It’s last chance saloon if you want to cook this dish before both the tomatoes and weather turn rubbish. The marinade is added after you cook the lamb.
Wine Suggestion: We think barbecued lamb goes really nicely with Cabernet Franc, so a good excuse to open a bottle of our favourite wine: Chateau du Hureau’s Saumur-Champigny “Tuffe”.
Barbecue Lamb with Tomato & Capers – serves 6
1.5kg butterflied leg of lamb
FOR THE MARINADE:
3 tomatoes, diced
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
a small bunch of parsley, chopped
a small bunch of mint, chopped
a small bunch of basil, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
Mix the ingredients for the marinade together, keeping a small handful of herbs aside to garnish at the end.
Get your barbecue going and wait until the flames have died down. Move the coals to the sides and put a drip-tray in the middle, then BBQ the lamb for 20 minutes on each side.
When the lamb is cooked to your liking, set it on a platter and spoon over the marinade. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Slice and serve with the marinade and the rest of the herbs.
(Original recipe by Adam Bush & Janine Ratcliffe, Olive Magazine, August 2017.)
You can prep this salad in advance and serve warm or at room temperature. Jam-packed with flavour and a great side dish for a barbecue or roast meat.
Roasted pepper salad with cucumber and herbs – serves 4 as a side dish
4 green peppers (600g), cut into 4cm pieces
2 red peppers (300g), cut into 4cm pieces
4 vine tomatoes (400g), quartered
2 small red onions (200g), roughly cut into 3cm pieces
1 green chilli, stem removed and left whole
6 large cloves of garlic, peeled
6 tbsp olive oil
1½ tbsp lemon juice
10g parsley, roughly chopped
10g coriander, roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1cm cubes
¾ tsp Urfa chilli flakes
Heat the oven to 230C fan.
Put the peppers, tomatoes, red onion, chilli and garlic into a large bowl. Add 4 tbsp olive oil, ¾ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper. Toss well to combine.
Line to large baking sheets with baking parchment. Spread the vegetables out over the trays and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until softened and charred.
When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the vegetables and transfer to a bowl with the lemon juice, herbs and ½ tsp salt and plenty of black pepper.
In a separate bowl, toss the cucumber with 2 tbsp of oil, ¼ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper.
Spread the roasted pepper mixture out over a platter. Spoon over the cucumber and sprinkle with the chilli.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love, Ebury Press, 2021.)
This is not your average prawn linguine and you do need to make a shellfish stock BUT we did this on a Tuesday night after work so you can too!! The photo really doesn’t do justice to how deep and complex the flavours are.
Wine Suggestion: A southern Italian white like Michele Biancardi’s Solo Fiano from Puglia where it has perfume and stone fruits bursting from the glass. A rich and round palate counter-balanced with a fresh, textural acidity completes the wine; like warm sunshine in a glass tempered by fresh breezes off the Adriatic Sea.
Prawn linguine – serves 2
350g whole prawns, you need to peel and devein them yourself and keep the shells and the heads
160g linguine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
FOR THE PRAWN STOCK:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1 shallot, roughly chopped
2 tinned anchovies
1 bay leaf
shells and heads from the peeled prawns (see above)
125ml white wine
375ml chicken stock
You need to start with the stock. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat and cook the garlic, shallot, anchovies and bay leaf for a few minutes, mashing the anchovies up as you go. Add the prawn heads and shells and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
Add the wine and turn the heat up high and simmer for a couple of minutes or until almost evaporated. Add the stock and ½ tsp salt, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 25 minutes. Crush the prawn heads with a potato masher a couple of times as the stock simmers. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing down hard on the shells to extract all the flavour. Throw away the solids and hang on to the delicious stock.
Toss the now peeled prawns with salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the prawns for about 1 minute on each side, or until opaque, then transfer to a plate.
