We sporadically try and make an effort with breakfast on the weekends though more often than not we fall back to poached eggs on toast – not that there is anything wrong with that. This rarebit was nice for a change and we’ll definitely be skipping lunch!
Spinach rarebit with poached eggs – serves 2
100g baby spinach
125g mature cheddar, grated
½ english mustard – we used Dijon
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 dashes of worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk, plus 2 eggs for poaching
4 small slices of sourdough
rocket dressed with lemon juice to serve
Put the spinach in a colander and pour over a kettleful of boiling water, then leave to cool. Squeeze out as much water as you can then chop.
Put the cheddar, mustard, scallions, worcestershire sauce, egg yolk and spinach in a bowl, season and stir to combine.
Poach the eggs in a small pan of simmering water.
Heat the grill to high. Toast the bread on both sides then spread the rarebit mixture over the slices. Grill until golden and bubbling, then top with an egg, plenty of black pepper and some dressed rocket on the side.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, December 2019)
This is a great lentil curry but the star of the show is definitely the spiced crispy eggs. We’ll definitely be making these again with other dishes that could do with a crispy egg. Serve with steamed basmati rice.
Wine Suggestion: the spices in this dish will fight with tannins so we’d suggest pairing with a white wine. Our choice this evening was the Chayeau Pesquie Terrasses Blanc, a blend of Viognier, Roussanne, Clairette and Grenache Blanc – a real southern Rhône style blend with fresh stone fruit and citrus flavours.
Spiced crispy egg and lentil curry – serves 4
100g red lentils
2 onions, roughly chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp oil for frying
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp ground coriander
4 cardamom pods, squashed
a thumb-sized piece of root ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2-3 green chillies, sliced
100g baby spinach, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
a small bunch of coriander, chopped
FOR THE CRISPY EGGS
6 eggs
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp paprika
Put the lentils, onions and tomatoes in a pan with the turmeric and a teaspoon of salt. Add water to just cover, then simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Drop the eggs into boiling water and cook for 7 minutes, then plunge them into iced water and leave to cool.
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pan, then stir in the cumin, coriander and cardamom. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the ginger, garlic & chillies. Cook for a few minutes before adding the cooked lentils and 100ml water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, then add the spinach and cook for another 10 minutes.
Peel the eggs and heat the tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Add the eggs, turmeric, paprika and some salt. Cook the eggs until they start to blister and crisp.
Stir the garam masala and fresh coriander into the curry and serve with the halved eggs and some steamed basmati rice.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in BBC Olive Magazine, December 2017)
We made this nut roast in January when we were attempting to go meat-free for a few weeks but still wanted something suitable for Sunday lunch. This would make a great centre-piece for a veggie Christmas dinner and we’d also recommend for any celebratory meal, heaps of flavour and definitely challenged our pre-conceived notions about nut roast. Serve with all the usual trimmings.
Wine Suggestion: given the season we’d suggest a Southern Rhöne red, especially one that has fresh spices in the aromas. The Chateau Pesquie Terrasses rouge we think is sophisticatacted and wholesomely satisfying and a wine rack regular, though a step up at this time of year is needed so we opened a wine from Domaine de la Vieille Julienne. Known for their superb Chateauneuf-du Papes, we instead went for their Cotes du Rhone lieu-dit Clavin which is rich, smooth and powerful; a very sophisticated red indeed and belies it’s lowly classification … a hidden gem.
Christmas Nut Roast – serves 8
olive oil
100g quinoa
500g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 onions, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped into 2cm pie
200g vac-packed chestnuts
2 springs of rosemary
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
2 large field mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 lemon
60g fresh breadcrumbs
120g dried apricots, chopped
150g mixed unsalted nuts, chopped
4 large eggs
40g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
FOR THE SPICED TOMATO SAUCE:
3 red chillies, halved lengthways but joined at the stalk
1 stick of cinnamon
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
15g fresh thyme
2 large roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 x400g tins of plum tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°C/gas 4.
Scrunch up a wet sheet of greaseproof paper and use to line all sides of an oiled 1.5 litre loaf tin. Leave an overhang at the ends so you can lift the roast easily out of the tin later.
Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the pack, drain, then leave to cool in a large bowl.
Put the butternut squash, onions and celery into a large roasting tray, crumble in the chestnuts, strip in the rosemary leaves, add the paprika, oregano, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and 2 tbsp of olive oil, then toss well. Roast for 40 minutes, adding the mushrooms for the last 10 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and tip the vegetables into the quinoa bowl. Finely grate in half the lemon zest, add the breadcrumbs, then add the apricots and nuts. Add the eggs and mix well, then transfer to the lined loaf tin, piling it up high. Roast for 45 minutes, or until golden.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a roasting tray set on the hob over a medium heat. Add the chillies and cinnamon stick and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Remove the chillies and cinnamon and set aside, then add the garlic and most of the thyme leaves and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peppers, tomatoes and a tin full of water, breaking the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon, then add the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
Lift the nut roast out of the tin and sit into the sauce, discarding the paper. Sprinkle over the cheese and place one of the chillies on top with a few thyme sprigs and drizzle with a little oil. Return the rest of the chillies and the cinnamon to the sauce and roast for a final 15 minutes, then leave to sit for 5 minutes. Finely chop and stir the chillies into the sauce (according to taste), then slice and serve.
(Original recipe from Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook, Penguin, 2016.)
Nothing fancy here but might be the break you need from all the Christmas festivities. Minimal effort required!
Wine Suggestion: a light red wine was our choice today; the Domaine Bellier Cheverny Rouge, a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay from the Loire in France. Earthy and fresh plums and cherry flavours with fine, light tannins.
Linguine with garlic mushrooms & sage – serves 2
150g linguine
25g butter
250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
a good pinch of chilli flakes
a handful of sage leaves, chopped
juice of ½ a lemon
50g Parmesan, finely grated
Cook the linguine in loads of salty water according to the timings on the pack.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until very soft and golden and the any liquid has pretty much disappeared.
Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the sage and cook for another minute. Season generously.
Drain the pasta but reserve some of the cooking liquid. Add the cooked pasta to the mushroom pan with the lemon juice, Parmesan and enough of the reserved water to make a sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta is coated.
Serve with a bit of extra Parmesan over the top if you like.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, November 2015)
Got chestnuts? We made this with a vac-pack we still had in the drawer from last Christmas. A really delicious soup and perfect for using a post- or pre-season chestnut surplus!
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion and cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened. Add the cauliflower, milk and stock, then bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
Add the cream, season well, and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the chestnuts, then blend with a hand blender until smooth. Season to taste and serve with shaved Parmesan, lots of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Another great one-pot dish by Diana Henry – one our absolute favourite food writers (we might have said that already). Don’t be tempted to stir the rice, it’s not a risotto.
Wine Suggestion: this dish goes with juicy Spanish reds with a good option being the Finca Antigua Syrah from La Mancha. While not a traditional grape variety for Spain, Syrah is increasingly seen and seems to take on a local twist which we find works really well; creamy with warm spices.
Spanish rice with pork and spinach – serves 6
350g pork fillet, halved lengthways and sliced
7 tbsp olive oil
100 chorizo, skin removed and cut into chunks
300g bacon, cut into meaty chunks (you might have to order a piece of bacon from your butcher)
2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 red peppers, sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
300g paella rice
1.2 litres hot chicken stock
650g spinach
1 lemon
Season the pork. Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan and quickly brown the pork until cooked through, then set aside.
Reduce the heat and add another 3 tbsp of the oil and the chorizo and bacon. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the onions and peppers and cook over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, paprika and chilli and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the rice. Stir the rice into the juices (this is the only time you will stir it), then add the stock and season. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until there is only a little liquid left and the rice almost tender.
Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in the last tbsp of oil and season. Scatter the spinach over the rice and tuck in the pork pieces. Check for seasoning, then reduce the heat to its lowest, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and serve.
Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
We need no encouragement to eat more Brussels sprouts, but we will certainly be making this dish again from Nigel Slater’s Greenfeast. It is super indulgent and would work well in small portions as a side dish – though we just had huge platefuls for dinner.
