Caponata
The Italian (and specifically Sicilian) version of ratatouille could be classed as a summer salad. It’s best eaten at room temperature, when all the flavours show to their best advantage both separately and together. But it is also ready to do duty as a hearty winter stew, when I serve it on a thick slice of foccaccia that soaks up the juices.
In Italy it is often served with bread as a starter, as part of a spread of antipasti.
Caponata differs from ratatouille in the preparation, as the main ingredients (in true Italian fashion these vary from region to region but most agree on aubergine and courgette), are cooked separately and then added in to the tomato base sauce.
The caponata is also a good lesson in seasoning, as the capers, sultanas, olives and vinegar layer up flavours of sweet, sour and savoury (agrodolce). Anchovies are optional, they cook down in the sauce and are only noticeable in the finished dish as a deep, umami base note.
I was inspired to make this when I saw the gorgeous striped ‘graffiti’ aubergines at my local fruit and veg shop. Their pale interior prevents the finished caponata from becoming dark brown sludge. Alongside some bright yellow courgettes, and next to the new season garlic and startlingly red plum tomatoes, the answer to the question ‘what’s for dinner tonight?’ was obvious.
As much as I like bell peppers, I find them too intrusive in this dish – I prefer them in a peperonata, as stars of their own show. So I leave them out, as appealing as they are on the summer vegetable shelf.
Ingredients
Serves 6
1 large or 2 smaller aubergine – washed, cut into large chunks and salted in a colander for 1 hour (this is not to extract bitter juices, but to draw off some of the moisture and intensify the flavour)
1 large or 2 smaller courgettes – washed, sliced into 3cm thick rounds, salted in a (separate) colander for 1 hour
1 large red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, cut in slivers
3 sticks celery, diced
Fresh herbs – I used oregano but you could add basil, mint or shredded sage leaves (in winter use dried oregano)
1kg really ripe tomatoes. Cut a shallow slit in the bottoms, place in a heat-proof bowl and cover in boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Peel and chop. (in winter replace with a tin of chopped tomatoes).
1 cup olives (green or black, choose ones you like), pitted
3 tablespoons brined capers
50g golden sultanas or raisins, covered in boiling water and soaked for 15 minutes
6 salted anchovies (optional)
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Vegetable oil for frying (sunflower is best)
50ml Olive oil for cooking
Extra-virgin olive oil for dressing
Method
Start by making the tomato sauce. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil and add the chopped onion and celery. Cook over a medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and starting to colour. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, anchovies (if using) and fresh herbs. Add a few tablespoons of water, turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Drain and rinse the salted veg and dry on kitchen paper. Heat 4-5cm of oil in a heavy-based saucepan or deep frying pan (keep the lid close to hand for safey). Test if the oil is hot enough by dropping in one piece. If it sizzles and floats to the top it’s ready!
Fry the aubergine and courgette in batches, draining on kitchen paper as you go. Give them a few minutes on each side and flip them carefully, you want them to just cook through and colour but not collapse. Save the used oil in a glass jar and use for cooking in savoury dishes.
Add the fried vegetables to the tomato base, add the olives, capers and drained sultanas.
Give everything a good stir, then add 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, a teaspoon of sea salt and a good grind of black pepper. Stir again and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then turn off the heat and let it rest as it cools down. In a heavy-bottomed pan it will retain heat for a few hours.
Just before serving, drizzle with special extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Italian) and sprinkle with fresh basil, mint or oregano for a tableside flourish.
I served mine with pan-fried duck breast but this works well with charcuterie, white fish, roasted meats or poultry, as a bbq side dish, on it’s own as a dip with chunky bread or for breakfast with a fried egg.
© Linda Galloway 2020
Salads for summer
The Cobb is one of my favourite salads, but not one you see often on menus (although there is news just in that the Garden restaurant at the Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall has a Cobb on the menu *grabs coat*). I first had one at an American restaurant in London in the 90s and it destroyed my aversion to salads in one mouthful. Chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, croutons and leaves, with a punchy dressing. There may have been blue cheese in there too. It was a beacon of shining light in a drab salad world and it got me thinking.
