Delicious lamb meatballs with oloroso sherry and piquillo peppers – you need to buy the expensive ones by El Navarrico. Comforting, quick and easy to make. Serve as a sharing dish with crusty bread.
Wine Suggestion: “Kimera“, which we picked up in Pamplona earlier this year is a gem made by Luis Moya Tortosa. Old vine Garnatxa which has both depth, refinement and an effortless weight. We once thought Grenache tended to be heavy and alcoholic, but have been proved so wrong as we’ve explored more of this grape the past few years.
Lamb albondigas – serves 4
500g lamb mince
30g fresh white breadcrumbs
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp sweet smoked pimentón de la vera
3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 egg,
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
150ml oloroso sherry
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 x 240g jar piquillo peppers, drained and sliced
crusty bread, to serve
Put the lamb mince, breadcrumbs, garlic, pimentón, a third of the parsley, the oregano, lemon zest and egg in a large bowl. Season well, mix with your hands to combine, then shape into 20 small meatballs.
Put the oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, then fry the meatballs, turning often, for about 5 mintues or until browned all over. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, until softened, then add the sherry and bubble until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, season generously and leave to bubble for 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, then return the meatballs to the pan along with the peppers and leave to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
Scatter over the rest of the chopped parsley and serve with the crusty bread.
(Original recipe by José Pizzaro in The Guardian).
Prawns actually pair very well with feta, which is always a bit suprising to us. It’s nice to have a lighter dish amongst all the winter soups and stews.
Wine Suggestion: we think this suits a white grown somehwere around the Mediterranean, like tonight’s choice of the Hatzidakis Santorini Cuvée 15, a wonderfully fresh and complex Assyrtiko with honeysuckle and herbs on the nose followed by a textured, almost salty palate.
Prawn & feta pilaf – serves 4
225g basmati rice
15g unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra to
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
275g tomatoes, deseeded and roughly chopped
a big bunch of dill, chopped
a big bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves chopped
a handful of mint leaves, chopped
400ml fish stock or light chicken stock
350g raw prawns, shelled and deveined
juice of ½ lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
55g black kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
75g feta cheese, crumbled
Rince the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Leave to soak for an hour if you have the time, then rinse again.
Heat the butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion until it starts to soften. Add the garlic and tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring now and then, until the onion is cooked and the tomatoes have softened. Stir in the rice and half the herbs, season well, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Boil hard until the rice starts to look pitted, with little holes in the service and it seems like the liquid has disapeared.
Wrap a clean tea towel around the lid of the pan and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and leave to cook for 20 minutes.
When the rice is almost ready, dry the prawns on kitchen paper and quickly sauté in a little olive oil over a high heat. Squeeze over the lemon juice and season with black pepper and salt.
When the rice is cooked, fork through the olives, remaining herbs and lemon juice with a good glug of your best extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to a serving platter, then scatter over the feta and mound the prawns on top. Drizzle again with olive oil and serve with lemon wedges.
(Original recipe from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry, Aster*, 2024.)
There is a bit of effort in this, but you can prep the pork well in advance ready to bake when you need it. Lovely autumnal flavours.
Wine suggestion: Thanks to the generosity of our friend David we found that Chateauneuf du Pape is a great match for this dish, but we couldn’t agree whether we preferred Bosquet les Papes “Chante le Merle”, or the Vieux Télégraphe le Crau. A tough decision, poor us!
Pork & Cider Hotpot – serves 6
4 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra
1kg diced pork shoulder
20g butter, cubed, plus a bit extra
4 leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml dry cider
400ml chicken stock
2 bay leaves
½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
small bunch of sage, leaves picked, 5 left whole and the rest chopped
200ml single cream
800g Maris Piper potatoes
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a deep casserole dish, then fry the pork pieces over a medium-high heat in batches until browned all over, then transfer to a plate.
Add another tbsp of oil to the pan with a little butter and fry half the leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until tender. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then stir in the flour.
