Cooking 1o1

Creamy chicken pesto, tomatoes pasta

2012-07-14T21:23:00.002-07:00

Serves 4 ■ EASY

350g dried penne pasta
300ml light cream
1/2 cup basil pesto
3 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups skinless shredded roast chicken
1/2 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Thinly sliced green onions and crusty bread, to serve

■ Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling, salted water, following packet directions, until tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.
■ Return pasta to pan over medium-low heat. Add reserved liquid, cream, pesto, onion, chicken and tomato. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
■ Divide between bowls. Top with parmesan and onion. Serve with bread.

Source:Creamy chicken pesto, tomatoes pasta

Creamy chicken pesto, tomatoes pasta

Mini jam doughnuts

2012-07-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

1 hour + rising time ■ Makes about 20 ■ A LITTLE EFFORT
If you love freshly cooked doughnuts but can't be doing with deep-frying, this is the recipe for you. Try filling your second batch with Nutella or lemon curd instead.

whole milk 175ml
golden caster sugar 75g
dried active yeast 10g (2 tsp)
strong white bread flour 425g
salt 1/2 tsp
eggs 2 medium, lightly beaten
orange 1 tsp finely grated zest
unsalted butter 75g, softened
strawberry jam 4-5 tbsp

SUGAR COATING
unsalted butter 25g, melted
caster sugar 6 tbsp

■ Heat the milk until just below boiling point, remove from the heat and cool until hand-warm. Add 1 tsp of the sugar and the dried active yeast. Whisk then leave in a warm place for 5 minutes until the yeast has formed a thick foam on top of the milk.
■ Tip the flour, remaining sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, orange zest, softened butter and yeasty milk mixture. Using a wooden spoon mix until the mixture forms a soft dough. Tip out of the bowl and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough will be on the sticky side. Form into a ball and return to a clean bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
■ Tip the dough out onto the work surface and knead lightly again for 30 seconds and then roll out to a thickness of about 1cm. Using a 5-6cm plain round cutter; stamp out circles and transfer them to parchment- covered baking sheets, leaving plenty of space between each doughnut. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
■ Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Bake the doughnuts for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the doughnuts all over with melted butter toss in the sugar and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
■ Spoon the jam into a disposable piping bag and snip off the end to form a small nozzle. Use a wooden skewer to make a hole in the side of each doughnut, push the piping bag into the hole and fill with about a teaspoon of jam. Serve warm or cold.

Source:Mini jam doughnuts

Mini jam doughnuts

Veal cordon bleu

2012-07-08T13:25:00.001-07:00

50 minutes + chilling ■ Serves 4 ■ A LITTLE EFFORT
Look for high-welfare British veal when buying. Good butchers and larger supermarkets sell it, or buy online at farmison.com. Comte is a French cow's milk cheese, which is similar in style to gruyere and has a lovely melting texture. The first comte cheeses are sold at the beginning of the year, after ageing in storage.

veal escalopes 4, approximately 150g each
thick-cut ham 4 slices
comte 4 slices
plain flour 50g
eggs 2, beaten
natural breadcrumbs 175g
vegetable oil for frying
mashed potato to serve

GARLIC HERB BUTTER
unsalted butter lOOg, softened
flat-leaf parsley chopped to make 3 tbsp
chives chopped to make 3 tbsp
tarragon leaves chopped to make 1 tsp
garlic 2 cloves, peeled and crushed
English mustard 3/4 tsp

■ To make the garlic herb butter; put everything in a bowl, add some seasoning and mix together with a fork.
■ Divide the butter into four and roll each piece in greaseproof paper to form a flat torpedo shape. Chill for 30 minutes
■ Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the four veal escalopes between sheets of clingfilm and bash gently with a rolling pin to get thin, flat pieces of meat.
■ Put the escalopes onto a board, rough side up, and season with pepper. Lay a slice of ham over and trim so it fits inside the veal then top with a slice of cheese. Unwrap the garlic butter and put in the centre of the cheese and flatten a little. Now fold the escalopes over with the filling sealed inside between two layers of meat. Press down the edges to seal the meat together.
■ Put the breadcrumbs, flour and beaten eggs into separate shallow dishes. Dip each parcel into the flour, then egg, then the breadcrumbs, making sure at each stage the meat is well coated. Chill for 30 minutes.
■ Heat 2cm oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the veal and fry, turning once, until golden brown all over (about 2-3 minutes per side). Transfer to the oven for 10 minutes then drain onto kitchen paper. Serve with mash.

