Marinated grilled Romano peppers

Halve 500g Romano peppers (long paprikas) and remove the seeds, Preheat a grill to a high heat and grill the Romano peppers, skin side up for about 10 mins, until the skins are blistered and blackened all over

Cool and remove the blackened skins,  tear the peppers into large strips

Mix 25ml of sherry vinegar, 25ml of balsamic vinegar, 150ml of extra virgin olive oil, 50g of garlic cloves, whole cloves lightly crushed in the skins, 25g of fresh thyme, 25g of fresh rosemary, whole sprigs

Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and add marinade. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 45 minutes

Strain the marinade through a sieve and discard the garlic and herbs. Dress the pepper strips in the strained marinade liquid and set aside until required. Feeds 2.

F.i. to accompany grilled lamb

(Here Luke Holdens original recipe)

Crunchy chicken in chipotle ketchup

Mix a marinade with 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp ketchup, 1 tsp chipotle sauce, 1 tsp tomato paste, a big pinch of onion powder, a big pinch of garlic powder and 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil

Cut 4 chicken thighs in chunks and marinate them for an hour

Panfry the marinated chicken in a bit of olive oil for about 10 mins, then sprinkle 3 tbsp Panko over the meat and mix well, lower the heat and fry for a couple more minutes till the Panko is nicely browned

Serve as shown with spring onions, coriander leaves, potato croquettes and a nice salad with yoghurt dressing. Feeds 2.

(Here Sake Slootjes original recipe in Dutch)

Crunchy egg and chervil salad

Boil 2 small eggs 4 mins, then cool them under cold water

Whisk 1.2 tsp Dyon mustard and 2 tsp white wine vinegar, then add 2 tbsp olive oil and then 1 tbsp mayonaise. Season with pepper and salt

Make a batter from 50g Tempura flour, a bit of salt and 60-70 ml ice cold fizzy water

Put 50g flour on a plate and 50g Panko on another plate

Heat arachide oil to 180°C

Start plating with the dressing, then add 1/2 minced shallot, a teaspoon capers and chervil

Peel the cold eggs carefully and roll them trough the flour, then cover them with the batter and finally with the Panko, before deep frying them in the hot oil for a minute.

Serve as shown

(A Janneke Philippi recipe from her book Canapé)

Stuffed meaty artichoke hearts with Roquefort and pumpkin seeds

For starters fill a pan with 5 cm cold water and add the juice of 1/2 lemon, then trim down 2 big fresh artichokes down to their meaty hearts

(Click here to see how Molly Watson does it)

She writes: cut off and discard the stem end of the artichoke, cut close to the base so the artichoke can stand up on its own.

Pull off and discard the artichoke leaves, starting with the outer ring and working your way around and in the entire thistle. Most of the leaves will snap off, leaving the meaty bit at their ends still attached to the heart. Don't worry if you end up pulling the whole leaf off.

Keep going. Pull off and discard the artichoke's leaves—as you get to the inner leaves, they are more tender, flexible, and yellow. Grab the tops of the center leaves and pull up to remove them. This will reveal the fuzzy, choke underneath. These leaves are often a bit stiff at the ends and depending on the specific variety, may have lovely purple tips.

Use a spoon to dig in and scrape off the fuzzy (and inedible) choke.

Use a paring knife to cut off and discard any tough, fibrous, dark green parts clinging to the outside of the artichoke heart. Be aggressive. You only want the tender, light flesh of the heart when you're finished.

Now you have a fully trimmed and cleaned artichoke heart. It is ready to cook and eat. To keep the hearts from oxidizing and turning brown rub them first with the other 1/2 lemon, then add them in the pan with lemon water. 

Add salt, bring to the boil and cook for 15 mins

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C

Toast 1/2 slice of white bread.