Heat another tbsp of oil in the same frying pan and cook the garlic and chilli flakes for 15 seconds or until the garlic is just golden. Add the prawn stock and turn the heat up high. Simmer rapidly, stirring to scrape any tasty bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has reduced to about 125ml. Turn off the heat and leave aside while you cook the pasta.
Bring a large pot of salty water to the boil and cook the linguine for 1 minute less than the timing suggested on the pack. When the pasta is almost cooked put the shellfish stock back over a high heat. Transfer the pasta directly from the pot of water to the stock with some tongs, it will bring some pasta cooking liquid with it. Add the cherry tomatoes and toss for a couple of minutes with two wooden spoons until the sauce coats the pasta and no longer sits in a puddle at the bottom of the pan. If it starts to clag add a little more pasta water.
Toss the prawns and parsley through the pasta and divide between two bowls.
(Original recipe from Recipetin Eats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, Pan Macmillan, 2022.)
There is nothing difficult about this dish but despite the ease of cooking this tastes sophisticated and has bags of flavour. Inspiration from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, a book jam-packed with delicious things! Serve with some grilled sourdough.
Wine Suggestion: A good Sangiovese is our suggestion and we particularly enjoyed the Morisfarms Mandriolo from the Maremma on the Tuscan coast. With crushed raspberry flavours layered over a smooth dark berry core and aromas of violets this cut through any richness and gave it all a lift, adding an extra dimension to the meal. Just what we wanted with this complex and sophisticated meal.
Poached fish and charred tomatoes – serves 4
4 x 100g white fish fillets e.g. cod or hake, skin and bones removed
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp fine salt
FOR THE AÏOLI:
3 egg yolks
¼ tsp fine salt
½ a small clove of garlic, crushed
¼ tsp sweet paprika
pinch of saffron
50g light olive oil
FOR THE BROTH:
250g cherry tomatoes
1 Scotch bonnet chilli, whole
½ tsp fine salt
5 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
½ tsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato purée
5g fresh coriander
5g fresh basil
350g water
15g unsalted butter
1 jalapeño or green chilli, thinly sliced
70g pitted green olives, roughly chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
grilled sourdough, to serve
Place the fish in a dish with the lime juice and fine salt. Mix to coat, then aside while you prep everything else.
Make the aïoli by putting the egg yolks, salt, garlic, paprika, some black pepper and saffron into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add half the oil and whisk hard for 30 seconds or until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the rest of the oil and whisk hard again for about a minute, then stir in the vinegar. You should end up with loose mayonnasie consistency.
Heat a large sauté pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the tomatoes and Scotch bonnet and cook for about 6 minutes, give the pan a shake now and then to get a bit of char on the tomatoes.
Remove from the heat and add the salt, oil, garlic, paprika, tomato purée, half the coriander and half the basil. Mix well then return to the heat and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the water and butter and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, squeezing most of the tomatoes into the broth.
Lay the fish fillets into the broth, then cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 2 minutes.
Throw away the Scotch bonnet and top the dish with the green chilli, olives and remaining herbs. Serve with the aïoli spooned on top and with lime wedges and grilled bread on the side.
(Original recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)
Fresh and summery and an opportunity to eat more peaches. There was a burrata shortage the day we made this and so we had to substitute mozzarella.
Mozzarella, tomato & peach salad – serves 4
400g large ripe tomatoes, ideally heirloom and/or beefsteak
400g ripe peaches or nectarines
extra virgin olive oil
a splash of white wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano, plus extra to serve
1 large ball of burrata (or buffalo mozzarella)
a small handfull of pine nuts, toasted
Slice the tomatoes into rounds, removing the cores.
Stone and slice the peaches into wedges. Put the tomatoes and peaches into a mixing bowl with the some olive oil, white wine vinegar and the dried oregano and toss to coat. Season with salt to taste.
Arrange the tomatoes and peaches on a platter and put the burrata in the middle. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with a little dried oregano. Season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Scatter over the toasted pine nuts and serve.
(Original recipe from Stagioni by Olivia Cavalli, Pavillon, 2022.)
