beef, lamb, veal

beef and mushroom sauté chilli con carne

2 tbsp. oil 60g butter

1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. cornflour
6 tbsp. water
1/2 tbsp. Chinese five-spice
6 tbsp. chilli sauce
350g rump or sirloin steak, cut into thin
strips
225g button mushrooms, halved
3-cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
6 spring onions, sliced
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the
mushrooms, onion garlic ad ginger and stir
fry until the onion is soft. Add the beef and
cook for a further 5 minutes on a fairly high
heat. Stir in the chilli sauce and five-spice
powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the
cornflour mixed with the water and the
spring onions. Simmer for 2 minutes,
season, transfer to a serving dish and serve
with rice or noodles.
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g minced beef
1-2 tsp. chilli powder
4 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 x 440g cans red kidney beans
1 1/4 cups beef stock
chopped parsley
Melt butter in a flameproof casserole. Add
onions and garlic and fry gently for 5 mins.
Stir in the beef and cook, stirring for 10
mins. Mix together the chilli powder, cumin
and tomato paste and stir into the beef.
Add the kidney beans, stock and salt and
pepper to taste. Cover and bake at 180°C
for 25 mins. Sprinkle with chopped parsley
and serve hot with bread or rice.
Hungarian beef rolls

4 thin beef steaks

beef goulash 7 tbsp. butter
5 oz sausage meat
1 kg lean beef 4 slices bread
4 tsp. butter 1/2 dozen mushrooms
2 onions 1 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic 1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. tomato paste 1 shallot
1 tsp. flour 1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 bunch assorted herbs 1/2 tsp. thyme
1 pt beer 2 bay leaves
7 potatoes 1 tsp. flour
1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. salt

Cut meat into small squares. Brown in 4 Cut ends off mushrooms. Wash along with
tsp. butter. Drop in chopped onions. mushrooms and chop stems with parsley,
Sprinkle with flour. Add salt, pepper, garlic and the shallot. Mix with the
crushed garlic and tomato paste. Cook sausage meat, paprika and salt. Spread a
briefly. The place lid on and cook for quarter of this stuffing on meat. Roll and
further hour. Add peeled and cubed tie. Brown the stuffed pieces of meat in 4
potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft tbsp. warm butter. Sprinkle with flour, pour
on white wine and stir. Cook for 30 mins.
Five minutes before serving, brown
mushrooms in butter. Add salt and pepper.
Fry bread. Serve on the bread and pour
over mushroom mixture.

1

Swedish beef steak with onions
2 pounds sirloin steak
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup boiling water
Cut steak into 4 serving portions. Pound
meat lightly with meat hammer. Melt 2
tbsp. of the fat in a skillet. Add onions and
sauté until tender and nicely brown.
Remove onions from pan and keep warm.
Add remaining butter or margarine to pan
and heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and
pepper. Fry in butter or margarine 3-4
minutes on each side. Remove meat to a
hot serving platter. Pour boiling water into
skillet and stir to dissolve brown particles
in pan. Pour over meat. Garnish steaks
with onions. Serve with fried potatoes.
veal scaloppini in lemon sauce
12 small veal escalopes
flour
6 tbsp. butter
salt
2 sprigs flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 1/2 tbsp. hot stock
Beat scaloppini until thin and flat and
sprinkle them with flour. Heat half of the
butter in a wide pan and add veal. Turn up
heat and fry quickly. Salt lightly. Keep
meat warm on a hot dish. Add the parsley,
lemon juice, the remaining butter and stock
in the pan. Stir until bubbling, pour over
veal and serve.
sailor’s beef
1 1/2 pounds chuck or round of beef
5-6 medium potatoes
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 cups sliced onions
2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup beer
chopped parsley
Cut meat into 1/2 inch slices. Pound a little
with meat hammer. Peel potatoes and cut
into 1/2 inch thick slices. Heat butter or
beef, lamb, veal
margarine in skillet. Add meat and brown
quickly on both sides. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp.
of the salt. Remove meat from skillet.
Cook onions in the same skillet until brown.
Remove from pan. Add water to the pan and
cook a few minutes. Place meat, onions
and potatoes in alternate layers in a large
casserole, sprinkling each layer with
remaining salt and pepper. Add pan liquid
and beer. Cover and bake in a moderate
oven for 1-1 1/4 hours or until meat is
tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley
before serving.
veal mozzarella
4 veal steaks
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 onion
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. oil
60g butter
1 tbsp. oil, extra
2/3 cup grated mozzarella
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
sauce 30g butter
2 tbsp. plain flour
1 1/3 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
125g champignons
salt and pepper
Remove fat from steaks and pound thinly.
Place in a single layer in a glass dish.
Combine crushed garlic, oregano, parsley,
peeled and sliced onion, lemon juice and
oil. Mix well. Pour marinade over steaks
and stand 2 hours. Drain steaks and pat
dry. Heat butter and extra oil in pan, add
steaks and cook on both sides until
browned. Remove steaks and place in
shallow ovenproof dish in a single layer,
pour sauce over steaks and sprinkle top
with combined cheese. Bake, uncovered in
moderate oven for 30 mins. For the sauce:
Melt butter in pan, add flour and cook for 1
min., stirring constantly. Add milk add
cream, stir until sauce boils and thickens.
Add thinly sliced mushrooms, salt and
pepper, simmer uncovered 1 min. Serve
with vegetables with basil.
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 beef, lamb, veal

peppered beef with onion beef with quaglino’s noodles

500g fillet of beef 5 tbsp. oil

salt and pepper to taste
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. cornstarch
5 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 slices root ginger, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. peppercorns
2 medium onions thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
Cut beef into 5x4cm slices and rub with
salt and pepper. Wet with egg white and
dredge with cornflour. Heat 4 tbsp. oil and
when hot, add ginger and peppercorns.
Stir-fry 45 sec. Add beef, and stir fry for 1
min over high heat. Add remaining oil and
when hot, add the sliced onions. Stir-fry 1
1/2 mins. Add sugar and soy sauce, and stir-
fry 11/2 mins more.
3 tbsp. soy sauce
5 dried red chillies
1 medium onion, sliced into thin strips
handful of fresh coriander, chopped
500g beef (or turkey) per person, sliced into
strips
water
egg noodles or buckwheat noodles
Heat oil in pan and add chillies. Heat until
smoking and leave to steep for at least 5
mins. Remove chillies. Boil water in
saucepan and add noodles. Boil 5 mins or
until cooked, drain. Reheat oil and when
hot, add beef and stir-fry 1 min. Add onions
and stir fry another 1 min. Add noodles and
soy sauce and turn until covered, then add
coriander. Turn once more and serve,
garnished with more coriander.

lamb’s liver with onion and bacon gravy

veal with lemon
3 large onions, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil 4 veal steaks
2 thick slices of butter 1 egg white
50 diced bacon 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. sugar
200 ml meat stock 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
Worcester sauce 1 clove garlic
4 thin slices of lamb’s liver 3 tbsp. plain flour
2 tbsp. cornflour
Warm oil and one of the slices of butter in a 2 tbsp. oil
shallow pan and add onions. Cook on a 30g butter
slow heat for 30 minutes until soft and sauce 1/2 red pepper
golden. Turn up heat and reduce liquid, 3 shallots
then add bacon. Cook for a couple of 2 tbsp. brown sugar
minutes until bacon fat is golden, then 1/4 cup lemon juice
sprinkle with the flour. Cook for a few 1 tsp. soy sauce
minutes at a moderate heat and then add 3 tsp. cornflour
stock, a shake or two of Worcester sauce, 1 chicken stock cube
salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring for about 2/3 cup water
10 minutes. In another pan, melt the salt, pepper
second piece of butter. When it is foaming,
add the liver. Cook for one minute at a high Trim steaks, pound out very thinly with
heat, turn and cook the other side. meat mallet and combine with combined
egg white, salt, sugar, soy sauce and
crushed garlic, stand 30 minutes. Heat oil
and butter in large frying pan, add steaks,
cook quickly on both sides until golden
brown. Remove from pan and spoon sauce
over the veal steaks. For the sauce: seed
pepper, shred finely. Slice shallots
diagonally. Combine lemon juice, brown
sugar, soy sauce, cornflour, crumbled stock
cube, water salt and pepper in saucepan,

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 beef, lamb, veal

stir over low heat until sauce thickens. Add Bolognese meat sauce
pepper and shallots. M ix well.
6 tbsp. butter
2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2/3 cup bacon, finely chopped
3/4 cup minced pork
3/4 cup minced beef
1/4 cup sausage meat
2-3 chicken livers, optional
2/3 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
4 tsp. tomato paste
1 1/4 cups stock
4 tbsp. single cream or milk

Heat half the butter and all the oil in a deep

frying pan. Add onion, carrot, celery and
bacon and fry over a low heat until the
vegetables begin to change colour. Add
pork, beef, sausage meat and chicken livers
and fry gently until they begin to change
colour. Moisten with wine and cook until it
evaporates. Season with salt and pepper.
Dilute tomato paste with a little stock. Stir
this into the sauce, cover and cook slowly,
gradually adding the rest of the stock.
After 1 1/2 hours, stir in the cream and
continue cooking until reduced. Finally,
add remaining butter and stir until melted
in. Sauté 250g mushrooms in garlic. Finely
chopped parsley can be added at the last
moment.

hot herbed meatballs

750g pork and veal mince

1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. marjoram
pinch nutmeg
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

In a large bowl combine the pork and veal

mince with the salt, rosemary, pepper,
marjoram, thyme and nutmeg. Roll into 1”
balls with floured hands. Dip meatballs in
beaten eggs to coat thoroughly and then
roll in breadcrumbs which have been
seasoned with the salt, pepper and paprika.

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Place crumbed meatballs onto lightly veal katsu

greased trays and bake in a moderately hot
oven for 15 mins. Shake tray occasionally 2 pieces of rib-eye steak or scotch fillet
to keep meatballs in good shape. 1 tbsp. dry sherry
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1” piece ginger
1 egg
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 carrot
1 onion
1 tbsp. oil
1/3 cup oil, extra
1 egg, extra
1/2 tsp. soy sauce, extra
sauce 2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 1/2 tbsp. water
2 tsp. sugar
1” piece ginger

Remove fat from steak and flatten with a

meat mallet. Place steak in bowl, add
sherry, crushed garlic and soy sauce. Grate
ginger and squeeze between fingers to
extract juice. Add juice to bowl. Discard
fibres. Coat steak with flour, and shake
away excess. Dip in lightly beaten egg,
then breadcrumbs. Scrape carrot, cut into
thin 5cm lengths. Peel onion, cut in half
and then slice thinly. Heat oil in pan, add
carrot and onion and cook 2 mins stirring
occasionally. Remove, drain on paper.
Place vegetables on serving dish. Add extra
oil to pan add steak and cook until golden
brown on both sides. Remove and cut into
strips. Place on top of vegetables. Pour
sauce over top. Bring saucepan of salted
water to boil, add combined extra lightly
beaten egg and extra soy sauce in thin
stream, stirring occasionally with fork.
Remove from heat, strain off and arrange
around edge of plate. For the sauce:
combine soy sauce, water and sugar. Grate
ginger and press to extract juice and add to
soy mixture. Discard fibres. Bring mixture
to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 min.

5
 beef, lamb, veal

sliced lamb with leek and garlic veal with mushrooms

1kg leg of lamb 1.5 kg veal

salt to taste 1/2 cup dry white wine
1 egg white, lightly beaten 1/4 cup sherry
2 tsp. cornflour 3 tbsp. oil
375g leeks 30g butter
4 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 onion
4 slices root ginger, shredded 1 tbsp. flour
1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup cream
5 cloves garlic, crushed 1 chicken stock cube
3 tbsp. dark soy sauce 1/2 cup water
4 tbsp. stock 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. thyme
Cut lamb into thin slices, rub with salt, wet 1/2 tsp. tarragon
with egg white and dredge in cornflour. Cut 1 tsp. cornflour
leeks into 5cm lengths. Heat the oil in a 1 tsp. water, extra
wok and when hot, add the ginger and salt and pepper
onion. Stir-fry for 1 min. Add the garlic and 250g mushrooms
lamb. Continue to stir and turn all the 60g butter, extra
contents in the wok over high heat for 2
mins. Push away from the centre of the Cut sinew from veal and place veal in bowl,
heat. Add the leeks and stir-fry them for 1 pour over both wine and sherry and leave to
min over high heat. Pour the soy sauce and stand for 4 hours, turning occasionally.
stock over them. Turn and stir for 45 Remove veal and pat dry. Reserve
seconds. Bring the lamb back to the centre marinade. Heat oil and butter in pan, add
and turn with the leeks over high heat for veal and brown on all sides, remove and
45 seconds. place in ovenproof dish. Pour off pan juices,
leaving 1 tbsp. in pan. Add peeled and
chopped onion, cook 2 mins. Add flour, stir
1 min, add strained marinade, cream,
crumbled stock cube, water, Worcestershire
sauce, thyme and tarragon, stir until boiling.
Pour sauce over veal, cover, bake in
moderate oven 1 1/2 hours or until tender.
Melt extra butter in separate pan, add thinly
sliced mushrooms, cook over high heat 2
mins, remove from pan. Remove veal from
dish and keep warm. Pour sauce into
saucepan, add mushrooms, combine
cornflour and extra water, add to pan, stir
until boiling, season with salt and pepper.
Pour over sliced veal.

6

beef in Barolo wine
2-2.5 lbs. lean beef
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
grated nutmeg
2 cups Barolo or good red wine
1 medium-sized onion
4 tbsp. pork fat
2 tbsp. butter
Cut the meat into six pieces of equal size.
Put in a bowl with the bay lead, garlic, a
little salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Add the
wine, stir and leave in a cool place covered
for at least 8 hours, turning occasionally.
Dice the onion and the pork fat. Heat the
pork fat and the butter in a large pan and
sauté the onion gently until soft but not
brown. Take the meat from the marinade,
drain and pat dry with paper towels. Add
the meat to the pan and brown over
moderate heat. Strain the marinade and
pour over the meat. Check seasoning and
cook for 2 hours over low heat.
beef, lamb, veal
balti onion sauce / quick lamb curry
sauce 4 tbsp. cooking oil
3-4 large onions, peeled and
chopped
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and
chopped
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
6 large cloves garlic
4 green chillies, trimmed and de-
seeded
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
450g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp. salt
curry 500 lamb fillet
1 tbsp. cooking oil
225g French beans
1/4 of balti onion sauce recipe
4 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. coriander leaves
For the sauce: Heat oil in large pan and fry
onions over moderate heat for 35 mins or
until evenly brown. Add ginger, garlic and
chillies, raise heat slightly and stir-fry for a
few minutes. Add the ground coriander,
giving it a good stir, and cook for a couple
more minutes before adding the cumin,
turmeric and garam masala. Add the
tomatoes, fresh coriander, salt and 150ml
water. Simmer over a low heat for 15 mins
or until the sauce is thick. For the curry:
Trim the meat and cut into kebab-sized
chunks. Trim beans and halve. Heat a pan
and add the oil and balti onion sauce, then
the meat and beans. Sauté for a few
minutes, add the water and simmer, stirring
for six or seven minutes or until the meat is
tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with
rice, yoghurt, Indian bread and chutneys.
(Sauce can be kept in fridge for 2 weeks, or
can be frozen.)
7

beef stewed in beer
900g beef, cubed, or vegetarian alternative
50g butter
4 shallots or 2 onions
salt, black pepper, pinch of coriander
2 springs of thyme
500ml-1 lit beer
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Chop onions or shallots and fry them in
butter in a casserole. Add beef and brown
for about 5 mins. Season with salt, pepper,
coriander and thyme. Pour in beer to cover
meat completely and simmer for 90 mins.
Lift out meat and set aside. Run sauce
through a sieve and return to pan. Blend
flour with a little of the sauce and add to
pan, along with mustard. Simmer, stirring
until flour is cooked, (about 2 mins). Return
meat to sauce and cook through. Serve
with potatoes.
lahmakun (Turkish spicy meat pizza)
250g strong white bread flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6g dried yeast
150 ml warm water
topping 2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 courgette, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. hot chilli powder
300g canned tomatoes
1 tbsp. tomato purée
175g minced beef or lamb
pepper
Make dough and leave in a greased plastic
bag to rise for 30 mins or until double in
size. For the topping, heat the oil land fry
the onion and courgette for 5-10 mins until
soft. Ad the chilli powder and cook for
another minute. Add the tomatoes and the
tomato purée, season with pepper and
simmer for 10 minutes or until thick. Leave
to cool then stir in the meat. Work the
dough and knead it for 5 mins. Return it to
bag and leave for another 30 mins. Roll it
out and leave for five. Spread with the
topping and bake for 20-25 mins.
beef, lamb, veal
veal masala
2 veal escalopes
175ml masala
1 tbsp. plain flour, seasoned with salt and
pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
25g butter
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Cut each escalope into three pieces, lay a
piece of clingfilm on top of them and gently
batter them flat and about 3-5mm thick.
Coat each piece in seasoned flour, shaking
off any excess. Add olive oil and butter to
pan and when the butter is foaming, add the
veal and fry on each side for 90 sec. Then
add masala and balsamic vinegar. Cook
until sauce is thick and glossy. Serve with a
green salad and baked potatoes.
calves’ liver with sage
800g-1kg calves liver
10 sage leaves
1/4 glass white wine
butter, olive oil
salt, pepper
Cut the liver into 1/2 cm thick slices about
7-8cm wide. Cut again into fingers 1/2”
square and 7-8cm long. Season well. Place
the sage leaves on top of each other, roll
them into a little cigar and slice as thinly as
possible. Heat some oil in a frying pan and
when it is very hot but not smoking, throw
in the liver and toss a few times to ensure it
is sealed on all sides and then add the sage
leaves. Turn a couple of times and then add
the splash of white wine. Let it bubble up
and then reduce, add the butter. Swirl it to
coat and serve.
8

Christmas burger
200g spicy, flavoured butcher’s sausages
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
350g turkey breast, minced
3 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
6 more rashers, to serve
1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
2 level tbsp. grainy mustard
1 tbsp. Worcester sauce
1 rounded tbsp. mango chutney
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp. vegetable oil for frying
+ 100ml tomato ketchup
6 English muffins
12 tbsp. cranberry sauce or mango chutney
12 small crisp lettuce leaves
18 slices gherkins
Squeeze sausages out of their skins. Mix in
meat with spring onions, garlic, turkey
breast, chopped bacon, chilli flakes,
mustard Worcester sauce, mango chutney,
thyme and salt and pepper. Shape roughly
into six patties. Heat a little oil in a frying
pan and cook for 5 minutes each side until
done. Meanwhile, grill bacon rashers and
toast muffins. Spread the bottom half of
each muffin with a layer of mango chutney
(or tomato chilli), pile on lettuce, cucumber,
gherkin and bacon and add a little more
sauce or chutney.
beef, lamb, veal
meatloaf
2 slices bread, cubed
4 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 large cloves, finely chopped
2 eggs
500g minced beef
500g minced pork
2 tsp. salt
black pepper
Toss cubes of bread in a bowl with 2 tbsp.
of olive oil, cumin, coriander and nutmeg.
Spread on a baking sheet and toast for 15
minutes. Allow to cool, then crumb in a food
processor or place in a large plastic bag
and crush with a rolling pin. Heat remaining
2 tbsp.. oil over a low heat, add peppers,
onion, chilli and garlic and soften for about
10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Beat
eggs with ketchup in a large bowl. Add
vegetables, ground meat, crumbs, salt and
pepper. Combine thoroughly and form the
mixture in an oval loaf shape in a shallow
baking dish. Bake for 45 mins-1 hour and
serve with mashed potatoes and relish.
9

pot-roast pork chops with fennel and onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 large pork chops, about 450g
2 juicy cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 lemon
100 ml dry vermouth
thick slice of butter
a palmful of chopped parsley
Heat oil in a stainless steel or cast iron
casserole. Put in the chops and colour
lightly on each side, sot that they leave a
slight sticky deposit in the pan in a minute
or two. Tuck the garlic around the chops,
scatter in the fennel seed and grind over a
little salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice
of half the lemon and pour in the dry
vermouth. Bring the liquid to the boil and
bubble for 3-4 minutes until it becomes
mildly syrupy. Drop in the butter, cover with
a lid and bake at 170°C for 40 mins. After 35
minutes, put a serving dish in to warm.
Place the chops on the serving dish, boil
the cooking juices for 1 minute, then stir in
the juice from the second half of the lemon
and the chopped parsley. Pour the juices
over the chops and serve with scrubbed
new potatoes and a green salad.
beef, lamb, veal
summer meatballs
1 kg minced veal
2-4 slices stale white bread
200 ml milk
100g pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
leaves from a decent handful of basil
40 g freshly grated Parmesan
2 beaten eggs
olive oil for frying
sauce: 1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 stick celery
1 carrot
zest of half a lemon
4 tsp. butter
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
2 x 700 ml tomato passata
one or two sprigs basil
250 ml full-fat milk
Put onion, garlic, celery, carrot and lemon
zest in the food processor and purée
roughly. Heat 2 tbsp.. butter and the oil in a
large pan into which the meatballs will fit in
a large layer. When warm, add the onion
mixture. Cook over a low to medium heat,
stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until soft.
Stir in the sugar and the passata (or
alternatively, 4 x 400g tins of tomatoes),
throw in a couple of springs of basil and
cook covered, on low heat, for 20 minutes.
Take lid off and reduce, stirring
occasionally for another 20 minutes. Ten
minutes in, stir in the milk and the
remaining butter. Remove crusts from the
bread and break into pieces. Cover with the
milk and leave for 10 minutes to soak. Put
the pin nuts in the (dry) bowl of the food
processor and grind. Add the garlic, basil
and grated Parmesan and blend together.
Put the minced meat into a large bowl and
scrape out the contents of the food
processor bowl on top of it. Add the eggs.
Squeeze out the milky bread and add. Use
hands to mix well and combine. Line two
baking sheets with clingfilm. Take clumps
of the meat mixture and roll into balls about
the size of walnuts, and then press slightly
too flatten. When plastic sheet is full, place
in refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pour olive oil
into a frying pan to a depth of 5mm. When
hot, brown the meatballs on both sides and
transfer to the pan or casserole with the
sauce. When they’re all in, put on the lid and
cook on a low-ish heat for 30 minutes, then
10
 beef, lamb, veal

remove the lid and leave to bubble gently

for a final 5 minutes. Sprinkle on added
basil and some toasted pine nuts and serve
with either rice or pasta.

11
 beef, lamb, veal

lamb shanks with balsamic vinegar and and season. Serve with plain noodles and
Marsala spinach leaves seared in a tine amount of
oil.
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 small lamb shanks, about 450g each
2 large onions
100 ml balsamic vinegar
150 ml Marsala

Put the oil into a casserole and place it over

a moderate flame. Once it is hot, add the
lamb shanks and allow them to brown
lightly on all sides. While the meat is
browning, peel and slice the onions, but not
too thinly. Remove the meat and turn the
heat down. Add the onions to the pan and
stir occasionally, letting them cook slowly
until soft and lightly coloured. Add the
vinegar, bring to the boil, then return the
lamb and any juices to the pot. Baste the
lamb with the onions and juices, then cover
with a lid and bake at 170°C for 1 1/2 hours,
basting and turning once. Now add the
Marsala and return to the oven, uncovered,
for 25 mins. The lamb will be sticky and will
fall off the bone with ease and the onions
will be rich and jammy. Serve with a
chicory salad and some hunks of crusty
bread.

veal kidneys with three mustards

450 g veal (or lamb) kidneys

2 shallots
1 glass white wine
200 ml double cream
1 small tsp. tarragon mustard
1 small tsp. Meaux seed mustard
1 small tsp. Dijon mustard
50 g unsalted butter
a little lemon juice

Remove sinew from kidneys and cut into

small lobes (or if using lamb) simply split in
half and remove nerve). Heat pan with oil
but not to smoking point. Seal on all sides,
season and continue cooking for a few
seconds more. Empty kidneys into a
colander and drain. Chop shallots very
finely and add to pan as butter foams. When
shallots soften, add wine and reduce on
high heat, scraping up the juices. When
wine is almost gone, add cream. Boil
vigorously until cream has reduced and
thickened. Turn down heat and whisk in
mustards. Do not boil. Return the kidneys to
the pan and coat with sauce. Sharpen with
lemon juice. Add more butter if necessary,

12

sautéed lambs’ kidneys with Madeira gravy
bacon gremolata and parsley and mustard
mash
kidneys: 8 plum lamb’s kidneys
50 g butter
150 ml Madeira
bacon: 200 g streaky bacon, cut into thin
strips
50 g butter
95 g fresh breadcrumbs
handful fresh, flat-leafed parsley
grated zest of one lemon
salt and freshly ground black
pepper
mash: 740 g potatoes, peeled, in large
chunks
2 heaped tbsp. grain mustard
50 g butter
3 heaped tbsp. crème fraîche
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender.
Meanwhile, halve kidneys and remove white
core with scissors. Rinse under cold
running water. When potatoes are tender,
drain and mash with butter, parsley,
mustard and crème fraîche. Cover with
butter paper and a tight lid, and keep warm.
Fry the bacon in a shallow pan until the fat
on the bacon is golden. Remove pan from
heat, leaving bacon and butter in it. In
another pan, melt half the butter for
kidneys. Place dry kidneys into butter. Cook
on one side for 1 min. on high heat and turn
over and cook for another. Lift out and keep
warm. Discard most of the butter and pour
in the Madeira and boil over a high heat for
90 sec., scraping the pan. Add the
remaining butter. Reduce the heat and
return kidneys to the sauce. return bacon to
heat and mix breadcrumbs, chopped parsley
and grated lemon together. Stir them into
the sizzling bacon and butter. Season with
salt and some black pepper and stir gently
for 2-3 minutes. To serve, spoon the kidneys
and their sauce into a hot, shallow serving
dish. Scatter the hot bacon gremolata over.
beef, lamb, veal
lamb with fennel and garlic
12 lamb cutlets
plain flour, for dusting
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb with leaves, cut into chunks
150 g dry Marsala
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dust the cutlets in the flour, shaking off any
excess. Heat a little olive oil in a large
frying pan, then fry the cutlets on both
sides until brown. Remove and set aside.
Add the garlic and fennel to the pan and fry
for a few minutes, stirring. Stir in the
Marsala and season with salt and pepper.
Return cutlets to pan and cook for 15
minutes.
Blanquette of lamb
50 g unsalted butter
1.8 kg lamb shoulder, boned and cut into
chunks
2 tbsp. plain flour
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 litre dry white wine
bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaves)
500 g baby carrots
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. crème fraîche
salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a large pan and carefully
brown the lamb, in batches if necessary.
Sprinkle the lamb with the flour, then add
the garlic. Stir over a high heat for a couple
of minutes until garlic is cooked. Lower the
heat and slowly stir in the wine. Add the
bouquet garni, carrots and salt and pepper,
then simmer for about 1 1/4 hours until
lamb is tender. In a bowl, whisk together
the lemon juice, egg yolk and crème fraîche
with a fork. Just before serving, remove the
lamb from the heat, stir the lemon juice
mixture into the pan and return to the heat
to warm through. Serve with saffron rice.
13
 beef, lamb, veal

roast pigs’ kidneys with mushrooms and lamb and potato moussaka
cream
900 g waxy potatoes
2 large pigs’ kidneys 2 tbsp. sunflower oil
200 g small brown mushrooms, halved 450 g onions, peeled and thinly sliced
75 ml whipping cream 2 large cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped 1 level tsp. cinnamon
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 500 g lamb mince
2 tbsp. olive oil 400 g tomatoes, drained and chopped
95 g butter 750 ml vegetable stock
1 level tbsp. plain flour 1 tsp. oregano
150 ml chicken stock 1 tbsp. sugar
1 level tsp. chopped thyme leaves 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
150 g streaky bacon salt and pepper
2 level tbsp. smooth Dijon mustard
salt and pepper sauce: 1 pint milk
freshly grated nutmeg
Halve and rinse kidneys. In a shallow pan, 50 g unsalted butter
cook the chopped shallots and half the 50 g plain flour
crushed garlic in the oil and a third of the 3 medium eggs
butter until soft. Do not brown. Add salt and pepper
mushrooms and cook for 4-5 mins until soft.
Sprinkle in flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour Cook potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain, cool,
in stock and white wine and bring to the and cut into 5mm slices. Heat oil in frying
boil. Turn down heat, season with salt and pan and sauté onion for 15 mins. Add
pepper and simmer for 2 mins. The sauce cinnamon and stir for 1 minute. Add lamb
should not be too thick. Thin with stock if it and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and
is. Melt half of the remaining butter in a add the stock, oregano, sugar, and parsley.
small frying pan. Once it starts to sizzle, Season and cook for 25 minutes. Make
briefly fry the kidneys on each side over a sauce as for a white sauce and when cool,
high heat. Place seared kidney halves in a add the whisked eggs. Place alternate
flame proof dish, cut side up. Mix together layers of potatoes and mince mixture in a
the remaining butter and garlic with the casserole. Spoon cooled sauce over the top
chopped thyme leaves and a little salt and and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes. Leave for
pepper. Spread this seasoned butter over 10 minutes before serving.
the cut side of the kidneys and place the
remaining kidney halves on top. Unravel the
bacon to form long strips and wrap each
kidney in 5 slices. Pour sauce over and gigot of lamb on boulangerie potatoes
bake in 200°C oven for 20-25 minutes until
bacon is crisp. 5-6 large potatoes
3 medium onions
2 garlic cloves
60 g butter
1/2 pint light meat stock
2 kg leg of lamb (or hogget)
sea salt
black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (move the

shelves to make room for the dish. Peel and
thinly slice the potatoes and wash them
thoroughly. Smear the butter around the
interior of a large dish. Drain the potatoes
and start layering the potato slices and the
onions until you have filled the disk. Slip in
a slice of garlic every now and then. Pour
the stock over the potatoes. Place the lamb
on a roasting tray, fiercely brown it in a very

14

hot oven for 15 minutes and then transfer to
the baking dish (this is to burn excess fat
off of it) . Place a small sprig of rosemary
under the meat and season the meat with
salt and pepper and moisten the lamb with
a little oil if it dries out. Cook for 90
minutes and allow to rest in the (off) oven
for 20 minutes.
herb-crusted lamb with broad bean purée
purée: 225 g floury potatoes, peeled and
diced
500 g broad beans, shelled
100 g fat-free Greek yoghurt
4 tbsp. fresh chives
lamb: 3 tbsp roughly chopped mixed herbs
(parsley, basil, coriander, mint)
1 fresh rosemary sprig, leaves ripped
off
1 tsp olive oil
8 x 50 g lamb noisettes
2 tbsp prepared mustard
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 220°C. Cook potatoes in a
pan of boiling salted water for about 5
minutes until tender, then drain well. Cook
the broad beans in a separate pan of boiling
water for 5-8 min. until tender and then
drain. Meanwhile, put the mixed herbs,
rosemary leaves and garlic in a food
processor and whiz until finely chopped.
Stir in the lemon rind and juice, olive oil and
plenty of salt and pepper. Spread each
noisette or chop with a little mustard and
sprinkle with the herb mixture. Lay in a
baking dish and cook for 8-10 min. until well
browned but pink in the middle. Mash the
potatoes. Whiz the beans in a food
processor until smooth. Stir in the potato
with the yoghurt, lemon juice and chives.
Season to taste. Spoon the purée on to
serving plates and top with the lamb. Serve
with salad.
beef, lamb, veal
spicy beef
500g diced braising steak
15ml sunflower oil
5cm fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 red chillis, halved and deseeded
6 salad onions, trimmed and cut into 5cm
lengths
1 cinnamon stick, halved
30ml hoisin sauce
450ml hot chicken stock
15ml soft brown sugar
60ml dark soy sauce
60ml dry sherry
1/2 head Chinese cabbage (pak choi)
roughly shredded)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
175g egg noodles, cooked to serve
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.
Add the steak and blanch for 5 mins. Skim
the surface. Heat the oil in a wok or large
frying pan until hot. Add the steak and stir-
fry for 5-7 mins, until browned. Remove and
set aside. Add the ginger, garlic, chillies and
half the salad onions and stir-fry for 1 min.
Stir in the cinnamon, hoisin sauce and
steak. Mix in the stock, sugar, soy sauce
and sherry. Bring to the boil, then simmer,
uncovered, for 90 mins. until the meat is
tender. remove the pan from the heat, then
stir in the Chinese cabbage and remaining
onions. Allow to cook in theheat of the stew
for 5 mins. Season to taste. Divide among
four dishes and serve with noodles.
15

honey-grilled lamb with saffron pilaf
generous pinch of saffron
750ml hot lamb stock
4 green cardamon pods
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
15ml clear honey
4 lamb neck fillets, about 450g in weight
15ml olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
225g basmati rice
12 dried apricts, halved
200g fine beans, halved
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g flaked almonds, toasted
Stir the saffron into the lamb stock. Split
open the cardamon pods, place the seeds in
a pestle and mortar, then finely crush them.
Mix the seeds with the garlic and honey.
Thickly spread over the lamb fillets and set
to one side. heat the oil in a large frying
pan, then cook the onion until it starts to
turn golden. Add the rice, dried apricots and
beans, pour in the saffron-infused stock and
season to taste. Bring to the boil, then
cover and simmer for 15-20 mins or until
the rice is tender and all the stock is
absorbed. Meanwhile, frill the lamb for 8-10
mins. turning frequently, until tender. Stir
any honey juices from the grill pan into the
cooked rice, then gently warm through.
Toss in the toasted almonds and serve
topped with slices of lamb.
beef, lamb, veal
shoulder confit with truffle mashed potato
400 g lamb shoulder
720 g lambchops
1 litre grape juice
50 g carrot
30 g onion, sliced
5 g pepper
30 g lime, cut into segments
3 g each bay leaves, black peppercorns,
coriander, chopped parsley
3 ml truffle oil
100 ml cream
50 ml milk
30 g potato, boiled in salted water and
peeled
15 g butter
100 ml demi-glaze
3 g each, salt, pepper
30 g shallots, chopped
Trim the lam shoulder from excess of fat,
cut into pieces and 4cm long. Marinate with
carrots, onions, bay leaves, black
peppercorn and cover with graph juice.
Marinate for 2 days in the refrigerator.
Transfer the lamb onto a baking tray, cook
with the marinade at 100C for 2-1/2 hours.
When the lamb is done, cool it in the
marinade and break it into small pieces in
your hand.
To prepare mashed potato, boil cream and
milk in a large saucepan. Add potato and
mash them with a wooden spoon. Add
truffle oil and adjust seasoning. In a hot pan
heat butter and sauté shallots till
translucent. Add lime and confit. Saute and
check for salt and pepper. Place the
sautéed lamb confit in a ring mould and top
with mashed potato.
To prepare lyonnaise, heat olive oil in frying
pan and sauté onion till brown. Add parsley
and a splash of grape juice to deglaze.
Marinate the lamb chops with salt, papper
and oil then grill as you wish. For the sauce,
bring the demiglaze to a simmer and
correct seasoning, add butter andn allow it
to gently melt.
To plate, place the ring mould on the plate,
spoon lamb confit at the base, top with
mashed potato, arrange the lyonnaise and
place the grilled lamb chop on top of it.
Drizzle with the sauce to finish. Serve
immediately.
16
 beef, lamb, veal

La-ham (Lamb with Emirati spices)

650g de-boned lamb, cubed

2 tsp tomato paste
1 tomato, chopped
½ cup corn oil
2 large onions. sliced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp bezar (Arabic spice mix)
1 tsp tumeric
½ pod cardamon
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
salt, to taste

Place the lamb in a large pot with water

and bring to the boil. Cook for around 45
minutes, until tender, then drain and keep to
one side. Fry onions in a pan until brown,
add spices and continue frying for two or
three minutes. Add all the remaining
ingredients and enough water and cook
until a thick gravy forms and all the spices
are well amalgamated. Plate the lamb and
pour the gravy over.

