Jill's recipes - the details

HomeRecipe list

Smoked haddock and potato layer

Poach (undyed) smoked haddock in milk, drain and flake roughly
Cut potatoes in half lengthways and boil, then cut into long slices
Cook sliced mushrooms in butter
Make plenty of THIN cheese sauce, including the milk from poaching the haddock
Chop chives
Layer all ingredients, adding salt and pepper, ending with a potato layer covered with cheese sauce
(Can make to this stage in advance, and can freeze if necessary – it gets even better with keeping)
In oven until really hot, with foil over till nearly done
Back to list

Quick Thai prawn-shell soup - ideal to make when you're buying prawns for another dish

Buy cooked shell-on frozen prawns; de-shell, and use the prawns for something else
Simmer the prawn-shells 10 mins in water with sliced ginger, lemon juice, lime zest; can add vermouth
Separately boil some plain rice
Slice plenty of spring onions; can also chop some coriander leaf
Strain prawn liquid with fine sieve, add chopped/grated coconut cream (c.50g per litre of liquid, or to taste)
Add tabasco or hot sauce to taste, add salt/pepper; reheat to dissolve coconut cream fully
Put some rice in big soup-bowls, pour soup over, sprinkle with spring onions (and coriander leaf)
Freezes well
Back to list

Chickpea and aubergine mix

Fry sliced onions in olive oil; add crushed garlic and grated ginger root when onions part-cooked, and cook till onions soft
Roast plenty of cut-up aubergines (can leave skins on) in loads of olive oil at top of hot oven until well-cooked, stirring quite often and watching for burning
Combine onions and aubergines; add:

Improves with reheating; freezes well
Back to list

Couscous

Roughly chop 150g unsalted almonds*/ cashews/ pistachios (* or buy flaked almonds)
Dice 100g dried apricots
Chop plenty of mint and/or coriander leaves
Boil 500ml water with butter and salt
Pour onto 250g couscous and stir, leave 5-10 minutes
Can cover and put in oven for a while
Back to list

Marinated tofu

Tofu in oblong cubes, marinated in oil, tomato puree, garlic, lemon, herbs, salt and pepper
Grill or bake
Back to list

Goat kebabs with mint

Buy leg of goat; cut into cubes and marinate in oil/ lemon/ mint/ crushed garlic/ salt and pepper
Roast cubes in oiled baking-tray in top of very hot oven; a couple of times, pour off liquid (keep for stock); this is a cunning way of keeping the goat-meat tender (from the liquid) but letting it 'grill'
At the same time, roast cut-up red pepper in oil
When both done, put on skewers and squeeze lemon over
Back to list

Hung shao pork-belly with stir-fry greens

Meat:

Vegetables:

Back to list

English vegetable bake

(This was originally a recipe for roast marrow, but butternut squash/ courgettes etc also work excellently; the important thing is to keep the vegetables broadly English rather than Mediterranean or Eastern)
Roast marrow etc (peeled, sliced) in olive oil with plenty of rosemary sprigs
(Optional) Fry or lightly roast cubed mushrooms in butter and olive oil
Steam sliced leeks
Fry sliced onions and diced ham/ bacon (or use e.g. cut-up baked gammon), add flour and milk, salt and pepper to make an extremely thin sauce
Layer the vegetables and thin sauce in a big shallow oven-dish; sprinkle plenty of breadcrumbs (dried or fresh) on top, and coarsely-grated parmesan
(You can freeze it at this point)
If it shows even slight signs of looking dryish, or if it's going to be kept hot in the oven for a while, drizzle stock over it; very important that it stays moist
Heat at c.Mk 4 until really hot and bubbling
Back to list

Lentil mint salad

Cut red and yellow peppers into c.3cm square pieces, roast in olive oil
Simmer Puy lentils for 20 minutes or so with some diced carrot, finely-chopped garlic, bay leaf and salt
Drain, remove bay leaf
Make a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, cumin, cayenne, oregano
Chop spring onion and plenty of mint and parsley
Mix lentils, peppers, dressing, spring onion and herbs; leave for an hour, add salt and pepper
Back to list

Salviata (sage omelette)

Lightly beat 6 medium eggs
Mix 1 lvl tbs flour, 2 tbs whole milk, add to eggs
Add 1 lvl tbs chopped sage, 1 small clove garlic v fine-chopped, 50g parmesan, salt and pepper
Cook v. slowly, grill when pool of uncooked egg at top; sprinkle a little extra parmesan
Serve hot, warm or cold
Good for picnics, cut in diamond shapes
Back to list

Nazkatun (aubergine mix for eating with pitta bread)

Make 3 slits in each of 3 large aubergines; cook in hot oven c.45 mins (or for much longer in a slow oven) until extremely soft. Cool, peel off skin, chop up. Whizz with

Back to list

Dates with blue cheese

Stuff stoned dates with St. Agur or similar soft blue cheese for a canape
Back to list

Pickled herring and apple salad

Mix Swedish matjes herring or sweet-cured Orkney herring with grated onion, chives, diced apple, diced radish, Greek yoghurt
Good with plain boiled potatoes, hot or cold
Back to list

Zabaglione

Beat 6 egg-yolks, 75ml caster/ light muscovado sugar over simmering water;
Beat in 90ml+ sherry/ marsala till it suddenly goes thick and fluffy
Eat immediately with elegant thin biscuits. Very impressive!
Back to list