Gradually add the cider, stirring to scrape any crusty bits off the bottom. Add the stock, bay leaves and pork, then simmer, partially covered with a lid for 1-1½ hours until the meat is just tender. You can make up to this point a day in advance.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Simmer the pork uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the sauce if you need, if there is too much liquid the potatoes will sink. Stir in the parsley, chopped sage, remaining leeks, and the cream, then season well. Transfer to a wide ovenproof frying pan or casserole if you have one.
Peel the potatoes and slice into 2mm thick slices – a mandoline is best for this. Arrange the potato slices in circles over the pie, then dot over the cubed butter. Bake for 1-1½ hours or until the potatoes are cooked. Brush the sage leaves with a little oil and tuck them in for the last 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
We always like a new chilli recipe and this one is particularly tasty. We made this on Halloween night … for some reason we always have chilli for Halloween.
Wine Suggestion: Whatever, big, juicy red you have to hand like the Achaval Ferrer Mendoza Malbec which was all brambly, velvety, rich and smooth.
Chilli – serves 4
2 tbsp sunflower oil
400g beef mince
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1-2 tsp chipotle paste
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g tin chopped tomatoes
¼ tsp yeast extract, like Marmite or Vegemite
1 beef stock cube
400g tin black beans
cooked rice, sour cream, sliced jalapenos from a jar, avocado & coriander, to serve
Heat the oil in a shallow saucepan over a medium heat and fry the beef mince for about 10 minutes. Add the the onion and keep frying for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the onions have softened and started to brown a bit. Add the garlic and stir for a minute.
Stir in the cumin seeds, ground coriander, oregano and a plenty of black pepper, and continue to fry for a few minutes. Add the vinegar, then the chipotle and tomato purée and stir to combine. Tip in the tomatoes and a canful of water, then add the yeast extract and crumble in the stock cube. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
When the chilli has thickened, tip in the beans with halve the liquid from the tin. Simmer for another 20 minutes, then taste and season to taste. Serve with all the acompaniments listed above.
(Original recipe by Barney Desmazery in BBC Good Food Magazine, October 2020.)
Quite old-fashioned but homely and tasty, perfect as the weather turns a bit colder.
Wine suggestion: the Quinta de Chocapalha Tinto, which is a blend of four classic Portuguese grapes: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and Castelão hit a satisfying mark here. A wine of depth, body, roundness and judicious tannins this hit the mark for the same reasons the dish did.
Baked lamb chops with a creamy rosemary sauce – serves 4
8 lamb loin chops
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
For the sauce:
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 rounded tbsp rosemary leaves
25g butter
25g plain flour
175ml milk
175ml veg stock
2 tbsp double cream
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
Place the lamb chops in a shallow roasting tin and arrange the onion around them.
Season with salt and pepper and bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 45 minutes or until the fat is crisp.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and sweat the onions over a very gentle heat for 5 minutes. Bruise the rosemary leaves with a pestle and mortar, then chop them very finely and add them to the onion. Continue to cook gently for another 15 minutes, but don’t let the onions colour too much. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth, then gradually add the milk followed by the stock, stirring constantly. Season with salt and peper and allow to simmer very gently for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and liquidise half and combine with the rest along with the cream. Check the seasoning and pour into a warm serving jug – cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming.
This is delicious and goes perfectly with a bowl of warm couscous. It’s better to ask for the meat in one piece so you can cut it into big chunks yourself – the pre-cubed stuff is usually cut too small and will disappear into the sauce.
Wine Suggestion: If you’d like to keep to the theme a good, dry Oloroso sherry works well, but if you’d rather a red like we did tonight, something from a warm vineyard region may hit the mark … just make sure it’s balanced and not too hot from alcohol. Our choice was a treasured bottle brought from OZ many years ago of Hanging Rock’s Heathcote Shiraz. Dense and textured in youth this opens up and retains a freshness and layered velvetiness over many years of cellar aging too.
Spanish lamb with sherry – serves 4
1kg lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, then cubed
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
½ tsp paprika
250ml medium sherry
250ml lamb stock
generous pinch of saffron threads
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
couscous, to serve
Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large casserole and brown the lamb in batches, then set aside.
Add the ½ tbsp of oil to the casserole, then add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are golden and the peppers have softened. Add the garlic and paprika and stir for a minutes, then add the sherry and bring to a simmer.
