It has not felt very summery in Ireland this year but we haven’t let that put us off cooking for the season. There are still some nice peaches around and this makes a lovely lunch!
Wine Suggestion: We think Viognier is an awkward grape, despite its star status for some. However in the right hands and with the right dish it really comes together. Without breaking the bank and opening one of our Perret Condrieu in the cellar which have amazing balance, expression and character we kept northern Rhone with a simpler, though still delicious, Domaine Gerin “la Champine” Viognier. There’s a peachiness from this wine and hints of an oily texture that just works with this salad.
Charred peach, parma ham and bocconcini – serves 4
4 peaches, halved and stones removed
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 large handfuls of rocket (or a mixture of rocket and watercress)
8 slices of Parma ham, cut in half
350g bocconcini
FOR THE DRESSING:
½ red chilli, finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
100ml extra virgin olive oil
40ml sherry vinegar
TO FINISH:
4 tbsp flaked almonds
4 basil leaves, roughly chopped
Drizzle the cut sides of the peaches with the rapeseed oil, then place cut side down on a hot barbecue and cook for 3 minutes or until you get nice charred marks. Remove them from the barbecue and set aside.
Make the dressing by mixing the chilli, red onion, extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Put two peach halves on each plate and sprinkle around the rocket. Add the Parma ham and bocconcini, then spoon over the dressing and sprinkle over the toasted almonds and basil to serve.
(Original recipe from Outdoor Cooking by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)
We love tacos and definitely don’t make them as often as we should. We’re lucky to have a local Mexican shop, Picado, who make proper corn tortillas, though tortillas from the supermarket will be good too.
Wine Suggestion: This goes great with a medium bodied, juicy red, like Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs Red. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and a little Cinsault we find this always has a charming depth and persistence, despite the lowly price point.
Chicken tinga tacos – serves 5 to 6
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
2½ tsp dried oregano
250ml chicken stock
80g chipotle in adobo with sauce, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp salt
750g chicken thigh fillets
20 x small corn tortillas, warmed
coriander leaves, roughly chopped (to serve)
guacamole (to serve)
FOR THE LIME CREAM:
¼ tsp finely grated garlic
100g sour cream
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lime zest
2 tsp lime juice
¼ tsp salt
Make the lime cream by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing well. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Heat the oil in a large pot over a hith heat, then add the garlic, onion and oregano and cook for 3 minutes or until the onions are browning at the edges.
Add all the rest of the ingredients, except the chicken. Stir well, then add the chicken in a single layer and submerge in the sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer very gently for one hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. The chicken should be soft and easy to shred.
Transfer the chicken to a large, deep, baking tray and shred with two forks. Meanwhile keep the sauce simmering on a low heat for another 10 minutes until quite thick. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and toss to coat.
Serve the tinga with the warmed tortillas, coriander leaves, guacamole and lime cream.
(Original recipe from Recipetin Eats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, Pan Macmillan, 2022.)
There is a bit of a kick off this but it still seems quite light and fresh with delicious flavours. No wine suggestion as we don’t really think wine goes with this! We ordered some naan bread from the takeaway to serve.
Afghani Chicken Curry – serves 4
600g skinless chicken thighs
5 tbsp ghee or oil
3 green cardamom pods
3 cloves
1cm cinnamon stick
1 medium red onion, chopped
¼ green pepper, deseeded and chopped into 5mm dice
1 tomato, deseeded and finely diced
Naan bread (to serve)
FOR THE SPICE PASTE:
30g coriander
130g full-fat natural yoghurt
3 green finger chillies
4 cloves of garlic
2cm piece of ginger
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
40g blanched almonds
Season the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of salt and set aside in a bowl.
Put all of the ingredients for the spice paste into a blender with 125ml of water and blend until smooth. Pour over the chicken, then leave in the fridge for up to a day.
