeled and seeds discarded (about 500g)
400g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cloves of garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp tomato purée
2¾ tsp fine salt
5g fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped, plus 10 extra leaves to serve
6 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
220g double cream, plus extra 2 tbsp to serve
80g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
250g-300g dried lasagne sheets
400g chicken stock (you can use veg stock if you prefer)
Heat the oven to 220C fan/240C.
Finely slice the butternut squash into very thin half moons – a mandoline is best for this or you could use the slicing attachment on a food processor.
Mix the squash slices, tomatoes, garlic, tomato purée, fine salt, chopped sage, 4 tbsp olive oil and lots of black pepper, together in a large bowl. Your hands are best to toss it all together.
Mix the cream, Parmesan and nutmeg together in another bowl. Set 80g of this mixture aside for later.
Cover the bottom of a baking dish (approx. 28cm x 23cm) with a layer of lasagne sheets, then a layer of the squash mixture. Spoon over some of the cream mixture, then continue the layering until you have used everything. Pour the stock evenly over everything in th edish, then cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Spoon over the reserved 80g of cream mixture and return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Mix 2 tbsp of the oil with the 10 sage leaves in a small bowl. Spoon this over the lasagne and return to the oven for a final 5-6 minutes, or until the sage leaves look crisp and the lasagne golden-brown.
Rest for 10 minutes, then finish with the 2 tbsp of cream, a good drizzle of olive oil and plenty of extra grated Parmesan, sea salt and black pepper.
(Original recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)
This was our first ever attempt at rough puff pastry. It’s actually pretty simple but you do need to start in the morning if you want to eat these for lunch. We had too much filling and we made some extras with shop-bought puff pastry – these were good too! It’s a good idea to make the filling first as it needs to cool completely before stuffing the pasties.
Courgette, chard & feta pasties – serves 4
FOR THE FILLING:
a bunch of chard
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
6-8 small courgettes, sliced into 1cm rounds
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
a large handful of basil leaves, chopped
a handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
150-200g feta cheese (or soft goat’s cheese)
FOR THE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY:
250g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
a good pinch of salt
200ml iced water
TO FINISH:
1 beaten egg
1 tsp black onion seeds
Wash the chard, then remove the stalks from the leaves. Roughly chop the leaves and cut the stalks into 1cm pieces. Bring a pan of salty water to the boil and add the stalk pieces. Cook for a minute or two, then add the leaves and cook for another couple of minutes. Drain and allow to cool, then squeeze out any excess liquid from the leaves with your hands. Set aside.
Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and some seasoning. Cook for 5-6 minutes, watching that they don’t catch. Add the courgettes and cook for another 15-20 minutes. You want the courgettes to be nice and soft but not disintegrated. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chard, lemon zest, basil, parsley and more seasoning. Allow to cool completely, then crumble in the feta and gently mix together. Keep the filling cool while you make the pastry.
TO MAKE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY:
Combine the butter cubes, flour and salt in a large bowl. Add just enough cold water to bring everything together into a dough. It will have big pieces of butter in it and that’s ok.
Flour your surface well, then roll the dough in one direction, away from you, to a 1cm thick rectangle. Fold the two short ends into the middle so they overlap. Give the pastry a quarter turn, repeat the rolling, folding and turning process another three times (four in total). Wrap the pastry in baking paper and put into the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove the pastry and repeat the rolling, folding and turning process another 4 times. Return to the fridge again for another 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas 6.
Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and roll out to 4-5mm thick. Use a 18-20cm plate or cutter to cut out 4 rounds. Put a quarter of the filling (or whatever fits) in the lower half of each round, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Brush the border below the filling with beaten egg and fold the pastry over to encase the filling. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal, then brush with the egg and sprinkle over the onion seeds and a little bit of flaky sea salt.
Put the pasties on to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden. Eat just warm or at room temperature.
(Original recipe from Outside by Gill Meller, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2022.)
