You really don’t need a recipe for this but a bit of inspiration for something stress-free can sometimes be helpful.
Wine Suggestion: a classic, oaked Chardonnay, like Chateau de Beauregard’s Pouilly Fuissé. Both mineral and fresh, and with a roundness and textured from the light oak use and time on lees. A great wine to accompany food, but never over-power it.
Pappardelle with sweet leeks and mascarpone – serves 4
1 small knob of butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 medium-sized leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced at an angle
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
200g mascarpone
400g fresh pappardelle
a handful of grated Parmesan
Warm the butter and olive oil in a large heavy-based pan, add the leeks and garlic, then cover and leave to sweat over a gentle heat. It’s difficult to give timings as it really depends on the leeks but keep cooking until they are meltingly soft but not at all coloured. Add the mascarpone and allow it to melt to make a thick sauce, then season with salt and black pepper.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of salty boiling water until al dente. Scoop the pasta straight from the pot into the leeks and stir to coat the pasta, you will probably need a few splashes of cooking water to loosen the sauce and make it cling to the pasta.
Serve in warm bowls with plenty of grated Parmesan.
(Original recipe from The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 1999.)
We picked up some pretty dried borlotti beans when travelling earlier this year and this rustic pasta dish was the perfect dish for them.
Wine Suggestion: There’s an honesty and an earthiness to this dish that we can’t ignore, and just love. To be sympathetic we chose La Pruina’s Salice Salentino, a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Negra from Puglia. Gentle layers of spice, equally soft and intense, surrounding a mid-weight core of earthy plums and wild red fruits.
Pasta e fagioli – serves 4
250g dried borlotti beans
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
a big sprig of fresh rosemary
200g fresh tomatoes, peeld and crushed
220g conchiglie, or other tubular pasta (we used a mix of packet ends)
olive oil, red chilli flakes and grated pecorino cheese, to serve
Soak the beans overnight, then drain and cover with enough cold water to cover them by at least 10cm. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until tender, usually about an hour and a half. Leave to cool in the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, gently warm the olive oil in a large deep sauté pan, then add the garlic and rosemary and gently fry until they smell good. Discard the garlic and add the tomatoes to the pan. Turn the heat up a little and cook for about 10 minutes or until looking saucey. Add the cooked beans and a couple of ladlefuls of their cooking liquid, then leave to bubble for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt.
Add another couple of ladlefuls of liquid and then add the pasta and continue cooking, stirring regularly, until the pasta is tender. You might need a bit more liquid. Serve in warm bowls with some olive oil, chilli flakes and grated pecorino cheese.
(Original recipe from An A-Z of Pasta by Rachel Roddy, Penguin:Fig Tree, 2021.)
They serve these in all the tapas bars in San Sebastian and all you need to make them at home are top quality ingredients.
Wine Suggestion: Drinking Txakoli made from Hondarrabi Zuri, the local grape and wine for the Basque region, is our suggestion if you can get it. A favourite is the Bodegas Katxina Txakoli which is light, dry and slightly effervescent. It makes us think of fun times and holdays!
Gildas – make as many as you need to serve as a starter
Thread big green olives, top quality anchovies (semi-preserved from the fridge if possible), roasted peppers (we like the Navaricco brand) and guindillas. Serve with crusty bread.
A nice dish for spring/summer in Ireland when many days still feel like the depths of winter! Are you all addicted to the recipetineats website yet? You soon will be.
Wine Suggestion: Still on our Grenache kick we opened a bottle we bought in Pamplona earlier this year, the Viña Zorzal Crianza from Navarra which has a lovely red fruited earthiness and gentle spice along with a fresh elegance. Perfect.
Baked sausages & lentils – serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp cumin seeds
375ml of green or brown lentils
4 small carrots, peeled, quartered and diced
1 tsp cooking salt
¾ tsp black pepper
750ml chicken stock
8 x top-quality pork sausages
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
Use a large metal roasting tin. Fold a sheet of baking parchment, large enough to cover the pan, in half and cut 4 slits to let out steam.
Put the roasting tin directly onto the hob and heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes or until soft. Add the cumin seeds and stir for another minute.
Add the lentils, carrot, salt, pepper and stock, then bring to a simmer.
Gently place the sausages on top but don’t press them down into the lentils. Cover with the baking paper and gently press down so it sticks to the stock.
