Chicken noodle broth
Roasting the chicken pieces before making the broth gives a much richer-tasting broth.
SERVES 4
chicken drumsticks and wings 800g total weight
oil a little
black peppercorns 8
star anise 2
palm sugar a scant tsp
ginger a small lump, cut into coins
fresh udon-style noodles 200g
greens about 200g
Thai or Vietnamese basil a handful
To make the chicken broth, first set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Put the chicken drumsticks and wings in a roasting tin, rub them lightly with oil, salt and pepper then cook them for 25-30 minutes till pale golden.
Remove from the pan, leaving behind any fat, and put into a large saucepan with the peppercorns, the star anise and palm sugar. Peel the ginger, cut it into coins and add to the pan. Pour in a litre of water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer, at a gentle bubble, for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside. Trim, wash and lightly steam the greens, then refresh under cold running water.
Divide the hot chicken broth between four bowls, add the noodles, the greens and finish with some Thai orVietnamese basil.
Butterbeans and chorizo
A thick and slightly spicy casserole for an autumn evening. Go for plump chorizo the size of a butcher's sausage.
SERVES 4
chipolata sausages 12
sausage-sized chorizo 6
olive oil 1 tbsp
streaky bacon with plenty of fat 6 rashers, cut into large pieces
onion 1 large, roughly chopped
cloves of garlic 4, peeled and thinly sliced
passata or chopped tomatoes 400ml can
red wine a glass
butter beans 2 x 425g cans, drained and rinsed
bay leaves 2
grain mustard 2 tbsp
coarse breadcrumbs 50g
In a heavy, flameproof casserole, cook the sausages and chorizo in the olive oil until their fat runs and the sausages are golden on all sides. Scoop out the sausages and set aside. Add the bacon pieces to the pan and cook in the remaining fat until golden.
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic and add to the bacon. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes until they have softened slightly then stir in the tomato passata or chopped tomatoes. Cook for a further minute or so then pour in the red wine. Simmer for a minute then stir in the cooked sausages. Bring to the boil, add the drained and rinsed beans, the bay leaves, mustard and a grinding of salt and pepper and then cook over a medium heat at a good simmer for about 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and tip everything into an oven dish. Season the breadcrumbs lightly then scatter them over the top of the sausages and beans and bake for 25 minutes until the crumbs are golden. Serve very hot.
Gurnard, basil and potato pie
Mild flavoured and gentle, a warming but light supper. Serve with a green salad.
SERVES 2-3
potatoes 400g
onion 1 large
olive oil 2 tbsp
gurnard or similar white fish 4 large fillets, about 450g
basil leaves 15g
double cream 250ml
butter
Peel the potatoes, slice them roughly the thickness of a pound coin, bring them to the boil in lightly salted water, then leave to cook at a gentle boil for 5-6 minutes. Drain and set aside. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6.
Peel and finely slice the onion, then let it cook with the oil in an ovenproof shallow pan for 5-10 minutes till it has softened but not coloured. Switch off the heat. Season the fish with salt and black pepper then place the fillets on top of the onions. Shred the basil leaves and stir them into the cream with a light seasoning of salt. Pour the cream over the fish then lay the slices of potato on top, neatly and slightly overlapping. Season and dot the surface with butter.
Bake for 30-40 minutes till the potatoes have lightly browned.
Potato gnocchi spinach gratin
Plump, soft, potato gnocchi in a creamy spinach sauce, perfect for a frosty night.
SERVES 4
floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper 1kg
plain flour 250g
egg yolk 1, beaten
butter a little
For the sauce:
spinach 250g
double cream 500ml
parmesan 30g, grated
Peel the potatoes, cut them into halves or quarters, depending on their size, and steam them, or boil them in lightly salted water till tender. Drain the potatoes very thoroughly, then mash them with a potato masher. (Using a food processor is likely to turn your gnocchi gluey.) Fold in the flour and the beaten egg yolk. Leave the mixture for 10 minutes, then roll into two long, fattish sausages about 2cm in diameter. Leave for a further 10 minutes then cut into 24 short thick pieces. Place the gnocchi, snugly, but not quite touching, in a lightly buttered ovenproof dish and set aside.
To make the sauce, wash the spinach thoroughly and steam briefly in a covered pan till the leaves have wilted. Drain thoroughly, cool under running water, then squeeze out any excess water with your fist, then chop finely.
Warm the cream in a saucepan, add the chopped spinach, then season with salt and black pepper and stir in the grated parmesan. Pour the sauce over the gnocchi and bake for 20 minutes at 200C/gas mark 6.
Red aubergine curry
A bowl of steamed white or brown rice is the perfect accompaniment for this spicy, fragrant little curry.
SERVES 4
For the spice paste:
lemon grass 3 stalks
lime leaves 6, fresh or dried
garlic 2 cloves, peeled
coriander 40g
tomatoes 3 small-medium
red chillies 2, small hot
ginger a 3cm lump
aubergines 3 medium or 12 baby sized
olive oil
coconut milk 2 x 400ml cans
nam pla (Thai fish sauce) 2 tsp
sesame oil 1 tsp
light soy sauce 1 tbsp
lime juice to taste
Make the spice paste: trim the lemon grass, discarding the root end and any less than tender outer leaves. Put them into a food processor with the lime leaves, peeled garlic, 25g ofthe coriander, the tomatoes and the chillies, seeded if you like acoolercurry.
Peel and roughly chop the ginger then add to the lemon grass. Blitz to arough paste, scraping the paste down occasionally with a rubber spatula.
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways then cut each half into thin slices. Pour a thin layer of olive oil into a heavy-based casserole, add the aubergines and fry till pale gold.
Stir in the spice paste and leave to cook, over a moderate heat, for acouple of minutes till the paste darkens very slightly in colour. Pour in the coconut milk, the nam pla, the sesame oil and the light soy sauce, stirand leave to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
To serve, scatter over the leaves fromthe remaining coriander, and correct the seasoning with salt and alittle limejuice.