The salads of my childhood were one-dimensional. Although my mum was a good cook, a tin of cold baked beans tipped into a bowl; overly hard boiled eggs, or iceberg lettuce, tomato and cucumber, were standard. The vinaigrette was Knorr, from a bottle (French or Italian, apparently, but they both tasted the same).
In barbecue season there was my sister-in-law’s seven-layer salad – Miracle Whip mayo between layers of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions, peas, eggs, with cheese and bacon crumbled on top, this clearly had its roots in the sublime Russian salad, another of my favourites.
The Russian is made with tinned veg – potatoes, carrots, gherkins, peas, etc all cut into small cubes and mixed with mayonnaise but with the addition of beetroot, sour cream and smoked fish and dill that takes it up a notch. I’ve had the homemade (tinned) version, which is delicious, but in a St Petersburg restaurant is the version I still dream of.
As a caterer I had to keep spinning the salad ingredient roulette wheel, often delivering 10 or more different salads to a single client. So the repertoire expanded exponentially over the years and I am here to share my salad learnings with you, and three favourite recipes that show how versatile salads can be: one raw, one roasted vegetable and one grain-based.
When building a salad, always consider the final act: the eating. Will it eat well, can I get something of everything in every forkful? Is there a good combination of colours, flavours, textures and temperatures?
The dressing can be a backing band or the star act. The kale salad dressing (below), with grated apple, sesame oil and soy sauce, makes you forget the main ingredient is raw kale, as all the flavours combine with sharp, salty sweetness.
Once you have mastered basic vinaigrette (in the sweet potato salad below), ring the changes by adding fresh or confit garlic, finely diced shallots, anchovies, buttermilk or yoghurt, pesto or sweet chilli sauce; fruit juice eg orange or grapefruit instead of lemon. Always taste and adjust the seasoning before serving – keep in mind whether the base salad is quite neutral and needs stronger flavours.
Top with crispy crumbled bacon, pickled or salted anchovies, preserved lemon, olives, capers, toasted nuts and/or seeds, croutons, fried onions or cheese. You could add fresh berries or fruit in season (for example baby spinach with red onion, orange and sesame), or char-grilled peach or nectarine with salty ricotta and peppery extra-virgin olive oil in a rocket salad.
Pimp your salad with a protein element: cold or warm shredded roast chicken, smoked fish, a bbq lamb chop, some pan-fried haloumi or marinated tofu will make it a complete meal rather than a side dish.
So here are three of my most popular salads, chosen as they represent a cross-section of the genre – one raw and fresh, one cooked starchy base and one grain-based. If you’re really not a fan of quinoa then use brown rice instead, but give this one a go first, as it might convert you, as it has many others.
They are all vegan, wheat and dairy-free but can be accessorised with meat, fish, chicken or cheese! They benefit from being dressed in advance – the kale in particular, as the acid in the dressing breaks down the green leaves into more digestible fibre. And they will keep well in a sealed container for late-night fridge raids or lunchboxes.
Kale salad with soy, sesame, apple and ginger
Serves 6
400g organic kale, washed, stalks removed and finely chopped
3tsp ground cinnamon
2tbsp sumac
100g pumpkin seeds, toasted
100g sunflower seeds, toasted
Dressing
2 organic red-skinned dessert apples, grated
2 x 10cm pieces fresh root ginger, finely grated (use a microplane if you can, and catch all the juice)
2tbsp organic honey or agave syrup
1tsp dried chilli flakes
75ml light soy sauce
3tbsp olive oil
2tbsp sesame oil
2 limes, juiced
Method
Wash the kale, remove the stalks and chop finely (you can pulse in a blender, if you prefer)
Toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet at 170C for 10 minutes and set aside.
