Eat – The Little Book of Fast Food

A light, fresh, sweet soup for summer

Separate the leaves of a large soft lettuce. Melt a thick slice of butter in a deep pan, add a large finely chopped shallot and let it soften. Add the lettuce, roughly torn, then stir in 400g peas. Simmer for 10 minutes, then blitz in a blender or food processor in small batches.

The deep savour of beef and noodle broth

Mix together a tablespoon of oyster sauce, a tablespoon of fish sauce, a teaspoon of sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of honey. Brush this over a piece of sirloin steak and grill or cook in a shallow pan, leaving the outside with a dark crust, the inside generously pink. Bring a litre of beef stock to the boil. Pour boiling water over 100g rice noodles and let them hydrate, then drain and place in serving bowls. Slice the steak thickly and place on top of the noodles, scatter with sliced spring onions, chopped coriander, a handful of watercress with its stalks and a little finely chopped red chilli. Ladle over the broth. Season with lime juice. For 2.

Carrot, Black Beans and Coriander

carrots, butter, black beans, coriander leaves, mustard seeds, onion, chilli flakes

Boil 600g carrots in deep, lightly salted water until tender, then drain, reserving the liquid. Blitz the carrots in a food processor with 20g butter and 150ml of the reserved cooking water.

Melt 30g butter in a shallow pan, add 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds and toast for a minute or two. Drain two 400g cans of black beans, add to the pan, cover and leave to cook for 5 minutes, till warmed through.

Peel and finely slice an onion. Melt another 30g butter in a pan, add the sliced onion and fry till golden brown. Scatter in a large pinch of dried chilli flakes and a further teaspoon of mustard seeds. Sizzle briefly.

Divide the carrot purée between 2 bowls, gently stir in the black beans, scatter over a few coriander leaves, then spoon over the sizzling onion and its butter.

For 2. Aromatic, satisfying, sweet and faintly hot.

Split Peas with Aubergine

yellow split peas, aubergine, onion, cardamom pods, turmeric, cumin seeds, canned tomatoes, coriander leaves

Soak 100g yellow split peas for an hour, or longer if you have it. Peel and roughly chop an onion, then let it soften in a deep pan over a moderate heat in a little oil. Crack open 10 green cardamom pods, extract their tiny black seeds and lightly grind them in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Stir a teaspoon of cumin seeds into the onion, then add the cardamom seeds. When all is golden and fragrant, add 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric. Stir in a 400g can of chopped tomatoes and continue to simmer.

In a separate pan, boil the yellow split peas in deep unsalted water for about 30 minutes, till soft. Drain and stir into the onion and tomato mixture. Simmer, stirring regularly, till soft, scarlet and slushy then season with salt and pepper. Halve and thinly slice an aubergine, then cook in a shallow pan in several tablespoons of olive oil till soft and golden. Drain and stir into the split peas, adding a handful of coriander leaves. Serve with steamed white rice.

For 2. Rich and earthy. Glowing colours.

Green Vegetable Soup

spring vegetables, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander, vegetable stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime, soy sauce

Put a teaspoon of white peppercorns and a teaspoon of coriander seeds in a dry non-stick frying pan and toast lightly for 2 or 3 minutes, then tip into the bowl of a food processor. Add half a teaspoon of sea salt, a teaspoon of ground turmeric, 2 lemongrass stalks, chopped, 2 cloves of garlic, peeled, a 3cm lump of ginger, peeled, 3 hot green chillies, 3 tablespoons of groundnut oil and a handful of coriander stems and roots. Blitz to a coarse paste. You can keep this paste for a few days in the fridge, its surface covered with oil to prevent it drying out.

In a deep pan, fry 3 lightly heaped tablespoons of the curry paste in a tablespoon of oil for 30 seconds till fragrant, stirring as you go. Stir in 200ml vegetable stock and 250ml coconut milk, a tablespoon of fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons of lime juice.

Add 450g (combined weight)asparagus tips, broad beans and peas and continue simmering for 5–6 minutes, then shred a couple of handfuls of greens into thick ribbons and add them to the pan.

Finish the soup with a pinch of sugar, fish sauce, a little soy sauce, more lime juice – whatever floats your boat.

For 4. Deep flavours that dazzle. Rich but fresh.

Ham Hock, Herb Sauce

ham hock, peas, garlic, parsley, chives, basil

Put a 500–600g ham hock in a deep pan with just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, skim off the froth that rises to the surface, then turn the heat down so the liquid simmers. Cover with a lid and leave, with the occasional turn, for 45–50 minutes or so, till the ham is cooked through to the bone.

