Gammon with spiced marmalade glaze and two zingy salsas

ingredients

For the ham

3 kg / 6 ¾ lb ham (smoked or unsmoked according to preference )
1 liter / 1 ¾ pints of pineapple juice
1 liter / 1 ¾ pints of apple juice
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
4 allspice berries
1 apple, cut in half
1 orange , peeled , halved , bone removed
1 lime , zest only
1 cinnamon stick
Piece 7.5cm/3in fresh ginger root , peeled
For the icing jam
4 teaspoon of marmalade thick cut
2 tablespoons liquid honey
1 teaspoon spice mixture
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches watercress , leaves
For the pineapple salsa
1 medium sized fresh pineapple , peeled and chopped
½ cucumber, cut in half horizontally , dug with a spoon seeds , flesh finely chopped
½ medium fennel bulb , thinly sliced
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped meat
4 c sugar gold dust
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
For the beet and apple salsa
4 fresh beets , cooked and chopped
2 large apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 lime , zest and juice only
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Method of preparation

For ham, put all the ingredients Gammon to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer , then cover and simmer for three hours , or until ham is cooked.
Meanwhile, for the glaze jam , place all ingredients marmalade glaze in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring well , until the mixture is smooth .
Simmer the mixture for 4-5 minutes , stirring constantly , then remove from heat and set aside .
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Transfer the ham to a roasting pan. ( The cooking liquor can be strained and simmered for 20 minutes until thickened to the consistency of a sauce , if desired, serve with the finished dish . )
Skin the ham , leaving the underlying layer of the exposed fat . With a sharp knife, score the fat all over in a diamond pattern .
Technique: Skin Notation
skin marking
technical View
0:26 minutes
Brush the glaze over the ham jam and bake for 25-30 minutes , or until the marmalade glaze has become golden brown and sticky, then remove from oven and set aside on a warm plate to rest.
For the pineapple salsa in a bowl, mix pineapple , cucumber, fennel and pepper and mix well.
Heat the sugar and vinegar in a nonreactive saucepan until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is homogeneous. Pour over pineapple mixture and mix well .
For beet and apple salsa , place beets and chopped apples in a bowl and mix well.
Add lemon juice and zest and stir to coat the beetroot and apple in it.
Technique: Zesting citrus
zesting citrus

technical View
1:02 minutes
Add chopped mint and mix well.
To serve, place a handful of watercress in the center of each of six serving plates. Cut the ham into thick slices and place two slices on watercress. Place a spoonful of each side of the ham salsa. Pour the sauce over the edge of each plate , if using .

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Cheese and onion pie Food RECIPE

ingredients

For the dough

450g/1lb flour, and a little more for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
120g / 4 ½ oz unsalted butter, a little more for greasing
1 free-range egg yolk
50g/2oz parmesan (or similar cheese hard cheese vegetarian) , grated
Ounces of water 120ml/4fl
1 free-range egg, beaten , for glazing
For garnish
1 medium potato , peeled and cubed
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
50ml/2oz whole milk
Double Cream 50ml/2oz
150g / 5 ½ oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
½ tsp English mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method of preparation

For the dough , mix the flour, baking powder , salt, butter and egg yolk in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated parmesan and mix well.
Technique: Rub in
rub in
technical View
0:46 minutes
Gradually add water, a tablespoon at a time, stirring continuously until the mixture begins as a paste. (You may not need to use any water. ) Roll the dough into a ball, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for one hour.
Meanwhile, for filling , put a pot of salted water to a boil . Add chopped potatoes to the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender, then drain well and set aside.
Bring a large pot of separate boil, add the chopped onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened water. Drain well and onions cooked in the pan.
Sprinkle onions with flour and stir to coat. Add milk and cream and heat the mixture over medium heat for 3-4 minutes , stirring constantly , until the liquid is smooth and slightly thickened . Add chopped boiled potatoes , grated cheese , mustard and cayenne pepper and mix well. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper , mix well, then set the filling mixture aside.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a deep pie 20cm/8in with butter. Add a small amount of flour , turn the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the box, then shake off any excess.
When the dough has cooled , spread two-thirds of it on a clean work surface , floured , until it is almost twice as wide as the diameter of the pie . Using the pin , lift the dough and place it on the pie to line the base and sides. Gently press the dough into the corners of the tin, trim the excess, then prick the bottom of the pastry case several times with a fork.
Technique: Lining a tart tin with pastry
Lining a box pie with pastry
technical View
0:42 minutes
Cover the dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until pastry is golden pale. Remove from the oven , discard the beans and parchment paper and place the dough cool. Once cooled , pour pie filling into the pie shell.
Roll the remainder of the paste onto a surface of clean and floured until it is slightly larger than the diameter of the third pie . Brush the edge of the cooked pastry with a little beaten egg and place the pastry lid on top of the pie. Trim the excess dough. Seal the lid of dough pastry crimping the edges of the pastry lid with a fork.
Technique: Lining a box of pie : cut dough
Lining a box of pie : cut dough
technical View
1:14 minutes
With a knife, make two small holes in the center of the pastry lid to allow steam to escape. Brush the pastry lid with the remaining beaten , then transfer to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes egg, or until golden

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How to ice cupcakes with poured fondant

Liquid flux is a liquid version of the rolled icing used to cover fruitcakes .