We love a tomato salad and reckon we’ll be making this one all summer. Great for a barbecue.
Baked feta and tomato salad – serves 4
1 block of feta
100ml olive oil, plus 1 tsp
a drizzle of runny honey
½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp fresh oregano leaves, or a good pinch of dried oregano
½ tsp pul biber
600g mixed tomatoes
2 tbsp kalamata olives, pitted
2 tsp red wine vinegar
a handful of basil
Heat the oven to 220C/200C/Gas 7.
Rub the feta with a tsp of olive oil. Place on a sheet of foil, then drizzle over the honey and sprinkle with the coriander seeds, oreganoa and pul biber. Wrap the foil around the feta to make a sealed parcel then bake for 10 minutes.
Unwrap the foil and roast for another 5-10 minutes or until caraemelised.
Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes and put them into a large bowl. Sprinkle over a good pinch of sea salt and lots of black pepper. Stir in the olives and red wine vinegar and set aside.
Spoon the tomatoes onto a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil (use a nice one). Sprinkle over the basil leaves and set the baked feta on top.
(Original recipe by Rosie Birkett in Olive Magazine, June 2023).
This is perfect for mid-week, super easy and very easy to assemble and bake in the oven. You can cover the dishes and freeze them if you like, then cook from frozen, uncovered for 30-35 minutes.
Wine Suggestion: With a floral, herbal and stonefruit character that’s backed up with a very textural green almond note Sartarelli’s Verdicchio Superiore Tralivio is just the business for this dish. Tomasso Sartarelli really has a feel for this cuvée and how to get the best from the old vines this is made from and it has such a natural balance it makes it so easy to drink when first released, like we’re doing tonight. However, with a bit of will power, it ages superbly too.
Pesto salmon with tomatoes, spinach & beans – serves 6
100g baby spinach
3 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
6 tbsp Philadelphia cheese or other soft cheese
4 tbsp fresh pesto
150g breadcrumbs
40g Parmesan, grated
3 tbsp pine nuts
6 salmon fillets
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
Divide the baby spinach 6 individual baking dishes. Spoon over the beans and tomatoes and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and squeeze over the juice, then season well. Toss with your hands to mix everything together.
Mix the soft cheese with the pesto in a bowl.
In another bowl mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan and pine nuts.
Place a salmon fillet into each dish and season well. Spoon over the pesto mixture, then the breadcrumb mixture, pressing it down. A bit will inevitably end up in the beans and that’s ok.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked (a probe should read 60C) and the crumbs a nice golden colour.
You too can make a pasta cake like this on a Monday, trust us. Who knew it would be so easy to get cooked rigatoni to sit upright in a cake tin? The results are fun and although it will fall apart when you start serving, you can get your insta photo beforehand.
Wine Suggestion: Something fun, red and Italian like Umani Ronchi’s Rosso Conero Serrano. A blend of smooth Montepulciano and vibrant Sangiovese, this wine is fun and easy, but tied together with energy and vitality.
Torta di rigatoni – serves 4
butter, to grease the tin
4 tbsp breadcrumbs
325g rigatoni pasta
handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
250g mozzarella, cubed (buy a block of mozzarella, not buffalo)
50g grated Parmesan
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and bashed
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
a handful of basil leaves
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Line the base and sides of a loose-bottomed, 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment, then butter and coat in the breadcrumbs.
Get the sauce going first. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, then add the garlic clove and cook for about a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, most of the basil leaves and season well with salt. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of boiling salty water until al dente. Drain well, then mix with the chopped basil, half the mozzarella, some black pepper, half the tomato sauce (throw away the garlic) and half of the Parmesan. Leave to cool until the pasta is cool enough to handle.
Place the rigatoni upright in the cake tin. Pour over the remaining tomato sauce, then scatter over the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before attempting to release from the tin, then scatter over a few basil leaves to serve.
(Original recipe by Gennaro Contaldo IN BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2020.)