Bake for 25 minutes on the middle shelf, then remove the baking parchment and bake for another 20 minutes to brown the sausages.
Remove the pan from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes, then serve.
We make an easy pasta dish about once a week and it’s one of the best days of the week.
Wine Suggestion: we think this goes great with Ribolla Gialla, a grape native to the north-east of Italy and Slovenia that can be made in a few styles. We prefer the ones that feature joyful primary fruits with a hint of nutty minerality like the one made by Perusini in Friuli. Light bodied and fruity-floral we think the best are super attractive and we’re surprised we don’t see more around.
Lemon & Spinach Linguine – serves 2
100g spinach, remove any thick stalks but don’t be too fussy
1 large lemon, zested
250g linguine
1 large clove of garlic
50g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
40g Parmesan, grated
Get a bowl of iced water ready.
Wash the spinach, then put the wet leaves into a shallow pan over a medium-high heat, cover tightly and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid and turn the spinach over with a wooden spoon, then cover again and cook for 2 minutes.
Use tongs to lift the spinach and drop it into the iced water. As soon as it is cold, squeeze out as much water as possible, then roughly chop.
Cook the linguine in lots of very salty water for whatever time the packet says.
Lightly crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife, without peeling it.
Warm the butter, squashed garlic, and olive oil in a shallow pan over a medium heat for a few minutes, then remove and discard the garlic clove. Add the lemon zest and spinach to the pan.
Drain the pasta and toss in the warm butter. Squeeze some lemon juice over and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Oh so very good and with superb flavours! A proper hefty burger with a fabulous butter for basting – none of that mushy stuff that veggie burgers are often made of.
5g mushroom powder or dried porcini mushrooms, ground to a powder
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
TO SERVE:
4 brioche burger buns, split
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce or hot chilli sauce
4 tbsp mayonnaise
4 handfuls of rocket
Get your barbecue on and ready for cooking.
Cut the halloumi blocks in half horizontally to creat 4 flat pieces of halloumi.
To make the butter, put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine, seasoning with salt (not too much) and pepper.
Brush the mushrooms on one side with the butter and put them onto a medium-hot barbecue, buttered side down. Brush plenty of butter on the other side. After a few minutes turn the mushrooms over and add the halloumi to the barbecue. Brush the halloumi with the butter too. Keep brushing the mushrooms and halloumi with the butter as they cook.
When the mushrooms and halloumi are almost done, toast the burger buns on the barbecue. Brush any remaining butter onto the toasted buns.
To assemble, put a mushroom on each burger bun base. Top with a piece of halloumi and add a spoon of sweet or hot chilli sauce. Pile a handful of rocket on top, then spread some mayonnaise on the bun lids and sandwich together.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge’s Outdoor Cooking, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)
A main course salad with warm elements cooked over charcoal and a delicious dressing. Like everything it tastes best eaten outside.
Wine Suggestion: A current favourite is Bodega Jesus Romero’s Rubus, a Garnacha-Tempranillo blend from the mountain slopes in Aragon, Spain, that despite it’s depth of flavour has a real energy and vibrancy.
Steak, piquillo pepper and asparagus salad – serves 4
2 ribeye steaks (about 500g in total)
1 tbsp olive oil
16 asparagus spears
2 baby gem lettuces, leaves seperated
100g roasted piquillo peppers, sliced – good quality Spanish brands like El Navarrico will make a difference here
2 tbsp capers
30g flaked almonds, toasted
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 clove of garlic, grated
2-3 sprigs of marjoram or oregano, leaves picked
2 tbsp PX sherry vinegar
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Take the steaks out of the fridge about an hour before you want to cook them.
Get your barbecue hot and ready to cook on – if you don’t want to barbecue you can cook the asparagus and steak on a griddle pan.
Season the steaks and rub all over with oil.
Sear the steaks for a few minutes on each side on a hot barbecue, then set aside to rest.
Toss the asparagus spears in oil and cook on the barbecue until charred. Tip into a serving bowl.
Add the lettuce leaves, piquillo peppers and capers to the bowl with the asparagus.
Combine all of the dressing ingredients and season well.
Slice the steaks and arrange on top of the salad, then drizzle all over with the dressing and scatter over the toasted almonds.
(Original recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant Books, 2022.)
We make a lot of spring risottos and we think this one might be the best. We miss Russell Norman.
