Chicken, sherry and almond pot roast
Published 28 April 2013
Chosen by Mel Wells, Aldershot, Hampshire
"The taste of the sauce is unbelievable – when you take into account that the sauce contains no garlic, no onion, no chilli, no mushrooms, no tomatoes, no herbs, and yet when you remove the lid and taste, what a surprise!"
SERVES 2
chicken thighs 4 large
new potatoes 200g
salted almonds 80g
fino sherry 100ml
water 100ml
chervil a small handful
I use plump, slightly rounded Marcona almonds for this. Rich and sweet, they contribute so much flavour. Whichever type you use, toast them until they are deep gold in colour before adding the liquid.
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Season the chicken thighs, then brown them as evenly as you can in a little oil over a moderate heat. Slice the potatoes into thick coins and add them to the pan, letting them colour lightly. Drop in the almonds, allow to brown a little, then pour in the fino. Leave to bubble for a few seconds to burn off the alcohol, then add 100ml of water, cover with a lid and roast for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid, add a small handful of chervil and serve.
Classic peperoni alla piemontese
Published 3 July 2011
Chosen by Les Plant, Poole, Dorset
"Anchovies in mine but not for my wife. Easy to prepare, great hot or cold, couldn't live without it."
A dish of peppers, halved and baked with olive oil, tomatoes and garlic, generally served cold. Most people include basil and anchovies in the recipe, though if you drop the latter it's very useful as a vegetarian main dish.
Slice four red or yellow peppers in half lengthways, discarding the seeds and core. Quarter 8 tomatoes, skinned if you wish, and divide them between the peppers. Peel and slice 2 cloves of garlic and tuck the slices among the tomatoes. Add an anchovy, chopped or whole, to each pepper, a little salt and pepper, then enough olive oil to come half-way up each pepper. Bake at 180C/gas mark 4 for 35 minutes or so, until the peppers are soft and luscious. Serve cold with bread for mopping up the juices.
The trick
Use red or turning peppers rather than the less-sweet green. Let the edges catch a little in the oven, to give them a sweet, toasted note. Good olive oil is essential – you will be eating a lot of it with this dish, so choose one everyone will be happy with, maybe something fruity rather than overtly peppery. Tuck any extra ingredients, such as basil or olives, right down in the olive oil. If you are using anchovies, take care when adding salt.
The twist
Olives, stoned and halved, can be added with the tomatoes. Use cherry tomatoes, popping them in whole. To take the classic recipe on further, marinated artichokes could be substituted for some of the tomatoes, as could sliced courgettes – but you will have to think of a new name for the dish. I sometimes blitz a little olive oil and a few basil leaves in the food processor then pour the brilliant green puree into the peppers. The smell is wonderful. Serve them warm rather than cold if you wish.
An onion tatin
Published 29 August 2010
Chosen by Caroline Leygue
"It is so simple yet so tasty. I like recipes like this– they feel a bit like a miracle."
SERVES 3-4
small to medium-sized sweet onions, such as Red Florence 500-600g
butter 75g
thyme sprigs
all butter puff pastry 250g
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Peel the onions and slice them in half from root to tip. Melt the butter in a 20-22cm non-stick frying pan or tarte tatin tin over a low to moderate heat.
Place the onions cut-side down in the butter – they should fit snugly. Leave them to cook for a good 15-20 minutes, keeping the heat low, until the underside is golden and the onions are soft enough to take the point of a knife. Turn them over carefully with a palette knife and continue cooking until they are completely soft. (This is important: they will only be in the oven for a short while and must be fully cooked before you put the pastry on.) Turn them over, or not, as you please, making sure they fit snugly into the tin with as few gaps as possible. Tuck five or six small stems of thyme under the onions. Remove from the heat and let them cool for 15 minutes or so.
