The first thing to mention, is that this is not like the cauliflower in cheese sauce that we all know and love, but no less because of that. This dish is more set, more ‘eggy’ and has a distinctive tang from the soured cream. It also reheats particularly well, regular cauliflower cheese tends to split. So the verdict is that you should definitely give this a go – we served as a side with a dish of minty peas and lettuce and some baked ham. It could definitely work as a main either with a green salad or green veg.
Cauliflower gratin with soured cream – serves 4
a knob of butter, for greasing the dish
50g breadcrumbs
1 large cauliflower, about 1kg when the leaves have been removed, cut into medium-sized florets
350ml soured cream
125g Cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tsp mustard
2 tsp salt
1½ tsp black pepper
50g sunflower seeds
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Grease a ceramic baking dish with butter, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the florets for about 6 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, then steam dry in the warm pot for a few minutes and drain again on some kitchen paper to make sure no water remains.
Combine the soured cream, 100g of the cheese and eggs with the nutmeg, mustard and seasoning in a large bowl.
Put the drained cauliflower into the prepared dish, then pour over the soured cream mixture. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, covering with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.
Serve with the sunflower seeds scattered over the top.
(Original recipe from Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu, Frances Lincoln Publishing, 2020.)
We like the occasional Hot Cross Bun … warm with a wedge of butter on it, but often find the shop-bought ones too sweet. This version, however, has all the flavour and texture but eases up on the sugar. Best eaten on the day you make them as they lose a bit of freshness that toasting will fix. Not a problem though as we suspect the warm buns will tempt even the most jaded HCB eaters out there. It’s a pretty easy recipe too, though Jono reckons he’ll get the crosses better next time.
Hot Cross Buns, makes 12 buns
450g strong white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated nutmeg
20g fresh yeast, or 7g fast-action dried yeast
50g caster sugar
50g butter, melted and cooled
150ml tepid milk
5 tbsp tepid water
1 large egg, beaten
75g currants
50g chopped mixed peel
For the cross:
50g plain flour
25g soft butter
To Glaze:
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
Measure the flour, salt, spices, sugar and dried yeast (if using), into a large bowl and stir to mix and then make a well in the centre.
If using fresh yeast, mix this with the milk and water until combined. Pour the butter, the beaten egg, milk and water into the well followed by the currants and mixed peel. Mix to a soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with oiled clingfilm. Keep in a warm room and leave to rise for 1.5 hours and until it has doubled in size.
Lightly grease 2 baking trays.
When the dough has risen turn out onto a lightly floured work surface again and knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide into 12 equal pieces and shape into round buns.
Make a cross in the top of each bun with a knife then place on the prepared baking trays and cover with oiled clingfilm. Leave to rise again in a warm place for 30 minutes. Pre-heat an oven to 220C/200C fan.
While the buns are rising make the pastry for the crosses by mixing the flour and butter with a little water and roll out. Cut into thin strips and place into the cuts on the top of the buns.
Bake the buns for about 15 minutes until brown and hollow sounding when the base is tapped.
While the buns are baking make the glaze by dissolving the sugar in the water over a gentle heat. As soon as the buns come out of the oven brush them all over with the glaze.
It may be hard to resist, so don’t … cut one open and spread with butter before eating.
(Original recipe from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible, BBC Books, 2009.)
The flavours in this little Middle Eastern pie are stunning. You can make the filling up to a couple of days ahead and keep it in the fridge, the problem with this is trying to resist eating it. If your filo pastry is frozen you should defrost it in the fridge overnight, defrosting in haste causes the sheets to stick together. You can also re-freeze any sheets that you don’t use. Sarit and Itamar suggest serving with a rocket and orange salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. We had a green salad which worked fine too.
Wine Suggestion: we chose the Manciat-Poncet Pouilly Vinzelles which is a classic Chardonnay with good weight and a delightful balance of perfectly ripe fruit, vibrant freshness and judiciously handled oak. Aromatically broad and rich to counter the rich chicken flavours and natural minerality giving it all lift and vitality.