Brush cupcakes domed with warmed apricot jam that was sieved to remove lumps.

It is important to cool completely if cakes are sealed and ready to be iced .

For a smooth and glossy finish, start with icing which has a homogeneous flowing. Before diving , hitting the bowl of frosting repeatedly against the work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.

Hold the cake upside down and dip it into the glaze . Lift the cake and shake firmly in a tight circular motion to remove any excess icing. Stir based in the bowl between each dive so it remains smooth and fluid.

Allow each cake to form a crust before diving for a second layer. Two thin coats are more like a thick layer.
Leave the cupcakes to define a glossy finish before serving.

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Coq au vin with parsley mash Food Recipe

ingredients
For coq au vin
1 large chicken, jointed into 12 pieces
1 bottle of red wine, preferably merlot , syrah or burgundy
1 carrot, finely chopped
½ leek, finely chopped
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs of thyme
1 teaspoon peppercorns
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500ml/18fl oz brown chicken

For the parsley puree

3 bunches of curly parsley, leaves picked
200g/7oz ice
3 potatoes , peeled and chopped into pieces
Butter 150g / 5 ½ oz
100ml / 3 ½ fl oz of milk
For garnish
1 tablespoon olive oil
Button 100g / 3 ½ oz onions ( preferably red )
100g / 3 ½ oz pancetta , diced ½ cm
Button 150g / 5 ½ oz mushrooms, stems removed
150ml / 5 ½ oz chicken broth
25g/1oz unsalted butter
½ bunch parsley , finely chopped

Method of preparation

Place chicken pieces , red wine , vegetables , bay leaf, thyme and pepper in a large bowl and glass of marinade in the fridge for 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Remove chicken from wine , dry wine pass through a sieve and reserve vegetables.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper . In a large heavy saucepan or casserole dish put fry the meat over high heat until browned all over ( you may need to do several times ) .

Technique: Browning meat
Browning meat
technical View
1:06 minutes

Remove chicken from the pan, add the reserved vegetables to the same pan and brown. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half in volume
.
Place the chicken on top and pour over enough stock to cover almost the chicken. Bring to boil.

Cover with a cartridge ( a cover with parchment paper placed directly on the ingredients ) and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the parsley puree in a food processor mix curly parsley with 2 ½ liters / 4 ½ liters of water.

Put a colander in a large bowl. Line the colander with a muslin cloth and add ice. You need to the next step .

In a large heavy saucepan , heat the water parsley , still beating. When the temperature reaches about 80C/176F chlorophyll to separate from water. At this point, pour into colander lined with cheesecloth and let it drain for an hour, until thick mashed parsley is left in the muslin. Scrape it off reserve and mash .
Place the potatoes in salted water and cook until tender.

Meanwhile , drain the cooked coq au using a colander placed over a large pot or bowl wine. Set aside the chicken pieces . Strain the sauce through a sieve lined with muslin and end back on the fire to cook until the liquid is reduced by half in volume. Add the chicken to the sauce and keep warm until ready to serve .

For the parsley puree , drain the potatoes and push them through a ricer potatoes twice. Place the puree in a clean saucepan set over low heat . Add butter and stir until butter is melted and incorporated into the potatoes. Add milk and mix. Now add the parsley puree and mix.

To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add onions and fry until browned. Add the pancetta and fry until crisp and golden . Add mushrooms , broth and butter. Cook until the stock has reduced to a thick sauce. Finish with chopped parsley and set aside until ready to serve .
To serve, place puree in a heap or a large dollop on each plate . Make a large well in the wash and fill with sauce coq au vin . Add a few chicken pieces and add the filling.