Return the lamb to the casserole, along with the stock, saffron, sherry vinegar and honey. Season and bring to just under the boil. Turn the heat down, cover the pan with a lid and cook very gently for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid from the casserole and continue to cook for another 30 minutes to reduce the liquid to a gravy-like consistency and the lamb should be very tender.
Serve with some warm couscous.
(Original recipe by Diana Henry in BBC Good Food Magazine, October, 2017.)
Such a lovely recipe, and you can of course use smoked salmon. We like smoked trout from Goatsbridge which is a local supplier. Recipe inspiration from the new Ottolenghi book – Comfort. You must have a green salad and a glass of white wine to serve. If you have a mandolin it will cut the potatoes and fennel just right.
Wine Suggestion: Weserved an oddity/one-off from Chateau Hureau from Saumur in the Loire. They grew a low quantity of Chenin Blanc grapes in 2022 due to frost so decided to make a Blanc de Noirs from Cabernet Franc for a bit of fun. Only available at cellar door it’s both crisp and fresh, but significantly has bags of texture which this dish needs. Look for whites with a touch of skin contact, or aged on lees as a substitute.
Potato, fennel & smoked trout bake – serves 4
200ml milk
425ml double cream
2 anchovies, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed with skin on
1 lemon, skin finely shaved into strips
2 tsp fennel seeds, finely ground
850g Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½ cm thick slices
1-2 large fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
4 egg yolks
10g dill fronds, roughly chopped
20g chives, finely chopped
20g parsley leaves, finely chopped
1½ tbsp unsalted butter, softened
200g smoked trout (or smoked salmon) slices, roughly torn
for the lemon butter sauce:
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp capers, roughly chopped
40g unsalted butter, fridge cold and roughly chopped
Heat the oven to 170C fan.
Put the milk, cream, anchovies, garlic, lemon strips and ground fennel into a small saucepan. Place over a low heat and warm for 10 minutes, making sure it never comes to the boil. Give it a stir now and then and press on the solids to get plenty of flavour out of them. Remove from the heat.
Put the potato and fennel slices into a saucepan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 6-7 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks with ¾ tsp of salt and a good grind of pepper in a large bowl. Strain the infused milk into the eggs, pressing on the solids against the sieve. Whisk to combine.
Combine all the herbs in bowl. Measure out 2 tbsp and reserve for the butter sauce.
Grease an ovenproof dish with ½ tbsp of the butter. Spoon a third of the potato and fennel over the base and grind over some pepper. Sprinkle over half the herbs and lay half the smoked trout over the top. Repeat with half the remaining potatoes and fennel, season with pepper, then add all the remanining trout and the rest of the herbs. Arrange a final layer of potato and fennel on top and carefully pour over the egg mixture. Grind over some more pepper and dot over the remaining butter. Bake for 45 minutes or until set and just golden. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile make the lemon butter sauce. Put the lemon juice into a small saucepan on a medium-high heat and bring to a bubble. Allow to bubble for 1 minute, then add the capers and butter, a few pieces at a time. Whisk until smooth and creamy, then remove from the heat and stir in the reserved herbs and some more pepper. Spoon over the dish and serve warm with a green salad.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller & Tara Wigley, Ebury Press, 2024.)
We recommend a trip to your local Polski shop for some smoked sausages, plus you’ll be able to find lots of other goodies while you’re there. Our local one has some very friendly and helpful staff willing to help navigate the differences in sausages… of which they have many.
Wine Suggestion: This dish works well with Spanish reds, especially Tempranillo based ones and the one we enjoyed tonight was the Cantos de Valpiedra from Rioja which we find particlaurly refined and elegant with a gentle undercurrent of warm spices.
50g shop-bought crispy onions, to serve (optional)
FOR THE MUSTARD CRÈME FRAÎCHE:
75g crème fraîche
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
1½ tsp wholegrain mustard
Rinse the lentils well, then cover with lots of cold water and set aside.
Mix all the ingredients together for the mustard crème fraîche and put it in the fridge until needed.
Heat ½ tbsp of olive oil in a large casserole, over a medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add another 2½ tbsp of oil to the pan and add the onion, celery and green pepper. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until the vegetables are turning golden. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf and chard stalks and cook for another few minutes. Add the tomato purée and cumin and cook for a further minute.