Chicken pastilla – serves 4-6
6 chicken thighs (about 800g)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
100g pitted dates
3 onions (about 300g), sliced thinly
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried chilli
2 tbsp ras el hanout
240ml water
1 packet of filo pastry (250g-270g)
60g melted butter
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Put a large frying pan over a medium heat. Put the chicken thighs into the pan, skin-side down, then season with 1 tsp of the salt and the pepper. After about 10-15 minutes the skin should be crisp and nicely coloured. Turn the thighs over and cook on the other side for about 5 minutes, then transfer to an oven-proof pan that can fit them all in one layer. Add the dates.
Add the sliced onions to the fat in the frying pan and add another tsp of salt. Cook until soft and starting to turn golden, then add the cinnamon stick, dried chilli and ras el hanout. Mix well together and cook for 30 seconds, then add the water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, pour over the chicken thighs, then cover the pan and put in the centre of the oven for 1 hour.
Check that the chicken is cooked, it should just fall off the bone. If not, return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Set the chicken aside until cool enough to handle.
Pour the contents of the pan into a sieve over a bowl, keep the cooking liquid. Pull the chicken from the bones and discard the skin, bones and any gristly bits. Remove the chilli and cinnamon stick. Mix the chicken with the cooked dates and onions, then add just enough of the liquid to bind it all together. You can prepare this part up to 2 days in advance and keep in the fridge until needed. Keep the extra liquid too and serve as a sauce on the side.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 6.
Open the filo pastry packet and lay it out on a surface.
Carefully peel off the first sheet and brush with the melted butter, then fold into four and set aside (this will form the base of the pastilla).
Peel of the next sheet and butter it, then cover with another sheet and set aside. Repeat with two more sheets, so you have two sheets of double thickness.
Place one doubled sheet lengthways on the table, put the folded square in the centre of it, then lay the other doubled sheet on top at 90° to the first sheet, so you have a cross shape that is thickest in the middle.
Carefully lift the pastry and place in a 22-24cm ovenproof frying pan letting the sides hang over the edge. Fill with the chicken mixture and fold the corners over to cover it. It looks nice if its a bit crumpled so no need to be to neat about it. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the melted butter and put into the centre of the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the pan around so it all crisps evenly, then cook for another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, heat the cooking liquid in a small pan.
Serve immediately with a jug of the sauce to pour over and a salad on the side.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co. by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
This is a Romanian version of moussaka and much easier than the Greek version we usually make. The aubergines are replaced with layers of potatoes and the cheese sauce is a mixture of yoghurt, cheese and egg yolks. Makes a great family meal with a salad on the side.
Wine Suggestion: This suits a light, earthy red and a recent find, the Jeunes Vignes de Xinomavro by Thymiopoulos was yet again a delight.
Musaca de cartofi – serves 6
FOR THE FILLING:
1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
2 onions, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
500g pork mince (or you can use a mixture of pork and beef mince)
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
300ml passata
4 medium potatoes, waxy ones work best
15g butter
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:
100g Cheddar cheese, grated
150g natural yoghurt
2 egg yolks
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and carrot and sauté for 6-7 minutes. Add the pork mince, paprika, tomatoes and passata, then cook for 25 minutes, until reduced and thickened. Give it a stir now and then as it cooks.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and slice into thin discs (a mandoline works best for this job). Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add some salt, then blanch the potatoes for about 5 minutes or until just softened. Drain and set aside.
To make the cheese sauce, mix the cheese with the yoghurt and egg yolks.
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas4.
Grease a 6-person lasagne dish with a little of the butter and arrange a layer of potatoes over the bottom, they can overlap slightly. Dot with a little butter and season with salt and pepper. Spread half of the meat filling on top, then cover with another layer of potatoes, dot with butter and season, then spread the rest of the filling on top. Finish with a layer of potatoes and top with the cheese sauce.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until nicely browned on top.
