We’re loving Lugma by Noor Murad and this pasta bake is a definate crowd pleaser.
Wine Suggestion: It was a toss up between a rich white and a warm, ripe red like the Condado de Haza Crianza from Ribera de Duero which we ended up pairing with this dish. Rich and deep from the sunshine in Spain, but with an elegance and freshness plus warm spices that make this a great combo.
Middle Eastern Pasta Bake– serves 4 to 6
FOR THE RAGU:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g beef mince
300g lamb mince
2 cinnamon sticks
3 fresh bay leaves
1 black dried lime, pierced a couple of times with a sharp knife
2 red chillies, pierced a couple of times with a sharp knife
seeds from 15 cardamom pods, finely crushed with a pestle and mortar
1 tbsp cumin seeds, finely crushed with a pestle and mortar
2 tsp coriander seeds, finely crushed with a pestle and mortar
1 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
1½ tsp dried oregano
1½ tbsp tomato purée
1 chicken stock cube
400g tin plum tomatoes, puréed
150ml full-fat milk
20g coriander, roughly chopped
FOR THE PASTA BAKE:
300g rigatoni pasta
125g feta, rouglhy crumbled
125g buffalo mozzarella, roughly torn
25g pine nuts, well toasted
10g coriander, leaves and soft stems roughly chopped
Make the sauce first by heating the olive oil in a large, deep sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the beef and lamb mince and cook for 10 minutes, breaking the mince up with a wooden spoon so it is finely crumbled. Allow the liquid to cook off and the mince will start to brown. Stir in the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, dried lime, chillies, spices, oregano, tomato purée, stock cube, 1 tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper. Fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant, then pour in the puréed tomatoes and 300ml of water. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover with a lid. Leave to cook for 2 hours, stirring every 25 minutes. You should end up with a thick and rich sauce.
Pour in the milk, cover and cook for another 25 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit, then pick out and discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Remove the dried lime, squeezing any juice into the sauce. Add the chopped coriander. You can now use the sauce or stick it in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
Heat the oven to 200C fan.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add 2 tsp of salt. Cook the pasta in the water until al dente. Remove 130ml of the pasta water before draining in a colander.
You will need a baking dish about 23 x 33cm. Add the drained pasta, the ragu and the reserved pasta cooking water and mix to combine. Pick out the whole chillies and lay over the top, then sprinkle over the feta and mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and crispy.
Sprinkle over the pine nuts and fresh coriander, then serve.
(Original recipe from Lugma by Noor Murad, Quadrille, 2025.)
A bit late in the season to post these lovely trout and asparagus kebabs but we couldn’t leave them out.
Wine Suggestion: A bottle from a familiar winery, but one we picked up in Spain as this particular cuvée doesn’t currently make it into Ireland. Bodegas Castro Martin’s A-2-O, a fresh and elegant Albariño from the Val de Salnés in Rías Baíxas.
Trout and Asparagus Kebabs – serves 4
600g trout fillet, without skin – try and get a chunky piece, cut into 3cm pieces
200g asparagus – snap off the ends and slice into short lengths
1 orange, quarter, then slice into small pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE HERB OIL:
about 15g of mint leaves, finely chopped
100ml olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Thread the trout, asparagus and orange pieces onto 4 metal skewers. If your fish pieces are a bit skinny just fold them over and thread them on to make a chunkier piece.
Drizzle with olive oil and season well.
Heat the barbecue for driect grilling and ideally use a grill tray.
To make the herb oil, put the chopped mint into a small bowl, then stir in the olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar and seasoning.
Cook the skewers on the hot grill tray (if you have one) for a couple of minutes on each side or until the fish is crispy. Don’t be tempted to turn them too quickly or they might stick.
Serve with the mint oil.
(Original recipe from Scorched by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2024.)
We don’t cook many Brazilian dishes but perhaps we should make more as this one was delicious! Serve with rice or crusty bread.
Wine Suggestion: we had to guess a bit with what to open with this, so chose a warmer climate white with some white flower amd stonefruit characters; dry but with softer fruitiness. So tonight the charming Dominio de Tares Godello La Sonrisa and it was a very pleasant match indeed.