Beat 1/2 egg and add 65g crumbled Roquefort,1/2 tbsp hacked pumpkin seeds, 1/2 tbsp drained and hacked capers, 1 tbsp hacked parsley, 1 small minced clove of garlic and the crumbs of the toasted bread

Once the artichoke hearts are done, drain and dry them and put the in an oiled oven dish

Spoon the stuffing on them and cover with Panko and 1 tbsp olive oil

Put in the hot oven for 15 mins

Serve as shown with chervil leaves

(Here Philippe van den Bulcks orinal recipe in Flemish)

Dorade sashimi on cold risotto

Cover 50g risotto rice with 1 cm water and softly boil for about 15 mins, drain and rinse with cold water.

Reserve in a sieve.

Cut the green from 4 spring onions in 4 cm tubes, cut them open on one side and then cut into matchsticks. Keep in ice water

Mix the rice with 1 tbsp white miso paste and 1 tsp hacked coriander.

Dry the sliced spring onion and mix with a tsp olive oil and lime juice

Use 2 spoons to make two quenelles of the rice, Put 2 slices of dorade on top and 1 tsp caviar

Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and the spring onion salade

(Here Jan Tourniers recipe in Flemish)

Jeruzalem artichoke and potato tartare on Delice de Bourgogne crème

Blend during 7 mins 15g leaf celery with 2 tbsp water, 100 ml extra virgine olive oil and 1 tsp salt, pour through a fine sieve and keep the green oil in the fridge

Peel 75g waxy potatoes and cut into 5mm cubes, boil them in salted water for 4 mins and cool

Do the same with 75g Jeruzalem artichokes, panfry them softly in 2 tbsp olive oil for about 8 mins, nice browned on all sides. Set aside to cool.

Spoon 75g Delice de Bourgogne cheese (without the rind), 2 tbsp water and 60g sour cream in the food chopper of your stick blender to make a smooth cream, season with black pepper.

Take the leaves from some sprigs of parsley, chervil, tarragon, mint and dill and mix them with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt

Peel a Granny Smith and cut 75g in 5 mm cubes

Mix the apple, potato and Jeruzalem artichoke cubes with 1,5 tbsp of the celery oil, season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the cheese cream in 2 coupes, add the tartare and finish with the herb salad and a thin cracker. Feeds 2.

(Recipe by Merijn Tol for Delicious Magazine)

Juicy tiger prawns, crispy kohlrabi and dill mayo

Blend 7g dill, the juice of 1/4 lime and 1 tbsp water. Add an egg yolk and use the mixer to start a mayonaise, slowly adding about 75 ml grapeseed oil.

Season with salt and pepper, keep cool in the fridge

Peel and devein 4 tiger prawns

Peel a kohlrabi and use the mandolin to have 8 very thin 6 cm slices, put them in ice water to become crispy, then dry and sprinkle them with salt, lime juice and lime zest

Toast 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds and 1/4 tbsp chili flakes in a dry pan for about a minute or two. Then add 50 ml olive oil, a star anise, 1/2 finely cut shallot, 3 finely hacked cloves of garlic and some salt. Simmer a while till the garlic is nicely browned.

Brush the prawns with olive oil and panfry them in a dry pan till they are just done.

Spoon dill mayo in 2 wide champagne glasses, followed by the kohlrabi, the prawns and a tbsp of the chili oil.

Finish with dill and some more lime zest 

(Recipe by Merijn Tol for Delicious Magazine)

Whipped goat's cheese, blackberries, pancetta on sourdough toast

Use the blender to turn 25g blackberries, 1,5 tbsp mascarpone, 60g soft goat's cheese, 25g grated Parmesan into a smooth créme. Season with 1/2 tsp peperoncino (or chili flakes) and some salt

Keep in de fridge for 30 mins

Halve another 25g blackberries and marinate 10 mins in 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, do the same with 1/3 celery stick, thinly sliced

Panfry 2 slices of pancetta in a dry pan till golden and crispy, drain on kitchen paper

Deepfry 4 sage leaves crispy in oil, drain and sprinkle some salt on them

Use a serving ring to cut 2 6 cm circles from a thick slice of sourdough bread, butter them and then panfry on both sides. 