Drain the lentils and add them to the pan, along with the stock, 1½ tsp of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, covered, until the lentils are cooked through. Use a stick blender to blitz one side of the pot for maximum 30 seconds, to break some of the lentils up. Add the chard leaves and stir them in.
Add the sausages to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the leaves have wilted and the sausages are warmed through. Stir in the parsley and divide between warm bowls. Spoon the crème fraîche on top and the crispy onions if you have them.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller & Tara Wigley, Ebury Press, 2024.)
Lovely flavours and smells in this. We don’t have a blender but a food processor did an ok job – a blender will give a smoother sauce.
Wine Suggestion: We think this dish suits a white with a complex mix of fruit, herbal and mineral flavours and some of the best with this combination come from Sicily. Tonight the Casematte Grillo Pharis which is grown facing the straights of Messina and made in a combination of large oak barrels and concrete. Smooth and deep with a lovely Sicilian citrus twiest at the end.
Miso butter greens pasta – serves 4
60g unsalted butter
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp chilli flakes
100g broccoli, chopped
400g cavolo nero, discard the stalks and slice the leaves
¾ tsp salt
2½ tbsp white miso paste
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500g orecchiette
extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Melt the butter in a large pot on a medium-high heat. Wait until it bubbles, then add the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the garlic smells cooked.
Add the broccoli, cavolo nero, salt and 250ml of water. Stir, then cover and turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 8-10 minutes or until the greens have wilted and become tender.
Scrape the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor and add the miso and olive oil. Blend until smooth, you can add a little water if you need.
Rince out the greens pan, fill with water and bring to the boil (don’t add salt as the miso is salty). Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and reserve a mug of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Drain the pasta, then return to the pot and add the sauce. Add enought of the cooking water to get the sauce to a nice consistency. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Spoon onto a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil.
(Original recipe from Dinner by Meera Sodha, Penguin: Fig Tree, 2024.)
This has lovely flavours and best cooked a couple of days in advance. Make sure to cook the lamb until it is really soft and tender.
Wine Suggestion: this dish works great with Aussie Shiraz, like Kilikanoon’s excellent Killerman’s Run which has the obligatory pluminess over a very refined and fresh backbone with gentle pepper spices.
Lamb Rogan Josh – serves 4
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
700g lamb neck, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
5cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbsp of ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground cardamom
15g bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
200ml thick Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
100g red lentils
300ml chicken stock
steamed rice, to serve
mango chutney, to serve
extra fresh coriander, to serve
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pan. Add the lamb in batches and fry until well browned, then set aside.
Add another 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan, then fry the cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves for a few seconds. Add the onions and stir-fry for 6-7 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for 2 minutes, then add the ground spices with the fresh coriander and fry for another minute, stirring.
Add the yoghurt, 1 tbsp at a time, frying for about 30 seconds between each addition and stirring constantly.
Tip the lamb back into the pan and stir in the tomatoes with the lentils and stock. Season to taste, then cover and simmer gently for 2 hours or until very soft and tender. The sauce should have reduced and thickened.
Serve the lamb with steamed rice, mango chutney and some fresh coriander.
(Original recipe from Neven Maguire’s Comple Family Cookbook, Gill Books, 2016.)
A tasty side dish that is similar to Spanish Patatas Bravas but with the flavours changed up. Usefully you can make the sauce in advance and re-heat just before serving.
a handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped, to serve
crumbled feta, to serve
FOR THE SAUCE:
olive oil
2 garlic cloves, bashed and thinly sliced
250g (drained weight) roasted red peppers from a jar, roughly chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 heaped tbsp rose harissa
1 tbsp caster sugar
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7.
Line a baking tray with paper. Mix the spices with the garlic oil. Put the potatoes into a large bowl, pour over the spice mixture and toss to coat. Spread them out evenly on the tray, season with some salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes or until crispy and cooked through.
To make the sauce, drizzle some olive oil into a saucpean, add the garlic and cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the peppers, tomatoes and harissa and season well with salt. Cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat and whizz until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve the potatoes on a platter with the sauce poured over and feta and coriander scattered over the top.
