Month: Feb 2022

Garlic chilli spaghetti

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Lip-smackingly savoury, kind of fusion, carb heaven. However you describe it, the perfect weeknight dinner ready in 12 mins. Feeds 2

  • 250g spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
  • 1 heaped tsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 25g parmesan, finely grated
  • 7 or so chives, finely chopped
  1. Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water for 9 mins (retaining 50ml of the pasta water when you drain it)
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the garlic
  3. Cook until golden – don’t take your eyes off them, you don’t want them to turn dark brown or burn!
  4. Fish the garlic out of the oil, add the butter and stir to melt
  5. Add chilli flakes and sizzle them for a moment before adding the oyster sauce and soy sauce
  6. Swirl to combine everything
  7. Add the cooked spaghetti with the retained cooking water and turn through the sauce
  8. Add parmesan and chives and mix through
  9. Remove from heat and serve straight away, sprinkled with the garlic chips you made earlier. Plus perhaps an extra sprinkle of chives, some crispy chilli and toasted sesame seeds on top

Berry spoom

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A brilliantly flothy, fluffy, foamy version of sorbet. And possibly the best name of any dessert ever. Feeds 2.

  • 150g berries, any sort you like
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 1 egg white
  1. Put the berries in a pan with 50g of the sugar and 50ml water
  2. Heat gently until the berries pop and release their juice
  3. Pour into a fine sieve and press through to remove the pulp and seeds
  4. Taste to check the sugar levels (adjust with more sugar or a squeeze of lemon juice – bearing in mind there’s more sugar to come) and then chill the fruit puree for at least 20 mins
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white to soft peaks
  6. Add the remaining sugar 1 tsp at a time until it is a stiff glossy meringue
  7. Fold the fruit puree into the meringue until it’s completely incorporated
  8. Scrape into a freezer-safe container and cover. Freeze for at least 2 hours

Remove from the freezer about 10 mins before you want to serve. Top with a splash of bubbly and a few fresh berries for extra froth and fizz!

Chicken pastilla triangles

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Deeply inauthentic but very delicious. A study in contrasts, savoury/sweet and crisp/soft. Makes 8.

Make the filling a day ahead if poss. Gives all the flavours time to really get to know each other and ensures the filling is cool when you fill the pastry. A faff, yes. But a necessary one.

  • 4 chicken thigh fillets
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, sliced into thin half moons
  • 5 dates, pitted and cut into quarters
  • 1½ tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8 sheets filo pastry
  • 3 tbsp veg oil
  • Sesame seeds
  1. Heat the olive oil in thick-bottomed saucepan over a high heat
  2. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides, then remove to a plate
  3. Turn the heat down, add the onions and cook for 5 mins until softened
  4. Tip in the dates, ras el hanout, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper
  5. Stir in for 30 secs, then add boiling water to the pan, around 300ml
  6. Scrape the pan well to get all the delicous brown off the bottom and bring to the boil
  7. Pop the chicken back into the bubbly liquid and turn to a low simmer with the lid on
  8. Cook for 30 mins, then take the lid off and cook for a further 30 mins
  9. Remove the chicken from the pan and shred it with 2 forks
  10. If you need to, turn the heat up and reduce the liquid til it’s a thick, rich onion gravy (you need very little liquid left or it’ll soak through the pastry)
  11. Add the chicken back in and mix through to coat it
  12. Leave to cool, then pop into a tupperware and chill until ready to use
  1. When you’re ready to bake your golden triangles, pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C)
  2. Right, this bit is fiddly but not nearly as complicated as it sounds…
  3. Cut the filo sheets in half lengthways. You need 2 strips per triangle so keep the rest from drying out under a tea towel or paper towel
  4. Brush one strip with oil and pop the other strip on top
  5. Press them together and then place a spoonful of the filling on end of the pastry strip nearest you, slightly on the left side and just up from the bottom.
  6. Now fold the bottom right hand corner up to cover the filling, and then fold over the wrapped filling to create a triangular shaped parcel
  7. Continue folding up the pastry strip until you run out of pastry
  8. Place flap-side down on a lined baking sheet
  9. Brush the top of the beautiful finished triangle with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds
  10. Continue with all remaining filling and pastry strips
  11. Bake for 25 mins until golden brown
  12. Serve warm with a salad on the side

Ras el hanout

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

My version of the enormously complex Moroccan “top shelf” spice mix. Vibrant and earthy, it makes a brilliant start to a tagine, marinade for grilled chicken or spicing for a pastilla.

  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • Large pinch ground fenugreek
  • Large pinch ground cloves
  1. Mix everything together well
  2. Store in an air tight jar until you need it

Pork ragu

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Warm, rich and comforting. Eat over pasta or a jacket potato. Serves 4 generously.

  • 900g pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into chunky pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 100g pancetta, chopped
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 250ml red wine
  • Couple of shakes worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan (one with a close-fitting lid) over a high heat
  2. Put in the pieces of pork and leave until they turn brown, then flip them
  3. Brown on all sides and remove from the pan
  4. Turn the heat down and add the pancetta. Stir and cook until it’s crispy round the edges
  5. Then add the onions, carrot and garlic
  6. Stir together and cook for 5-8 mins until soft
  7. Add the wine, worcestershire sauce and tomato puree and stir in, scraping the lovely brown off the bottom of the pan
  8. Bubble for a couple of mins, then add the sugar, bay leaf, tinned tomatoes and 1½ tins of water
  9. Stir together, season well with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil
  10. Put the pork back in the pan and stir everything together
  11. Stick the lid on and put onto the lowest heat (or into an oven at 130C fan)
  12. Cook for 2 hours, stirring every hour or so
  13. Then take the lid off and simmer for a further 30 mins until the sauce is thick and rich. Just keep bubbling if you need to, it may take a little longer
  14. Take off the heat and remove the pork into a bowl
  15. Roughly shred it with 2 forks and scrape it back into the sauce
  16. Stir in and you’re ready to serve