We love dal on a friday night with some naan breads from the takeaway.
Chana dal – serves 4
400g yellow split peas or chana dal
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 fresh red chillies, pricked with a knife in a few places
Rinse the dal in a few changes of cold water, until the water runs clear, then put into a saucepan. Cover with 1.25 litres of cold water and bring to the boil, then simmer for about 40 minutes, or until cooked. The texture should be soft with no bite or chalky texture.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cumin seeds and cook for gently for about 15 minutes or until caramelized. Add half the garlic and fry for another few minutes, then remove from the heat.
Add the onion mixture to the dal, along with the garam masala, chilli powder and salt. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Wipe out the frying pan, then heat the remaining oil. Add the mustard seeds and fry until they pop, then add the rest of the garlic and the red chillies. As soon as the garlic starts to turn golden, take the pan off the heat and drizzle everything over the dal, garnishing with the chillies. Stir everything together before serving with rice, chapattis or naan and pickles.
(Original recipe from Made in India by Meera Sodha, Fig Tree, 2014.)
You need to cut your courgettes into very thin strips for this, as thin as the pasta. The sauce is a bit carbonara-ish, very delicious.
Wine Suggestion: Something fun and white like the El Abuelo de Piqueras, a Verdejo – Sauvignon Blanc blend from Almansa in Spain. Vibrant fruit tied together with a sense of fun and energy.
Bucatini with courgettes – serves 4 (easily halved)
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
300g courgettes, cut into 5cm long, 2mm thick strips
400g bucatini (or spaghetti, linguine or fusilli)
2 eggs, plus 2 extra egg yolks
70g Parmesan, grated
a few fresh basil leaves
Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and courgettes with a pinch of salt, then cook gently for 10 minutes, turning over gently, until very soft. Remove from the heat.
Bring large pan of water to the boil, then add lots of salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, put the eggs, egg yolks, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and lots of black pepper into a large bowl. Whisk together to combine.
When the pasta is almost cooked, return the courgette pan to the heat to warm through the fat and courgettes and add the torn basil.
Drain the pasta and reserve some of the water. Add the pasta to the courgette pan and stir together. Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg mixture and a splash of pasta water, then stir quickly until everything is coated in a creamy sauce. Add a little more pasta water to make it silky if needed, then serve.
(Original recipe from An A-Z of Pasta by Rachel Roddy, Fig Tree, 2021.)
Another recipe for using up leftover cooked lamb. It doesn’t take very long so you could try it mid-week.
Wine Suggestion: This is delicious with a red with a good amount of age, where the gentle, aged spices and characters meld with the food. This isn’t always easily to hand, so Domaine Gayda’s Grenache from the border of the Languedoc and Roussillon was a more than adequate substitute, with the peppery spices from the grape providing a natural warmth and a juicy red fruit.
Leftover lamb pilaf – serves 4-6
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
½ tsp ground allspice
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
350g basmati rice
700ml chicken stock or lamb stock
50g dried barberries (or you could use dried cherries or cranberries)
50g dried figs, quartered
500g leftover cooked lamb, in chunks
75g feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley or mint
35g toasted almonds, chopped (or pistachios)
seeds from ½ a pomegranate
Greek yoghurt to serve (optional)
Heat a splash of oil in a large heavy saucepan and cook the onion until soft and golden. Add the chilli, allspice and garlic and cook for another minute, then add the rice, stirring to coat in the oil. Add the stock and dried fruit and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Don’t be tempted to stir it! If the rice isn’t tender after 20 minutes, add a little boiling water, cover again and cook for another 4-5 minutes. If the stock isn’t completely absorbed, turn up the heat to quickly boil it off.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and quickly fry the lamb until warm and crispy. Season, then fork through the rice with the feta, herbs and nuts. Transfer to a large dish and scatter over the pomegranate seeds. Serve with some yoghurt on the side if you like.
(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2012.)