Roll out the pastry in a circle about 2cm in diameter larger than the diameter of the pan. Lower it into place then tuck the edges in around the sides of the pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
To remove the tarte from the tin, place a large plate or flat baking sheet over the top of the pan, swiftly and firmly turn the pan upside down and let the tart slide out. It might need a bit of a shake. If any of the onions stick, loosen them with a palette knife.
Serve with a well-made cheese to complement the sweetness of the tart.Something melting like a Tunworth or Camembert would be perfect.
A mild and fruity curry of salmon
Published 19 July 2009
Chosen by Rosa Townsend, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
"Tamarind doesn't taste like anything else, so this recipe is an easy route to an unusual flavour."
SERVES 4, WITH RICE
salmon fillet 500g, skinned
onion 1 large
groundnut oil 2 tbsp
mustard seeds ½ tsp
small hot chillies 2
ground turmeric ½ tsp
ground cumin 1 tsp
ground coriander 1 tsp
tomatoes 6 fairly large ones
water 80ml
tamarind paste 1 tbsp
coconut milk 200ml
Cut the salmon into about 20 thick cubes. Peel the onion and chop it finely, then let it soften in the oil in a deep, non-stick pan. When it has started to colour lightly, add the mustard seeds, finely chopped chillies, the turmeric, cumin and coriander and stir for a minute or so till the spices are warm and fragrant.
Chop the tomatoes, add them to the pan and leave them to soften for a minute or two before pouring in the water. Stir in the tamarind. Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer. Leave for 10 minutes before adding the pieces of salmon, some salt and black pepper.
Now leave to cook for 10-15 minutes until the salmon is completely opaque. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for further 4-5 minutes. Serve as it is, or if you wish, with rice. Serve this with a spoon so as not to waste a drop of the gently spiced juices.
Classic liver and bacon
Published 17 October 2010
Chosen by Mark Kusionowicz, Camberley, Surrey
"When my wife is away I get the only opportunity I have to indulge my love of offal. This recipe is a celebration of that love. It has become such a treat for myself that I only have to say to my butcher "she's away again" and he knows to bag up a couple of slices of calves' liver and two best back rashers."
The recipe
For the gravy: slowly cook 2 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced, in 50g butter until pale gold, soft and sweet. Add a level tablespoon of flour. Brown lightly then stir in 300ml of stock. Simmer for 20 minutes then serve with the liver. Fry or grill the liver and bacon, allowing 150g liver per person and 2 rashers of bacon. Some mashed potato would be good here.
The trick
Cook the onions very slowly and the liver very fast. The usual cooking time suggested for fried onions is often underestimated. They take a good 15-20 minutes to cook evenly. Hurrying the procedure will forfeit sweetness. Grill the liver for a minute or two. If you're frying the liver, make sure the pan is searingly hot, so the inside of the liver stays pink while the outer crust forms. It cooks in a matter of seconds.
The twist
A splash of Madeira or Marsala in your onion gravy makes the whole dish into something really rather special.
Tarte au chevre
Published 13 February 2011
Chosen by Linda Johnson Lee, Roanne, Brionnais, France
"This shows my French friends a thing or two about British cooking, which still has a bad name over there. Recently a French friend celebrated her 70th birthday and requested Nigel's tarte au chevre. Before I could get a slice myself they had all been scoffed to approving cries of 'superbe'."
SERVES 6
For the pastry
flour 200g
butter 100g
egg yolk 1
milk a little
For the filling
onions 400g
butter 25g
thyme 2 tsp of leaves
eggs 2
creme fraiche 200g
full cream milk 200g
goat's cheese, moist and crumbly 180g
You will also need
a round 22cm tart tin at least 3.5cm deep with a removable base; beans for baking blind
To make the pastry, put the flour and butter, cut into small pieces, into the bowl of a food processor. Add a pinch of salt and blitz to fine breadcrumbs. If you prefer, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips. Add the egg yolk and enough milk to bring the dough to a firm ball. The less milk you add, the better, as too much will cause your pastry case to shrink in the oven.