Brazilian seafood moqueca – serves 4 to 6
650g firm white fish fillets (we used hake)
400g whole shell-on prawns (about 12)
3 limes, zested to make 1 tsp, juiced to make 6 tbsp, plus a little extra lime zest to serve
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 medium onions, diced
4 fat garlic cloves, crushed
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
1 large yellow pepper, cut into strips
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp ground turmeric
4 tbsp tomato purée
400ml coconut milk
coriander, chopped, to garnish
red chilli, sliced, to garnish
white rice or crusty bread, to serve
Cut the fish fillets into chunky pieces and de-vein the prawns but leave the shells on (either use a very sharp knife or pointy scissors).
Mix the lime zest, 4 tbsp of the lime juice, 1 tsp of the paprika, 1 tsp of the cumin and 1 tsp of fine salt in a large bowl. Add the fish and prawns and toss gently to coat, then cover and leave aside for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large deep pan and cook the onions for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers and crushed coriander seeds and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the turmeric, 1 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of cumin, the tomato purée and a splash of water, then mix well to coat the onions. Add the coconut milk with 200ml of water, then simmer over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp of fine salt.
Gently add the fish and prawns to the sauce along with any marinade. The seafood needs to be completely covered so add a little more water if needed. Cover with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through.
Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed. Stir throught the rest of the lime juice and serve garnished with coriander and chilli.
(Original recipe by Gurdeep Loyal in Olive Magazine, May 2025.)
A few fresh apricots during their short season really enhance this lamb tagine. We served with giant couscous cooked with shallot, turmeric, parsley, lemon zest and pine nuts. You need to marinade the lamb overnight (or for at least 2 hours).
Wine Suggestion: we think tagines go well with Grenache based wines, either white or red, and so opened the Edetària via Edetana White which is old vine Garnacha Blanca from unique vineyards in Terra Alta. It combines both power and an undercurrent of fresh salty mineral texture. There’s always a plush, velvety nature to this grape that makes it feel sophisticated. We keep on saying we should put this wine into our cellar and find out what happens with a few years age … but it we haven’t yet had the patience to find out.
Lamb and Apricot Tagine – serves 4
olive oil
1 red onion, halved and sliced
600g lamb neck fillet, cut into chunks
1 tbsp tomato purée
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
10 soft dried apricots
300g butternut squash, cut into chunks (not too big)
a small jar of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 apricots, stoned and cut into wedges
coriander, to serve
FOR THE MARINADE:
a small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
a small knob of ginger, finely grated
Mix the ingredients for the marinade together in a large bowl. Season, then add the lemon and toss well to coat. Cover and chill overnight or for at least 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and cook the onion over a low-medium heat until very soft. Add the lamb and all of the marinade and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato purée, tomatoes and dried apricots, plus 350ml of water. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook for 1 an hour in the oven.
Add the chickpeas and cook for another hour, adding the apricots for the last 10 minutes. Serve with giant or regular couscous and sprinkle with the coriander.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, June 2025.)
We love a lamb curry and this one uses lamb neck fillet which is a cut that doesn’t take too long to cook and is meltingly tender. Serve with steamed basmati rice.
Wine Suggestion: A juicy red with velvety tannins like Kilikanoon’s Covenant Shiraz which balances ripe plummy fruits with real elegance and finesse.
Lamb and Chickpea Curry – serves 4
1kg lamb neck fillet, cut into large chunks
3 tbsp veg oil
2 large onions, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
7.5cm piece of ginger, finely grated
1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods
5 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp tomato purée
400g tin chickpeas, drained
coriander leaves, to serve
Heat the oil in a a large casserole over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for at least 10 minutes or until softened and turning deep golden brown.
Turn the heat down a bit and add the garlic and ginger. Stir for 2 minutes, then add the whole and ground spices and the salt. Cook for another 2 minutes before stirring in the the tomato purée and cooking for 2 minutes more.