17
 chicken, turkey, duck

Cantonese chicken & vegetables navajo stew

30ml oil 2 large onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped 2 small chillies finely chopped
6 tbsp. water 4 fl oz orange juice
1 tsp. cornflour and 1 tsp. sugar, mixed 2 lb. boneless turkey breast, cut into 2 cm
together cubes
1 tbsp. dark soy sauce salt and pepper
4 tbsp. chilli sauce 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2cm cubes
cubed 2 10 oz tins black beans
1 carrot, sliced and quartered
125g button mushrooms, sliced Fry the onions in the butter until soft but
8 baby sweetcorns not browned, and the turkey and stir for one
1/4 tbsp. Chinese 5-spice minute. Add the chillies, juice and sweet
4 tbsp. white wine potatoes. Season and stir. Add the beans
and simmer for 30 mins or until the sweet
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown potatoes are soft and mushy.
the chicken over a high heat until cooked.
Add the garlic and onion, fry for 1 minute
and then stir in the vegetables and cook for
5 minutes over a fairly high heat. Mix in the chicken stew in white wine
remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring
occasionally until the sauce thickens. 250g butter
8 small carrots
one can of new potatoes
chicken pepitoria 200g mushrooms
200g bacon
6 pieces chicken breast 3 small onions
1 piece leek 8 small stalks celery
200 ml olive oil 4 chicken breasts
1 kg spinach 4 tablespoons flour
200g onion, chopped 2/3 bottle dry white wine
300ml white wine 1/8 tsp. black pepper
400ml chicken stock 1/4 tsp. onion powder
pinch of saffron 1/4 tsp. curry powder
220ml cream 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. green or red pepper, chopped 1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. sage
Poach the leek for a few minutes, immerse 1/4 tsp. paprika
in cold water. Cut pocket in each chicken 1 tsp. oregano
breast, fill with leek and season to taste. 1 tsp. basil
Heat oil in pan and brown chicken breasts 1 tsp. salt
on both sides. Place pan in oven and bake 1 tbsp. parsley flakes
at 190° C for 10 mins. Remove. Add half the 1 pinch thyme
onion and glaze. Add wine, saffron and
stock. Reduce by half. Add cream. Parboil Chop bacon and onions into bite-sized
spinach. Remove and sauté with rest of pieces and sauté in large pan along with
onion. Season and place on serving plates. the celery. In a separate pa sauté the
Cut each breast into three pieces and add chicken until brown. To the first pan add
to serving plates with sauce. the flour and stir until smooth. Add more
butter if necessary. Add chicken. Pour on
the wine and add spices. Add the carrots
and simmer on low heat, stirring
occasionally until carrots and chicken are
cooked (40-50 mins.) 10 mins before
serving, sauté mushrooms and add along
with potatoes.

18
 chicken, turkey, duck

chicken with crab

4 chicken fillets
30g butter
2 tbsp. oil
filling 30g butter
3 shallots
1 clove garlic
170g can crab
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. cream
salt and pepper
sauce 30g butter
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 chicken stock cube
2 tsp. French mustard
2 tsp. cornflour
1 tbsp. cream
salt and pepper

Cut a pocket in the chicken and fill with the

prepared filling. Heat oil and butter in pan
and cook until golden brown on both sides.
Remove and place in greased ovenproof
dish. Cover and bake in moderate oven for
20 mins. For the filling: melt butter in pan,
add chopped shallots and crushed garlic.
Add drained crab, lemon juice and cream,
cook for a further 1 min. Season with salt
and pepper.

chicken with oranges & almonds

60g butter
1/2 cup flaked almonds
4 chicken portions
salt and pepper
paprika
3 oranges
2 tsp. caster sugar

Melt the butter in a pan, add the almonds

and fry gently until golden. Remove and set
aside. Sprinkle the chicken with salt,
pepper and paprika to taste. Add to the fat
remaining in the pan and fry until golden all
over. Cover and cook gently for 30 mins or
until tender. Meanwhile squeeze the juice
from two of the oranges. Cut the third into
segments, discarding all pith. Transfer the
chicken to a warmed serving dish and keep
hot. Add the orange juice, orange segments
and sugar to the pan juices and boil rapidly
for 2 mins. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with
the almonds and serve immediately.

19
 chicken, turkey, duck

chicken breasts with grilled mango and chicken with crab

passionfruit sauce
4 chicken fillets
4 passionfruit 30g butter
1 glass water 2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cornflour filling 30g butter
1 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped 3 shallots
2 chicken breasts 1 clove garlic
1 mango 170g can crab
2 tsp. lemon juice
Scoop out the flesh of the passionfruit and 1 tbsp. cream
blend with the water. Sieve to remove the salt and pepper
pips. Pour into a small saucepan and boil to sauce 30g butter
reduce for 5 minutes, add the cornflour and 3/4 cup water
blend. Toss in the coriander. Slice the 1/4 cup dry white wine
chicken breasts across the flat and fry 1 chicken stock cube
them in a small amount of butter. Slice the 2 tsp. French mustard
mango and grill or griddle until slightly 2 tsp. cornflour
blackened. Arrange on a plate and serve 1 tbsp. cream
with the sauce. salt and pepper

Cut a pocket in the chicken and fill with the

chilli chicken garlic steaks prepared filling. Heat oil and butter in pan
and cook until golden brown on both sides.
1 tsp. sugar Remove and place in greased ovenproof
1 tsp. cornflour dish. Cover and bake in moderate oven for
2 tbsp. oil 20 mins. For the filling: melt butter in pan,
1 onion, finely chopped add chopped shallots and crushed garlic.
3 tbsp. water Add drained crab, lemon juice and cream,
6 tbsp. chilli sauce cook for a further 1 min. Season with salt
450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts and pepper.
100g mange tout
50g beansprouts
2 tsp. oyster sauce lemon chicken

Cut the chicken into 5cm pieces and make 8 small chicken breast fillets
criss-cross cuts on the surface. Combine 1 egg white
the chilli sauce with the garlic, oyster 1/2 tsp. sugar
sauce, sugar, cornflour and chicken and 1 tsp. salt
leave it to marinate for 30 minutes. Heat 1 tsp. grated green ginger
the oil and fry the onion and chicken until flour
cooked (about 10-15 minutes). Stir in the 2 tbsp. oil
mange tout and beansprouts and stir-fry for 30g butter
2-3 minutes. Add a little water to make a 3 shallots
sauce and serve hot. 1 lemon
sauce 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 chicken stock cube
2 tbsp. cornflour
2 tbsp. honey
2 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 3/4 cups water

Combine egg white, sugar, salt and ginger,

mix well, add fillets, turn in mixture, stand
10 minutes. Coat lightly with flour. heat oil
and butter in pan and add half the fillets.
Fry until golden brown on both sides.
Remove. Repeat. Spoon lemon sauce over.

20
 chicken, turkey, duck

Garnish with chopped shallots and thinly red-cooked chicken

sliced lemon. For the sauce: Combine
lemon juice, crumbled stock cube, one 2kg chicken, chopped into 5x4cm
cornflour, honey, brown sugar, ginger and pieces
water in saucepan and stir over low heat 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
until sauce thickens. 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 slices root ginger, chopped
6-6 1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
6-6 1/2 tbsp. rice wine or sherry
600ml stock or water
3 tsp. sugar

Heat oil in a casserole and when hot, add

onions and ginger. Stir-fry over medium
heat for 2 mins. Add the chicken pieces and
turn in the hot oil for 3-4 mins. Add soy
sauce, sherry, stock and sugar. Bring to
boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 70
mins. Turn every 15 mins until sauce is
reduced.

white cut chicken

one 2kg chicken

2.2 lit water
4 slices root ginger
salt
sauce 3-4 tbsp. dark soy sauce
2 tbsp. wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. chilli sauce
2 tbsp. shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Boil water and place chicken, salt, and

ginger in saucepan and when boiling, lower
heat and simmer for 1 hour until done,
turning a couple of times. Turn off feat and
allow chicken to stand in the stock for 30
mins, before refrigerating. When chicken is
cool, remove from the stock and chop into
5x4cm pieces. Mix together ingredients for
sauce, pour over and serve.

21
 chicken, turkey, duck

chilli chicken stir fry chicken in lemon mustard

1 tbsp. honey 8 small chicken fillets

1 tsp. soy sauce 1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp. oil 1 clove garlic
2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 small onion, cut into wedges salt and pepper
1 tsp. cornflour 2 tsp. dry mustard
125ml water 90g butter
6 tbsp. chilli sauce 1 tbsp. oil
450g skinless, boneless chicken breasts, watercress for garnish
cut into strips sauce 30g butter
2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped 1 leek, washed and sliced
1 green and 1 red pepper, de-seeded, cut 1 clove garlic, crushed
into chunks 1 stick celery, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
Combine the chilli sauce, honey, soy sauce, 1 rasher bacon, chopped
salt, pepper and chicken. Marinate for 1 cup dry white wine
about 20 minutes. Heat the oil and fry the 2 cups water
chicken until nearly cooked (about 8-10 2 chicken stock cubes
minutes). Add the ginger, garlic and 2 tsp. dry mustard
vegetables and stir fry over a high heat for a 1 tsp. French mustard
few minutes until onion softens. Mix the 1 tsp. sugar
cornflour and water and stir into the 2 tbsp. lemon juice
chicken mixture and heat, stirring 1 1/2 tbsp. cornflour
constantly until thickened. Serve hot with salt and pepper
rice. 60g butter, extra

Place chicken in a single layer in a glass

dish. Combine onion, crushed garlic, lemon
juice, sat, pepper and mustard, pour lemon
mixture over chicken. Stand 2-3 hours.
Remove chicken and pat dry with paper.
Melt butter and oil in pan, add chicken and
cook over high heat until lightly browned.
Remove and place in ovenproof dish, cover
and bake in moderate oven 15 mins. Serve
with sauce and garnish. For the sauce: Melt
butter, add leek, garlic, carrot, celery and
bacon, cook covered over low heat for 5
mins. Add wine, water and crumbled stock
cubes, bring to boil, reduce heat and
simmer 30 mins, uncovered. Strain, return
to saucepan, add mustards and sugar.
Combine lemon juice and cornflour, add to
sauce and stir until boiling thickens slightly.
Season and add extra butter. Serve with
vegetable platter.

22
 chicken, turkey, duck

Shangtung hand-shredded chicken spiced country chicken

1 young roasting chicken about 2kg 4 chicken portions

2 medium sticks celery, chopped
4 slices root ginger, chopped
1/2 medium red capsicum, chopped
2 medium chillies, chopped
4-5 thin slices of zha cai (ph. “zarr sigh”)
pickles
3 shallots, chopped
salt
sauce 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. stock
Roast the chicken in a 200°C oven for 1 1/2
hours. When cool, cut into small pieces and
shred. Mix sauce ingredients together until
well blended. To serve, mix and toss all
ingredients together on a serving platter.
Pour the sauce over.
2 tbsp. plain flour
30g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. chopped thyme
1/2 x 425g can tomatoes
2 tbsp. sweet vermouth
salt and pepper
1/3 cup raisins
Coat chicken portions with flour and fry in
melted butter until golden. Remove from
the pan and set aside. Add garlic, green
pepper, curry powder and thyme to
remaining fat and fry, stirring for 5 mins.
Add tomatoes with their juice and the
vermouth. Return chicken to pan and add
salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook
for 20 mins or until chicken is tender. Stir
in raisins and serve hot with jacket
potatoes or plain boiled rice.

chicken supreme

2 x 1.5kg chickens
2 red peppers
2 carrots, scraped and cut into small cubes
250g mushrooms, finely sliced
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2/3 cup frozen peas
125g butter
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cream
1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. turmeric
60 butter, extra

Steam or boil chickens until tender.

Reserve 3 cups of chicken stock. Remove
skin and bones from meat and cut into 1”
pieces. Peel and finely chop onions. Melt
butter in pan and add prepared vegetables.
Cook until tender. Remove. Add extra
butter and melt, stir in flour and cook 1 min.
Add chicken stock, turmeric, mustard and
cream. Mix well. Stir until boiling. Reduce
heat. Return vegetables to pan, add chicken
pieces and peas, cover, simmer 5 mins.
Serve with rice.

23

chicken in lime, ginger and soy sauce
2 chicken breasts, 4 drumsticks or 12 wings
4tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lime
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1tbsp grated ginger
Rub chicken pieces with olive oil and roast
in a moderate oven 30 mins. Drain off fat
and add lime juice, soy sauce and ginger.
Turn oven to moderate. Bake a further 15
mins, basting occasionally.
chicken, turkey, duck
duck with Campari and orange
4 oranges
Remove the outer part of the skin with a
vegetable peeler and cut into strips.
Simmer for 15 mins. in a quart of water,
drain and pat dry. Squeeze the juice out of
the oranges and set aside.
1 duckling, about 2kg
1 carrot
1 onion
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper
Season the duck cavity with the salt and
pepper, add a third of the prepared orange
peel. Prick the skin around the thighs, back
and lower breast, dry the duck thoroughly
and place in a roasting tin with the chopped
carrot and onion around it. Bake at 220°C
for 15 mins. to brown. Turn heat down to
180°C and turn the duck onto the other side.
After 15 mins, turn it back upright and
sprinkle the breast with some coarse salt.
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
50ml red wine vinegar
500ml stock (duck, if possible)
30g arrowroot
2 tbsp. Campari
the previously squeezed orange juice
Boil the sugar and vinegar over a medium-
high heat until the mixture turns into a
brown syrup. Remove from heat and pour in
the orange juice. Reduce to a syrupy glaze
and add the stock. Blend Campari into a
paste with the arrowroot and whisk into the
sauce. Simmer gently for a minute and
then stir in the orange peel. Simmer for 2-3
minutes, or until the sauce is clear, limpid
and lightly thickened. When the duck is
cooked, remove the string, put in a dish and
replace in the turned-off oven with the door
ajar.
125ml Campari
2-3 tbsp. Cointreau
25g butter
3 or 4 oranges, cut into segments
Remove as much fat as possible from the
roasting tin, add the Campari and boil it
down rapidly. Re39duce until there is only
2-3 tbsp. of liquid left. Strain this into the
sauce and then stir in the liqueur a spoonful
at a time. Add extra orange juice at this
24
 chicken, turkey, duck

stage if the sauce is too sweet. Just before ginger chicken satay
serving and off of the heat, swirl in the
butter to enrich it and pour the sauce into a marinade 1/4 cup ginger root, peeled and
warmed sauceboat. Place a line of orange sliced
segments over the duck and heap the rest 1 cup vegetable oil
at the two ends of the dish. Spoon a little 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
of the sauce over the duck, and serve. 2 tbsp. honey
satay 4 chicken breasts
24 wooden skewers
mint sauce 1 cup mint leaves, no stems
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup yoghurt
1 tbsp. chilli garlic paste

Purée marinade ingredients in blender.

Slice chicken breasts into 6 strips and
thread onto skewers. Place in a shallow
pan and coat with the marinade for 24
hours. Purée mint sauce and refrigerate.
Grill chicken satays, arrange on plate and
serve with the mint sauce.

Chinese lemon chicken

375g chicken breasts, cut into 4x1cm

slices.
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. vegetable oil (for rubbing onto
chicken)
3 shallots, cut diagonally into 4cm lengths
3 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil for stir-frying
3 slices root ginger, chopped into double
matchsticks
rind of 1 1/2 medium lemons, chopped
similarly
1 medium red capsicum, thinly sliced
1 medium green capsicum, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. stock
2 tbsp. dry sherry
3 tbsp. light soy sauce
juice from 2 medium lemons

Rub chicken with salt, pepper and oil. Heat

oil in wok and when hot, add ginger, chicken
and lemon rind. Stir-fry over high heat for 2
minutes. Remove and set aside. Add
shallots and capsicums and stir-fry over
high heat. Pour in stock, sherry and soy
sauce. When boiling, return chicken to wok
and toss in sauce. After 90 sec. or when
the liquid in the wok reduces by half,
sprinkle with lemon juice. Turn once more
and serve.

25
 chicken, turkey, duck

chicken breasts stuffed with pesto laksa (chicken with noodles)

4 tbsp. fresh brown breadcrumbs shredded poached chicken

4 large, free-range chicken breasts, bean curd slices, fried
unskinned beansprouts, blanched
2 tbsp. pesto (preferably fresh) fishcake, sliced
1 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese a few coriander leaves
olive oil chipped fresh red chilli
salt and pepper prawns

Mix together breadcrumbs, pesto and paste 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

parmesan together, then season. Lift skin
from chicken and push a quarter of stuffing
under . Replace skin, patting gently, to
cover pesto mix. Brush a little olive oil over
chicken. (This can be done up to 6 hours
ahead, but return chicken to room
temperature 30 mins prior to baking.)
Roast at 220°C for 25 mins. Allow chicken
to rest for 5 mins before serving with
tomato and basil sauce and a small
spoonful of basil juices spooned over. Or
serve in 3 or 4 pieces garnished with basil.
chilli chicken strips with red-pepper pasta
2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mild chilli pepper
half tsp. ground cumin
half tsp. dried oregano or marjoram
180g pasta shapes
1 large red pepper, cored and chopped
2 cloves garlic
200g can chopped tomatoes
1 small head broccoli, stalks chopped,
florets halved
few leaves of fresh basil, torn
2 dsp. fromage frais
sea salt and ground black pepper
Place chicken in food bag with 1 tbsp. oil,
spices, herbs and a little seasoning. Rub
well together and leave for 15 mins. Boil
pasta according to instructions. Drain and
rinse. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of oil in a
saucepan and stir in the peppers and garlic.
Cover and cook for 5 mins until soft.
Preheat a grill pan over a medium heat. Mix
the tomatoes and the broccoli into the
peppers together with half a cup of water.
Cover and cook for 5 mins. Mix in the
pasta, reheat and add the basil and fromage
frais. Place chicken strips on the grill pan
when hot and sizzle for 5 mins. Turn and
cook another 5. Serve on top of the pasta.
3 stalks lemongrass
3 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
6 shallots
5 blanched almonds
5 dried red chillies, seeded and
soaked
1 tsp. ground cumin, coriander and
turmeric
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3 lime leaves
600 ml coconut milk
600ml chicken or fish stock
200 gm dried vermicelli noodles
Blend paste ingredients in a food processor
until smooth, adding water if necessary.
Fry paste in oil for 5-8 minutes, until it
starts to separate and reddish oil appears
Add stock or water and bring to boil. Add
coconut milk, salt, sugar, lime leaves, bean
curd and prawns. Simmer, uncovered for 10
mins. Soak noodles in cold water to soften
and separate, then cook until just tender.
Drain. Rinse. Divide and put into bowls,
adding handful of beansprouts. Add soup,
fishcake and chicken. Garnish with
coriander, chilli and spring onions.

26

turkey with tarragon
4 turkey escalopes
20g plain flour
25g polyunsaturated margarine
6 tbsp. white wine
175ml fresh orange juice
1 tsp. clear honey
4 sprigs fresh tarragon
pepper
Coat turkey with flour. Melt margarine and
add meat and cook over high heat until
brown. Add wine and bring to boil. Add
orange juice, honey and tarragon, season
with pepper, cover and simmer over low
heat for 20-30 mins or until turkey is
cooked.
aromatic chicken
4 boneless chicken breasts, skinned
2 tsp. hot curry powder
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
4 tsp. apricot jam
3 tsp. tomato purée
3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp. oil
4 tsp. lemon juice
pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Cut 5mm diagonal slits in the top of the
chicken pieces. Mix together all of the other
ingredients in a large bowl and let the
chicken marinate in it for one hour. Preheat
oven to 190°C, place chicken in a lightly
greased ovenproof dish and cook for 40-45
mins, turning at half time. Serve with nan or
pitta bread, brown rice and a salad.
chicken, turkey, duck
hot Thai stir fry
350g chicken, cut into small pieces
groundnut oil
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
a lump of ginger (walnut sized) chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 hot red chillies, seeded and finely
chopped
2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
generous handful of basil leaves
Heat a wok or deep frying pan and pour in
enough oil to cover the bottom, about two
tablespoons. When the oil starts to shimmer
and smoke, drop in the chopped chicken. Do
not touch until the bottom side is golden,
then move the chicken around in the pan.
Take out when done. Add a little more oil to
the pan and thrown in the spring onions,
ginger and garlic. Shake it all about. It
should sizzle and spit. Turn up heat if it
doesn’t. Add the chillies, and when they
soften, return the chicken to the pan. Tear
the basil leaves up a bit and throw them
into the pan. Stir for a minute. Slosh in the
soy sauce and serve.
pan-fried turkey steaks with onion confit
confit 3 tbsp. olive oil
50g butter
750g onions, cut into thick segments
1 wineglass dry Marsala
2 tbsp. vinegar
turkey4 turkey breast steaks
1 thick slice butter
1 large mango, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. green peppercorns, in brine
a little chopped parsley
Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy-
bottomed pan with a lid. Add the onions,
cover and leave to cook over a low heat for
about an hour, stirring from time to time.
They should be soft and golden. Turn the
heat up to boil off any remaining liquid and
let them colour a little, stirring to stop them
sticking. Season with salt and pepper and
pour in the Marsala and vinegar. Continue
cooking until the onions are dark, sweet
and sticky. In a shallow pan, melt the butter
over a moderate to high heat. When it
sizzles, put in the turkey steaks. Season.
Let them fry, adjusting the heat as
necessary, until they are golden brown on
both sides and cooked right through. Add a
27
 chicken, turkey, duck

few splashes of Marsala, wine or water to chicken Pascal

the pan and stir to dislodge good bits stuck
to pan. Stir this liquid into the onions. Serve 2 chicken breasts
steaks surrounded by the onion confit, and 1 onion, chopped
a little of the chopped mango, mixed with 2 tomatoes, in segments
the peppercorns and parsley, on the side. 1 tbsp. sun-dried tomato paste
1 banana
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. olive oil

Slice chicken breasts and brown in oil in a

large saucepan with a lid. Add onion, stir,
lower heat, place lid and let onions turn
transparent. Stir in rice and add water,
tomatoes and tomato paste. When rice is
almost cooked (about 12~15 mins), add
spices and stir. Finally, add sliced banana
and cook for a further one minute.

chicken and cashew stir fry

one chicken breast

2 tsp. sesame oil
1 1-inch cube ginger, chopped
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
1 tsp. yellow bean sauce
1 tsp. chilli bean sauce
2 tbsp. broken cashew nuts

Stir fry chicken in sesame oil for 2-3

minutes. Add chopped ginger and spring
onions. Stir-fry for 1 minute more and add
sauces. Cook for 30 seconds. scatter on
broken cashew nuts. Serve with 250g
cooked egg noodles, chopped pieces of
spring onion, and soy sauce.

hot chicken with basil and coconut

100g creamed coconut

250ml water
500g chicken breasts, cut into 1cm strips
2 tbsp. oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. shredded fresh basil
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. dried red chillies, chopped
1 tsp. coriander

Combine creamed coconut and water. Heat

oil in wok, add onion and stir-fry until soft.
Add chicken and continue cooking for a
further 2-3 minutes. Add basil, fish sauce,
chillies, coriander and stir-fry for 1 minute.