Wine Suggestion: Verdicchio all the way with this, and from a winery obsessed with this grape: Sartarelli. Their Miletta is a little bit special coming from a select vineyard and treated with extra care. It’s almost a contradiction in taste by being both full bodied, round and textured as well as elegant, flinty and ethereal. Hawthorn and almond flavours with apricots and a creamy nuttiness, plus a salty freshness tying it all together.
Asparagus & saffron risotto – serves 4
1 litre vegetable stock (we used Marigold Swiss Bouillon)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, very finely diced
320g Carnaroli rice
200ml dry vermouth
12 spears of asparagus, woody stems snapped off, sliced lengthways, then cut into 2 cm pieces
1 scant tsp saffron
80g unsalted butter
80g grated Parmesan, plus some extra for the table if you like
Heat the vegetable stock in a large pan on the back of the hob and keep hot.
Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large, heavy-based saucepan and put over a low-medium heat. Add the onion and cook slowly for 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t brown.
Add the rice and stir to make sure every grain is coated, then add a large pinch of flaky sea salt. When the mixture looks dry, add the vermouth. Keep stirring until the vermouth has been absorbed, then add a ladle of hot stock and stir again.
Over the next 20 minutes continue to add a little more stock every time the risotto has absorbed the previous ladleful. After 10 minutes, stir in the asparagus and saffron, then continue gradually adding the stock.
Test the rice after 20 minutes, it should not be too firm. When it’s done, turn up the heat, add the butter and stir until it has melted. Take the pan off the heat and allow to rest for a minute, then gently stir in the Parmesan. Serve on warm plates with extra Parmesan and black pepper.
(Origianl recipe from Brutto by Russell Norman, Ebury Press, 2023.)
Amazing flavours in this super quick and easy dish. We’re loving pretty much every recipe that Ixta Belfrage has a hand in.
Wine Suggestion: A really hard one to match we thought, but we pulled out Dr Loosen’s Graacher Dry Riesling … a wine he has “declassified” from Grosses Gewächse (Great Growth) as the vines are only 15-20 years old … not old enough for Ernie Loosen! A wine of both elegance and power, with a crispness that balances any oilyness of the mackeral, and joyful fruit to match chillies, limes, soy and star anise.
Mackerel udon – serves 2
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved and seeds scooped out with a teaspoon
2 x 115g tins of mackerel in olive oil, drained and flaked into chunky pieces
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tsp black or white (or both) sesame seeds, toasted
FOR THE DRESSING:
5 tbsp mild olive oil or sunflower oil
40g ginger, peeled and julienned
2 large mild red chillies, finely sliced into rounds (discard the seeds)
2 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick, bashed with the side of a knife
2 tbsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp maple syrup
¾ tsp toasted sesame oil
Cut the cucumber into half-centimetre diagonal slices. Put the cucumber in a bowl and mix with the flaked salt and lime juice. Set aside to pickle while you make the rest.
Put the udon noodles in a large bowl and, cover with boiling water, then drain well and set aside.
Put a heatproof sieve over a heatproof bowl and set aside.
Put the oil for the dressing into a medium saucepan over a medium heat and allow to get hot. Add the ginger, chillies, star anise and cinnamon and fry gently, stirring often, until the ginger is crisp and golden – about 5 minutes but watch carefully. Drain through the sieve and keep both the oil and the crispy aromatics.
Transfer 3 tbsp of the aromatic oil to a separate bowl along with the soy sauce, maple syrup and sesame oil.
Drain the cucumbers and toss with the warm noodles. Transfer them to a platter and top with the mackerel. Spoon over the dressing, followed by the crispy aromatics, scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
(Original recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)
A great weeknight pasta dish with mushrooms instead of the traditional pancetta.
Wine Suggestion: this works really well with fuller-bodied dry whites, like a good Chardonnay. Tonight the Domaine de la Rochette Mont Sard Mâcon-Bussières was full of joyful apple and citrus fruits with layers of gentle smoky and creamy oak.
Mushroom Carbonara – serves 2
200g spaghetti
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
a handful of flatleaf parsley, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
40g Pecorino cheese, finely grated
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add plenty of salt and cook the spaghetti according to the timings on the pack.
Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and mushrooms and fry until lightly golden. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few seconds, then remove the pan from the heat.
Drain the spaghetti, then tip into the frying pan with the mushrooms. Add the beaten eggs and two-thirds of the cheese and toss well.