We are cooking our way through Persian Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour. We struggle like everyone to eat well on busy days but this book is perfect for just that.
Wine Suggestion: White, lemony and medium bodied. Maybe a youthful Verdicchio, or our current fave, Zuani’s Ribolla Gialla Sodevo, from Collio in North East Italy. A grape that was so higly regarded by the Romans they implemented laws to protect it from adulteration … possibly the world’s first appellation laws …we’ll need to investigate further.
Pasta with sage butter, feta & pine nuts – serves 2
200g pasta shells
75g butter
20 sage leaves
25g pine nuts
100g feta cheese
2 pinches of pul biber chilli flakes
Cook the pasta in lots of very salty water according to the timings on the packet.
When the pasta is almost cooked, put a large frying pan over a gentle heat. Add the butter and sage and allow the butter to melt gently but don’t let it sizzle much. Keep stirring so the sage flavours the butter.
Roughly drain the pasta (you want a little bit of water still on the pasta) and add to the pan with the butter and sage. Turn up the heat and season very generousy with black pepper and a little sea salt. Add the pine nuts and toss everything together, then add the feta and stir until melting and starting to coat the pasta.
Serve spinkled with extra black pepper and a pinch of pul biber.
(Original recipe from Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)
A delicious soup for leftover roast lamb and perfect for chilly weather.
Lamb & pearl barley broth – serves 6-8
25g butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
1 bay leaf
a sprig of rosemary
200g leftover cooked lamb, sliced or shredded
1 medium parsnip, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
100g pearl barley
1.25 litres of chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Put the butter and oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the onions, celery, bay leaf and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, then turn the heat to low, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until softened.
Add the lamb, chopped parsnip and carrot, the pearl barley and the stock. Turn the heat up and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the barley and vegetables are tender.
Remove and discard the bay and rosemary. Stir in the chopped parsley, season to taste, and serve.
(Original recipe from Soup Broth Bread by Rachel Allen, Michael Joseph, 2021.)
We’re loving all the simple and delicious recipes from Sabrina Ghayour’s new book, Persiana Everyday. This fish takes minutes to make and tastes amazing. We served with some sautéed potatoes and salad.
Wine Suggestion: A richer, rounder white like the Edetària “via Edetana” Blanc which combines old-vine Garnaxta Blanca with Viognier. Elegant and complex with honeysuckle, peach, tangerine and toasted nut aromas and flavours. The stonefruit flavours, in particular, seem to work with the earthy za’atar in a superb way.
Za’atar Sea Bass – serves 2
1 heaped tbsp za’atar
1 tbsp plain flour
veg oil, for frying
2 skin-on sea bass fillets
lemon wedges, to serve
Mix the za’atar, flour and plenty of seasoning in a shallow dish.
Coat the fish fillets in the seasoned flour, turn them over a few times.
Put a frying pan over a medium-high heat and drizzle in enough oil to coat the base. When the oil is hot, put the sea bass fillets into the pan, skin-side down, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the skin is crispy. Turn the fish over and cook for another minute on the other side – they should be just cooked. Serve straight away with the lemon wedges to squeeze over.
(Original recipe from Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)
This is a totally different barbecue recipe from Geniveive Taylor’s fantastic new barbecue book – Seared. The buttermilk makes the chicken super tender, so it’s worth marinating it the day before if you can.
Wine Suggestion: A round, fresh white was in order here with a bit of body to stand up to the barbecued flavours, so we chose an oaked Rioja for something a bit different. A bargain in any language, the Urbina Blanco Crianza 2014, yes that is correct … 8 years old, is released when ready and despite its age is fresh and vibrant, with layers of tertiary development, butter, toast and nuttiness alongside the melon, cirtus and jasmine flavours. It reminded us of a complex white Burgundy.
Slash the chicken thighs with a sharp knife taking care not to cut the whole way through. Place in a shallow dish in a single layer.