Wine Suggestion: A fresh and young Chardonnay with a hint of oak would be our choice. Tonight the Domaine Ventenac, Les Dissidents Préjugés from Cabardès in the Languedoc, made in large oak barrels (20hl) and grown on clay; crisp with mineral textures and a round vibrant core. A wine to help break the prejudice some people have for this grape.
Brussels sprouts, smoked mozzarella and dill – serves 3 (or more as a side dish)
300g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
40g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
15g dill, chopped
250g smoked mozzarella, cut into thick slices
250ml double cream
FOR THE CRUMBS:
40g butter
a handful of coarse breadcrumbs
3 tbsp chopped dill
Heat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6.
Warm the butter and olive oil in a shallow pan, then add the sprouts and cook for 2 minutes. They should turn bright green. Stir in the dill and season with black pepper.
Put half the sprouts in a baking dish and add most of the mozzarella. Put the rest of the Brussels sprouts and cheese over the top.
To make the crumbs: warm the butter in a shallow pan, add the crumbs and cook until golden, then stir in the dill. Pour the cream over the sprouts and cheese and top with a layer of breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned and bubbling.
(Original recipe from Greenfeast: autumn, winter by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2019.)
This is a good crowd pleaser and you can also freeze it so if you are fewer in number make two lasagnes in smaller dishes and save one for later.
Wine Suggestion: Rich and savoury; this goes really well with southern Rhône whites and our favourite, value option is the Chateau Pesquié Terrasses Blanc, a blend of Viognier, Roussanne, Clairette & Grenache Blanc. With floral hints, layers of citrus and a backbone of stonefruit flavours this is round, rich and fresh in equal measures; just what this dish needs.
Chicken & Ham Lasagne – serves 8
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ a medium onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
200ml white wine
100g butter
100g plain flour
500ml semi-skimmed milk
140g sliced smoked ham, cut into strips
200g young spinach leaves
no pre-cook dried lasagne sheets
200g ready-grated mozzarella
25g Parmesan, finely grated
Put the chicken in a medium saucepan with the onion, bay leaves and wine. Pour over just enough water to cover, about 200ml. Put a lid on the pan and bring to a gentle simmer, then poach gently for 15 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked. Lift the chicken out onto a board and strain the liquid into a jug.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook for a minute. Gradually add the milk, a little at a time, stirring well between each addition to keep the sauce smooth. When all the milk has been added, continue with the chicken cooking liquid. When all the liquid is added, continue to cook and stir for a few minutes or until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Cut the chicken into small chunks and stir into the sauce. Add the ham and spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted. Spoon a third of the mixture into the bottom of a 3-litre lasagne dish. Top with lasagne sheets, then repeat the layers twice more, ending with lasagne. Scatter over the mozzarella and Parmesan and season with black pepper. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the lasagne is soft and the topping well browned.
TO FREEZE: Assemble the dish but don’t bake it. Leave to cool and cover with a double layer of foil, then freeze for up to 2 months.
TO COOK AFTER FREEZING: Remove the foil and cover with cling film. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove the cling film, cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 or until browned and bubbling.
Another dish made for no other reason than half a bag of fresh dill in the fridge, threatening to go to waste. This is a big bowl of buttery deliciousness and the perfect comfort food for a cold night.
Wine Suggestion: to match the cold and damp evening, and this comfort food you need to look at a comforting, juicy red; tonight the Altosur Malbec, a wine that genuinely outperforms its pricepoint.
Haricot beans with rice and onions – serves 2
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into thin rings
1 clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
150g white long-grain rice
2 cloves
6 black peppercorns
1 x 400g tin of haricot beans, drained
60g butter
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
a handful of chopped dill
Warm the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic, then the onions, and leave to cook over a moderate heat until soft and golden. Remove from the heat, scoop out the onions and keep the pan for later.
Wash the rice in warm water, then drain and transfer to a saucepan and pour in water to cover by 2cm. Add salt, the cloves and the peppercorns, then bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, then cover tightly with a lid and leave for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for a further 5 minutes.