Season to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper and serve in warm bowls with the extra cheese.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers, Penguin: Random House, 2023.)
This must be the easiest and cheapest of fish soups but that does not make it any less delicious! Particularly good after a walk out in the cold. And no it’s not made from “skinks” for all the Aussies out there who may be confused … it’s a classic Scottish soup made from smoked fish!
Wine Suggestion: We would highly recommend pairing this with a peaty whisky like Lagavulin. If this doesn’t rock your boat, or you don’t have a bottle to hand then a dry, aromatic and elegant white, like the Sybille Kuntz Riesling Kabinett makes the whole meal feel refined and very sophisticated too.
Cullen skink – serves 4
50g buttter
1 onion, finely chopped
1.2 litres full fat milk
750g floury potatoes
450g smoked haddock fillet
2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the onion and cook gently for 7-8 minutes.
Add the milk and bring to the boil, then add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until very soft.
Add the smoked haddock and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until cooked and easy to flake. Gently remove the haddock with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Leave until cook enough to handle.
Meanwhile, use your wooden spoon to squash some of the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the soup slightly.
When the fish is cool enough to handle, break it into chunky flakes, discarding any skin and bones. Tip the fish into the soup, then add the parsley. Serve in warm soup bowls with a little more parsley.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Supper, BBC Books, 2023.)
Made to satisfy our daughter’s constant craving for noodles … and much bettter than the packets she tries to make us buy. We recommend you prep everything before you start cooking.
Wine Suggestion: we think dry Pinot Gris is great with loads Asian foods and this is no different. From Nelson in NZ, Neudorf’s Tiritiri Pinot Gris is a charmer. Great fruit and lovely texture with gentle spices mean this combination is a winner.
Singapore Noodles – serves 4
200g fine egg noodles or rice noodles
2 tbsp veg oil
1 onion, sliced into thin wedges
1 carrot, cut into fine matchsticks (use a mandonline if you have one)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
10g fresh root ginger, finely chopped
200g pork fillet, finely sliced
225g tin bamboo shoots, drained
100g frozen peas, defrosted
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 tbsl light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
140g cooked shelled prawns
To garnish:
1 tsp sesame oil
2 scallions, finely shredded
1 green or red chilli, finely sliced
chopped fresh coriander
soy sauce, to serve
Cover the noodles with freshly boiled water and leave to stand for a minute, then drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large work. Add the onion, carrot and red pepper and stir-fry over a high heat until they’re starting to brown. Add the garlic, ginger and pork and continue to stir-fry until the pork is coloured on all sides. Tip in the bamboo shoots, peas, spices, soy sauce, rice wine and rice wine vinegar, then add the noodles and stir to combine (chopsticks are good for separating the noodles). Leave to cook for a couple of minutes until hot, then stir in the prawns and allow to heat through. Serve with the sesame oil, scallions, chilli and coriander over the top. We like ours with extra soy sauce.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ One Pot Wonders by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2019.)
Just like the real thing but without the béchamel sauce – surprisingly good!
Cheat’s croque monsieur – serves 2
4 tbsp crème fraîche
100g Gruyère, grated
a little freshly grated nutmeg
soft butter
4 slices of sourdough bread
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 thick slices of ham
green salad, to serve
Heat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C.
Mix the crème fraîche with the grated cheese, then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Butter the slices of bread on one side, then place on a baking tray, buttered-side up. Toast under a hot grill until golden.
Spread the untoasted side of two of the slices with mustard and top with the ham and half the cheese mixture. Put the other piece of toast on top, toasted side-up, and spread over the rest of the cheese mixture. Season with black pepper.
Put the tray into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers, BBC Books, 2023.)
We can’t get enough of roasted cauliflower and it’s at it’s best in this recipe with caramelised onions and smothered in tahini dressing.
Wine Suggestion: We’re mad for Loire Cabernet Franc and found a new vigneron on our last trip to Saumur: Domaine Théo Blet. We picked up his Saumur Rouge “les Fabureaux” and were completely charmed. Plus it went delightfully with this dish, complementing the spices and earthy tahini.