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Cafriela de Frango from Guinea-Bissau Food Recipe

ingredients
2 chickens , articulated medium
2 tsp salt
10 chillies chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
200g/7oz onion, sliced
3 lemons , juice only
salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method of preparation

Season the chicken pieces with salt and marinate in a bowl with garlic , chilli, half of chopped onions and lemon juice . After a few hours in the refrigerator , add the oil and transfer the mixture into a large saucepan or casserole .
Add a small cup of water and cook over medium heat , covered, for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked , adding a little water if it is drying up . Strain and reserve the excess liquid , and finish by grilling the chicken for 15 minutes or more on a barbecue or in the oven.
At the same time , return the liquid to the pan and reduce , adding a little oil and the rest of the sliced ​​onions . Cook over medium heat for twenty minutes , adding more lemon juice and pepper if you like. When the chicken is browned , place it on a serving dish and pour sauce over .

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Moussaka

ingredients
2 eggplants, cut into 1 cm / ½ in slices
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
750g/1lb 10 ½ oz minced lamb
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoon dried mint
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes, and a little more for seasoning
200ml/7fl oz Red Wine
1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
7 tablespoons olive oil
500g/1lb potatoes 2 oz Maris Piper, peeled, cut into 1 cm / ½ in slices
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

For the white sauce

50g/2oz butter
50g/2oz flour
400ml/14fl oz milk
1 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
25g/1oz grated Parmesan
1 beaten egg poultry

Preparation method

Place the chopped eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Put the lamb , onion , garlic , oregano , mint, bay leaves and cinnamon in a large heavy and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes , stirring with a wooden spoon to break up meat based pan.
Technique: How to brown mince
How hash brown
technical look
one twenty-three
Stir in the flour , salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Add wine, tomatoes, tomato puree and bring to a simmer . Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender and sauce has thickened. Season with salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Set aside .
Rinse the eggplant pieces under cold running water and dry on a clean kitchen towel . Heat three tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the eggplant for 2-3 minutes per side , adding more oil as needed. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels .
Cook potatoes in boiling water for five mintues , then drain in a colander under running water until cool .
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 .
For the white sauce , melt butter in a large saucepan and add the flour. Cook for a few seconds, then slowly add the milk. Add half of the Parmesan cheese and grated nutmeg. Simmer the sauce gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper .
Remove the pan from the heat and quickly add the beaten egg . Cover surface of sauce with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming .
Pour a third of the meat sauce in a large baking dish, shallow . Cover with a layer of potatoes and a layer of eggplant. Repeat layers twice , ending with eggplant . Pour over white sauce , ensuring that a uniform layer covering thick . Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until well browned and bubbly brown .

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Christmas pudding vodka

ingredientes

300g/10 ½ oz mezclado frutas secas (pasas, pasas, pasas uva)
Azúcar Powdered 75g/3oz
2 ramas de canela
2 cucharadita of spices mixtas
6 dientes
Toda ½ nuez moscada, finamente rallado
1 naranja, sólo the ralladura, finamente rallado
1 limón sin cera, sólo cáscara finamente rallada
750 ml / 1 oz vodka litro 5FL buena calidad

Preparation method

Mix the nuts with the sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, clove, nutmeg and citrus zest in a large bowl.

Pour over the vodka, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Place in the fridge and leave it for 3 days, stirring once each day.

Line a sieve with a double layer of fine muslin and place on a clean jar.

Pour vodka, dry fruit in the strainer and let drip through into the jug.

Pour into a sterilized bottle.

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Italian Christmas pudding cake

There seem to be many steps here. This conceals the fact that it is ludicrously, dazzlingly easy to make: it doesn’t require cooking or technical brilliance: it is merely an assembly job. Not that you need to be advertising this fact to appreciative eaters.

Ingredients

625g/1lb 6oz panettone (or pandoro)

6 tbsp Tuaca liqueur (or rum, brandy or Marsala)

2 free-range eggs, at room temperature

75g/2½oz caster sugar

500g/1lb 2oz mascarpone, at room temperature

250ml/9fl oz double cream, at room temperature

125ml/4½fl oz Marsala

75g/2¾oz marrons glacés, chopped (optional)

125g/4½oz mini chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate

100g/3½oz pistachios, chopped

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

Preparation method

Using a serrated knife, cut the panettone roughly into 1cm slices, then use about a third of these to line the bottom of a 23cm/9in springform cake tin. Tear off pieces to fit so that there are no gaps: panettone is fabulously soft and mouldable, so this isn’t a hard job. Drizzle two tablespoons of the Tuaca (or other liqueur) over it so that the panettone lining is dampened. It looks like a beautiful golden patchwork made out of cake.

Now get on with the luscious filling. Whisk – using a freestanding electric mixer for ease- the eggs and sugar until very frothy and increased in volume and lightness.

More slowly, whisk in the mascarpone and double cream, then gradually whisk in the Marsala and carry on whisking until the mixture is thick and spreadable. Remove 250ml (a good cupful) to a bowl or other container, cover and put in the fridge: this is for the top layer, which is not added until you serve the cake.