(Original recipe from Carpathia: Food from the heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu, Frances Lincoln Publishing, 2020.)
Daffodils, warmer weather (occasionally … ), longer days, and spring vegetables arriving in the shops. Things are definitely looking up, at least in our kitchen if nowhere else.
Wine Suggestion: The asparagus cried out for the Höpler Grüner Veltliner lurking in the fridge waiting for spring to arrive. GV is one of the few varieties to work with asparagus and this dish isn’t shy of their flavours so a good match. Crisp pear and zesty lemon flavours overlay the hints of characteristic white pepper umami savouriness; this is so clean and vibrant it shouts the beginning of the season.
a bunch of asparagus, snap off and discard the woody ends
1.5 litres of vegetable stock
40g butter and 25g of cold diced butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
250g superfino carnaroli rice
60ml dry white wine
40g Parmesan, grated
60g Gorgonzola
a small handful of wild garlic leaves, finely chopped
Remove the tips from the asparagus and chop the stems into 3cm pieces.
Blanch the tips in a pan of salty boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Bring the stock the boil, then turn down and keep it at a bare simmer.
Melt 40g butter in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and asparagus stalks, then cook gently until the onion is soft and translucent, but not coloured.
Turn the heat up a little and add the rice. Stir for a couple of minutes until warm and coated with the butter and onion.
Add the wine and allow it to bubble up and almost disappear, then start adding the stock a ladle at a time. Keep stirring and only add more stock when the previous ladleful has been absorbed. Start tasting the rice after about 15 minutes, you want it to be soft but still with a little bite in the centre.
Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the cold butter, Parmesan, 20g of the Gorgonzola and the wild garlic. Season to taste, then ladle into warm bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips and the rest of the Gorgonzola.
(Original recipe from Made at Home by Giorgio Locatelli, 4th Estate, 2017.)
This is a Romanian dish called Pilaf cu pui ciuperci. We haven’t knowingly cooked any Romanian dishes until now, but we recently purchased Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu. This is a beautiful book and we’re looking forward to cooking many more dishes. While Irina suggests blitzing the veg in the food processor, we chopped them by hand. Either way you want them nice and fine but not blitzed to a pulp. Serve with salad.
Wine Suggestion: Unfortunately we didn’t have a Romanian wine to hand but we can attest it works well with one of our favourite wines: the Ch du Hureau Saumur-Champigny “Tuffe”. Elegance, style and grace, but also very grounded and earthy and what we love about Cabernet Franc from the Loire.
Oven-baked pearl barley pilaf with chicken and mushrooms – serves 4-6
3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
1.5kg chicken pieces, we used thighs and drumsticks but you can joint a whole chicken
2 onions, sliced
300g pearl barley
¼ celeriac, finely diced
2-3 celery sticks, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
200g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
600ml chicken stock
2 tsp salt
5g black pepper
25g butter, roughly chopped
a bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
We found it easier to fry the chicken in a large, heavy frying pan and then to transfer to a large roasting tin. Irina suggests frying and baking in a large deep casserole dish, but we didn’t have one big enough. A roasting tin covered with two layers of foil worked well.
Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan or casserole dish, over a medium heat. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides – it’s easiest to do this in batches. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the onions to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, then add the pearl barley and stir to coat the grains in the oil, cook for another few minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Add the chopped vegetables to the pan with the tomatoes, mushrooms, stock and seasoning and gently combine. You might need to transfer to a large roasting tin at this point. You need to be generous with the salt. Arrange the chicken pieces on top and cover the dish with a layer of foil and a lid or if using a roasting tin you can cover with a double layer of foil.
Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the lid and foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Check the vegetables are tender and that the chicken is cooked through, then remove from the oven. Dot the top of the dish with the butter and sprinkle with parsley.
(Original recipe from Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu, Frances Lincoln Publishing, 2020.)