This is an Iberico pork dish inspired by José Pizarro. We did not have any Iberico and substituted Tamworth free-range pork from our butchers instead. This is not quite the same but the dish was still lovely, but of course use Iberico if you can find it.
Wine Suggestion: A dish that begs for a Spanish Garnacha.
Pork shoulder in tomato & sherry sauce with lemony couscous – serves 6
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5kg shoulder of pork (or Iberico pork), cut into 5cm chunks
2 red onions, finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
150ml oloroso sherry
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
400ml chicken stock
FOR THE COUSCOUS:
1 red onion, finely sliced
juice of 1 lemon
250g couscous
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
450ml chicken stock
a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra to serve
2 preserved lemons, skin finely sliced and pulp discarded
½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and finely diced
30g toasted flaked almonds
Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
Season the pork with salt and pepper, then heat the olive oil in a large casserole and fry the pork in batches until well browned on all sides.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the onions to the dish and fry gently for 10 minutes, then add the garlic and coriander seeds and fry for another 5 minutes.
Add the tomato purée and sherry and bubble for 1 minute, then return the pork to the pan and add the tomatoes and stock. Season and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2½-3 hours or until the meat is really tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the couscous. Put the onion into a heatproof bowl, then pour over boiling water from the kettle and leave to sit for 30 seconds. Drain and cool under running water. Tip the onion back into the bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice and season with salt. Set aside.
Put the couscous into a flat dish and stir in the olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then pour over the chicken stock. Stir and cover with clingfilm, then leave to steam for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff the couscous up with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Serve the pork with the couscous, the pickled onion and its juices, and some extra parsley.
(Original recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant, 2022.)
If there are children around there’s nearly always a half-used tub of pesto. Too expensive to go to waste, and a good reason we’re always on the lookout for anything other than pesto pasta. This dish is a bit of summer in winter.
Wine Suggestion: Choose a fun and fresh red, preferably with a moderate alcohol. Fortunately we had a red blend from the Sebestyén family in the Szekszárd region of south-eastern Hungary. Their Szekszárdi Cuvée is a delightful blend of Kékfrankos, Merlot and Cabernet Franc; youthful, fresh and characterful.
Chicken with mozzarella, Parma ham and roast pesto potatoes, serves 4
125g ball of mozzarella cheese (not buffalo), sliced
4 chicken breasts
24 basil leaves
4 slices of Parma ham
24 cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
450g baby potatoes
3 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp thick balsamic vinegar
Heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
Grease a baking sheet.
Season the mozzarella slices with salt and pepper.
Slice a small pocket in each chicken breast (we asked our butcher to do this) and fill with a slice of mozzarella and 6 basil leaves. Wrap each piece of chicken in a slice of Parma ham and set onto the greased baking sheet. Scatter the tomatoes around the chicken.
Drizzle everything with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then roast for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until cooked through, about 20 minutes, then drain and toss with the pesto.
Put the chicken, potatoes and tomatoes onto warm plates and drizzle the tomatoes with the thick balsmic vinegar.
(Original recipe from Herbs by Judith Hann, Watkins Media Ltd, 2017.)
We love a pasta dish with just a few ingredients and this one is light and fresh and conveniently uses tinned tomatoes.
Wine Suggestion: Despite the cream which may suggest an oaked white, this actually works best with an unoaked, textural white instead. Something like the brilliant Dissidents Cassandre, a Vermentino from Maison Ventenac in Carbades which both lifts and expands the flavours, plus the fresh nuttiness cuts through the light cream.
Rigatoni with tomato, cream and pesto – serves 4
200ml double cream
300g tinned tomatoes, drained weight
2 tbsp pesto
350g rigatoni
40g Parmesan
Pour the cream into a saucepan, add the drained tomatoes and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto.
Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in lots of salty water until al dente, then drain and tip it into a warm serving bowl. Sprinkle the pasta with the Parmesan, then spoon over the sauce and serve.