Put a heavy-based casserole over a medium-high heat and add the ghee or oil. When hot, add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick and sizzle for 30 seconds before adding the onions and green pepper. Fry for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
Add the chicken and spice paste to the casserole along with 250ml of water. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato and cook for another 15 minutes. The sauce should be quite thick and cling to the chicken, if it’s more liquid than this, leave the lid off to reduce it.
Check for seasoning and serve with naan bread.
(Original recipe from Misarana by Eddie Scott, Quarto, 2024.)
These make a lovely side for a barbecue with a great smoky flavour and a delicious dressing.
Barbecue potato salad – serves 4
800g new potatoes, boiled until tender, then halved
4 garlic cloves, bashed
3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 tbsp English mustard
1 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp good olive oil
Put the potatoes, garlic and rosemary onto a large sturdy baking tray. Season well and trickle over the olive oil, then toss together.
Put the tray onto a hot barbecue and cook the potatoes for about 3 mintues, then shake and cook for another 3 minutes or until hot through. Remove from the barbecue and set aside while you make the dressing.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
Pick the rosemary and garlic out of the tray and discard. Trickle the dressing over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat, leave to stand for 5 minutes, then serve warm.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge Outdoor Cooking, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)
This is a really lovely salad! We served with some barbecued lamb but it would be great with loads of things.
Turkish chopped salad – serves4 to 6
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
50g pine nuts
250g feta, cut into 2cm cubes
2 tsp dried mint
1 tsp pul biber
1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
3 large, ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
¼ cucumber, deseeded and chopped
1 red romano pepper, deseeded and sliced finely into rings
1 Cos or Little Gem lettuce, roughly chopped
10g mint leaves, roughly chopped
25g parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 red onion, finely sliced
50g pitted black olives
Drizzle 1 tbsp of the oil in a small frying pan and fry the pine nuts for a couple of minutes until golden brown, then set aside.
Mix the cheese cubes in a bowl with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, 1 tsp of the dried mint, the pul biber, ¼ tsp of coarse black pepper and the lemon zest. Set aside.
Put the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, lettuce, fresh mint and parsley in a large bowl and toss well with 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and all the white wine vinegar.
Drizzle the last 2 tbsp of oil over the salad and toss well, then add the red onion, black olives, toasted pine nuts, 1 tsp of dried mint and toss again. Add the cheese and toss gently before serving.
(Original recipe from Good Food Magazine, August 2024.)
We’ve made this a few times for and it’s never failed to impress. Reliable comfort food with lots of tasty additions!
Wine suggestion: we opened a velvety Côtes du Rhône red by Domaine Roche. A charming and quite sophisticated Grenache, Syrah and Carignan that we’ve enjoyed before. If you’re looking for a step up from this, their Cairanne is a joy and really shows the class of this under-sung appellation near Chateauneuf du Pape.
Loaded Chicken Pasta Bake – serves 6
350g penne pasta
150g streaky bacon rashers
100g baby spinach
80g sundried tomato strips in oil, drained and roughly chopped
2 tsp chopped parsley, to serve
FOR THE CHICKEN:
500g skinless and boneless chicken thigh fillets
¾ tsp each cooking salt and black pepper
30g unsalted butter
FOR THE SAUCE:
30g unsalted buter
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
60ml dry white wine
50g plain flour
500ml full-fat milk, hot
250ml double cream
375ml chicken stock
½ tsp each onion powder and garlic powder
1 tsp cooking salt
100g finely grated Parmesan
250g grated mozzarella
Heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add plenty of salt. Cook the pasta according to the timings on the pack, then drain and leave to cool.
Place the bacon rashers in a large pan over a medium-high heat and cook for a few minutes until golden, then turn them over and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain on some paper towels, then chop into 1cm pieces. Discard the bacon fat in the pot.
Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Melt the butter in the same pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side, then set aside to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1cm thick slices.
Melt the butter for the sauce in the same pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds before adding the wine. Simmer rapidly for a couple of minutes or until almost evaporated. Lower the heat to medium, add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and keep stirring until thickened, then add the cream and stock. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir for about 5 minutes or until thick enought to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Stir in the onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and two-thirds of the Parmesan and mozzarella. Stir until the cheese has melted.