Crumble the marrons glacés into the big bowl of mascarpone cream mixture, followed by 100g of the chocolate chips and 75g of the chopped pistachios, and fold in. Use half of this creamy filling to top the panettone layer that is lining the cake tin.

Use another third of the panettone slices to cover the cream filling, again leaving no holes for the cream to escape through. Dampen with another two tablespoons of liqueur.

Spoon on the other half of the cream mixture and spread it evenly. Then top with a third and final layer of the panettone, covering the cream as before, and drizzle over it the last two tablespoons of liqueur. Cover tightly with cling film, pressing down on the top a little, and put in the fridge overnight or for up to two days.

When you are ready to serve, take the cake out of the fridge, unmould and sit it on a flat plate or cake stand, then spread with the reserved mascarpone mixture. Don’t try to lift the cake off the base as the panettone slices at the bottom are too delectably damp.

Scatter the top – and all around the cake, if wished – with the remaining chocolate chips and chopped pistachios and your pomegranate jewels. These sprinklings also provide beauteous camouflage for any less than aesthetically uplifting edges of the springform base which may be visible.

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Rapid roastini (Quick ‘roast’ potatoes)

I have to tell you how good these are as a quick kitchen canapé when they’re piping hot, gorgeously golden and sprinkled with sea salt flakes. Serve with a cold, cold beer.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
250g/9oz ready-made or leftover potato gnocchi

Preparation method

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan.

When the oil is hot, put the gnocchi in, making sure you separate them as you do so, and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown.

Turn them over and give them another 3-4 minutes on the other side, or until browned on both sides.

Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper, then sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve.

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Tuscan fries

Cesare Casella, a chef from Lucca, whose family used to run the fabulous Vipore restaurant and who is now cooking in New York, is the man who invented Tuscan fries. Think French fries, but with garlic cloves and fresh herbs thrown into the hot oil towards the end of the cooking time.

Ingredients

1kg/2lb 4oz waxy potatoes
1.5L/2½pt corn oil or flavourless vegetable oil
1 head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
8 sprigs thyme, rosemary or sage, or herbs of your choice
sea salt flakes, to taste

Preparation method

Cut the short ends off each potato (but don’t peel it) so that it can sit up vertically, and then slice it downwards into generous 1cm/½in slices. Cut these slices into chips about 1cm thick, again, err on the generous side. Load up a clean tea towel with the chips as you cut them.

Put the oil into a wide, heavy-based pan (mine is approximately 28cm/11in diameter and 11cm/4in deep), and add the freshly cut potatoes. Then put the pan over a high heat and bring to a boil, which should take about five minutes. Keep a careful watch on the pan at all times.

Continue to cook the fries, without stirring them, for another 15 minutes. Once the oil temperature reaches 160C/325F, turn down the heat slightly and keep the fries cooking at between 150-160C. The pan will be bubbling vigorously. If the oil gets too hot or bubbles too hard, reduce the heat a little, and always keep a close eye on it.

Now you can very carefully give the chips a gentle stir with a pair of tongs held in an oven glove, moving any that have stuck away from the bottom or sides of the pan. Add the unpeeled cloves of garlic to the pan, stir gently again, and cook for another 5-10 minutes (watching the temperature and making sure the garlic doesn’t look burnt or the fries too dark), before testing a chip for crispness on the outside and tenderness on the inside. Do not burn your mouth, though! You might need another five minutes or so beyond this, but stand by your pan, the chips can turn from a cooked gold to a burnt bronze quickly.

At the point when the chips are pale gold, but crisp, toss in the herbs, then after a minute or so scoop everything out – using a couple of perforated scoops for ease, and wearing oven gloves to protect your hands – onto a tray or platter lined with a double thickness of kitchen roll. Once any excess oil has been absorbed, tip the chips off the kitchen paper clatteringly onto the plate and sprinkle with sea salt flakes to taste, serving immediately.

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Maple-roast parsnips

A generous glug of maple syrup makes all the difference in Nigella Lawson’s easy roast parsnips recipe.

Ingredients

1kg/2¼lb parsnips
125ml/4fl oz vegetable oil
80ml/3½fl oz maple syrup

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Peel the parsnips and then halve them crosswise, then halve or quarter each piece lengthwise.

Place the parsnips into a roasting tin. Pour the oil over the parsnips and mix them well so that the oil covers all of the pieces.

Pour the maple syrup over the parsnips and transfer the roasting tin to the oven. Roast the parsnips for 35 minutes, or until they are tender and golden-brown.

To serve place on a clean serving dish.