Source:Veal cordon bleu

Veal cordon bleu

Scallops baked in the shell with a puff pastry lid

2012-07-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

1 hour ■ Serves 6 as a starter ■ EASY
This dish is inspired by Tom Kitchin, who has a similar starter on his menu. You'll need 6 curved scallop shells -just ask a fishmonger.

fish stock 400ml
vermouth 100ml
double cream 50ml
carrot 1 small, peeled and cut into julienne
leek 1 small, washed and cut into julienne
butter 30g
white pepper, to season
dill 1tbsp
scallops 6 large or 12 smaller, cleaned and roe removed (shells scrubbed clean)
puff pastry 375g
egg 1, beaten

■ To make the sauce, reduce the fish stock by half and add the vermouth. Reduce by half again. Add the cream and reduce again by half so it has a saucy consistency.
■ Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Drop the carrot and leek into a pan with the butter and cook until soft. Season with white pepper and a little salt. Take from the heat, add the dill and cool.
■ Slice each scallop into three discs. Lay the shells out and put some vegetables in the bottom of each. Lay the scallops over the vegetables and spoon over the sauce.
■ Cut the pastry into six discs slightly bigger than the shells. Also cut 6 thin strips long enough to go around the edge of each shell. Brush the edge of the shells with egg wash. Put a strip of pastry around each and brush this with more egg. Put on a lid and press to seal. Trim excess pastry, then brush the tops with wash and put on a baking tray. Bake for 18-20 minutes until puffed and golden.

Source:Scallops baked in the shell with a puff pastry lid

Scallops baked in the shell with a puff pastry lid

Son-in-law duck eggs

2012-07-08T13:12:00.001-07:00

40 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY
This Thai recipe has two stories behind its name. The first is that the bride's mother
created this dish for her son-in-law. The other is that the dish was created as a warning of what she would do to him if he behaved badly!

duck eggs 6
palm sugar 125g
tamarind paste 2 tbsp
fish sauce 3 tbsp
groundnut oil for frying
banana shallots 3, peeled and sliced
garlic 3 cloves, sliced
red chillies 3, sliced
coriander a small bunch, leaves picked

■ Drop the eggs into boiling water, cook for 7 minutes then plunge into a bowl of iced water and leave to cool completely.
■ Put the palm sugar and tamarind in a pan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and add the fish sauce. It should be sweet, sour and salty, so adjust with palm sugar, fish sauce or tamarind.
■ Pour the oil in a pan or a wok to 'h full and heat until starting to shimmer. Add the shallots and fry until golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the garlic and chilli.
■ Deep-fry the eggs for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
■ Halve the eggs and put on a platter. Mix the chilli, garlic and shallots with the coriander. Pour over the caramel sauce then scatter with the coriander mix.

Source:Son-in-law duck eggs

Son-in-law duck eggs

Purple sprouting broccoli with chorizo ana almonds

2012-07-08T13:05:00.001-07:00

20 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY
Purple sprouting broccoli stems can be quite woody so you will need to simmer them first until tender.

purple sprouting broccoli 400g, halved lengthways if large
chorizo 120g, diced
garlic 3 cloves, crushed
red chilli 1, finely chopped
sherry vinegar 3 tbsp
oregano 2 sprigs, leaves stripped
ALMOND BREADCRUMBS
olive oil
garlic 2 cloves, whole
ciabatta a handful, torn into small chunks
flaked almonds 3 tbsp

■ To make the almond breadcrumbs, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Bash the garlic cloves to split them, but don't peel them. Add to the oil with the bread. Fry, turning with a spatula until golden and toasted. Scoop out and discard the garlic. Add the almonds to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Toss the almonds and the ciabatta together.
■ Cook the broccoli until just tender then drain well. Fry the chorizo in 3 tbsp oil until crisp. Add the garlic, chilli, vinegar, oregano and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and toss until heated through. Serve scattered with the almond breadcrumbs.