Stir in the spinach, chicken, sundried tomato, most of the bacon and all of the pasta. Pour into a 30 x 22cm baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, then the mozzarella and bacon. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving sprinkled with parsley.
(Original recipe from Recipetin Eats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, Pan Macmillan, 2023.)
How can it be soup season already?? This is a good transition recipe made with summer veg and herbs. Don’t leave out the feta and lemon zest garnish as it really makes it sing.
Courgette, pea and basil soup – serves 8
75ml olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 bulb of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
about 1.3kg of courgettes, cut into 3 cm thick slices
1 litre veg stock
500g frozen peas
50g basil leaves
200g feta, crumbled into pieces
1 lemon, finely grate the zest
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and fry for a few minutes or until turning golden. Add the courgettes, 2 tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper and keep cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring all the time, until the courgettes are starting to brown. Pour in the stock and 500ml of water, then bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook for 7 minutes, until the courgettes are softened.
Add the peas, stir through for 1 minute, then add the basil. Remove the soup from the heat and whizz using a stick blender or liquidiser until smooth.
Serve the soup in bowls with crumbled feta, some lemon zest and a drizzle of good olive oil.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi with Tara Wigley and Esme Howarth, Ebury Press, Penguin: Random House, 2018.)
This vegan curry caught our eye on The Guardian website and we’re glad we tried it. Courgettes are in-season and if you like beans and pulses like we do then this is a great combination. We’ll definitely do this one again.
Drink suggestion: we had this with a glass of Asahi Super Dry Lager which we find works better with more foods than other brands. We know it’s not as trendy as craft beer, but it’s a good recipe and has a good ability to work with food.
Courgette & white bean curry – serves 4
5 tbsp rapeseed oil
20 fresh or frozen curry leaves
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and very finely sliced
2 green finger chillies, sliced lenthways
500g courgettes, halved lengthways and cut into short pieces
1 tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 x 400g tins coconut milk
2 x 400g tins cannellini beans
40g fresh coriander, leaves and stems sliced
juice of ½ lemon
steamed basmati rice, to serve
Put the oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. When very hot, add the curry leaves, cumin seeds and mustard seeds and stir. Next, add the onion, garlic, chillies and courgettes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the turmeric, salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another 4 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and beans, and cook, still on a fast boil, for another 5 minutes, or until the courgettes are tender. Stir in the coriander, then add the lemon juice a tsp at a time until it tastes right.
Serve with basmati rice.
(Original recipe by Meera Sodha in The Guardian, 30th May 2024.)
A gently spiced curry that reaches new heights when served with tamarind shallots. We’ll be making it again.
Wine Suggestion: We think this goes really well with a slightly honeyed, just off-dry Chenin Blanc like the Domaine Aubuisieres Vouvray Silex. With a touch of residual sugar this is rounded and smooth. And with the tart tamarind and sweet shallots it’s a joy.
New potato & green bean istoo with tamarind shallots – serves 4
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
10 fresh curry leaves (we buy them in the Asia market and freeze them)
4cm cinnamon stick, broken in two
1 medium onion, sliced
2cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 green finger chilli, slit
650g baby new potatoes, quartered
1 tsp each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
250g green beans, trimmed
cooked basmati rice, to serve
FORT THE TAMARIND SHALLOTS:
800g banana shallots
400g vine tomatoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp black mustard seeds
5 tbsp rapeseed oil
¾ tsp salt
2 tsp tamarind paste
8 fresh curry leaves
1 green finger chilli, slit
Heat the oil for the istoo over a medium heat in a large casserole dish. Once hot, add the curry leaves, cinnamon stick and onion. Cook for 8-10 mintues or until the onion is very soft but not coloured. Stir in the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the potatoes, salt and pepper, then stir in the coconut milk. Fill the empty can with 100ml of water and add to the casserole. The potatoes need to be just covered so add a little more water if you need. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then turn down and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the green beans, then cover and simmer until the beans and potatoes are tender – about 5-6 minutes.
