New Classics: Inspiring and delicious recipes to transform your home cooking

FROM THE GARDEN

This chapter is something close to my heart – my father is the one to thank for my love of the humble vegetable. When sourcing ingredients, ripeness is key. Do not be afraid of over-ripeness, as this can often intensify flavour and sweetness. The Summer Vegetable Lasagne (#ulink_84357e27-e155-55d6-8c2e-7d505d0303df) is my take on a great recipe for families, as it is a delicious way to get children to enjoy vegetables. Another favourite is Tempura Fennel (#ulink_6a40105b-35d6-556b-b86f-042e8a28a2fa), a flavoursome dish that allows the fennel to really sing out. If you want to try making your own ravioli, I’ve provided a twist on the classic with my Mushroom ‘Ravioli’ with Shallot Sauce (#ulink_68a19a06-ba4e-59b6-a67e-ece5312a6761). In this chapter I also look in-depth at the technique of salt-baking (#ulink_ac78c861-0fb2-51b3-a2d9-e0fbda834a7d). By making a salt dough and infusing it with herbs, you can impart seasoning and flavour deep into vegetables, as well as meat and fish. It is a great, simple technique that adds so much to any dish, so why not try it with the Salt-baked Parsnip and Horseradish crumble (#ulink_7dbbbf93-2087-5218-8150-7f2e89c41cbb) for a winter supper or the Salt-baked Kabocha Squash, Pomegranate, Ricotta and Mint (#ulink_35404fff-6e40-5118-92de-d9beca95a9db) in late summer?

FROM THE FARM

Here I feature some of my favourite cuts of meat, such as Hanger Steak (#litres_trial_promo), which is rather underused. There is also my favourite Roast Chicken recipe (#litres_trial_promo), where the chicken is baked with fennel and potatoes. Both recipes showcase brining (#litres_trial_promo), which seasons meat or fish right to the core and tenderises it in the process. It takes a little more organisation but it’s well worth it, with a tender, moist and well-flavoured dish as a result. The caramelised pears give an extra dimension to a classic Slow-cooked Pork Belly (#litres_trial_promo) for a weekend family lunch, and my Herb and Mozzarella Meatball Bake (#litres_trial_promo) is a great one for a midweek supper. When it comes to meat, look for good marbling in beef and lamb and vibrant flesh. What the animals are fed on can also affect the flavour and texture of the meat, so if you can, buy grass-fed or pasture-fed.

FROM THE SEA

This takes me back to my time at the Savoy Hotel kitchen when I was 17 and working on the fish section. I have included a few classics, such as Fish Soup (#litres_trial_promo), which I’ve updated with a few of my own ideas, while eggy bread is given a delicious makeover in Prawn French Toast (#litres_trial_promo). In this chapter I also feature the technique of hot smoking (#litres_trial_promo). Traditionally this is done to preserve fish, but more importantly for us it adds another flavour dimension to the dish. Smoke is a match made in heaven with oily mackerel, so look for my recipe for Rosemary Smoked Mackerel with Baked Lemon Jam, Fennel and Crème Fraîche (#litres_trial_promo). You might be used to smoked salmon, eggs and hollandaise for brunch, but once you’ve tried it with home-smoked salmon in my twist-on-a-classic Hot Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict (#litres_trial_promo), you won’t go back. For fish and seafood, choose the brightest-looking fish, with no strong smells. When purchasing seafood, always look for the glossiest produce and wash well in cold water before using.

FROM THE STORECUPBOARD

This chapter encompasses baking recipes that use base ingredients potentially already in your cupboard (which makes baking possible when you have last-minute cravings!). As well as cakes, biscuits and tarts, there are breads such as Marmite, Onion and Cheddar Bread (#litres_trial_promo), which is a favourite with my kids and a lovely accompaniment to soup. When it comes to puddings, you can’t beat the Baked Honeycomb Puddings (#litres_trial_promo) as a delicious finish to a Sunday lunch. I also focus on caramelising sugar (#litres_trial_promo), something which can seem a little daunting. It’s not a complicated method once you know how; the trick is to be patient and ready for the next step as soon as the sugar begins to colour. Try out the technique with one of my favourites in this chapter, the Warm Spiced Courgette Cake with Anise Caramel (#litres_trial_promo), which is a lovely pale green at the centre – it’s a good way to get a few more vegetables into children and for them to see the versatility of ingredients. Caramel finds its way into ice cream as well, here, for a delicious pudding of Banana and Coconut Cake with Caramelised Banana Coconut Ice Cream (#litres_trial_promo).

Above all, do remember to enjoy cooking. Food is something to be treasured, and cooking is such a wonderful way to learn, educate, socialise and enjoy quality time with family and friends. So please don’t be daunted by any of these recipes – they have all been written with home cooking in mind. This book is about sharing my passion for cooking and ingredients with all kinds of home cooks, from beginners all the way up. My advice is to dive straight in! Enjoy reading, creating and, of course, eating.

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WATERMELON WITH PICKLED RIND, SALTED RICOTTA AND CORIANDER SALAD (#ulink_fcb49fb8-3ef1-5454-a5a0-e7f74f58203d)

Apple and cheese is a classic combination, and my twist on a refreshing summer salad is to pair watermelon and savoury salted ricotta. Instead of discarding watermelon rind, try pickling it. It has a great texture and keeps for quite some time in the fridge. It works well as an accompaniment to most meat and fish, and in salads, like this one.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus minimum 24 hours pickling

½ watermelon (approximately 1.2kg)

4 tbsp olive oil

grated zest and juice of 1 lime

50g salted ricotta cheese

¼ bunch of coriander, leaves picked

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE PICKLE

100ml white wine vinegar

4 tbsp runny honey

6 whole white peppercorns

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

½ tsp yellow mustard seeds

½ tsp table salt

Peel the green layer off the watermelon, then remove the pink flesh from the white rind (put the pink flesh in a bowl, cover and chill) and carefully slice the white rind into roughly 1cm chunks. Put all the pickle ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chunks of watermelon rind and bring back up to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Cover and chill for at least 24 hours.

Cut the pink watermelon flesh into roughly 1.5cm cubes, removing as many black and white seeds as you can (with a skewer). Mix the olive oil and lime zest and juice together in a bowl. Season the watermelon with sea salt and pepper and dress it with the oil and lime.

Divide the watermelon flesh between four plates. Drain off the pickled watermelon rind and add it to the plates. Finely grate the salted ricotta over the top of the watermelon (use a Microplane grater for this if you have one) then finish with the coriander leaves.

KALE, TOASTED ALMOND AND FRIED SAGE SALAD (#ulink_d1eafa88-4cc8-5833-a425-46cf3c1e147b)

This is a great salad for when the weather starts to turn cooler. Kale has a rather robust texture which lends itself well to being eaten either raw or cooked. In this recipe I have included both: the raw kale adds a freshness to the salad and the fried kale adds a light smokiness to the overall flavour.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

500g kale, tough stems removed

½ bunch of sage, leaves picked

100g flaked almonds

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE DRESSING

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

125ml olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely grated

Heat half of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the shallots, season well with sea salt and cook for 6–8 minutes, until golden. Add half the kale and cook for a further 2 minutes until it just begins to wilt, then transfer the kale and shallots to a bowl.

Heat the remaining oil in a medium frying pan. When hot, add some of the sage leaves and fry for 2–3 minutes over high heat until crispy (fry them in batches). Place on kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil and season well with sea salt.