Yoghurt marinade kebabs

Mix 400ml yoghurt with 2 tbs curry powder, 1½ tbs curry paste, some lemon juice, some grated ginger root
Marinate pork or other cubed meat overnight
Grill or put in hot oven on kebab sticks, or you can cook it in an oiled baking tray in a hot oven, tipping out most of the liquid a couple of times (v important, otherwise it boils rather than roasting)
Back to list

Aubergine salad with goat's cheese and walnuts

Cut aubergine into 2cm cubes, steam for 10 mins or so till softening; leave in a colander to dry, squeezing gently
Mix with crumbled soft goat’s cheese, fine-diced red onion, parsley, rough-chopped lightly-toasted walnuts, lightly-toasted sesame seeds, salt and pepper
Crush garlic with salt, mix with walnut oil and lemon juice, add
Serve at room temperature or even warm
Back to list

Melon chicken salad

Mix cooked chicken (leg, not breast) with cubed Galia or canteloupe melon, diced cucumber;
mix sour cream or Greek yoghurt with lemon juice, chives or mint, plenty of salt/pepper; fold into melon mix
Back to list

Stir-fry omelette

Beat well together:

Heat oil well in frying-pan or wok
Pour in egg mix, leave 30 seconds, fold in onto itself, tilt to allow uncooked egg to spread; repeat this process a couple more times till cooked
Put on plates, add balsamic vinegar and more spring onion strips
Back to list

Free-form fruit pie

Prepare (thinly slice, or stone and cut in 8) fruit; for harder fruit (quinces, plums etc), steam until softening; apples are OK uncooked
Make shortcrust pastry, roll out to circle 2 inches larger radius than filling will cover, put on parchment on baking tray, chill
Mix fruit, sugar, a little brandy, vanilla, a little flour
Spoon into centre of pastry, fold edges in (will only partially cover filling)
Brush dough and filling with melted butter, sprinkle dough with sugar
Mk 6 for 30 mins
Back to list

Bloody Mary jelly

2 tomato juice to 1 vodka to ¼ lemon juice to1/8th sherry
Heat tomato juice; add gelatine (3g per 100ml), stir to dissolve.
Add the vodka, lemon, sherry.
Add tabasco, Worcester sauce, salt and pepper
Chill for several hours until setting. Stir in roughly-chopped basil, put into 6 glasses, leave to set in fridge.
Serve with celery. Can add lime wedge
Back to list

Goan fish moilee

Cook thin-sliced red onion, add garlic, sliced chillies, grated ginger root
Add turmeric, garam masala, a little cardamom, coconut milk, plenty of salt, pepper
Bring to a simmer (can stop here if doing in advance)
Poach monkfish/ conger eel cubes in mix
Eat with spring onions and rice or chapatties.
Keralan version: dry-fry cumin and black mustard seeds intil they pop, and add to onion mix; omit cardamom and garam masala
Back to list

Lemon posset

Bring 640ml double cream and 190g caster sugar to the boil (in large pan so that doesn't boil over), boil exactly 3 mins, stirring at times
Take off heat, whisk in juice of 3 lemons. Chill min. 4 hours.
Serve with summer fruit. Very rich so you don't need a lot
Back to list

Cheese and onion bread

Grate half an onion, fry gently in good oil till semi-cooked
Mix 340g strong white flour, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp mustard powder, 1 tbs easy-blend yeast, 225ml warm milk; knead, put in oiled plastic, leave till doubled
Mix ¾ of 120g grated flavoursome red cheddar, the onion, 2 handfuls chopped parsley; knead into dough; shape into 8 rounds, arrange closely on 20cm round baking tin, leave to double
Sprinkle with remaining cheese; Mk 6 for 20-25 mins
Gorgeous colour and a meal in itself.
Back to list

Parsnip and Bramley mash

Cut up parsnips and boil them; steam peeled cubed Bramley apples in a colander or steamer over them, covered
Mash them together. Divine with ham etc
Yam and apple is also yummy.
Back to list

Chicken pilaff

(For 3-4 people)
Fry a small sliced onion, garlic; add sliced mushrooms, cook, add herbs; add 140g rice, stir till translucent. Add 450ml stock and a spoon of passata, plus a few sultanas (optional), cover, cook 15 mins.
Add 120-150g cooked cut-up chicken (leg not breast if you can), more stock if necessary; cook till rice cooked, liquid absorbed.
Add nutmeg, plenty of salt and pepper; sprinkle with parsley/chives.
(Adding fried diced chicken liver in butter with the chicken makes it v v good).
Back to list

Marinated seafood salad

6 scallops - cut into rounds (keeping coral whole), cook gently in olive oil, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Remove, reduce any liquid to a syrup and scrape over scallops.
A few small squid - keep tentacles whole, slice body, cook gently in olive oil, adding a little water if necessary. Add to scallops, add a couple of handfuls of shelled cooked prawns.
Blend 4 tbs olive oil with juice of a lemon, 2 crushed minced garlic cloves; add 6 slivered spring onions, plenty of salt and pepper, pour over seafood. Chill, stirring occasionally.
To serve, add more lemon juice if needed, and chopped coriander.
Back to list