FOR THE TAMARIND SHALLOTS:
Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C/gas 6 and line two large baking trays with foil.
Top and tail the shallots, then cut them in half lengthways and peel off the skin. Put the shallots onto one of the two lined trays, breaking them up a little as you go – they should be in a single layer. Halve the tomatoes and place these on the other tray.
Grind the cumin and mustard seeds together in a pestle and mortar to a coarse powder. Add the oil and salt, then pour over the shallots and tomatoes, mixing with your hands to coat the shallots.
Bake for 25 minutes, turning the trays halfway, then remove from the oven and tip the tomatoes onto the shallot tray and add the tamarind, curry leaves and chilli. Carefully mix with a wooden spoon, then bake for another 5-8 minutes, until they are starting to char here and there. Transfer to a bowl and serve with the istoo and cooked basmati rice.
(Original recipe from East by Meera Sodha, Penguin: Random House, 2019.)
Smokey prawns really add something special to a standard prawn cocktail. A great summer starter.
Wine Suggestion: Something a little different: El Paisano de Tares which is from Bierzo in Spain. A wine made from a field blend of Red and White grapes: Mencia, Garnacha, Palomino Fino, Doña Blanca & Godello. Served slightly chilled, it’s like a sophisticated Rosé with an earthiness and smokey spice plus smooth tropical notes. A very traditional wine that we don’t see much any more so a big bravo to the guys at Domniio de Tares for championing this alongside their excellent single varietal Mencia and Godello’s.
Barbecued prawn & avocado cocktails – serves 4
600g large raw tiger prawns, peeled but with tails left on
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 dashes of tabasco
juice of ½ lemon
FOR THE MARIE ROSE SAUCE:
120ml mayonnaise
60ml tomato ketchup
1 tbsp brandy
5 dashes of worcestershire sauce
6 dashes of tabasco
juice of ½ lemon
FOR THE SALAD:
1 small iceberg lettuce
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
1 ripe avocado
TO GARNISH:
2 tbsp chopped chives
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Put the prawns into a bowl with the olive oil, garlic, parsley, tabasco, lemon juice and some seasoning. Toss well and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the marie rose sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together until smooth, then seasoning to taste. Cover and leave in the fridge.
Cut the lettuce into quarters and use the outer leaves to line 4 bowls. Thinly slice the rest of the lettuce and put it into a large bowl with the celery.
Cook the prawns over a hot barbecue for about 2-3 minutes on each side (depending how big they are). Transfer to a tray and leave to cool for a bit.
Add a couple of spoons of the marie rose sauce to the lettuce and celery, season and mix together.
Peel and cut the avocado into quarters. Divid the lettuce and celery between the bowls and spoon on a generous dollop of marie rose sauce. Pile the barbecued prawns on top and tuck in an avocado wedge. Finish with the chopped chives and lemon wedges.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge Outdoor Cooking, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)
We love a blue cheese dressing – the perfect thing for crunchy lettuce and super fresh celery.
Lettuce and blue cheese dressing – serves 4
1 large butterhead, cos, or little gem lettuce
1 head of tender celery
a small handful of chives, thinly sliced
a handful of pumpkin seeds
FOR THE DRESSING:
150g soft blue cheese
½ a small clove of garlic, finely grated
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp runny honey, plus extra to taste
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp crème fraîche
2 tbsp good mayonnaise
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Make the dressing first by crumbling the blue cheese into a large bowl, then add the garlic, mustard honey, and vinegar and season with black pepper. Use a fork to mash to the cheese and mustard to a coarse paste, then work in the crème fraîche and mayonnaise. Stir in the olive oil and taste – add a bit of salt if you think it needs it or a bit more honey or vinegar.
Cut the base from the lettuce and separate the leaves. Wash and dry thoroughly.
Trim the base of the celery and separate the stems. Wash, dry thoroughly and trim the ends, then slice into 1-2cm pieces at an angle.