Add the lamb with 250ml water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Cook gently for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and stir. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, stirring every 10 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and cook for another 15 minutes or until the lamb is very tender. Season to taste.
Serve with steamed rice and the coriander sprinkled over.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024.)
Here is something a bit different for the barbecue. It’s a meatloaf stuffed with cheese and tomato chutney and wrapped in a bacon lattice. Serve in slices with salads and sides.
Wine Suggestion: a lovely, juicy red is what we like with this. Roc des Anges “Segna de Cor” a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah fits this bill with good deal of panache. It’s a wine that reflects the unique soils of Roussillon, but with a layer of brambly, juicy fruits on top.
You need to get your barbecue prepared for indirect cooking so you can cook the meatloaf away from the direct heat of the fire.
Start by making the bacon lattice to wrap the meatloaf. Line up 8 slices of bacon vertically on a flat baking sheet. From left to right, fold every other slice in half upwards. Lay a slice horizontally across the centre of the vertical slices. Unfold the vertical slices back over the horizontal one then fold up the other set of vertical slices. Lay over another horizontal slice and unfold the foleded ones. Repeat until you have a neat lattice.
Place the beef mince over the bacon in an even layer. Sprinkle over the barbecue rub and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the cheese in a line down the centre, then spoon over the relish.
Roll the meatloaf up as tightly as you can into a neat, fat sausage. Place the meatloaf on the barbecue, seam side down, away from the fire. Cover with the lid and cook gently for 35 to 40 minutes, turning with tongs a few times so it browns all over. The meatloaf is cooked when a probe reads 65-70C.
Rest the meatloaf for a few minutes, then carve into thick slices.
(Original recipe from Foolproof BBQ by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2021.)
You get a much more generous helping of scallops when you cook them for yourself at home and they make a super fancy risotto.
Wine Suggestion: Keeping it Italian we went for the Murgo Etna Bianco, a blend of Carricante and Catarrato which had body, loads of salty, minerality and bags of freshness.
Scallop risotto with brown butter – serves 2
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
200g risotto rice
175ml white wine
500ml hot fish stock
30g Parmesan, finely grated
75g butter
6 large or 12 small scallops (we had a few more than this)
a handful of chives, chopped
juice of half a lemon
a grating of nutmeg
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the shallot for 6 to 8 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute, then stir in the rice. Toast for a few minutes and stir to coat the rice in the oil. Add the wine and let it bubble until almost all absorbed.
Add a ladle of the hot fish stock to the rice and stir until it has been absorbed. Keep going like this, adding a ladleful at a time until all the stock is used and the rice is creamy and tender. Season, then stir in the Parmesan and 25g of the butter. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. It will rest while you cook the scallops.
Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Pat the scallops dry with kitchen pepper, then season and brush lightly with oil. Add the scallops to the hot frying pan and sear for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, depending on the size of your scallops. Remove the scallops to a plate and take the pan off the heat. Add the rest of the butter and stir until it is foaming and browned – it should smell nutty. Season with black pepper, the chives, lemon juice and nutmeg. Return the scallops to the pan and spoon the butter over them.
Give the rice a stir and divide between warm bowls. Place the scallops on top and pour over the brown butter.
(Original recipe by Anna Glover in Olive Magazine, July 2024.)
You freeze the stuffing here before rolling up with the the lamb and tying with string – genius! Pretty much a one pot-dish then and you can easily get your beans ready in advance and re-heat with the garlic to serve.
Wine Suggestion: The combination of lamb, nuts and mushrooms lends itself to a good old-vine northern Rhône Syrah like Domain Coursodon’s Olivaie, a St Joseph from one of the best vineyards in this appellation. We opened one 5 years old and it had come together nicely with a rich and velvety texture, hints of plum, raspberries and olives on the nose and a charming length and balance.