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Parmesan shortbreads

I go into auto-Parmesan-shortbread mode whenever I have friends coming for supper, as not only is it perfect with drinks, but it can be made in advance. Indeed you can make the dough, wrap it and then leave it in the fridge for up to three days before slicing an baking, although you will need to let these cheese-scented cylinders sit out on a kitchen surface just long enough to get the fridge-chill off them before slicing.

Ingredients

150g/5½oz plain flour
75g/2¾oz parmesan (or similar vegetarian hard cheese), grated
100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
1 free-range egg yolk

Preparation Method

Mix all the ingredients together – using bowl and spoon, electric mixer or food processor as wished – until a golden dough begins to form a clump.

Turn it out onto a surface and knead for about 30 seconds until smooth, then divide into two.

Take the first half and, using your hands, roll it into a cylinder, as uniform as possible without stressing over it, about 3cm/1¼in diameter. Make sure the ends are flat, too, so that the cylinder resembles a roll of coins.

Now wrap this up in a piece of cling film, twisting the cling film at the ends, like a Christmas cracker, and put the roll in the fridge, then proceed in the same way with the remaining half of the dough.

Preheat the oven to 180C/375F/Gas 4 while the dough rests in the fridge for about 45 minutes, by which time you should be able to cut them into thick slices easily; aim for about 1cm, think fat pound coins or similar.

Arrange on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, when they should be just beginning to turn a pale gold at the edges.

Remove from the oven, then leave to cool (if you can) before eating.

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Squid and prawns with chilli and marjoram

I love to serve this along with plain, boiled Italian black rice, which I advise for its drama as well as its sauce-soaking capacity. But if you want to stretch the amounts below to feed more people, then cook a packet of spaghetti and toss the lemony chilli-flecked seafood through it, making sure you use a little pasta cooking water to help the sauce emulsify.

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice only
1 garlic clove
small bunch parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped marjoram leaves
350g/12oz prepared squid (defrosted if frozen), sliced into rings
20 raw peeled king prawns (defrosted if frozen)
1 tsp sea salt flakes or ½ tsp fine salt

Preparation method

Warm the oil in a wok or similarly wide, capacious pan, then add the chopped chilli (with seeds if you like it fiery) and lemon zest, turning them as they sizzle in the hot oil - this is a moment of fragrant joy.

Now grate the garlic and add it, along with about a third of the chopped parsley and marjoram and give a quick stir, before tumbling in the prepared squid and prawns. Stir-fry in the pan for 2-3 minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked through.

Add the juice of half the lemon and most of the remaining herbs and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds or so. Taste to see if you need any salt or more lemon juice, before turning the seafood fritti out onto a warm platter and scattering it with the last remaining bits of chopped parsley and marjoram.

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Baby aubergines with oregano and red onions

I like the way this dish can be eaten as a starter or part of an antipasti table, and even more as a main course, sprinkled with some ricotta salata (the deliciously salted, dried kind) or crumbled feta, or as an accompaniment to meat and fish.

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2oz baby aubergines
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 small red onion, cut into thin half-moons
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt flakes or ½ tsp pouring salt
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1½ tbsp cold water
few sprigs fresh oregano (optional)

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 250C/475F/Gas 9.

Slice the baby aubergines in half lengthways, keeping the stalks on: this is an aesthetic consideration, nothing to do with flavour, but humour me.

Pour the regular olive oil into a very shallow roasting tin, sprinkle in the dried oregano, add the aubergines, cut-side down, and swirl them gently around. Then turn them so they are cut-side up and put the tray in the hot oven for 15 minutes, by which time they should be tender and turning gold in parts.

As soon as the aubergines are in the oven, put the fine half-moons of red onion in a bowl and cover with the red wine vinegar and salt.

Remove the cooked aubergines to a platter, and now whisk into the vinegary onions the extra-virgin olive oil, then the grated or minced garlic and, finally, the cold water.

Pour this over the warm aubergines, using your hands to arrange the glowingly pink onion over them evenly, then leave it all for about half an hour to cool to room temperature before you eat, scattering with fresh oregano, if you have any, when serving.

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Prawns with spicy dipping sauce

Be careful with the harissa. Not only do samples vary enormously in strength, but also be aware that some jars that bear the name are not really harissa, but a paste made red with beetroot and carrot.

Ingredients

150ml/5¼fl oz good quality mayonnaise, preferably organic
50g/2oz harissa (or to taste)
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp honey
500g/1lb cooked prawns, shell-on (or buy peeled prawns if you prefer)

Preparation method

Place all the ingredients except the prawns into a bowl and mix well, then transfer to a small dipping bowl.
Place the prawns on a large plate for people to peel and dip into the sauce.