Cauliflower ‘shawarma’ – serves 2 as a main or more as a side or starter
1 medium cauliflower, leaves attached
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp baharat spice mix
1 tsp sea salt
FOR THE CARAMELISED ONIONS:
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
FOR THE TAHINI DRESSING:
1 lemon
125g tahini paste
a pinch of salt
100-130ml water
FOR THE GARNISH:
2 tbsp roasted pine nuts
1 tsp sumac
pittas or crispy pitta shards, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas mark 6.
Put the whole cauliflower, including the leaves, into an ovenproof saucepan that it fits in snugly. Fill the pan with enough water to just cover the stem and leaves. Drizzle the oil all over the florets and sprinkle with the baharat spice mix and sea salt – it will seem like a lot but go with it. Put the pan into the oven and roast for 1-1½ hours. It is ready when you can easily insert a small knife right down the stem.
Meanwhile, put the onions in a frying pan with the oil and salt and fry over a low heat until soft and golden. Add the sugar and cook until the onions are caramelised and brown, then remove from the heat.
Mix the tahini paste in a small bowl with the juice of half the lemon and the salt. Add 100ml water and mix well. Keep stirring and gradually adding water until the paste has a loose creamy texture.
Lift the cooked cauliflower out of the water and cut into thick slices, including the stems and leaves. Divide between plates, then squeeze over the other half of the lemon and top with the caramelised onions and tahini paste. Garnish with pine nuts and sumac and serve with warm pittas or crispy flatbread.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co. Food from the Middle East by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
We initially made this on the first day of Spring, just as the wild garlic arrived and we had a big dump of snow … Irish weather! The wild garlic has lasted quite a while this year which has meant this has been easily reprised, and enjoyed.
Wine Suggestion: we think that wines that work well with asparagus also do great with wild garlic, so opted for Höpler’s Grüner Veltliner from Burgenland, Austria. With a fresh, zippiness and citrus twist it was charming and helped us to imagine sunny weather just around the corner.
Wild garlic, broad bean & leek risotto – serves 4
300g frozen broad beans, defrosted
60g buter
1 leek, halved lengthways and finely sliced
300g Arborio rice
100ml white wine
1-1.2 litres hot vegetable stock
a handful of wild garlic, chopped
60g Parmesan, grated
Blanch the beans in boiling water for a minute, then drain and pop them out of their skins.
Melt half the butter in a large pan and sweat the leek for 3-4 minutes or until soft, then stir in the rice. When the rice is glistening, add the white wine and allow to boil and bubble up.
Gradually add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding the next. Continue until you have only a few ladlefuls left, then stir in the broad beans and the rest of the stock.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the wild garlic, three-quarters of the Parmesan and the rest of the butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the rest of the Parmesan.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers, BBC Books, 2023.)
This is not unlike our typical Irish mince and potatoes but it’s lightly spiced and has no carrots. Good with Indian chutney and pickles on the side.
Wine Suggestion: we thought this went delightfully with a find from a recent holiday in Spain, the Kimera Garnatxa from Navarra which was super balanced and minerally wrapped in gentle layers of warm spices.
Indian minced lamb with potatoes – serves4 to 6
3 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
2 cinnamon sticks
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp finely grated ginger
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
900g lamb mince
3 tbsp natural yoghurt
3 tbsp tomato passata
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp salt
300g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
Put the oil into a large frying pan and put over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the cinnamon sticks and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
Add the onion, stir and fry until it starts to brown at the edges, then add the ginger and garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Add the lamb, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Keep going until the meat has no pink bits.
Add the yoghurt, tomato, passata, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and turmeric. Stir for 1 minute, then add the salt, potatoes and 475ml of water. Stir and bring to the boil, then cover and lower the heat. Cook gently for 30 minutes.
(Original recipe from Curry Easy by Madhur Jaffrey, Ebury Press, 2010.)
We were not disappointed with this on a Saturday night but it is so simple you could easily manage it on a weeknight. Serve with yoghurt, lime pickle and naan bread from the takeaway.
Wine Suggestion: Chenin Blanc for the depth of fruit and roundness on the palate, but a minerally backbone of acidity. It lifts this dish and adds and extra element. Tonight Domaine des Aubuisieres le Marigny; dry and expressive but with layers of yellow and red apples on top.
Paneer Jalfrezi – serves 3
200g block of paneer, cut into 2cm cubes
2 red peppers, cut into strips
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
300g baby potatoes, halved or quartered
5cm piece of ginger
2 cloves of garlic, grated
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp salt
a handful of coriander, roughly chopped, to serve
yoghurt, lime pickle and naan bread, to serve
Heat the oven to 200C.