Melt the butter in the onion pan, then cook the cumin seeds and turmeric for a minute or until fragrant. Add the beans and heat through.
Fork through the rice, check the seasoning and pick out the cloves. Stir in the dill and divide between two bowls. Spoon over the hot beans and top with the fried onions.
(Original recipe from Greenfeast: autumn, winter by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2019.)
This is a variation on a brunch dish from Jamie Oliver’s Veg book. Honeyed halloumi, chopped salad, yoghurt, tahini and soft-boiled eggs & dukkah. Jamie also suggests figs and black olives but we couldn’t find figs anywhere this weekend so we made do with some grapes instead and a plate of toasted sourdough. It definitely improved our morning and we’ve made honeyed halloumi for breakfast and dukkah on everything since.
To make your own dukkah mix 50g blanched hazelnuts, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 2tbsp sesame seeds in a bowl. Spread over a baking tray and cook for 8-10 minutes at 180C/160 fan or until toasted. Pulse the mixture a few times in a food processor just to chop the nuts.
Veggie Breakfast – serves 4
4 large eggs
1 little gem lettuce
4 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves mint
1 ripe beef tomato
½ a cucumber
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 tbsp tahini
1 lemon
225g halloumi cheese
2 tbsp sesame seeds
4 tsp runny honey
4 ripe figs, quartered – or other fruit
8 black olives, destoned
1 tbsp dukkah (see above)
flatbread or toasted sourdough
Bring a pan of water to the boil, then put the eggs in and cook for 6½ minutes, then drain and peel under cool running water.
Chop the lettuce, mint, tomato and cucumber together on a board. Drizzle over the yoghurt and tahini and squeeze over the lemon juice, then continue to chop and mix until fine. Season with salt and black pepper.
Slice the halloumi lengthways into 4, then fry in 1 tbsp of oil over a medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and turn the cheese until coated all over. Remove to a plate and drizzle with the honey.
Halve the eggs and sprinkle with the dukkah. Arrange the fruit and olives together on a plate.
Serve warm with some toasted sourdough or flatbreads.
(Original recipe from Veg by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 2019.)
A Gill Meller recipe for clams or he also suggests mussels. It was cockles on Friday in our local fish shop and they work just as well too. These are boozy and they taste strongly of pastis which we enjoyed immensely and gave the whole dish a real clarity of flavour.
Wine Suggestion: Quite often we’d suggest white wine with seafood, and you’d be right here too. However, this doesn’t mean red can’t work just as well, you need to make sure it isn’t too heavy and has a natural freshness of acidity … like from a cooler vineyard region. Tonight we opened the Dezat Sancerre Rouge which is made from Pinot Noir and is joyful and deliciously ripe while remaining pure and fresh. A good complement to the tomatoes and sea flavours and a match to the anise of the pastis.
Cockles with tomato, pastis & parsley – serves 2
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
finely grated zest of ½ a lemon
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 rosemary sprig
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
½ tsp sugar
100ml pastis or Pernod
1kg cockles (or clams or mussels), washed and throw away any with broken or open shells
2 to 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Heat a large, heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil, then add the onion and garlic. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 6-8 minutes or until soft but not coloured.
Add the lemon zest, fennel seeds, bay leaves and rosemary and cook for another few minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, then half fill the empty tin with water and pour this in too. Add the sugar, season again, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring, often, until rich and thick.
Add the pastis and turn the heat up. When the liquid is boiling, add the cockles, stir once, give the pan a good shake, then cover with a tight lid.
Cook for 3-4 minutes (shaking occasionally), or until all the shells have opened. Throw away any that remain closed. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
(Original recipe from Time by Gill Meller, Quadrille, 2018.)
Another dish from Jamie’s Veg book. We’re all about the pickles in this house and this was just so fresh and tasty. We had rather large platefuls but it would also work really well as a side for fish without the feta. In fact, it would work alone without the feta too.
Wine Suggestion: fresh and vibrant whites are what you need for this dish; tonight the Wengut Korrell Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) from the Nahe in Germany. Not the current vintage but from 2016 instead and no harm at all as the winery seems to craft a natural freshness that makes this just as enjoyable now as it did a couple of years ago.