Combine the spices with the kale in a large bowl
Wash, core and grate the apple. Peel and finely grate the ginger – a Microplane grater is good for this (make sure you catch all the juice).
Juice the limes.
Combine the apple and ginger with the other ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. You can use a stick blender.
In a big bowl, pour the dressing over the chopped kale and use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves.
Finally, add the seeds and a sprinkling of sea salt.
Quinoa with green beans, almonds and lemon
Serves 6 (with leftovers)
Ingredients
200g quinoa, cooked according to the packet instructions
100g green beans, finely sliced, blanched and refreshed
100g flaked almonds
Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1 garlic clove, crushed
150ml extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put the quinoa in a saucepan, add plenty of water to cover and a pinch of salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the grains have swollen and absorbed most of the water. Drain and cover while it cools, to allow the quinoa to steam so the grains separate. It should be soft to the bite but not gluey.
Next, finely slice the green beans. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and simmer the sliced beans for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately refresh under cold water to keep the colour.
Heat the oven to 160C and toast the flaked almonds for 10 minutes on a baking tray until golden (you can do this in a frying pan but watch they don’t burn!).
Finally, make the dressing that will bring the whole thing together.
Grate the garlic clove in to a jug, add the chopped parsley, lemon juice and olive oil and whisk to combine. Season to taste – the dressing should be salty, to season the other ingredients.
In a big bowl, toss together the quinoa, nuts, beans and dressing. This will hold for a couple of days in a sealed container in the fridge – it’s great for lunchboxes, as a healthy side dish with chicken or fish, and of course for a midnight snack.
Sweet potato and shallot with coconut and pea shoots
Serves 6 (with leftovers)
Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled
2 medium shallots, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
A small bunch of thyme, leaves only (or a tsp of dried thyme, oregano or mixed herbs)
A scant teaspoon of dried chilli flakes (to taste)
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
Dressing
50ml light olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon red/white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon or whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
Salt and pepper
To serve
100g toasted coconut shards
80g pea shoots (most supermarkets sell these in the bagged salad leaf section) or watercress
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas mark 4. Peel and slice the sweet potato into 5mm thick coins (or chop in to big chunks). In a bowl, toss the sweet potato with the oil, herbs, chopped garlic, chilli flakes, sliced onions, salt and pepper.
Line a roasting tray with baking parchment, add the tossed vegetables and roast for 20 mins. Gently turn the mix over and roast for another 10 minutes until the sweet potato and onions are just cooked but not falling apart (use a table knife to test whether they are done). The onions should be browned and tender. Leave to cool.
Make the dressing: Put all the ingredients in a jug or bowl and whisk until emulsified. Check seasoning.
Pour the dressing over the sweet potato and toss gently so the potato doesn’t break up.
In a large serving bowl, layer up the sweet potato and onion mix with toasted coconut shards and a handful of pea shoots, then repeat, finishing with the remaining pea shoots. You can add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over the top, if you like.
© Linda Galloway 2020
Not so niche quiche
QUICHE, flan, savoury custard tart, whatever you call them they are best best eaten just out the oven but still good as leftovers for week-day lunchboxes. The filling options are many, from bacon or ham, onion, mushroom and leek to roasted cherry tomatoes with basil and mozzarella.
I used to make them by the hundred, baking eight at a time, for catered events and also for sale through a fledgling home delivery service called Farm Direct in north London, and I had to keep coming up with new flavour combinations.
In the early summer months my favourite is asparagus – cramming in as much of this seasonal treat in as many ways as possible. We steam it, roast it, put it on the BBQ and even deep-fry in tempura batter. In a quiche the green stems match very well with the rich, eggy, cheesy custard. Green asparagus is the standard here in the UK, but in Europe it’s a thicker white asparagus that rules. Growing up in South Africa we only ever had tinned white asparagus and it was a special treat on the braai table (along with cold boiled eggs, baked beans and potato salad).