Cool the toasted bread then cover them thickly with the cheesecrème

Put the blackberries, celery, pancetta and sage on top

(Recipe by Merijn Tol for Delicious Magazine)

Beetroot and potato rösti, smoked wild salmon and horseradish cream

Peel and roughly grate 200g Nicola potatoes and 1 big cooked red beetroot, add 1 finely hacked garlic, 1 tbsp flour and 1 beaten egg. Mix well and season with pepper and salt

Divide in two heaps and flatten. Melt 20g butter and pour over the cookies. Put in the fridge for at least one hour. 

In the meantime mix 50g mascarpone, 1 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp Dyon mustard,  the juice of 1/4 lime and 1 tbsp horseradish cream, season with salt and pepper. If you have one, grate some fresh horseradish into the mix.

Panfry the cookies in 3 tbsp olive oil, 3-4 mins per side, until browned and crispy.

Serve with slices of smoked wild salmon

Finish with lime wedges and dill

Lamb chops, sea aster, corn

Panfry 4 lamb chops in a little butter, 2 mins per side. In the meantime wok a handful of sea aster in a little olive oil

Serve as shown with some corn from a tin

Carne crude with anchovies and lemon zest

Slice 200g fillet of beef in 4x4 mm cubes. Roughly hack 50g hazelnuts and toast them in 1 tbsp olive oil. Drain and finely hack 4 anchovies.

Mix the meat with 2/3 of the hazelnuts, 2 tbsp good olive oil, the anchovies and the zest of 1/2 lemon. Taste and season with salt and pepper 

Serve as shown with watercress, finish with olive oil, fresh pepper, the last of the hazelnuts and more lemon zest.

(Here Dosia Brewers original recipe in Dutch)

Nori “Fish Finger” Tacos with Tartar Sauce

Start by making the tartar sauce by mixing together 1  crushed garlic clove, one 1,5 cm piece ginger (peeled and finely chopped), 1 spring onion (finely sliced), 10g capers (drained, roughly chopped), 10g cornichons (finely chopped),

1/2 tbsp lime juice, 1/2 tbsp green nori sprinkle (or nori sheets blitzed finely), 100g mayonnaise and freshly ground black pepper

To make the fish fingers remove the skin and bones from 4 sea bass fillets, slice them into finger-size pieces.

Whisk together  30g plain flour, 1 tbsp cornflour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp green nori sprinkle, or nori sheets blitzed finely and  put in a plastic bag. Then add 1/3 of the fish fingers and shake well. Repeat with the rest of the fish. 

Place a medium deep frying pan over medium high heat and add in 300ml vegetable oil. 

When the oil is hot enough (when a drop of batter immediately sizzles), place 3 fish fillets into the batter, then drop each carefully into the oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through. 

Drain onto a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt. Continue with the rest of the fish fillets.

Serve the fish alongside the tartar,  wedges of a lime, 10g fresh coriander leaves, pickled sushi ginger, extra nori, and warm tortillas. Feeds 2

(An Ottolenghi recipe)

Red snapper with ginger and coconut curry

Heat oven to 70°C

1. Season 2 red snapper (or red sea bass) filets generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the fish and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while you prepare the rest of the dish.

2. Add 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet. Add a julliened spring onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp minced ginger and 1 tsp dried turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add a julliened carrot, 80g halved snow peas and 80g green peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add a tin of coconut milk to a saucepan and 1 tablespoon red curry paste, bring to a simmer over medium, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is reduced by about one-third, about 6 minutes. Whisk in more curry paste according to taste, if desired. 

Divide the sauce among 2 shallow bowls. then the vegetables and the fish, garnish with coriander (and as I had some left over courgette flowers I added them as well) and serve.(Here Patrick Jamon's original recipe)

Iwashi Mirin Boshi (grilled sardines)

Start with a marinade: bring 50 ml soy sauce, 15 ml mirin, 1 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 1/2 tsp salt to the boil, then take from the fire 

Mix 25g potato starch with 50ml water, mix with the soy sauce, but... by bit and stirring well

Remove the heads from 4 sardines, slice the belly side open, remove the innards, put them skin side down, flatten and remove the spine but leave the tail

Marinade in the soy mix for at least 3 hrs.

