Perfect dish for nights when you’ve little energy – dinner for two in ten minutes and lots of flavour.
Wine Suggestion: A warmer climate Shiraz/Syrah is our choice as you need the juicier fruit, but nothing too jammy please. Tonight a glass of the Wolftrap Red from Boekenhoutskloof in South Africa. Mostly Shiraz but with a touch of Mourvèdre and Viognier it has the fruit to counter the harissa heat, and a balance that doesn’t overwhelm the food.
Tagliatelle with mushrooms and harissa – serves 2
150g tagliatelle
300g chestnut mushrooms
4 scallions
2 cloves of garlic
6 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp harissa paste
grated Parmesan, to serve
Bring a large pan of very salty water to the boil, then cook the tagliatelle according to the timings on the pack.
Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes or until starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the scallions and continue to cook for a couple of minutes or until softened. Stir in the harissa paste.
Drain the pasta quickly and not too well, then tip into the pan with the mushrooms. Toss everything together, then serve in warm bowls with the Parmesan sprinkled over.
(Original recipe from A Cook’s Book by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2021.)
This is a nice soupy-stew sort of thing. Perfect for cold nights but still with nice fresh flavours.
Wine Suggestion: We went a bit left-field for this dish and look for an aged white Rioja where you get the roundness and poise of an oaked chardonnay but with a slightly softer acidity. Graceful in age the Urbina Rioja Bianco Crianza 2014 was both youthful with melon and citrus fruits, and with a layer of aged, tertiary fennel, aniseed and peach. A joy to know this is the current release from an under the radar winery.
Chicken with leeks & orzo – serves 3
3 tbsp olive oil
6 large chicken thighs
250g leeks, cut into short lengths, wash well to get rid of any grit and pat dry with kitchen paper.
1 litre chicken stock
half a lemon, cut into 2 fat wedges
6 black peppercorns
200g orzo
150g frozen peas
a small handful of parsley, roughly chopped
a small handful of tarragon, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Heat the oil in a large, deep casserole dish. Fry the chicken thighs until well-browned on both sides, then remove and set aside.
Add the leeks to the chicken fat in the pan and cook over a medium-low heat, with the lid on, for 5 minutes, you want them softened but not browned.
Add the stock and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes to the boil, then add half the lemon, peppercorns and 1 tsp of salt. Scatter in the orzo and boil for 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, then cover and bake for 35 minutes.
Add the peas, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Add the tarragon and parsley and serve in warm bowls.
(Original recipe from A Cook’s Book by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2021)
A delicious autumnal dish for not just sauerkraut lovers, but we think something to convert skeptics too. The sauerkraut provides freshness to the rich cream and cheese, plus it complements the velvety butternut texture.
Butternut squash with sauerkraut and gruyère – serves 3
3 small butternut squash
30g butter
1 tsp thyme leaves
2 medium to large onions, finely sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
a small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
250g sauerkraut
150ml double cream
125g Gruyère, grated
Heat the oven to 200C.
Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and fibres with a spoon. Set the halves in a large roasting tin, then dot over the butter, sprinkle over the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the hot over for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until soft.
Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large deep pan, over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 20 minutes or until pale gold and soft. Stir the parsley into the onions, then remove from the heat and add the sauerkraut, cream and cheese. Season.
When the squash are ready, divide the cheese and sauerkraut mixture betwen them, then return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
(Original recipe from A Cook’s Book by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2021.)
Who doesn’t love a chicken wing? This Nigel Slater recipe is simple but delicious, and somehow makes the chicken taste more chicken-y.
Wine Suggestion: An old favourite that we’ve not had for a while, the Secateurs Chenin Blanc from Swartland came out for this. We love how this grape is so adaptable and works with roast birds so well. Adi Badenhorst, who makes this one, is larger than life and yet guides this wine in a subtle and nuanced way. As he says, it makes itself, which says so much for how well he grows the grapes …
Roast chicken wings with lemon and black pepper – serves 2
12 large chicken wings
1 large lemon
1 heaped tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sea salt flakes
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Put the chicken wings into a roasting dish. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice over, then cut up the shells and tuck them amongst the wings.
Bash the peppercorns in a mortar until cracked into small pieces, not finely ground. Mix the cracked peppercorns with the olive oil, then toss with the chicken and lemon. Scatter over the sea salt flakes without crushing them.
Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning once, until golden and sticky with blackened edges.
(Original recipe from A Cook’s Book by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2021.)
Sometimes the simplest of recipes turn out the best. This one is absolutely delicous and depends on the ingredients being good as there is nowhere to hide.
Wine Suggestion: Find an easy mediterrranean dry white with a touch of sappy, minerality and you’ll have a good match. We had no Greek white’s to hand but had the La Piuma Pecorino from the Abruzzo so we enjoyed the light melon, pear and citrus flavours and light herbal, camomile and green almond touch on the fiinish.
Fennel with Peas & Halloumi – serves 2
300g fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
250g halloumi, sliced
FOR THE DRESSING:
250g frozen peas, defrosted in a colander under cold running water and drained
30g basil leaves
20g mint leaves
150ml olive oil
Warm the 3 tbsp of oil in a very big frying pan. Place the fennel in the pan in a single layer and season lightly. Cook until the fennel is browned on one side, then turn and continue to cook until soft.
Place the halloumi in the pan, tucking it in wherever you can so it browns on the pan. Allow to turn golden on both sides.
To make the dressing tip the peas, basil, mint and olive oil into a food processor and whizz until almost smooth, the texture should be slightly smooth. Spoon over the fennel and cheese and serve.
(Original recipe from Greenfeast: autumn, winter by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2019.)
This is one of those recipes that we spotted in the paper and realised we had all the ingredients. It’s yummy – perfect for mid-week lunches.
Spiced carrot soup – serves 4
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
a large pinch of chilli flakes
750g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 litre hot vegetable stock
100g red lentils
2 bay leaves
fresh mint and parsley, to serve
Warm the olive oil in a deep saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not coloured.
Add the cumin, ground coriander and chilli flakes, then add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the hot stock to the saucepan, then add the lentils, a little salt and the bay leaves.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered with a lid, for 25-30 minutes or until the carrots and lentils are soft.
Whizz the soup in a blender or with a stick blender until you have a thick purée.
Season to taste and garnish with the fresh herbs.
(Original recipe by Nigel Slater in The Guardian, 25 Apr 2021)
Much more filling than the tinned variety but unlike a number of other baked bean recipes, you don’t have to start with dried beans. This is quick and still pretty handy for lunch.
Beans on toast – serves 4 to 6
200g bacon lardons or pancetta cubes
1 onion, roughly chopped
olive oil
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins of beans e.g. pinto, haricot or butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp black treacle
sourdough toast, to serve
Fry the bacon in a deep pan over a medium heat until golden, then add the onion. You can add a splash of olive oil if you need it.
Add the carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Next add the beans and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the treacle and season with salt and black pepper.
Serve with toasted sourdough.
(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2012.)
Every now and again we take one of Nigel Slater’s Kitchen Diaries off the shelf for a bit of inspiration, and this is what we chose from the February chapter. We like Nigel’s recipes as they’re tasty but rarely require too much shopping. We served this with rice, a few greens on the side would be nice too.
Wine Suggestion: A dry, or just off-dry Alsace Pinot Gris or similar. Tonight Zind Humbrecht’s Pinot Gris Roche Calcaire from the Clos Windsbuhl has all the texture and layers of fruit we were looking for and more; superb.
Pork with garlic & oyster sauce – serves 2
5 tbsp of flavourless oil, we use groundnut oil
350g pork fillet, cubed
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely sliced
4 small hot red chillies, two chopped finely with the seeds left in and two left whole
150g mushrooms, roughly sliced
3 heaped tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
Heat your wok until very hot.
Add 2 tbsp of the oil and when it starts to smoke, add half the meat. Toss, until browned then remove to a plate and brown the rest.
Add the remaining oil to the wok and heat until smoking hot, then add the garlic, shallots and chillies. Toss for a minute or two until starting to colour. Add the mushrooms and continue to fry until they are soft and starting to colour, then return the meat to the pan. When the meat is hot, stir in the oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine and bring to the boil.
Allow the sauce to simmer and reduce for a couple of minutes, then serve.
(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2012.)
This is a little different given the use of the milky poaching liquor which makes this creamy and rich. Not that we partake in the cheese and fish rule anyhow, but cheese was genuinely not required.