As ever, it’s possible to make small adjustments to ring the changes and keep your quiche audience happy. Add a pinch of cayenne, smoked paprika or half a cup of grated cheese to the pastry, for example.
We begin with a basic shortcrust pastry recipe and a custard filling. The ratio, for good measure, is 1 medium free-range egg for every 100ml of liquid. Therefore, if you have 600ml of liquid to fill a deep, fluted 23cm tart case, you will need 6 eggs. The same volume of mixture will fill a shallow 26cm tart case. With this recipe under your belt you can switch up the flavourings and make a different tart every time.
There are couple of insider tips that will elevate your quiche skills:
1. Prepare and blind bake the tart base the day before and pre-cook any filling ingredients that need cooking. It’s best if the base and filling are the same temperature as the custard but it also means no last-minute stress.
2. Whisk the custard mix very well – use a stick blender or a Magimix – and strain it into a jug through a sieve – this filters out any eggy threads (and any rogue eggshell)
3. Mix the flavouring (asparagus pulp, cooked cherry tomatoes, bacon, herbs etc) through the custard before spooning into the tart case. Coating the ingredients in the egg mix helps them to settle and you won’t get little air pockets in the filling.
4. Seasoning is very important, as the filling on its own can be bland, so be brave and dip a teaspoon in and taste it before filling (Lion-branded eggs are tested for salmonella so this is not dangerous, but will reward you with properly seasoned quiche!)
For the pastry
You will need a 23cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin like this, baking parchment and ceramic baking beans or rice for blind baking, a rolling pin and baking sheet, mixing bowls and a whisk or blender
Ingredients
170g plain flour
85g unsalted butter – cut in cubes and frozen for 10 minutes
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg (this is optional, you can add a tablespoon of fridge-cold water instead)
Method
Place the flour and salt in a blender, add the frozen butter cubes and blitz to a fine crumb. With the motor running, add the egg or water and allow the pastry to come together in a ball. You may need a drop or two more water for the mix to combine.
If you have worked quickly and the pastry is still cold, roll it out immediately on a floured surface, to the size of the tart case. If the pastry is warm then wrap in clingfilm and chill for 10 minutes before rolling.
Carefully line the pastry case and patch any holes or cracks. You should have a small ball of pastry left over – this may be useful for patching later.
Use a fork a prick the tart base all over, then place it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Turn the oven on to 200C and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf.
Line the tart case with baking parchment and fill with beans or rice (this weighs down the pastry and stops any air pockets expanding).
Bake the tart case for 10-12 minutes until the edges start to brown. It’s important for the sides to cook and set before removing the parchment and beans, as this forms the structural strength of the tart.
Remove the beans and parchment, turn the oven down to 170C and return the tart to the oven for a further 6-8 minutes to allow the base to finish baking – you should be able to see that it is baked all the way through, with a light, sandy texture. If not, give it a few more minutes in the oven.
At this stage check for flaws, cracks and crevices; now is the time to use leftover raw pastry to very gently and carefully patch and shore up any structural weaknesses.
Remove from the oven, leave in the tin and allow to cool. This can be done the day before.
For the filling
250ml whole milk
250ml double cream
5 medium free-range eggs
Fine sea salt and white pepper
200g bunch of asparagus
80g Parmesan cheese, grated
Method
Make the custard. In a bowl or blender, blitz or whisk up the milk, cream and eggs, add salt and pepper and test the seasoning with the tip of a teaspoon (don’t worry, you won’t come to any harm tasting raw egg, as they have been tested for salmonella and aren’t dangerous). Strain this mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl or jug.
Tail the asparagus (test the stem to see where it snaps and discard the lower bit), then cut off the tips and reserve. Put the stems in a blender and blitz to a pulp. Add this to the egg custard with some of the grated cheese. Pour the custard into the pastry case, decorate the top with asparagus spears and top with lots of grated Parmesan.