Tear the salad leaves into a large bowl. Add the celery and spoon over half the dressing. Turn the leaves and celery in the dressing, then sprinkle over half the chives. Arrange the leaves over a large platter and sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds and spoon over the rest of the dressing. Sprinkle with the remaining chives and season lightly with black pepper and salt, then serve.
(Original recipe from Outside by Gill Meller, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2022.)
We’ll cook anything on the barbecue and these mussels come highly recommended! Serve in the foil package with plenty of crusty bread.
Wine Suggestion: Muscadet all the way, but given you get a little more with the smokey barbecue flavours coming through we’d suggest one with a bit more oomph like Jérémy Huchet’s Clos les Montys which is grown on a very particular blue-green bedrock giving the wine depth and substance.
Mussels on the barbecue – serves 2
50g softened butter
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
2 shallots, finely sliced
1 kg mussels
1 small pack parsley, roughly chopped
125ml white wine
100ml double cream
crusty bread, to serve
Mix the butter and garlic with a big pinch of salt.
Heat the barbecue until the coals are white. Lay a sheet of tin foil, about 60cm long on the work surface, then put another sheet the same size on to, then add a third sheet about 30cm long acorss the middle to form a cross shape. Spread the shallots in the middle of the foil, pile the mussels on top, dot the garlic butter all over, then scatter over half the parsley. Season, then fold the foil in at the sides to create a bowl.
Pour the wine into the foil bowl and then seal it securely by scrunching the foil together at the top. If you need an extra sheet of foil to encase the whole parcel at this stage then do so.
Carefully place the parcel on the barbecue coals and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully open the parcel and check the mussels have opened. Pour in the cream, then cover the barbecue with a lid to cook for a few more minutes.
Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve with crusty bread.
With the erratic weather we’re not doing nearly as much outdoor cooking as we’d usually at this time of year. To keep up our spirits this indoor dish was light and summery. Serve with some new potatoes.
Wine Suggestion: A fun and inexpensive Verdicchio from Umani Ronchi, their Villa Bianchi, which despite it being light and easy going shows the class that the whole range they make has. Summery fun in a glass.
Crispy chicken thighs with peas and herbs – serves 4
8 chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, halved and sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
400ml chicken stock
300g frozen peas (or freshly podded if possible)
3 sprigs of tarragon, leaves picked and roughly chopped
2 springs of mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped
30g cold butter, cut into cubes
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
Trickle the olive oil over the chicken thighs and season both side with salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick sauté pan over a medium heat, then place the thighs skin-side down in the pan and leave to cook for 15- 20 minutes or until the skin is crispy and golden brown.
Transfer the thighs, skin-side up, to an oven tray and bake in the oven for a further 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the sauté pan back over a medium heat. When it’s hot add the shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
Pour the stock into the pan and scrape all the sticky bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the stock to a simmer and cook reduce by half. Add the peas and herbs and cook for a few minutes until the peas are tender. Add the cold butter and stir until amalgamated into the sauce.
Remove the chicken from the oven and add the thighs to the pan with the peas, pouring over any juices on the tray. Stir and season with salt and pepper, then serve.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain, Bloomsbury, 2024.)
So much more than avocado on toast. A delicious recipe from Ottolenghi Simple.
Avocado butter on toast with tomato salsa – serves 4
2-3 ripe avocados, you want about 250g of scooped out avocado
60g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
3 limes, you need 1½ tbsp finely grated lime zest and 1½ tbsp lime juice
10g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
10g dill, roughly chopped
200g cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tsp capers, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 slices of sourdough
1 small garlic clove, halved
¼ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
Put the avocado flesh, butter, half the lime zest, half the lime juice and ½ tsp salt into a blender or small bowl of a food processor. Whizz until smooth, then transfer to a bowl along with two-thirds of the herbs. Fold the herbs through then put into the fridge for 10 minutes.
Mix the tomatoes, capers, remaining lime zest & juice and the olive oil with plenty of black pepper. Set aside.