Source:Purple sprouting broccoli with chorizo ana almonds

Purple sprouting broccoli with chorizo ana almonds

Spicy Seville pork crackling

2012-07-08T12:58:00.003-07:00

6 and 1/2 hours ■ Serves 12 as a snack ■ TRICKY BUT WORTH IT

pork belly 800g, skin on
rock salt 315g
cumin seeds 1 tbsp
fennel seeds 1 tbsp
smoked hot paprika 1 tsp
qround black pepper 1 tsp
sea salt flakes 2 tbsp
sunflower or vegetable oil for deep-frying
garlic cloves 10, unpeeled
rosemary 12 sprigs

■ Cut the pork into 5cm x 2cm lardons and place in a bowl with the rock salt. Mix well and allow to sit at room temperature for 3 hours. This will draw out any excess moisture.
■ Wash the pork in cold running water to remove the salt. Place the pork in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 and 1/2 hours or until tender. Drain well and pat very dry with a paper towel.
■ Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Place the cumin and fennel seeds on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and roast for 5 minutes, or until aromatic. Allow to cool, then grind in a spice grinder or pound with a pestle and mortar. Add the paprika, pepper and sea salt and combine.
■ Fill a large, heavy-based saucepan or deep-fryer one-third full with oil and heat to 160C, or until a cube of bread takes 30-35 seconds to turn golden. Lightly crush the garlic cloves so they don't explode when cooked. Deep-fry the garlic for 7 minutes, or until deep golden, then add the rosemary and continue frying for another minute. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Increase the oil temperature to 165C and deep-fry the pork, in batches, for 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Please note that on the odd occasion, if not dry enough, a pork piece may explode, so take extra care. We think it is worth the risk! Skim off any floating debris between each batch. Drain on a paper towel. Season while hot with the spice mix and toss with the garlic and rosemary. Serve straight away.

Spicy Seville pork crackling

Spicy chorizo and egg brunch

2012-06-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

30 minutes ■ Serves 4

pork sausaqes 4, sliced
cooking chorizo 50g, sliced
smoked paprika 1 tsp
cherry tomatoes 200g
sugar 1 tsp
tomato puree ltbsp
eggs 6, beaten
buttered toast to serve

■ Fry the sausages and chorizo in a little oil. Drain the excess fat then add the paprika and cook for 30 seconds.
■ Add tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes on a low/medium heat Then add 150ml water; sugar and tomato puree. Simmer until the tomatoes have broken down a bit. Season.
■ Softly scramble the eggs in another pan. Divide the sausages and eggs between 4 plates. Serve with buttered toast.

Spicy chorizo and egg brunch

Buttermilk fried chicken

2012-05-17T19:34:00.001-07:00

1 hour + marinating time ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY

Soaking the chicken in buttermilk tenderises the meat and helps the crispy coating stick.

chicken thighs and drumsticks 1.5 kg, skin on bone in, any excess skin trimmed
buttermilk 2 x 284ml cartons
onion 1, peeled and sliced
plain flour 200g
groundnut oil for frying
sea salt flakes
SPICE MIX
paprika 3 tsp
garlic salt 1 tsp
celery salt 1 tsp
cayenne 1/2 tsp
dried thyme 1 tsp

■ Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with the buttermilk, onion and some seasoning. Cover and leave for 3-4 hours.
■ Heat the oven to200C/fan180C/gas 6. Put a large roasting rack over a roasting tin. Put the spice mix and flour on a large flat plate. Add a generous amount of seasoning and toss together. Take each piece of chicken and shake, leaving excess marinade and the onion behind. Toss in the spiced flour to coat.
■ Heat 2cm oil in a large deep non-stick frying pan until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Add the chicken in batches of 3 or 4 pieces and fry for a few minutes on all sides until light golden (don't let them get too dark as you are going to cook them in the oven). Carefully transfer each piece to the roasting rack and tray. When all the pieces have had their initial frying, put in the oven on a low shelf for 30-35 minutes to finish cooking. Serve hot sprinkled with sea salt.

Buttermilk fried chicken

Italian-style roast pork

2012-05-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

2 hours 10 minutes ■ Serves 6 ■ EASY

pork leg joint 1, boned, skin scored and rolled, approx 2kg
fennel seeds 1 tbsp
thyme a few sprigs
olive oil
sea salt flakes
shallots 18, peeled

■ Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Pat the pork all over so the skin is dry of any moisture.
■ Mix the fennel seeds and leaves from the thyme sprigs with 2 tbsp olive oil then rub all over the pork. Sprinkle with sea salt then sit in a shallow roasting tin and cook for 30 minutes.
■ Turn the oven down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Add the shallots and cook the pork for another hour, turning the shallots now and again and basting the pork with the juices. Turn the oven back up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and cook for a final 30 minutes - this should give you crispy crackling. Rest for 30-40 minutes before carving.