Mix the buttermilk, garlic, mustard and sugar together with plenty of salt and black pepper. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Light your barbecue for direct and indirect cooking (half with coals and half without).
While the barbecue is getting hot, blanch the broccoli in lots of boiling salty water for a couple of minutes. Drain well and toss with the olive oil and some seasoning. Set aside.
Cook the chicken thighs over indirect heat for about 30 minutes or until they reach 60-65C inside, turning regularly. Move them a little closer to the fire and keep cooking until they reach 74C.
When the chicken is almost cooked, grill the tomatoes and the broccoli for about 10 minutes over the fire, turning until nicely charred on all sides.
Transfer the chicken, broccoli and tomatoes to a heavy roasting tin. Add the basil and gently toss to mix. Sprinkle over the Parmesan, breadcrumbs and pine nuts. Top with mozzarella adn drizzle over a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. Set the tin directly over the fire for 15 minutes to melt the cheese.
Serve with crusty bread or some baby roasted potatoes.
(Original recipe from Seared by Genevieve Taylor, Quadrille, 2022.)
Fresh corn is in the shops and it’s delicious cooked in the husks over a charcoal barbecue.
BBQ Corn on the Cob with Chilli Butter – serves 4 to 6
2 corn cobs in the husks
40g salted butter
½ tbsp honey
½ tbsp urfa chilli flakes (we didn’t have urfa so used Aleppo pepper but you could also use smoked or regular paprika)
Put the whole corn cobs in their husks over a medium hot barbecue. Rotate them every 3-4 minutes until really charred – about 15 minutes in total.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small frying pan until starts to foam. Remove from the heat, add the honey and urfa chilli and mix well.
Take the corn cobs off the heat and leave aside for 10 minutes, then pull back the burnt husk and return to a high heat for a minute or two the char some of the flesh.
Return the pan with the butter to the heat to foam the butter again, then serve the corn cobs with the butter drizzled over.
(Original recipe from Chasing Smoked: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, Pavilion, 2021.)
Easy and full of veg. Great for a weeknight, and if your kid is like ours they will eat anything with pasta and cheese!
Wine Suggestion: keep it simple with a juicy red from a warmer climate. The Cline Family Cellars have star with their Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel which has a joyful balance between vibrant and complex red and black fruit, velvety tannins and a easy drinkability.
Veggie Pasta Bake – serves 4
1 red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 aubergine, finely chopped
1 courgette, finely chopped
1 red onion, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
a handful of roughly chopped basil
300g pasta – we used fusilli
150g mozzarella ball, drained and finely chopped (you don’t need the expensive buffalo stuff for this)
2 tbsp pesto
a handful of grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
Put the peppers, aubergine, courgettes and onion into a large roasting tin and toss in the oil. Season well with salt and pepper, then cook in the oven for 45 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the vegetables are soft and golden brown.
Add the cherry tomatoes, tinned tomatoes, garlic and basil and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of boiling salty water. Add 4-6 tbsp of the pasta cooking water to the cooked vegetables to make it a bit more saucy.
Drain the pasta and tip into the roasting tin with the veg. Add the mozzarella and pesto and stir well to combine. Top with the Parmesan and return to the oven for a final 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
If you have a little leftover ‘nduja, then this is the dish for you!! It makes a delicous main for two, or starter for 4. Masterminded by Jacob Kenedy of Bocca di Lupo.
Wine Suggestion: This dish needs a medium bodied red fruited wine with a lick of acidity like the Morisfarms Mandriolo from the Tuscan coast. Fruit-forward cherry and raspberry flavours which come from the Sangiovese which is tied together with a touch of Cabernet and Petit Verdot.
Orecchiette with ‘nduja – serves 2 (or 4 as a starter)
200g dried orecchiette (if you can make or get fresh then go for that but dried works pretty good)
1 red onion, sliced
120g cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g ‘nduja (a bit less will be fine)
50ml white wine
80ml double cream
50g rocket, very roughtly chopped
freshly grated Pecorino Romano, to serve (we used Parmesan – sorry Jacob!)