(Original recipe from Flavour by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster*, 2023.)
This recipe works well using fillets that have been grilled with fennel seeds and a bit of dill rubbed into the oiled sides before putting on the barbecue. However as we had a whole fish we adapted cooked it whole with some rosemary and lemon. Either way it’s handy to have a temperature probe to make sure the fish is up to 60C and therefore cooked. You can of course pop a pan on your hot barbecue and cook the spinach on there too, we usually cook the sauce indoors.
Serve with steamed, waxy (or baby) potatoes. And a big shout-out to Goatsbridge trout farm for the magnificent fish we bought online from them; superb!
Wine suggestion: Oaky Chardonnay all the way with this, so choose what ever is best in your local wine merchant.
BBQ trout with spinach & cream, serves 4 (depending on the size of the fish … our left-overs lasted all week)
1 large trout (1.5-2kg), scaled and gutted
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, bashed
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
a few springs of rosemary, fennel or marjoram
For the spinach & cream:
a knob of butter
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
250g spinach, washed and thick stalks discarded
150ml double cream
a small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Take the fish out of the fridge at least an hour before you want to cook it.
Light your barbecue, you will need a gentle heat to cook the fish through. Scrub the bars of the grill with a wire brush so it’s nice and clean, then lightly oil the bars. Let the grill get really hot before you put the fish onto it so the skin doesn’t skick and crisps up.
When the barbecue is ready to cook on, rub the olive oil all over the fish and season all over with salt and pepper. Put the bay leaves, garlic and lemom slices into the fish belly. Lay the fish onto the hot grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes – then check the underside to ensure it’s not cooking too fast or burning – if it looks ok, continue to cook for 12-15 minutes on the first side, then use a couple of spatulas to turn the fish over, don’t worry too much if the skin tears a bit. Scatter over the herbs, then cook on the other side for the same amount of time. The fish is cooked when the the flesh flakes away easily from the bone – we find a temperature probe helpful too.
Gently lift the fish off the grill and serve with buttery new potatoes and the spinach with cream below.
FOR THE SPINACH & CREAM:
Put a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the butter. When the butter bubbles, add the garlic and allow it to sizzle for about a minute, without colouring.
Roughly chop the spinach if needed, then stir it into the garlicky butter until it wilts right down. Add the cream, nutmeg andn plenty of salt and pepper, then stir until thickened.
(Original recipes from Outside by Gill Meller, Hardie Grant Quadrille, 2022.)
This is a dish we cook when we get home late and need something quick and tasty. You can easily pick up the ingredients in a supermarket on the way home.
Wine Suggestion: the more we taste them, the more we like how versatile Verdicchio is, even the entry level Villa Bianchi from Umani Ronchi in the Marche. There’s just the right level of texture and viscosity for the creamy richness, and zip, zing and minerality for the fish.
Hot-smoked salmon, gnocchi and spinach bake – serve 4
This is a very tasty curry despite the short list of ingredients. Even though it’s simple, it’s perfect for a weeknight and not too spicy for children or other sensitive palates.
Wine Suggestion: We usually find most Pinot Grigio’s a bit nondescript for our tastes, but have been exploring and enjoying a number from Trentino and Friuli recently and think they go quite well with mild curries like this. Zuani make their Sodevo Pinot Grigio in a fairly standard way, though from well tended and lower yielding vineyards. The big difference is both the soils, and keeping it on the fine lees after fermentation. Look out for this last step and you should find a wine that stands out amongst the sea of ordinary Piont Grigios.
Easiest ever chicken curry – serves 4
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp finely grated ginger
1 small onion, finely chopped
500g chicken breasts, cut into strips
2½ tbsp curry powder, plus an extra 2 tsp
1 x 400ml full fat coconut milk
375ml chicken stock
½ tsp salt
200ml frozen peas
a large handful of coriander, chopped
Sprinkle the chicken with the 2 extra tsp of curry powder and some salt and pepper.
Heat a splash of oil in a large, deep frying pan, the remove and set aside.
Add the rest of the vegetable oil to the pan and cook the garlic, ginger and onion over a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add the 2½ tbsp curry powder and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and chicken stock to the pan, then simmer rapidly for about 20 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Add the chicken back in towards the end to cook it through.