Italian-style roast pork

Grilled sardines with avocado and chilli

2012-05-17T08:50:00.001-07:00

20 minutes ■ Serves 2 ■ EASY

avocado 1, stoned and flesh scooped out
red chilli 1, finely chopped
lime 1, juiced
sardine fillets 6
toast 4 slices
rocket a handful
olive oil

■ Mash the avocado with the chilli and lime juice and season well. Grill the sardine fillets, skin side up, for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
■ Spoon the avocado mix on top of the toast then top with sardine fillets. Add rocket and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Grilled sardines with avocado and chilli

Mussels with cream white wine

2012-05-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

20 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY

mussels 2kg, scrubbed and beards removed (throw away any open ones that don't close after a sharp tap)
shallots 4 small, finely chopped
garlic 2 cloves, crushed
dry white wine 300ml
double cream 150ml
curly parsley a large handful, chopped

■ Put a large pan over a high heat. Leave for a few minutes to heat up then add the mussels, shallot, garlic, wine and some ground black pepper. Cover with a well-fitting lid. Give the pan a good shake, leave for a minute or two then shake again.
■ Once the liquid starts to boil, the mussels should take about 4 minutes to cook. Take off the lid and, if most of the mussels are open, add the cream. Bring to the boil, then give everything a good stir. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the mussels and put in a large serving bowl (throw away any closed ones). Reduce the sauce for a few minutes then add the parsley. Pour the sauce over the mussels.

Plaice with brown shrimp butter

2012-05-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

45 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY

Brown shrimp have two seasons, from April to late June then late August to November. They are a bit fiddly to peel, but well worth the effort for their distinctive sweet flavour.

skinless plaice fillets 4, about 175g each
spinach 200g
unsalted butter 75g
shallots 2 small, peeled and finely chopped
brown shrimps 250g, peeled
flat-leaf parsley a small bunch, chopped
lemon 1/2

■ Put the plaice fillets on a plate inside a steamer and steam for 3-4 minutes until cooked. Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in a little butter and keep warm. Heat the rest of the butter in a pan, cook the shallots until softened, then turn up the heat until the butter turns a golden brown colour. Take off the heat, then add the shrimp, parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Season. Sit each plaice fillet on a mound of spinach and spoon the butter over.

Plaice with brown shrimp butter

Grilled shellfish with roasted chilli dressing

2012-05-17T08:35:00.002-07:00

45 minutes ■ Serves 6 ■ EASY

This dressing goes well with hot or cold seafood - so, if you prefer, buy your shellfish cooked. If the fishmonger has samphire (a pleasantly salty seaside plant), serve it steamed and buttered, with the shellfish.

prawns, lanqoustines and lobster a selection, enough for 6 people
lemons 3, halved

ROASTED CHILLI DRESSING
red chillies 3
qarlic 1 head, cloves separated
olive oil
parsley a handful, chopped

■ For the sauce, put the chillies and garlic cloves in a doubled square of foil. Drizzle 5 tbsp of olive oil over. Season and wrap tightly into a parcel. Put over the coolest part of the barbecue and cook, turning for 15-20 minutes. Tip into a bowl and mash with the back of a spoon. Remove garlic skins and chilli tops and skins. Add the chopped parsley and mix in more olive oil until the dressing is pouring consistency.
■ If you are cooking lobster, halve using a sharp knife - ask your fishmonger if you prefer. Put the lobster on the grill, cut-side down, turning it once - about 6 minutes in all. Prawns and langoustines will take half the time. Baste with chilli sauce if you like.
■ Grill the lemon halves, cut-side down and serve with the shellfish and chilli dressing.

Grilled shellfish with roasted chilli dressing

Bloody Mary oysters

2012-05-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

20 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY

The spicy flavours of this classic cocktail marry well with freshly shucked, briny oysters. If you're not handy with an oyster shucker, the fishmonger will prep them for you, or you'll find full instructions on bbcgoodfood.com. Keep them chilled and eat within a couple of hours.

tomato juice 250ml
vodka 3 tbsp
celery salt 1/2 tsp
Tabasco sauce
Worcestershire sauce
fino sherry
oysters 12
parsley leaves and deep-fried baby capers to serve

■ Make the Bloody Mary by mixing the tomato juice with the vodka and celery salt, add the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce to your liking (the spicier the better!). Finish with a splash of fino sherry.
■ Shuck the oysters, remove from the shells and then clean the shells. To serve, put an oyster into each shell and spoon over a generous amount of the Bloody Mary mix. Garnish with a crisp parsley leaf, and a few deep-fried capers.