Pat the pastry into a flat round on a floured surface then roll out large enough to line the tart tin. Lightly butter the tin, dust it with a small amount of flour and shake off any surplus then lower in the round of pastry. Push the dough right into the corner where the rim joins the base without stretching the pastry. Make certain there are no holes or tears. Trim the overhanging pastry and place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Put a baking sheet in the oven to warm. Line the pastry case with foil and baking beans and slide on to the hot baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully lift the beans out. Return the case to the oven for 5 minutes or so, until the surface is dry to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 180C/gas mark 4.
Make the filling. Peel the onions and slice them thinly. Melt the butter in a shallow pan and add the onions, leaving them to cook over a low heat for a good 20 minutes. As they show signs of softening, add the thyme. An occasional stir with a wooden spoon will stop them sticking or burning. The onions are ready when they are sweet, gold and soft enough to crush between your fingers and thumb.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat to mix with a small whisk or fork. Beat in the creme fraiche and milk. Season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the onions into the pastry case. Crumble in the goat's cheese. Pour most of the egg mixture over the onions then transfer to the hot baking sheet in the oven. Pour in the remaining custard mixture and carefully slide into the oven.
Bake for 40 minutes till lightly risen. The centre should quiver when the tart is gently shaken. Eat in the traditional style of a quiche, not hot nor cold, but warm.
Lentil and spinach cottage pie
Published 12 February 2012
Chosen by Anita Currie
"It's a big hug on a plate – suitable for vegetarians, good enough for any occasion."
SERVES 6
onions 2 medium to large
carrots 2 medium
celery a small stick
dark, open mushrooms 350g
olive or rapeseed oil
garlic 3 cloves
bay leaves 2
thyme 3 or 4 short sprigs
lentils a 500g jar
vegetable stock 500ml
balsamic vinegar 2 tsp
spinach 500g
For the potato crust
large, floury potatoes 1kg
butter 75g, or olive oil 3 tbsp
Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery, then cook in a deep casserole over a moderate flame for 10 minutes or so till the onion is almost tender. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the mixture. Peel and finely slice the garlic and stir in after the mixture has been cooking for 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves and thyme, then the lentils with their bottling liquid, and stir briefly, pouring in the stock. Bring the stock to the boil then turn the heat down and leave to simmer for a good 20 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper and the balsamic vinegar to taste.
To make the crust, peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces and boil in salted water for 20 minutes or so till tender. Mash with the butter or oil. Beat with a wooden spoon till light and fluffy.
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Wash the spinach and, if the leaves are large, tear them into pieces then, while they are still wet, pile 450g of them into a pan with a lid and steam, with the occasional stir, for a few minutes till they start to collapse. Cool them under the cold tap, wring them out thoroughly then stir them into the lentils. (Don't add the spinach raw to the lentils: the leaves will produce a lot of water and you'll be left with lentil soup.) Fold the remaining 50g uncooked spinach into the mashed potato. Tip the lentil mixture into a baking dish and pile on the potato. It may sink slightly into the lentils. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour till the edges are bubbling.
Coffee and walnut cake
Published 28 September 2003
Chosen by Carol Hart
"It manages to combine a simple elegance with memories of the similar cake made by my Nan when I was a child, and is totally delicious."
SERVES 8 TO 10
butter 175g
unrefined golden caster sugar 175g
walnut pieces 65g
eggs 3 large
self-raising flour 175g
baking powder 1 tsp
instant coffee granules 2 tsp
For the filling:
butter 200g
icing sugar 400g
instant coffee granules 2 tsps
walnut pieces 60g
You will also need 2 x 21cm loose-bottomed sponge tins
As it is made with unsalted butter, unrefined sugar and free-range organic eggs, you will have something infinitely superior to any shop-bought cake. It takes an hour from start to finish and will keep for several days, sealed and at room temperature. The ideal storage is an old-fashioned biscuit tin, one where the smell of home-baking lingers even when the tin is empty.