28

Add coconut milk and heat the mixture
through. Serve immediately.
herb-stuffed chicken
2 each red, green and yellow peppers
60 ml olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp. chilli oil
2 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, drained and
chopped
1/2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp. coriander, chopped
1 tbsp. basil, chopped
salt and pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
75 g breadcrumbs
3-5 tbsp. sunflower oil
Remove chicken oyster and reserve. Make
slit along each breast and set aside. Place
chilli, tomatoes, garlic, coriander and basil
in the food processor and add butter. Mix
and add seasoning. Place 1 tbsp. of butter
mixture in each chicken breast and cover
hole with oyster. Dip chicken breasts in the
egg and then coat with the breadcrumbs.
Heat sunflower oil and cook the chicken
over a low heat for about 20 minutes,
turning once and adding some more oil if
necessary. Serve on top of roasted peppers
with dressing.
Chinese lemon chicken with cashew nuts
1 large egg
2 tbsp. cornflour
1 tbsp. peeled and finely grated ginger
salt and pepper
2 large chicken breast fillets, cut into strips
sauce: 3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
2 tsp. caster sugar
3 tbsp. sunflower oil
75 g sugar snap peas, trimmed
4 salad onions, trimmed and
shredded
50 roasted cashew nuts
Beat egg with cornflour, ginger and
seasoning, then stir in the chicken strips.
Cover the bow and set aside until ready to
cook. To make sauce, combine the lemon
juice with the soy sauce, 3 tbsp. water,
sugar and cornflour, then set aside. Heat 2
tbsp. of the sunflower oil in a large frying
chicken, turkey, duck
pan, and fry the chicken strips in batches
for 3-4 minutes until brown and crispy.
Remove from pan and keep warm. Wipe pan
with kitchen paper and add the remaining
oil and heat until hot. stir-fry the peas for a
few minutes, then add three-quarters of the
salad onions and stir for a few seconds
more. Stir the lemon sauce well, pour into
the pan containing the peas and onions and
stir until is smooth and thick. Add the
cashews, toss in the chicken and heat until
hot. Serve with a combination of plain and
wild rice.
chicken chaser
1 small roasting chicken, in pieces
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 sprig of tarragon, leaves chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped into dice
10 g dried ceps
1 tbsp. tarragon or white-wine vinegar
1 glass dry white wine
100 ml chicken stock
75 g butter
Soak the ceps for two hours in tepid water.
Season the pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in the sauté pan
until it is quite hot. Add half the butter and
when foaming, add the chicken pieces, skin
side down. Turn down heat and let chicken
cook for 8-10 mins. Turn over and cook
another 5 minutes. While chicken is
cooking, drain mushrooms, reserving the
liquid and slice into large pieces. In a
separate pan, fry with a little oil over high
heat, then drain again. When chicken is
almost cooked, pour out any oil or fat. Add a
tablespoon of fresh butter and stew the
chopped shallots and garlic under the
chicken pieces. Do not let brown. Pour in
vinegar, and reduce completely before
adding the wine. Reduce by half and then
add some of the stock. Let stew 2 or 3
minutes, and add stock and a little of the
mushroom liquid. Add mushrooms, tomato
and tarragon and bring to boil Check
seasoning and serve with creamy mashed
potatoes.
29

cumin lemon chicken with spicy chickpeas
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 tbsp. fresh parsley
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp. paprika
400 g can chickpeas
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper
Flatten chicken with a mallet. Cut lemon in
half, and cut the other half into wedges. In a
flat dish, mix the lemon juice with the
cumin, 1 tbsp. of oil, salt and pepper, and
then roll the chicken in it and coat. In a pan
over a fairly high heat, fry the chicken in 1
tbsp. of oil for 2-3 minutes on each side
until golden, sprinkling a little parsley over
at the end. In a separate pan, briefly fry the
spring onions, garlic and paprika in the
remaining oil without browning. Stir in the
chickpeas, lemon rind and remaining
parsley and gently warm through. Add the
lemon juice mixture, 2-3 tbsp. of water and
sugar to the pan with the chicken and let it
bubble. Serve the chicken and juices with
lemon wedges and green salad.
chicken, turkey, duck
chicken with creamy asparagus and sherry
sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. plain flour
25 g butter, plus extra
1 tbsp. sunflower oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
250 ml chicken stock
200g asparagus
2 tbsp. sherry
125 ml crème fraîche
salt and pepper
Dust the chicken breasts with the flour and
a little salt and pepper. Heat the butter and
oil in a large wide pan with a lid, then add
the chicken and fry over medium heat until
nicely browned. Add the onion and stir well,
then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the
stock and bring to the boil. Then cover and
simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the
chicken is tender. Meanwhile, trim tips from
asparagus and set aside. Cut the stalks into
2.5 cm lengths. Add the asparagus stalks to
the pan for the last 5 minutes of cooking
time. remove chicken from pan and keep
warm. Tip the contents of the pan into a
blender and process until smooth. Add
sherry and crème fraîche and process
further. Tip into small pan and reheat gently.
Cook the asparagus tips for about 3
minutes until just tender, then drain and
return to pan with a know of butter. Put the
chicken on warm serving plates, pour over
the sauce and scatter the asparagus tips.
Serve with new potatoes and a green salad.
30

Jewish chicken rissoles
600 g chicken mince
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp. fresh breadcrumbs
pinch of cinnamon
6 tbsp. olive oil
2 celery sticks, cut into small cubes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
600 g crushed tomatoes
a little chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the
eggs, breadcrumbs, cinnamon, and plenty of
salt and pepper. Shape into 12 rissoles. Heat
the oil in a large frying pan and fry the
rissoles fore 2-3 minutes on each side until
brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Add
the celery, garlic and tomato pulp to the
pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5
minutes. Return the rissoles to the pan and
cook for 10 minutes, adding more stock if
the sauce gets too thick.
simple lemon chicken
lemon 4 or 5 chicken joints
4-5 tbsp. olive oil
two garlic cloves, squashed
juice of 1 lemon (reserve the shells)
handful of basil
glassful of wine
Put chicken in baking dish and pour olive oil
over. Add garlic and lemon juice and toss
the shells into the pan also. After 30 mins
tear up basil and toss over. Cook for another
10 minutes. Take out the bits of chicken.
Place pan over a hot flame and add the
wine and reduce. Trickle juice over chicken.
chicken, turkey, duck
Thai-style chicken roulades
100g soft white breadcrumbs
2 shallots, finely diced
2 red chillies, finely diced
60 ml (4 tbsp. fresh coriander), finely
chopped
2 stalks lemon grass, finely chopped
15 ml (1 tbsp.) Thai fish sauce
30 ml (1 tbsp.) light soy sauce
juice and rind of 1 lime
500 boneless, skinless chicken
12 rashers smoked riddles streaky bacon
In a large bowl, mix together all the
ingredients, except the chicken fillets and
bacon. Wrap each fillet in cling film and beat
gently with a rolling pin to an even
thickness so it is large enough to fill and
roll. Place a little stuffing in the centre of
each piece of chicken, roll up and wrap with
two rashers of bacon, securing with a
cocktail stick. Place the chicken roulades in
a lightly oiled roasting tray in a preheated
oven 200°C for 20-25 minutes or until
thoroughly cooked.
summer gratin of chicken, broad beans and
tarragon
300 g shelled broad beans
250 g cold roast chicken
hear of a small summer lettuce, shredded
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. roughly chopped tarragon
300 ml whipping cream
handful of Pecorino cheese
Boil the beans for 5 minutes. Drain and
remove skins from the largest. Pull the
cooked chicken from the carcass in large
lumps. Put beans and chicken in a shallow
baking dish. Add lettuce, salt, black pepper,
parsley and tarragon. Pour over the
whipping cream, then turn gently in it.
Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 185°C for
25 minutes.
sticky fingers chicken
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 tbsp. mustard
2 tbsp. clear honey
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
31

Mix together sauce ingredients and tip the
whole lot into a roasting tin or lay on a
barbeque and cook for 30 minutes, basting
occasionally and turning once, until the
chicken is cooked through and has a sticky
glaze.
chicken with grape and herb stuffing
1 roasting chicken, about 1.6 kg
50g butter, softened
6 tbsp dry white wine
salt and pepper
stuffing: 2 tbsp olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely
chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 vegetable stock cube, finely
crumbed
4 ciabatta slices, diced
175 g white seedless grapes, halved
if large
50 g butter, melted
3 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
4 tbsp chopped watercress
1 tbsp chopped sage leaves
Preheat oven to 190°C. Make the stuffing by
heating the oil in a large frying pan and
cooking the onion garlic and stock cube
until the onion is transparent (2-3 min.) In a
large bowl, mix in the graphs, butter,
parsley, watercress and sage, and season
with salt and pepper. Sppon into a small
ovenproof dish and cover with foil. Rub the
inside of the chicken with salt. Rub the
outside with softened butter and sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Stuff stuffing in
chicken and roast in the oven for 90 min.
basting it with a little of the wine and
cooking juices.
pesto-stuffed chicken with a tomato sauce
4 boneless chicken breasts
pesto: 2 garlic cloves
100g fresh basil leaves
85 g pine nuts
85 g freshly grated Parmesan
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
sauce: 1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. caster sugar
chicken, turkey, duck
salt and pepper
rocket and grated Parmesan, to
serve
Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut a pocket in each
chicken breast. Make the pesto by putting
all ingredients except the olive oil into a
food processor and pulse until finely
chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil to form a
thick paste. Spoon into the chicken pockets
and spread some over the top. Cook in the
oven for 30 min. Make the sauce by
softening the onion in the olive oil Add the
tomatoes and cook for 5 min. Stir in the
rosemary and vinegar. Add the sugar and
season with salt and pepper. Serve the
chicken with the sauce, rocket and
Parmesan.
chicken with lemon & parsley sauce
2 chicken breasts, sliced
100 ml chicken or vegetable stock, heated
3 dspn. flour
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. butter
handful of flat-leaved parsley
Melt butter in a large frying pan. Flatten
chicken slices with a mallet and coat in the
seasoned flour. Cook for 2 min. each side
until golden. Add stock and stir vigorously
for 1 min. Add parsley and cook for 30 secs.
Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve.
chicken with mint sauce and peas
2 chicken breasts, sliced
100 ml chicken or vegetable stock, heated
3 dspn. flour
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. butter
handful of mint, torn into pieces
1/2 cup of cooked green peas
Melt butter in a large frying pan. Flatten
chicken slices with a mallet and coat in the
seasoned flour. Cook for 2 min. each side
until golden. Add stock and stir vigorously
for 1 min. Add mint and peas and cook for
30 secs. Turn off heat and stir in lemon
juice. Serve.
32
 chicken, turkey, duck

roast chicken with juniper and gin over the cream sauce and serve with rice or
mashed potato.
50 g butter, softened
1 heaped teaspoon juniper berries
1 large chicken
1 lemon, halved
1 tbsp. gin

Mix together the butter and juniper berries

then rub over the chicken. Place in a
roasting tin, tucking the lemons inside.
Season with salt and pepper and then place
in a preheated oven (225°C) for
20 min. Reduce heat to 180°CD and
continue to bake for 20 min. per 450g,
basting regularly until cooked through.
Remove from the oven, Take out lemon
halves and pour the juices with the gin over
the chicken. Stir up the juices, leave to rest
for 10-15 min. then carve and serve.

poached chicken with cream sauce

a free-range chicken, about 2kg

2 medium onions, quartered
2 leeks, white and green, washed and sliced
2 stalks of celery, thickly sliced
1 tomato, quartered
3 or 4 bay leaves
a few sprigs of thyme
6-10 whole peppercorns
250ml double cream
a small bunch of parsley, leaves removed
and reserved

Rinse the chicken thoroughly, inside and

out, and pit it in a saucepan. It will need to
be big enough to allow water to just cover
the chicken without boiling over. Tuck the
onions, leeks, celery and tomato around the
chicken and stuff in the herbs and
peppercorns. Put the pan on a high heat and
pour in enough cold water to just cover the
bird. Leave it to come to the boil. When
boiling, turn the heat down almost as low as
it will go. Skim the froth. Leave the chicken
to cook quietly for an hour and a half,
skimming any froth. Turn off the heat. Ladle
out 300ml of cooking liquid into a shallow
saucepan and bring to the boil, covering the
chicken pan with a lid to keep it warm.
Leave the liquor to bubble until it has
reduced by half. Now pour in the cream and
bring back to the boil. Taste and season
with salt and ground pepper and the
chopped parsley leaves. Remove the
chicken and carve into thick slices. Spoon

33
 chicken, turkey, duck

citrus turkey pan-fry chicken. Add dry chilli and cashew nuts to
garnish and serve with steamed jasmine
2 large oranges rice.
1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
15ml sunflower oil
250g stir-fry turkey breast
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
225g baby potatoes, quartered
1 leek, sliced and washed
1 large carrut, peeled and cut into
matchsticks
3 celery sticks, washed and cut into
matchsticks
3 savoy cabbage leaves, shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Great the rind and squeeze the juice of one

orange. Using a knife, cut the peel and pith
from the other orange, then cut it into
segments. Set aside with the rind. Stir the
chicken stock cube and 60ml water into the
orange juice. Heat the sunflower oil in a
large frying pan and fry the turkey strips
and garlic until the meat is golden. Toss in
the potatoes and leek, then cook for 3 mins
more. Add the carrot, celery and cabbage.
Stir in the orange juice and stock and
season to taste. Cover and simmer for
about 10 mins. or until the potatotes are
tender. Toss in the orange rind and orange
segments, warm through and serve at once.

wok-fried chicken with cashew nuts

180g sliced chicken breast

40g onion
40g bell pepper
40g black mushroom
40g carrot
10g dry chilli
seasoning
1 spoon oyster sauce
1 spoon light soy sauce
1 tsp sweet soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 spoon tamarind juice
pepper powder

Cut the chicken breast in slices and

marinade it with salt, pepper and oyster
sauce. Prepare the seasoning by mixing all
the ingredients in a separate bowl. Fry the
chicken in a wok and leave it aside. Cut all
vegetables to cubes and boil them until
soft. Saute chicken and vegetables in the
work with chopped garlic and a slice of
ginger for one minute. Finally add alal the
seasoning and mix it in the wok with the

34
 desserts

kiwifruit with passionfruit cream poached peaches with kirsch jelly

9 ripe kiwifruit jelly 1 1/2 cups water

lemon juice 1 cup sugar
pulp of 9 passionfruit juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp. castor sugar 3/4 cup kirsch
250ml cream poach 1 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large peach halves
Peel kiwifruit, cut into quarters lengthways serve 250 ml cream
and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix 1 tbsp. icing sugar
passionfruit with castor sugar. Beat cream 1 tsp. vanilla
with vanilla until it forms soft peaks. 1 tbsp. kirsch
Arrange kiwifruit on plate like petals. Put
whipped cream in the centre and spoon To make jelly: boil together water, sugar and
over the passionfruit. lemon juice. Remove from stove and add
gelatine to dissolve. Add kirsch and pour
into a cake tin. Cover and refrigerate to set.
poached pears with passionfruit syrup To poach peaches: bring water and sugar to
the boil and place peach halves in the
1 litre white wine syrup. Simmer, covered until cooked. Do
500ml water not break the peaches. Allow to cool and
200g sugar transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate. To serve:
zest of 1 lemon whip cream with icing sugar and stir in the
6 firm pears kirsch. Put a good spoonful of cream on a
12 passionfruit plate, place a peach half on top, round side
100ml water up. Chop jelly and scatter around the edge
100 sugar of the cream.

Boil together the white wine, water, sugar

and lemon zest. Allow to cool. Peel pears,
cut in half and remove seeds. Place
immediately into the syrup. Bring syrup to
the boil and poach pears gently for about 5
minutes. Allow pears to cool in the syrup.
To make syrup: Pass pulp of passionfruit
through a fine sieve. Combine juice with
water and sugar and bring to the boil. Skim
off scum as it forms and reduce liquid to
about half its volume. The syrup should be
clear. To serve: Cut each half pear into 10
or 12 slices, taking care not to cut through
the top of the pear. Fan out and pour syrup
over. Serve with whipped cream.

35
 desserts

lemon meringue pie strawberries in Cointreau

shell 1 1/2 cups flour 1 Puente strawberries

2 tbsp. icing sugar 2 passionfruit
pinch of salt 2 large oranges
125g hard unsalted butter 3 passionfruit
1 small egg, beaten 1/4 cup sugar
filling 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp. water
6 tbsp. cornflour 3 tbsp. Cointreau
1/8 tsp. salt 300 ml carton cream
2 cups water
4 egg yolks, beaten Wash and hull strawberries, peel and
3 tbsp. butter segment oranges, remove pulp from
1/3 cup lemon juice passionfruit. Combine all fruit with
3 tbsp. grated lemon rind Cointreau, add reserved orange juice, cover
meringue 4 egg whites and refrigerate. Combine sugar and water
pinch of cream of tartar in saucepan, stir over heat until sugar is
8 tbsp. castor sugar dissolved, bring to boil, remove from heat
1/4 tsp. vanilla and cool. Add to fruit mixture, cover and
refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream.
To make pastry: place all dry ingredients
and butter into a food processor and
process until mixture resembles
breadcrumbs. Add egg and process until
mixture forms a mass. Wrap dough in
plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour. Roll out
dough on a floured board and line tin. Cook
on centre shelf at 190°C for 25-30 mins. To
make filling: mix together sugar, cornflour
and salt. Gradually add water and whisk
until cornflour is dissolved. Bring mixture
to the boil, stirring occasionally and boil for
10 mins. Pour a little hot mixture onto the
yolks, mix well and pour back into the
mixture in the saucepan. Cook, stirring for
5 mins. Remove from heat and beat in
butter, lemon juice and lemon rind. Pour
into a bowl and allow to cool to lukewarm,
stirring occasionally. Pour into cold pie
shell. To cook meringue: beat egg whites
with cream of tartar until they hold soft
peaks. Gradually add sugar and beat until
meringue holds stiff peaks. Beat in vanilla.
To cook: pile meringue on top of lemon
filling, spreading well to seal and prevent
shrinkage. Cook at 180°C for about 10 mins
to brown.

36
 desserts

meringues with lemon cream and apricot hazelnut crepes with chocolate sauce
sauce
crepes 1/3 cup plain flour
meringues 5 egg whites 2 eggs
pinch of salt 1 tbsp. oil
375g castor sugar pinch salt
lemon cheese 5 egg yolks 3/4 cup milk
2 heaped tbsp. sugar filling 90g butter
juice and grated rind of 5 1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts
lemons 1/4 cup icing sugar
125g butter sauce 30g butter
to serve whipped cream 125g dark chocolate
bottled apricots, puréed 1/4 cup icing sugar
strawberries 1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. Kahlua
To make meringues: beat egg whites and vanilla ice cream
salt until fluffy. Add half the sugar gradually
and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks. Sift flour into bowl, add eggs, oil, salt and 2
Add remaining sugar and stir in well. Butter tbsp. milk. Beat until smooth. Beat in
two biscuit trays and cover with remainder of milk and refrigerate 30 mins.
greaseproof paper. Spoon meringues onto Heat heavy pan, grease with butter. Pour a
trays in preferred sizes. Cook at bottom of thin layer of batter into pan, brown on one
oven at 110°C for 2 1/2 hours. To make side. Turn and brown other. Repeat.
lemon cheese: beat egg yolks with sugar. Spread a thin layer of hazelnut filling over
Add juice and rind of lemons. Cook over each crepe and fold into triangles. Place
low heat until mixture thickens. Remove crepes, slightly overlapping in a lightly
from stove and beat in butter. Pour into a greased ovenproof dish. Cover and bake in
jar, allow to cool and cover. Store in oven until heated through. For the filling:
refrigerator. To serve, mix some lemon combine softened butter, chopped
cheese and whipped cream to taste. Pout 2 hazelnuts and sifted icing sugar and mix
meringues together with a large spoonful of well. For the sauce: place butter and
the lemon cheese mixture. Pour a little chocolate in sauce pan, stir over moderate
apricot purée on to each dish, top with an heat until melted. Add sifted icing sugar
assembled meringue and garnish with a and mix well. Remove from heat, add sour
strawberry. cream and liqueur, stir until smooth and
glossy.

37

summer pudding
12 slices day-old white bread
250g frozen raspberries
500g frozen boysenberries
1 green apple
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Remove crusts from bread and cut each
slice in half. Combine raspberries and
boysenberries in a bowl and allow to thaw.
Drain and reserve all the juice. Peel, core
and thinly slice the apple. Combine
reserved berry juice, sugar and water in a
saucepan, stir over low heat until sugar is
dissolved, bring to boil, reduce heat and
simmer uncovered for 5 mins. Add apply
and cook another 2 mins. Combined
drained apple with berry mixture. Line
base and sides of deep 20cm cake tin with
the bread. Spread one quarter of fruit
mixture over the base. Cover with a layer
of bread slices. Repeat, alternating bread
and fruit. Let stand for 20 mins. Cover, put
a heavy weight on top and refrigerate
overnight. Serve upside down. Spoon extra
juice over.
baked pears with raisins, pine kernels and
honey
2 pears
55g raisins
55g pine kernels
30ml honey
30g unsalted butter
Set oven to 190°C. Take a thin slice of the
top and bottom of pears and core them.
Keep the top. Plug the hole in the middle
with raisins and pine kernels. Place pears
on a baking tray and scatter the remaining
raisins and pine kernels about. Pour a
tablespoon of honey over each pear and
replace top. Add the butter to pan and
place in oven. Baste occasionally while
baking until cooked through (5-15 mins).
Serve with a little cream.
desserts
crème Anglaise (proper custard)
500 ml milk
vanilla pod, split open
5 egg yolks
75g caster sugar
Put milk in a saucepan with the split vanilla
pod and bring slowly back to the boil. Just
before boiling, remove from heat and leave
for 20 mins. Lift out pod and scrape seeds
back into the milk. Whisk the egg yolks and
sugar together until they are thick and pale
in colour, then add the milk to them and stir.
Pour custard into a clean pan and put over a
low heat, stirring right into the corners of
the pan almost constantly until it thickens
slightly. Do not let it get too hot. Use
immediately or when cool, cover with
clingfilm and store.
umm ali
100g cooked puff pastry
2 cups warm milk
100g whipped cream
10 g sliced almonds
10 g pistachio
2 tbsp sugar
1g cinnamon powder
15g sultanas
Boil milk in pan. Add the sugar, cinnamon
powder, sultanas, almond flakes and
pistachio and bring to the boil. Break the
baked puff pastry into small pieces and
arrange in baking mould. Pour the hot milk
on the broken puff pastry. Pipe the whipped
cream on to the puff pastry to cover the
surface of the mould completely. Bake for
15 mins at 200°C. When the cream turns
brown on top, remove it from the oven and
serve hot.
38
 desserts

strawberries with passionfruit, orange and the surface. Spoon the mixture into four
mint small tumblers, pushing lemon slices into
the mixture as you go.
450 g strawberries
4 large passionfruit
juice and finely grated zest of 1 small
orange
6 young mint leaves

Cut the berries in half if they are small,

quarters if not. Place them in bowl. Cut the
passionfruit in half and squeeze the juice
and seeds all over the strawberries. Gently
fold in the orange juice and zest. Toss the
mint with the berries. Serve chilled, without
cream.

fragrant rosé peaches

750 ml rosé wine

115 g caster sugar
4 peaches
4 tbsp crème fraîche
handful of small mint leaves

Put the wine and sugar in a large pan and

stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has
dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly
for 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced
by about one third. Transfer to a bowl to
cool, then cover and chill about 30 minutes
until completely cold. Meanwhile, skin the
peaches, then cut them in half and remove
the stones. Cut into slices about 5 mm thick
and divide between four serving bowls. Add
a tablespoon of crème fraîche to each
serving and then pour in the rosé syrup.
Scatter over the mint leaves and serve
immediately.

gin and tonic granita

300 ml tonic water

25g caster sugar
150 ml gin
1 small lemon, thinly sliced

Put the tonic and sugar in a pan and bring

to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for
about 30 minutes. Stir in the gin, then
spoon the mixture into a rigid container and
freeze for 2-3 hours until semi frozen. Stir to
distribute the ice crystals evenly through
the mixture, then return to the freezer.
Leave overnight until the granita is firm but
crumbles when a spoon is scraped across

39
 desserts

bloody mary sorbet

Boil up 400ml water with 50g sugar to make

a syrup. Make 500ml of bloody mary (adding
tomato juice, dash of Tabasco, celery salt,
black pepper and Polish vodka – not too
much or it won't freeze). Mix it up with the
syrup, a tablespoon of lemon juice and beat
occasionally while freezing in a metal
container. A teaspoon of gelatine or half an
egg white will speed up the process.

40
 drinks

cosmopolitan martini Then skim strain and bottle the liquid, and
age it for 2-3 days, checking the fizz
2 shots Absolut vodka quotient after 36 hours.
1/2 oz cranberry juice
1/4 oz Cointreau
juice of 1/2 lime

Blend ingredients a shaker, strain and

garnish with a lemon twist.

summer cocktail

1 part Campari
1 part dry gin
3 parts freshly squeezed orange juice
juice of 1 lime

Pour ingredients over ice and serve with a

slice of lime and a wedge of pineapple.

lemonade

4 lemons
2-3 tbsp. sugar
1 litre water

Cut the lemons in half and squeeze out

their juice into a glass or bowl. Put the
squeezed lemon halves into a bowl along
with the sugar. Bring the water to the boil
and then pour it over the lemon/sugar
mixture. Set aside to steep until it is cool,
then strain off into a jug and add the lemon
juice. Chill.

ginger beer

30g root ginger

15g cream of tartar
455 granulated sugar
1 lemon
4 1/2 litres water
1 sachet dried yeast

Peel the rind off the lemon, making sure

there is no pith and squeeze the juice into a
glass. Bash the ginger to bruise it, put it
into a bowl and add the cream of tartar,
sugar and lemon rind. In a large pan, bring
the water to the boil land then pour it over
the contents of the bowl. Stir well to make
sure the sugar dissolves. Set aside until
lukewarm. If using dry yeast, dissolve it in
warm water and then add to the bowl, along
with the lemon juice. Cover the bow with a
cloth and leave to stand for 12-24 hours.

41
 fish

tuna with anchovy and tomato sauce ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.
Spoon over the fish and serve hot.
900g tuna steaks, 1.5 cm thick
juice of 1/2 lemon
150ml olive oil
salt and pepper
6 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Divide the tune into four portions and

marinate in the lemon juice, 4 tbsp. olive oil,
salt and pepper for at least half an hour.
The last half-hour should be out of the
refrigerator so that the tuna is at room
temperature when cooking. Begin sauce
while you wait. Warm the remaining oil in a
small saucepan and add the anchovy and
garlic. Cook over a low heat, mashing the
anchovy with a fork until it has melted
down and the garlic is lightly browned. To
cook the tuna, grease a frying pan with a
little hot oil and set over a high heat until
searingly hot. Shake excess marinade from
the tuna and slap the pieces onto the hot
metal. Leave for 1 minute and then turn
over and give the other side a minute. As
soon as the tuna is done, transfer to a
serving dish. Add the tomato and parsley to
the anchovy sauce, reheat briefly and spoon
over the tuna. Serve immediately.

crispy fish with sweet pepper sauce

50g cornflour for coating, 2 tsp. extra for

sauce
oil for deep frying
150l water
2 tsp. sugar
4 tbsp. chilli sauce
450 skinless, boneless cod fillets, cut into
5cm pieces
3cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 spring onions,
1 red and 1 green pepper, de-seeded
1 tbsp. oyster sauce

Season the fish with salt and pepper and

then coat lightly with cornflour. Heat the oil
to 180°C and deep fry the fish until golden
brown (about 8 minutes). Drain and keep
warm in a serving dish. For the sauce:
place the spring onions, peppers in a
processor and finely chop together. Heat 1
tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the pepper mixture
for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining

42

pan-fried trout
50g butter
2 large trout, filleted
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped dill, tarragon or chervil
juice of half a fresh lemon
Heat butter over moderate heat. When
frothy, add fillets, skin side down. Cook
until golden, basting occasionally. Cook 7-8
mins. Remove fish. Add herbs to butter,
squeeze in lemon juice and pour over fish.
Joan fish curry
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 1” piece ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. turmeric
pinch of salt
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
75g creamed coconut, grated
12 oz white fish, skinned and cut into large
chunks
Lightly fry the garlic, spices, salt and onion
in the oil for 3-5 minutes, or until onion has
softened. Stir in tomatoes, add coconut
and cook for 2-3 mins. Lower heat, add fish
to pan and cook another 10 mins.
fish
salmon carpaccio with fried horseradish,
parmesan and rocket salad
30g rock salt
30g caster sugar
1 bunch dill, trimmed
1 bunch coriander, trimmed
1 measure of brandy
2 lemons
6 pink peppercorns
500g fresh salmon fillet
1 bunch chives
2 shallots
1 cucumber, peeled
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 piece fresh horseradish
30g fresh whole parmesan cheese
1 bunch rocket
Put rock salt, sugar, dill, coriander, brandy,
lemon zest and peppercorns in a food
processor. Process 2 mins. Lay salmon on
foil, spread with mix and seal. Chill 24
hours. Remove herbs, reseal and chill 48
hours. Finely chop chives, shallots and
cucumber. Blanch shallots and cucumber in
boiling salted water. Refresh. Mix chives,
shallots and cucumber. Moisten with olive
oil, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard.
Season. Slice salmon thinly and place on
plates, leaving a ring in the centre. Spread
cucumber mix over. For the salad: slice
horseradish and cut into fine strands. Fry
in vegetable oil until golden. Shave
parmesan and combine with rocket leaves
and place in centre of carpaccio. Drizzle
with olive oil before serving.
43

grilled tropical fish with chillies and lime
2 x 350g red mullet or other whole fish,
prepared
6 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 2 large limes
1 large red chilli, finely chopped
Rinse the fish and remove scales. Place in
a shallow dish. Mix the oil, lime juice,
chopped chilli and a good seasoning of salt
and pepper and pour this mixture over the
fish. Leave for 20 minutes. Heat a ridged
cast-iron grill pan. Shake the fish free of
any loose marinade, which should be
reserved. Grill the fish over a steady heat
until the skin has crisped a little, about 5-6
minutes on each side. Drizzle with a little
marinade, and eat straightaway.
grilled mackerel
6 mackerel, each weighing 750g
lemon, salt, pepper, oil
Season the fillets both sides and brush the
skin side with a little oil. Lay the fillets
skin side down on the griddle when hot.
Then leave them. After a couple of minutes,
flip the fish over. Cook very briefly on the
flesh side and remove. Serve skin side up
with a sprinkling of sea salt, a wedge of
lemon and either ginger and spring onion
dressing or mango salsa.
raw mackerel with horseradish and lemon
2 x 750g mackerel
100g fresh horseradish
3 lemons
sea salt, pepper, oil
Fillet the fish and rinse it under cold water.
Cover with film and put in the freezer for 10
mins. Peel and grate the horseradish.
Squeeze the juice of the lemons, strain and
add to the mix. Take the fish from the
freezer, place it skin-side down and cut into
long, thin slices. Avoid cutting into the
skin. Arrange on a cold plate. Sprinkle sea
salt and milled pepper over the fish and
pour over the marinade. Serve after the fish
has cooked in the marinade.
fish
mackerel marinated in oil with peppers and
garlic
3 x 750g mackerel
500 olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 lemon
salt, pepper
Heat oven to 240C. De-seed peppers and
cut into thin strips. Slice onion and garlic
finely and slice the lemon into very thin
rounds. Lay half the mackerel fillets in an
oven dish large enough to hold them in a
single layer, and season well. Cover with
half the sliced vegetables and lemon. Add a
second layer of seasoned fish over the top,
and top with the remaining vegetables.
Pour over the oil, making sure that it covers
the fish. Put the dish into the hot oven for
five minutes. Remove and cool for at least
half a day. Serve with hot toast.
blackened swordfish
3 tbsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
4 thin swordfish steaks
20 margarine or butter, melted
juice of 1 lemon
Mix together the spices and coat the
swordfish steaks in it. Preheat grill to
medium heat. Place the fish on the grill and
brush with the margarine. Cook for 7 mins,
then turn over and brush with more
margarine. Cook for another 5-7 mins, then
transfer to a warm serving dish, pour over
the lemon juice and serve with new
potatoes and a green salad.
44

baked stuffed sardines
16 small sardines, gutted and deboned
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
lemon wedges
4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
75g breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
pepper
Mix together the parsley, breadcrumbs, egg
and pepper. Stuff each of the fish, lay them
skin side down in a greased ovenproof dish.
Bake for 30-35 mins in an oven preheated to
200°C. Serve with lemon wedges.
herring salad
4 large herring, cleaned and boned
200 ml red wine vinegar
1 small onion, sliced
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
4 sprigs dill
sauce 2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. wine vinegar
2 tsp. French mustard
6 sprigs fresh dill, chopped finely
4 tbsp. yoghurt
pepper
salad 1 lollo rosso lettuce
4 large carrots, grated
1/2 cucumber, sliced
Preheat oven to 150°C. Roll each herring,
starting from the head end, and secure with
a cocktail stick. Place in a deep ovenproof
dish and add the vinegar and 4 tbsp. water.
Cover with the onion slices, cloves, bay
leaves peppercorns and dill. Cover with foil
and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Leave the
fish to cool in the liquid for about 1 1/2
hours. Meanwhile make the sauce by mixing
the sugar, vinegar, mustard, dill and yoghurt.
Season with pepper. Drain herrings and
remove cocktail sticks. Arrange on plates
and serve with wholemeal bread.
fish
sardines beccafico
18 fresh sardines
25g pine kernels
2 anchovy fillets
25g raisins
1 x 20g pack flat leafed parsley, finely
chopped
2 medium tomatoes
50g pecorino cheese, finely grated
3 lemons
juice of 1 small orange
20 fresh bay leaves
25g fresh breadcrumbs
1 level dsp. caster sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Place pine kernels in pan over medium heat
and toast for about 2 minutes. Finely chop
anchovies and place in a medium-sized bowl
with the toasted pine kernels, raisins and
parsley. Peel tomatoes, quarter them and
remove seeds. Dice flesh and add to
mixture, along with the cheese, juice of 1
lemon and the orange juice. Season. Mix
and leave to one side. Prepare sardines,
leaving the tails intact. Place a teaspoon of
stuffing in each sardine and roll them from
head to tail. Arrange in a dish with tails
pointing up. Thinly slice the 2 lemons left
and place a slice of lemon and a bay leaf
between each sardine. Sprinkle
breadcrumbs, sugar, olive oil and any
stuffing juices over the top. Cook at 190°C
for 20-25 minutes until tender and golden.
remove cocktail sticks. Arrange on plates
and serve with wholemeal bread.
New York smoked salmon hash
Boil 300g new potatotes from cold salted
water for 10-12 mins until tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt 30g unsalted butter in a
large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry
half a sliced onion for 4-5 mins until soft.
Add the spuds to the onions and fry until
they begin to soften and break down.
Add 1 tbsp dill, 1 tsp capers and 75g-100g
smoked salmon and season with salt and
pepper. Cook until the salmon is palepink.
Grill four rashers of dry cured, smoked back
bacon until crispy. Poach two eggs.
Serve the poitato mixture with two rashers
of bacon alongside and a poached egg on
top. Top with a little dressing (Whisk ½
45
 fish

tbsp. Dijon mustard, half a lemon, 25 ml Mackerel tartare recipe

white wine vinegar, 100 ml olive oil, salt and
pepper). Cooking time: 30 minutes if your
fishmonger guts, bones and skins the fillets,
but remember to leave time for the hot
pickle to cool; allow at least an hour before
serving

4 mackerel fillets skinned

2 tbsp capers, finely chopped
2 shallots finely diced
4 tbsp parsley finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped
1 lemon – ½ juiced and ½ zested
1 lime – ½ juiced and ½ zested
200ml double cream

For the pickle:

4 tbsp water
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
½ cucumber peeled, de-seeded, thinly
sliced and salted

Skin and remove the central bones from the

fillets (the bones should come out in one
piece if you're careful), and chop into small
dice – approx ½ cm. Add the chopped
capers, shallots, parsley, ginger, lemon and
lime juices (keep the zest to one side) and
season with salt and pepper.