Lamb shoulder with potatoes and garlicky green beans – serves 4 with leftovers
1.5kg boneless lamb shoulder
1½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE STUFFING:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
300g button mushrooms
100g baby spinach, roughly chopped
3 tbsp skinned hazelnuts
3 tbsp pistachios (plus some extra chopped to serve)
1½ tbsp finely chopped parsley
1½ tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tbsp lemon zest
FOR THE POTATOES:
1kg baby potatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE GRAVY:
2 tbsp flour
375ml beef stock
¼ tsp dark soy sauce
FOR THE GREEN BEANS:
500 green beans, trimmed
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
You need to make the stuffing first and it can be done well in advance and needs to go in the freezer for at least 3 hours.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan, then roast the hazelnuts for 8 minutes. Leave them to cool, then roughly chop.
Put the mushrooms in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the shallots, garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until any liquid produced by the mushrooms has gone. Add the spinach and stir until just wilted.
Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and allow to cool for 20 minutes, then stir in the remaining stuffing ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
Pile the stuffing onto a piece of cling film, then shape into a long log (about the length of a 30cm ruler). Roll up tightly with the cling film then put into the freezer for at least 3 hours (this can be done a couple of days in advance).
Take your lamb shoulder and place fat-side down . Cover with cling film and use a rolling pin to pound it into a rectangle (roughly 40cm x 22cm) and try to make it as even thickness as possible.
Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper, then unwrap the frozen stuffing and roll it up tightly with the lamb, finishing with the seam down.
Secure the lamb with kitchen string every 2cm (ours looked pretty terrible at this point but don’t fear, it will look perfect when cut out at the end).
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan.
Rub the lamb roll with the olive oil and sprinkle over some salt and pepper.
Toss the potatoe with salt, pepper, and olive oil in a large roasting pan, then place the stuffed lamb on top.
Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to 160C/140C fan and cook for 2½ hours, or until the meat can be pulled apart easily with a fork.
When the lamb is close to ready, cook the beans. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1 tsp of salt. Add the beans and cook for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse under the cold tap and drain well.
Remove the lamb and potatoes and loosely cover with foil, while you make the gravy.
Discard all but 3 tbsp of the fat from the pan, you can add a bit of butter if there isn’t enough fat.
Put the roasting tin on the hob over a medium heat. When the fat is hot, stir in the flour for 1 minute.
Keep stirring while you slowly add the stock. Add the soy sauce and stir continuously until it thickens to a gravy-like consistency. Taste and season to taste.
Finish your green beans by heating the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the green beans and garlic and stir for 2 minutes until the garlic is cooked and the beans warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove the string from the lamb and cut into thick slices.
Serve the lamb on a platter with the gravy, potatoes and garlicky green beans.
A summery seafood dish with deliciously sweet Irish clams.
Wine Suggestion: A Spanish dish with rice and clams … we just had to open an Albariño! Perrenially reliable, but especially good the last few years is Bodegas Castro Martin; vibrant, salty, and with a great balance of depth, weight and flavour.
Spanish rice and clams – serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 bay leaf
2 tsp tomato purée
300g Bomba rice or other short-grain rice
750ml fresh fish stock
a handful of marjoram leaves
500g clams, cleaned
Heat the oil in a shallow casserole or paella pan over a low heat. Add the shallot and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic, bay and tomato purée and cook for a further minute.
Stir in the rice and increase the heat to medium-high. Toast the rice for a minute before adding the fish stock, marjoram and plenty of seasoning. Stir and cover, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes until the rice is almost cooked and still soupy.
Add the clams, cover and cook for another 4 minute until the clams have opened (chuck any that stay closed), then serve.
(Original recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant, 2022.)
We tend to cook outside when the weather allows but don’t always feel like meat. There are lots of good veggie recipes for the barbecue about now and we particuarly like this one. You won’t miss the burnt sausages.
Wine Suggestion: It was a warm, summer evening so wanted to choose a chilled wine to accompany our dinner. Fortunately this goes great with rosé so we chose the Flying Solo from Domaine Gayda which is just as good as many wines from Provence; dry, textural, easy-drinking but with good weight, plus summery red fruit flavours.