This is barely a recipe but it is an excellent way to serve turnip, which you may refer to as a swede. For clarity, we’re talking about the large orange-fleshed variety. We served this on St Patrick’s Day with some Irish stew but it’s lovely with sausages or on the side of a roast dinner. We’ve posted this before but it’s definitely worth mentioning again.
Turnip with Crispy Bacon & Onion – serves 4 to 6
900g turnip, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm chunks
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
50g rindless piece of smoked bacon, diced
butter
Cook the turnip in lots of salt water until tender when pierced with a knife.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the onion and bacon until crisp and golden.
When the turnip is tender, drain and allow to dry, then roughly mash with a generous lump of butter. Season with salt and lots of black pepper.
Serve in a warm bowl with the crispy bacon and onion on top.
(Original recipe from Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook)
For no particular reason we tend to eat mostly meat and fish dominant dishes on the weekend, and mostly veg during the week. This has been unsettled recently as we have no one to share our dishes with, so there is inevitably lots of leftovers from the weekend, and fewer opportunities to cook vegetables. This weekend we made sure to include a veggie dish in the line up and we’re looking forward to the leftovers already. Lots of lovely warm spices in this one. Serve with steamed rice.
Wine Suggestion: a nice accomaniment to this was from a young turk in Chateauneuf du Pape, Jean-Paul Daumen’s Méditerannée. From Southern France this contains the usual Rhone varieties alongside Cab Sauv and Merlot for a very pleasurable taste of sunshine. A well thought out biodynamic and organic blend that demonstrates why we shouldn’t always insist on what was grown traditionally in the area; this expands the range of taste on offer in a good way.
Red kidney bean & sweet potato stew with yoghurt & hot mint oil – serves 4
vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 big garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli flakes
690g jar of passata
500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks
400g tin red kidney beans, drained
30g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp dried mint
Greek yoghurt
Put a large saucepan over a medium heat and pour in enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic and stir until both have softened but not coloured.
Stir in the spices and cook for a minutes, then season generously with Maldon salt and black pepper, then stir in the passata. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes. Add a splash of water now and then if needed to prevent it sticking.
Stir in the sweet potato and cook for a further 30-40 minutes, or until tender, then add the beans and most of the parsley and heat through.
Meanwhile, put a small pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and heat before stirring in the dried mint. Stir for a minute or two then remove from the heat.
Serve the stew with some yoghurt, the extra parsley and a drizzle of the hot mint oil.
(Original recipe from Simply by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2020.)
We loved these fishcakes by Sabrina Ghayour, they are jam-packed with herbs and full of flavour. The preserved lemon mayonnaise is the perfect accompaniment. We had them for dinner but they would work well as a starter too.
Wine Suggestion: A wine we haven’t had in ages, the Beauvignac Picpoul de Pinet. A wine that has been described by Andrew Jefford as “springtime in liquid form”. Refeshing, crisp and lively, plus a depth only old-vine, lower yielding vines can give.
Fish cakes with preserved lemon mayonnaise – serves 6 to 8
FOR THE FISH CAKES:
vegetable oil, for frying
300g skinless chunky white fish fillet, we used cod, diced
400g mashed potatoes
30g dill, finely chopped
30g coriander, finely chopped
2 tbsp English mustard powder
4 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic granules
1 egg
FOR THE PRESERVED LEMON MAYONNAISE:
6 small preserved lemons, deseeded and finely chopped
8 tbsp mayonnaise
Heat a frying pan over a gentle heat, add a little oil and the fish. Cook until opaque, then transfer to a sieve and leave to drain.
Preheat the oven to 230C or as high as your oven goes.
Mix the fish with the rest of the fish cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl and season well with maldon salt and black pepper. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until you have a smooth paste, this will take a few minutes. Shape into 6-8 cakes and place on a baking tray.
Bake the fish cakes for about 12 minutes or until just starting to brown (we took ours out of the oven after about 9 minutes).
Finish cooking the fish cakes in a hot frying pan with a drizzle of oil for about 4 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned.