Preheat the oven at 230°C

Pat the sardines dry with kitchen paper, put on parchment paper in een oven dish and put in the hot oven for 3-5 mins.

Sprinkle with furikake, serve with sea aster and lemon

Feeds 4

(Recipe by Hokkai Kitchen)

Spiced beef with aubergine

Preheat oven to 220°C. 

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Deeply score cut sides of 2 small aubergines, halved lengthwise, in a 1.5cm cross-hatch pattern. Place cut-side up on tray. Brush with 1 tbs oil, season and roast for 25-30 minutes until browned and tender.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add 250g minced beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 7-8 minutes until browned. 

Stir in 1/2 onion, finely chopped, 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp of each ground cinnamon, allspice and chili flakes and zest of 1/2 lemon and cook for a minute until fragrant. 

Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and  175 ml beef stock, season and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce is thick. Take off heat and stir in small handful roughly chopped parsley and mint leaves and the  juice of 1/4 lemon.

Mix 100g Greek yoghurt, 1,5 tsp sumac and the juice of 1/4 lemon in a bowl. Season. 

Top eggplant with mince, drizzle with half the sumac sauce, top with pomegranate seeds, roasted pistachios and more parsley and mint leaves  and serve with rocket and remaining sauce.

(Here Shannon Bennets original recipe)

Cherry viennetta

Double line the inside of a 1-liter loaf pan with either plastic wrap, parchment paper, or wax paper. Make sure all the sides are fully covered, and to leave some overhanging the sides. If using plastic wrap, make the lining as smooth as possible. If using parchment or wax paper, tape the overhang to the outside of the container.

Whip 400 ml (1 tin) condensed milk, 250 ml double cream, 250 g mascarpone and the seeds of a vanilla pod

Break up 300g dark chocolate and melt au bain marie, set aside to cool down a bit

Drain a 350g pot of Amarena cherries, keep the syrup.

Spoon 1/3 of the vanilla-cream mix in the pan, use the back of a spoon to smooth the top and add 1/3 of the cherries.

Followed by 1/3 of the melted chocolate.

Put in the freezer for 10 mins

Spoon in another 1/3 of the cream mix, 1/3 of the chocolate and 1/3 of the cherries, freeze for 10 mins

< Repeat this procedure a third time with the rest, use a fork to create a pattern in the chocolate.

Fold the liner over the top and freeze for at least 4 hrs 

Serve as shown with fresh cherries and some of the reserved Amarena syrup

(Here Yvette van Boven's original recipe in Dutch)

Red mullet, veggies a la grecque

Peel and quarter a good-sized bulb of fennel Blanch the fennel until just soft (4 to 5 minutes) in a pot of boiling, salted water.

Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic, peel and dice 1/2 carrot, 1/2 stick of celery and 1 shallot.

Heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a clean pan on a moderate hob. Fry the shallots, carrots, garlic and celery for 2 to 3 minutes until all the veg are starting to soften and just about to colour

Then stir in the fennel, 6 crushed coriander seeds and add a bay leaf, a few strands of saffron, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, the juice of 1/2 lemon and 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil. 

Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer with a lid on for about 20 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked and flavoursome, but still having a bite. 

Add a tbsp oil for frying to a hot, non-stick frying pan. Ensure 2 filets of red mullet (skin on, pin-boned and scaled) are dry and the surface of the pan is covered with oil before gently placing the fish into the pan. Do this slowly, laying the fish skin-side-down, away from you so as not to splash. 

Cook with a little salt and pepper for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn the fish over, remove the pan from the heat and season again.

To serve, season the fennel dish and stir through 1 tsp chopped parsley or chives. 

Arrange onto plates, spooning the sauce over the fennel before placing the fish alongside. Dress with a squeeze of lemon and serve at once.