Eccles cakes

I made these to take to a tea-party at which the legendary cookery writer Marguerite Patten was speaking; she singled out my contribution and asked to meet me!! She told me that they were 'really beautiful' and 'delicious'; now I can die happy.... :-)
They are really easy to make, and are quite sweet but not cloying; they have a lovely slight toffeeish taste because of the boiling of the sugar and butter.
Bring 150g caster sugar and 100g butter to the boil; stir in 200g currants, 1 level tsp pudding spice*; allow to cool slightly.
Roll out 500g puff pastry to 3mm thick; cut into 10cm diameter circles (you can fold and re-roll the pieces left over), brush with an egg beaten with 2 tsp water.
Put 1 heaped tsp of the currant mix in each circle, fold edges together to the centre, pinching slightly. Turn cake over, flatten slightly, make 3 parallel slashes on top (not too long or the gap might open up too much). Rest in fridge 30 mins, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.
20-25 minutes at gas Mk 6. Makes about 20 little cakes.
* Pudding spice
Back to list

Keeping ginger root, spring onions, lemongrass, chillies, passata etc in the freezer

Grate ginger root (no need to peel, but cut off any rough bits), mix with a little sunflower oil, freeze in ice-cube trays, decant into plastic bag. It keeps beautifully, and you can just use a cube as needed - often no need to defrost.
Slice up spring onions and freeze in a bag/container; just chuck some (frozen) into stir-fries etc
Make frozen cubes of other things, e.g. passata, chillies, lemongrass.
Back to list

Cheesejacks (oat and cheese slices)

This is an old Cranks recipe; very moreish and useful for snacks, picnics, 'bring food to share', canapes etc.
Mix 150g porridge oats (jumbo oats are v good), 175g grated mature cheddar, 1 large beaten egg, 50g melted butter, some fine-chopped rosemary or sage, salt and pepper.
Adding mustard is good, and perhaps a little cayenne pepper.
Press into an 18cm square tin, ideally lined with baking parchment though not essential; Mk 4 for c.40 mins till golden. Cut into slices, cool a little, tip out and cool on a rack.
Back to list

Chilled lemon soup

This is for 3-4 people
Take 2 lemons, pare 1 and finely grate the zest from the other; squeeze both lemons
Fry a chopped onion gently in butter; stir in 30g flour
Add lemon-paring to pan with 850ml proper chicken stock, 140ml milk; bring slowly to boil, stirring constantly, simmer 5 mins, add the lemon juice
Cool, strain, season lightly, chill. Serve with cream and sprinkled zest
Can serve hot – stir zest in, serve with croutons
Back to list

Dukkah or za'ata (zatar, zahtar)

This is a Near Eastern crunchy spice/ nut mix that you eat with flat bread (see Pitta) and olive oil, or with hard-boiled quail's eggs - yum. It keeps for a month in a jar, and is brilliant for adding to salad or making a crust on fish or....
The various versions vary wildly - check the internet; these are the two that I've made - both extremely moreish; quantities are approximate
1) Pine-nut version (a Sainsbury recipe)

2) Walnut version

Grind coarsely in a mortar, or whizz – though not to a state where the oils from the nuts and seeds are released and the mixture starts to form a paste
Serve with hard-boiled quail’s eggs, flat bread, olive oil – dip bread in oil and then dukkah, eggs directly in za'ata/ dukkah
Can also add oregano, basil, thyme, savory, lemon zest, fenugreek leaves, parsley, pistachio nuts, roasted chickpeas, sumac
Back to list

Mushroom and spinach korma with chickpeas

Fry 4 sliced onions in butter c.6 mins
Add 10 crushed cloves garlic, 8-12cm grated ginger, cook 2 mins
Meanwhile, cook 700g spinach, squeeze water out, cut up a bit, put aside
Add to onion mix:

Cook briefly, add 1300g mushrooms cut into bite-size cubes, cook a few mins
Add 450ml water, 250g+ chickpeas
Add the spinach
Simmer 2 mins
Add c.800ml yoghurt/ crème fraiche mix, heat without boiling, adding garam masala to taste if needed
Serve with coriander leaves
Good with sliced baked (or boiled) potato in bottom of bowl
Back to list

Fish chowder

Fry:
c.175g diced bacon till almost crisp
2 chopped onions and a sliced leek – don’t brown
1 diced red pepper
Add:

Simmer c.12 or so mins till potato just cooked
Add:

Heat to simmer, add 600g cubed smoked haddock and/or other fish
Heat briefly, leave briefly till fish cooked
Add parsley and serve in warmed bowls
Back to list

Yellow pepper feta salad

Halve and de-seed 6 small yellow peppers and roast in olive oil
Mix:

Fill pepper halves. Sprinkle with rest of olives, pine-nuts, more parsley, dressing of olive or walnut oil and balsamic vinegar
Back to list

Apple and leek soup

Cook gently in butter, covered but stirring often, c.450g thin-sliced leeks, c.450g sliced eating or cooking apples, c.225g diced potatoes; can add a diced parsnip
Add 568ml chicken stock, some herbs, salt and pepper; cover, simmer 60 mins till potatoes soft.
Whizz in food-processor, thinning if needed (probably yes) with extra stock up to c.1 litre. Stir in 140ml single cream. Sweeten a little if no parsnip used.
Add some chopped watercress leaves or parsley. Reheat. Serves 4-6
Back to list