Roast new potato & pickle salad – serves 6
1.2kg new potatoes
6 garlic cloves, bashed
1 lemon, juiced and zest finely grated
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cucumber, scratched with a fork and sliced into rounds
100g radishes, quartered
½ a red onion, very finely sliced
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
15g dill, leaves picked
15g mint, leaves picked
40g feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6.
Cook the potatoes in plenty of boiling salty water for 20 minutes or until tender, then drain and steam dry in the pot. Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tray and drizzle with 2 tbsp of oil, then add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Add the bashed garlic cloves to the tray, then roast for 20 minutes.
Scatter the lemon zest, rosemary and flour over the potatoes, then toss together. Squash the potatoes flat with a potato masher and roast for 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile, put the cucumber, radishes and red onion into a bowl with the mustard, vinegar and half the lemon juice.
When the potatoes are cooked, season the pickle with salt and pepper and stir through the herbs, then put the pickled mixture on top of the hot potatoes and mix just before serving. Crumble over the feta cheese and add some extra lemon if you like.
(Original recipe from Veg by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 2019.)
So, this is a full-on diet dish, but the carrot and ginger mash is spectacular and we couldn’t recommend it highly enough for nights when you need some restraint. We are a greedy household and require restraint on a regular basis – no wine for us tonight!
Carrot & Ginger Mash with Pan-fried Cod – serves 2
2 large carrots (about 300g), thickly sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled
15g fresh root ginger, peeled
15g butter
½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 thick, skinless cod fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
dried chilli flakes
Put the carrots, garlic & ginger in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes or until soft.
Take the pan off the heat, reserve a ladle of the cooking water, then drain. Return the carrot mixture to the pan and add 3 tbsp of the reserved cooking water, the butter, and the lemon juice. Whizz the carrots to a purée with a stick blender, adding a bit more of the water if needed. Season with salt and black pepper.
Season the cod with sea salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the cod for about 4 minutes, then turn, sprinkle with a few chilli flakes, and cook on the other side for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how thick they are.
Spoon the purée onto warm plates and serve with the fish on top and plenty of green veg.
(Original recipe from The Fast 800 Recipe Book by Dr Claire Bailey & Justine Pattison, Short Books, 2019.)
Could there be a more autumnal dish? We went completely overboard with a roast pork last weekend and have been searching for great recipes to use it all up. Love your leftovers!
Wine Suggestion: Pork and apples are a happy match for a good Chenin Blanc. Tonight we had Bernard Fouquet’s, Domaine des Aubuisieres Vouvray Silex. Fresh and appley to complement the salad with a lovely clean, dry finish; a soft and friendly wine with good persistence and layers of texture.
Pork, roast squash, apple and chestnut salad – serves 4
For the salad:
50g butter
4 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1kg squash or pumpkin, peeled and cut into slim wedges
2 tsp caster sugar
2 apples, halved, cored and cut into wedges
100g cooked chestnuts (vacuum-packed work fine)
100g spicy pork sausage, cut into chunks
200g leftover cooked pork, cut into chunks
25g hazelnuts, toasted (roast for 20 minutes or so until they smell toasty, the skins will rub off easily with a clean tea towel)
150g watercress or baby spinach
For the dressing:
1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
a tiny bit of Dijon mustard
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp hazelnut oil (we didn’t have any hazelnut oil so used extra virgin olive oil instead)
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
Melt 25g of the butter in a saucepan. Add 3 tbsp of the olive oil, the cinnamon and ginger. Put the squash into a roasting tin and drizzle over the spicy mixture, tossing to coat. Season the squash, then sprinkle over half of the sugar. Roast for 25 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelised.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Melt the rest of the butter in a large frying pan and sauté the apples until golden. Add the chestnuts and heat through, then set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the same pan and sauté the sausage until cooked and nicely browned, then add the pork and heat through – a few toasty brown bits on the pork will taste good too. Season.
Toss the warm squash with all the salad ingredients and the dressing.
(Original recipe from Food by Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2011.)