BBQ Cauliflower with Satay Sauce – serves 4 to 6
1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets
FOR THE MARINADE:
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
⅓ of a 400ml tin coconut milk (use the rest for the sauce)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp soft brown sugar
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
FOR THE SATAY SAUCE:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2.5cm ginger, grated
1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
⅔ of a 400ml tin coconut milk
125g salted peanuts, roughly crushed
2 tbsp soy sauce
TO SERVE:
steamed rice
coriander, roughly chopped
scallions, roughly chopped
red chillies, roughly chopped
Make the marinade first. Put the coriander seeds in a small frying pan and toast over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Roughly grind in a pestle and mortar, then transfer to a bowl. Add the chilli flakes, turmeric, shallot, coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
Bring a large pan of water to the pan and add some salt. Blanch the caulilfower for 5 minutes until starting to soften, then drain well and add to the marinade. Stir gently to coat, then set aside for 2 hours.
Next, make the satay sauce. Heat the oil in a small pan over a low heat. Add the shallots and cook gently for 15 minutes, until golden. Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the peanuts and the soy sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened, then keep warm while you cook the caulilfower.
When you are ready to cook you need to get your barbecue ready for direct grilling.
Thread the cauliflower onto skewers, reserving any leftover marinade. Put the skewers onto the hot barbecue, cover with the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes, then baste with the leftover marinade and turn them over. Keep cooking and basting for about 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
Serve the cauliflower over rice and scatter over the coriander, scallions and chillies. Serve the satay sauce on the side.
(Original recipe from Foolproof BBQ by Genevieve Taylor, Quadrille, 2021.)
A beautiful Spanish pasta dish made with fantastic Lambay crab. The crab is a bit pricy but it’s worth it for this luxurious dish. Our fishmonger fortunately sells both prepared brown and white crab meat and also shellfish stock which makes this a tad easier.
Wine Suggestion: The richness of this dish demands a fuller-richer white and while this means that Chardonnay was our original thought, we wanted to keep it Spanish given the origin of the dish. Initially we thought a good white Rioja, like the Urbina Blanco Crianza (currently 2016 and 9 years old) which would have been excellent. Instead we stepped sideways and opened the Dominio de Tares Cepas Viejas Godello, an old-vine gem that is fermented in cask and aged on it’s lees to give richness and depth over a lemon, grapefruit and apple fruit flavours, a creamy texture and refined fresh structure.
Crab Canelones – serves 6
45ml olive oil
45g plain flour
500ml fresh shellfish stock (or you could use chicken stock)
300ml double cream
a good grating of nutmeg
80g finely grated Manchego, plus extra for the top
FOR THE FILLING:
60ml olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
50g brown crab meat
500g ripe tomatoes, diced
150ml shellfish stock (or chicken stock)
500g white crab meat
15g tarragon, finely chopped
250g dried cannelloni tubes
Make the bechamel first. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, then gradually add the stock, stirring continuously, until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Add the cream, nutmeg and cheese and season, then set aside.
Heat the olive oil for the filling in a separate saucepan over a very low heat. Add the shallot, chillies and garlic and cook over a very low heat for 15 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high and add the brown crab meat and fry for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and the stock. Season and cook for 15 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in the white crab meat and chopped tarragon.
Blanch the pasta tubes in boiling water for 3 minutes, then gently drain and cool under cold running water.
Fill each pasta tube with the crab mixture and fit them snugly into an ovenproof dish, then pour over the bechamel. Scatter over a little more grated cheese, then bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad.
(Original recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant, 2022.)
We’re good at picking up fancy tins of fish but less good at using them! Here’s some nice inspiration for a tin of sardines.
Brushette with sardines and pickled cucumber – serves 4
1 x 120g tin of sardines in olive oil, drained
juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp good olive oil
½ cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways and deseeded
1 tbsp caster sugar, red wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 beef tomato, halved horizontally
½ tsp chopped marjoram
1 tsp miniature capers in vinegar, drained
4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
1 garlic clove, peeled
green salad, to serve
Remove the large bone in the middle of each sardine and transfer the sardines to a bowl. Mash with a fork, then stir through the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
Cut the cucumber halves into 1cm slices. Place in a bowl with the sugar, ½ tsp of the salt and the vinegar. Mix well, cover with cling film and leave aside for 10 minutes. Pour off all the excess liquid and put the cucumber slices onto a clean tea towel, gather up the edges and squeeze out the excess moisture. Set aside in a bowl.