Mix the preserved lemons with the mayonnaise in a small bowl, season with pepper and serve with the hot fish cakes and some salad leaves.
(Original recipe from Simply by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2020.)
Not much to look at perhaps but this is genuinely one of our favourite soup recipes. It makes a big potful and it’s really tasty, perfect for weekday lunches.
Red lentil and bacon soup – serves 6
1 tsp vegetable oil
75g smoked back bacon, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 small sweet potato, finely diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
200g red lentils, rinsed
1.5 litres hot chicken or vegetable stock
a large sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the bacon, onion and red pepper. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes or until the veg has started to soften. Add the sweet potato, garlic and lentils and stir for another couple of minutes.
Pour the hot stock into the pan, add the herbs and season well with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat up and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ British Classics by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2018.)
Jono has taken to baking in lockdown, not something we do much of normally. You can’t beat the smell of this baking in the oven. The recipe makes loads so you may not get through it all straight away, but don’t worry, gently warm in an oven for 5 minutes and serve with a dollop of cream and it’ll last a week or more.
Gingerbread Traybake
275g golden syrup
275g black treacle
225g light muscovado sugar
225g softened butter
450g self-raising flour
2 tsp ground mixed spice
2 tsp ground ginger
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp milk
Preheat the oven to 160C/Fan 140C/Gas 3.
Grease a 30 x 23cm traybake or roasting tin and line with baking parchment.
Put the syrup, treacle, sugar and butter in a large pan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour and spices. Add the beaten eggs and milk, and beat until smooth, then pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake has shrunk from the sides of the tin and springs back when pressed in the centre with your fingertips. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack.
(Original recipe from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible, BBC Book, 1993.)
Pastry is not an area of expertise for us, as we make it so rarely. We tend to attempt a quiche or similar about once a year but we really must try and squeeze in a few more before next March. The crust for this was super short and melt-in-the-mouth crumbly and the filling is so comforting and flavoursome.
Wine Suggestion: We think quiche is great with a red or white like you’d find in a country French Bistro, possibly a Beaujolais or Rhone for the reds but always leaning towards Alsace for the white (though many others work well too). We’ve gone on a bit of a Sylvaner kick recently and with this we had one from across the border in the Rheinhessen from Wagner-Stempel. Always under-rated, in good hands this grape combines a maturity and presence with vibrancy. Ripe apple and quince flavours finishing dry, fresh and invigorating.
Quiche Lorraine – serves 6
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onions, finely sliced
200g smoked streaky bacon, cut into 2cm pieces
300ml double cream,
200ml crème fraîche
3 large eggs
75g Gruyère cheese
FOR THE PASTRY:
250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
150g cold butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg, beaten
To make the pastry, put the flour and and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and mix until the dough just starts coming together, then shape into a ball.
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick. Place the pastry in a 23cm loose-based tart tin, pressing it well into the sides. Trim away the excess pastry and lightly prick the base. Leave the pastry case to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 4.
Place a piece of baking paper over the chilled pastry and fill with baking beans. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5-10 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Turn the oven temperature down to 170C/Fan 150C/Gas 3½.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon and onion together until lightly browned. Tip them onto a plate and leave to cool. Put the cream, crème fraîche and eggs into a jug and beat until well combined, then season with salt and pepper.
Spread the cooled onions and bacon evenly over the pastry case, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Slowly pour in most of the egg mixture, then put the tin on a baking tray, in the oven. Pull the oven shelf out slightly and pour in the rest of the egg mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is just starting to brown and no longer wobbling. If you press the back of a teaspoon onto the centre, no liquid should be visible. Take out of the oven and leave to cook in the tin for 15 minutes before removing. Serve warm or at room temperature
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ British Classics by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2018.)
These make a nice brunch or lunch dish with some brown bread or toast.
Smoked haddock & spinach egg pots – serves 4
a little soft butter for greasing
4 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
200g skinless smoked haddock fillets, diced
200g baby spinach
6 large eggs
200ml crème fraîche
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g Cheddar, grated
a pinch of sweet smoked paprika
a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Brown bread or buttered toast, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.