Bake the quiche at 170C for 30-45 minutes until it is golden brown on top and just set in the middle. It’s best not to overcook it as it will puff up and become watery. If your oven heat is uneven you may need to turn it round during cooking to get even colour.
Alternative fillings
Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes with red onion, mozzarella and basil Halve 100g of cherry tomatoes and slice 1 red onion, drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a low oven (130C) for 1-2 hours. You can also add pitted black olives to this one. Use cooking mozzarella (the block one used for pizzas), and add 80g of cubed mozzarella and some torn basil leaves to the filling.
Leek, Dijon and Gruyere Finely slice a leek and gently fry in butter until tender and transparent. Add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the custard, grate 100g cheese and mix some into the filling and sprinkle the rest on top.
Spinach and feta I tend to use frozen spinach with this one, as it’s much less effort that washing bags and bags of spinach, blanching and refreshing and then squeezing out all the water (you will heaps of fresh leaves to get enough for one tart). Tip a whole bag of frozen spinach into a colander and leave it to defrost and drain over a bowl. Squeeze well to get rid of excess moisture. Cube the feta and add to the custard with the spinach.
Mushroom, chive and Parmesan – slice 200g chestnut mushrooms and fry in butter until they start to brown. Finely chop the chives and mix both into the custard when filling – cover the top with finely grated Parmesan before baking
Banana shallot, thyme and Parmesan Strip the thyme leaves from the stems and chop the leaves as finely as you can. Finely slice 300g shallots and fry gently in olive oil with the thyme until tender and starting to brown (or you can toss through with olive oil, place in a roasting tin, cover with baking parchment and roast slowly at 150C for an hour, stirring occasionally). Mix into the custard with some grated Parmesan and add more cheese on top (the shallots will be sweet so be sure to take that into account when seasoning).
Salmon and dill – cube 200g of skinless, pinboned salmon fillet and add to the filling with finely chopped dill and some lemon zest. Leave the cheese out of this one.
Kale, potato and cheddar Well-seasoned kale is delicious in a quiche, just blanche and refresh and chop finely before adding. Par-boil 80g of new potatoes and slice them before adding.
All quiche needs is a lightly dressed baby leaf salad and a glass of chilled chablis for a very sophisticated and delicious picnic outdoors.
Smoked aubergine purée
THIS may look like a bowl of beige sludge but boy oh boy it packs a flavour punch.
There are lots of versions around, also known as Baba Ganoush, as it’s a staple of Mediterranean and North African cooking, and I have combined a few here but mostly the flavour bomb is the smoking of the aubergine.
Shortly before lockdown I invested in a smoker – it’s a small, table-top model (not much bigger than a backpack) that can be easily stored in the shed – and I’ve been experimenting with cold-smoking, which is a low and slow way to infuse meat, fish and vegetables with that deep, smokiness that doesn’t come from a bottle like so many ‘smoked’ goods.
The critical different between hot and cold smoking, unsurprisingly, is temperature.
You can hot smoke foods in any closed-lid barbecue – it’s a guaranteed side benefit of cooking over charcoal. With hot smoking you are cooking AND smoking at the same time – the smoke is generated by wood chips placed on top of the coals to make sure there’s enough smoke to permeat, and the temperature is high enough to cook the foodstuff quickly and safely.
Cold smoking is cooler (duh), because the intent is not to cook the food, but to keep it at a foodsafe temperature while the smoke infuses. So a cold smoke attachment is designed to keep a small amount of woodchips smouldering for hours without raising the temperature inside the cabinet. It’s clever!
I began with the obvious things like salmon, bacon, cheese, garlic and now I’m experimenting with veg, butter, nuts etc.
The conventional way to prepare aubergine for puree is to scorch it over a direct flame, often on a gas hob, until it softens and collapses. The alternative is to oven-bake on a relatively high heat to achieve the same effect but without the smokiness.