Bloody Mary oysters

Mackerel with lemon salsa

2012-05-16T12:38:00.002-07:00

30 minutes + marinating ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY
Sustainable mackerel is one of the easier fish to find. Look for the MSC stamp when buying.

lemon 1, halved
olive oil
garlic 1 clove, crushed
green olives a handful, pitted and quartered
parsley a handful
mackerel 4, gutted and cleaned

■ Squeeze the juice from the lemon and save it. Halve the lemon again, then scrape out and discard the flesh. If there's a thick pith on the peel, slice away half. Cut the peel into dice.
■ Heat a little oil in a pan, add the lemon and stir until it starts to caramelise around the edges. Tip into a bowl and add the garlic and olives. Add more olive oil and a little lemon juice and season. Leave to sit for 2 hours. Then stir in the parsley.
■ Cut slashes in each side of the fish and barbecue for about 4 minutes each side. Serve with the lemon salsa.

Mackerel with lemon salsa

Fish and chips

2012-05-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

30 minutes + chilling time ■ Serves 4 ■ A LITTLE EFFORT

Italian '00' flour 100g, and extra for dusting
self-raising flour 50g
ice cubes for chilling
ale or lager 250ml, chilled
potatoes 6 large, cut into thick chips
white fish fillets 500g (sustainable)
oil for deep-frying

■ Put both flours in a deep bowl set over a bowl of ice and water. Whisk in enough beer to make a batter with the consistency of double cream. Leave the batter over the bowl of ice - or in the fridge - to chill it. The colder the batter, the crisper the result.
■ Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a steamer set over a pan of simmering water for 10-15 minutes until tender. This will make nice dry, cooked potato that won't spit too much in the oil.
■ Cut the fish into thick strips - they cook quicker than fillets and this will stop your batter absorbing too much oil. Heat a deep pan one third full with oil until a cube of bread browns in 20 seconds. Cook the chips for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Salt well and keep warm while you cook the fish.
■ Dip the fish in flour, then in the batten before sliding it into the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the batter is golden and crisp. Cook in batches so you don't lower the temperature of the oil.

Fish and chips

Fish pie

2012-04-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

2 hours ■ Serves 2 ■ EASY
Look for fish labelled as being from a sustainable source

whole milk 500ml
black peppercorns 4
parsley stalk 1
bay leaf 1
cod fillet 250g
undyed smoked haddock 250g
butter 50g, plus some for the top
plain flour 1 rounded tbsp
potatoes 600g, peeled and cut into quarters
spring onions 4, finely chopped
North Atlantic cooked peeled prawns 100g
eggs 2, hard-boiled and roughly chopped
parsley a handful, chopped

■ Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Bring 450ml of the milk, the peppercorns, parsley stalk and bay leaf to boil. Lower the heat, then add the cod and smoked haddock. Cover and gently poach for about 8 minutes or until just cooked. Remove the fish from the pan and strain the milk.
■ Melt half the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the strained milk and bring to the boil, stirring as you go. Reduce heat to a very gentle simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes, drain, mash until smooth and add the remaining butter and milk, and the spring onions. Season and set aside.
■ Skin the fish. Flake into chunks and add to the white sauce with the prawns and egg. Season, and add the parsley. Divide between 2 ovenproof dishes, top with the mash and dot with butter. Cook for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling.

Fish pie

Crab and cheese toasts

2012-04-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

15 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY

farmhouse or sourdough bread 4 big slices
cooked crab 1, white and brown meat separated (you can use a prepared, dressed crab for this)
red chilli I small, diced
coriander 1 tbsp, chopped
creme fraiche 1 tbsp
eqq yolk 1
parmesan 30g, grated
lime 1, juiced
small basil leaves to serve

■ Toast the bread under the grill on both sides. Spread an even layer of brown crabmeat on top of each slice. Mix the white crab meat with the chilli, coriander, creme fraiche, egg yolk and parmesan. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice.
■ Generously top the toasts with the mixture and grill for a few minutes until golden and bubbling. Remove and decorate with the basil leaves.