Grease the inside of four 250ml ramekins or oven-proof dishes with butter, then dust with the breadcrumbs.
Divide the fish between the dishes and put onto a baking tray.
Wilt the spinach in a large saucepan with a tiny amount of water. Stir over a high heat for a few minutes, until wilted. Remove from the heat and drain in a colander. Leave to cool slightly, then squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the spinach. Roughly chop and divide between the dishes.
Whisk the eggs and crème fraîche together in a bowl and season with a little grated nutmeg and some salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the dishes and sprinkle with the cheese and a little smoked paprika.
Put the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven to the grill setting and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the toast or bread.
(Original recipe from Fresh Start by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.)
This soup really couldn’t be simpler and it’s nice and filling for lunchtime.
Tomato Soup with Chickpeas, Orzo & Pesto – serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin chickpeas
150g orzo pasta
700ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp basil pesto
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery and fry for 10-15 minutes, or until starting to soften, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add all of the other ingredients, except for the pesto and remaining oil, and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until the orzo is tender. Season to taste and divide between warm bowls. Stir in the remaining olive oil with the pesto, then drizzle over the soup.
This is a classic for a reason and you really shouldn’t wait until St Patrick’s day to make it; although for some reason that’s what we do every year. It’s a meal in a bowl but if you want to go all out you can serve it with colcannon and turnip mash with bacon and onions. Beware… we kept on taking seconds … and thirds…
Wine Suggestion: The Irish have a great affinity with Spanish wine, so we picked a Mencia from Bierzo, the Dominio de Tares “Baltos” which was full of flavour as well as vibrantly fresh with resolved and mildly spice tannins.
Irish Stew – serves 6 to 8
900g boneless lamb neck or shoulder, trimmed and cut into cubes
900ml lamb or chicken stock, home-made preferably
50g pearl barley, washed
225g potatoes, cut into chunks
225g carrots, thickly sliced
225g leeks, well trimmed and thickly sliced
225g pearl onions, peeled (if you can’t get these you can use halved shallots)
100g smoked bacon, diced
2 sprigs of thyme
chopped flat-leaf parsley to garnish
Put the lamb pieces into a large flameproof casserole and pour over the stock.
Bring to the boil, then skim off any scum from the surface and stir in the barley. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 50 minutes, until slightly reduced and the lamb should be almost tender.
Add the potatoes, carrots, leeks, pearl onions, smoked bacon and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lamb and vegetables are completely tender but not falling apart. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve.
(Original recipe from Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook, Gill Books, 2016.)
Do we need to provide another recipe for Italian roast potatoes with rosemary? Probably not, but this version uses regular potatoes, rather than the baby waxy variety. So perhaps it will come in handy, as it did for us.
Roast Potatoes with Rosemary – serves 4 to 6
2kg potatoes e.g. Maris Piper or Roosters
a large handful of rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
extra virgin olive oil
Maldon salt and black pepper
Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks, then boil in salted water until just cooked through. Drain in a colander and leave for 10 minutes to cool slightly and lose some mixture.
Preheat the oven to 220C/220C Fan/Gas 7.
Heat a roasting tray in the oven with most of the rosemary leaves and a good few glugs of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Remove the tray from the oven and add the potatoes, turning to coat well in the oil and rosemary .
Roast for about 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes or so.
(Original recipe from Polpo by Russell Norman, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012.)
We make soup most weeks during the cooler months and we really loved this one! The streaky bacon garnish is nice but it’s also good without it.
Creamy lentil & spinach soup with bacon – serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra for frying
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
140g green lentils
1.5 litres weak vegetable stock
200g baby spinach
4 tbsp double cream, plus a drizzle to serve if you like
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon (optional)
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions, carrots and celery, and cook for about 10 minutes or until softened.
Stir in the lentils and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the lentils are soft, add more water if you need too.