Feeds 2

(Here Café St Honoré's original recipe)
 

Korean veggie pancakes

Start with the batter: 50g flour, 15g rice flour, 8g corn flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder,1/2 tsp white caster sugar, 1 tsp kurkuma, salt, pepper and 110 ml ice cold water

Finely slice 1/2 carrot, 1/2 leek, 3 spring onions,50g taugé, 1/2 red onion, 50g king oyster mushrooms in long matchsticks

Briefly fry the mushrooms in sesame oil, season with salt and pepper

Use your hands to mix the veggies in a bowl with some of the batter, which should just stick to the vegetables 

Finely slice 1/2 clove of garlic and 1/2 red chili. Mix 50 ml soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey and the juice of 1/4 lime, add the garlic and chili and leave for 10 mins

Make a salad from 2 tbsp coriander leaves, 2 tbsp sliced chives, 5 hacked leaves of mint, 1/2 thinly sliced red onion, the juice of 1/4 lime and 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

Flatten 2 heaps of the veggie mix and pan fry them in some olive oil, 3 to 4 mins per side 

Serve as shown. Feeds 2

(Here Ramon Brugman's original recipe in Dutch, with video)

Chicken Katsu Flatbread

I tried this recipe with tacos, but decided flatbread would be nicer.

First make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk 125g flour with 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp nigella seeds, then add 95g yoghurt. 

Pull together into a ball, tip on to a floured surface and knead for two minutes. Now rest in a lightly oiled bowl covered with a damp tea towel.

If you can't buy it make the tonkatsu sauce yourself: in a small bowl, mix together 30g ketchup, 1 tsp sugar, and 30 g Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

Make the salad: in a medium bowl, slice 5 romaine salad leaves and toss with 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp sushi vinegar, and salt until well coated. Season with additional salt if needed. Set aside.

Prepare the chicken: Fill a heavy-bottomed, high-sided skillet with about 1¼ cm of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 180°C.

Place 2 chicken thighs on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat cleaver until the thighs are 4 mm thick.

On the cutting board, season the flattened chicken on both sides with salt.

Add 200g flour, 2 beaten eggs and 200g Panko to 3 separate shallow bowls.

Coat each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, then in the egg, then in the panko. Gently press the panko into the chicken to ensure a thick, even coating.

Working in batches, carefully fry the chicken in the hot oil for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. 

Set on paper towels to drain and immediately season lightly with salt. Keep warm in a 70° oven

To cook the flatbreads, warm clarified butter in a large pan over a high heat. Divide the dough into 2 balls and roll each out on a floured surface to 15-20cm – the thinner, the better. Once the pan is hot, cook each flatbread for a few minutes on each side until puffed up and blistered.

Start plating with 1,5 thigh onto a flatbread. Top with about 2 tbsp of salad, a drizzle of tonkatsu sauce, sliced spring onions and coriander leaves. Sprinkle furikake on top 

Serve with lime wedges alongside. Feeds 2

(Inspired by That's what Bob is cooking, with tacos)

Citrusy chicken, fennel and potato tray bake

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan and line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

The recipe asked for Ottolenghi's citrus and spice blend, which I did not have, so I mixed 1 tsp sumak, 1,5 tsp nigella seeds, 4 tsp lemon zest, 6 heaped tsp toasted ground cumin, 2 tsp palm sugar, 1 tsp garlic powder and some sea salt

Place 30g butter, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp of the spice mix, 1 tbsp lime juice and 5 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed with the back of a knife in a small saucepan, along with 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper and mix. Warm gently on a low heat until the butter has melted and set aside.

Place 4 chicken thighs onto the tray and arrange a large fennel bulb, halved and each half cut into 4 wedges and 250g red lady potatoes, skin on and sliced in 3 mm rounds around to fit - it’s ok for some of the potatoes to overlap each other (they will shrink as they cook).

Pour over the butter/oil mixture and use your hands to give everything a good coating.

Roast for 40 minutes until the chicken is well browned and the potatoes and fennel are starting to catch around the edges, using the juices to baste everything once or twice during cooking. After 20 mins add some cherry tomatoes

Remove from the oven and drizzle over 2 tbsp double cream, followed by a good grating of parmesan  

Serve with more of the parmesan alongside. Feeds 2

(Here Ottolenghi's original recipe for four)