Author: Sophie

Peach and marzipan tart

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A simple summertime dream dessert, flavours of peach, raspberry and almond. Peach melba delight.

  • 320g ready rolled puff pastry
  • 200g marzipan
  • 2 large peaches, not too ripe and squishy
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam
  • 150g raspberries
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C fan (220C) and take the pastry out of the fridge
  2. Unroll the pastry onto a lined baking tray (maybe just use the paper that came rolled around the pastry)
  3. Score a rectangle around the pastry 1½ cm in from the edge
  4. Slice the marzipan finely, 1-2 mm thick – or grate it if it’s hard
  5. Lay or scatter the marzipan on the puff pastry in a single layer within the scored rectangle
  6. Halve and slice the peaches into 2 mm slices
  7. Place the peach slices over the marzipan in overlapping rows like fish scales
  8. Bake for 20 mins then turn the tray and give it another 7 mins
  9. Take the tart out of the oven, leave to cool for 5 mins
  10. Melt the jam in a small pan the brush it over the peaches until glossy and sticky then scatter the raspberries evenly over the top
  11. Serve warm with raspberry ripple ice cream on the side

2 sorts of sausage rolls

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Different, but both delicious. Lovely nibbles. Makes 16.

  • 400g pork sausage meat (or sausages squeezed out of its skins)
  • 320g puff pastry sheet
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 3 tbsp onion marmalade
  • Handful dried breadcrumbs
  • Large handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped (sage, parsley, chives, savoury)
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • Black pepper
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds, cracked a little with a pestle and mortar (or 1 tbsp kalonji/black onion seeds)
  • 1 tbsp pul biber (or ½ tbsp paprika)
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C fan (210C)
  2. Take the pastry out of the fridge 15 mins before you’re ready to make the sausage rolls
  3. Divide the sausage meat in half into 2 bowls
  4. Into one half, mix the wholegrain mustard, onion marmalade and dried breadcrumbs
  5. And into the other, mix the chopped herbs, garlic and a good grind of black pepper
  6. Mix well until the ingredients are completely combined
  7. Unroll the pastry and cut it lengthways down the middle into 2 strips
  8. Form each sausage mixture into a long thin cylinder the length of the pastry strip and place one down the middle of each strip
  9. Along the long edge, tightly roll the pastry over the sausage meat and then keep rolling until the sausage is enclosed and the edge is underneath
  10. Repeat with the other roll
  11. Brush the top with egg. Onto the onion and mustard rolls sprinkle the mustard seeds or kalonji, and on the herb and garlic rolls sprinkle the pul biber or paprika
  12. Wet a sharp knife with a little water and cut the sausage rolls into 8 equal-sized pieces. If the knife starts to stick, just wet it again
  13. Lift the little rolls onto a lined baking tray and pop into the oven
  14. Bake for 20 mins until golden brown and cooked through
  15. Lift the sausage rolls off the tray onto a rack to cool before scoffing enthusiastically

Squished and roasted new potatoes

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All crunchy edges and soft insides. Serve with the protein of your choice. And pep up by drizzling over salsa verde, persillade or chilli oil and fresh coriander once cooked

  • 500g small new potatoes, cleaned and left whole
  • Salt
  • 4 tbsp veg oil
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan (200C)
  2. Bring a half-full pan of salted water to the boil and tip in the potatoes
  3. Boil for 15 mins until nearly cooked through
  4. Drain and then squash each one lightly with a potato masher – not until completely flattened but moderately crushed without breaking into pieces
  5. Put a roasting tin with the oil in it into the oven for 5 mins
  6. When the oil is hot, pop the potatoes into the tray and flip them over gently in the oil
  7. Scatter over a pinch of salt
  8. Roast for 40-45 mins until golden and crisp

Lamb pinches

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A Middle Eastern-spiced play on Spanish pinchos. Perfect with a toothpick stuck in, served alongside beer or bubbles. Or use these little nuggets of joy to top a crunchy Israeli-style chopped salad… or as a punchy accompaniment to a delicate pilaf. Literally never not delicous.