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Quick chicken Caesar

I think of this as a quick-time variant on Caesar salad, mainly because I otherwise make mine with croûtons of roasted, cubed, garlicky potatoes – and very well that goes down, too.
People can be awfully tiresome about anchovies, so I haven’t listed them below. However, in the interests of transparency I should tell you that I do add them to my own quick Caesar when ransacking the kitchen to assemble this.

Ingredients

1 free-range egg
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic oil
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
juice ½ lemon
½ tsp sea salt flakes or ¼ tsp pouring salt (use none if you add anchovies)
1 Romaine or Cos lettuce
150g/5¼oz cold leftover chicken, shredded
freshly ground pepper, to taste
generous handful (aabout 50g/2oz) plain tortilla chips'

Preparation method

Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk well while you add the oils, parmesan and lemon juice. If you’re not going to add an anchovy or two, whisk in the salt.

Break the crisp lettuce into bite-sized pieces and put into a salad bowl. Drop in the shredded cold chicken and mix to combine. Season with black pepper, to taste.

Toast the tortilla chips for a couple of minutes in an oil-less pan over a medium heat.

Give the dressing another whisk, pour it over the salad and toss to mix. Add the tortilla chips (and some anchovies, if you like) and toss again before wolfing down.

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Thai chicken noodle soup

Even if you don’t have much chicken left over, you should still make this. A few shreds will be plenty. This is a very laissez-faire recipe: I happily use some leafy greens and a julienned spring onion along with a handful of beansprouts instead of tender-shoot stir-fry. Similarly, udon or soba noodles, spaghetti or linguine could be substituted for vermicelli.

Ingredients

1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock
150g/5oz thin rice noodles or mung bean thread vermicelli
200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
1 x 3-4cm/1-1½in piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly, then cut into skinny strips
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 fresh long red chilli, de-seeded and cut into strips
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ready-made tamarind paste
1 tsp soft brown sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
approx. 150g/5oz leftover cooked chicken, shredded
250g/9oz tender-shoot stir-fry (a mixture of pak choi, bok choi, spindly asparagus, Chinese kale, peanut shoots and Chinese chives), or other assorted vegetables
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, to serve

Preparation method

Put the chicken stock in a good-sized pan to heat up.

Put the noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over (or cook as instructed on the packet).

Add the remaining ingredients, except the tender-shoot stir-fry, to the pan and bring to the boil.

When the chicken is piping hot, add the tender-shoot stir-fry and when the vegetables are tender – a minute or two should be plenty if you’re using the tender shoots – add the drained noodles. (Or simply divide the noodles between bowls and pour the soup over them.)

Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander.

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Roast squash and sweet potato soup with buttermilk blue cheese sauce

Ingredients
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 butternut squash, unpeeled, halved, seeds scraped out, sliced into 2.5cm/1in x 2.5cm/1in cubes
500g/1lb 2oz sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 2.5cm/1in thick rings
60ml/2fl oz olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1.5 litres/2 pints 13fl oz vegetable stock
125ml/4oz marsala wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the buttermilk cheese sauce

125g/4oz blue cheese, crumbled
250ml/9fl oz buttermilk

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Place the onion, chopped butternut squash and sweet potato onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until tender.
Allow the vegetables to cool slightly, then place half into a food processor and add 500ml/17fl oz of the vegetable stock. Blend to a purée and transfer to a large pan. Repeat with the remaining roasted vegetables and 500ml/17fl oz more of the stock - transfer the purée to the pan.

Add the remaining 500ml/17fl oz of vegetable stock to the food processor and stir to catch any remnants of the vegetable purée, then pour into the pan.

Add the marsala wine and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a little more water if the soup is too thick for your liking.

For the buttermilk cheese sauce, place the blue cheese and buttermilk into a clean food processor and blend to a paste. Transfer the blue cheese sauce to a jug or bowl.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle some of the blue cheese into each bowl. Leave the sauce on the table for your guests to add more if they wish.

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Shortcut sausage meatballs

Ingredients
450g/1lb Italian sausages
2 tbsp garlic oil
4 fat or 6 spindly spring onions
1 tsp dried oregano
4 tbsp white wine or vermouth
2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation method

Squeeze out the sausagemeat from the sausages and roll small cherry tomato-sized meatballs out of it, putting them onto a cling film-lined baking tray as you go. Your final tally should be around 40.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan or flameproof casserole and add the meatballs, frying them until golden-brown, as they become firmer, nudge them up in the pan to make room for the rest if you can’t fit them all in at first.

When all the meatballs are in the pan and browned, add the spring onion and oregano and stir about gently.
Add the wine (or vermouth) and chopped tomatoes, then fill half of one of the empty cans with cold water and tip it into the other empty can, then into the pan - the can-to-can technique is just my way of making sure you swill out as much of the tomato residue as possible.