Wine Suggestion: Choose a white with a higher acidity to match the creamy stock and a bit of body as this is quite rich. We chose an alpine/cool-climate Chardonnay from Cantina Colterenzio from north-eastern Italy in the foothills of the Alps. Melon and apple fruit flavours with hints of buttery toast; refined and characterful.
Smoked Cod & Spinach Risotto – serves 2-3
450ml full fat milk
400g smoked cod or haddock
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
450ml hot stock
a small onion
50g butter
250g risotto rice
a glass of white wine
2 handfuls of spinach leaves, washed and torn into small pieces
Pour the milk into a saucepan large enough to take the fish in a single layer. Put the fish into the milk and add the bay leaves and peppercorns, then bring to the boil. When the milk starts to foam, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside with the fish left in the milk to infuse.
Heat the stock in a saucepan until gently simmering.
Peel and finely chop the onion, then fry gently in the butter in a heavy-based pan. When the onion is soft, but not coloured, add the rice and stir to coat.
Pour in the wine and allow to evaporate, then start adding the stock, a ladleful at a time. Keep stirring continually until each ladle of stock has been absorbed, then add some more. Keep the heat low to medium. When the stock is finished, start adding the poaching liquid from the fish (discard the peppercorns and bay leaves). Start tasting when almost all the milk has been absorbed. The rice should be soft but still have a little bite and it should take about 20 minutes.
Stir the spinach into the rice. Break the fish into big pieces and gently fold into the rice, trying not to break them up too much. Check for seasoning before serving.
(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2012.)
We love recipes like this; perfect for using up bits and pieces and super tasty.
Wine Suggestion: There’s a vibrancy to this food and we matched it with Ventenac’s “Dissidents” le Paria, a fresh-fruited, minerally grenache. Lovely light spices, a stony core of texture and bright plums and cherry flavours.
Green Spiced Rice – serves 2-3
150g frozen broad beans
400ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
200g basmati rice
a slice of butter
a few sliced mushrooms
a large carrot, coarsely grated
3 eggs, lightly beaten
a handful of coriander, roughly chopped
a few handfuls of spinach
Cook the broad beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and pop them out of the skins.
Wilt the spinach is a saucepan, then leave to cool. Squeeze out any excess liquid if necessary and chop.
Pour the vegetable stock into a saucepan, then add the curry paste and the rice. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until almost tender and most of the liquid absorbed.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan, then fry the mushrooms until lightly coloured. Add the rice and carrot to the pan with the broad beans. Stir until the rice is moist but no longer wet, then add the eggs and season. Keep cooking, stirring now and then to break up the egg, until it is lightly cooked. Fold through the chopped spinach and coriander, then serve.
(Original recipe from Eat by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2013.)
We’ve been making a soup most weeks. This one is from The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. Suitably seasonal.
Cauliflower and leek soup with toasted cheese – serves 4
3 medium leeks, discard the coarse part of green leaves and roughly chop
30g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1kg cauliflower, trimmed and thickly sliced
1 litre vegetable stock (we use Marigold Swiss Bouillon powder)
2 bay leaves
10g parsley leaves
4 slices of sourdough bread
100g of cheese, something that will melt, we used Gruyére
Warm the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and cover, then cook over a low heat, until the leeks are soft but not browned.
Add the cauliflower to the softened leeks. Stir briefly, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the bay leaves and a little salt, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until soft.
Process half the soup in a blender until very smooth. Add a handful of the parsley to the rest of the soup and blend this batch to a thick, rough texture. Mix the two together and season with salt and black pepper.
Spread sourdough with a little butter or oil and toast under a hot grill. Turn the bread over and cover the other side with thick slices of cheese, then return to the grill until melted. Divide the soup between bowls and float the cheesy toasts on top.
(Original recipe from The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2017)
This is very rich and luxurious, and needs a sharp salad to go along with it. Nigel Slater’s addition of basil sauce is a great idea and makes a super tasty dish.
Wine Suggestion: We suspect a good Nebbiolo would work with this but in the absence one in our rack tonight we chose Domaine Jamet’s Cotes du Rhone. Made from 100% Syrah in the Northern Rhone it still has a hint of richness and spice as if it has a Gigondas influence but also the earthy, leather spice of the North.