Chopped leeks

Spiced chicken and aubergine

Dryfry briefly 1.5 tsp each cumin seed and coriander seed, grind, add ¾ tsp cinnamon
Marinate 1.1kg chicken (leg, not breast) in strips in ½ the spices, salt and pepper, 3 tbs olive oil
Peel 3 aubergines, cut in chunks, saute; sprinkle with ½ spices
Stir-fry chicken
Mix all together with juice of a lemon, 40g toasted pine-nuts, 8 tbs chopped coriander
Can add pasta, or with pitta (qv)
Options: try pork
Back to list

Ciabatta

(Makes 2 smallish)
Mix 460g strong flour, ½ sachet (c.3.5g) easy-blend yeast, 3-4 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp salt, c.400ml hand-hot water until very soft but just about not sticking to your hands; mix for a moment more, scrape into a large warmed bowl, cover with plastic, leave for 3-6+ hours
With well-floured hands, split dough into two and ease onto floured baking sheet, oil and dust with flour, leave 30-40 mins
Mk 7 for c.30 mins till golden brown
Keeps for up to 5 days
Back to list

Pitta

(Makes c.12 small)
Blend c.1 tbs active dry yeast, ½ tsp sugar, up to 250ml hand-hot water, stand in warm place 5 mins
Stir in 2 tbs olive oil, 1 rounded tsp salt, pepper etc, gradually mix in 400g strong flour to a stiff dough. May need more water if wholemeal. Cover with a cloth/ oiled clingfilm, leave 1 hour
Gather into a sausage shape, cut into c.12 pieces, roll into smallish ovals, not too thin
Put on greased trays, Mk 7 for 8-10 mins; turn halfway
These freeze very well, and make good bases for ad hoc mini-pizzas
Back to list

Quick chorizo soup

Cook sliced ‘cooking chorizo’ with garlic gently in oil and butter a couple of mins. Can add chopped chili
Add white wine or cider, salt and pepper; can add chicken stock
Serve with plenty of chopped parsley, and big croutons made of cut-up toast drizzled with olive oil
Options (good though less quick):
- can fry red onion till par-cooked, then add chorizo and garlic and continue as above
- can add e.g. cooked potato, vegetables, beans
Back to list

Sesame snaps (to eat with puddings)

Put 110g sugar, 1 tsp liquid glucose* and a pinch of salt in a frying-pan
Melt, stirring at intervals; once melted, stop stirring but frequently shake the pan, until mix under the froth is golden brown
Off heat, add 3-4 tbs lightly-toasted sesame seeds**, stir and tip onto silicone-lined baking tray; quickly spread thinly with a buttered palette knife
When set hard, break up, store in airtight tin
* Buy at a pharmacy or in the baking section of a large supermarket; it's not harmful and is widely used for making icing etc more malleable; also called glucose syrup
** Either toast in a grill-pan under the grill, or roast in a frying-pan; stir frequently till they change colour slightly to a yellowy shade
Back to list

Parsnip, apple and curry soup

Put in a large pan:

Simmer, covered, till parsnips properly tender. Add:

Whizz in food-processor, reheat; add more milk if needed
Quantities are pretty flexible
Back to list

Curried chicken and apple soup

Cook in butter 1½ grated/fine-chopped onions, 1½ peeled/chopped cooking apples
Add 675g coarsely cut-up cooked chicken (leg, not breast), some chopped thyme (and/or e.g. marjoram), 75g raisins, 1 litre chicken stock, 1½ tbs curry paste or to taste, salt and pepper
Mk 4 for 30 mins covered, or simmer gently on hob
Meanwhile, cook rice to give 170g cooked rice
Optional: coarsely chop 60g salted peanuts; chop some parsley.
Put 1 large tbs hot cooked rice in each bowl, ladle soup over. Sprinkle with peanuts/parsley if using.
Freeezes well (in which case do the simmering when unfreeze)
Back to list

Yoğurtlu havuç

Dry-fry caraway and cumin seeds until they are 'popping'; grind in a mortar
Grate carrots, fry very gently in olive oil at least 15 mins with the lid on; crush some garlic, add during cooking
Mix all with yoghurt and salt and pepper
Eat as part of a 'meze' starter
Back to list

Dolmades

This takes a while to prepare, but making the dolmades is quite a soothing occupation with some good music on.
Blanch fresh or preserved vine-leaves: cover with plenty of boiling water, leave 3-5 mins. Remove stalks.
Fry 1 small finely-chopped onion in olive oil; mix with 2 teacups cooked rice, some toasted pine-nuts, salt and pepper, ground allspice, ground cloves, olive oil.
Wrap in 36 blanched vine leaves, putting a teaspoon of rice at the bottom of the leaf and wrapping the sides in and rolling it up, not too tightly, then squeezing it gently in your hand to keep it compact.
Arrange the dolmades tightly together in a pan in one or two layers, pour in enough stock with some tomato puree to come nearly up to the top, weight them down with a saucer, simmer c.30 mins. Top up the stock if necessary during cooking.
Cool in the stock, drain, chill. Serve with lemon squeezed over.
If keep in fridge, pour a little olive oil over.