Toast the bread and rub one side with the garlic. Leave the bread to cool slightly then spread each slice with avocado butter and top with the tomato salsa. Sprinkle over the remaining herbs and the crushed cumin.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi, Tara Wrigley & Esme Howarth, Ebury Press, 2018.)
It’s been a funny year for the barbecue, lots of bad weather and then when it turns nice it’s often not in the forecast. Surely, we are due some nice back to school weather and you’ll have the opportunity to cook these tasty koftas.
Wine Suggestion: From an incredibly awarded, but always under the radar Clare Valley winery is Kilikanoon’s Killermans Run GSM. We’re always amazed at the amount of depth and finesse this wine has. With a full-body, but complete balance, this finishes superbly long and weightless. Bravo!
Lamb koftas – serves 4
a little vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp salt
800g lamb belly, minced
4 cloves of garlic, finely grated
1 tsp ras el hanout
1 tsp ready-made mint sauce
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped coriander
lemon wedges and coriander leaves, to serve
Heat the oil in a frying pan on the hob and fry the onion over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until soft. Remove the onion from the heat and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, grind the spices and salt together using a pestle and mortar until you have a fine powder.
Put the lamb into a big bowl with the cool onion, garlic, ground spice mix, ras el hanout, mint sauce, lemon zest and herbs. Mix well with your hands.
Divide the mixture into 8 and roll each piece into a sausage-shaped kofta. Lay the koftas on a lined tray and chill in the fridge for an hour to firm them up.
Meanwhile, get your barbecue fired up and ready to cook on.
Place the koftas on the edges of the barbecue so they are over a medium heat – if you put them over the direct flame you might create a blaze when the fat drips off. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning regularly.
When the koftas are cooked, serve them on a platter with some lemon wedges and coriander leaves.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge: Outdoor Cooking, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)
We’ve been trying to change up our potatoes and especially liked these balsamic and red onion roasties by Theo Randall.
Balsamic-roasted potatoes with red onion – serves as a side
800g potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
75g unsalted butter
100ml balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Heat the oven to 200C.
Put the potatoes into a large pan, cover with water, and add 1 tsp of salt. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil, then add the garlic cloves and boil for 2 minutes. Drain the potatoes and garlic and leave to cool to room temperature.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter and onions. Cook for 10 minutes on a low heat or until the onions have softened. Add the balsamic vinegar and thyme, then increase the heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until syrupy. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl, add the potatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Coat the base of large roasting tin with oil and tip the potatoe mixture in. Bake for about 30 minutes, giving the tin a shake halfway through, until nicely caramelized.
Toss the potatoes in the tin before transfering to a serving dish.
(Original recipe from The Italian Deli Cookbook by Theo Randall, Quadrille, 2021.)
Tonnato is one of our favourite sauces and it works amazingly well with soft-boiled eggs and jacket potatoes. We take this back; Tonnato is Jules’ absolute favourite sauce … so we just had to try this dish!
You can make the sauce earlier in the day and leave it in the fridge.
Wine Suggestion: taking us back to our honeymoon when we stayed at the winery is Felsina’s “I Sistri” Chardonnay and a good match indeed with the nutty, toasty character really complementing the fresh capers, rich egg and velvety sauce.
Jacket Potatoes with Tonnato Sauce – serves 4
4 large baking potatoes
olive oil
4 large eggs, soft-boiled (cook in already boiling water for 6½ minutes, then run under cold water) and peeled
FOR THE TONNATO SAUCE:
2 large egg yolks
3 tbsp lemon juice
25g parsley, roughly chopped
120g good quality tinned tuna in oil, we like Ortiz or Shines
20g baby capers (or chop larger ones)
2 anchovy fillets in oil, rinsed and patted dry
1 garlic clove, crushed
180ml olive oil
Heat the oven to 220C fan.