(Original recipe from The Silver Spoon Pasta, Phaidon, 2009.)
A Diana Henry recipe inspired by but not quite the same as the Dominican dish. This is perfect for a weeknight despite the long list of ingredients. Most will be in your cupboard and it’s really easy to put together. Lovely bright colours and flavours. This works on it’s own or with some crusty bread or rice.
Wine Suggestion: despite the inclination to go for a richer white, we felt in the mood for a red instead so chose Domaine Gayda’s Cepage Grenache. A brambly, dark red fruited wine with a juicy core and gentle, ripe tannins. We served it slightly cool to great effect and it made a delightful counterpoint to the chipotles (ours were very hot!).
Guisado de Pollo – serves 6
2 tbsp olive oil
800g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
75g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2.5cm chunks
400g waxy potatoes, cut into 1cm chunks – you can peel them if you like, we didn’t bother
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely grated
4 tsp ground cumin
a small tin of pineapple in natural juice, drained and cut into small chunks
400g tin plum tomatoes
1 tsp soft dark brown sugar
2 tinned chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, or 3 tbsp chipotle paste (reduce if your chipotles are very hot)
3 sprigs of thyme
500ml chicken stock
1 jalapeño chilli, halved lengthways and deseeded
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
juice of 1 lime
a small bunch of coriander, chopped, to serve
Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large casserole and fry the chicken in batches until browned on both sides. It doesn’t need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Add the chopped pumpkin and potato to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until starting to colour. Remove and set aside.
Add the onion and pepper to the pan and cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic cand cumin and cook for another 2 minutes.
Stir in the pineapple, tomatoes, sugar, chipotles, thyme, chicken stock. Season and bring slowly to a simmer.
Cut the chicken into thick strips, then add to the casserole along with any juices from the plate. Add the potatoes, pumpkin and the jalapeño. Stir gently then leave to simmer for 25 minutes without a lid. Give it a stir now and again. It’s ready when the vegetables are soft and the sauce thickened.
Add the capers and lime juice and season to taste. Stir in the coriander and serve.
(Original recipe from A Bird in the Hand by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2015.)
A delicious steak recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage. Ixta fries the steak in a pan over a high heat, we used a barbecue – fabulous flavours either way. You will need to grind about 3 black limes to get enough for the marinade and the butter.
Wine Suggestion: Thanks to our friends Tim & Mick, who’ve been travelling recently, we had an excellent Öküzgözü from Turkey which was regal, refined, and a delightful surprise. We wish we could remember the name of the winery as we forgot to take a picture and the bottle recycling was done the next day before we remembered! Full of black cherry, raspberry, and dark mulberry flavours; this was complex and had layers of dark chocolate, licorice, leather, tobacco, cloves, and something slightly herbal and minty, but we couldn’t put our finger on what.
Bavette steak with black lime & maple butter – serves 4
500g bavette steak, cut into 3 equal pieces
300g ripe tomatoes
½ red onion
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
FOR THE MARINADE:
1 tsp fine salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Urfa chili flakes (we used a mixture of smoked paprika and aleppo pepper)
1½ tsp ground black lime
about 50 twists of black pepper
FOR THE SOY AND MAPLE BUTTER:
40g ghee or unsalted butter
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2½ tsp maple syrup
½ a small clove of garlic, finely grated
¾ tsp ground black lime
¾ tsp Urfa chilli flakes (see above)
Pat the steak dry and put into a large bowl. Add all the marinade ingredients and rub into the steaks. Leave aside for 10 minutes or up to 1 hour (you can do this further ahead and leave in the fridge but make sure you bring them back to room temperature before cooking).
Get your barbecue very hot, then sear the steaks for 2 minutes on each side, you want them dark brown on the outside but rare in the middle. Transfer to a warm plate and rest for 8 minutes, turning over halfway.
While the steaks are resting, slice the tomatoes and onions and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with ½ tsp flaked salt.