Making dolmades
Back to list

Chicken tagine

Dry-fry:

Add 2 small pinches saffron, grind in mortar
Rub into 6 skinless chicken leg pieces (so e.g. 3 complete legs, divided at the joint) on the bone
Put into heavy saucepan with:

Bring to boil, cover, simmer gently c.40 mins until chicken is starting to come off the bone
Add 550g tinned chickpeas, 140g dried apricots
Simmer uncovered 15 mins
Strain, cool somewhat; put on rubber gloves and remove chicken from bone, putting chicken back into mix and keeping bones for stock
Put chicken mix into warm dish and transfer cinnamon sticks into liquid
Reduce liquid by 1/3 (will still be thin)
Check seasoning, pour over chicken mix
Serve with couscous and coriander leaves
Back to list

Tarte tatin

Melt 50g butter in heavy 25cm frying-pan with removable or ovenable handle; add 150g sugar, start cooking, stirring once or twice. Continue to cook till it's becoming really quite caramelly and dark brown; you can give it one light stir; take off heat (NB it will continue to cook for a while, so don't overdo the actual cooking) and leave to cool
Roll out 250g puff pastry into 30cm circle, flip up edges and press down to make a ridge all round; chill
Peel c.8 dessert apples, quarter and core, squirt lemon juice over, arrange tightly and neatly on the hardened caramel
Pre-heat oven to Mk 7; cook c.15 mins till apples softening
Put pastry on apples, cook c.15 mins till pastry is good and brown
Immediately demould onto large plate: this is quite dramatic and involves oven gloves, placing plate upside down over pan and determinedly and VERY rapidly flipping it, and quickly taking the pan off
Serve warm with crème fraiche/ yoghurt. Can reheat it
Options:

Tarte tatin
Back to list

Guyanese beef and potato curry

Fry a sliced onion in 3 tbs vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan
After a while add 5 cloves crushed garlic, cook until onions nearly cooked
Increase heat, add 1200g fatty stewing beef in largeish cubes, sear briefly all over, add:

Fry briefly, pour over enough water to cover
Add 1½ tbs passata, some grated ginger, 1 tbs cider vinegar, 1½ tbs Madras curry paste, ½ tbs West Indian hot pepper sauce
Add 5 medium potatoes in large cubes Simmer covered 1 hour or so until meat tender
Add ½ tbs garam masala
Serve with roti (like chapatties only different)
Improves if kept in the fridge for a couple of days (ensure plenty of liquid if doing this)
Back to list

Stovies

This can be incredibly basic fling-together comfort food, or can be glammed up
Fry sliced onion, add sliced green or red peppers
While peppers still firmish, add cubed potatoes and water or stock (can add white wine); can add herbs and spices (e.g. mace)
When potatoes starting to soften, add cut-up sausages, green veg, salt and pepper, cook

Stovies
Back to list

Curried fish soup

This is a version of a dish from the (now passed on to culinary heaven) Hungry Monk in Jevington
Cook in butter 1 chopped onion; add 2 heaped tsp curry paste, 1 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander, caraway
Add 50g (max.) rice, stir for a moment, add 1 litre fish stock, 150ml white wine, salt and pepper; simmer 25-30 mins, whizz in blender
Reheat to nearly simmering when ready to serve, add 500g mixed fish/seafood in 2cm cubes, turn heat right down, stir gently - the fish will cook almost straight away. If using ready-cooked prawns, add near end
Can fold in c.250ml double cream
Serve with a big blob of coriander yoghurt (lots of chopped coriander, some salt and pepper), and sprinkle chopped coriander over
The original 1970s recipe added 150g crabmeat (c.2/3 of a dressed crab) before putting in the blender, but this does make it almost too rich
Back to list

Coffee ice-cream

Beat 4 egg-yolks, add 284ml double cream and c.425ml milk; add 85g whole coffee beans
Stir over simmering water till thickens to a custard; stir in 85g caster sugar, leave minimum 1 hour for the beans to infuse
Strain beans (rinse well, dry in oven or airing-cupboard, re-use for coffee); freeze custard, stirring as often as possible as it starts to freeze
You can serve it in coffee-cups by decanting it into individual small cups once it's quite thick and nearly frozen; sieve a little cocoa over to serve
The lovely delicate colour belies the rich coffee flavour
Back to list

Making yoghurt

Here are diagrammatic directions for making yoghurt. It's most delicious made with full-cream milk, but you can use skinnier options. You'll need a spoonful of plain yoghurt to make it, but after that you can start each new batch with a spoonful from the old. You need a thermos or insulated mug too.

Making yoghurt
Back to list

Pease pudding/ pease pottage

This is an old English dish, time-consuming to make but very good with sausages. The inhabitants of Pease Pottage in Sussex were said to serve it to convicts in transit!
Make a good ham stock (simmer a ham bone with the usual stock additions for 3-4 hours)
Soak 450g split peas for 12 hours. Drain, put in pan with 1 large sliced onion, plenty of bouquet garni or herbs in muslin, cover with ham stock, simmer 2 hours minimum
When mushy, remove herbs, drain and puree. Beat in 115g butter, 2 beaten eggs, plenty of nutmeg, salt, plenty of pepper
Put in buttered pudding basin (2.5pt/1.5 litre) covered with foil, cook 1 hour, in oven or on stove over water
Turn out, cool, cut in thick slices. Re-warm in oven or microwave
(I'm told that if you don't cook it a second time, and if instead of the above ingredients you beat olive oil into the puree and add lemon juice and sliced red onion, this is Greek fava)
Back to list

Kidney-in-the-hole (or ham, or just roast vegetables)