Rub the jacket potatoes with a little olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Put them on a tray and bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200C fan and cook for another hour.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put the egg yolks in the bowl of a food processor with the lemon juice, 20g of the parsley, the tuna, half the capers, the anchovies and the garlic. Blitz to a rough paste, then scrape down the sides with a spatula. Now keep the machine running while you slowly trickle in the olive oil in a steady stream, the consistency should be like thin mayonnaise. Put this in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
When ready to serve, slice the potatoes down the middle and sprinkle inside with a little salt (we also add some butter but you don’t have to). Spoon the sauce over the potatoes and top with a halved egg. Sprinkle over the rest of the capers and parsley, then serve.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi, Tara Wigley and Esme Howarth, Ebury Press, 2018.)
A great weeknight veggie dish with big flavours and minimal effort. While it doen’t look like much the udon noodles provide a wonderful counter-balance to the rich, salty, umami packed mushrooms, soy and sesame.
Wine Suggestion: This was a tough one to match and while we would have loved to try a Pinot based Champagne, like Laurent Lequart’s Blanc de Meunier, it was a weeknight and thought this was a bit much. However an excellent value northern Rhône, the Domaine Gerin La Champine Syrah, came to the rescue with an earthy, leathery character full of complementary pepper and pure fruit flavours.
Miso mushrooms with udon noodles – serves 4
3 tbsp miso paste
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 large portobello mushrooms
450g straight-to-wok udon noodles
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
4 scallions, finely sliced
Heat the oven to 180C.
Place the mushrooms on a large sheet of tin foil on a baking tray. Scrunch up the sides to create a sort of bag.
Mix the miso, mirin, soy, garlic and half the sesame oil together until smooth. Pour over the mushrooms and turn them over to coat in the mixture. Scrunch the tin foil to close the packet and bake for 30 minutes.
Just before the mushrooms are ready, get your wok on and heat the remaining splash of sesame oil. Toss the udon noodles in the wok until hot, then divide between 4 bowls. Spoon over the mushrooms and sauce and serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions.
We sometimes find clams hard to find, but can’t resist them when we do. Here they’re cooked with dry sherry and salty serrano ham – a super combination.
Wine Suggestion: we were tempted to have a glass of the Fino sherry with this and weren’t disappointed. Fino and it’s alter ego Manzanilla have a purity and focus that suit this dish while retaining that classic umami saltiness that the clams and serrano also bring. A taste of the Altantic coast in southern Spain.
Clams with fino sherry and serrano ham – serves 4 as a light dish
1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, very finely chopped
500g clams, rinsed well and discard any open ones that won’t close when sharply tapped
50g serrano ham
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
100ml fino sherry
a handful of flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
Heat the oil in a medium pan with a lid and cook the onion for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the ham and garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the clams to the pan with the sherry and bring to the boil, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the clams have opened (chuck any that don’t open). Serve immediately with the parsley.
We love a good pizza … but there are times we just can’t be bothered lighting our little pizza oven and getting it up and running … or the weather defeats us! This is essentially pizza toppings on pastry and makes a great substitute. Plus we got to use the jar of artichokes we’d lugged from Spain last holiday.
Wine suggestion: a wine we’d also brought home from our holiday, Luis Moya Tortosa’s Kimera, an old-vine Grenache from Navarra. Minerally, vibrant and expressive.
Tomato, mozzarella, black olive & artichoke tart – serves 4
2 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheets
300g tomato sauce (you can make your own or use a good brand)
2 x 125-150g mozzarella balls, sliced
a handful of pitted black olives, halved
8 to 10 artichoke hearts from a jar, halved
60g Parmesan, finely grated
a handful of basil leaves
Heat the oven to 230C/Fan 210C.
Unroll the puff pastry sheeets onto a couple of baking trays and prick them all over with a fork.
Spread the tomato sauce over the pastry, then top with the mozzarella, olives and artichokes. Add half the grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, then sprinkle with the basil leaves and the rest of the Parmesan and serve immediately. It’s as easy as that!
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers, Ebury Publishing, 2023.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 