We love a good chicken wing and the only way to eat them is with your fingers – like we need an excuse. Cheap as chips too. What’s not to love?
Wine Suggestion: keeping it simple we pulled out a bottle of the Petit Mazuret Viognier from southern France. Not complex, but rich and able to stand up to the flavours of the chicken; a very satisfying accompaniment
Honey-glazed Chicken Wings – serves 6 as a starter
1kg chicken wings
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame seeds
100ml sour cream
100ml buttermilk
100g mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
pinch of smoked paprika
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
celery sticks, to serve (optional)
Heat the oven to 200C/200C fan/gas 6.
Put the wings in a large roasting tin. Mix the honey, soy and ½ tbsp sesame seeds in a bowl, then pour over the wings. Mix well with your hands to coat, then roast for 20 minutes or so until browned, sticky and cooked through.
Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice and paprika. Season well, then chill until ready to serve.
When cooked, sprinkle over the rest of the sesame seeds and the chilli. Serve with the dip and some celery sticks if you like.
We associate mussels with cold weather and cook them often in the darker months. Makes no sense really when we’ve no issue eating buckets of them in the sunshine on holidays. We loved the creamy sauce on these – crusty bread essential!
Wine Suggestion: it feels natural to use the cider you cook with as the accompaniment. Our choice was the artisanale and organic Cidrerie le Maitre, a very new, young producer in Brittany we stumbled upon by following little signs off the main roads into a winding, forgotten lane in the middle of the French countryside. Daniel le Maitre uses 12 ancient local varieties of apples and the result is dry, very fruity and appley but with a wonderful texture of apple skins and a great depth of flavour which makes it a great food match. A happy discovery, and their Cider Vinegar is also a good addition to our cupboard too.
Mussels with Red Onion, Cider & Crème Fraîche – serves 2
1kg mussels
25g unsalted butter
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
150ml dry cider
2 tsp finely chopped sage
150ml crème fraîche
Scrub the mussels, and discard if open and they won’t close when you give them a sharp tap.
Melt the butter in a large pan, cook the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic. Pour the cider over and add the sage, then bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.
Add the mussels, then cover and cook over a medium heat (shaking the pan occasionally) for 3-4 mins or until they have opened. Lift the mussels into a bowl and keep warm.
Bubble the cooking liquid in the pan for a couple of minutes, then gradually blend in the crème fraîche. Heat the sauce through and pour over the mussels to serve.
We’re not in the least offended by a splash of cream in a carbonara but this is the traditional version made with nothing but eggs, pecorino and pancetta. The quality really matters when you’re using just a few ingredients so definitely go for the best you can find or afford.
Wine Suggestion: An Italian white like a Pecorino from the Marches springs to mind, but some of the fuller textured wines from Lugana or Friuli from the North, or a Greco from the South make a good alternative; a layered texture and freshness is what your looking for to match this dish.
Spaghetti all carbonara – serves 4
400g spaghetti
100g pancetta lardons or guanciale
butter
1 clove of garlic, halved
4 eggs
100g pecorino (or Parmesan), grated
Cook the pasta, according to the timings on the pack, in plenty of salty water.
Meanwhile, put the pancetta into a cold frying pan and bring slowly up to a high heat. When the pancetta has started to release its fat, add a knob of butter and the garlic, then turn down to medium. Fry until the pancetta is browned but not too crispy or it will harden. Discard the garlic and keep the pan warm.
Beat the eggs with most of the cheese. When the pasta is done, drain it, and keep a few tablespoons of cooking water. Tip the pasta back into the hot pasta pan, but off the heat. Add the egg mixture and pancetta and toss everything together quickly. Season with plenty of black pepper and add a bit of water to loosen the sauce if needed. Serve sprinkled with the remaining cheese.
(Original recipe by Lulu Grimes in Olive Magazine, October 2011.)
We made this on the first dark night after the clocks changed. A delicious spicy baked dish from South Africa that we had heard of many times but never tasted. Definitely give this one a go as the flavours are fantastic.
Wine Suggestion: An old favourite provided the match tonight: the Secateurs Red by Adi Badenhorst. A Shiraz, Cinsault & Grenache blend, this shows how Swartland holds it’s own against similar Southern Rhone wines; a juicy and spicy red with class.