Mix everything all together and place in the

fridge. The citrus juices will partially "cook"
the fish so allow at least half an hour. Bring
to the boil all the pickle ingredients apart
from the cucumber, take off the heat and
add your cucumber. Leave to cool. Lightly
whip the double cream, add the zest, a
squeeze of lemon and lime and seasoning.

46

salmon fishcakes with sorrel sauce
650g dry mashed potato (no butter)
650g salmon fillet, poached in fish stock,
flaked
2 tbsp. tomato ketchup
1 tbsp. anchovy essence
1 tbsp. English mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 kg spinach, picked over, washed and
dried
sauce 1/2 litre strong fish stock
50g butter
30g flour
50g white wine
250ml double cream
15g fresh sorrel, shredded
salt and pepper
stock 2kg white fish bones
2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed,
chopped
1/2 head celery, chopped
1/2 lemon
1 tsp. fennel seeds
20 black peppercorns
5g thyme
1 bay leaf
handful of parsley
Stock: wash the bones in cold water. Place
in a pot with the rest of the ingredients,
cover with cold water and bring to the boil.
Skim off any scum and simmer for 20 mins,
stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine-
meshed sieve. Check strength and reduce if
necessary. Fishcakes: mix together the
potato, half the poached salmon, ketchup,
anchovy essence, mustard and seasoning
until smooth. Fold in the rest of the salmon.
Mould the mixture into 8 round cakes and
refrigerate. Sauce: bring the fish stock to
the boil in a thick-bottomed pan. In another
pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour.
Pour in the white wine and simmer for 30
minutes until the sauce had thickened. Add
the cream and reduce the sauce to a thick
pouring consistency, then add the sorrel
and season. Preheat the oven to 200C.
Lightly flour the fishcakes and fry them in a
pan until coloured on both sides, then bake
in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Heat a large
saucepan over a medium heat, add the
spinach, season lightly and cover tightly
with a lid, stirring occasionally. Drain in a
colander. Put some spinach on each plate,
then place a fishcake on top and pour over
the sauce. Serve immediately.
fish
steamed red snapper with ginger and leeks
600g snapper fillets
2 medium leeks, sliced very thinly on
diagonal
2 courgettes, also sliced very thinly on
diagonal
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, finely julienned
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. mirin
salt and pepper
marinade:
1 inch piece of ginger, crushed
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
Cut fillets into portion sizes. Combine with
the marinade ingredients and leave for at
least one hour . Steam the fish in its
marinade for about 8 minutes, retaining the
cooking juices. Meanwhile, put the oil,
garlic and ginger in a wok or a large frying
pan, and cook briefly over a high heat until
just beginning to brown, then add the leeks
and courgettes and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add mirin and remove from heat. Season
with salt and pepper. Serve snapper on a
bed of vegetables, pouring the fish and
marinade juices over it.
pickled salt herrings
2 large salt herrings
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 small piece horseradish, diced
2 bay leaves
thyme
parsley and dill, chopped
allspice
marinade: 150ml white vinegar
50g sugar
2 onions, sliced
1 tsp. white pepper, crushed
2 tsp. allspice, crushed
Clean the fish and remove bones. Soak
overnight in cold water. Mix marinade
ingredients and heat until boiling point.
Chill. Place the herrings in a jar and pour
over the marinade. Add red onion, carrots,
horseradish, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, dill
and a little allspice. Stand overnight in
refrigerator.
47
 fish

haddock fishcakes with lime leaves

1 shallot, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 small hot red chillies, seeded and
chopped
handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
6 large or 8 small Kaffir lime leaves,
shredded
1 tbsp. nam pla (bottled Thai fish sauce)
450g haddock, skinned and chopped (de-
boned)
vegetable oil

sauce: 6 tbsp. mirin

4 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 small red and 1 smell green chilli,
seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp. coriander leaves, finely
chopped
juice of a lime

Put the shallot, garlic, chillies and coriander

in the bowl of a food processor and whiz
into a coarse sludge. Add the lime leaves
and the fish sauce. Mix. Tip into a bowl and
season with salt. Whiz the fish into a rough
paste (don’t overdo) add it to the spice
paste and mush the lot together. Shape the
mixture into about 8 round, flat patties with
the aid of a little flour to stop them sticking
to your fingers. Set aside for half an hour to
allow the flavours to mix. Make the dipping
sauce. Heat the mirin and sugar in a small
saucepan until the sugar has dissolved and
the mixture is becoming syrupy. Stir in the
soy sauce. Leave to cool. Add the chillies,
coriander leaves and lime juice. Heat just
enough oil to shallow-fry the fish cakes.
When it is hot, add the cakes, a few at a
time, until golden on both sides (about 4-5
mins each side, perhaps less.) serve hot
from the pan with the dipping sauce.

48

pan-seared salmon with chilli and orange
1 x 170 g packet fine green beans
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Scottish boneless skinless salmon fillets
50 g butter
1/2 fresh red or green chilli, de-seeded and
chopped
grated rind and juice 1orange
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. freshly chopped coriander
orange and lemon rind to garnish (optional)
Cook beans in boiling salted water for 5-6
minutes and rain. Meanwhile, heat a frying
pan and dry-fry the salmon over a high heat
for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked
through. Remove salmon and keep warm.
Wipe pan with kitchen paper and then melt
a little of the butter. Fry the chilli for a few
second until it is just softened, then stir in
the orange and lemon rind and juice with
the rest of the butter, seasoning and honey.
Warm the sauce through gently and then
stir in the chopped coriander. Pile a stack of
beans onto each serving plate, top with a
salmon fillet and drizzle the sauce around
the fish. Garnish with orange and lemon
rind and serve immediately.
fish
trout with gin
8 trout fillets
3 tbsp. gin
3 level tbsp. plain flour
50 g unsalted butter
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 level tbsp. juniper berries, bruised
150 ml crème fraîche
2 level tbsp. chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground pepper
Mix the flour with 1 level tsp. salt and coat
each fillet lightly. Heat butter in frying pan
and after foaming, add the fillets, skin
down, and cook for 3 minutes. Fry other
side for 2 mins. Do not burn the butter.
Transfer fillets to warm dish and leave in
oven, covered in foil. To make sauce, throw
carrots and juniper berries into pan and
cook for 5 minutes, moving around. Reduce
heat to low and add cream. Bring to boil,
stirring constantly, then add flaming gin.
When flame dies, turn heat off and add dill
and pepper. Check the salt. Spoon over the
trout fillets and serve.
baked tuna with herbs
4 fresh tuna steaks about 200 g each
2 tbsp. dried breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. pine nuts
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
topping: 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh
parsley
2 tbsp. salted capers, drained
grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp. dried oregano
Preheat oven to 200°C. Make the topping by
pounding the garlic to a fine pulp. Then, add
the remaining ingredients and enough olive
oil to make an almost liquid mixture. Pound
to make a thick sauce and then season with
salt and pepper. Season the tuna steaks
with salt and pepper, then put them on a
large baking sheet and spread topping over.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and pine nuts
over the top and bake for 6-7 minutes or
until tuna is just cooked.
49
 fish

plaice and crispy bacon grill salmon with gazpacho sauce

butter 500 g ripe tomatoes, skinned

4 plaice fillets
3 rashers smoked back bacon
1 lemon
salt and pepper
Preheat the grill. Line a grill pan with a
sheet of foil and butter it lightly. Arrange
the plaice fillets on the foil in one layer and
season with salt and pepper. Cut the bacon
into this strips and scatter over the fish.
Top each plaice fillet with a knob of butter
and squeeze over some lemon juice, then
grill for 4-5 minutes.
cod with red pepper sauce
4 red peppers, quartered
700 g new potatoes, thickly sliced
115 g spinach leaves, stalks removed
6 thick cod fillets
2 tbsp. half-fat crème fraîche
2 tbsp. lemon or basil-flavoured olive oil
salt and pepper
1 red pepper, de-seeded, chopped
1/2 tsp. red onion, peeled, chopped
1 fat garlic clove, peeled, chopped
10 large basil leaves
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
olive oil
Tabasco
4 salmon steaks
De-seed and chop the tomatoes, then pat
them dry on several changes of kitchen
paper. (This is important, otherwise the
sauce will be watery.) Place in a liquidiser
with the pepper, onion, garlic, basil,
balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp. of olive oil.
Add a couple of shakes of Tabasco and
some salt and pepper, then blend until
thoroughly combined. Chill for at least two
hours. Preheat grill to hot and brush steaks
with a little oil. Grill for about 3 minutes
each side, until just cooked. Serve with
sauce and new potatoes.

Preheat grill to high and grill peppers until

skins are charred - about 10 minutes. When
peppers have cooled, peel off skins. Put
pepper flesh in blender and process for 30
seconds until only slightly chunky. Boil
potatoes for 8-10 minutes until tender. Add
the spinach leaves for the last minute of
cooking. Drain and keep warm. Cook the
fish by putting fish with flesh side up on a
baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Grill for 6-7 minutes until fish is
cooked. remove and discard the skin and
keep warm. Toss the potatoes and spinach
with the red pepper sauce. Gently stir in
the crème fraîche and warm through.
Spoon on to the serving plates and lay cod
on top. Drizzle with the oil and serve
immediately. (Chicken can be substituted
for cod.)

50
 fish

plaice with bananas and parsley pan-fried salmon with lime and coriander

sauce: 2 shallots 300g boneless salmon joint (halved) or 2

small knob of butter
3 tsp. malt or white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. caster sugar
1-2 tsp. prepared English mustard
150 ml gravy or thick stock
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper (optional)
fish: 4 x 350/450 g plaice fillets,
skinned
a little seasoned flour, for dusting
4 slices day-old white bread,
crumbed
25 g butter, melted
bananas: 2 bananas
a little seasoned flour, for dusting
knob of butter
parsley: vegetable oil, for deep frying
handful of English parsley sprigs,
washed
salt
skinless fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
60ml olive oil
2.5cm root ginger, peeled and chopped
1 leek, 1 carrot and 1 courgette, washed
and cut into matchsticks
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
juice of 1 lime
5ml wholegrain mustard
30ml freshly chopped coriander
roasted vine tomatoes (optional)
Season the salmon. Heat a frying pan and
dry-fry the fish for 3-5 mins on each side
until tener. Remove and keep warm. Heat
15ml of oil and stir-fry the ginger, leek,
carrot, courgette and garlic until just
tender, and then spoon over the fish. Add
remaining oil and ingredients to pan, stir
until hot and then pour over.

Make the sauce by softening the shallots in

the butter for 2-3 minutes without colouring
them. Add the vinegar and sugar, bring to
the boil and reduce until the mixture is
almost dry. Stir in the mustard and gravy,
bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10
minutes. Season and keep warm. Add
cayenne pepper at this point. Split fillets so
that there are two per person. Preheat grill
to moderate, season the fish with salt and
pepper and lightly dust with flour. Season
the breadcrumbs and stir in the melted
butter. Place the crumbs on the top of each
fillet. Press lightly with a knife to tidy them
up. Grill for 6-8 min., by which time the
crumbs will be golden brown. Slice the
bananas and cut them diagonally into thick
slices. Lightly dust with seasoned flour.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan and cook
the bananas for 3-4 min. turning once, until
golden brown. Just before the end of the
cooking time, add a knob of butter and
allow to bubble for a few seconds. Remove
and drain on kitchen paper. Deep- fry the
parsley in hot oil for a minute and then
remove and drain. The sauce can either be
poured over or served separately.

51

Spanish stew with salmon
175g bacon lardons
2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 red peppers, chargrilled, peeled and
disced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
grated riind of 1 lemon
150ml dry white wine
500 ml hot vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30ml freshly chopped basil
4 skinless salmon fillets
In a large, non-stick frying pan, cook the
bacon for 3-5 minutes stirring, until
browned. remove and set aside. Add the
anchovies, onion and garlic to the pan
juices and fry for 2 mins. Stir in the carrots,
potatoes, peppers, fennel and lemon rind,
then cook for 2 mins. Return the bacon to
the pan and add the wine. Boil for 5 mins
until most of the alcohol has evaporated.
Stir in the stock and season. Cover and
simmer for 1 hour or until most of the liquid
has evaporated. Stir in half the chopped
basil. Preheat the grill to medium. Transfer
the stew to a flameproof dish, place the
salmon on top, sprinkle with the remaining
salt and season. Grill for 5 mins. Divide to
serve, and garnish with basil.
fish
soused mackerel
12 medium mackerel
1 litre white wine
350ml white wine vinegar
28g sea salt
45g sugar
2 medium carrots
3 medium onions
2 bayleaves
a small bushel of thyme
a small bunch of parsley
7 or 8 sage leaves
a blade of mace
6 juniper berries
15 black peppercorns, crushed
Behead, gut and clean the fish and lay them
side by side in an ovenproof dish. Peel the
carrots and onions, and slice them thinly.
Put the vegetables into a steel pot, add the
rest of the ingredients, place the pot on the
stove and bring to a steady simmer. Leave
to cook for 20-25 mins. then taste the liquor
and adjust the seasoning. The vinegar
should taste sharp and clear, temperred
lightly by the sweetness of the sugar, with
the whole infused by the herbs and spices.
Bring the put to the boil, and then our the
liquor over the mackerel. Leave the fish to
cool in the liquor, for this is how they will be
served. Refrigerate when cool, and serve
chilled. Serve with bread and butter.
52
 fish

king sea scallops and tuna ceviche

200g fresh king scallops, cut into thing

slices and refrigerated
240g fresh tuna, finely diced
20 ml olive oil
8g shallots, chopped
5g ginger, chopped
10ml Tabasco sauce
15g coriander, chopped
10 ml lime juice
30 ml sour cream
20g tobiko
30g pommery mustard
50 ml corn oil
15ml sherry vinegar
pinch of peppe
160g mixed mesclun salad

Mix tuna with half the lime juice, ginger,

Tabasco, shallots and coriander. Adjust
seasoning. IN a separate bowl, mix together
remaining lime juice, olive oil. salt and
pepper. Add scallop slices to it and let it
marinate. In a food processor, blend
pommery mustard, corn oil. vinegar, salt
and pepper to make a dressing. Pour it over
mesclun salad.
to plate, arrange sea scallop carpaccio on a
plate, fill marinated tuna into a ring mould
and ten demould. Spread sour cream on top
of the structure, garnish with tobiko and
chervil sprigs and serve with salad.

53

eggless carbonara
175g bacon
175g onions
60ml dry white wine or vermouth
100ml single cream
500g spaghetti
Slice bacon into small shreds or dice. Chop
onions and heat water. Heat a little butter
and cook bacon until it releases some fat.
Add onions and black pepper, and cook until
onions are soft. Put in wine and cook until
it has boiled away. Salt the boiling water
and start cooking pasta. A few minutes
away from it being done, reheat the
bacon/onions and pour in the cream.
Simmer for 2 mins. Decent pasta and place
it in a bowl. Pour on the sauce, add freshly
ground black pepper and sprinkle with
Parmesan.
fettucine with cream & mushrooms
200g fettucine
150g fresh mushrooms
2 tbsp. oil
1 knob of butter
1 piece garlic
1 glass single cream
grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Clean and slice the mushrooms. Place the
garlic in a saucepan with oil and butter.
Cook until golden. Add the mushrooms,
season with salt and pepper and leave to
cook for 10 mins at low heat. Add half the
cream and leave until cooked. Cook the
fettucine. Drain and dress with the
remainder of the cream. Add grated cheese
and the sauce.
pasta
spaghetti con le vongole
2 kg mussels
2 kg clams
1 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
500g ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded,
chopped
salt to taste
750g spaghetti
3 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
freshly ground pepper
Wash and scrub the mussels. Beard them,
ad discard any that are not tightly closed.
Heat the oil and gently cook the onion and
garlic until soft. Add the shellfish and stem
gently until they are all open. Lift them out
and reserve. To the liquid remaining in the
pan, add wine, tomatoes and salt and cook
quickly for 20 minutes until tomatoes are
pulpy and the sauce reduced and thickened.
Add the parsley and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, cook pasta. When cooked, add
to sauce and toss well. Serve hot.
spaghettini with anchovy sauce
enough spaghettini for 6
salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3-4 large anchovy fillets, chopped
4 leaves mint, finely chopped
3 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
4 tbsp. capers
12 black olives, pitted and chopped
While spaghettini is cooking (about 5 mins)
heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic cloves,
sauté until brown and discard. Then add
the anchovies and cook gently, stirring until
they become a paste. Remove pan from
heat and add parsley. Drain pasta, pour into
a heated pan and add the anchovy flavoured
oil, capers and olives. Mix and serve,
without cheese.
54
 pasta

pasta with fresh tomato sauce spaghetti frittata

250g fettucine noodles 500g spaghetti

30g butter 6 eggs
1 onion 100g grated parmesan
1 clove garlic 1 large bunch parsley
425g can tomatoes olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tsp. tomato paste filling 1 onion
1/2 tsp. oregano 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp. basil 1 tbsp. tomato purée
1 green pepper 3 courgettes
125g zucchini 2 anchovies
1 tbsp. chopped parsley 1 tbsp. capers
salt and pepper olive oil

Melt butter in pan, add peeled and chopped
onion and crushed garlic. Cook until onion
is tender. Push tomatoes through a sieve
into pan and discard seeds. Add wine,
tomato paste, oregano and basil to pa, bring
to boil for 3 mins, add chopped pepper and
thinly sliced zucchini, and cook 1 min more.
Add chopped parsley and stir through. Add
salt and pepper. Cook pasta and drain, add
sauce and mix through, stirring over a low
flame until heated.
Russian tagliatele
2 hanks tagliatelle
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. lumpish caviar
1 spring onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
Cook pasta for about 5-6 minutes. Drain ,
dress with a little oil, top with soured
cream, caviar and chopped spring onion.
Boil the spaghetti until slightly underdone,
and drain. Pour a little olive oil over it and
set aside to cool down. Chop the onion ad
fry it in olive oil. Add the garlic and cook
until it turns pale. Add tomatoes and purée.
Chop up capers and anchovies and add,
stew for a while and set aside. Slice and
fry the courgettes in a little butter until the
go soft. Place spaghetti in a large bowl,
pour in parmesan and mix by hand. Add the
finely chopped parsley. Break eggs into a
bowl and beat firmly. Add to the
spaghetti/parmesan mix. Mix it all together
again using your hands. Heat a couple of
tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick
pan, turn down the heat and cover the
bottom of the pan with a layer of the
spaghetti mixture. Cook for a minute or
two until it solidifies, spread a layer of
filling over the base, and place the
courgettes on top of the tomato. Spread
the spaghetti over the top of the tomato.
Flip over if brave. Otherwise put in a
medium oven for 10 minutes.

farfalle with bacon and greens

225g farfalle
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
1/4 Savoy cabbage, finely shredded and
rinsed
knob butter
2 tbsp. fresh breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
grated cheese

Cook for 8-10 minutes. Heat oil and lightly

fry the bacon and garlic. Drop in cabbage,
season, turn up heat. Shake pan over heat
for a few minutes so that the cabbage

55
 pasta

cooks in its own steam. Evaporate excess linguini al limone

liquid. Melt butter in a separate pan and fry
breadcrumbs until crisp. Combine together 225g linguini
in a warm bowl and season to taste. Top 1/4 pint double cream
with breadcrumbs. 1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
salt and pepper.

Cook linguini. Heat cream, add juice and

season.

creamy kale and tomato tagliatelle

335 g dried tagliatelle

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
200 g kale, trimmed washed and shredded
1 x 400g can tomatoes
1 tbsp. tomato purée
salt and freshly ground black pepper
200 ml cream cheese
75g Stilton, crumbed

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling

water. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large
saucepan, add the onion and garlic and
sauté for 3 minutes or until softened. Add
the kale to the pan, cover and cook for 5
minutes stirring frequently until soft and
reduced in volume. Stir in the chopped
tomatoes, tomato purée and seasoning,
bring to the boil then cover and simmer
gently for 5 minutes. Stir the cream cheese
and Stilton into the tomato and kale sauce
and heat gently for 3 minutes or until the
cheeses have melted. Drain pasta
thoroughly, stir into sauce and serve
immediately.

56
 pasta

fettucine giuliano minutes until crisp. Drain the gnocchih and

then return to the same pan and toss with
700 g fettucine the spinach leaves, bacon pieces and the
3 tbsp. olive oil cheese sauce. serve immediately.
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 sausages
1 large onion, diced
85 g prosciutto, cut into strips
1 tbsp. chopped, fresh oregano
225 ml red wine
2 tbsp. passata
400 g tin tomatoes
3 large handfuls of leftover cooked
vegetables
a little chopped parsley, to garnish

Make the sauce by heating the oil in a large

pan and frying the garlic and sausages for
5-6 minutes until brown. Remove the
sausages from the pan and slice thinly. Add
the onion and prosciutto to the pan and
cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion is soft.
Sprinkle over the oregano. Season. Stir in
the wine, passata and tomatoes. Mix in the
leftover vegetables and return the sausages
to the pan. Simmer over a gentle heat,
uncovered for up to 1 hour, stirring
occasionally. Add more wine if necessary.
Cook the fettucine in boiling water for 5
minutes. Drain and mix with the sauce.
Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve
immediately.

baked gnocchi with baby spinach and bacon

50 g butter
50 g plain flour
600 ml milk
pinch of nutmeg
150 g cheddar
800 g fresh potato gnocchi
2 tsp. olive oil
200 g back bacon, sliced
150 g baby spinach leaves
1 tsp. English mustard
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour.

Cook for 30 seconds and then whisk in milk
to make a smooth sauce. Stir in the nutmeg,
mustard and cheese. Season and simmer
for 1 minute, stirring constantly. remove
pan from heat and cover the sauce itself
with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and
cook the gnocchi for 4 minutes until tender.
while the gnocchi is cooking, heat the oil in
a frying pan and cook the bacon for 3

57
 pasta

macaroni with meat ragù spaghetti with bacon, breadcrumbs and

garlic
6 slices topside beef, about 50 g each
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley Crush a clove of garlic per person into the
1 garlic clove, finely chopped butter before you fry breadcrumbs.
120 ml olive oil
6 lamb cutlets
350 g shoulder of pork
6 small pieces spicy cooking sausage
1 large onion
30 ml red wine
2 kg ripe tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and
chopped
salt and pepper
cooked macaroni and grated Parmesan, to
serve

Sprinkle the beef slices with the parsley,

garlic and salt and pepper, then roll up and
secure each with a cocktail stick. Heat the
oil in a large pan, add all the meat, including
the beef rolls and fry until browned on all
sides. Add the onion and gently cook until
soft. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate a
little. Then add the tomatoes. Cover and
cook gently for about 2 hours or until the
meat is tender. Remove the pork and cut
into slices. Add the pasta to the pan and
toss. Serve with the pork slices on top and
a sprinkling of grated cheese.

penne with blue cheese and crispy bacon

300g smoked streaky bacon, rind removed

and chopped

335g dried penne

salt and pepper
250g tub marscapoone cheese
150g dolcelatte cheese, cubed
450ml milk
100 salad onions, trimmed and chopped

Place the bacon in a deep, nonstick frying

pan and dry fry, stirring frequently over a
medium heat until it starts to turn crispy.
Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large
saucepan of boiling salted water or for 10
mins. Stir the mascarpone and dolcelatte
cheeses, milk and salada onions into the
bacon and heat gently to make a smooth
sauce. Season, then mix again. Drain the
penne. Stir into the sauce and gently heat
for 1 min. Serve with ciabatta bread and a
tomato, onion and olive salad, garnished
with basil.

58
 pasta

and with chillies egg per person. Stir in a jar of lumpfish

caviar. Serve with lemon wedges and
Crushed, dried chillies seem to work better squeeze lemon juice over before eating.
here than fresh. The quantity depends upon
your heat threshold but start with a fat
pinch of two per person, stiirring them in
with the breadcrumbs.

and with lemon and thyme

Remove fine, young thyme leaves from their

stalks and add them to the pan with the
bacon. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon
into the bowl as you toss everything
together.

thin pasta with anchovies and parsley

Chop two or three anchovy fillets per

person and cook them in a little olive oil
over a low heat with a small handful of
chopped parsley and a couple of cloves of
finely chopped garlic. When the garlic is
soft and pale gold – the anchovies will have
almost melted – tip into a warm seving
bowl, then continue with the crumbs as
above. A pinch or twoo of dried crushed
chilies, added with the anchovies goes well
here too.

Spaghetti with bacon, breadcrumbs and

garlic

Crush a clove of garlic per person into the

butter before you fry breadcrumbs.

pasta with roast tomatoes and basil

Toss any thin pasta with some roast

tomatoes. Squash the tomatoes a little and
include the seedy juices. Basil leaves, torn
to shreds, and some black pepper will
produce a heady, sweet-sharp supper.

pasta with caviar

pasta
eggs
John West lumpfish caviar
lemons

Return cooked and drained pasta to the

still-warm (place over low heat if
necessary) saucepan and toss with one raw

59
 pasta

Puttanesca

Serves 4
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
8 anchovy fillets
4 tbsp olive oil
800g chopped tomatoes
500g dried pasta
100g black olives
1 tbsp capers
Warm 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic, half a
tsp of dried chilli flakes and 8 chopped
anchovy fillets in a frying pan with 4 tbsp of
olive oil. Stir as it cooks for a couple of
minutes until the anchovies start to
disintegrate. Turn up the heat and add 800g
chopped tomatoes. Leave to cook for 20
minutes or so. Cook 500g of pasta in deep,
furiously boiling, generously salted water
for about 9 minutes (check the packet).
When the sauce is ready, stir in 100g of
black olives and 1 tbsp of capers, then toss
with the lightly drained pasta.
THE TRICK
Don't be timid: this is a big, gutsy sauce
and demands boldness in the cook. Yes, it's
a little sharp and hot and salty, and that is
exactly how it should be. The best
anchovies to use are the salt-packed
variety, rinsed and patted dry. The bottled
version is a little too mild, though it will, of
course, do. You can use canned tomatoes –
most Italians do. Go for Napolina. No
Parmesan is necessary. It would be an
overdose of salty notes.

60
 pork, bacon

cabbage with pork sausages pork fillets with mustard sauce

1 large white cabbage 4 pork fillets

2 tbsp. butter 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup fat bacon, diced 30g butter
1 onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp. wine vinegar sauce 1 cup water
salt 1 chicken stock cube
6 small Italian pork sausages 2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. French mustard
Shred the cabbage coarsely and wash it 2 tbsp. cream
thoroughly. Drain. heat butter and bacon in 2 tsp. cornflour
a large pan and sauté the onion until almost 2 tsp. water
brown. Add the cabbage and stir well. salt and pepper
Cook until cabbage begins to brown.
Sprinkle with vinegar and salt. Arrange the Trim fat from pork. Sprinkle curry powder
sausages, pricked all over with a fork, on on sheet of greaseproof paper and roll
top of the cabbage, cover and simmer for 1 fillets in it. Melt butter in baking dish and
hour. add fillets. Pour lemon juice over. Bake
uncovered in moderate oven for 15 mins.
Baste frequently. Remove fillets, slice
double cooked pork thinly and serve with sauce. For the sauce:
Place water in saucepan, add crumbled
1kg pork belly stock cube, lemon juice, French mustard
1 red capsicum and cream. Combine cornflour and water,
1 green capsicum stir into saucepan and stir until sauce
4 tbsp. vegetable oil thickens, reduce heat, simmer uncovered 3
3 cloves garlic, chopped mins. Season with salt and pepper.
60g zaa sai pickles, chopped
2 chillies, chopped
2 tbsp. dry sherry sweet and sour pork
1 1/2 tsp. shallots, chopped
1 tsp. sesame oil 500g pork fillets
sauce 1 1/2 tsp. yellow bean paste salt, to taste
2 tbsp. dark soy sauce 1/2 egg white lightly beaten
2 tbsp. tomato purée 1 1/2 tbsp. cornflour
1 1/2 tbsp. hoisin sauce 1 medium red pepper
2 tsp. chilli sauce 1 medium green pepper
2 tbsp. stock 5 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Boil pork in water for 35 mins. When cold, 1 slice pineapple or mango
drain and cut into 1x6x4cm rectangular sauce 1 tbsp. cornflour
slices. Remove seeds from capsicums and 2 tbsp. water
cut into 4cm strips. Blend sauce 3 1/2 tbsp. wine vinegar
ingredients. Heat the oil in a wok or frying 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
pan. When hot, add the garlic, pickles and 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
chillies and stir them in the hot oil for 30 2 tbsp. orange juice
sec.. Pour in the sauce and heat until it 1 tbsp. tomato purée
bubbles. Add the sliced pork and spread
out to turn in the sauce. Continue to stir- For the sauce: Mix all ingredients together
fry over high heat for 2 mins. Sprinkle with until well blended. Cut pork into thick
sherry, shallots and sesame oil, stir and slices, and then roughly into 4 x 2.5cm
serve. pieces. Rub with salt, wet with egg white
and dredge with cornflour. Cut capsicum
into 4cm strips. Heat oil in a wok and when
hot, add the pork pieces and stir fry over
medium heat for 3 mins. Remove and set
aside. Drain away half the remaining oil.
Add the onion and stir-fry for 1 min. Add

61
 pork, bacon

the pineapple and capsicum. Continue to pork satay

stir-fry for another minute. Pour in the
sauce and stir until it thickens. Return the 1 tsp. turmeric
pork to the wok and mix with the sauce 1 tsp. ground coriander
over medium heat for 1 1/2 mins until all 1 tsp. cumin
pork is well coated with the sauce. 1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. lemon juice
115g creamed coconut dissolved in 3 tbsp.
hot water
approx. 350g pork fillet cut into fine strips
6 tbsp. crunchy peanut butter
2 tbsp. hot chilli sauce
225ml cold water

Combine the spices garlic, half of the soy

sauce, half of the lemon juice and half the
creamed coconut until smooth. Spread
over the pork, cover and leave to marinate
in fridge overnight. Combine remaining
ingredients in pan and heat gently until
thickened. Skewer the meat onto satay
sticks, and grill for 8-10 mins until cooked.
Serve with the sauce.

cassoulet

125g dried haricot beans

125g dried butter beans
4 tsp. polyunsaturated oil
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
175g lean boneless lamb, in 1” cubes
175g lean boneless pork, in 1” cubes
125g gammon, in 1” cubes
1 x 14oz can chopped tomatoes
150ml water
2 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs parsley
pepper

Cover beans with cold water and leave to

soak overnight. Drain the beans and place
them in a saucepan. Cover with fresh water,
bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10
minutes. Reduce the heat and cook for a
further 45 minutes or until the beans are
tender. Drain. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a casserole,
add the onions and fry until golden. Add
garlic and cook for 2 mins. Remove and set
aside. Heat the remaining oil, add the meat
and cook over until brown. Preheat oven to
160°C. Add onions to the meat in the pan,
add the beans, tomatoes, water and season
with pepper. Tie the leaves together and
add to casserole. Bring to the boil and the n
transfer to the oven and cook for 1 1/4
hours. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C

62
 pork, bacon

and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove pork with prosciutto and mozzarella
herbs before serving.
4 pork escalope
4 slices prosciutto
150 g mozzarella, drained and cut into 8
slices
knob unsalted butter
1 tsp. olive oil
4 fresh sage leaves
freshly ground black pepper

Beat out the pork escalopes until they are

about 5 mm thick. Melt the butter with the
oil in a frying pan and brown escalopes on
one side. Transfer them to a baking tray and
cover the raw side with a slice of prosciutto
and 2 slices of mozzarella. Season with
black pepper and grill until cheese melts.
Top with a sage leaf and return to grill until
cheese is brown.

roast loin of pork with renaissance hot

chutney

1-1.5 kg boneless loin of pork, neatly tied

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 springs fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

chutney: 2 large eggs, hard boiled

150 ml white wine
4 tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
120 ml vegetable stock
50 g pine kernels
12 fresh dates, stoned and
chopped
75 g sultanas
1 level tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/2 level tsp. cumin
2 large egg yolks
salt