You will need:
- 1 med-to-large aubergine, pricked all over
- 1 green chilli, slit from top to toe
- 1 bulb proper garlic from the greengrocer (not the tiny-cloved ones you get in supermarkets)
- 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons good, full-fat Greek yoghurt (eg Total, Tim’s, Yeo Valley etc) – you can substitute a good dairy-free product if necessary
- Juice of half a lemon
- Sea salt
For this recipe, I started the aubergine off whole in the oven to get it cooked – at 200C it takes around 45 minutes on a baking sheet – BE SURE TO PRICK IT WITH A KNIFE FIRST, to avoid explosions! I then cut it down the middle to expose the innards and placed it on the tray in the smoker where it rested for 3 hours while gentle puffs of beechwood drifted over, under and into it. On the shelf above it I placed a green chilli, sliced vertically, and a bulb of garlic.
If you don’t have a smoker, you can improvise using an old roasting tin, with wood shavings and any other aromatics you like (jasmine tea leaves, peppercorns) on a foil plate in the bottom, a rack placed in it to hold the food and a very good tent of tin foil around it (make sure you get a good seal). You want the lowest heat possible, just enough to ignite the wood chips, and it will be a lot quicker so probably only allow 30-45 minutes of smoking time. You definitely don’t want a fire or naked flame in your tin.
Method
- In a blender (or a jug if you are using a stick blender), place 1-2 large smoked garlic cloves, the green chilli (deseeded and chopped), and scrape out the inside of the aubergine leaving behind the skin.
- Add a tablespoon of tahini, a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, a heaped teaspoon of sea salt, the juice of half a lemon, and 3 tablespoons of green yoghurt. Blitz until you get a smooth puree, and check the seasoning as you may need more salt or lemon juice.
- I love the green notes from the chilli, the bite of raw garlic and the mellowness of the aubergine and tahini. The smoke is foremost but not overpowering, although it will resonate for hours afterwards, and remind you, every time you open the fridge, to have another spoonful!
- This dip is delicious on its own with bread, goes really well with cold roast chicken or fish, as part of a mezze platter with houmous or you could add a spoonful to salad dressing for a rich, smoky note.
Cheddar and Green Chilli Cornbread
Everyone’s cooking and baking again, and posting their stories online, which is lovely to see.
For professional chefs, this has been a stressful time, not being able to cook and feed people every day (it’s not just a day job, it’s basically a calling). With just two of us at home during lockdown, I’ve had to fight the urge to keep creating loads of dishes that we just can’t eat. The freezers are full, and there really is only so much one can eat in a day. (Trust me, we’ve tried.)
I’ve been making sourdough bread for decades with my starter called Elvis (and documenting the results endlessly on Insta) and once the strong flour issue was resolved I started baking bread for friends and neighbours, which has scratched the itch somewhat.
Then, seeing the lovely cheese and chilli cornbread recipe posted by Rosalind, the founder of Cookery School at Little Portland Street reminded me that I have a savoury muffin recipe which I used to bake as a loaf for corporate lunches. The best way to describe it is an all-in-one quiche, with the pastry ingredients incorporated into the mix.
It makes a super savoury flavoured bread, and the options for personalising it are endless. It’s great served with cheese and salad, with an egg on top or as a sandwich.
Many quick bakes use a raising agent such as baking powder or bicarbonate of soda and some acidic dairy – buttermilk, yoghurt or sour cream, or even a thimbleful of cider vinegar – which react together to make the mix rise beautifully in the oven.
There are two golden rules to this method, both of which work to the advantage of the impatient cook and hungry hordes:
- Don’t overmix the batter (5 or 6 quick folds and twists to combine the wet and dry ingredients);
- Get it into the oven pronto, as the reaction begins the minute the acid and alkali meet.
Best eaten warm, this won’t hang around on the bread board for long, although in the unlikely event that there is some left it is also great toasted. See below for ideas to switch it up.
This can also be baked as a tray of muffins and popped in the freezer for defrosting as required.