Get your orecchiette on to boil in lots of very salty water. Start making the sauce when there’s about 10 minutes to go.
Fry the onion and tomatoes over a high heat for about 3 minutes, you want them softened and lightly browned. Add the ‘nduja, break it up and fry for 30 seconds, then add the wine and a small ladleful of water from the pasta pot. Bubble briefly, then add the cream. Taste and season with some salt.
Keep cooking the sauce until thickend and not watery, then add the drained pasta (still a bit wet) and the rocket. Cook until the rocket is wilted and the pasta is coated in the glossy sauce. Serve with grated cheese on top.
(Original recipe from Bocca Cookbook by Jacob Kennedy, Bloomsbury, 2011.)
This recipe is from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro who cooks from the heart. It takes a little while to cook but is so simple and delicious. It would also be easy to cook when camping if that matters to you. As José says, this is the comfort dish that his mother would cook … need we say more.
Wine Suggestion: Spanish inspired, but off the beaten track is a Garnacha Blanco from Terra Alta (quite possibly one of the best places in the world for Garnacha of both colours alongside Chateauneuf du Pape … although quite different in style). If you can stretch to an old vine expression like this you’re in for a treat. For us tonight an easier, fresher style with Edetària’s “via Terra” which is charming with layers of fresh stone fruit, nuttiness and salinity. It tastes both of the earth, sunshine and fresh cooling breezes.
Hake with slow-cooked onions and tomato salsa – serves 4
100ml olive oil
3 large onions, finelly sliced
1 bay leaf
150ml white wine
150ml vegetable stock
4 hake fillets (200-250g each)
a handful of basil leaves
FOR THE TOMATO SALSA:
500g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
½ small red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp capers, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oil in a deep sauté pan with a lid. Add the onions and season well with salt and black pepper, then cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Cover with the lid and cook for half an hour until really soft but not coloured.
Meanwhile, mix all of the salsa ingredients together in a bowl, then season well and set aside to mingle.
Add the wines to the onions and bubble for a minute before adding the stock. Simmer, uncovered for 10-12 minutes then seaon the hake fillets and nestle them into the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with the lid and leave to cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and rest for 2-3 minutes.
Spoon the salasa over the fish and onions, then scatter the basil over before serving.
(Original recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant Books, 2022.)
We had a bit of dilemma with this. We cook a moussaka every year and never decide if we like this one or this one best. This year we decided to try another recipe. This is different as it includes potatoes and it has a fluffier top with eggs and no cheese. At first we thought it wasn’t as good as the other two recipes but it was so much improved on the second day that we changed our minds. Perhaps all moussaka is good moussaka. Serve with a green salad.
Wine Suggestion: A Greek red would be nice with this, like a nice Xinomavro or Agiorgitiko. However, without these in the rack we pulled out a Quinta de Chocapalha red from near Lisbon in Portugal. Made from indigenous varietals coming from 16th century vineyards this is both thoroughly modern and excitingly ancient. It has a richness and spice, combined with smooth and deep, dark fruits and thoroughly resolved, silky tannins. Very nice indeed with the Moussaka.
Moussaka – serves 6
2 large aubergines, sliced into rounds
4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
750g lamb mince
2 tsp cinnamon
a glass of red wine
600ml passata
75g butter
75g flour
600ml milk
2 eggs
Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil and season. Place them on baking trays in a single layer, then bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning over halfway, until tender and golden.
Cook the potatoes in boiling salty water until just tender, then drain well.
Meanwhile, fry the onion in a little oil until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the mince and brown it, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the cinnamon, wine and passata, season and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Bubble off any excess liquid.
Heat the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a few minutes. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth white sauce. Bring it to a simmer, then season and remove from the heat.
Turn the oven down to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
Layer the lamb, aubergine and potatoes in a large ovenproof dish. Whisk the eggs into the white sauce, then pour the sauce over the top to cover. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, August 2014.)