Mushroom lasagne with basil and cream – serves 6
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 small cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
a thick slice of butter
10g dried porcini mushrooms
750g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
a good handful of chopped parsley
5 tbsp of freshly grated Parmesan, plus an extra 3 tbsp for the top
150ml double cream
750ml béchamel sauce (Nigel suggests you can use ready-made for this but if you want to make your own we’ve included a recipe below – a pint should be plenty).
350g fresh lasagne sheets (dried can be used either)
FOR THE BASIL SAUCE
60g pine nuts
50g basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil
4 tbsp grated Parmesan
To make a pint of béchamel sauce, melt 2oz of butter in a medium-sized saucepan, then stir in 2oz of plain flour and cook for a minute or two. Gradually add a pint of full-fat milk, stirring continuously and only adding a bit more when the previous bit has been absorbed. Keep stirring until all of the milk has been added and the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan, then add the onions and garlic and cook gently for about 20 minutes, or until softened and translucent.
Meanwhile, cover the dried porcini with warm water – no more than 100ml – and leave to soak.
To make the basil sauce, whizz the pine nuts, basil, garlic, some olive oil and Parmesan in a food processor. You need enough oil to form a sloppy paste. Alternatively you can crush the garlic with a little salt in a mortar, then mash in the basil, pine nuts, cheese and olive oil.
Stir the sliced mushrooms into the onions and partially cover with a lid. Leave to colour and soften, then add the dried mushrooms with their soaking liquid, the parsley, 5 tbsp of Parmesan and the cream. Season well with salt and black pepper, then simmer until the mixture has reduced and thickened a bit.
To assemble the lasagne, take a large casserole dish and spread a few tbsp of the béchamel over the bottom. Cover with a layer of pasta, then half the mushroom filling. Add another layer of pasta, then a second layer of mushrooms. Top with a final layer of pasta, then spread over the basil sauce. Cover the top completely with the rest of the béchamel and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 180C/Gas 4 for 50 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2005.)
This is Nigel Slater’s dark and sticky fruit chutney from Kitchen Diaries II. The chutney is nice with cheese or cold cuts. Figs are expensive but they don’t keep for long so you often find them reduced to clear in shops.
A dark and stick fruit chutney – makes a few jars
250g soft brown sugar
8 large figs, about 1kg, roughly chopped and stalks removed
150ml malt vinegar
150ml cider vinegar
250g chopped onions
250g sultanas
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
half a tsp black peppercorns, cracked
1 tsp coriander seeds
Warm the sugar in a bowl in a low oven.
Put the chopped figs into a large, stainless steel or enamelled saucepan. Add the vinegars, onions, sultanas, salt, allspice, cracked peppercorns and coriander seeds, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the onions and fruit are soft.
Stir in the sugar. Bring slowly to the boil, then turn the heat down and allow to bubble very gently. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring now and then to prevent it sticking, until thick and jam consistency. Bottle while hot and seal.
(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2012.)
Sometimes on Sundays we do a sort of a roast dinner but without the roast. It usually consists of a few different vegetable dishes, something green and something creamy, and roast potatoes are essential. We really loved this recipe by Nigel Slater as it gives the pumpkin a super soft, almost fudgy texture, and the creamy sauce is delicious.
Wine Suggestion: This meal goes great with richer reds or whites. Jerome Coursodon’s Etincelle Blanc, a blend of Roussanne and Viognier from the St Joseph vineyards in the Northern Rhone, was super expressive and had a wonderful balance of being rich and powerful while at the same time being crisp and taught.
Pumpkin with mustard & cream – serves 4
2kg of pumpkin, leave the skin on – our favourite variety is Crown Prince
4 tbsp olive oil
1 litre of hot chicken or vegetable stock
200ml double cream
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Heat the oven to 200C/180 fan/Gas 6.
Cut the pumpkin in half and cut the halves into large wedges. Scoop out the seeds.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep, roasting tin over a medium heat. Lightly brown the pumpkin on the cut sides.
Pour the hot stock over the over the pumpkin, then cover with tin foil and seal tightly. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil, turn the pumpkin wedges and baste well with the stock. Return to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes.
Lift the pumpkin from the stock and keep warm. Put the tin with the stock over a high heat and let it reduce to about 200ml. Pour in the cream, stir in the mustards and season. Spoon the sauce over the pumpkin wedges to serve.