Crab and cheese toasts

Scallops with red pepper dressing

2012-04-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

50 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY
Fat sweet scallops are quite expensive Buy them in the shell or freshly shelled, rather than frozen, for the best flavour. A watery scallop tends to boil rather than caramelise nicely in the pan. The amount of red pepper sauce this recipe makes will probably be too much, but leftovers are excellent tossed with some pasta and a few chopped anchovies.

cumin seeds 1 tsp, freshly ground fine
sea salt flakes 1 tsp
red peppers 3
banana shallots 2, peeled (or use 3 ordinary shallots)
garlic 2 cloves, peeled
olive oil
red wine vinegar 1-2 tbsp
king scallops 12
butter 15g
lemon 1/2, to squeeze
chives finely chopped, to garnish

■ Heat the oven to 220C/fan200C/gas7. Mix the cumin with the salt. Set aside. Put the peppers, shallots and garlic into a small roasting dish, just big enough to hold them all. Toss everything in a little olive oil and season. Cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes until soft. Keep covered and allow to cool a little.
■ When cool enough to handle, peel and seed the peppers, then throw all the vegetables and any juices from the roasting pan into a blender. Blitz to a puree. With the motor running, add another 100ml of olive oil and red wine vinegar. Taste and season as necessary. Push the mixture through a sieve for a smoother puree and keep warm. Thin out with a little water until you have a double cream consistency.
■ Heat a non-stick frying pan to a high heat. Season the scallops on one side with cumin salt. Add a small amount of oil to the pan and add the scallops, seasoned side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes until caramelised. Turn over and cook on the other side for a further minute or 2, until they start to go golden. Add the butter, allow to brown lightly and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Baste the scallops quickly with the pan juices, then remove from the pan.
■ To serve, arrange the scallops on the red pepper dressing. Spoon the buttery cumin pan juices around the scallops, then sprinkle with chives and serve.

Scallops with red pepper dressing

Cornish sea bass with fried chillies, ginger and spring onions

2012-02-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

35 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY

root ginger 3 cm piece, shredded
spring onions 6, shredded
red chilli 2, shredded
oil 2 tbsp, for frying
garlic 2 cloves, finely sliced
sea bass fillets 4, about 180g each(or 8 if the fish are very small)
spiced black rice vinegar 2 tbsp or 1 tbsp rice vinegar
sesame oil
coriander a handful of leaves, roughly chopped

■ Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and, when it is very hot, fry the ginger, spring onions and chilli until crisp. They should hiss and spit. Scoop them out the second they're done. Fry the garlic for a few seconds until it is light brown, then scoop out. Tip out all but a dribble of oil and add the sea bass skin-side down, 2 fillets at a time for about 4-6 minutes. Press them into the wok so they don't curl up. The skin should crisp and brown quickly and the fillets cook through. Turn them over if you need to. Keep warm while you cook the next batch.
■ Serve the fillets with the chillies, ginger and spring onions on top, drizzle over the vinegar and sesame oil and sprinkle over the coriander.

Cornish sea bass with fried chillies, ginger and spring onions

Whole roasted megrim sole with caper parsley butter

2012-02-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

30 minutes ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY

megrim sole 4 whole (about 250g each), skinned with head and tail removed
CAPER PARSLEY BUTTER
butter 200g
olive oil 75ml, plus extra for the sole
banana shallots 200g, sliced lengthways
bay leaf 1
garlic 3 cloves, thinly sliced
thyme 1 tbsp, chopped
black peppercorns 8, tied together in muslin
golden raisins 40g
capers 2 tbsp, rinsed and drained
white wine vinegar 2 tbsp
lemon juice 2 tbsp
flat-leaf parsley chopped to make 1 tbsp
lemon 1, cut into wedges

■ Heat the butter in a pan until it turns golden brown. Tip into a bowl.
■ Heat the oil in a different pan. Cook the shallots on a low heat until soft but not coloured. Add the bay leaf, garlic, thyme, peppercorns, raisins, capers, vinegar and lemon juice. Simmer until the raisins are soft Discard the peppercorns and bay leaf. Stir in the butter and keep warm.
■ Season the sole and brush with olive oil. Grill for about 8 minutes until cooked.
■ Sprinkle the sole with parsley. Serve with the lemon and the sauce spooned over.

Whole roasted megrim sole with caper parsley butter

Bellini sorbet

2012-02-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

Turn the famous Italian cocktail into a smart dessert.