Put all of the ingredients into a large roasting tin, then put some disposable gloves on and gently toss everything together.
Put the tin into the hot oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the paneer is well browned.
Serve sprinkled with the coriander.
(Original reicpe from The Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson, 4th Estate, 2023.)
This is almost like a biryani but with gentle Iranian spices and it makes a great centre piece. You can serve with yoghurt if you like and we missed a side of greens or salad.
Wine Suggestion: This suits a rich and broad white like Domaine Manciat-Poncet’s Pouilly-Vinzelles. With a lovely mix of stonefruit flavours and grapefruit this has a zip as well as the breadth that compliments the prawns as opposed to fighting or overwhelming them.
Spicy prawn rice – serves 6
500g basmati rice
6 fat cloves of garlic
7cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1 heaped tsp ground fenugreek leaves
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
600g large peeled prawns
60g butter
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a big handful of crumbled sea salt. Boil the rice for 6-8 minutes or until the grains are bright white and slightly elongated. They should be just starting to soften.
Drain the rice and rinse under cold water for a couple of minutes, until cool.
Line the bottom of the rice pot with some nonstick baking paper and set aside.
Put a large frying pan over a medium heat. Drizzle in a generous amount of olive oil (or vegetable oil) and fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the grated ginger, ground ginger, cumin, fenugreek and chilli flakes, and stir. Add the prawns and cook for under a minute, or until just starting to turn pink, then remove the pan from the heat and season generously with salt and pepper.
Put the paper-lined pot back over the heat and pour in a generous drizzle of olive oil and the butter. Sprinkle in some sea salt, then scatter in enough rice to cover the base of the pan.
Layer the prawn mixture and rice into the pan, finishing with a thin layer of rice. Use the long handle of a wooden spoon to poke about 5 holes into the rice, right down to the base of the pan.
Wrap the lid of the pan in a tea towel, then cover the pan and cook over the lowest temperature for about 40 mintues.
Check the rice is cooked, then remove it from the pan. If you’re brave you can place a platter over the pan and flip the rice out onto it. Scrape out any crispy tahdig (the crispy rice on the base) from the bottom of the pan and serve on top of the rice.
(Original recipe from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchelle Beazley, 2014.)
We don’t subscribe to much on Substack but we make an exception for Debora Robertson. Debora writes about life in France and recommends a dinner party dish with an easy starter (usually shop-bought) every week. We’re always happy to see her next post and we highly recommend her recipe for pork estouffade – a French pork cassrole with honey and carrots. Minimal effort and great to share. Serve with mashed potatoes and cabbage.
Wine Suggestion: From Marjorie Gallet’s superlative Roc des Anges is her “Llum“, an insightful and crystalline Grenache Gris & Macabeu blend that sings with ripe stonefruit flavours and a minerally, salty backbone. Just perfect with a little richness and aromatic flavours from this dish.
Pork estouffade – serves 6
1.6-1.8kg boned and rolled joint of pork, with some fat on and skin/rind removed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
6 cloves of garlic, halved, remove any green bits and thinly sliced
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp paprika
1 bottle white wine
a pinch of saffron strands, soaked in a splash of warm water
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
80g pitted green olives
1 unwaxed orange – you will need to peel a strip of zest and then juice
about 10g of parsley leaves and fine stalks, roughly chopped
Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper and season all over with salt and pepper.
Warm the olive oil in a large heavy casserole ove a medium-high heat. Brown the pork all over – about 10 minutes, then remove to a plate and lower the heat.
Add the onions, bay leaves and thyme and sauté gently, stirring occasionally, until very soft and translucent but without browning, about 15 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan and stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes, mustard, honey, and paprika and stir well. Pour in the wine, saffron and soaking water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Return the pork to the pan, along with any juices. Cover and simmer very gently for 2½ hours, turning the pork every 30 minutes. Add the carrot, olives, orange zest and juice. Taste and season if needed, then simmer very gently, uncovered, for another hour – check occasionally that the pork hasn’t stuck. The dish is ready when the pork is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the parsley. Remove the string form the pork and carve it into thick slices. Serve with some sauce, the carrots, mashed potatoes and cabbage.
(Original recipe from Lickedspoon with Debora Robertson, Substack, 6 Jan 2024)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 