Make batter with 60g flour, 2 large eggs, 230ml milk, salt and pepper
Saute in butter red onion, garlic, mushrooms, chopped lamb's kidneys, salt/pepper; can add red pepper
Heat butter in individual Yorkshire pudding tins (c.8 large or 14 small); pour in batter, spoon veg mix into centre
Mk 6 for c.25 mins
Back to list

Lentil moussaka

(For 8 people)
(This dish involves getting several things going simultaneously and being clever with getting everything ready at the same time, so if possible do some of the stages in advance - all the components will keep and reheat. I've lettered them but A-C are not in any particular order)
A) Fry 2 large sliced onions in olive oil until softish; add 290g dried lentils, 4 crushed garlic cloves, c.250ml passata to taste, thyme, oregano, 500ml stock and some water, salt and pepper. Boil rapidly 10 mins, then cover and simmer c.25 mins until lentils tender; add sloshes of water in the early stages so that it doesn't dry before lentils cooked
B) Grill 5 sliced aubergines, lightly drizzled with olive oil, until cooked and with the surface browning
Ci) Making sauce for top: put 1 litre full-cream milk into a pan and add a cut-up medium onion, 3 bay leaves, a handful of parsley stalks or parsley, a dozen peppercorns; bring to boil, leave half an hour, strain, add nutmeg. (NB This 'bechamel' stage can be skipped, but it really does add deliciously to the dish, and it's easy to do while you're getting on with other stuff)
Cii) Continuing with sauce for top: make a sauce with 100g butter, 85g flour and the above milk; add 100g grated gruyere and cook v briefly. It's very thick, and not very cheesy, but that's absolutely correct
D) Put in a big oven dish half the lentil mix, half the aubergine slices, other half lentil, other half aubergine. Pour the sauce evenly on top, sprinkle with 85g gruyere or parmesan and some paprika and cinnamon. Cook 25-30 minutes at Mk 5 (375F/190C) or higher (depending on whether ingredients are hot), until the top is nicely browned and the moussaka is evidently bubbling and ready
Back to list

Greek squid stew

(To be tender and good, squid needs to be cooked either for a matter of seconds only, or for an hour; you won't believe how flavourful it is when gently stewed. This is good for a first course with rustic bread or for supper etc with e.g. rice)
Put 1 kg cut-up squid and 2 chopped onions in a pan with bay, cloves, cinnamon stick (see photo of the pan ready for cooking)
Cover with water, simmer over low heat c.10 mins, covered
Uncover, simmer till juice has mostly evaporated
Remove cinnamon, bay, cloves
Add 500ml red wine, 75ml olive oil, 75ml vinegar, pepper, salt
Cover, cook gently c.1 hour. Check sauce has thickened enough, and add some lemon juice to zing it up
Back to list

Kalamari stifado

Marrakesh serpent

(The recipe refers to butter, but ghee is even better as it's ready-clarified)
Butter a 23cm quiche-tin (ideally with a loose base)
Melt 110g butter, cool
Mix in 1 tbs rosewater, ½ tsp almond essence, 1 tbs water
Mix 200g ground almonds, 75g icing sugar; mix in the butter mix (add a drop of water if it's not malleable); chill 30 mins
Spread out pack of 12 filo sheets, melt some butter
Brush top ¾ of top sheet with butter, put cylinder along bottom and roll up; brush next sheet with plenty of butter and repeat; coil tightly into tin; do for other 5 cylinders, adding on to the last one and making a serpent
Brush with beaten eggyolk or egg; Mk 4-5 for 30 mins till golden brown; turn carefully onto baking sheet (brush underside of coil with any remaining egg), return to oven 10-15 mins to brown the bottom
Invert again, cool
Serve warm; sieve plenty of icing sugar over, sprinkle cinnamon from fingers in zigzags; serve with Greek yoghurt
(See photos of the serpent before and after the icing sugar; the cinnamon can be a good deal more neatly sprinkled in zigzags)
Back to list

Marrakesh serpent 1

Marrakesh serpent 2

Ceviche

Quantities are flexible, and this is a really robust and easy recipe.
Skin 450g fish (1-3 types) and cut into ¼” x 1” x 3” diagonal strips against the grain: halibut, monkfish, sole, haddock, cod, turbot, sea bass, tuna, shark.
Marinate 3-24 hours in juice of 6 limes (or 3 lemons).
Drain through sieve, collecting juice in bowl; slice 2 ripe avocados and put in juice in bowl.
Put fish in another bowl, add 2-4 tbs olive oil, salt, stir well.
Add options (below); lift avocado out of juice and add; stir well; chill a bit.
Options: (* = recommended)

Back to list

Kulybiak

(NB this makes 2 and serves 8)
Cooking the various components takes time, but otherwise it's surprisingly easy. The 'lattice' pastry actually makes wrapping the 'en croute' easier as it accommodates stretching to fit, and looks spectacular.
Cook:

