30 June 2023

Oven-to-table sausage traybake


Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) 

Put 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled) and 4 sausages in a large roasting dish or tin, then roast for 15-20 minutes, until the sausages start to turn golden on all sides.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables, and pop them into a large bowl as you do so. Quarter an onion and remove the outer skin; cut a celery stick into 2½cm lengths; peel a carrot and cut into 5mm slices; cut 6 small new potatoes in half (there’s no need to peel). Peel and quarter an apple then core and cut each quarter in half widthways.

When all of the vegetables are in the bowl, add 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp mixed fresh herbs (chopped parsley, sage, thyme), and give everything a good mix (I find it easier to use my hands).

Remove the roasting dish from the oven, squash the garlic cloves with the back of a fork to release the pulp inside, then lift out the skins. Stir the vegetables into the dish, then return it to the oven for 30 minutes, until the veg are tinged brown at the edges and just tender when spiked with a knife.

Meanwhile, spoon 1 heaped tsp cornflour into the base of a measuring jug, then whisk in 125 ml apple juice and 100 ml water a little at a time, so there are no lumps, then stir in 1/2 tbsp apple vinegar.

Remove the tin from the oven, sprinkle over 1/2 cup frozen peas then pour over the apple juice mix and pop it back in the oven for 15 minutes, so the peas heat through and the sauce bubbles up and thickens. 

Remove from the oven, sprinkle over more parsley (if using) and serve on warm plates

(Here Nancy Birtwhistle's original recipe for 4)

Yellowtail tartare, mango, tomato, coriander


S
tart with the dressing: mix the juice of 1/2 lime, 1 tsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp grated ginger, 1 tsp caster sugar. Taste and season with salt and pepper

Add 1/2 cm slices from 10 cherry tomatoes and 1cm cubes from 1/2 mango.

Then the leaves from 5 sprigs of coriander.

Thinly slice a filet of yellowtail and mix with the rest.

Put in the fridge for 30 mins -1 hour to marinate.

Plate as shown and finish with deep-fried Asian onions

(Here Myriam Minne's recipe in Flemish)


29 June 2023

Roast pork tenderloin with cherry and chipotle salsa


Plump, in-season cherries make a glorious salsa that works wonderfully with spiced pork. If you like, make this an even quicker midweek meal by swapping the loin for some chops.

First, marinate 1 pork tenderloin (trimmed of any excess sinew, then cut in half widthways). In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp ground piment, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder with 1/4 tsp caster sugar and half a teaspoon of salt, rub the mix evenly all over both pieces of pork, then leave to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes (or in the fridge overnight). 

Stone 250g cherries (by putting each cherry on top of an empty wine bottle and then pushing the stone out with a chopstick), roughly chop them and mix with 1/4 tsp caster sugar, 1 tsp whole grain mustard, 1/4 tsp chipotle (or chili) flakes, 1 peeled and finely diced banana shallot 1 finely diced red chili, 2 tbsp lime juice and 10g roughly chopped coriander in a small bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and set aside. 

Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), and put a large, ovenproof frying pan on a high heat. Once it’s hot, pour in 2 tsp sunflower oil, then sear the pork on all sides for four minutes in total. Add 25g unsalted butter to the pan, then baste the pork with the melted butter until it’s foamy and caramelised.

Transfer the pan to the oven for five minutes, turning over the pieces of pork once halfway, then remove, cover with foil and leave to rest for eight to 10 minutes. (If you prefer your meat medium to well done, leave it in the oven for another minute or two). 

Cut the pork into ½cm-wide slices, arrange these on a lipped platter, then spoon over the butter from the pan and the cherry salsa

(Here Ottolenghi's original recipe and more)


27 June 2023

Grilled, spiced lamb with yoghurt and mint


Maybe it does not look pretty, but the taste is great. S
izzling, aromatic lamb with cool, crunchy yoghurt. 

First of all, crack open 8 green cardamom pods and remove the little black-brown seeds. Crush them to a powder with 1 tsp of cumin seeds with a pestle and mortar.

Stir in 1 tsp of ground turmeric. Mash 2 fat cloves of garlic to a paste with a ½ tsp of salt and mix with the powdered spice.