Melt the ghee in a small saucepan over a medium heat. When it is melted and hot, remove from the heat and stir in the soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, black lime and chilli flakes.
Slice the bavette against the grain and arrange over the onions and tomatoes. Sprinkle with some sea salt, then spoon over the soy and maple butter and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.
(Original recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)
This is fun to cook outside over fire but you can of course cook it on the hob too if you’re feeling less adventurous. Weather dependent though … we had a gap in the rain in Ireland and seized the day.
Wine Suggestion: Inspired by Jono’s trip to visit producers in California we opened a Cline Vineyards Pinot Noir from the Petaluma gap in Sonoma. Inexpensive for a Pinot, and yet so well balanced from the cooling fogs pouring in from the pacific, this is food friendly, open and joyful. At no point does this feel too heavy for the food and has the right amount of juicy fruit to complement the barbecue-smokey flavours.
FOR THE SPICE MIX:
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ cinnamon stick, broken up
2 cloves
3 black cardamom pods, crushed
2 bay leaves
FOR THE KEEMA:
3 tbsp veg oil or ghee
500g venison mince
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
200ml water
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 long green chillies, finely sliced
100g peas
2 tbsp roughly chopped mint
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
FOR THE CORIANDER AND GARLIC YOGHURT
150m natural yoghurt
2 small cloves of garlic, finely grated
1 tsp finely chopped coriander stalks
TO SERVE:
nann breads
mango chutney or lime pickle (optional)
Put all of the spice mix ingredients into a dry frying pan with the bay leaves and toast over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then crush to a fine powder.
Put a large fire-proof pan over the hot embers of your fire and add the oil or ghee. If you’re cooking inside use a large deep frying pan or shallow casserole. When hot, add the venison mince and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring, until well browned and almost crispy.
Add the onion and cook for another few minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Stir in 3 tbsp of the spice mix and continue cooking for another minute.
Pour in the water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the yoghurt together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped tomatoes chillies and peas and warm through. Season with salt and pepper and stir through the herbs.
Serve with warm naan breads and Indian chutneys or pickles.
(Original recipe from Outdoor Cooking by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)
If you have a little leftover ‘nduja, then this is the dish for you!! It makes a delicous main for two, or starter for 4. Masterminded by Jacob Kenedy of Bocca di Lupo.
Wine Suggestion: This dish needs a medium bodied red fruited wine with a lick of acidity like the Morisfarms Mandriolo from the Tuscan coast. Fruit-forward cherry and raspberry flavours which come from the Sangiovese which is tied together with a touch of Cabernet and Petit Verdot.
Orecchiette with ‘nduja – serves 2 (or 4 as a starter)
200g dried orecchiette (if you can make or get fresh then go for that but dried works pretty good)
1 red onion, sliced
120g cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g ‘nduja (a bit less will be fine)
50ml white wine
80ml double cream
50g rocket, very roughtly chopped
freshly grated Pecorino Romano, to serve (we used Parmesan – sorry Jacob!)
Get your orecchiette on to boil in lots of very salty water. Start making the sauce when there’s about 10 minutes to go.
Fry the onion and tomatoes over a high heat for about 3 minutes, you want them softened and lightly browned. Add the ‘nduja, break it up and fry for 30 seconds, then add the wine and a small ladleful of water from the pasta pot. Bubble briefly, then add the cream. Taste and season with some salt.
Keep cooking the sauce until thickend and not watery, then add the drained pasta (still a bit wet) and the rocket. Cook until the rocket is wilted and the pasta is coated in the glossy sauce. Serve with grated cheese on top.
(Original recipe from Bocca Cookbook by Jacob Kennedy, Bloomsbury, 2011.)
This is our favourite salad at the moment – an excellent side dish for a barbecue or whatever else you might be cooking.