##: Can make the spinach, the salmon, and the mushroom/onion mix in advance and freeze them
Ensure all ingredients are cool before assembling kulybiak
Assembly:
Roll 600g puff pastry into 2 oblongs, cut each into a slightly larger and slightly smaller half. Slit the larger halves to form a lengthways lattice (see photo). Put smaller halves on buttered baking sheets
Lay rice along middle and mould tightly; add spinach, salmon, mushroom mix, (if used) hard-boiled eggs (see photo)
Brush pastry border with beaten egg, brush lattice with melted butter on underside-to-be, put over ingredients. Press edges to seal. Trim border to 2cm. Knock up edges with back of knife, crimp/ fork them. CAN DO TO HERE IN ADVANCE
Cooking: brush with beaten egg, Mk 7 c.25 mins on high shelf till golden brown (see photo). Remove, rest 10 mins before cutting. Serve with butter and lemon sauce. CAN ALSO COOK IN ADVANCE
Back to list

Kulybiak lattice ready

Kulybiak lattice over

Kulybiak cooked

Quick Peking duck (or mushroom)

The proper version is much more splendid in terms of preparation, but here is one that people with day jobs can do
Preparation:

Mushroom option (in place of the duck):
For c.1 kg mushrooms (use chestnut, shitake, enoki etc - preferably not oyster as they lack flavour):

Serving:

Back to list

Christmas (or anytime) spice shapes

Heat gently together till sugar dissolved:

Then boil, stirring, and remove from heat. Add:

Roll out, cut out shapes e.g. stars, people
(For Christmas-tree decorations, make a small hole at the top with a drinking-straw. When cooked, can decorate with icing, silver balls)
Put on buttered tray, Mk 4 for 10-15 mins, until firm when pressed
Back to list

Frying onions: a way of preventing burning

Onions are prone to burning, if you're not using much oil/ fat or it has a low smoke-point (butter, olive oil etc)
Particularly for dishes such as soup, casserole etc, where you'll be adding liquid later, here's a useful dodge
As soon as the onions start threatening to burn, add a little slosh of water; continue to stir until the water is all evaporated; as soon as the onions look in danger of burning again, repeat as above until the onions are cooked
This way you get the full delicious flavour of fried onions, and it seems to have the additional benefit of emulsifying the fat/ oil, so that it blends extra-well with the liquid of the casserole/ soup etc
This is different from deglazing, where the intention is to deliver extra flavour from the wine/ spirit and to incorporate the flavourful 'burnt bits' from the bottom of the pan from cooking meat etc
Back to list

Making apple puree easily from Bramleys

In the apple season, processing cooking-apples is a pain - I have a very productive Bramley tree...
Simplest is to bake them, without removing cores or anything, straight off the tree:

Back to list

Lemon mascarpone, with summer fruit (or any pudding)

(Serves 5-6, depending)
This is an official cheat as it only takes minutes, but is gorgeous - tangy and smooth
Mix 500g mascarpone, 75g caster/icing sugar, juice 2 lemons (= c.75ml); can dilute a bit with milk
Back to list

Yorkshire curd tart

(Enough for a 20cm-diameter tart or 5-6 individual ones)
This is traditionally made with curds (you can make your own, from full-cream milk - check how online), but fromage frais is a very good alternative. Interestingly, supermarkets stock fromage frais in their yoghurt department rather than with the cheese.
Beat together, adding in order:

Fold in some currants/raisins/sultanas/chopped dried apricots
Pastry (uncooked - puff or shortcrust): 320g for 5 individual tarts; or enough for a 20cm diameter tin
Mk 6 c.25 mins until brown
This reheats well
Back to list

Spice thins

Cream 75g butter until soft; add 110ml granulated (or caster) sugar, beat till light and fluffy
Add a little vanilla, 1 egg, beat till fluffy
Add 27ml molasses, beat till well-mixed
Sift 240ml flour, 2.5 tsp baking powder, pinch salt, 5 tsp pudding spice* with extra cinnamon, small pinch fine-ground pepper; mix into butter/sugar mix only until the dry ingredients become incorporated
Make ‘sausages’ c.4cm diameter wrapped in waxed paper/clingfilm, chill v. well; can freeze at this stage
To cook: slice thinly (max. c.3mm), put on parchment/silicon c.2cm apart, Mark 4-5 until they're hard enough to pick up easily (7-12 mins), checking frequently; swap shelves halfway through. (If you overcook them they'll be a bit hard - dip them in your coffee!)
Makes 4 baking-trays of biscuits
* Pudding spice
Back to list

Pudding spice, aka mixed spice

Grind in a coffee-grinder 1 tbs coriander seeds, 1 crushed 5cm cinnamon stick, 1 tsp allspice, 1 tsp cloves
Add 1 tbs grated nutmeg, 2 tsp ground ginger
Back to list

Sheila's zingy cheese biscuits

Mix 200g (=380ml) flour well with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Rub in 145g softened butter, 175g red Leicester (can substitute some parmesan, but the biscuits are zingy enough without)
Roll into a sausage-shape, chill; slice thinly, on non-stick baking sheet, chill for a bit
(Or make marble-size balls, flatten slightly)
Mk 5 for 8-12 mins (or Mk 4 c.20 mins) - care not to over-cook
Makes 40-50
Back to list

Curried chicken salad

450g cooked chicken (leg not breast), in bite-size pieces/slivers
Mix 75ml mayonnaise, 50ml plain yoghurt, 2 level tbs curry paste, 2 tbs chutney
Add 37g raisins, 37g quartered dried apricots, half a bunch of thin-sliced spring onions (but keep a little of latter to garnish)
Pour over chicken, mix well but gently, season to taste, chill. NB Check that liquid enough – maybe more yoghurt?
Sprinkle spring onions, and coriander leaves
Back to list