We’re super excited by the dishes in Ixta Belfrage’s new book – Mezcla. We’ve done lots of drooling over the recipes but so far have only managed this green salad – it’s a good one!
Green salad with maple, lime & sesame dressing – serves 4
2 baby gem lettuces, cut off the end and separate the leaves.
10g mixed fresh herbs e.g. coriander, mint & basil
2 green chillies, thinly sliced into rounds (optional)
20g scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced into rounds
2 tsp sesame seeds (you can use black and white if you have them but white alone is fine), well toasted, then lightly crushed and mixed with flaked sea salt
lime wedges, to serve
FOR THE QUICK PICKLED ONIONS:
1 shallot, thinly sliced into rounds
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp caster sugar
¼ tsp fine salt
FOR THE DRESSING:
60g olive oil
½ tsp fine salt
40g lime juice
20g maple syrup
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
5g chives, finely chopped
Put the ingredients for the pickled shallots into a small bowl and stir together. Leave to pickle for 15 minutes or up to an hour but no longer.
Make the dressing by gently mixing all the ingredients, except the chives, together. You don’t want the dressing to emulsify here so just stir to combine.
When ready to serve, stir the chives into the dressing. Put the lettuce and herbs into a large salad bowl and pour over the dressing. Add the pickled shallots, chillies and scallions and toss. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve with extra lime wedges.
(Original recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)
This is our favourite salad at the moment – an excellent side dish for a barbecue or whatever else you might be cooking.
Tomato, burrata and broad bean salad – serves 4
500g mixed tomatoes
½ tsp caster sugar
150g broad beans, frozen ones are perfect
a handful each of basil, chives and flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp each of tarragon, lovage and mint (we never have lovage and it’s fine without it)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
a pinch of fennel seeds
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 balls of burrata
50g hazlenuts, toasted and roughly chopped (toast them in the oven for 10 minutes at 180C – the skins will rub off easily with a tea towel)
Chop and slice the tomatoes and toss in a bowl with the caster sugar and ½ tsp of salt, then set aside for 30 minutes.
Put the broad beans into boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and run under cold water. Pop of the skins and set aside.
Finely chop the herbs and put into a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, mustard, fennel seeds, most of the lemon zest and the red wine vineager. Season, then stir in the broad beans.
Tip the tomatoes out onto a serving platter. Put the burrata balls on top and spoon over the beans and dressing. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts and the leftover lemon zest.
A nice pasta with unusual flavours. Use good-quality Italian sausages for this if you can find them.
Wine Suggestion: As this dish is full-flavoured we’d suggest a full flavoured white like Cline Cellars Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, which has a wonderful Californian ripeness combined with a core of fresh minerality and zing from the cooling breezes and fog coming through the Petaluma Gap each day. The subtle oak gives a lovely texture which helps matching this dish too.
Pasta with fennel, sausage and courgette – serves 4
3 good-quality pork sausages (we like Italian sausages)
1 tsp olive oil
½ small fennel bulb, trim off any green bits and chop finey, reserve any fronds to garnish
½ onion, diced
2 big cloves of garlic, finely chopped
200g rigatoni pasta
zest and juice of a lemon
100g mascarpone
1 medium-large courgete, grated
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
grated Parmesan (to serve)
Take the skins off the sausages and crumble them into small chunks. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the sausages until browned and crispy, breaking the lumps up with a wooden spoon. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the fennel, onion and garlic to the sausage fat in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. You can add a splash of water if it starts to stick.
Bring a large pan of salty water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to the timings on the pack. Drain but reserve a mugful of the cooking water.
Return the frying pan to the heat and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, grated courgette and a splash of pasta cooking water. Bubble for 2 minutes, then stir in the cooked pasta and sausages. Season, then serve garnished with fennel fronds, pine nuts and Parmesan.
Jono & Jules do food & wine 