In this instance I am following the Cookery School recipe but with substitutions as we’re all having to raid lockdown larder ingredients and not dash to the corner shop for top-ups.
I had a block of mature cheddar from a recent meat delivery (Doug and John Ashby, my lovely wholesale butchers – a family business established in Bermondsey in 1950 – is now delivering to residential addresses in London and also does cheese, eggs and charcuterie) which was perfect for the cheesy element, but any strong cheese would work.
We had a big bunch of parsley from my local Highbury greengrocers, so much more satisfying than a sweaty 70g plastic pouch from the supermarket, and some chives and fresh green chilli. The original recipe suggests smoked paprika and dried chilli flakes, as well as halved cherry tomatoes to decorate the top. I substituted a heaped teaspoon of English mustard powder and saved the tomatoes for another day.
I toyed with the idea of adding some smoked lardons from my home-made bacon stash (the subject of a future post) but resisted. Maybe next time? (It can always be served on the side.)
Other great combinations using the base wet/dry recipe: feta, sun-dried tomato and olive / Parmesan and spinach (steamed and squeezed to remove all the moisture) / half a jar of pesto and roasted red peppers / caramelised onion, thyme and goat cheese.
Cheddar and chilli cornbread
(Makes 10 muffins or 10 generous slices)
Ingredients
- 170g plain flour (you can substitute gluten-free if required)
- 170g fine cornmeal
- 3 heaped teaspoons baking powder
- .5 teaspoon salt
- 1 heaped teaspoon English mustard powder
- 2 green chillis, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 cup of chopped green herbs – I used parsley and chives, but you could use oregano, thyme etc (if using dried herbs then just a teaspoon of each)
- 2 eggs
- 150g (roughly 1 cup) grated mature cheddar cheese
- 200ml whole milk
- 200ml Greek yoghurt or buttermilk
- 50ml sunflower or rapeseed oil
The Method
- Preheat your oven to 200C.
- Grease and flour 10 holes in a 12-hole muffin tin or a 2lb (900g) loaf tin, or line with paper cases.
- Place the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the mustard powder, chopped chilli, herbs and cheese to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Place the milk and yoghurt, oil and eggs in another bowl and beat together.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix as quickly as possible. Do not over-mix.
- Divide the mixture between the prepared muffin or loaf tin.
- Bake in the oven for about 15-18 minutes (muffins) or 30-40 minutes (loaf) until golden brown.I started my loaf at 200C for 20 minutes and then turned it down to 180C for another 20.Test with a skewer to see if it’s done, or knock the base which should sound hollow.
My serving suggestion is a thick, warm slice with a couple of rashers of bacon and a poached egg.
Or you could soak a slice or two in beaten egg and fry in butter, as a version of French toast (maple syrup optional).
It would also make a fab toasted sandwich with sliced tomato and cheese.
Bon appetit!
Fabulous fritters
THIS is a repost from 2018 when I had the pop-up at Honeymoon in Hackney.
I keep a container of the dry mix for this recipe in my cupboard for spontaneous fritter making – everyone should. Most of these ingredients should be in your store cupboard, and if not your nearest corner shop will have them all.
These delicious fritters were one of the most popular dishes on our menu. They happen to be vegan and gluten free but that was incidental, as they pack a palate-pleasing punch, are satisfyingly crunchy and, when topped with a simple tahini dressing and some toasted seeds, would not be out of place at the breakfast, lunch or dinner table.
The most time-consuming element is making up the seasoned chickpea flour, which can be done well in advance. The rest is a work of minutes.
Also, if courgettes aren’t your thing, you can substitute sweetcorn, grated carrot, parsnip, potato or cauliflower florets.