Bobotie – serves 6
butter, for greasing
4 tbsp of olive oil
3 onions, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
1½ tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp curry powder
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp turmeric
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1kg beef or lamb mince (we used lamb)
100ml red-wine or cider vinegar
100g flaked almonds
120g raisins
50g fresh breadcrumbs
75g fruit chutney (we used Crossogue Preserves’ Irish Harvest Fruit Chutney)
For the topping:
3 eggs
500ml full-fat milk
3 bay leaves
Heat the oven to 180C/160fan/gas 4.
Grease a large baking dish and set aside.
Warm a large, wide casserole over a medium heat and add three tablespoons of oil.
Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and sweat for 10 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves and spices and cook for another few minutes. Tip the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
Put the pan back over the heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in the hot pan in batches, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and cooking until dark. When the meat is all browned put it all back in to the pan and add the vinegar, almonds and raisins.
Turn the heat down low and simmer for five minutes. Remove from the the heat, stir in the breadcrumbs and chutney and check the seasoning. Tip the mixture into the greased baking dish, level the top with the back of a spoon and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Beat together the eggs and milk and pour over the meat. Scatter over the bay leaves, then bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the custard just set. We served with brown rice and Tenderstem broccoli.
There are figs going cheap everywhere at the moment and we’re trying to find lots of things to do with them. This salad by Thomasina Miers is delicious and full of autumnal flavours.
Wine Suggestion: if you feel like wine with your salad choose a fresh, unoaked white. There’s plenty of options but we like Jean-Michel Gerin’s le Champine Viognier from the northern Rhone which sits nicely with all the components here.
Roasted red onion, fig, blue cheese & walnut salad – serves 4
2 red onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4-5 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp soft brown sugar
6 ripe figs, sliced in half widthways
75g walnuts
juice of ½ a lemon
1 head radicchio, finely shredded
100g watercress
120g blue cheese, we used Gorgonzola as we had some for another dish
Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Scatter the onions over a large baking tray, season generously and drizzle with a tablespoon of the vinegar and olive oil to coat. Toss with your hands, lightly scatter with brown sugar, then roast for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the figs cut side down on a different tray, and season with salt, pepper, a little brown sugar and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast in the oven with the figs for another 10-12 minutes or until the figs are slightly softened and releasing their juice and the onions are crisp at the edges.
Drizzle the rest of the vinegar over the figs. Put the walnuts in a small baking tray and roast for 5 minutes. Roughly chop.
Pour the juice from the fig roasting tray into a small cup, then whisk in 2-3 tbsp of oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste.
Arrange the leaves on a large plate, top with the red onions and figs and dot around the cheese. Scatter over the walnuts and drizzle over the dressing.
(Original recipe by Thomasina Miers in The Guardian.)
This is such a simple soup but it just tastes full of goodness. We loved it and we are loving Rachel Roddy’s cookbook – Two Kitchens – which is full of simple ideas that work perfectly.
Potato, chickpea, courgette and rosemary soup – serves 4 – Zuppa di patate, ceci, zucchine e rosmarino
1 large white onion, chopped
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sprig of rosemary
1 large potato, diced
2 medium courgettes, diced
a pinch of red chilli flakes
800g tinned chickpeas, drained
grated pecorino, we used lots but as you please
Warm the olive oil and onion in a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat and cook until the onion is soft. Add the rosemary and cook for another minute or two.
Add the courgettes and potatoes to the pan with the chilli flakes and stir until everything is coated in the oil.
Add the chickpeas, 1 litre of water and some seasoning.
Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are beginning to fall apart. Taste for seasoning and serve with the cheese.
(Original recipe from Two Kitchens – Family Recipes from Sicily and Rome by Rachel Roddy, HEADLINE HOME, 2017)
So, this is a full-on diet dish, but the carrot and ginger mash is spectacular and we couldn’t recommend it highly enough for nights when you need some restraint. We are a greedy household and require restraint on a regular basis – no wine for us tonight!
Jono & Jules do food & wine 