Scoop out and discard the tomato seeds. Finely chop the flesh to a pulp with the rest of the salt. Transfer to a colander and leave for 5 minutes to drain. Mix the drained tomatoes with the rest of the olive oil and season with black pepper, then add the marjoram and capers. Set aside.
Gently rub the toasted sourdough with the garlic clove. Divide the sardines equally on top of the sourdough slices and add a spoonful of the chopped tomato mixture. Finish with the pickled cucumber and serve with a dressed green salad.
(Original recipe from The Italian Deli Cookbook by Theo Randall, Quadrille, 2021.)
This is perfect for lunch with salad or for a spring starter. We are always nervous with even shop-bought pastry but this is not difficult!
Wine Suggestion: it feels a very French style of dish so we opened a favourite, the Chateau du Hureau Argile, a super dry and savoury Chenin Blanc from Saumur. Ours had a number of years in bottle so had extra roundness and depth but we enjoy this from the moment it released as well.
Asparagus Tart – serves 4 as a main or 6 as a starter
1 x 250g sheet of puff pastry
flour for dusting
1 egg
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp crème fraîche
roughtly 400g asparagus (preferable the fine stuff), snap off the woody ends
30g butter, plus a bit to grease the tin
3 small shallots, thinly sliced
120g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
120g soft, rindless goat’s cheese
25g Parmesan, finely grated
We used a loose bottom rectangular tin 36cm x 12cm.
Lightly grease the tin with butter.
Dust a clean surface with a little flour and roll out the pastry so that it fits in the tin. Chill for 20 minutes (or longer) in the fridge.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
Beat the egg and egg yolks together with the crème fraîche.
Line the tin with some crumpled baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice, then bake for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the paper and beans or rice, then prick the base all over with a fork and brush lightly with the egg mixture.
Put the tart back into the oven for another 10 minute or until the pastry is completely cooked and the base is dry. Press the pastry down with a fork if it has puffed up a bit.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.
Steam the asparagus for about 5 minutes or until tender, then drain and run under cold water.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the shallot with a good pinch of salt for a few minutes or until softened. Add the mushrooms and turn up the heat. Fry until they have lost their moisture and are starting to colour, then remove from the heat.
Tip the shallots and mushrooms into the cooked pastry case and spread them out evenly. Crumble over the goat’s cheese and arrange the asparagus over the top in a single layer.
Season the egg and crème fraîche mixture then pour evenly over the asparagus. Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan.
Bake the tart until the egg is just set – about 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.
(Original recipe from Lickedspoon with Debora Robertson on Substack, 15 APR 2025.)
Salmon is one of the most popular dishes in our house so it’s nice to find a recipe with some different flavours.
Wine Suggestion: double down on the citrussy aspect when choosing a wine so for this we headed to a Loire Sauvignon Blanc, but not from one of the “big two”, rather an under-rated Menetou Salon made by Anthony Girard at La Clef du Recit. A touch more grapefruit and orange, but with hints of lemon, the freshness really worked well with the salmon.
Salmon with Cajun spices – serves 2
2 salmon fillets, skin on
2 tsp Cajun spice blend
1-2 tbsp olive oil
30g butter
lemon wedges, to serve
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
½ tsp Cajun spice blend
150ml fish stock
150ml crème fraîche
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Score the skin of the salmon with a sharp knife, then sprinkle both sides with the Cajun spice mix and a little salt. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a frying pan.
Add the salmon to the hot oil, skin side down, pressing the fillets down with a fish slice. Cook for a few minutes on each side, then remove the pan from the heat.
Add the butter to the pan and baste the salmon with it as it melts. Transfer the salmon to a warm plate and leave to rest while you make the sauce.
Put the frying pan back over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic and Cajun spice blend and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the stock to the pan and let it bubble until reduced by half. Stir in the crème fraîche and cook for a minute or two until the sauce thickens. Season and add the lemon juice to taste. Remove from the heat and stir through the parsley.