The Ingredients
(Serves 4)
500g chickpea (gram) flour
2tsp salt
1tsp freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp ground coriander
2tsp ground cumin
1tsp coriander seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of chilli flakes
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 large courgettes
Oil for frying
To serve
1tbsp each of sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds,
2 butter lettuce (or baby gem, or a bag of washed salad leaves)
4 pita bread or flatbread
Vinaigrette
25ml red wine vinegar
100ml olive oil
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp honey or agave syrup (if you are strictly vegan)
1tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Tahini dressing
2 cloves garlic
1tsp salt
200ml tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
Hot water
You will need
Mixing bowls, 1 frying pan, 2 oven trays, 1 Chopping Board, 1 Grater, Teaspoons for measuring, Lemon juicer, Paper towel
The Method
1. Make the tahini dressing. Grind the garlic clove and salt together on a chopping board using the blade of a knife, to create a paste. Scrape that into a bowl, add half the lemon juice and tahini, and whisk.Use a few tablespoons of hot water to thin down the dressing to a pourable consistency. Taste and check the seasoning – add more salt and lemon juice if necessary. Set aside.
2. Make the vinaigrette. In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until well combined, and check the seasoning. It may need a touch more honey or salt.
3. Preheat the oven to 160C.
4. In a dry frying pan, toast the whole and ground spices until they start to smoke. Remove from the pan and grind the spices in a blender (or pound in a pestle and mortar). Add the spice mix to to the gram flour, add the bicarbonate of soda and mix well to combine. This spice mix can be kept – labelled – in a sealed container for up to a month.
5. Use the same frying pan to toast the seeds over a low heat, being careful not to scorch them. Set the seed mix aside to cool.
6. Preheat a frying pan with a shallow covering of vegetable oil. While the oil is heating, coarsely grate the courgettes (I don’t advising doing this ahead of time, as they leach water. If you do grate ahead, then give the courgette a squeeze before adding it to the batter.)
7. In a large mixing bowl, place 1 big serving spoon of the flour mix per person, and use a drizzle of water to mix to a thick paste, like a clay mask. Add the grated courgette and mix well to combine. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil, allow to colour, and flip them over. Once evenly browned, drain on kitchen paper, pop them on an oven tray and finish in the oven for 8-10 minutes to ensure they are cooked through. I usually serve 4 or 5 fritters as a main course.
8. While you are frying the fritters in batches, put the flatbreads or pita in the oven to warm through.
To serve, place a flatbread or pita on each plate, dress the salad leaves with the vinaigrette and place a handful of leaves on top of the bread. Arrange the fritters on top, use a spoon to drizzle over the tahini dressing, and top with the toasted seeds.
Quinoa, green bean and almond salad
With my corporate caterer hat on, I am always devising new salads for lunch deliveries as my regular clients appreciate variety. As a chef I need to keep innovating, because I am adding value with (and selling) my skill and experience.
This combination of colours, textures and flavours was a big hit and became known as The Famous Quinoa Salad. It’s also vegan, wheat and dairy free.
Ingredients
(Serves 6 with leftovers)
200g quinoa
100g green beans
100g flaked almonds
Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
1 garlic clove, grated
150ml extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put the quinoa in a saucepan, add plenty of water to cover and a pinch of salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the grains have swollen and absorbed most of the water. Drain and cover while it cools, to allow the quinoa to steam so the grains separate. It should be soft to the bite but not gluey.
Next, top and tail and finely slice the green beans in rounds. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and simmer the sliced beans for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately refresh under cold water to keep the colour.
Heat the oven to 160C and toast the flaked almonds for 10 minutes on a baking tray until golden (you can do this in a frying pan but watch they don’t burn!).
Finally, make the dressing that will bring the whole thing together.
Grate the garlic clove in to a jug, add the chopped parsely, lemon juice and olive oil and whisk to combine. Season to taste – the dressing should be salty, to season the other, unseasoned ingredients.
In a big bowl, toss together the quinoa, nuts, beans and dressing. This will hold for a couple of days in a sealed container in the fridge – it’s great for lunchboxes, as a healthy side dish with chicken or fish, and of course for a midnight snack.