Tomato, burrata and broad bean salad – serves 4
500g mixed tomatoes
½ tsp caster sugar
150g broad beans, frozen ones are perfect
a handful each of basil, chives and flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp each of tarragon, lovage and mint (we never have lovage and it’s fine without it)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
a pinch of fennel seeds
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 balls of burrata
50g hazlenuts, toasted and roughly chopped (toast them in the oven for 10 minutes at 180C – the skins will rub off easily with a tea towel)
Chop and slice the tomatoes and toss in a bowl with the caster sugar and ½ tsp of salt, then set aside for 30 minutes.
Put the broad beans into boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and run under cold water. Pop of the skins and set aside.
Finely chop the herbs and put into a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, mustard, fennel seeds, most of the lemon zest and the red wine vineager. Season, then stir in the broad beans.
Tip the tomatoes out onto a serving platter. Put the burrata balls on top and spoon over the beans and dressing. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts and the leftover lemon zest.
This is a great barbecue dish and you can prep the meat well in advance ready to cook when you need. You will probably need to order the bavette steak from your butcher and ask them to butterfly it so you end up with a large rectangle. The recipe comes from the best barbecue book we know which is Seared – the ultimate guide to barbecuing meat – by Genevieve Taylor.
Wine Suggestion: a big, bold, juicy red like a Rhône, Argentinian Malbec, or as tonight’s choice, Kilikanoon’s superlative Killermans Run GSM from the Clare Valley. Exhuberant fruit alongside refined, fresh tannins; a real class act.
Stuffed bavette steak – serves 4 to 6
1kg bavette steak, butterflied (see above)
80g prosciutto
60g ‘nduja
60g Parmesan, grated
30g basil leaves, torn
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE TOMATO SALAD
750g mixed tomatoes
a bunch of basil leaves, torn
3-4 tbsp good balsamic vinegar
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Lay the bavette out flat on a board. Turn the steak so that the grain runs horizontally – this is important as you want to be cutting across the grain when serving.
Lay the slices of prosicutto over the steak, then dot with the ‘nduja. Sprinkle over the Parmesan, basil and capers and season generously with black pepper.
Start with the side closest to you and roll the steak up tightly to form a cylinder. Tie it in a good few places with lengths of string to keep it tight. Season the outside of the steak with salt, then place on a rack over a tray and refrigerate until ready to cook. Do this at least 2 hours and no longer than 24 hours in advance.
When you’re ready to cook, get the barbecue going with two strips of fire down either side and the vents fully open. The barbecue needs to be hot, about 220-240C, with a section for indirect heat down the middle.
Put the steak, seam side down, in the centre of the barbecue and cover with the lid. Cook over indirect heat (i.e. over the bit with no coals underneath) for about 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 40C in the centre. Now move the bavettte direclty over the coals and sear over a high heat, turning every few minutes for about 15 minutes. The steak will be medium when about 56C in the centre.
Slice the tomatoes and spread over a large serving platter, then sprinkle over the torn basil. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil and sesaon with salt and pepper. Carve the bavette into slices and lay down the centre of the dish.
(Original recipe from Seared by Genevieve Taylor, Quadrille, 2022.)
Like a Greek salad, but with pasta added in. It makes a great lunch or lunchbox and is good for using up odds and ends in the fridge.
Pasta Salad – serves 4
200g pasta – use what ever shape you have
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
75g pitted black olives, halved
½ small cucumber, quartered lengthways then sliced
½ a red onion, thinly sliced
100g feta cheese
Cook the pasta in lots of salty boiling water according to the timings on the packet.
Meanwhile, put the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano and some seasoning into a mixing bowl and mix well to make a dressing.
Drain the pasta in a colandar and leave to cool for a few minutes. Tip the cooked pasta into the mixing bowl and toss to coat in the dressing.
Tip in the tomatoes, olives, cucumber and red onion, then crumble in the feta cheese. Gently mix everything together, then serve or put in the fridge for lunchboxes tomorrow.
(Original recipe by Cassie Best in BBC Good Food Magazine, July 2022.)