Add the peas and salt to the curry and cook for 2 minutes, season again to taste and sprinkle over the coriander.
Everyone loves a piece of barbecued chicken. This was has a tasty herb marinade.
Wine Suggestion: to hand a bottle of Domaine Gayda “Sphere” Chardonnay and we were pleased with the match. Southern French sunshine, organic vineyards, cooling mountains behind, limestone soils, wild ferment and aging on lees in a mix of concrete tanks and barrels.
Barbecued Chicken – serves 6
3-4 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp English mustard
3 tbsp of chopped herbs – we used parsley chives and tarragon (you could also use thyme)
a little grated lemon zest
a squeeze of lemon juice
a small garlic clove, very finely chopped
1 chicken, jointed
Combine the oil, mustard, herbs, lemon zest and juice, garlic and plenty of black pepper in a large bowl. Slash the chicken in a few places, then toss the pieces in the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 4 hours.
Get your barbecue fired up.
Before cooking, pat away any excess oil, then seasson with salt. Grill on a moderately hot barbecue, turning often, until cooked through (best to use a meat thermometer and check for 74C). The breast pieces should take about 15 minutes on the hotter part of the barbecue and legs and wings on a cooler part for at least 25 minutes.
Transfer to a warm dish, sprinkle with a little more seasoning and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
(Original recipe from River Cottage Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bloomsbury, 2009.)
Wine Suggestion: a little indulgent, but we wanted to see how a bottle we picked up in the Loire from the winemaker was developing: the Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis les Hauts de Husseau. A crystalline Chenin Blanc from the neighbouring area to Vouvray, this was exciting, racy and edgy and exceptionally youthful. It may not be super cheap, but we’d argue still a bargain given the quality, complexity, depth and potential to age superbly. We’d even conjecture that it’s a very good option to top white Burgundy. The remaining bottles we’ll try to ignore for a few more years if we can resist.
Salmon, veg and black bean tray bake – serves 4 to 6
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
2 red peppers, cut into strips
2 tbsp sesame oil or olive oil
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
5g fresh ginger, grated
½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
1 tbsp sesame seeds
fresh coriander, chopped
FOR THE SALMON:
600g skinned salmon fillet, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp runny honey
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6.
Put the onions, sweet potatoes and peppers into a large roasting tray. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of sesame oil and toss to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
Toss the broccoli in the other tbsp of sesame oil and add to the roasting tin. Mix the beans with the soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, ginger and Chinese 5-spice powder and add 100ml of water. Pour this around the veg and cook for another 20 minutes, turning the broccoli over after 10.
Toss the salmon in the soy sauce and honey and place on top of the vegetables. Roast for another 8-9 minutes, or until cooked.
Serve sprinnkled with the sesame seeds and coriander.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers One Pot Wonders by Si King and Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2019.)
Just look at that stack of barbecued lamb … and it tasted fantastic! We can’t recommend this recipe highly enough. Served successfully with this chopped salad.
Wine Suggestion: We’re enjoying the wines from Portugal at the moment and for this chose the Quinta de la Rosa Tinto. From quite a special part of the Douro this wine has evolved over the past 30 years, ever since the winery pioneered dry Douro wines, into an elegant and sophisticated red with spices, dark fruits and a lovely minerality and freshness.
Barbecued spiced leg of lamb & harissa butter – serves 4 (or more if you get a leg of lamb the size of our one)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tsp sumac
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ras el hanout
8 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1kg boneless leg of lamb, butterflied
FOR THE SPICED BUTTER:
100g butter, softened
1 tbsp rose harissa
½ lemon, juiced
1 tsp ground cumin
Make the spiced butter by mixing the butter with the harissa, lemon juice, cumin and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Mix the spices and yoghurt with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Lay the lamb on a tray and spread the yoghurt mixture over both sides. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature or chill to marinate for longer.
Get your barbecue going and wait until the coals turn ashen, then lay the lamb on the grill and cook for 15 minutes on each side for pink or longer for well done – we recommend a meat thermometer to get your barbecued meat cooked how you like it.