Heat oil in a roasting tin. When hot, add the

meat and brown well on all sides. Season
and put on spring of rosemary under the
joint and the other on top. Cover the tin
with foil and bake at 220°C for 40 mins,
turning once. Meanwhile, mash the eggs
with some of the wine until creamy, then
mix in the rest of the wine, vinegar and
stock. Toast the pine kernels until golden
and add to egg mixture along with dates,
sultanas, ginger, cumin and a little salt.
Transfer to a pan and cook on low heat for
20 mins. Remove from heat, beat in egg
yolks and return to low heat for no more
than 30 seconds. When meat is done, cover

63

with foil and allow to relax for 5-7 mins. Cut
into 2 cm thick slices and serve with
chutney.
pork, bacon
Thai red pork curry
15 mk Thai red curry paste
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
300ml chicken stock
450g pork fillets, cut into large chunks
1 red chilli, halved lengthways and cut into
strops
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
225g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
chunks
75g mangetout, topped and tailed
75g baby sweetcorn, halved lenthways
25g fresh coriander leaves
salt and pepper
175g basmati or jasmine rice, boiled or
steamed
Place the curry paste in a large saucepan
and blend in the coconut milk and chicken
stock. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins.
Add the pork to a saucepan of boiling water
and blanch for 5 mins. Skim and drain. Stir
the chilli, tomato Purée, onion, garlic and
pork into the coconut mixture. Simmer
uncovered for 20 mins. Add the sweet
potatoes and cook gently, stirring
frequently for 30 mins or until tender. Stir in
the remaining vegetables and half the
coriander. Simmer for 5~8 mins and season.
Serve with the rice and remaining
coriander.
Hungarian stirfry
1/2 small cabbage, cut into 4cm squares
8 rashers shoulder bacon, cut into 3-4cm
squares
1 medium onion, halved and quartered
4 tbsp. chilli sauce or ayvar
4 tbsp. oil
salt and pepper
Steam cabbage until almost tender. Cook
bacon in wok with 1 tbsp. oil. Add
remaining oil and onion and cook until
onion is browned but not soft. Add cabbage
and stir to coat with oil. Add chilli sauce
and toss lightly. Sprinkle liberally with salt
and pepper. Serve with crispy potatoes.
64

buttered wine rice
90g butter
1 onion
1 cup long-grain rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
Heat butter in pan, add peeled and finely
chopped onion. Cook gently until onion is
tender and lightly golden. Add washed rice,
stir for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot chicken
stock to pan and stir until almost all liquid
is absorbed. Add remaining stock and wine,
bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer gently,
covered for 10 minutes or so until rice is
tender. Season with salt and pepper.
fried rice
1/2 cups rice
1 medium-sized onion
1 red capsicum
1 green capsicum
1 small tin peas
2 eggs
4 rashers streaky bacon
6 tbsp. oil
Cook rice the day before and leave in
refrigerator overnight. Dice all vegetables
and bacon. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in wok and cook
bacon until almost brown but not crispy.
Add onion and stir-fry 1 min. Add 2 tbsp.
more oil and add capsicum. Cook 1 min.
Add remaining oil and rice and stir-fry until
rice is broken up and coated with oil. Shift
rice to edges of wok. Break the eggs in the
centre, breaking the yolks. Allow to set.
When cooked, fold into rice and add peas.
rice
risotto Milanese
2 pints chicken stock
1/16-1/8 tsp. saffron
85g butter
60 beef marrow
2 shallots, finely chopped
340g Arborio rice
120ml dry white wine
salt and pepper
60 freshly grated Parmesan
Bring the stock to the boil. Pour 2 tbsp. of
the stock over the saffron and leave to
steep. Melt 2/3 of the butter, add the
marrow and shallot and fry gently until
tender, without browning. Add the rice and
stir until translucent. Pour in the wine and
simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until
the liquid is all but absorbed. Add a
generous ladleful of stock and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until almost all of the
liquid is absorbed. Repeat until rice is
tender but still al dente. Add the saffron
and its soaking liquid after the risotto has
been simmering for about 20 minutes. Stir
in remaining butter, adding more if
necessary, the Parmesan, salt and pepper.
congee
250g short or long-grain rice
2.5 lit. water
Add the water and rice to a heavy-based
saucepan and bring to boil. Immediately
reduce heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally
for 90 mins. Add extra water if too thick
and cook for another 30 mins. until there is
the consistency of porridge. Serve in bowls
plain, or with pieces of fried bacon, onion,
asparagus, or beaten egg dropped in during
the last stages of cooking.
zucchini rice
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
3 zucchini
2 sticks celery
Cook rice for 12 mins or until tender. Drain.
Grate zucchini, chop celery finely. Stir both
through rice lightly with a fork.
65

spiced basmati rice
2 cups basmati rice
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 a fresh, green chilli, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. very finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. salt
2 2/3 cups chicken stock
Wash and drain rice. Pour 5 cups water
over rice and let it soak half an hour. Leave
to drain for 20 minutes. Heat the oil in a
heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium
flame. When hot, put in the onion. Stir and
fry until the onion bits have browned lightly.
Add the rice, green chilli, garlic, garam
masala and salt. Stir gently for 3-4 minutes
until all of the grins are coated with oil.
Pour in stock and bring rice to boil. Cover
with a very tight fitting lid, turn heat to
very, very low and cook for 25 mins.
spinach rice
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 bunch spinach
90 butter
1 onion
1 clove garlic
salt, pepper
Cook rice in a large saucepan of boiling
salted water 12 mins or until tender. Drain.
Wash spinach, remove white stems and
chop leaves roughly. Put spinach in
saucepan with 1/4 cup boiling water. Cover
tightly and cook approx. 3 mins until tender.
Drain, pressing out all moisture. Heat
butter in pan, add peeled and chopped
onion and crushed garlic, cook until onion is
tender, add rice, spinach, salt and pepper
and cook until heated through.
rice
risotto con gamberetti
450g risotto rice
90g unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
175 ml dry white wine
1.5 lit fish or vegetable stock, hot
450g fresh raw prawns
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbs. chopped parsley
Melt butter and fry onion until soft. Tip in
all the rice and stir until it is coated in
butter and the onion is lightly toasted. Add
wine when the rice is very hot. Stir until all
the wine is absorbed. Add the hot stock a
ladleful at a time. Stir after each addition.
After 10 mins add the prawns. Keep
stirring and adding liquid until the rice is
soft and plump. Remove from heat and add
salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and cover.
Leave for 10 mins.
risotto balls
25g butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
250g risotto rice
900ml hot vegetable stock
75g fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
75g freshly grated parmesan
2 tbsp. freshly chopped flat-leafed parsley
oil, to deep fry
For the risotto, heat butter and oil, then add
onion and cook for 2 mins. Add stock, a
ladle at a time until all the liquid is
absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20
mins. Season and then cool overnight.
Toast breadcrumbs in a warm oven until
dry. Mix egg, parmesan and parsley into the
risotto mixture, then, with dampened
hands, roll mixture into walnut-sized balls.
Roll in breadcrumbs and chill for a 2 hours.
Heat oil and deep-fry the balls for about 5
mins, or until crisp and golden brown. Drain
on kitchen paper.
66

sweetcorn and bacon risotto
1 chicken carcass
1 1/2 onion
4 sticks of celery
250g arborio rice
1 sweetcorn
6 slices unsmoked bacon
85g salted butter
1 cup white wine
Make stock out of carcass, the half onion
and celery sticks and 1 lit. water. Boil 30
mins. Remove outside bits from sweetcorn
and add to stock for 20 mins. Remove corn
and cut kernel from it. Chop some green
herbs. Chop onion and bacon finely and fry
in melted butter. Add rice and stir till
coated. Add stock a spoonful at a time and
reduce. Add the wine instead of stock
when the rice is almost cooked.
aubergine pilaf
500g aubergines, cut into 1 cm slices
1 tbsp. oil
1 large onion, chopped
250g easy-cook long-grain brown rice
1 can chopped tomatoes
300ml water
pepper
150g low-fat yoghurt
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add
the aubergine slices and simmer for 4
minutes. Heat the oil in a large saucepan,
add the onion and fry over a low heat for 5-
10 mins, or until soft. Add the aubergine,
rice, tomatoes, mint and water. Season with
pepper and cook for 40-45 minutes or until
rice is tender. Remove for heat and leave to
stand for 10 mins before serving.
rice
prawn risotto scented with oranges
280g arborio risotto rice
150g shelled prawns
1 litre hot fish stock
juice and grated rind of two oranges
1 medium onion, finely chopped
100g butter
1 small glass dry white wine
salt
Melt half the butter in a heavy-based pan
over a medium heat. Sauté the onion until
soft. Add the rice and stir to coat in the
butter until the rice is transparent. Add the
white wine and prawns, cook for 1 minute.
Add a ladleful of hot stock and the orange
juice, and continue to cook for 18-20 mins,
adding more stock as necessary. When the
rice is cooked, ,remove the risotto from the
heat and stir in the grated rind and the
remaining butter. Season to taste with salt
and serve.
asparagus risotto
75 g risotto rice
450 g fresh asparagus
750 ml vegetable stock
1/2 Spanish onion, peeled
25 g unsalted butter
10 g Parmesan, finely grated
salt and pepper
If necessary, chop base off of asparagus
and (if time) add to stock. Chop asparagus
into 1 cm pieces, leaving the tips whole.
Chop the onion into 5 mm pieces. Melt
butter and toss onion in and cook for 5-6
mins until soft. Stir in asparagus and cook
for 2 mins, stirring frequently. Pour in half of
stock, cover and simmer strongly for 2
mins. Add rice and rest of stock and simmer
for another 15 mins or until rice is tender.
Remove pan from heat, stir in Parmesan and
season well with pepper and some extra
salt if needed.
67

jambalaya
75 ml olive oil
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small yellow pepper, halved, and cut into
chunks
150 g baby button mushrooms
150 g chorizo sausages, cut into 1 cm slices
handful of fresh thyme, leaves removed
50 g red rice
50 g long grain rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
200 g fresh tiger prawns
salt and pepper
The day before, heat 25 ml of oil and sauté
onion over medium heat for 4-5 mins. Add
pepper and cook for another 3 mins.
Remove vegetables from pan and place in
bowl. Pour remaining oil into pan and sauté
mushrooms over a high heat for 2-3 min.
until lightly coloured. Lift out and add to
mushrooms. Next, sauté chorizo sausage in
same pan, over a high heat, for 1 minute,
stirring all the time. Add to the vegetables,
using a slotted spoon. Cool, cover and chill.
Chop the thyme leaves, wrap them in
clingfilm and place in the fridge. Next day,
shortly before serving, cook both lots of
rice separately. (The red rice will take
about 30 min. and the long- grain rice about
10-12.) Drain. Put the chicken stock into a
large frying pan and bring to boil. Add both
lots of rice and stir over high heat for 2
mins. Add all the cooked vegetables and
chorizo along with the prawns and thyme,
stirring constantly for 6-7 minutes until
steaming hot. Transfer to a serving dish and
serve with sweet and sour onions and
mozzarella salad with anchovy-caper
dressing.
rice
prawn, asparagus and saffron risotto with
dill and lemon butter
1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
350 g asparagus
50 g butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
300 g risotto rice
150 ml dry white wine
200 g frozen raw prawns
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
salt and pepper
large pinch of saffron strands
Heat stock in large pan with saffron. Cut
asparagus into 1-inch lengths and cook for
4-5 minutes. Refresh. Heat half the butter
with oil in a large heavy pan. Add shallots
and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in rice and
cook until grains glisten. Add the wine and
let bubble, stirring all the time. When
absorbed, add stock ladleful by ladleful until
the rice is plump (about 20 minutes).
Meanwhile, shell the prawns. Melt the
remaining butter in a pan and toss in the
prawns, cooking and stirring until pink. Add
asparagus and heat. Add all to the risotto,
along with chopped dill and lemon rind.
Taste and season if necessary.
leek and blue cheese risotto
2 large leeks
3 tbsp. olive oil
300 g risotto rice
1 litre hot stock
175 g stilton or Danish blue
Trim the leeks and cut down the length to
centre. Wash under running cold water and
slice thinly into rings. Heat oil in a heavy
pan with a lid. Add the leeks and fry until
bright green (about 2 minutes). Stir in the
rice and cook for 2 minutes until the grains
are glistening. Meanwhile, in another pan,
bring the stock to the boil. Add the stock to
the rice one ladleful at a time, stirring
continuously until rice is cooked. Remove
from the heat and stir in the cheese and
some pepper. Taste, add salt if needed. Stir
and serve.
68

broad bean and thyme risotto
350 g young broad beans
1 litre light vegetable stock
85 g unsalted butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
285 g arborio rice
150 ml white wine
6 sprigs of thyme
60 g creme fraiche
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and
cook the beans for about 6 minutes. Cool
under running water, skin, and reserve
them. heat stock to simmering. Heat 50 g of
butter in a heavy bottomed pan and sweat
the onion until translucent and soft. Add the
rice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the
wine and cook until the liquid has been
absorbed. Add the thyme sprigs and add the
stock as usual. Never flood the rice. It
should take about 25 minutes to cook. Stir
in the parmesan and the remaining butter.
Remove the thyme sprigs and add the beans
to heat through.
rice
oven-baked wild risotto
10g dried Porcini mushrooms
225g fresh dark gilled mushrooms
60g butter
1 med onion finely chopped
175g risotto rice
150ml dry madeira
2 tablespoon freshly grated parmigiano
reggiano plus 50g extra, shaved into
flakes
salt and pepper
Pre heat oven to 150C. Soak the dried
mushrooms in 1 pint boiling water and
leave for 30mins. Meanwhile chop the
fresh mushrooms into 1cm chunks -not
too small as they shrink. Now melt the
butter in medium saucepan, add the onion
and cook gently for 5 mins, then add the
fresh mushrooms, stir well and leave on
one side while you deal with the porcini.
When they have had their half hour soak,
place a sieve over a bowl, line the sieve
with a double sheet of kitchen paper and
strain the mushrooms reserving the
liquid. Squeeze any excess liquid out of
them, then chop finely and transfer to the
pan to join mushrooms and onions. Keep
the heat low and let the mushrooms
sweat gently and release their juices
which will take about 20 mins. Meanwhile
put dish in oven. Now add rice and stir it
around to get a good coating of butter,
then add the madeira, followed by the
strained mushroom-soaking liquid. Add a
level teaspoon of salt and some pepper,
bring it to simmering point, then transfer
to the warmed dish. Stir once then place
it on centre shelf of oven without
covering and give exactly 20 mins. After
that, gently stir in the grated parmasan,
turning rice grains over. Now give it a
further 15 mins then remove from oven
and cover with a teacloth and seat all
your lovely guests. Serve p resto pronto
on warmed plates and sprinkle with the
shavings of parmesan.
69
 rice

chicken liver and red bean risotto

1 tub chicken livers

1 tin red kidney beans
1 onion
1/2 green pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 teacup long grain rice
750ml chicken stock
4 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
butter, red wine
salt and pepper, mixed herbs

Chop the onion, green pepper and garlic.

Cook the onion in a largish saucepan over a
medium heat until golden. Add the rice,
green pepper and garlic, sttirring
continously so that all the rice gets oiled.
To this mixture, add the chicken stock, a
pinch of salt, a bit more of black peper and
a tablespoon of mixed herbs (and a splash
of the wine). Bring to the boil, stirring all
the time, then cover and simmer. During the
15 mins. or so that the rice takes to cook,
drain the red beans, grate the Parmesan
cheese and roughly chop the chicken livers,
removing any white bits. In a small pan,
gently heat a knob of butter until it melts,
then add the chopped livers. Fry until
coloured on all sides, but still a bit pink.
Turn off the heat. When the rice is cooked,
add the beans, livers (and juices) and butter
to the rice pan and stir. Cook a further five
minutes. Serve with more Parmesan on top.

70
 salads

hot broccoli salad hamburger with horseradish and gherkin

750g fresh broccoli 1lb minced beef

1/2 cup canned water chestnuts salt and pepper
3 tbsp. oil 2 tbsp. grated horseradish (root)
1 cm piece green ginger 1 dsp. English mustard
3 tbsp. oil 2 tbsp. crème fraiche
1/4 tsp. grated lemon rind 4 tbsp. roughly chopped gherkins
1/2 tsp. soy sauce bunch of radishes, trimmed
1 tbsp. sherry 1 small raddichio, core removed, leaves
1/2 cup water separated
1 chicken stock cube 1 endive, trimmed and leaves
separated bunch of watercress
Remove stems and leaves from fresh olive oil
broccoli. Put oil, water chestnuts, peeled
and grated ginger and lemon rind into pan; Combine beef with salt and pepper. Mould
simmer until ginger is sizzling. Add four hamburgers out of mixture and set
broccoli, toss gently in hot oil for 1 minute. aside. Combine horseradish, mustard, and
Add soy sauce, sherry, water and crumbled crème fraiche and mix well. In a bowl,
stock cube. Bring to boil, reduce heat, combine the gherkins and radishes. Dress
simmer covered for 5 minutes or until with olive oil and season with salt and
broccoli is just crisp. Remove vegetables pepper. Preheat grill and cook hamburgers
from pan, put into serving dish. Reduce for 3-5 minutes each side until done. Fan
remaining liquid and spoon over broccoli. endive and raddichio leaves on four plates
along with watercress. Place the
hamburgers on top of the leaves. Serve
bean sprout and spinach salad with the horseradish sauce and a generous
spoonful of the gherkin salad.
1 cup long grain rice
1 small bunch spinach
4 shallots herring salad
2 sticks celery
250g bean sprouts 4 large herrings, cleaned and boned
salt and pepper 200 ml red wine vinegar
1/4 cup French dressing 1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves
Put rice into boiling water and cook 12 2 bay leaves
mins. Drain. Remove white stems from 6 peppercorns
spinach and put spinach into water with 1/4 4 sprigs of dill
cup boiling water. Cook 1 min. Drain and sauce 1 tsp. sugar
press dry. Shred finely and put into bowl 2 tsp. wine vinegar
along with rice, chopped shallots, sliced 4 tbsp. water
celery and bean sprouts. Add salt and 2 tsp. French mustard
pepper. 6 sprigs fresh dill
4 tbsp. thick bio yoghurt
freshly ground black pepper
1 crisp lettuce
4 large carrots, grated
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 150°C. Roll each herring

and pin it through with a cocktail stick. Put
them in a deep dish with the vinegar and
water and place the onion slices, cloves,
peppercorns and dill on top of the herring
slices. Cover with foil for 1 hour. Leave to
cool in the liquid. Mix all of the sauce
ingredients and season with pepper. Drain
herrings and serve with salad and sauce.

71
 salads

rocket, prawn and horseradish salad

300g cooked tiger prawns

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. horseradish sauce or 1 tsp. wasabi
90-100g rocket, washed

Place prawns in bowl. Whisk together the

oil, lemon juice and horseradish. Pour over
prawn and leave for at least 1 hour
someplace cool. Stir occasionally. Just
before serving, place the rocket in a large,
shallow salad bowl, pour prawns and their
marinade over the top. Toss gently together
and serve with warm bread.

daikon salad with soy and sesame dressing

large daikon
juice of half a lemon
3 tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. mirin
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, crushed
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

Wash and peel the radish and cut into fine,

matchstick strips approx 3 in. long.
Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Combine all
the dressing ingredients and toss with the
radish.

72
 salads

carrot and watercress salad chicory salad with bacon and egg

75g golden sultanas 2 heads curly endive

juice of a lemon 150g smoked bacon
4 medium carrots, scrubbed and coarsely 2 cloves garlic
grated 125g butter
2cm lump of fresh ginger 2 slices white bread
100g watercress 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
4tbsp flaked almonds 6 eggs
3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil olive oil, pepper

Soak the sultanas in the lemon juice. Put
grated carrots in a large bowl. Peel and
grate ginger or cut into tiny matchsticks
and add to carrots. Cut watercress a little
and add along with sultanas, reserving the
lemon juice. Toast the almonds under a hot
grill. Make a dressing with the lemon juice,
olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix and toss
gently.
Prepare chicory and dress with olive oil.
Make croutons out of bread, drain and add
to salad. Cube bacon cover with cold water,
bring to boil and drain. Heat butter and fry
bacon in it. Poach the eggs, with the
vinegar added to the water. Chop the garlic
finely, add to pan and fry without it
colouring. Pour in the sherry vinegar, swirl
it around and pour over salad. Toss and
taste. Top with the poached eggs.

escarole, pear and Roquefort salad

1 large head escarole
3 Comice pears
200g Roquefort
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 lemons
1 dsp. white-wine vinegar
4 DSc. olive oil
salt, pepper
Cut away frill of coarse leaves and the
harder parts of the stems from escarole.
Wash and dry. Squeeze juice from the
lemons into a bowl. Peel pears and roll then
in the juice. Cut pears in half and cut flesh
into long thin slices and place back in juice.
Put the cheese on a plate, cover with cling-
film and place in freezer for 10 mins. Make
dressing by mixing a little salt with some
mustard and the vinegar and then whisking
in four DSc. of good olive oil. Peel the salad
leaves and place in bowl with pears. Slice
cheese as thinly as possible and add to
bowl. Pour dressing over, sprinkle with
coarse black pepper and toss.
hot and icy salad
1 iceberg lettuce
2 cucumbers
3 small hot chillies
2 limes
5 tbsp. virgin olive oil
Cut lettuce into several large wedges.
Quarter cucumber lengthways and pile over
lettuce. Cut chillies in half and add to oil
along with lime juice. Pour over.
cucumber and sesame seed salad
1 large cucumber, peeled
1 tbsp. mirin
1 tsp. caster sugar
3 radishes, trimmed and cut into
matchsticks
1 tsp. finely snipped chives
1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
salt
Cut the cucumber into quarters lengthways
and slice it diagonally into pieces less than
1 cm wide. Put the sliced cucumber into a
shallow serving dish, add the rice vinegar,
sugar and salt and mix well. Allow to stand
for 10 mins. To finish, sprinkle the radish
strips, chives and toasted sesame seeds.

73
 salads

pawpaw, tiger prawn, cucumber and garlic. Follow this with the sage, let it cook
spinach salad for less than a minute, then pour over the
onions. Mix quickly and leave to macerate
2 ripe, medium-sized prawns for an hour before serving.
350 raw tiger prawns
half cucumber
1 x 225g pack young leaf spinach
1 tsp. groundnut oil
1 tsp. dark soy sauce
dressing 1 tbsp. fresh root ginger, grated
3 tbsp. ginger syrup
juice 1 lime
2 tbsp. Thai fish sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. chilli sauce

Blend dressing ingredients together, taking

care to catch all the ginger juices. Shell the
prawns, leaving their tails intact, and then
butterfly them. Heat oil in wok and toss
prawns around for 2 mins. Sprinkle soy
sauce over prawns, cook them for a few
more seconds and then transfer them to a
dish. Pour the dressing over the prawns and
when they are cool, leave to marinate in the
fridge for a couple of hours. Prepare the
fruits and vegetables. Peel the pawpaws by
slicing them in half, removing the seeds and
cutting each half into three lengthways,
then across into bite-sized chunks. Peel the
cucumber, slice in half lengthways and
remove seeds. Cut across into 5mm slices.
To assemble, spoon off some dressing from
the prawns and toss spinach leaves in it.
Combine prawns, cucumber, and pawpaw.
Toss with hands.

red onion salad

6 red onions
100ml balsamic vinegar
1 small bunch of fresh sage
6 cloves garlic
2 lemons
200ml olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. milled black pepper

Peel the garlic and chop it finely. Pick the

sage leaves, wash them and chop them
finely too. Peel onions, quarter them
through the root, and put them in a pot of
boiling water for four to five minutes, until
they have softened a little. Drain the onions
and then season them with salt and milled
pepper. Grate the zest of the lemons over
the onions and then squeeze over the juice.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the

74
 salads

green mango salad marinated monkfish, lemon sole and scallop

salad
1 green mango
1 small green pawpaw 500g monkfish fillets
1 bunch spring onions 4 lemon sole fillets
1/2 bunch coriander, stalks removed 8 queen scallops marinated in Nam-Jim
1/2 bunch mint Nam-Jim 500ml lime juice
1/2 bunch chervil or flat leafed parsley 2tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 small shallots, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic
50g peanuts, raw 2 coriander roots
500 ml vegetable or peanut oil 2 small chillies
2 small purple shallots
Pick and wash the herbs. Peel the mango, 1/2 stalk lemon grass
remove from the stone and cut into strips.
Peel the pawpaw, remove and cut into Pound marinade ingredients together.
strips. Chop the spring onions into 2-inch Dissolve palm sugar in lime juice and add
lengths and place pieces into iced water fish sauce. Infuse and leave for 1 hour.
until they begin to curl. Toss all together Thinly slice the monkfish and lemon sole
and refrigerate. Place oil in pan and heat. and place on flat tray. Shuck scallops, clean
Add thinly sliced garlic and cook. Drain and remove roe. Pour marinade over and
garlic. Fry the shallots in the same oil until leave for 1 hour.
brown. Drain. Fry peanuts. Toss together
and sprinkle with salt. Toss together and
sprinkle with salt. Serve with marinated white bean, artichoke and raddichio salad
monkfish, lemon sole and scallop salad.
1 tin white beans
1 tin artichoke hearts, quartered
bacon, avocado and papaya salad 1/2 head raddichio, shredded
1 handful flat-leafed parsley, chopped
1 large bag young leaf spinach
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil dressing: 1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. lime juice 3 tbsp. virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. orange juice 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
200 g back bacon salt
1 large papaya black pepper
1 large ripe avocado
Combine beans, artichokes, raddichio and
Place spinach in bowl. Shake together parsley together in a bowl. Mix dressing
juices and oil. Season. Grill bacon. Halve ingredients and pour over.
papaya, scoop out seeds and dice flesh. Add
papaya and avocado dice to spinach. Cut
cooked bacon in small pieces and add. Pour
dressing over and toss.

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salad niçoise spinach with a tablespoon of olive oil and

add salt pepper, and lemon juice. Crumble
3 large eggs the Ryvita on top of this. Serve the rice
1 packet fine beans, halved with the spinach mix on top. Serve with
1 can potatoes, drained and halved if large lime and ginger dressing.
1 small red onion, peeled, halved and thinly
sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 gem lettuce, separated into leaves
1 x 50 g can anchovy fillets, drained
1 x 200 g can skipjack tuna, drained and
flaked
12 black olives

dressing: 4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
fresh basil leaves, shredded
salt and freshly ground black
pepper

Put eggs in a saucepan of cold water, bring

to boil and simmer for 6 minutes. Cook
beans in another pan of boiling salted water
for 6 minutes. Mix the dressing ingredients
in a salad bowl. Drain the eggs and beans.
Toss potatoes and beans in dressing and
leave. Add red onion, tomatoes and lettuce.
Shell and quarter eggs. Arrange on top with
anchovies and tuna. Serve.

carrot & ginger rice salad with grated egg

& spinach (all day energy salad)

100 g basmati rice

100 ml vegetable stock
2 carrots, grated
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 eggs, hard boiled for six minutes
a bunch of fresh spinach
juice of half lemon
4 Ryvita crispbreads
1 tbsp. virgin olive oil

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a

saucepan and put in the onion, carrot,
cumin, turmeric and ginger. Put the lid on
for two minutes and let them soften. Add
the rice and stir well. Add the stock to the
rice, bring to the boil and cover with a tight-
fitting lid or foil. Turn the heat down to
minimum and leave for ten minutes. Turn off
heat and leave to stand with lid on. In a
bowl, grate the hard boiled eggs into the

76

mackerel, spinach & carrot salad
(vitamin-boosting salad)
1 fillet of fresh mackerel
1 tsp. horseradish relish
20g dried apricots, chopped
25g Kellog’s Bran Flakes, crushed
10 g grated Brazil nuts
a bunch of fresh spinach leaves
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 red pepper, sliced
juice of half lemon
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Mix the Brazil nuts, Bran Flakes, apricots
and horseradish relish. Spread the topping
mix on one side of the fillet, skin side down
and grill for five minutes until a crunchy
surface forms. In another bowl mix the
spinach, grated carrot and sliced red
pepper with the lemon juice and olive oil.
Add a little salt and black pepper. To serve,
place the fish on top of the spinach salad.
Serve with honey, mustard and soya
dressing and with 100 g wheatgerm bread
on the side.
salads
watermelon, chickpea & feta salad (stress-
busting salad)
50 g of good-quality smoked ham slices
1 tsp. grainy mustard
4 slices of wholemeal bread
150 g tin of chickpeas
2 large slices watermelon
2 heads of crispy baby gem lettuce
30 g feta cheese
4 celery sticks
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. olive oil
Pour a little olive oil over the slices of
wholemeal bread and toast under a grill.
Cut the melon, celery, feta and lettuce into
chunks and toss together in a bowl, adding
the chickpeas, lemon juice, a little salt and
black pepper. Put the ham on top of the
toast and spread with the mustard. Arrange
the salad on top and serve with mustard
and tomato dressing.
roasted bulgur wheat, turkey, sesame seed
and chickpea salad (muscle-building salad)
100 g bulgur wheat
300g vegetable stock
25 g sesame seeds
150g chickpeas, tinned and drained
100 g sweetcorn
1 tbsp. olive oil
100g cooked turkey breast, chopped
1 mango peeled and diced
a few leaves of fresh coriander, chopped
a good bunch of spinach leaves, chopped
Heat frying pan and pour in 1 tsp. olive oil.
Add the bulgur wheat, sesame seeds and
chickpeas. Fry until golden. Turn off heat,
add stock, cover and leave for eight to ten
minutes to absorb liquid. Add cooked turkey
meat to the spinach leaves and mix with
the sweetcorn and the fresh mango. Add
salt and pepper and a splash of oil. Put the
spinach salad around the outside of the
plate. Mix the roasted bulgur wheat well
and place this in the centre. Place the
coriander on top, along with some more
sesame seeds. Serve with green olive and
basil dressing.
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 salads

warm Italian salad mango salsa

130 g cubetti pancetta 1 ripe mango

250 g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 medium red onion
225 g baby spinach 3 chillies
200 g Gorgonzola piccante, cubed 2 limes
1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced 1 lemon
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 bunch coriander
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar salt, pepper
salt and pepper
Cut open mango, scoop the flesh away and
Sauté panceta over moderate heat for a few cut around stone. Chop as neatly as
minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until possible and scrape into bowl along with
done. Place spinach in salad bowl, add juice. Peel and chop onion very finely and
pancetta and mushrooms, Gorgonzola and add to mango. Add juice of the lemon and a
at the last minute, the avocado. Dress, toss good pinch of salt. Grate zest of the limes
and season. finely into bowl and then squeeze in juice.
Pick leaves of the coriander, wash them and
chop and add to bowl. Slit open the chillies,
glass noodle salad remove their seeds and chop finely. Add the
chopped chilli to the salsa. Mill pepper
200 g dried glass noodles, soaked and over, stir well and leave to stand for half an
drained hour.
1 tomato, halved and sliced
20 g celery stalk, chopped
20 g spring onion, chopped
1 onion, halved and sliced
50 g green pepper, de-seeded and chopped
juice of 2 limes
5 small green chillies, finely chopped
2 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. crushed roasted peanuts
1 tsp. crushed dried chillies
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. fish sauce or soy sauce
fresh coriander springs, to garnish

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 3-4

minutes, then drain and rinse under cold
water to prevent further cooking. Cut
noodles into 12 cm lengths. Return to pan
and add remaining ingredients. Mix for 2
mins. Serve at room temperature, garnished
with coriander.