Beat the butter and sugar till it is light, pale and fluffy. You could do this by hand, but it is far easier and better with an electric mixer. Set the oven at 180°C/gas mark 4. Meanwhile, line the base of two 21cm sponge tins with greaseproof paper and chop the walnuts. Crack the eggs into a bowl, break them up with a fork and add them a little at a time to the butter and sugar, beating well after each addition.
Mix the flour and baking powder together and mix into the butter and sugar gently, with the mixer on a slow speed or by hand, with a large metal spoon. Dissolve the coffee granules in 1 tbsp boiling water, then stir into the cake. Chop the walnuts and fold gently into the cake.
Divide the cake mixture between the two cake tins, smooth lightly, and bake for 20-25 minutes. I have noticed mine are pretty much consistently done after 23 minutes.
To make the frosting, beat the butter till soft and pale with an electric beater, then add the sugar and beat till smooth and creamy. Stir 1 tbsp boiling water into the coffee granules then mix it into the buttercream. Fold in the walnut pieces.
As soon as it is cool, turn one half of the cake upside down on a plate or board, spread it with a good third of the buttercream, then place the second half on top. Spread the remaining buttercream on top and round the sides.
Lemon curd
Published 7 March 2010
Chosen by Iona Scott, Edinburgh
"A pleasure to make and eat. I usually whip up a fresh batch each week which is slathered on toast each morning by my partner, incorporated into delicious puddings for dinner, or given to friends as gifts."
MAKES 2 SMALL JAM JARS
unwaxed lemons zest and juice of 4
sugar 200g
butter 100g
eggs 3 whole and 1 egg yolk
Most lemon curd recipes instruct you to stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. I find that stirring lightly with a whisk introduces just a little more lightness into the curd, making it slightly less solid and more wobbly.
Put the lemon zest and juice, the sugar and the butter, cut into cubes, into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the basin doesn't touch the water. Stir with a whisk from time to time until the butter has completely melted.
Mix the eggs and egg yolk lightly with a fork, then stir into the lemon mixture. Let the curd cook, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, until it is thick and custard-like. It should feel heavy on the whisk.
Remove from the heat and stir occasionally as it cools. Pour into spotlessly clean jars and seal. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
Rosemary and honey bread for cheese
Published 10 March 2013
Chosen by Katherine Stephenson, Wickford, Essex
"My family loved this as it introduced us to goat's cheese and honey. My son tweeted Nigel and told him life was richer since I'd discovered his recipes."
MAKES 2 SMALL LOAVES
strong wholemeal flour 250g
strong white plain flour 250g
salt 1 tsp
warm water 350ml
honey 1 tbsp
fresh yeast 40g
rosemary 2 tbsp, chopped
dried cherries 50g
dried apricots 50g
golden sultanas 50g
rosemary stalks a few, to decorate
sea salt flakes
Put the two different flours in a large mixing bowl, add the salt and mix thoroughly. Pour the warm water into a small bowl then stir in the honey and yeast. When they have dissolved add the chopped rosemary.
Tip the yeast and honey mixture into the flours and stir in the cherries, apricots and sultanas. If you are using a food mixer armed with a dough hook (a flat paddle will work just as well) then mix for 4 or 5 minutes. You should have a dough that is really quite sticky. Cover it with a cloth and leave in a warm, but far from hot, place for about an hour until risen and lightly spongy.
Flour a large chopping board or work surface, tip the dough on to it and slice in half. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Scatter the surface of each loaf with a few rosemary stalks and a few pinches of sea salt flakes. Cover with a cloth and leave for about 20 minutes, until the dough has flattened and spread slightly. Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 7. Bake for 25 minutes, until dark brown, remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. When cool, slice and serve with goat's cheese and mild honey.
These spongy loaves will keep for two or three days if wrapped in clingfilm.