Remove the ham from the cooking liquor, add 200g fresh or frozen peas and a large clove of garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or so, till the peas are tender. Add a handful of parsley, a handful of chives and a handful of basil leaves to the peas, cook a minute or so longer, then blitz in a blender to give a thick, green sauce. Add pepper if necessary.

Tear the ham from its bone in large pieces. Roughly chop a few more of the herbs, then roll the pieces of ham in them. Spoon the sauce into bowls and add the pieces of ham.

For 2. The nannying quality of peas and ham, the vitality of fresh herbs.

Quiet, old-fashioned flavours for leftover ham hock

Make a crisp, light salad using chicory and inner lettuce leaves tossed with generous handfuls of roughly chopped mint, parsley and basil. Dress with a finely chopped shallot, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Tear rough chunks of ham from the bone and toss with the dressed leaves. Serve with halved hard-boiled eggs, still quite soft in the middle.

Prawns, Lemongrass and Coconut

prawns, lemongrass, coconut milk, coriander, turmeric, garlic, bird’s eye chillies, galangal or ginger, pak choi, mirin, fish sauce, lime, mint

Put 6 coriander stalks and roots,2 teaspoons of ground turmeric, 2 large garlic cloves, 2 lemongrass stalks, 2 bird’s eye chillies, 2 tablespoons of groundnut oil and a thumb-sized knob of peeled galangal or ginger in a food processor and reduce to a rough, loose paste. (This will make twice as much as you need.)

Put half the paste in a pan, fry for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly, then add a 400ml can of coconut milk, a head of pak choi, cut into large bite-sized pieces, and 8–10 shelled large, raw prawns. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes, till the prawns turn opaque. Finish with 2 teaspoons of mirin, a tablespoon of fish sauce and the juice of a lime, or to taste. Stir in the leaves from the coriander and top with a few mint leaves.

For 2. Vivid flavours, a little heat. Uplifting and energising.

A few thoughts

You could add some cooked noodles if you feel like it, or small pea aubergines that have been halved and lightly fried, or some Thai basil leaves, or other fish instead of the prawns.

Greens and beanshoots. The warmth of coconut and noodles

Put the spice paste opposite into a deep pan, sizzle briefly, then stir in 250ml coconut milk and a litre of chicken stock and bring to the boil. Soak 200g rice noodles in boiling water, drain and divide between 4 bowls. Add a handful of Chinese broccoli or pak choi to the stock. Once it softens, add a handful of beansprouts and a sliced spring onion, then divide between the bowls, ladling it over the noodles. For 4.

Prawns, crisp lettuce and miso. Light, fresh, satisfying

Whisk together 3 tablespoons of white miso paste and 750ml vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and stir in 2 teaspoons each of soy sauce and hot chilli sauce. Shred a couple of crisp white lettuce leaves and their stems and put them in 2 deep soup bowls. Add a finely sliced spring onion and a large handful of cooked prawns to each bowl, then a handful of coriander leaves. Ladle the hot soup over the lettuce and prawns.

Rib and Rhubarb Broth

small pork ribs, rhubarb, chicken stock, star anise, peppercorns, bay leaves, spring onions

In a large, deep pan, brown 500g small pork ribs on both sides in a little oil. When they are nicely coloured, pour a litre of chicken stock over them, add 2 star anise, 8 peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves and bring to the boil. Lower the heat so the liquor continues cooking at a low simmer and leave for a good 50 minutes to an hour, keeping an eye on the liquid so it doesn’t boil away; you want to end up with a rich, quite concentrated broth. Check the seasoning.

Remove the ribs from the liquid, pull the meat from the bones and cut it into chunks (sometimes I leave them whole). Roughly chop 2 spring onions and drop them, together with the meat, into the hot broth. Pour into bowls. Thinly slice a small stick of rhubarb (you may not need all of it) into long matchsticks and add a few pieces to each bowl of broth. Serve immediately, just as the rhubarb starts to soften.

For 4. Savoury depth, sharp fruit.

Chicken, Asparagus and Noodle Broth

chicken thighs, asparagus, noodles, mushrooms, garlic, chicken stock

Brown 4 chicken thighs in a little oil in a deep pan. Slice 150g mushrooms, such as large field, portobello or porcini, and peel and slice 2 garlic cloves. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the pan and continue browning, adding more oil if necessary. Pour in a litre of chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Lift out the thighs and take the meat off the bones, returning it to the simmering stock. Shave 4 asparagus spears into ribbons with a vegetable peeler, then add them to the soup with 200g noodles. Cook for a minute or two, then divide between deep bowls.