Add the spice paste to 100ml of natural yoghurt, stir, then spread it over both sides of 6 lamb cutlets and set aside for 20 minutes or so – longer will not hurt.

Finely chop 15 mint leaves and 6 radishes, then mix together and stir into a further 100ml of yoghurt and add a little salt

Warm a griddle pan.

Remove part of the yoghurt. Cook the lamb for 2 minutes or so, until one side is nicely browned then turn and cook the other for 2 minutes. The exact timing will depend on how you like your lamb done. This will produce a cutlet that is rose pink inside. The most delicious results will come from a little charring.

Serve the cutlets with the mint and radish yoghurt and grilled Turkish bread. Enough for 2

(Here Nigel Slater's original recipe)


11 June 2023

Red mullet with aubergine purée and chilli and garlic oil


Start this recipe by working on the aubergine purée. Preheat the oven to 220°C

Prick an aubergine several times with a fork and bake until the flesh is soft and the skins are blackened, about 30 minutes. Allow the aubergine to cool then peel. Put the flesh in a colander, weigh it down with a plate and leave for 1 hour to drain

Take 250g of the aubergine flesh and put it in a food processor with 2 cloves of garlic, the juice of 1/4 lemon, 1/4 tsp ground cumin and 1/2 tbsp tahini. Purée the mixture, slowly adding 50 ml extra virgin olive oil, then taste and adjust the seasoning

To make the chilli and garlic oil, finely chop 2 cloves of garlic and put it in a saucepan with 1 anchovy filet, 1/4 tbsp chilli flakes and 1 tbsp sunflower oil. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the anchovy melts, then remove the pan from the heat. Add 37 ml olive oil and set aside to cool

To cook the fish, heat the grill to maximum. Fillet 2 red mullets, then season the fillets with salt and pepper. Place them skin-side up on a lightly oiled baking tray or grill-pan and grill on one side only until the fish is just cooked – about 4-6 minutes

To plate, heat the aubergine purée and place a heaped spoonful on each serving plate. Mix some chopped parsley into the chilli and garlic oil and pour a little around the aubergine purée. Sit the cooked fish on top and serve as shown


(Here Bryan Webb's original recipe)

Summer salad


Pre-heat the grill. Put 6 (unpeelded) shallots under a very hot grill for 20 mins, turn halfway. Then slice open lengthwise and scoop out the soft center. Keep warm.

Halve 8 baby potatoes (unpeeled) and boil for 20 mins in salted water.

Warm 50 cl olive oil, then add 1 tbsp mustard seeds, let them pop like popcorn, for a minute, then take the pan from the heat and whisk in 1 tbsp Dyon mustard, 1 tbsp brown sugar and 20 ml red wine vinegar 

Once the potatoes are done, mix them with half the dressing, then add the shallots, 1/2 tbsp hacked parsley, 1/2 tbsp hacked dill and 1/2 tbsp hacked chives.

Put some nice mesclun leaves on a plate, followed by the potatoes, shallots and herbs.

Then crumble 70g Stilton over the salad and finish with some edible flowers.

Eventually add more dressing

(An Yvette van Boven recipe)

3 June 2023

Griddled halloumi, tomato and spring onion


Start making the dressing: put 1 tbsp sesame seeds in a dry, shallow pan and toast over a moderate heat till fragrant.

Thinly slice a red chilli pepper, removing the seeds if you wish. In a small bowl, mix together 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp caster sugar and 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder. 

When the sugar has dissolved, stir in the toasted sesame seeds, the sliced chilli and 1 tsp chilli paste. 

Finely chop 2 spring onions and add to the dressing.

For the halloumi, slice 250g cheese horizontally to give 4 thick pieces. 

Warm a griddle pan, brush the cheese with a little oil, then place it on the pan ridges, pressing down firmly with a heavy weight. Leave for 5 minutes or so until the underside is nicely browned, then turn and cook the other side. Remove the cheese from the griddle with a palette knife and keep it warm.

While the halloumi cooks, thinly slice 500g tomatoes and place them, slightly overlapping on a serving dish. 

Place the warm halloumi on the tomatoes then spoon over the dressing, leave for 10 minutes before eating 

(Here Nigel Slater's original recipe for 3)