(Original recipe from Greenfeast by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2019.)
This is a lovely side dish to serve alongside lamb koftas or something similar. We had it for dinner with just some brown rice and that was surprisingly good too.
Creamed Carrots – serves 4
400g carrots, coarsely grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
a thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely shredded
3-4 small, hot green chillies, finely chopped
a thick slice of butter
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tbsp cashew nuts, toasted in a dry pan or in the oven, roughly chopped
4 tbsp double cream
4 heaped tbsp natural yoghurt
a good handful of coriander leaves
a squeeze of lime
Melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the garlic, ginger and mustard seeds and cook for a minute before adding the chopped chillies. Stir together for a minute then add the carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Stir the cream and yoghurt together and fold into the hot carrots with some seasoning. Immediately tip into a serving dish and top with the cashew nuts, coriander leaves and lime.
(Original recipe from Tender Volume I by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2009)
We often have fish on Fridays. It’s quick to cook and light enough that we’ve room for cheese afterwards. Mussels are a favourite too and they’re fantastic value. This soup by Nigel Slater is crammed with them, and full of flavour.
Wine suggestion: an old favourite white wine, the always versatile ALLO by Quinta Soalheiro. Light bodied so it doesn’t overwhelm the delicate play of flavours in the dish, but textured and concentrated at the same time. A wine that is the sommeliers’ secret weapon for matching.
Spiced fish soup – serves 2
1kg mussels, scrubbed, de-bearded, chuck any with broken shells or that don’t close when you give them a sharp tap
2 large banana shallots, peeled and separated into layers
a splash of olive oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
½ tsp chilli powder
2 tsp turmeric
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
250g white fish fillet – we used hake – cut into 4 pieces
a handful of chopped coriander
Put the cleaned mussels into a large pan and add 500ml of water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and cook until the mussels have opened (a couple of minutes).
Remove the mussels from the liquid but keep the cooking water, you need to strain this through a fine sieve. Remove the mussels from the shells and set aside.
Heat a splash of oil in a deep frying pan, then fry the shallots over a gentle heat until softened. Add the mustard seeds, chilli powder and turmeric, and continue cooking for another few minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
Pour in the reserved mussel stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Lay the pieces of fish in the liquid and cook briefly until opaque (just a couple of minutes should do it). Return the mussels to the pan, season to taste with salt, and stir in the coriander.
(Original recipe from Eat by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2013.)
We love cookbooks that divide recipes up by the month of year. You can pick them off the shelf and get some instant inspiration that suits the weather conditions and what’s available. This is how we came to make this spaghetti bolognese, from Nigel Slater’s original Kitchen Diaries, on a cold night in January. We don’t usually add mushrooms to our Bolognese but they were really good here. Serve with some sort of long pasta (or penne if that’s what you’ve got) and loads of Parmesan.
Wine suggestion: we really enjoyed Michele Biancardi’s Ponteviro Primitivo from Puglia with this: wonderfully fresh and with a herbal spice as opposed to jam which appeals to our tastes.
A really good spaghetti Bolognese – serves 4
50g butter
70g cubed pancetta
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 large flat mushrooms (about 100g), finely chopped
2 bay leaves
400g beef mince
200ml passata
200ml red wine
200ml stock
a nutmeg
200ml full-cream milk or cream
spaghetti or tagliatelle (to serve)
grated Parmesan (to serve)
Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan, then stir in the pancetta and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes to soften, then add the carrots and celery and continue to cook. When they have softened a bit, add the mushrooms, tuck in the bay leaves and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat, stirring now and then.
Turn the heat up and add the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Leave to cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom starts to brown, the stir again and leave to colour.
When the meat is well browned, add the tomatoes, red wine, stock, a grating of the nutmeg and some salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a bare bubble. Partially cover with a lid and leave to cook for 60-90 minutes, stirring now and then. Add a bit of extra liquid if it looks dry at any point.
Gradually add the milk/cream, then continue to cook for another 20 minutes. Season to taste and serve with the pasta and Parmesan.
We’re all about creamy sauces, gratins and roasts at this time of the year. This is a great Friday night pasta dish by Nigel Slater with all the roast chicken flavour but quick to put together.