78

mozzarella salad with anchovy & caper
dressing
1 x 150 g mozzarella
50 g tin anchovy fillets in olive oil
2 rounded tbsp. capers
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
handful of flat leafed parsley
freshly ground black pepper
The day before, drain the anchovies,
reserving the oil for the dressing, and finely
chop them. Mix the anchovies, their oil,
capers, garlic and vinegar together. Season
with pepper and refrigerate. Chop the
parsley, wrap in clingfilm and chill. Thinly
slice mozzarella and refrigerate. 30 mins
prior to serving stir parsley into dressing.
Arrange cheese on dish and spoon dressing
over.
warm smoked mackerel salad with
horseradish dressing
500 g small new potatoes
115 g green beans
2 peppered mackerel fillets
8 cherry tomatoes
carton of Greek yoghurt
horseradish sauce
1 lemon
olive oil
Quarter the potatoes and boil for 15-20
minutes until tender. Halve beans and add
to pan for final three minutes. In a bowl, mix
together 2 tbsp. of horseradish sauce, 21
tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 3 tbsp. olive oil and
2 tbsp. Greek yoghurt, salt and pepper until
smooth. Drain potatoes and beans and
return to pan. Skin the mackerel and
separate the fish into strips. Add to the pan
with halved cherry tomatoes, halved and
give and give a gentle stir. (Wholegrain
mustard can replace the horseradish.)
salads
tomato stacks with herb and red-onion
salsa
70 g packet mixed salad leaves
1 large red onion, finely chopped
6 tbsp. flat leaved parsley, finely chopped
6 tbsp. coriander leaves, finely chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes
black olives, basil, coriander and flat leaved
parsley, snipped chives and 1-1 1/2
small hot red chillis, thinly sliced, to
garnish
viniagrette: 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 large lime
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
pinch of crushed dried chillies
salt and pepper
Make the viniagrette by whisking together
the olive oil, citrus juice, chopped garlic and
mustard. Season with salt and pepper, and a
pinch of dried chillies and set aside. Tear
half the salad leaves into small pieces and
put them in a bowl, then mix in the red
onion, parsley and coriander. Spoon over the
viniagrette, toss, cover with clingfilm and
chill until ready. Cut a thin slice off of the
bottom of each tomato and then cut each
tomato into five even slices. (Re-assemble
so you know what bits came from which
tomato.) Stir the red onion salsa so it is
well mixed. Put the bottom slice of one
tomato onto a chilled salad plate. Spoon
over a little salsa, season with salt and
pepper and repeat with other layers until
complete. Repeat for the other tomatoes.
Arrange a few olives, the rest of the salad
leaves, and fresh herb sprigs around each
plate. Drizzle any remaining salsa over the
salad and sprinkle with chives and chilli
slices. Garnish each tomato with one or two
parsley leaves and an olive.
pickled herring salad
18 fillets ready-made pickled herrings
3 crisp apples
1 medium onion, peeled
1 small stick celery
1 tbsp chopped chervil
1 tbsp chopped tarragon
1 tbsp chopped chives
200ml thick home-made mayonnaise
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Finely chop the onion, celery and apples
and in a large bowl mix them with the
79
 salads

chopped herbs. Stir in the mayonnaise, and

season as necessary. Cut each herring fillet
into two or three pieces, and stir them into
the dressing. Put in the fridge for at least
an hour before serving. Serve with shots of
frozen vodka or schnapps, as well as
beetroot salad dress in olive oil, red-wine
vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Also serve
with rye bread and butter.

potato and anchovy salad

24 small waxy potatoes

6 soft boiled eggs
as many anchovies as you want
100 ml good olive oil
2 dssp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped parsley
freshly ground black pepper

Gently boil the potatoes until they are

cooked, and then set aside. Put the eggs
into a pan of boiling water and cook the six
minutes. Then place the pot under cold
water until the eggs have cooled. Rinse the
salt off the anchovies and remove the
backbones. Peel the potatoes while they
are still warm, cut into two or three slices
and lay them on a large plate. Mix together
the oil, vinegar and pepper and pour this
over the potatoes. Leave to stand for 15
minutes and then peel and halve the eggs
and place randomly over the potatoes. Lay
the anchovies on top, and pour over a little
extra olive oil. Strew with parsley and
serve.

80

thousand island dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chilli sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
8 stuffed olives
1 slice onion, 1/2” thick
1 dill pickle, cut into pieces
2 hard cooked eggs, quartered
Put mayonnaise, chilli sauce and
Worcestershire sauce into blender. Blend
well. Stop blending and add remaining
ingredients. Give two quick cycles.
salsa prezzemolo
3-5 cloves garlic
6 anchovy fillets, well drained
1/2 tsp. salt
3 handfuls fresh flat-leafed parsley
50ml lemon juice
125 ml extra virgin olive oil
Mince the garlic and anchovies with the
salt. Mince parsley and add to the mix.
Keep the parsley coarse. Finally, add the
lemon juice and then the oil Season with
black pepper. Serve within 1 hour.
sweet & sour sauce
1 tbsp. cornflour
2 tbsp. water
3 1/2 tbsp. wine vinegar
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. orange juice
1 tbsp. tomato purée
Mix all ingredients together until well
blended. Add to stir-fried vegetables and
meats and cook for about 1 1/2 mins. until
thick and all pieces are coated with the
sauce.
sauces & dressings
piedmontese green salsa
2 salted anchovies
1 hard boiled egg yolk
5 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 clove
1 tbsp. capers
4 tsp. fresh breadcrumbs
milk, olive oil, salt and pepper
Fillet and chop anchovies together with egg
yolk. Add parsley, garlic, capers and the
breadcrumbs which have been soaked in
milk and squeezed dry. Pound to a paste.
Very gradually, add enough olive oil to make
a fairly liquid sauce, beating between each
addition. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with boiled meat or fish.
mayonnaise
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. sugar
dash cayenne pepper
2 tsp. white tarragon vinegar
1 cup salad oil
Place egg, seasonings, vinegar and 1/4 cup
of oil in blender and turn on. Immediately
pour in rest of oil through centre feed.
blue cheese dressing
1 cup sour cream
2-3 drops hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1/3 cup blue cheese
Place all ingredients except cheese in
blender. Blend until well mixed. Add
cheese and process until desired
consistency is reached.
81

jicama salsa
1 small jicama, chopped into small pieces
(or use apple, mango or papaya)
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, roasted and diced
2 large beef tomatoes, chopped into cubes
1 jalapeno chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp. coriander, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. mild white wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Put all of the vegetables in a bowl. Beat
together the garlic, herbs and vinegar. Pour
the dressing over the salsa, season, and
leave for at least half and hour. Serve with
grilled meat, etc.
bagna cauda #1
285ml extra-virgin olive oil
55g unsalted butter
2 tins anchovy fillets in olive oil
6 large cloves new garlic
Put the oil and butter in a small pan and
bring to a simmer. Drain the excess oil from
the anchovies and chop very finely. Chop
the garlic very finely or use a garlic press.
Add the anchovies and garlic to the oil.
Simmer while asparagus and artichokes are
cooking.
barbeque sauce
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 large piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 chipotle chillies
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. herbs de Provence
30ml soft brown sugar
100ml tomato purée
100ml red wine
50ml red wine vinegar
1 x 400g tin tomatoes, drained and chopped
Put the onion, garlic, ginger and oil in a
saucepan and cook gently till contents are
fragrant and soft (5 mins). Meanwhile,
break the chilli into a few small pieces and
add it with the rest of the seasonings and
sauces & dressings
stir for a minute or so. Add the tomato
purée and cook for another minute. Add the
wine, vinegar and tinned tomatoes. Mix
well, season with salt and pepper, and cook
very gently for about 30 mins until thick.
bernaise sauce
2 tbsp. tarragon vinegar
2 tbsp. water
6 crushed peppercorns
pinch salt
1 tbsp. chopped shallots
3 egg yolks
125g butter
Combine vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns
and shallots in small saucepan. Heat until
liquid is reduced to abut 2 tbsp., remove
from heat, strain, reserve liquid. In top of
double saucepan beat egg yolks lightly, stir
in strained liquid. Place over simmering
water, gradually beat in the butter, a small
piece at a time. Beat until all the butter
has been added and the sauce thickens.
tomato and basil sauce
2 tbsp. olive oil (from jar of sun-dried
tomatoes)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
8 large basil leaves
1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
150ml chicken stock
salt and pepper
Heat oil in pan and gently fry the garlic for 2
mins. Top the oil and garlic into a food
processor with the chopped tomatoes. Add
basil along with the vinegar and stock.
Process to sauce consistency and season.
Sauce can be covered and kept for 2 hours
prior to re-heating until piping hot but not
boiling. Serve with chicken breasts stuffed
with pesto.
ginger and spring onion dressing
4 spring onions
50g fresh ginger
1 lemon
150 soy sauce
50ml sunflower oil
salt and pepper
wasabi
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 sauces & dressings

wasabi dressing
Cut the peeled ginger into very thin slices
and chop into little sticks. Remove any dry 1/2 cup lemon juice
outer skin from the spring onions, and slice 1/4 cup olive oil
them into thin rounds. Mix with the ginger, 1/4 cup soy sauce
lemon juice, soy sauce and the oil. Stir well 1 tbsp. sesame oil
with a fork. Arrange the fish skin-side up 1 inch fresh ginger
and season well. Spoon over the sauce and 1 clove garlic
serve with the wasabi on the side. wasabi

Combine all the liquid ingredients with the

ginger and garlic, then add wasabi to taste.
Thread grilled peppers and aubergine onto
skewers, de-vein and split prawns and roll
onto ends of skewers, and then lightly fry
the prawns in oil.

pesto

Pound or whiz together 25g fresh basil, 25g

toasted pine nuts, 1/2 clove garlic, 2 tbsp.
fresh parmesan and 55ml olive oil.

bagna cauda #2

3 medium shallots
12 anchovy fillets
4 cloves garlic
50ml red wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. milled black pepper
150ml virgin olive oil
100ml double cream

Blend all the ingredients, except the cream,

in a liquidiser. Then stir in the cream. Serve
poured over grilled peppers, fennel,
courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines and
sprinkle with shavings of Parmesan or
Procaine cheese.

Thai chicken marinade

2 tbsp. sweet soy sauce

2 tsp. fish sauce
200ml tin coconut milk
6 chillies
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. chopped coriander
1 tsp. ground white pepper

Wearing plastic gloves, split the chillies,

remove the seeds and chop finely. Peel and
chop the garlic equally fine. Mix with all the

83
 sauces & dressings

ingredients and use as an overnight
marinade for chicken or pork.
honey, mustard & soya dressing
2 tsp. English mustard
4 tbsp. light soya sauce
1 tbsp. clear honey
1 tbsp. hot water
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. sunflower oil
Whisk together the mustard, soya sauce,
lemon and a little salt and pepper in a bowl.
Slowly add the honey, hot water and
sunflower oil, whisking all the time.
basil, green olive and lemon dressing
50 g pitted olives
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 tsp. capers, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tbsp. boiling water
1 tbsp. virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
small bunch of green basil leaves, chopped
Put all the ingredients except the water and
oil into a blender. Add the water and oil
slowly.
three mustard tomato dressing

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

lime and ginger fromage frais dressing 1 tsp. tomato purée
1 tsp. English mustard
zest and juice of 1 lime 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger 1 tsp. French mustard
50 g low-fat fromage frais 1 tsp. sugar
50 ml skimmed milk 12 tbsp. white wine vinegar
pinch of chilli powder 1 tbsp. virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. soya sauce 100 ml cold water
1 tsp. sugar salt and pepper

Put all ingredients except the milk into a Put everything except the oil into a blender.
blender. Start to blend and then add the Blend and add the oil slowly. Sieve before
milk slowly. serving.

green curry paste mock mayonnaise

15 small fresh green chillies 500g carton very low-fat fromage frais
4 garlic cloves, halved 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 lemon grass stalks, finely chopped 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 lime leaves, torn salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 shallots, chopped
50 g fresh coriander leaves, stalks and Combine all ingredients in bowl, whisk, and
roots refrigerate.
2.5 cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled
and chopped
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. peeled lime rind
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. groundnut oil

Put all of the ingredients into a blender or

food processor and blend to a thick paste.
Transfer to an airtight container and store
for up to three weeks in refrigerator.

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 sauces & dressings

Japanese-style dipping sauce for griddled

or grilled vegetables

1 medium clove garlic, peeled

2 tbsp. tahini, preferably light
1 level tbsp. peanut butter, preferably
smooth
1 level tbsp. honey
4 tbsp. groundnut or vegetable oil
1 tbsp. sake or dry sherry
1 tbsp. mirin or rice vinegar
1 tbsp. white wine
1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce

Peel, crush and finely chop the garlic, and

place in blender. Add all other ingredients
and blend for 30 seconds. Remove lid.
Scrape down sides with spatula and blend
for another 15-20 sec.. If preparing in
advance, cover with clingfilm and
refrigerate. Bring to room temperature
before serving and whisk in a little water if
it appears too thick.

spicy tomato and mint relish

knob of butter
1 large onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of mixed spice
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. sherry or white wine
1 heaped tsp. demerera sugar
1 tbsp. tomato purée
400 g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. chopped fresh mint
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tabasco
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a pan, then cook the

onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the
mixed spice and apple and cook for another
minute. Then add the vinegar and sugar.
Bring to the boil and reduce until almost dry
- about 10 minutes. Add the tomato purée,
the diced tomatoes and the mint. Cook for a
few minutes and then season with salt and
pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
Remove from heat and strain over bowl. Put
sieved liquid in a small pan and reduce it to
a syrupy consistency. Stir back into the
relish. Serve warm or cold with lamb
dishes.

85

mussels with pasta
1kg mussels
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
2 shallots
filling 1/2 cup risoni (rice shaped pasta)
2 rashers bacon
1 stick celery
1/2 red pepper
dressing 1/4 cup oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. French mustard
Scrub and clean mussels. Place mussels,
wine, water and chopped shallots in a large
pan, cover, bring to boil, reduce heat,
simmer 2 mins. Drain. Discard unopened
mussels. Reserve shells. Spoon filling into
shells and place a mussel on top of each.
For the filling: Bring large pan of salted
water to the boil, add risoni and boil rapidly
for 12 mins. Chop bacon finely, cook until
crisp. Drain. Chop celery and red pepper
finely. Combine pasta, bacon, celery,
pepper and parsley. Add dressing and mix
well. For the dressing: Combine oil, lemon
juice, salt, pepper, sugar and French
mustard and mix together well.
crabcakes with roasted bell pepper aioli
1 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 kilo crabmeat, cleaned
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp. breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. chopped basil, parsley, tarragon
2 tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 tbsp. Dijon mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground pepper and salt
2 roasted yellow peppers, skinned and
seeded
2 egg yolks
4 cleaned garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Purée bell pepper
aioli ingredients in a blender. Season to
taste. Refrigerate. Lightly sauté onions in
a tablespoon of olive oil. Allow to cool. In a
large bowl combine crabmeat, yolks,
breadcrumbs, yolks, breadcrumbs, herbs
seafood
and condiments. Season with salt and
pepper. Mix well. Divide mixture into eight
equal parts and form into cakes. Lightly
sauté cakes in olive oil until golden brown.
Place in oven until warmed through. Serve
warm with roasted bell pepper aioli.
crab and grapefruit starter
2 pink and 2 yellow grapefruit
100g thin rice noodles
20 crab sticks or 2 cans tinned crabmeat
1 cup of mayonnaise or 1 cup double cream
cayenne pepper
Peel the grapefruit. Take of the white inner
skin and separate the grapefruit into
segments. Peel the skin off of each
segment. Carefully pull apart each segment
so that each globule of grapefruit is
separated. This will take about 2 hours.
Place globules in a colander and rinse off
grapefruit juice from broken globules.
(Note: This is important to make sure that
the grapefruit juice and the cream only
come together in your mouth.) Refrigerate
overnight to dry. To prepare, cook the rice
noodles, rinse and let cool. If using
crabsticks, cut the crabsticks into half-inch
lengths and shred. Add crab or crabsticks
to grapefruit. Add noodles to grapefruit and
crab mixture. To serve, stir in the cream or
mayonnaise. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.
prawns with red and green peppers
2 tbsp. oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
150 ml water
1 tsp. cornflour
1 tsp. sugar
4 tbsp. chilli sauce
1 red and 1 green pepper, sliced
350g large peeled, cooked prawns
Heat the oil, add the onion, garlic, peppers
and soy sauce and fry for 1 minute. Add the
prawns and stir fry for a few minutes to
heat through. Add the chilli sauce. Mix the
cornflour, sugar and water and add to the
pan. Heat, stirring until the sauce thickens.
86

prawn and vegetable sauté
2 tbsp. oil
1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges
3 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. cornflour
4 tbsp. chilli sauce
2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and finely
chopped
2 carrots, sliced into batons
150g broccoli, cut into tiny florets
350g peeled, cooked prawns
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the
ginger, onion, carrot and broccoli for 5
minutes over a high heat. Add the prawns
and chilli sauce and stir fry until the prawns
are thoroughly heated. Add the remaining
ingredients and simmer for another 2
minutes. Garnish and serve hot.
hot chilli prawns
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. sugar
4 tbsp. water
1 tsp. cornflour
6 tbsp. chilli sauce
350g large shelled prawns
3cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. sherry
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the
garlic, ginger and chilli sauce and fry for 1
minute. Stir in the prawns and sugar and
cook for a few minutes to heat the prawns
thoroughly. Mix the cornflour with the
water and add to the pan. Heat, stirring,
until the sauce thickens. Add sherry.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and
sliced spring onion and serve. Serve with
rice and spinach sautéed in butter.
seafood
vinegared oysters
1 small cucumber
2 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
24 oysters
sauce 1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1” piece green ginger
Slice peeled cucumber into wafer thin
slices, three quarters of the way through.
Soak in salted water for 1 hour. Drain and
rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper.
Cut nori into 1” squares. Soak in hot water
for 1 min and drain. Place in bowl with
cucumber and trimmed and cleaned
oysters. For the sauce: Combine vinegar,
water and sugar in bowl. Grate ginger and
press between fingers to extract juice. Add
juice to bowl and discard fibres. Season
with salt and mix well. Serve chilled.
prawn and courgette frittata
1 x 15ml tbs. olive oil
1 medium courgette, trimmed & sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled & crushed
2 tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and cut into
strips
4 eggs, beaten
2 x 15ml tbs. milk
2 x 15ml tbs. grated Parmesan
salt & pepper
1 x 15ml tbs. chopped fresh dill
150g peeled prawns
Heat oil in small frying pa. Add courgette
and sauté for 2-3 mins until tender. Stir in
garlic and tomatoes and sauté for another 2
mins. In a jug, beat together eggs, milk,
Parmesan, seasoning and dill then stir in
the prawns. Pour into the pan and cook over
a gentle heat for 8 mins until just set. Place
frying pan under preheated grill and cook
for 2 mins or until brown.
87

BBQ prawns (one serve)
1/2 ounce olive oil
5 prawns
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 ounce heavy cream
1/5 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/5 tbs Tabasco sauce
1/8 tps cayenne pepper
1/8 tbs paprika
2 ounces butter
handful of chopped parsley
Cook prawns in oil, one minute per side.
Reduce heat.
Add onions, cook for 1 min.
Add garlic, sauces, cayenne and paprika.
Shake pan. Cook for 1 min.
Add the rest of the butter. Add cream. (Stir
constantly! Watch the heat!)
prawn and papaya cocktail
1 large papaya, halved, seeds removed
1 cup cooked prawns
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. caster sugar
2 tbsp. nampla (Thai fish sauce)
4 tbsp. fresh coriander
1 red chilli, finely chopped
Scoop out most of the flesh of the papaya
halves and chop. Combine with the
remaining ingredients and pile back into the
papaya shells.
seafood
curried scallops
750 g raw scallops (or salmon, prawns, or
mix)
75 g raisins
50 g butter
2 tbsp. plain flour
75 ml fish stock
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. curry powder
2 tbsp. double cream
2 tbsp. chopped cashew nuts
Pat the scallops dry and clean. Melt butter
in a large saucepan. add the flour and cook,
stirring constantly for 2 mins. Add the
stock, whisking until smooth, and bring to a
boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2
mins. Stir in the lemon juice and season
with salt and pepper. Add the raisins, garlic,
curry powder and raw scallops. Simmer for
3-5 mins or until cooked through. (Just
warm through if using fish or prawns.) Stir
in cream, simmer one minute and then pour
into a serving bowl and toss on cashews.
88
 seafood

chilli prawn stir fry with coconut rice Make the salsa by mixing all of the salsa
ingredients and season. Set aside. Shell
200 g long grain rice the prawns, leaving the tails on. Toss the
400 ml can coconut milk prawns with the chilli, cinnamon and oil.
250 ml stock or water Heat a non-stick pan and stir-fry for 2-3
1 limie min. Spoon some salsa on to the plates
2 tbsp. cornflour and pile the prawns on top. Drizzle over a
2 tbsp. clear honey little oil, and garnish with coriander and a
2 tbsp. soy sauce light dusting of chilli powder.
2 tbsp. chilli sauce
2 tbsp. sunflower oil
350 g mushrooms, sliced
50 g mange tout, sliced
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 x 190 g packet raw king prawns

Put the rice, milk and stock into a pan with

some salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the
heat, cover and cook for about 10-12 mins
until the rice is tender. Meanwhile, finely
grate the lime rind into a bowl, then
squeeze in the juice. Stir in the cornflour,
honey, soy sauce and chilli. Heat a
tablespoon of oil in a frying pan or wok and
stir fry the mushrooms for 2 min. then
remove from pan. Heat the remaining oil and
quickly stir fry the mange tout and red
pepper, remove from the pan. Add some
garlic butter to the pan and when hot, add
the prawns and cook for 3-4 min. until the
prawns are pink and firm. Return all
vegetables to the pan with the chilli lime
mixture and beansprouts. Heat through,
stirring, until the sauce is thickened and
shiny. Serve with the coconut rice.

prawns on black-eyed bean salsa

20 unshelled king prawns, heads removed

1/2 tsp mild chilli powder
pinch of ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra
coriander sprigs and chilli powder, to
garnish
lime wedges, to serve
sauce: 1 small red onion, finely
chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
400g can black-eyed beans, drained
handful of fresh coriander, roughly
chopped
1 tbsp. clear honey
grated rind and juice if 1 lime +1
small lemon
salt and pepper

89

chicken liver & mushroom pate
125g streaky bacon, chopped
75g butter
750g chicken livers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50g onions, chopped
50g button mushrooms, chopped
200g curd cheese
3 tbsp. tarragon
salt and pepper
Fry the bacon until browned. Add 50g
butter, the liver and the garlic. Cook for 3
mins or until the liver is evenly browned
and tender. Remove with a draining spoon.
Add the onion and mushrooms and cook
until soft. Process or blend the onion and
mushroom mixture with the liver and
cheese until smooth. Fold in the herbs.
Season and place into dish. Melt butter and
pour over. Chill for several hours.
guacomole
2 large ripe avocados, peeled and cubed
1 medium tomato, cubed
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1-inch piece of onion
1-2 jalapaño peppers
Place all ingredients except for 1~2 pieces
of avocado into processor bowl and cover.
Process until smooth. Add remaining
avocado. Chop quickly. refrigerate until
serving.
hummus
2 parts chickpeas, skinned and cooked
1 part sesame paste
fistful of parsley, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
6-10 garlic cloves
1/2 cup lime juice
1 1/2 cups olive oil
pinch of cumin
Mix chick peas and sesame paste in food
processor. Add garlic cloves, chilli and mix
again. Add remaining ingredients and
combine.
snacks
mustard butter
Place three teaspoons full of whole mustard
seed in simmering water, and cook for three
to four minutes. Drain and dry on Kitchen
paper, then set aside. Mix 500g of slightly
salted butter with half a jar of whole-grain
mustard. Add fresh-chopped herbs and/or
garlic. Chill until manageable. Form into a
sausage and roll in the mustard seed. Chill
until required. Serve as an accompaniment
to meat or fish, grilled or roasted.
.
pastry shell
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter, frozen, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. ice cold water
Place flour, butter and salt into processor
bowl and cover. Process 5 fast pulses or
until butter is the size of peas. With motor
running pour the water all at once through
the centre feed. Turn unit off as soon as
dough begins to gather together and before
it forms a ball. Remove and knead.
crostini with tomato, cucumber and olives
4 slices bread
1 medium very ripe tomato
1 cucumber
4 black olives
1 clove of garlic
chilli oil
salt and pepper
Chop cucumber and tomato finely. Stone
and chop olives and add to bowl. Dribble
chilli oil over. Finely diced shallots, chillies,
basil, spring onions, tarragon a dash of
lemon can be added. Peel garlic and rub it
over bread to grate garlic into it. Spool the
chopped vegetables onto the bread,
sprinkle with salt and leave to sit for five
minutes.
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 snacks

caviar in mini salt-baked potatoes

beef chilli peppers
20 small Yukon Gold potatoes
4 cups kosher salt 10 banana peppers
2 tbsp. olive oil 1 bunch chives
114g caviar 1 bunch rocket
1 cup clabber cream 1 kg trimmed sirloin
2 tbsp. chopped chives
Season sirloin and set aside. Turn oven up
Coat the potatoes lightly with olive oil. high. Rub peppers with oil and cook in oven
Place 2 cups of the salt in a baking pan. until skin blisters. Place sirloin in oven for
Arrange the potatoes on top and cover with ten minutes, remove and cover. To
remaining salt. Cover pan in foil and bake assemble, slit each pepper down one side
at 200°C until potatoes are tender (40 and remove seeds. Slice beef thinly and
mins). Allow potatoes to cool. Cut and X place in pepper with rocket leaves. Tie
into the top of the potatoes and squeeze peppers together with chives and serve
open. Place a large teaspoon of cream on with a hot chilli sauce.
each potato, top with caviar and sprinkle
with the chopped chives. Serve
immediately. corn fritters

batter 2 cups flour

fresh fruit whip
1 cup orange juice
75g blueberries
6 strawberries
1/2 banana
1 tsp. yoghurt
1 tbsp. sesame seeds, crushed
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
Blend and pour into a tall glass.
prosciutto on parmesan crisps
7 sheets phyllo dough
1 1/2 cups parmesan, grated
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lb. prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chives, chopped
5 fresh figs, cut into eighths
salt to taste
Brush a sheet of phyllo lightly with olive oil
and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place
another sheet on top and repeat six times.
Top the final layer with cheese and a light
dusting of salt. Cut round shapes and place
on a sheet pan covered with parchment.
Bake for 8-10 min. until golden brown. Cool.
Twist a piece of prosciutto onto the cracker,
top with a piece of fig and garnish with
chopped chives.
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 cobs corn with kernels removed
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, halved
a few rashers of bacon
a handful of rocket
Combine batter ingredients into a stiff
dough. Put vegetables into mixing bowl and
add enough batter to lightly coat them. Set
aside. Roast tomatoes in a hot oven until
brown. Fry bacon and set aside, keeping it
warm. Heat 2 tbs. oil in a frying pan until
sizzling, then drop large spoonfuls of batter
into the pan and flatten with the back of a
spoon. Reduce heat and cook until the
edges of the vegetables are golden. Flip
and repeat. Set a fritter on a plate and top
with rocket, bacon and tomatoes, then top
with a second fritter.

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 snacks

smoked mackerel pâté mixture thinly over a Teflon baking sheet

and bake for 2 hours at 130°C.
250g cooked smoked mackerel fillets
150g skimmed milk soft cheese
juice of 1 lemon
pepper
lemon or parsley t garnish

Remove the skin and any bones from the

mackerel. Place the mackerel, cheese and
lemon juice in a blender or food processor.
Season with pepper and blend until smooth.
Spoon into ramekins and chill in the fridge
for 30 mins.

mushroom and bacon bread tartest

1 egg
4 tsp. skimmed milk
1 rasher of bacon, de-ringed
25g polyunsaturated margarine
75g mushrooms, chopped finely
4 slices wholemeal bread
pepper

Whisk together the egg and the milk, and

season with pepper. Remove fat from bacon,
cut into small pieces and add to the egg
mixture. Heat a third of the margarine in a
non-stick frying pan and cook mushrooms
over a low heat for 10-15 minutes until soft.
Leave to cool slightly. Preheat oven to
190°C. Roll out the bread with a rolling pin
to make it slightly thinner and larger,
remove the crusts and spread the
remaining margarine on both sides. Press
the bread into four tartly tins. Add the
mushrooms and the egg mixture and pour
into the cases. Bake for 20-25 mins.

risotto crackers

1 cup risotto
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
10 cups hot water
2 tsp. salt
2 cups parmesan, grated
1 tsp. white pepper, ground

Sauté onions until just cooked. Add risotto

and sauté for a minute. Add, rice, wine,
water, salt and pepper and simmer. Cook for
45 minutes or until rice is very soft. Add
parmesan and stir for 2 minutes. Spread

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 snacks

pepper pissalatiere tartlets

pastry 225g plain flour

1 tsp. icing sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
150g cold, unsalted butter
1 large egg, separated
1 tsp. lemon juice
2-3 tsp. iced water
filling 4 tbsp. olive oil
450g ripe tomatoes, skinned and
chopped
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. caster sugar
3 tbsp. grated parmesan
50g unsalted butter
3 Spanish onions, peeled and
chopped
1 x 140g tin tomato purée
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
black pepper
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
pinch of crushed, dried chillies
garnish 2 small sweet peppers, red and
orange
a little olive oil
black olives, cut in half
anchovies, drained
few sprigs oregano or thyme

To make the pastry, combine the diced

butter with the flour, icing sugar, and salt
mixture, using two knives, in a scissors
action. Continue until the mixture
resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Work with
fingers until the mixture is the consistency
of fine breadcrumbs and then add the egg
mixture and combine with a spoon. Roll
pastry into a ball, wrap and rest in fridge for
at least one hour. For the filling, cook the
chopped tomatoes and tomato purée in a
large frying pan and then add the oregano,
sugar and pepper. Cook over a low heat for
15-20 mins, stir in the parmesan and cool. In
another pan cook the onions and thyme for
15 mins until transparent. Remove pasty
from fridge and allow it to soften for 15-20
mins. Line small pastry tins, prick with a
fork and let chill for 20 mins. Bake in oven
for 15 mins. Remove and while still hot,
brush each case with egg white. Sprinkle
the parmesan and chilli onto the bottom of
each case, then add the tomato and onion
mixture, spreading it evenly. Garnish each
tart with the roasted pepper slices, black
olives and strips of anchovy and brush with
a little olive oil. Finish with a few sprigs of
oregano or thyme and bake in oven for 15
mins. Serve warm.