Pop in the bay leaves and let the pan come to a fast simmer. Leave to cook like this, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly and the meatballs are cooked through. Check the sauce for seasoning, adding some salt and pepper if you like.

During this time you can cook whatever you fancy to go with the meatballs, whether it be pasta, rice, whatever.

Once the meatballs are ready, you can eat them immediately or let them stand, off the heat but still on the stove, for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken up a bit on standing. Should your diners be other than children who baulk at ‘green bits’, sprinkle with parsley to serve.

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Italian roast chicken with peppers and olives

Ingredients
1 x 1.5kg/3lb 5oz chicken (preferably organic)
1 unwaxed lemon, cut in half
4 sprigs rosemary
3 leeks, washed and trimmed
2 red peppers
1 orange pepper
1 yellow pepper
100g/3½oz pitted dry-packed black olives
4 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Untruss the chicken, sit it in a roasting tin and put the lemon halves and two of the rosemary sprigs into the chicken’s cavity.

Wash and trim the leeks, cut each into three logs, then slice lengthways and add to the tin. Now remove the core and seeds of the peppers and slice them into strips, following their natural curves and ridges, and add these to the tin.

Tumble in the olives, and now pour the olive oil, mostly over the vegetables but a little over the chicken, too. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs to the vegetables, along with some sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Using a couple of spoons or spatulas, gently toss the vegetables about to help coat them with the oil and make sure everything’s well mixed up.

Sprinkle some sea salt flakes over the chicken and put it in the oven for about 1-1¼ hours, by which time the chicken should be cooked through, and its juices running clear when you cut into the flesh with a small sharp knife at the thickest part of the thigh joint. The vegetables should be tender by now, too, and some of the leeks will be a scorched light-brown in parts.

Remove the chicken to a carving board and, while it rests (for about 10 minutes) pop the pan of veg back in the oven, switching the oven off as you do so.

Cut the chicken up chunkily, transferring the pieces to a large warmed platter. Now take the pan back out of the oven and, with a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the vegetables to the large platter and when all is arranged to your aesthetic delight, pour over it all the bronze, highly-flavoured juices that have collected in the pan.

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Asian-braised shin of beef with hot and sour shredded salad

Ingredients

For the beef

2 onions, peeled, quartered
5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp ground coriander
3 tbsp vegetable oil
250ml/9fl oz Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry)
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 litres/3½ pints beef stock, preferably organic
2 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
3.5kg/7½lb beef shin, on the bone, cut by the butcher into thick slices (or 1kg/2¼lb beef shin off the bone, cut into large cubes)

For the salad

3 carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks
4 spring onions, cut into matchsticks
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, cut into matchsticks
1 long green chilli, seeds removed, cut into matchsticks
20g/¾oz bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
For the salad dressing
1 lime, juice only
4 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp caster sugar

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
For the beef, blend the onions, ginger, garlic and coriander in a food processor until well combined and finely chopped.
Heat the oil in a large casserole or ovenproof frying pan and fry the mixture over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until soft and beginning to catch in the pan; this should take about 10 minutes.
Pour in the Chinese wine (or sherry) and let it bubble up. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, stock, oyster sauce and rice wine vinegar and bring to a boil, then drop in the cinnamon sticks and star anise.
Add the pieces of beef shin and let everything come up to a bubble again, then clamp on a lid and put into the oven for 2 hours (or longer if using regular stewing steak).
Take the casserole carefully out of the oven and, using a slotted spatula, remove the beef to an ovenproof dish. Cover with foil and keep warm in the oven while you vigorously boil the sauce in the casserole (or pan) on the hob, without a lid, until it has reduced by about half.
For the salad, combine all the julienned vegetables and the chopped coriander in a bowl.
For the salad dressing, mix the lime juice, fish sauce and caster sugar in another bowl and dress the vegetables with this.
To serve, arrange the beef on a serving platter and pour the reduced sauce over the meat. If you are using cubes of stewing steak, rather than slices of shin, you’d probably do better to use a deeper dish. Dress the top of the beef with the hot and sour shredded salad.