Add the spinach and cook for a couple of minutes to wilt.
Whizz the soup until smooth (we like it smooth-ish with a bit of texture left), then stir in the cream and season.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon until crispy and golden. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with some crispy bacon and a drizzle of cream.
Much more filling than the tinned variety but unlike a number of other baked bean recipes, you don’t have to start with dried beans. This is quick and still pretty handy for lunch.
Beans on toast – serves 4 to 6
200g bacon lardons or pancetta cubes
1 onion, roughly chopped
olive oil
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins of beans e.g. pinto, haricot or butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp black treacle
sourdough toast, to serve
Fry the bacon in a deep pan over a medium heat until golden, then add the onion. You can add a splash of olive oil if you need it.
Add the carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Next add the beans and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the treacle and season with salt and black pepper.
Serve with toasted sourdough.
(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2012.)
For many years we didn’t buy Polpo by Russell Norman. It has a fancy binding and was always wrapped in plastic in the bookshop, so there was no way to have a flick. We can’t remember now what made us take the plunge, but we’re so glad we did. We’ve cooked many of the recipes and recently took this book off the shelf again and cooked a few more, finishing with this steak dish. You probably don’t need Italian roast potatoes with rosemary as a side but we couldn’t resist.
Wine Suggestion: A kind birthday gift from our friends Nicola and Dave was a wine we knew nothing about, the Iuli Umberta and opening it to try with this dish was a revelation. From the Monferrato hills east of Turin, this Barbera is so full of energy and layered with subtle flavours and gentle spice; so easy and refreshing.
Flank steak with portobello mushrooms – serves 4
800g flank steak, about 5cm thick
4 handfuls of rocket leaves
8 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
1 small handful of flat parsley leaves, chopped
Season the meat with plenty of salt and pepper.
We cooked ours on a hot barbecue but if you prefer you can oil a griddle pan and heat until hot, then grill the steak on both sides. 10-12 minutes in total should give you a medium-cooked steak. Leave it to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, dress the rocket leaves in some good olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide the rocket between the serving plates or you can put it onto one large platter.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan with the garlic and most of the parsley. Add the mushrooms and fry until soft and glossy, then set aside. We like to season these a little too.
When the meat has rested, sliced it thinly. Lay the steak on top of the rocket, then scatter with the mushrooms and serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and the rest of the parsley.
(Original recipe from Polpo by Russell Norman, Bloomsbury, 2012.)
Somewhere along the line we forgot about spaghetti carbonara, but remembered it again last night. This really is a store-cupboard dish. We’re never without pasta, eggs or Parmesan and more often than not there’s a half packet of pancetta or bacon lardons in the fridge needing used. Thursday night might turn into carbonara night!
Wine Suggestion: An open bottle of Edetaria via Terra red, made from Garnache Tinta grown in Terra Alta south of Barcelona was a joyful accompaniment. Fresh with refined spices and tannins; a gourmand wine. We don’t know whether it was the night or the wine but we had the chats all night after this food and wine.
Spaghetti Carbonara – serves 2 – though you can of course double to serve 4
200g spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
100g pancetta cubes or bacon lardons
1 clove of garlic, crushed
25ml vermouth or white wine
1 large egg
50g grated pecorino or Parmesan
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cook the spaghetti in lots of very salty water according to the timings on the pack.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the pancetta over a medium heat until crispy. Add the garlic and cook gently for a couple of minutes before the vermouth or white wine and bubble until well reduced. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Put the egg into a large bowl and beat it with a fork. Add a little salt and plenty of black pepper, then add the cheese and stir to combine.
Drain the pasta in a colander and immediately transfer to the bowl with the egg and cheese, don’t be too fussy when you’re draining as a little of the pasta cooking water will help make a silky sauce. Stir together until the spaghetti is coated in a glossy sauce, then add the pancetta and stir again.
Serve in warmed bowls and sprinkle with the parsley.
Jono & Jules do food & wine 