93

gnocchi with gorgonzola and sage
500 g gnocchi di patate
50 g creamy gorgonzola in 1 cm chunks
2 level tbsp. roughly chopped sage leaves
2 tbsp. olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Cook gnocchi as required. Drain and return
to pan. Carefully stir in chunks of
gorgonzola, chopped fresh sage and the
olive oil. Place pan over a low flame and
heat gently until cheese has melted. Serve
with a grinding of black pepper.
cheddar biscuits
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
125 unsalted butter, cubed
125grated mature cheddar
2/3 cup milk
Combine the five dry ingredients, add cold
cubed butter and rub into the flour to
achieve a coarse breadcrumb texture. Stir
in cheese, then make a well in the flour
mixture, pour in milk and work gently with a
fork until the dough comes together. Turn on
to a lightly floured surface and knead gently
for a couple of minutes. Pat down into a 5
cm thick layer and cut out biscuits with a
floured 2-inch cutter. Place on a lightly
floured sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes in
an oven preheated to 220°C until lightly
browned.
frittata
900g peeled and sliced potatoes
1 red onion
1 leek
1 red pepper
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 sundried tomatoes, sliced
4 eggs, beaten and seasoned
Simmer potatoes for 7 mins and drain when
tender. Slice other ingredients and fry with
garlic in the oil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes
and fry 1 more min. Add t tbsp. freshly
chopped herbs. Arrange a layer of potatoes
on base of lightly oiled 1 lit ovenproof dish.
snacks
Alternate layers of potatoes and vegetables,
finishing with potato. Season the eggs and
pour over dish. Top with 25g grated cheddar
or parmesan. Bake 20-25 mins or until eggs
have set. Let stand for 2 mins before
serving.
potato pancakes with whitefish roe
potatoes
margarine
4 pieces fresh dill
1 lemon
200g whitefish, salmon or lumpish roe
250ml sour cream
2 small red onions, finely chopped
Coarsely grate potatoes. Place a generous
spoonful of margarine in frying pan and wait
until it turns golden brown. Form a ball
using a quarter of the shredded potatoes,
place in the hot pan and flatten with
spatula. Fry on a medium-high heat for
about 3 mins each side until pancake is
golden-brown. Remove and place on paper
towels to drain . Fry remaining pancakes.
Put each pancake onto an plate, garnish
with dill and a slice of lemon, and top with
dollops of roe. Serve with sour cream and
chopped red onions.
Thai fried noodles
3 tbsp. groundnut oil
175 g ready fried tofu, diced
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
125g bean thread noodles (“Thai
tagliatelle”)
25 g carrot, grated
2 tbsp. rice vinegar (mirin)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 eggs
3 tsp. sugar
2 spring onions, sliced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. crushed roast peanuts
125 g beansprouts
1 spring onion, to garnish
Heat wok and add 2 tbsp. of oil. Add tofu
and fry, stirring until brown. Add garlic,
noodles, carrot, vinegar, soy sauce and 100
ml water, stirring continuously. Push
contents of wok to one side, leaving space
to break eggs. Break up the yolks and stir
around, gradually incorporating into the
noodle mixture. Pour the remaining oil into
the wok and add the rest of the ingredients.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring and shaking
94
 snacks

all the time. Serve by heaping onto a plate corseting la Tocsin

and sprinkling with the peanuts,
beansprouts and spring onion. 400g chicken livers
1/2 lemon, cut into slices
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small stick celery, trimmed and chopped
3 small shallots, peeled and chopped
8-10 fresh sage leaves
handful fresh parsley, leaves only
1 level tablespoon juniper berries
120 ml dry white wine
a little chicken stock, if needed
4 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
2 level tablespoons capers, rinsed and
drained
40 g unsalted butter
salt and pepper

corseting: 1 cabana
1 tbsp. Marsala
1 tbsp. chicken stock
1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil

with the lemon slices and 1 level tsp. of
salt. When boiling, slide in the chicken
livers and cook for 2 mins and drain. The
water need not boil again. This is just to
blanch the livers. Chop livers and set aside.
Heat oil in heavy pan and add celery and
shallots. Meanwhile, chop herbs, bruise the
berries and throw into the pan. Combine
and cook for 10 mins. Add the livers, turn
over and drown with wine. Cook for 5 mins,
adding stock if necessary. Before turning
off heat, add anchovies, capers and butter.
Cool. Cut cabana into 1 cm slices. Bake for
5 mins each side. Mix Marsala and stock
while adding oil gradually. Brush bread and
pile on liver mix.

pizza dough

250 ml water, warmed to body temperature

500 g Italian type 00 strong white flour
pinch of sugar
20 g fresh yeast, or 1 sachet dried yeast
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. salt

Take the warm water and weigh out the

flour. Put three tablespoons of the water
and a pinch of sugar in a large bowl and stir
in 20 g fresh yeast (but if using dried yeast
add to the flour - never to wet ingredients).
Add four tablespoons of the flour and mix to
a soft dough (*add more flour or water if
necessary). Knead for 3 minutes, sprinkle

95
 snacks

with flour, the cover with a tea towel and ingredients in bowl and garnish rolls with
leave to rise for 30 minutes. Measure out 50 endive and coriander springs and black
ml extra virgin olive oil and gently re-warm olives.
the remaining water to blood heat. Tip the
remaining flour onto the work surface.
Shape into a volcano and put the starter
dough in the crater. Pour over a little water
and pinch the dough, flour and water
together to mix. Gradually add more water,
pinching together until all water has been
added. Then repeat with oil. When one third
of oil has been added and there is a soft
dough, make a dip in the top and add the
salt and half the remaining oil. Knead
everything together so that it is no longer
sticky. Toss and stretch the dough into a
flat shape, repeating as necessary.

Thai spring rolls with chilli dipping sauce

2 small courgettes
2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed,
caps sliced
100g beansprouts
4-6 sprigs of basil, mint, watercress, leaves
in slivers
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Mirin
1 cm piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped
12 spring roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
oil, for deep frying
slt and pepper
curly endive and coriander springs and
black olives, to serve
sauce: 1 tbsp ea. soy sauce, groundnut
oil, lime juice
1 small hot chilli, seeds removed,
thinly sliced

Cut each courgette widthways into eight

thick slices, then cut each slice into thin
sticks. Heat the ground nut oil in a large
frying pan, then cook the courgettes,
onions, mushrooms, bean sprouts, basil,
mint and watercress with the soy sauce,
mirin and ginger until softened slightly.
Season to taste. Spoon a tablespoon of the
mixture on one end of a spring roll wrapper
and roll up, folding in the ends and brushing
with beaten egg to help make it stick. Fill a
wok one third full with oil and heat until a
stale bread cube dropped in turns golden
after 15 sec. Deep fry the rolls for about 1-2
min. until brown, turning occasionally.
Remove and drain. Mix together dipping

96

baccala mantecato
460g salt cod
1 onion, peeled
1 stick celery
1 leek
1 bayleaf
12 black peppercorns
a sprig of thyme
200ml good olive oil
juice of 1 small lemon
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
freshly ground black pepper
Soak the cod for 3 days. It is ready when
the cod when the cod has gone white and
the flesh has softened. Chop the vegetables
into large pieces, put them in a large pot
with the herbs, and cover with cold water
(leaving enough room for the fish to be
covered as well.) Bring the ot to the boil,
and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the
heat, and set the ot to one side until the
cod is cool enough to handle. When the fish
is cool, carefully remove any skind and
bones, place the flesh in a food processor
with the garlic. “Pulse” the fish and garlic
into a soft paste and then pour in the olive
oil in a thin stream. If the mix is too thick,
add a little of the cooking liquid. Finally,
add the parsley and pepper.
gravadlax
400g salmon fillet
28.5g sea salt
56.7g caster sugar
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
a big handful of chopped dill
Remove any excess scales from the fish
skin, and any small bones in the flesh of the
fillet. Cut the fillet into two equal sized
pieces. Mix together the salt, sugar, pepper
and dill, and rub it vigourously into the
salmon. Lay one of the fish halves on top of
the other, flesh to flesh, and weight down
lightly in a deep dish. Turn every 12 hours or
so for three to four days, then rub off any
excess salt mixture and drain off any green
liquid before slicing to serve. Lay the slices
on a place and serve along with a sweet
mustard and dill sauce.
snacks
calzoni
1 batch of pizza dough (see page before)
500g spinach (cooked and chopped - use
canned spinach, obviously)
2 eggs
250g cream cheese (Philly light works
fine)
500g tinned tuna, drained OR 350g
chicken livers, chopped and lightly
sautéed in butter
I tin tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Purée and reduce tomatoes to a paste
along with the pepper. Roll pizza dough
into four 12" pizza shapes which are about
1/4" thick and spread the tomato mix over.
Mix together the other (filling)
ingredients, divide into four and place on
bases. Fold the dough to make shapes like
Cornish pasties, pressing the edges to
seal. Brush a baking tray with oil and
bake at 275deg. for 15 mins. Serve with
tian of tomatoes and aubergines.
shrimp stuffed eggs
1/3 cup medium-sized shrimp, peeled, de-
veined and cooked
6 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
additional shrimp and chopped dill, optional
Finely chop shrimp and set aside. halve
eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in
a small bowl. Mash yolks with a form and
stir in chopped shrimp, mayonnaise, sour
cream, mustard and lemon juice. Add salt
and pepper to taste. Fill egg whites with
yolk mixture. Garnish with shrimp and dill.
97

hot and sour soup
8 medium Chinese mushrooms
1.2 lit strong beef stock
4 tablespoons wood ear funghi
2 cakes tofu
120-150g cooked and shredded chicken
meat
90g shredded zasai pickles
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. green peas
1 tbsp. chopped shallots
1 1/4 tbsp. cornflour, blended with 6tbsp
water
2 tbsp. soya sauce
ground black pepper
4-6 tbsp. wine vinegar
Soak mushrooms in 5-6 tbsp. of boiling
water for 30 mins. Reserve mushroom
water. Remove stalks and cut into quarters.
Add mushrooms and mushroom water to
the stock. Bring to the boil and stand in the
hot water for 15 minutes. Soak funghi in
boiling water for 5 minutes, rinse and drain.
Cut tofu into 2 cm cubes. Add tofu cubes
chicken, pickles, wood ear funghi, peas and
shallots to the mushrooms. Bring to the
boil. Pour and trail the beaten egg slowly
over the surface of the soup. Stir when the
egg has set. To make the sauce, combine
all the ingredients in a separate bowl until
well mixed. Pour and stream it slowly into
the simmering soup, which will thicken it
and make it pronouncedly spicy. Serve a
separate bowl of spiced mixture, ground
black pepper, finely chopped chillies, and
sesame oil.
soups
fish chowder
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
110g smoked streaky bacon, sliced into
1cm pieces
2 onions, chopped
450g potatoes, cut into 1cm dice
1.2 lit milk
1 tsp. cornflour
450g skinned fillets of cod or haddock, cut
into 1cm pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cream crackers, reduced to powder
dash of Worcestershire sauce
30g butter, cut into tiny pieces
chopped parsley to garnish
Heat oil and fry bacon until fat released.
Turn up heat and fry until crisp. Remove
half bacon and reserve for garnish. Cook
the onion in the remaining fat for 5-10 mins
until soft. Add potatoes and stir-fry for 1
min. Dissolve cornflour in a little of the
milk. Add remaining milk to the potato
mixture, then stir cornflour into this. Bring
to the boil and simmer on low heat, stirring
occasionally until potatoes are tender. Add
the fish and season well with salt and
pepper. Then stir in the cracker crumbs.
Add Worcestershire sauce to taste.
Sprinkle with the butter pieces, bacon and
chopped parsley.
98
 soups

gazpacho green soup

1 kg firm ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and 1 medium potato, peeled and roughly
diced chopped
2 green cucumbers, peeled, seeded and 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely
diced chopped
2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped 5 cups chicken stock
2 green peppers, diced. one 3/4” cube of fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic 1/2 tsp. ground coriander seeds
3 cups cold water 2 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1 cup white wine 5 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar 1/2 dozen fresh hot chillies
1 cup olive oil 275g frozen peas
2 tsp. salt 3/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 hard boiled eggs diced 1/2 tsp. ground, roasted cumin seeds
1 cup croutons 2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. cumin
Combine the potato, onion, chicken stock,
Combine liquid ingredients, add garlic, ginger, ground coriander and ground cumin
season and chill. Serve with cucumber, in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat
peppers, croutons, eggs. to low and simmer for 30 mins. Fish out the
cube of ginger and discard. Add the fresh
coriander, chilli, peas, salt, lemon juice and
watermelon soup roasted cumin. Bring to a boil and simmer,
uncovered, for 2-3 mins or until the peas are
2 kg fresh watermelon just tender. Empty the soup into the
2 cups good, fruity sweet wine container of a blander in 2 or 3 batches and
1 tsp. mixed spice blend until smooth. Put soup in a clean pot.
1/2 tsp. ground ginger Add cream and heat through.
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 x 300g carton sour cream

Peel watermelon, cut into cubes and

remove seeds. Put watermelon, wine,
sugar, spices and lemon rind in a saucepan.
Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally and
simmer for 20 mins. Remove from heat and
transfer to a food processor. Process well
and pour through strainer into a bowl.
Allow to cool and stir in sour cream. Chill
thoroughly before serving.

99
 soups

cold yoghurt soup with mint Serve with remaining parsley and pepper.
Serves 2.
2 2/3 cups plain yoghurt
1 1/4 cups heavy ream
2 cups cold, de-fatted chicken stock
1/2 tsp. ground roasted cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt (more if stock is unsalted)
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. very finely chopped fresh mint
2 tsp. lemon juice

Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Beat lightly with

a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy.
Pour in the cream. Bet gently to mix. Add
the chicken stock, cumin, salt, black pepper
, lemon juice and mint. Stir to mix and
taste for seasoning.

vichysoisse

60 butter
3 small leeks, thinly sliced
1 x 440g can new potatoes, drained,
chopped
3 cups milk
1 cup cream
salt and white pepper
3 tbsp. chopped chives

Melt butter in saucepan, add leeks and

cook gently for 15 mins until soft. Put the
leeks, potatoes and milk in blender and
blend until smooth. Stir in cream and
season to taste. Chill for at least one hour.
Sprinkle with the remaining chives before
serving.

avocado soup

1 large avocado
1 cup strong chicken stock
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
black pepper
1 cup cream
1 tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped finely
1 tbsp. chopped chives
2 tbsp. parsley

Peel, stone and dice avocado and combine

with chicken stock, onion, lemon juice, salt
and pepper. Place in a blender and purée
until completely smooth. Add cream,
tarragon, chives and half the parsley and
stir well into the soup. Cover and chill.

100
 soups

tomato soup spinach and cauliflower soup

4 tbsp. butter white 1/2 small cauliflower

1 tbsp. flour 15g butter
2 oz tomato paste 1 small onion
2 carrots 3 cups chicken stock
2 onions salt and pepper
1 clove garlic 2 tbsp. cream
1 bunch assorted herbs green 250g pack of frozen spinach
1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. pine nuts
1/8 tsp. pepper 15g butter
1 clove garlic
Chop the onions and fry them to a light 1 small onion
golden colour in the butter Sprinkle on a 2 cups chicken stock
tablespoon of flour while stirring. Allow to few sprigs of parsley
simmer for 2 mins then add the tomato 3 tsp. cornflour
paste, together with the crushed garlic, 1 tbsp. water
herbs, salt pepper and the carrots sliced salt and pepper
into discs. Pour in 2 1/2 pints of water and
cook for 1 hour. For cauliflower soup: Cut cauliflower into
small flowerets. Melt butter in pan, add
peeled ad chopped onion, cook until
chilled tomato and dill soup transparent. Add cauliflower, mix well, cook
2 minutes, stir to prevent browning. Add
4 large ripe tomatoes stock, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer
1 medium onion, sliced covered 20 minutes. Puree soup in blender
1 clove garlic and push through a sieve. Return soup to
1 tsp. salt pan and season with salt and pepper. When
1/4 tsp. black pepper soup re-boils, add cream. Keep warm. For
2 tbsp. tomato paste spinach soup: Place pine nuts in pan and
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce stir over low heat until light golden brown.
1/4 cup water Remove. Add butter, crushed garlic and
2 sprigs dill peeled and chopped onion to pan, cook until
1/2 cup cooked macaroni onion is transparent. Add unthawed
1 cup chicken stock spinach and stock, bring to boil, reduce
3/4 cup cream heat, simmer gently, covered for 15 mins,
stirring occasionally. Pour soup into
Peel and slice tomatoes and place in a blender add pine nuts and parsley, blend
saucepan with onion, garlic, salt, pepper, until pureed. Push through sieve. Return to
tomato paste, Tabasco, water and dill. pan, add combined cornflour and water. Stir
Cover and cook slowly until tomatoes and over medium heat until boiling. Season
onions are soft. Place in blender along with with salt and pepper. To serve: Pour each
the cooked pasta and process until smooth. soup into a jug and pour simultaneously
Chill. Serve with chopped dill and tomato from both jugs into bowls. Swirl soups
garnish. together gently.

101
 soups

carrot soup with ginger and chilli Manhattan mussel chowder

a thick slice of butter 4kg mussels

1 medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. coriander seeds
750g carrots, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1 stick celery, thinly sliced
4cm knob ginger, peeled and grated
grated zest of small orange
vegetable stock or water
125ml creme fraiche
1 level tsp. chilli paste
chopped coriander leaf
Melt butter and cook onion and garlic until
soft. Toast cumin and coriander seeds and
grind into paste. Stir into onions. Add
celery and carrots, ginger and orange. Pour
in stock to cover by 5cm, bring to boil
season and simmer 15 mins. Purée the
soup until creamy then return to pan. Add
cream and chilli paste and heat. Season.
Add chopped coriander.
New England cod chowder
1kg cod fillet
250g slab streaky bacon
3 large white onions
3 large potatoes, diced
1 litre milk
30g flour
90g butter
thyme, bay leaf salt, pepper
250g slab streaky bacon
3 large white onions
3 large potatoes
1 x 800g tin chopped tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
2 red chillies
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
half a bottle dry white wine
fresh basil or oregano
olive oil, salt and pepper
Clean the mussels. In a large pot, stew a
slice onion with a little olive oil and add the
mussels. Add a glassful of wine and cover
with an airtight lid. Shake the pot
occasionally and check after five minutes.
Drain the mussels, saving the liquor. Cook
the bacon an onions as for the cod chowder
above, but using olive oil instead of butter.
Add the finely chopped garlic and chillies,
then the spices. Strain the mussel liquor
into the pot, add the rest of he wine, the
tomato and the finely-diced potatoes. Pick
the mussels from their shells, and add them
to the soup when it is cooked. Serve with
crusty bread.

Melt a third of the butter and stir in the

flour to make a roux. Pour in a little milk,
make a smooth paste and then whisk in the
rest of the milk. Add one finely sliced onion
and any fish bones and skin. Add thyme,
bay leaf, salt and pepper and stew very
gently for half an hour. Remove the rind and
cut the bacon into very small cubes. Melt
the rest of the butter in a big saucepan and
gently stew the bacon in it Chop the
remaining onions finely and add to the pot.
Add the cod, cut into small chunks and five
minutes later, the potatoes. Simmer gently
for 20 minutes, whisking occasionally to
break up the cod. Season with pepper.

102

minestrone
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
4 young carrots
1 fennel bulb
4 small young turnips
4 spears of asparagus
1 cup of potted peas
2 cups of potted broad beans
1 cup cooked Borolo beans
1 large potato
1 tablespoon spaghetti (broken)
4 ripe tomatoes
sorrel, thyme
salt, pepper, olive oil
parmesan
Peel and blanch the asparagus. Blanch peas
and refresh. Also blanch broad beans,
refresh and peel. Core the tomatoes, blanch
for 20 sec., refresh and peel. Remove seeds,
chop flesh into cubes and drain on paper
and sprinkle with salt. Put a couple of tbsp.
of olive oil in a heavy casserole and place
over a gentle heat. Chop the garlic finely
and add. Cut the carrots and turnips into
small dice and add them in turn. The
vegetables should stew gently without
colouring. Slice the asparagus into 1/2cm
thick rounds and add to the pot. Peel and
dice the potato, and add, along with the
peas, beans and pasta. Season well, then
add a good sprig of thyme and just enough
cold water to cover. Cook over a gentle heat
for 12-15 mins, until the pasta and potatoes
are tender. Slice sorrel leaves finely and
add, along with the tomatoes. Simmer for 4-
5 mins. Reheat soup after an hour or two
and serve with parmesan.
soups
gazpacho with prawns
750g ripe tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and
chopped
1 red pepper, de-seeded, chopped
1 red onion, peeled, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled, chopped
1 tbsp. basil leaves
1 tbsp. flat parsley
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
200ml passata
2-3 drops Tabasco
extra-virgin olive oil
200g cooked tiger prawns, peeled
basil sprigs, to garnish
Pat the tomatoes dry on kitchen paper, then
place in a blender with the next nine
ingredients. (Do in two batches). Add 2tbsp
olive oil and process until blended but
chunky. Season accordingly. Pour into a
bowl and chill for at least 6 hours. An hour
before serving, toss prawns in some olive
oil and some salt and pepper. To serve,
place a spoonful of prawns in the middle
and a spring of basil on top.
103
 soups

chicken noodle soup with coconut and lime

2 small chicken breasts

2 cloves garlic, ,crushed
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. fish sauce
pinch of two of turmeric
juice and zest of lime
2 stalks lemon grass, rough chopped
large handful coriander leaves
500 ml chicken stock
double handful egg noodles
2 spring onions, thickly sliced
lump of ginger (size of walnut), grated
2 small reed chillies, seeded and chopped
groundnut oil
400ml tin coconut milk

Cut chicken into thick slices and place in

dish with garlic, soy, fish sauce, turmeric
and lime juice. Set aside for half an hour.
Finely chop lemon grass, lime zest and
most of the coriander into a rough paste.
Place chicken stock and paste in a
saucepan and bring to boil. Add noodles.
Cook for 4 mins or until tender. Lift noodles
out of stock and set aside. Turn stock down.
Fry the onions, ginger and chillies in a little
oil in a shallow pan until they colour. Add
the chicken. Tip everything into the chicken
stock and simmer for 5 mins. Scrape stuff
off of bottom of frying pan and add too. Add
rest of coriander.

tomato and vegetable soup

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter
1 carrot, diced
1 large rib celery, diced
1 onion, diced, 1 clove garlic
2 small courgettes, diced
100g green beans, trimmed, in 1/2 inch
lengths
200g white beans
700 tomatoes, roughly chopped
30ml chicken stock
2 tsp. sugar
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Place olive oil and butter in a pot over a

medium-low heat; soften carrots, celery,
onions and garlic for 5-7 mins. add
courgettes and beans and toss in the oil
mixture. Add tomatoes, stock sugar and bay
leaf and simmer for 30 mins. Season and
serve. Serve with cheddar biscuits.

104
 soups

white bean and tomato soup

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
800 g can plum tomatoes
1 tbsp. tomato purée
600 ml vegetable stock
2 x 420g cans canellini beans, drained and
rinsed
15 g pack fresh basil leaves, shredded
1 tsp. caster sugar
6 x 1.5 cm thick slices cabana
15 g Parmesan, grated
seasoning

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion

and fry for 8-10 minutes until golden. Add
garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée and
stock. Bring to the boil, stirring to combine.
Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cannelini
beans and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, then stir in the basil
and sugar and season to taste. Meanwhile,
grill cabana for 1-2 minutes until golden on
both sides. Cut each slice in half and keep
warm. To serve, float three slices of bread
on top of soup, and sprinkle Parmesan over.

clear chicken broth with lemon and mint

1.5 litres chicken broth

400g warm chicken meat, roughly chopped
the juice of a lemon
30 small mint leaves, chopped

The broth should be really hot. Divide the

chicken between four warm bowls. Pour the
lemon juice into the hot broth. Stir in the
chopped mint, taste and season with salt
and black pepper. Now ladle the seasoned
broth over the chicken and eat straight
away.

105
 vegetables

braised cabbage with bacon spinach with potatoes

2 rashers bacon, chopped 275ml water

1 small white cabbage 1 pack frozen spinach
1 onion, chopped 1 large onion, peeled
6 tablespoon natural yoghurt 5 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 tablespoons chicken stock pinch of ground astafeida (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika 2 tsp. whole black mustard seeds
salt and pepper 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1” cubes
Place a frying pan over moderate heat, add 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
the bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer to 1 tsp. cumin seeds
an ovenproof dish and add the cabbage and 1 tsp. salt
onion. Mix the yoghurt and stock together
with the paprika and salt and pepper to Bring water to boil and put in frozen spinach
taste. Pour over the cabbage. Cover and and cook until almost done. Drain and
cook at 180°C for 40 mins, stirring halfway rinse. Press out most of water. Cut onion
during cooking. in half and then into thin slices. Heat the oil
in a heavy saucepan over a medium flame.
Put in astafeida and then mustard seeds.
coleslaw with boiled dressing After a few seconds, put in the onions and
garlic. Stir and fry for 2 mins. Put in the
1.25 kg cabbage(s) potatoes and cayenne. Stir fry for another
50g sugar minute. Next put in spinach, salt and 2
1 tbsp. flour tbsp. water. Bring to boil, turn heat to low
175ml wine vinegar and cook gently for 40 mins.
150ml water
75ml oil
2 eggs
120ml sour cream

Mix sugar and flour over boiling water in a

double boiler. Do not let boil. Add vinegar,
water and oil and whisk thoroughly until
hot. Beat eggs with a little of the mixture,
add to the pot and cook, stirring
occasionally until very thick (10-15 mins).
Sieve. Mix the cream in an cool in
refrigerator. Grate or chop the cabbage, or
shred as fine as possible. Toss with
dressing and leave for 30 mins-2 hours.
 vegetables

leeks with bacon and red wine tian of tomatoes and aubergines

3 tbsp. olive oil 1 kg plum tomatoes

4 rashers thick-cut streaky bacon, cut into
thin strips
675g leeks, trimmed and cut in half
lengthways
175ml red wine
60 ml chicken stock
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
salt and pepper
Heat the olive oil in a pan large enough to
take the leeks in a single layer. Brown the
bacon in the oil, then add the leeks and
brown them, turning so that they colour
evenly. Pour over the wine and the stock,
add the sugar and coriander seeds, salt and
pepper. Bring to the boil and cover. Simmer
gently for 10 minutes or so until the leeks
are tender. Place leeks in a serving dish,
and reduce any liquid to a sauce and cover.
Malay vegetables
1 kg aubergines
olive oil
breadcrumbs, garlic, basil, thyme, salt,
pepper
Slice the aubergines 1/2 cm thick. Brush
them with olive oil and griddle them in a dry
heavy pan until golden brown. Plunge the
tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds,
refresh them in cold water and peel. Slice
them to the same thickness. Season them
and the aubergines very well with salt and
pepper. Rub an ovenproof dish very well
with a cut clove of garlic. Lay the tomatoes
and aubergines in alternating and
overlapping slices around the outside and
overlapping towards the middle. Slip a leaf
of basil in here and there an sprinkle some
thyme leaves over the whole thing. Dribble
good olive oil all over and scatter some
breadcrumbs over the top. Sprinkle with
more olive oil and bake at 220°C for 40
minutes.

2 tbsp. oil
1 onion, sliced
50g cashew nuts
150ml water
4 tbsp. chilli sauce
100g green beans, blanched
150g baby potatoes, cooked and halved
100g cauliflower, cut into small florets
6 tomatoes, peeled and halved
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the

onion and cashews until the onion softens.
Add the chilli sauce and garlic and heat for
1 minute. Stir in the water and remaining
vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped basil leaves just
before serving.

grilled parsnip kebabs with a honey, ginger
and orange glaze
3 large parsnips, peeled and trimmed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium-sized green peppers
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
2 tbsp. clear honey
4 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. light sesame oil or sunflower oil
finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 1/2 cm piece of fresh ginger
wedges or orange for garnish
Cook the parsnips in boiling salted water
until almost tender. Drain and cool. Cut
into 2-2 1/2 cm pieces. De-seed the
peppers and cut into 4cm squares. Mix all
ingredients for marinade and pour over
vegetables in shallow dish. Let sit for 1
hour, turning occasionally. Thread onto
skewers and cook under grill for 10-15 mins,
turning, until brown and glazed. Brush
occasionally with marinade. When cooked,
sprinkle with sesame seeds and return to
grill to brown. Bring remaining marinade to
the boil and serve in a small bowl with the
kebabs.
vegetables
sour chickpeas
2 1/4 cups chickpeas, picked over, washed
and drained
7 1/2 cups water
3 medium onions, peeled and finely
chopped
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 fresh, hot green chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
4 tbsp. lemon juice
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp. ground cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Soak the chickpeas in 7 1/2 cups of water
for 20 hours. Put the chick peas and their
soaking liquid into a large pot and bring to a
boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer gently
for an hour and a half or until chickpeas are
tender. Strain the chickpeas and save the
cooking liquid. Put 2 tbsp. of the chopped
onions, 1/2 tsp. salt, green chilli, ginger and
lemon juice into a tea cup. Heat the oil in
heavy, wide, casserole type pot over a
medium flame. When hot, put in the
remaining chopped onions. Stir and fry for
8-10 minutes or until the onion bits develop
reddish-brown spots. Add the tomatoes.
Continue to stir and fry another 5-6
minutes, mashing the tomato pieces with
the back of a slotted spoon. Put in the
coriander, cumin and turmeric. Stir and
cook for about 30 seconds. Now put in the
drained chickpeas, 1 3/4 cups of their
cooking liquid, 2 teaspoons salt, the garam
masala and cayenne. Stir to mix and bring
to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and
cook very gently for 20 minutes.

fennel nicoise
4 fennel
2 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
450g red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and
chopped
150ml white wine
1/2 tsp. finely chopped thyme
salt and ground pepper
black olives for garnish
Trim fennel and cut off stems. Cut bulbs
into quarters and sauté in butter until soft.
In another pan, sauté onions and garlic in
olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes, white
wine, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover pan
and simmer until liquid has jut reduced.
Add fennel and cooking juices to tomato
mixture and cook for a few more minutes.
vegetables
black-eyed peas with mushrooms
1 3/4 cups black-eyed peas, picked over,
washed and drained
5 cups water
225g fresh mushrooms
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
one 1” stick of cinnamon
1 1/2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
If peas are fresh, put the peas and water
into a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Cover,
turn heat to low and simmer gently for 2
minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot
sit, covered and undisturbed for one hour.
While the pot is resting, cut the mushrooms
through their stems into 1/8” thick slices.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-
high flame. When hot, put in the whole
cumin seeds and the cinnamon stick. Let
them sizzle for 5-6 seconds. Now put in the
onions and garlic. Stir and fry until the
mushrooms wilt. Add the tomatoes, ground
coriander, ground cumin, turmeric and
cayenne. Stir and cook for a minute. Cover,
turn heat to low and let this mixture cook in
its own juices for 10 minutes. Turn off the
heat under the frying pan. Bring peas to a
boil again. Cover, turn heat to low and
simmer for 20-30 minutes or until they are
tender. To this pea-and-water mixture, add
the mushroom mixture, salt, black pepper,
and fresh coriander. Stir to mix and bring to
a simmer. Simmer, uncovered for another
30 minutes. Remove cinnamon before
serving.
potatoes with lime leaves
450g new potatoes, well scrubbed
15-30ml olive oil
6-8 Kaffir lime leaves
15-30ml chicken stock or white wine
Heat oil in a large, heavy frying pan with a
lid. Add the potatoes and turn to coat with
the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Turn
the heat down to medium. Meanwhile,
 vegetables

remove the central ribs from the lime zucchini strips with two sauces
leaves and cut into shreds. Add to the pan
with the stock or wine. Shake the pan for 1 kg green, straight zucchini
30 seconds. Serve. 1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter
freshly ground pepper
tomato sauce 1 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
a few leaves of oregano
1 tin peeled tomatoes,
drained
salt and pepper
leek and fennel1 tbsp. butter
1 leek, washed and sliced
finely
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and
chopped
3 tbsp. cream
salt and pepper

Remove ends of zucchini and cut them into

fine slices lengthways. Cut each strip into
fine slices. Place in a colander, toss with
salt and leave for 20 minutes to drain.
Rinse. Wash more if still too salty. Melt
butter in a pan and gently cook zucchini for
about 3 minutes. Toss with freshly ground
pepper and serve with the two sauces.
Tomato sauce: Melt butter in a frying pan
and sweat onion until soft. Add garlic,
oregano, tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Simmer until onion is cooked and sauce is
well blended. Purée in a blender, strain and
return mixture to the pan. Reduce and
season accordingly. Leek and fennel sauce:
Melt butter in frying pan and cook leek and
fennel until soft. Add a little water if
necessary. Pour in cream and simmer for a
few minutes. Purée in a blender and return
to pan. Reduce and season.

stewed sweet peppers

1 kg sweet yellow peppers

1 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 kg tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2-3 sprigs parsley, chopped

Wash, peppers and cut them into even

strips. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté garlic
until it browns. Then discard it. Add the
strips of pepper and cook them gently for
15 minutes. Cover with tomatoes, season,
and continue cooking until tomatoes are
reduced to a thick paste. Serve hot or cold.
 vegetables

vegetables julienne

1 carrot
1 small red pepper
2 sticks celery
15g butter
salt, pepper

Scrape carrot, seed red pepper, string

celery. Cut all vegetables into 6cmx5mm
strips. Melt butter in pan, add vegetables,
stir for 3 minutes, add salt and pepper.

crispy potatoes

3 potatoes
1 onion
1/4 cup oil
salt, pepper

Peel potatoes, cut into 1cm dice. Peel

onion, cut into 1cm dice. Heat oil in pan,
add potatoes, cook over high heat until
golden brown on all sides, turning
occasionally. Drain away excess oil from
pan, add onion and cook until onion is
transparent. Toss lightly and add salt and
pepper.
 vegetables

green bean and potato casserole

500g green beans

500g potatoes
1 tbsp. cream
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
125g mushrooms
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 rashers bacon
sauce 425g can tomatoes
30g butter
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Top, tail and string beans, cut in half across.