Wine suggestion: this really needs a full bodied white wine with texture. We naturally fall towards Chardonnay when thinking this, but the Languedoc one we had in the fridge we knew was easy drinking but not able to stand up to the food despite it being fuller bodied. Luckily we also had Vouvray made by Vincent and Tania Carême from our holidays earlier this year, and despite it being “tendre” or off-dry, it was a delight and an excellent match. The key was the texture even with the residual sugars left in the wine.
Roast chicken pasta – serves 4 generously
4 sprigs of rosemary, leaves stripped
8 black peppercorns
4 tbsp olive oil
1 kg chicken thighs
300g fusilli or trofie pasta
7g tarragon, leaves stripped and chopped
10g parsley, leaves stripped and chopped
zest of 1 lemon, grated
75g pine nuts, toasted
500ml double cream
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Bash the rosemary, peppercorns and a tsp of sea salt in a pestle and mortar until you have a coarse powder, then blend in the olive oil.
Put the chicken thighs in a roasting tin, then pour over the rosemary mixture and rub to coat all over. Put into the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salty water according to the timings on the pack.
Remove the chicken from the bones, keeping it in large chunks if you can and catching any meaty juices.
Mix the tarragon, parsley, lemon and toasted pine nuts together.
Put the roasting tin over a medium heat, add the cream to the tin and stir to scrape all the crusty bits off the tin. When the cream starts to bubble, add the cooked pasta and chicken. Season with black pepper.
Serve the pasta in bowls with the pine nut and herb mixture scattered over the top.
(Original recipe by Nigel Slater in The Guardian, Sunday 1st December 2019)
We need no encouragement to eat more Brussels sprouts, but we will certainly be making this dish again from Nigel Slater’s Greenfeast. It is super indulgent and would work well in small portions as a side dish – though we just had huge platefuls for dinner.
Wine Suggestion: A fresh and young Chardonnay with a hint of oak would be our choice. Tonight the Domaine Ventenac, Les Dissidents Préjugés from Cabardès in the Languedoc, made in large oak barrels (20hl) and grown on clay; crisp with mineral textures and a round vibrant core. A wine to help break the prejudice some people have for this grape.
Brussels sprouts, smoked mozzarella and dill – serves 3 (or more as a side dish)
300g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
40g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
15g dill, chopped
250g smoked mozzarella, cut into thick slices
250ml double cream
FOR THE CRUMBS:
40g butter
a handful of coarse breadcrumbs
3 tbsp chopped dill
Heat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6.
Warm the butter and olive oil in a shallow pan, then add the sprouts and cook for 2 minutes. They should turn bright green. Stir in the dill and season with black pepper.
Put half the sprouts in a baking dish and add most of the mozzarella. Put the rest of the Brussels sprouts and cheese over the top.
To make the crumbs: warm the butter in a shallow pan, add the crumbs and cook until golden, then stir in the dill. Pour the cream over the sprouts and cheese and top with a layer of breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned and bubbling.
(Original recipe from Greenfeast: autumn, winter by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2019.)
Another dish made for no other reason than half a bag of fresh dill in the fridge, threatening to go to waste. This is a big bowl of buttery deliciousness and the perfect comfort food for a cold night.
Wine Suggestion: to match the cold and damp evening, and this comfort food you need to look at a comforting, juicy red; tonight the Altosur Malbec, a wine that genuinely outperforms its pricepoint.
Haricot beans with rice and onions – serves 2
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into thin rings
1 clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
150g white long-grain rice
2 cloves
6 black peppercorns
1 x 400g tin of haricot beans, drained
60g butter
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
a handful of chopped dill
Warm the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic, then the onions, and leave to cook over a moderate heat until soft and golden. Remove from the heat, scoop out the onions and keep the pan for later.
Wash the rice in warm water, then drain and transfer to a saucepan and pour in water to cover by 2cm. Add salt, the cloves and the peppercorns, then bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, then cover tightly with a lid and leave for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for a further 5 minutes.
Melt the butter in the onion pan, then cook the cumin seeds and turmeric for a minute or until fragrant. Add the beans and heat through.
Fork through the rice, check the seasoning and pick out the cloves. Stir in the dill and divide between two bowls. Spoon over the hot beans and top with the fried onions.
(Original recipe from Greenfeast: autumn, winter by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2019.)
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