Lift the lamb onto a platter and spoon over the harissa butter, then leave to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Carve the lamb on a board, then serve with the butter juices spoon over.
(Original recipe by Tom Kerridge in BBC Good Food Magazine, August, 2024.)
We’ve had mixed success with these all-in one pot pasta dishes with some working really well and others not quite! We were pleased with this one which worked out really well. Delicious sauce and lovely fresh flavours.
Spicy prawn spaghetti – serves 2
2 tbsp olive oil
1 courgette, diced quice small, about 1cm pieces
165g pack raw peeled prawns
zest and juice of ½ lemon, plus wedges to serve
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tbsp harissa paste
½ tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp vodka
2 biggish tomatoes, roughly chopped
600ml hot veg stock
150g spaghetti
½ tsp fine sea salt
75g feta, crumbled
a handful of rocket, to serve
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large sauté pan, then add the courgette and cook for a few minutes, until just starting to colour. Add the prawns and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Stir for a couple of minutes until the prawns are pink and just cooked. Squeeze in some lemon juice, then tip into a bowl and set aside.
Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and cook the garlic until it sizzles. Add the tomato purée and harissa and cook for 30 seconds, before adding the vodka, followed by the tomatoes. Pour in the stock and add the spaghetti, the salt and some black pepper. Bring the boil, mixing well. Cook at a brisk bubble, without a lid, for 15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and is coated in the sauce. You can add extra water at any point if needed.
Tip the courgettes and prawns into the pan and toss until piping hot. Taste and add more lemon juice if you like. Serve in pasta bowls with the feta and lemon zest scattered over and a pile of rocket on top.
(Original recipe by Tasmin Burnett-Hall in Sainsburys Magazine, September 2024.)
We buy the most amazing goat from a farm in Northern Ireland where they raise the kid goats not being used for milk. We think it’s such a delicious meat and so underused. After picking up a shoulder from the farm we just had to try this Spanish stew by José Pizarro and were rewarded amply.
Wine Suggestion: If you can find some, we’d suggest trying a Douro red with this dish. They’re full of flavour and usually not shy on tannins; this dish need both body and tannin to match. Pushing the boat out a bit, but as we had company and it was a weekend we opened something special, Wine & Soul’s Pintas Character red. Made from an old-vine field blend of 30 different indigenous grapes this has bags of personality, style, depth and character (excuse the pun!).
Braised goat with aubergines – serves 6
5 tbsp olive oil
1.5kg goat shoulder, diced into 5cm chunks
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 cloves
1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
1 tbsp tomato purée
450ml red wine
500ml fresh chicken stock
2 aubergines, cut into 3cm cubes
boiled potatoes or crusty bread to serve
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a deep casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Season the goat meat , then add to the hot pan in batches and sear until well-browned. Set aside.
Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and gently fry the onion for 10 minutes until very soft. Add the spices and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato purée and red wine. Let it bubble up for a few minutes, then add the stock. Cover and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down low and cook gently for 2½ -3 hours.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan and brown the aubergine all over. Season, then add to the goat and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. The meat should now be very tender and almost falling apart.
Serve with boiled potatoes or crusty bread.
(Original recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant Books, 2022.)
A delicious pasta dish for when you’re short on time.
Wine Suggestion: Despite this being a very Italian inspired dish our match was the t’Air d’Oc Syrah made by Domaine Gayda in the Languedoc. Coming from the foothills of the Pyrenees this has a wonderful balance of black fruits and a fresh peppery twist which allowed the wine to hold its own with the richness of the dish and then cut through and balance the lemony creaminess.
Rigatoni with sausage, lemon & mustard – serves 4
300g rigatoni
450g herby pork sausages
olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
200ml white wine
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
½ lemon, zested
150g crème fraîche
a small handful of parsley, chopped
Cook the pasta then drain but save a little pasta water.
Remove the skins from the sausages, break the meat into little pieces and cook in 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry until golden and crisp, then add the fennel seeds and cook for a minute.
Pour in the wine and let it bubble up, then stir in the mustard, lemon zest and crème fraîche. Simmer until the sauce is the consistency of single cream, then toss with the pasta, a tbsp or so of pasta cooking water and the parsley.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, July 2014.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 