Spoon the sauce onto warmed serving plates and top with the salmon. Serve with lemon wedges and green beans.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain, Bloomsbury, 2024.)
This is an excellent barbecue starter. We have a number of Genevieve Taylor’s barbecue books and they are superb!
Wine Suggestion: You need a wine that loves shellfish, barbecues and salty cured meats which is a bit of a conundrum. The key is both a good amount of fruitiness alongside a minerally freshness; complimetary and contrasting characters. For tonight Pazo Señorans Albariño from Rias Baixas in north western Spain, you almost smell the salty sea air alongside crisp white peaches in the glass and so well structured on the palate. This wine ages superbly and luckily the winery also releases aged bottles so if you get the opportunity do try these too.
Prawns and mangetout on the barbecue – serves 4
300g raw peeled prawns
10 slices of prosciutto
150g mangetout
1 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE LEMONY MAYO:
125g mayonnaise
zest of 1 lemon, and juice to taste
10g chives
Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper.
Cut each slice of prosciutto into 4 pieces. Wrap each prawn in a piece of prosciutto.
Thread a prawn onto a skewer, followed by a piece of mangetout, then another prawn. Keep going until everything is used up, then brush a little oil over each skewer and season with salt and pepper. Leave them in the fridge until ready to cook.
For the lemony mayo, spoon the mayonnaise into a small bowl and stir through the lemon zest and chives. Add lemon juice to taste (start with half the lemon) and season with salt and pepper. Chill until needed.
Get the barbecue going for hot direct grilling.
Cook the skewers for 1-2 minutes on each side until the ham is crispy and the prawns pink. Serve with the mayo.
(Original recipe from Scorched by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2024.)
Summer rolls – so simple but they look so impressive. Serve for lunch.
Summer rolls – makes 8
35g rice vermicelli noodles
16 chives
8 sprigs of coriander
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
¼ cucumber, deseeded and cut into matchsticks
50g bean sprouts
½ little gem lettuce, finely shredded
125g cooked, peeled prawns, halved lengthways
1-2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
16 mint leaves
8 rice paper wrappers
FOR THE CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE:
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp freshly grated root ginger
1 red bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, grated
Cook the noodles by bringing a pan of water to the boil. Drop in the noodles and take the pan off the heat. Leave the noodles to soak for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well and set aside.
Mix all the chilli dipping sauce ingredients together with 2 tbsp of cold water and set aside.
Make sure you have all the filling ingredients prepped and to hand.
Dip a rice paper wrapper in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for up to a minute, then transfer to a damp tea towel.
Add the filling ingredients as follows (making sure to leave a border around the edge so you can seal the roll): arrange two chives in a X in the middle, add a sprig of coriander, then some noodles, carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts, lettuce, prawns and peanuts (careful not to overfill). Top with a couple of mint leaves.
Fold the edge closest to you over the filling, tuck the sides over to enclose then ends, then roll away from you to seal. Set aside under a folded damp tea towel to stop them drying out while you make the rest. Repeat with the remaining rice papers. Serve with the dipping sauce.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Food Stories, BBC Books, Penguin: Random House, 2024.)
A Greek chicken and rice soup with egg and lemon. Tastes delicious and can only be good for you.
Avgolemono – serves 4 to 6
125g extra virgin olive oil
2 medium white onions, diced into 1cm pieces
2 medium carrots, diced into 1cm pieces
2 ribs of celery, diced into 1cm pieces
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
3 bay leaves
500g skinless chicken breasts
125g rice
2 large eggs
75g lemon juice
3 tbsp dill, chopped
Heat the oil in a large pot, then add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for about 30 minutes or until soft.
Meanwhile, put the chicken in a single layer in a large pan and cover with 2 litres of water. Add 2 tsp of fine sea salt, then bring to a simmer with the lid on. As soon as the water simmers, turn the heat right down and cook for 5 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave until cool enough to handle.
Remove the chicken and reserve the cooking liquid. Chop the chicken into 1cm pieces.