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Pork loin with Parma ham and oregano

Ingredients

1.5kg/3lb 5oz boneless and rindless loin of pork
2 fat cloves garlic, minced
few sprigs fresh oregano, plus more to serve
100g/3½oz Parma ham, sliced
⅓ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 onion or 2 shallots, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp dry white vermouth
4 tbsp boiling water
Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Open up the loin of pork, read for stuffing, by laying it out in front of you vertically so that the thick part is on the left (I’m right-handed). Now starting at the top, cut through this thick part of the loin all the way down so that you can open it out to the left like a book. This will give you a larger surface area to lay the filling on.
Spread the pungent garlic all over the meat. Then take the leaves from a few sprigs of oregano and dot them about too. Keep the stalks.
Lay the pieces of ham horizontally over the pork loin, this way it will roll up more easily as the roll will follow the long length of the ham slices.
Sprinkle the chilli flakes over the ham and then roll up the loin, starting from the open-ended side, keeping as tight a roll as you can. Secure the meat with string at 3-4cm/1-1½in intervals, knotting the lengths of string firmly. If you’re using stationer’s string rather than cook’s twine, dampen it first. I wish I could instruct you as to how to tie proper knots, but I do very bad knots myself. Were you to have the offer of a friendly hand - or rather finger - to hold the knot down as you tie it, take it gratefully.
Cut the onion or shallots into thick slices without peeling them, and sit them in the bottom of a roasting tin to make the flavour-platform for the pork. Add the reserved stalks from the oregano, sit the loin on top and drizzle with the oil.
Cook for 1¼ hours, when it’s cooked, the juices must run clear when you put a skewer into the centre and a meat thermometer should read 71C/160F.
Transfer the tin to a heatproof kitchen surface, immediately pour the vermouth and boiling water into the tin and scrape all around the bottom of the tin so any oniony, meaty stuck-on bits dissolve into this instant gravy. You can let the meat rest in this sauce for 15 minutes or so.
When you are ready to slice the pork, remove it to a board and warm the gravy (removing the onion bits) if it’s cooled. Cut the meat into approximately 2cm/1in slices, or in other words, thick enough for the slices to keep their shape and hold the filling. This size joint should give you 10 good slices plus the misshapen end-pieces.
Arrange these sturdy slices on a bed of rocket with the gravy served separately in a little jug, or just sit them on a warm plate and pour over them a little gravy or any extra juices the meat has made. Take some more oregano leaves and slice them into fine strips, strewing them over the pork slices before serving.

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Turkey breast stuffed with Italian sausage and Marsala-steeped cranberries

Ingredients

For the stuffing

100g/3½oz dried cranberries
100ml/3½fl oz Marsala
2 tbsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground allspice
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
1kg/2lb 4oz Italian sausages
2 free-range eggs, beaten
50g/2oz parmesan, grated
60g/2¼oz breadcrumbs
For the turkey joint
5kg/11lb double breast turkey joint, boned, butterflied, with skin left on
4 tbsp duck or goose fat

Preparation method

Put the cranberries and Marsala into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then take off the heat and leave to one side.

Put the oil into a large frying pan or similar heavy-based pan, and fry the shallots for a minute or so, then add the spices and shredded sage, turning them in the soft shallots.

Squeeze the sausagemeat out of its skins, add to the pan and break it up – using a wooden fork and spatula for ease – turning it in the hot pan until it loses its pinkness. This will take about five minutes.

Take the frying pan off the heat and turn the contents into a large bowl, mixing in the steeped cranberries and any Marsala clinging to them, and leave to cool. You can cover with cling film and put in the fridge for up to two days at this stage.

When you are ready to stuff the turkey breast, take the bowl of sausagement out of the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Uncover the bowl of sausagemeat, add the eggs, parmesan and breadcrumbs and – I use my hands for this – mix well.

Lay the butterflied turkey joint out in front of you. It really does look like a butterfly though admittedly a fleshy one. Spread the stuffing out first in the slight cavity in the centre of the butterfly and then outwards onto the wings though not going right up to the edge (or it will squodge out when cooking) but as evenly as possible over the whole joint.

Carefully, in one swift but steady movement, fold one ‘wing’ over the other to close the joint, and then sit the turkey on a large roasting tin, breast bone (or where the breast bone would be) uppermost as it would look were it the whole bird, with the pointier bit furthest away from you. Thread two skewers through the base – i.e., the widest part that is nearer you – to keep it closed and smear it all over with the duck or goose fat.
Roast the turkey breast for 2-2½ hours, then check it is cooked with a turkey or meat thermometer. When cooked, it should read 75C. (If you’re leaving it to rest, as you should or to cool, you could take it out at 73C – it wil retain heat and continue to cook for a short while once out of the oven.)

Flex your muscles, then lift out onto a carving board, and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes. Or leave to get cold if you are eating it as part of a buffet.

Cut through the whole joint in wide slices right across; they will need to be quite thick, at least 1-2cm/½-1in, to keep the stuffing intact within the slice.

As you place it on table or sideboard, dot around it the condiments of your choice: I revert to Christmas in Italy here by putting a lusciously extravagant pot or two of Italian mostarda di Cremona on the table alongside: this is a hot and sweet preserve of mustardy candied fruits that gleam beautifully and taste both festive and fabulous.

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