We don’t stop making soups in the summer, and in fact we often need them to use up bits and pieces. At the moment that means the courgettes that are growing faster than we can eat them. Whatever the excuse this is bursting with summery flavours and a joy to eat, especially outside on a hot summer afternoon.
Summer Minestrone Soup – serves 6
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling over to serve
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 courgettes, finely chopped (use green and yellow if you have them)
70g diced smoked pancetta
1 large clove of garlic, finely grated
½ tsp dried oregano
400g tin cannellini beans
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
1.2 litres vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
70g fideua pasta (or other small pasta)
100g kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped
a handful of basil leaves, to serve
finely grated Parmesan, to serve
Warm the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, courgette and pancetta. Season well with salt and pepper and cook gently for about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and oregano and cook for another minute, then add the beans, tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, vegetable stock and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 30 minutes.
Add the pasta and kale and cook for a final 10 minutes.
Taste for seasoning, then serve in warm bowls, with some basil and Parmesan over the top.
We don’t think we’ve ever roasted kohlrabi before but they have it in our local farm shop so we thought we’d give it a go. We mostly see it raw in salads but have to say it is absolutely lovely when roasted. The recipe is simple though there are a few bits to it. Try the roasted kohlrabi if nothing else.
Wine Suggestion: A medium bodied, pure fruited red like Olga Raffault’s Chinon les Barnabés which has a charming perfume and an array of purple and red fruits sitting lightly on top of a deep core. For this dish you need that juxtaposition of purity and depth to play alongside the earthy range of flavours.
Barley with roasted kholrabi, tomatoes & watercress salsa – serves 4 as a main
4 small kohlrabi
4 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and finely chopped (optional)
140ml olive oil, plus a bit extra to drizzle
1 large head of garlic, cut a slice off the top to expose the cloves, plus 4 extra cloves, crushed
300g ripe cherry tomatoes
300g pearl barley
2-3 banana shallots, finely sliced
2 tsp caraway seeds
5 strips of lemon zest and 2 tbsp juice, plus some wedges to serve
1 red Scotch bonnet chilli
3 tbsp tomato purée
150ml dry white wine
100g watercress
60ml double cream (optional if you don’t want dairy but nice if you do)
Preheat the oven to 190C fan.
Trim and peel the kohlrabi, then cut them into 8 wedges (more if you have any big ones). Put them into a large bowl and toss with the anchovies, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, ½ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper. Spread them out over a tray lined with baking paper.
Put the whole garlic bulb onto a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb tightly in the bulb, then place it in the corner of the baking tray with the kohlrabi. Put the tray in the oven to roast for 25 minutes.
Turn the kohlrabi pieces over, then add the tomatoes to the tray and continue to roast for another 20 minutes, or until the kohlrabi wedges are soft and deep brown and the tomatoes are blistered. Turn the oven off, then leave the tray in there to keep warm.
While the vegetables are cooking, put the barley into a medim-sized saucepan and cover with lots of cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes or until almost cooked but still with a bite. Drain and set aside.
When the vegetables are cooked, remove the garlic bulb in the foil. Put a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat with 50ml olive oil, the roasted garlic, remaining 2 cloves of crushed garlic, the shallots, caraway seeds, lemon peel strips, Scotch bonnet, and 2½ tsp salt. Gently fry for 12 minutes, stirring, until the shallots are soft and golden brown.
Add the tomato purée and cook for 30 seconds before adding the wine, 500ml of water and lots of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 7 minutes, then add the cooked barley and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Discard the Scotch bonnet and the lemon peel.
Whizz half the watercress, the lemon juice, 60ml of olive oil and ¼ tsp of salt in the small bowl of a food processor until smooth.
Transfer the barley to a large serving bowl. Drizzle over the watercress salsa and cream over the barley and gently swirl them in. Top with the rest of the watercress, then the roasted kohlrabi and tomatoes. Serve with extra lemon wedges.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2020.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 