Add the rice, chicken and chicken cooking waterto the cooked vegetables and bring up to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Whisk the eggs and lemon juice together, then add a couple of ladlefuls of the hot soup to this mix, whisking constantly, before adding the mixture to the soup in a thin stream, stirring all the time.
Bring the soup back to a simmer and leave for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened slightly. Remove the bay leaves and check the seasoning. Stir in half the dill, then take off the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Seve in warm bowls with the rest of the dill, some more black pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil.
(Original recipe by Nick Bramham in FT Magazine, 1/2 March 2025.)
A tasty and colourful dish which we have also successfully cooked with pork fillet so feel free to try that either. The Thai basil makes this dish so we only every make it when we can get that.
Wine Suggestion: Thai basil brings an herbaceousness that we think goes with red Northern Rhone or Burgundy, especially if there’s a little whole bunch fermentation. So for this dish we opened an bottle of Domaine Jamet’s Cotes du Rhone rouge which is made from Syrah grown on the upper slopes around Cote Rotie and with some whole bunch. A wine that benefits from 6 to 12 months in the bottle this had a smoothness, earthiness and well integrated tannins as well as remaining fresh and weightless so not to overwhelm the food.
Thai Chicken with Basil – serves 3
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 Thai green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, julienned
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 medium red pepper, deseeded and diced into 1cm pieces
3 scallions, cut into 5cm pieces
1 tsp freshly roasted and ground coriander
1 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
1 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
7g fresh Thai basil, shredded
plain rice and fresh coriander, to serve
Heat a tbsp of the vegetable oil in a wok over a high heat, then add half the chicken strips. Add the green chilli and garlic and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until the chicken has changed colour. Sprinkle with a little of the sesame oil, then remove to a plate.
Add the remaining tbsp of vegetable oil to the wok, then add the red pepper, scallions, ground coriander and sugar. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the chicken.
Mix the cornflour with the fish sauce and soy until smooth, then pour into the pan, stirring constantly for a minute or until the juices thicken slightly. Sprinkle with the remaining sesame oil. Toss in the basil, season to taste and serve with plain rice and lots of chopped coriander.
(Original recipe from Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen, Kyle Books, 2017.)
Ottolenghi potato dishes are always a big hit and these were no exception. The rice flour makes them particularly crispy.
Roast potatoes with rosemary & za’atar – serves 6 to 8
2.5kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut fairly small – about 4-5cm chunks
2 tbsp fine salt
3 large sprigs of rosemary, 1 left whole and the leaves of the other 2 finely chopped
150ml sunflower oil
2 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp sea salt flakes
2 tbsp za’atar
Put the potatoes into a large pan and cover with cold water. Add the fine salt and the whole rosemary sprig, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well and throw away the rosemary, then return the potatoes to the warm pan. Leave to dry for at least 15 minutes.
Heat the oven to 220C Fan.
Put the oil in a large roasting tray and put into the oven to heat for 10 minutes.
Add the rice flour to the dry potatoes and gently toss to coat.
Carefully add the potatoes to the hot oil in the tray, then roast for 50 minutes, turning halfway. Add the chopped rosemary and gently toss, then return to the oven for a further 3 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and stir in the sea salt flakes and za’atar.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Comfort, Penguin Random House, 2024.)
We cook many versions of shakshuka on weekends and they’re all good. Here’s the latest – serve with toasted sourdough.
Shakshuka with feta & coriander – serves 2-3
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp hot smoked paprika
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
4 eggs
100g feta
a large handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the peppers and garlic and cook for another 4 minutes. If the pan looks dry just add a splash of water rather than more oil.
Add the cumin, cinnamon, paprika and some flaky sea salt and stir briefly until the spices smell good. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes to let the sauce thicken a bit.
Make 4 wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Place a lid over the frying pan and leave the eggs to cook for 5 minutes or until the whites are just set.
Crumble the feta over the top, sprinkle with the coriander and season with black pepper.
Serve with toasted sourdough.
(Original recipe from Lose Weight for Good by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2017.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 