Peel potatoes and slice very thinly. Grease
a shallow ovenproof dish, place potatoes
evenly over base, sprinkle cream over top.
Bake, covered, in moderate oven for 25
mins. Remove from oven, sprinkle with
cheese. Bring pan of salted water to the
boil, add beans and cook 3 minutes. Drain.
Slice mushrooms and peppers thinly,
combine with beans. Arrange bean mixture
over potatoes, pour sauce over and bake,
uncovered, in moderate oven 15 mins. Chop
bacon finely, cook in pan until crisp, drain.
Sprinkle bacon over top of casserole. For
the sauce: Push undrained tomatoes
through sieve into bowl. Melt butter in pan,
add peeled and finely chopped onion and
crushed garlic, cook until onion is tender.
Add tomatoes, water, salt, pepper and
Worcestershire sauce, bring to boil, reduce
heat and simmer 15 mins. covered. Stir in
parsley.

vegetables with basil

1 eggplant
1 knob fennel
1 red pepper
1/4 cup oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Cut eggplant into 1cm cubes. Slice fennel.

Seed red pepper, then cut into 1cm cubes.
Heat oil in pan, add eggplant and cook until
golden brown, stirring constantly. Add
fennel, cook further 3 mins. Add red pepper,
basil, salt and pepper. Mix well.

spinach with onion and bacon
2 tbsp. oil
4 bacon rashers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g spinach leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the bacon,
onion and garlic and fry gently for 5
minutes. Add the spinach, lemon juice and
salt and pepper to taste. Fry gently for 3-5
mins, stirring constantly until the spinach is
just tender. Serve immediately.
creamed spinach
60g butter
2 small onions
1 clove garlic
2 x 250g frozen chopped spinach
salt and pepper
1/2 cup cream
4 shallots
Heat butter in pan, add peeled and chopped
onions and crushed garlic, cook until onions
are tender. Add thawed spinach, salt and
pepper. Stir until spinach is heated
through. Add cream and chopped shallots,
cook further 3 mins.
stir-fried Chinese white cabbage
1 medium Chinese white cabbage
2-2 1/2 tsp. Chinese dried prawns
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 slices root ginger, shredded
salt, to taste
1 1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce
Clean and cut cabbage into 5cm slices.
Soak prawns in boiling water for 10 mins.
Drain. Heat oil in wok and when hot, add
the ginger and the dried prawns and stir
over medium heat for 1 1/2 mins. Add the
cabbage, sprinkle with salt, turn and stir for
1 1/2 mins. Add the Soya sauce and stir-fry
for another 1 1/2 mins.
vegetables
black beans and rice
1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 tsp. flakes of dried red chilli
1 lb. pre-cooked black beans
6 oz long-grain rice
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the
onion, pepper and garlic until soft but not
brown. Cook until they are mushy (3-4
mins.) Season and add hot pepper flakes.
Meanwhile, boil the rice until cooked. Add
the rice to the beans and serve.
black-eyed bean stew
450g black-eyed beans, soaked and cooked
1 onion, grated or finely chopped
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. chilli powder
handful chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp. thyme
3 tomatoes, chopped finely
pinch salt
Fry the onion gently in the oil until soft.
Add the herbs and spices and tomatoes and
cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Add the beans,
mashing them a little with fork, then
season. Mix well and cook for another 10
minutes. Serve with rice and salad, or on
toast.
 vegetables

red-cooked eggplant to brown slightly. Sprinkle in the fresh

coriander and serve.
2 medium eggplants
1 1/2 tbsp. Chinese dried prawns
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt, to taste
2 slices root ginger, shredded
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green chilli, seeded and chopped
1 red dried chilli, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tbsp. stock
2 tbsp. rice wine or sherry

Peel the eggplants and cut into chips. Soak

dried prawns in boiling water for 10 mins,
drain and chop coarsely. Heat oil in a wok
and when hot, add the chopped dried
prawns, salt, ginger, garlic and the chillies.
Stir over medium heat for 1 min. Add the
soy sauce and stock. Stir until the sauce
bubbles. Add all the eggplant and stir to
coat with sauce. Reduce heat to low and
cook slowly or 4-5 mins. Add the wine or
sherry and stir. Leave to cook for 3 more
mins and serve.

glazed carrots

500g carrots
3tbsp honey
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. soy sauce

Melt the butter, dissolve the sugar and toss

the cooked carrots in the honey and soy
sauce until dark.

potatoes with black pepper

about 5 medium potatoes

4 tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1-1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. very finely chopped fresh coriander

Boil potatoes in their jackets and allow

them to cool completely. Peel them and cut
into 2cm dice. Heat the oil over a medium
flame. Put in the potatoes and stir around
for 1 min. Sprinkle with salt and mix gently.
Cover them and let them heat through for
about 5 mins. Stir a few times. Now add
the black pepper and mix gently. Cook
uncovered over a medium flame and allow
 vegetables

hot-tossed noodles with asparagus

250g Chinese noodles

185g asparagus
150ml strong stock
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. light soy sauce

Cook the noodles as specified. Remove

2.5cm from the tough end of the asparagus
and cut into 5cm lengths. Parboil them for
5-6 mins and drain. Heat the stock in a
small saucepan. Add the asparagus to this
and simmer for 5 mins. Turn so it cooks
evenly. Heat the oil in a wok and add the
garlic. Stir fry for 1 min and then add the
asparagus, stock and the noodles and mix
them for 2 mins.

vegetable platter

2 carrots
250g zucchini
2 large beetroot
250g green beans
4 sticks celery

Scrape carrots, trim zucchini, peel beetroot,

top tail and string beans, string celery. Cut
carrots, zucchini, beetroot and celery into
lengths of 5x1.5cm. Steam or boil
vegetables separately and arrange. Serve
with sauce from chicken in lemon mustard.

dill pickles with sour cream and honey

2 cups white wine vinegar

3 cups water
1/3 cup salt
12 cloves garlic
2kg small gherkins
2 tbsp. dill seeds
3 peppercorns
1 carton sour cream
honey

To make brine, heat vinegar, water, salt and

garlic until boiling. Remove the garlic
cloves. Wash gherkins and pack into
sterilised jars. Add the dill seeds and
peppercorns to the liquid and pour over
gherkins to within 1cm of tops of jars. Seal.
To serve, spoon sour cream and honey over
2 or 3 pickles as required.

tofu stir fry
1 lb. firm tofu, cut into 1 cm pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 red or yellow pepper and 1 green pepper
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2-3 tsp. vegetable oil
Heat the wok. Fry the tofu in a little of the
oil to lightly brown, remove it and reserve.
Now add more oil and fry the garlic, ginger
and spring onions for a minute before
adding all the other vegetables. Stir fry for
1-2 minutes. Add the cooked tofu, soy
sauce and serve with plain rice.
maple baked beans
500g dried cannellini beans, soaked
overnight
1 ham knuckle, soaked overnight
2 sprigs thyme
1 large sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 strips lemon zest
150ml maple syrup
1-1 1/2 tbsp. Tabasco or chilli sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
topping 3-4 eating apples, cored and cut
into 8
30g butter, softened
Drain beans and cover with fresh water.
Boil for 10 mins. Reduce heat and simmer
until 45-60 mins. Drain, reserving cooking
water. Put half the beans, together with
half the onion and garlic, into a large,
ovenproof casserole. Add herb bundle.
Bury two of the strips of lemon zest. Mix
syrup, Tabasco and mustard and pour over.
Season lightly with salt and pepper, then
pour over just enough of the reserved water
to cover. Cover and bake at 300°C for 3
hours. Arrange apple over. Dot with butter.
vegetables
stir-fried asparagus with garlic
500g asparagus
3 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt, to taste
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. light Soya sauce
3 tbsp. vegetable or meat stock
1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. cornflour blended with 3 tbsp. water
Remove and discard the tough ends of the
asparagus. Cut into 5 cm lengths. Heat the
oil in a wok or frying pan. When hot add the
garlic, salt and asparagus. Stir over
medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the sugar,
soy sauce, stock, prawn sauce and hoisin
sauce. Stir contents over medium heat for
1 min. Reduce heat and continue to reduce
the sauce for a further 1-2 mins. Add the
blended cornflour and stir the contents in
the wok a few more times.
maple-glazed shallots
600g small, round shallots, peeled
60g butter
3 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper
Leave the shallots whole. Melt butter in a
heavy pan large enough to take shallots in a
single layer. Fry the shallots until patched
with brown - about 5 mins. Drizzle over
maple syrup and stir for about 1 min. Now
add lemon juice salt and pepper and just
enough water to cover. Bring to boil, then
reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring
every now and then, until shallots are very
tender and there is only a thin layer of
syrup left in the pan – about 30-40 mins.
 vegetables

provencal tart with tapenade juice classic coleslaw

2 large courgettes 1 fine fresh white cabbage, about 750g

1 aubergine 2/3 cup diced celery
2 plum tomatoes 1/2 cup grated carrot
2 red peppers 1/4 cup diced spring onion
1 bunch fresh basil 1/2 cup diced green pepper
juice 75g pitted olives 1 small apple, finely diced
10g garlic purée 1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced
1/4 lit olive oil 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. wine vinegar
Slice the courgettes, aubergine and 1 tsp. salt
tomatoes. Fry courgette and aubergine 1 tsp. sugar
until golden. Drain. Grill the red peppers 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
whole until blackened and then peel off 1/4 tsp. ground bay leaf
skins. Cut them in half and use a pastry 1/4 tsp. celery seeds
cutter to cut four discs from the flesh. Take several grinds of black pepper
four deep pastry rings and fill with 1/3 cup sour cream mixed with 1/2 cup
alternate layers of courgette, aubergine, mayonnaise
tomato and basil. Finish with reed pepper.
Wrap in foil and place in medium-hot oven Remove any wilted outside leaves from the
for 10 mins. For the tapenade juice, cabbage and wash and shred. Put the
liquidise all of the ingredients but do not cabbage into a large mixing bowl and add
make too smooth. Serve with potato all the vegetables. Mix in mustard, vinegar,
dauphinoise and lamb rump seared and salt and sugar, then add seasonings. Toss
roasted for 10 mins in a hot oven. several times, tasting and adding a little
more salt or vinegar. Leave to stand for 20-
30 mins to remove liquids, toss again and
potato dauphinoise drain. Fold in mayo mixture and serve.

8 large, white-skinned potatoes

300ml double cream
20g garlic purée
salt

Peel and thinly slice potatoes. Gently warm

cream and garlic. Butter a deep ovenproof
tray and season with salt. Fill with layers of
potato and cream. Cover with greased
paper and back for 1 hour. Press with the
bottom of a saucepan every 10 mins to
compact. When cooked, cool and
refrigerate for 30 mins. Then lay another
tray on top to compact for another 24 hours.
 vegetables

turnips and red onions roasted in thyme about 25mins. Then remove cover and cook
for another 15-20 mins.
1 kg turnips
500g red onions
115g butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
few sprigs of fresh thyme
150ml balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 200°C. Peel and cut turnips

and red onions into equally sized chunks.
(Trim root ends of red onions, leaving
enough for the pieces to hold together – cut
in half vertically, then into eighths). Melt
butter in frying pan and add vegetables,
ensuring that all pieces are well coated.
Fry gently until turnips have taken on a
little colour. Season with salt and pepper
and thyme and stir in half the vinegar.
Transfer to a baking tray, cover with foil,
and bake for 20 mins. Re move foil, stir in
remaining vinegar and bake a further 20-30
mins until crispy.
swede and potato mash

500g swedes
500g potatoes
60g butter
6 tbsp. double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash and peel swedes and potatoes and

cut into large pieces. Place each in a
separate saucepan and just cover with
boiling water. Add a pinch of salt, bring back
to the boil and simmer gently for 15-20 mins
until soft but not mushy. Drain thoroughly.
Return swedes and potatoes to one
saucepan and mash to a creamy
consistency, adding the cream, butter and
black pepper. Reheat gently, season and
serve.

rumbledethumps

600g large potatoes, peeled and chopped

400g turnips, peeled and chopped
250g Savoy cabbage
75g unsalted butter
25g grated cheddar

Cook potatoes and turnips together, then

drain. Gently cook the cabbage with 50g
butter until tender and then tip into the
vegetable saucepan with the remaining
butter. Season with salt and pepper. Place
in an ovenproof dish, cover and bake for

kale with ginger and garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
50g unpeeled ginger, grated
375g washed kale
50g large California raisins
Core and chop kale. Heat a wok and add
the oil. When hot, add the garlic and ginger.
Stir for a few seconds until the aroma is
released, then add the kale. Cook over a
strong heat until it wilts. Add raisins and
serve.
kale with capers and anchovies
450g kale, washed
3 tbsp. olive oil
6 large anchovy fillets
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp. capers, rinsed
Roughly chop kale. Put a little water in a
heavy pan. When it comes to the boil, throw
in kale and cover tightly with a lid. Leave
to cook, shaking the pan to stop it sticking.
Warm the oil in a wok. Chop the anchovy
fillets and toss them in into the hot wok
with the garlic. Add the kale after a few
seconds. Cook for a few more. Add lemon
juice, capers, salt and pepper.
spicy potatoes
900g potatoes
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
30ml vegetable oil
salt
Wash the potatoes and par boil them,
unpeeled. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add
the spices and fry until their aromas are
released. Add the potatoes and roll them
around in the spices. Fry over a low heat
for about 10 minutes, until cooked through
and browned. Salt.
vegetables
backed broccoli with anchovies and cream
200g broccoli
30g butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 medium carton double cream
parmesan, grated
Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash broccoli and
trim off tough bits of stalks. Slice florets
and stalks in half lengthways and boil for 4-
5 mins. Remove and drain. Butter a shallow
baking dish and spread garlic around it. Put
in anchovies. Lay blanched broccoli in dish
and power cream over. Grate parmesan over.
Back about 25 mins until cream has
thickened.
broccoli and egg noodles for one
2 handfuls thin-stemmed broccoli
couple of handfuls of egg noodles
4cm ginger, shredded and chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely
chopped
2 small hot chillies, seeded and chopped
dark soy sauce
oyster sauce
Boil water in wok to cook broccoli. Salt it
and add rinsed broccoli and cook until
almost tender (about 4 mins). Lift broccoli
out and return water to boil Throw in
noodles and cook until tender. Empty. Add
oil and then add garlic, ginger and chilli, and
stir for a minute. Chop up broccoli a bit, and
toss in wok with noodles. Stir and then add
a couple of tablespoons of soy and the
same amount of oyster sauce.
 vegetables

chick peas with spinach and chorizo jerseys in cream, garlic, mint and nutmeg

250g dried chick peas 24 jersey royals, scraped and washed

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, ,crushed
1 can chopped tomatoes
75g chorizo sausage, sliced
a few strands of saffron375g spinach
pepper
Cover the chick peas with cold water and
leave to soak overnight. Drain and rinse
thoroughly and place in a large saucepan.
Cover with fresh water, and boil rapidly for
10 minutes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer
for 1 hour. Drain. Heat oil in a large
saucepan, add the onion and fry over a
medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until
golden. Add the garlic and paprika, and cook
for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the
heat. Add the chick peas to the onion
mixture with the tomatoes, chorizo and
saffron. Season with pepper and simmer for
20 mins. Remove and discard the stems
from the spinach and tear leaves into large
pieces. Add the spinach and simmer for 25
mins or until all the vegetables are soft.
Serve with warm crusty bread.
1 pint whipping cream
4 cloves garlic, crushed into a paste, with
salt
a grating of nutmeg
1 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
salt and freshly ground white pepper
Preheat oven to 180°C. Simmer potatoes in
lightly salted water until half cooked (5-7
mins). Simmer cream in a large pot with
garlic until reduced by a quarter. Butter an
oval dish that will take potatoes in a single
layer and season lightly with salt, white
pepper and nutmeg. Strain the cream and
stir in the mint. Pour over potatoes and
place on middle shelf of oven. Bake for 10
mins and then turn oven down to 150°C and
cook another 35-40 mins.

Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon

375g chestnuts
4 lean back bacon rashers, de-ringed
750g Brussels sprouts

Cut crosses in chestnuts, place in a

saucepan of cold water, bring to boil and
boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and
leave to cool slightly. Remove the out and
inner skins. Grill bacon for 10 minutes until
crisp. Meanwhile, cook the Brussels sprouts
and chestnuts in boiling water for 7-8
minutes. Drain well and place in serving
dish. Chop the drained bacon into small
pieces and sprinkle over chestnuts and
sprouts before serving.

new potatoes baked in foil with salad
onions, lemon and sage
24 medium jersey royals, scraped and
washed
75g butter, melted
4-5 salad onions, diagonally sliced into 1 cm
pieces
zest of 1 small lemon, removed with potato
peeler
6-7 fresh sage leaves
sea salt
black pepper
Simmer potatoes in lightly salted water for
3 mins. Take two sheets of foil and fold
together to form a double layer. Pull up the
sides and place in the blanched potatoes.
Drizzle the melted butter over and then add
the onions, lemon zest and sage leaves, and
season with the salt and pepper. Crimp foil
up, place on a wire rack and place on a wire
rack. Bake for 45 mins.
aubergine caponata
3 medium aubergines, cubed
6 celery sticks, washed and trimmed
6 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
110g pitted green olives
50g capers, rinsed and dried
2 x 400g tins tomatoes
120ml white wine vinegar
120ml masala
20g caster sugar
salt and black pepper
fresh basil leaves to garnish
Place aubergines in a colander, sprinkle
with a tablespoon of sale and leave for an
hour. Boil celery for 2 minutes. Drain and
refresh, then dry and chop into 1cm pieces.
Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil land add chopped
onions and celery and cook for about 10
mins. Add garlic and cook another minute.
Add olives as well as capers and tomatoes.
Meanwhile, rinse aubergines and pat dry.
Fry aubergines in oil until brown, adding
cooked ones to the sauce. Add vinegar,
marsala and sugar and cook uncovered over
low heat for another 20 minutes. Season to
taste and serve warm or cold, garnished
with basil leaves.
vegetables
creamed mushrooms on toast
450g mushrooms
1 thick slice butter, about 50g
2 shallots, finely chopped
a small handful chopped parsley
75ml creme fraiche
4 slices toast
Cut mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Melt
butter in a shallow pan and add shallots.
Leave to cooks slowly until oft. Add
mushrooms and stir until tender. Add
parsley, salt and pepper, and the creme
fraiche. When cream bubbles, tip over toast
and eat immediately.
oyster mushrooms with roasted garlic
1 plump head of garlic
200g oyster mushrooms
75g butter
a few springs of thyme
Preheat oven to 200°C. Peel garlic and bring
to boil in a small pan of water. Drain and
boil again in fresh water. Simmer for 5
minutes then drain. Place mushrooms in a
baking dish and dot with butter. Season.
Tuck the boiled garlic cloves around and
scatter with thyme. Roast for 20 mins
remembering to baste mushrooms. Serve
with salad and bread.
tomato and asparagus pasta salsa
4 large plum tomatoes
2 fat cloves garlic
250g asparagus
100ml olive oil
good handful fresh basil, torn
knob of butter
salt and pepper
Quarter tomatoes, core and chop. Peel and
crush garlic. Trim asparagus, remove tough
skin and cut into 2cm lengths, reserving
tips. Heat oil in a saucepan and add
tomatoes and garlic. Cook for about 5 mins,
stirring occasionally until it starts to break
down to a purée, then add a small
wineglass of water. Stir in asparagus
chunks, but not the tips. Season and
simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Add tips
and continue cooking for another 2
minutes, then add torn basil leaves. Stir in
butter and check seasoning. Toss into hot
 vegetables

pasta and serve immediately, topped with a roasted ratatouille vinaigrette

little parmesan.
400g large courgettes, cut into thick rounds
2 large aubergines, cut into thick rounds
1 large red pepper, de-seeded, cut into thick
slivers
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large reed onion, peeled, cut into eighths
2 large tomatoes, cut into eighths
olive oil
sprigs of thyme, rosemary or oregano

Place the first six ingredients in two oiled

roasting tins. Pour over 3tbsp olive oil and
season with salt and pepper. Strew some
herb springs over the top and roast in a
preheated oven 240°C oven for about 30-35
mins until golden brown and tender. Make a
dressing by shaking together 3tbsp of the
olive oil and vinegar and plenty of salt and
pepper. Add 1tbsp chopped herbs to the
dressing.

Sicilian

150g fresh breadcrumbs

2 onions
6 garlic cloves
9 anchovy fillets
1 tsp. capers
nutmeg, pepper
1 lemon
olive oil

Chop onions and garlic very finely and stew

in a little olive oil until transparent. Chop
the anchovies and capers equally finely and
put in a bowl with the onions, garlic and
two thirds of the breadcrumbs. Grate the
zest of the lemon and a little nutmeg into
the mixture and season well with black
pepper. Moisten the stuffing with the juice
of the lemon, mix together lightly and stuff
between the walls of the tomato. Top with
the remaining breadcrumbs and sprinkle a
little olive oil over them. Bake at 200°C for
15 mins.

horseradish souflée potato
9 baked potatoes
1/3 cup grated horseradish
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. chives, minced
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
salt and pepper
Cut the ends off six potatoes so that they
stand to attention on a plate. Scoop insides
into a bowl. Peel and mash remaining
potatoes and place in the bowl. Add butter
and milk and mash until soft. Add
horseradish and egg yolks and mix well.
Whip egg whites into peaks, fold into mash
and add chives. Spoon the egg mixture back
into hollowed potatoes. Bake in a hot oven
for 20-25 mins.
Green Thai tofu curry
1 packet tofu, diced 2cm x 2cm x 1/2cm
1 onion, halved and sliced
1/2 lime, sliced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
5 tbsp. green Thai curry paste
200g creamed coconut dissolved in 1/2 litre
boiling water
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
Heat oil in large pan, add tofu when hot and
fry until golden. Add onion, mix and cook for
three minutes. Add curry paste, mix well
and fry for one minute. Add dissolved
coconut, lime and seasoning. Simmer for 10
minutes, stirring frequently. Mix in the
coriander. Serve with Thai fragrant rice.
vegetables
sweet and sour tofu
1 packet tofu, drained, cut into 1cm x 1cm x
5cm strips
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 spring onions, cut into strips
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
150g mange tout
1 small tin water chestnuts, drained and
sliced
250g bean sprouts
sauce 150ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp. dry sherry
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
2 tbsp. tomato purée
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
salt and pepper
3 1/2 tsp. cornflour
4 tbsp. water
Mix all of the sauce ingredients (except for
the cornflour and water) together in a bowl.
Heat the oil in a wok. Add half the tofu and
cook until golden brown. Remove tofu from
pan and drain on absorbent paper. Repeat
until all tofu is cooked. Add spring onions
and carrots to wok and stir-fry for 3
minutes. Add the mange tout and water
chestnuts and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the
tofu and beansprouts and stir-fry for 2
minutes. Add the water to the cornflour and
mix well. Pour the sauce into the wok along
with the cornflour and water mix, bring to a
simmer and cook for 30 seconds. Serve
with rice.
Malay style potatoes and cauliflower
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
375g new potatoes, scrubbed
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
200ml coconut cream
3 lime leaves
2tsp dried chives
salt, pepper
Cut the potatoes into pieces the same size
as the cauliflower and boil for 12 minutes
until just cooked. Boil the cauliflower for 2-
5 minutes until cooked. Drain. Heat the oil
and cook onion until soft. Add coconut
cream and lime leaves, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil and stir for a few seconds. Add
the potato, cauliflower and chives. Stir
gently until the vegetables are hot. Reduce

the sauce until it coats the vegetables.
Serve with chicken or fish.
vegetables
roasted peppers with dressing
115 ml olive oil
1 tbsp. caster sugar
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
5 basil leaves, plus extra to garnish
Place whole peppers in a roasting tin and
drizzle with the oil so that they are evenly
coated. Roast for about 45 minutes, turning
once until lightly charred. Transfer cooked
peppers to a dish, cover and leave for 15
minutes. Remove the cores and seeds and
cut each piece in half again. Trim the
quarters into neat shapes and set aside. To
make the pepper dressing, heat 1 tbsp.
olive oil and fry the reserved pepper
trimmings with the caster sugar over a
medium heat, stirring occasionally until the
sugar starts to caramelise. Pour in the
balsamic and red wine vinegars and allow
to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and
add garlic, basil leaves and remaining oil.
Leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Serve with
herb-stuffed chicken.
marinated mushrooms with tofu
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 spring onions, chopped
3 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. dark soy sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
200 g assorted mushrooms, sliced
1 head pak choi, halved
150 g firm tofu, cubed
In a large bowl, mix together the garlic,
spring onions, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and
oil. Stir in the mushrooms and pak choi.
Leave for 5 minutes. Heat a large frying pan
to a moderate to high heat. Add the
mushroom mixture including the liquid and
cook for 5 minutes, turning often until
tender.
Transfer to a warmed dish. Add the tofu to
the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until
lightly browned. Spoon the vegetables and
tofu onto the freshly cooked noodles and
serve immediately.

patatas bravas
12 large new potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small dried red chilli
4 tbsp. olive oil
250 g passata
2 tbsp. chopped flatleaf parsley, extra for
garnish
seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika
Cook potatoes for 10 min. Meanwhile heat 1
tbsp. oil and cook onion and garlic until
soft. Add chilli, passata, wine, parsley and
seasoning. Simmer for 20 minutes, until
thick. Drain potatoes and cut into wedges.
Brush with remaining oil and barbeque until
golden. When cooked transfer to dish and
pour sauce over.
basic green curry with straw mushrooms
300 ml coconut milk
40 g green curry paste
300 ml vegetable stock
4 small round aubergines, each cut into
eight pieces
40 g palm sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fish sauce
25 g ginger, peeled
425 g straw mushrooms, drained
50 g green pepper, thinly sliced
fresh basil leaves, to garnish
2 tbsp. coconut milk, to garnish
Heat coconut milk in saucepan with curry
paste. Stir to amalgamate. Add the stock
and then the aubergines, sugar, salt, fish or
soy sauce, ginger and mushrooms. Bring to
the boil and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
Add the green pepper, lower the heat and
cook for another minute. Serve, garnished
with the basil and coconut milk.
vegetables
wild mushrooms with pear
400 g mushrooms, preferably mixed and
wild, sliced
50 g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and
drained
1 pear, not too ripe, in 1 cm sliced, with skin
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
6 tbsp. olive oil
6 x 3 cm thick slices cabana, cubed and
toasted
200 ml dry white wine
15 g fresh mint
salt and pepper
Gently fry the garlic in the olive oil in a
deep pan. Add the toasted cabana cubes
and fry another minute. Add the wild
mushrooms and porcini mushrooms. Sauté
for another 5 minutes, then add the pear
wedges, wine and about 6 mint leaves,
chopped. Season and then continue cooking
on medium heat for 10 minutes. Most of the
liquid will evaporate. Serve topped with the
remaining mint leaves, shredded.
sweet and sour onions
500 g small onions or shallots
150 ml red wine vinegar
120 ml olive oil
2 bay leaves
40 g caster sugar
509 g raisins
fistful of flat-leafed parsley, stalks removed
salt and pepper
Peel and trim base but don’t remove root.
Put peeled onions into a medium-sized pan
and add the vinegar, oil, sugar, raisins and
175 ml water. Make a bouquet garni out of
the bay leaves, parsley and thyme and add
to pan with onions. Bring pan to boil, reduce
heat and cover and simmer for one hour,
stirring occasionally. Cook until the onions
are tender and the liquid syrupy. Remove
herb bag. Season and cool.

zucchini with bacon and crumbs
8 smallish zucchini
olive oil
50 g butter
100 g streaky bacon
2 plump cloves garlic
15 basil leaves
grated zest of one lemon
125g soft white breadcrumbs
Slice each zucchini diagonally into about
six pieces. Heat a little olive oil in a shallow
pan, enough to cover the bottom, or perhaps
a little more. Add the zucchini and cook,
covered with a lid, on a moderate heat until
they start to brown. Lift the vegetables out
and put them in a roasting time or baking
dish, toss with salt and black pepper and
keep warm. Put the butter in the pan in
which you cooked the zucchini and add the
bacon and garlic, Fry until the fat is golden
and then add the basil, lemon and crumbs,
and a little more butter if necessary. Fry
until crumbs are crisp and golden.
vegetables
aubergine madras
3 medium aubergines
30ml sunflower oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
15ml Madras curry powder
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tins plum tomatoes
15ml soft brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
60ml freshly chopped coriander, plus sprigs
to garnish
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
warm naan, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush the
aubergines over with half of the oil, then
place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven
for about 30 mins until they are soft yet still
hold their shape. Leave to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large
saucepan. Add the onions and curry powder,
then fry gently for 5 mins, stirring
constantly, until soft. Add the garlic and
cook for 1 min. more. Stir in the tomatoes
and sugar, being careful not to break up the
tomatoes too much. Simmer, uncovered for
40 mins, stirring occasionally, until the
sauce is reduced and quite thick. Season to
taste. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves
and cook for 1 min. When the aubergines
are cool enough to handle, halve them and
cut into 1cm chunks. Stir into the Madras
sauce and cook for 15 mins. Stir in the
lemon juice. Meanwhile, mix the red onion
with the fresh coriander sprigs. To serve,
place a warmed naan bread on each of four
serving plates and spooon over the curry.
Sprinkle with the red onion and coriander
mixture and serve at once with a bowl of
natural yoghurt.
 vegetables

petits pois a la francaise

400g shelled peas

2 bunches spring onions
1 small lettuce
1 sprig of mint
100 g butter

Peel back the outer skin of the spring

onions, trim the bases and cut them into
short finger lengths. Reserve the tops for
another use. Remove the central stalk and
slice the lettuce into very thin ribbons.
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan with
two tablespoons of water and a good
seasoning of salt and pepper. Cover
completely and cook on a very moderate
heat, checking from time to time to make
sure that the peas have enough liquid. The
water will be absorbed and the peas will
swell up, be very tender and be coated in
their own liquor.

petits pois a la francaise

800g shelled peas, shelled

2 heads prime, firm lettuce
24 peeled baby onions
sea salt and freshly milled pepper
1 tbsp sugar

Bring a pan of water, sweetened with the

sugar to a furious boil and tip in the peas.
Return to the boil, simmer for five minutes
or so, and then remove from the heat. Leave
the peas to cool in the liquor, so that they
will not shrivel. Strain off enough pea liquor
to allow you to simmer the onions in
another pan, and cook for eight to ten
minutes. Trim the lettuce. Strain the peas
and onions, retaining 150ml of the cooking
liquor, and place them in a large pot along
with the butter, salt and a little pepper. Pour
in the retained liquor, lay in the lettuce, put
a lid on the pot and simmer for 15-20 mins.
Untie the lettuce and serve at once.