Smoked haddock and bean salad

Hard-boil 3 eggs (optional)
Poach 450g smoked haddock in milk; drain and flake
Add 1+ can drained borlotti beans (or cannellini/kidney beans)
Mix:

Fold lightly into fish mix
(Quartered eggs on top if used)
Sprinkle chives/parsley
Serve with salad leaves
Back to list

Kate's fridge picnic quiche

This isn't a quiche or made in a fridge, but it's a picnic staple and is assembled partly from what you have in the fridge in the way of leftover veg etc
Mix 115ml (60g) flour, 10ml baking powder, 2 eggs, salt & pepper, herbs, 105ml milk
Add cut-up cooked potatoes, par-cooked onion, par-cooked vegetables, plenty of cheese; can add ham/chorizo etc
Line baking tin with parchment, butter it, Mark 3-4 for 30 mins until risen, bubbling and cooked (or stop earlier and leave in hot oven)
Back to list

Egyptian feta bites

(Makes a dozen. Quantities flexible)
Mash 200g feta cheese; add 1 small beaten egg, 1 tbs flour, some fresh breadcrumbs, plenty of chopped mint
Add more breadcrumbs/flour till can form balls
Plenty of sunflower oil in a baking tray, add balls and roll around to coat, flatten slightly
Cook at Mark 6, c.7 mins each side till golden brown
Back to list

Chicken pie with rich red pepper sauce

(Serves 4-6) This has various stages but all are straightforward
In advance:
Make 550g cooked chicken, pulled into bite-sized pieces (so meat from a whole chicken; or 5 legs gives more flavoursome meat and produces a bit more than this amount)
Make the red pepper sauce: saute 2 cut-up red peppers in butter, add a little white wine. Put into blender with salt, plenty of torn basil leaves, and whizz. Add c.90ml single cream, ground pepper, some grated parmesan; whizz briefly again. Should make c.350ml sauce
For the dish:
In a large pan, cook a sliced leek in butter; add a little arrowroot (or flour)
Meanwhile, put 100g cubed chorizo and some flavourful cubed mushrooms in the microwave for a minute (or cook them with the leek otherwise)
Add the mushrooms to the leeks, plus c.350ml good chicken stock, and bring to bubbling
Add the red pepper sauce, plus plenty of tarragon (fresh, but dried is OK), plenty of lemon juice, sage
Add the chorizo, salt and pepper
Add the chicken, mix very well
Into a pie-dish (probably with a pie-funnel e.g. egg-cup), cool. (Can keep overnight at this stage)
On the day:
Roll out 500g puff pastry
Brush rim of dish with egg-wash
Lay pastry over, crimp, small hole or two for steam
Brush with egg-wash
30-40 mins at Mark 4
Back to list

Sweet potato and red pepper soup

(For c.4)
Peel and slice in 1/2cm slices 1 large/2 medium-small sweet potatoes, put in baking tray with butter; top of hot oven, turning occasionally, until tender and slightly charred
At same time, roast 1 large cut-up red pepper in olive oil
Meanwhile, gently fry 1 medium onion in butter and oil
Add cumin, coriander, s&p
Add c.800ml stock (chicken etc), heat; add tabasco, lime juice, oregano/marjoram
Whizz sweet potato/red pepper in food processor, adding stock mix and continuing to whizz; can do in batches
Test for taste/consistency and adjust. Reheat to serve
With yoghurt/croutons
Back to list

Butternut squash, cauliflower and red lentil dal

(Makes smallish main course for 6. Vegan)
Cook 1 sliced red onion in olive oil
Add 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 tbs grated ginger root, some chilli, 2 tsp ground turmeric, a splash of water; cook the paste for c. a minute. (Can do to this stage e.g. the day before)
Add 500g cubed butternut squash and 500g cauliflower in small florets, plus 200g red lentils, some passata, 500ml water, juice of ½ lime, salt. 15-20 minutes until vegetables cooked through and sauce thickened. Add a splash more water if the pan gets too dry
Add pepper and 2 tsp garam masala near end
Add 2 tbs torn coriander leaf and serve, with more coriander leaf over, plus lime quarters
Can add pomegranate molasses, chickpeas
Back to list

Bill Brogan's no-flour lemon pudding

(Bill Brogan was the legendary catering manager of St John's College Cambridge)
Heat oven to Mark 2. Fill a tin to 2cm with boiling water, put in oven
Butter 6 ramekins
Put juice and grated zest of a lemon in a bowl with 100g caster sugar, 100g soft unsalted butter
Separate 4 eggs and beat yolks and whites
Add 150ml fairly hot water (just above hand-hot) to lemon mix, whisk till butter forms small globules
Stir in the yolks and fold in the whites
Pour into ramekins, put into water-filled tin in oven for 1 hour
Serve hot or lukewarm
Can put poached rhubarb in bottom
Back to list

Sardine and spinach pate

Mash:
1 drained tin of sardine fillets in oil, or equivalent weight fresh cooked
60g chopped cooked spinach
60g or much more cream cheese*
25g softened butter
juice of half a lemon
cayenne pepper, salt/pepper
* Much more if the sardines are strong in flavour (as e.g. fresh Cornish, which are really pilchards)
Option: sardines, cream cheese, lemon, tabasco, salt/pepper, parsley
Back to list

Aug 2023