*20 minutes + churning and freezing
■ Serves 6
You only need three ingredients to make this. We used Funkin white peach puree (available from Waitrose, Ocado and funkinco.uk), but you could also whizz 250q of peach flesh to a purge as a base.

golden caster sugar 75g
white peach puree 250ml
prosecco 500ml

■ Put the sugar in a small pan with 2 tbsp of water. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for a minute. Cool and mix with the other ingredients.
■ Pour into an ice cream machine and chum until frozen. Freeze until needed.

Bellini sorbet

FIVE NEW PIZZA BASE MIXES

2012-02-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

SAVE MONEY ON TAKEAWAYS AND TRY FIVE NEW PIZZAS

Make up 2 x 145g pizza base mix or 259g ciabatta bread mix for each recipe and follow the packet instructions. Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.

■ ARTICHOKE AND PROSCIUTTO PIZZA Sizzle 2 sliced garlic cloves in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add 1 tin drained chopped tomatoes. Simmer until thickened (about 10 minutes). Stir in a few basil leaves. Roll the dough into one large or two smaller long shapes. Spread over a thin layer of the sauce then top with 1 ball sliced mozzarella, 4 halved prosciutto slices and lOOg sliced artichoke hearts. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp and bubbling. Finish with a few more torn basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
■ MOZZARELLA, ANCHOVY, CAPER AND GREEN OLIVE PIZZA Roll the dough into one large or two smaller long shapes. Spread over a thin layer of tomato sauce (bought or follow the recipe above) and then top with 2 balls of shredded mozzarella. Scatter on 6 halved anchovies, some torn green olives and a hefty amount of capers and bake for 15-20 minutes or untilcrisp and bubbling. Add some rocket leaves. Drizzle over some balsamic vinegar.
■ CHORIZO, RED PEPPER AND PAPRIKA PIZZA Roll the dough into one large or two smaller long shapes. Sizzle 2 sliced garlic cloves in olive oil for a couple of minutes then add a pinch of smoked paprika. Spoon over the pizza bases. Add chorizo slices, some roasted red pepper slices and a handful of halved cherry tomatoes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and bubbling. Then dot with some blobs of creme fraTche and some sprinkle on freshly chopped parsley.
■ PESTO, COURGETTE AND PINE NUT PIZZA Roll the dough into one large or two smaller long shapes. Brush each base with pesto, sprinkle over pine nuts and heap on courgette ribbons tossed in olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the courgette has wilted. Drizzle on some more pesto and top with lots of parmesan shavings.
■ MASCARPONE, DOLCELATTE AND WALNUT PIZZA Roll the dough into one large or two smaller long shapes. Spread two tbsp mascarpone on each. Scatter on 2 sliced shallots, lumps of dolcelatte and roughly crushed walnuts. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp, bubbling. Add rocket dressed in walnut or olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

FIVE NEW PIZZA BASE MIXES

Pastels do nata (Portuguese custard tart)

2012-02-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

45 minutes + cooling ■ Makes 12 ■ TRICKY BUT WORTH IT

golden caster sugar 250g
lemon 2 slices
cinnamon sticks 2
semi-skimmed milk 250ml
plain flour 30g
cornflour 20g
vanilla extract a few drops
eggs 3 yolks, plus 1 whole egg
puff pastry 375g
flour, icing sugar and ground cinnamon for dusting and butter for the muffin tray

■ Tip the sugar, lemon and cinnamon into a pan with 125ml water and bring to a boil. Mix the flour, cornflour and vanilla with a small amount of milk until you have a smooth paste. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil, then pour it onto the flour mixture, whisking continuously. Pour back into a clean pan and bring to a simmer, whisking until the mixture thickens. Remove the cinnamon and lemon then stir both mixtures together and add the eggs, bring back to a simmer and whisk until smooth. Pour into a jug, cover the surface with clingfilm and allow to cool.
■ Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and put a baking sheet in the oven for bottom heat. Roll out the puff pastry on a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour and icing sugar. Cut the pastry in half and lay one sheet on top of the other. Roll the pastry sheets up like a Swiss roll and cut the roll into twelve slices about 1 cm - 2cm thick.
■ Lay each of the pastry slices flat on the work surface and roll them out into 10cm discs. Press a pastry disc into each of the wells of a buttered muffin tray. Divide the custard between the pastry cases.
■ Bake the tarts for 18-20 minutes on the preheated baking sheet, or until the custard has puffed up and is pale golden-brown, and the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Allow to cool in the tin. Before serving dust with some cinnamon and icing sugar.

Pastels do nata (Portuguese custard tart)