  • 500g lamb
  • 2 tsp pul biber
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp dried mint
  • 1 tsp onion granules
  • ½ tsp garlic granules
  • ½ lemon (or 3 tbsp lemon juice)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  1. Dump the lamb mince into a bowl and enthusiastically scatter over all of the spices
  2. Squeeze in a small amount of lemon juice (keeping the rest of the half lemon for later)
  3. Mix thoroughly with your hands, making sure the spices are well-distributed and squeezing the mixture together into a firm-ish ball
  4. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium-high heat
  5. Pinch off small pieces of the minced lamb mixture (just using your thumb and two fingers, don’t compress them or roll them – uneven and rough around the edges is the name of the game). This amount of lamb will make 24-26 pinches
  6. Pop them into the pan one after the other as you quickly pinch them
  7. Fry on one side for about 5 mins then flip and cook for a further 2 mins
  8. Turn the heat down and squeeze over the remaining lemon and a tiny splash of water
  9. Turn the pinches over in the dressing, scraping the brown off the bottom of the pan and combining the lamb fat and lemon juice into a savoury, glossy glaze to coat your lamb
  10. Turn off the heat and serve immediately. Try not to eat them all on your way from the kitchen to the living room.

If you’d like to spice these little bites in other ways, go for your life. Replace the cinnamon and allspice with turmeric and fenugreek for an Indian take. Or just cut out everything except the garlic, onion and paprika for the fuss-pots.

Egg curry

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No, stay with me! This will surprise you with its rich tenderness. A velvety coconutty curry sauce, deep in flavour, enveloping perfectly-cooked boiled eggs. Served with a heap of fluffy basmati rice and sauteed greens. Such a good weeknight dinner. Feeds a hungry 2.

  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 3 cm ginger, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 birdseye chillis, slitted with a knife but not fully split
  • 6 curry leaves
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 2 tomatoes, whizzed up with a hand blender or grated
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • 4 ‘6-min’ hardboiled eggs, peeled (put in cold water in a small pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 6 mins. Cool under cold running water for 1 min)
  1. Heat oil in large pan pan over low heat and fry the fennel, cumin and fenugreek seeds for 2 mins until fragrant
  2. Add ginger, garlic, whole chillis and curry leaves. Cook, stirring, for around 20 seconds
  3. Add the onions and stir in, cooking over a low heat for 10 mins until completely soft
  4. Stir in ground spices and cook for 1 min
  5. Then add tomatoes, 150ml water and salt
  6. Stick the lid on and cook for 5 mins until the tomatoes are soft and the sauce has combined
  7. Pour in the coconut milk and gently stir to combine until the mixture bubbles
  8. Cook for 5 mins then add the whole boiled eggs and gently poke under the surface
  9. Cook for a further 5 mins and then serve

Hoisin pork puffs

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Puffs of delight. A delicate shell of shiny puff pastry encasing a deeply rich, soft, sweet/savoury barbecue pork, tender and succulent. I dare you to just eat one. The perfect thing to eat with a beer in the garden at a party or as part of a dim sum spread. Or just for lunch.

  • 350g pork fillet, trimmed and cut into 1-2cm cubes
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3cm ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 3 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice
  • 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tsp cold water
  • 320g ready-made and rolled puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Sesame seeds to sprinkle
  1. In a bowl, combine the pork with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin, oyster sauce, sesame oil and 5 spice
  2. After it has marinated for at least 30 mins (and up to 12 hrs), heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat
  3. Tip in the pork mixture. Stir and cook until the pork is cooked through and starting to brown, and the marinade is sticky and thick, almost completely disappeared. This will happen pretty quickly, in 5-10 mins
  4. Tip the cooked pork out onto a plate and add 100ml cold water to the pan, scraping all the bits off the bottom
  5. Pour in the cornflour slurry and stir in, making sure it’s well-combined
  6. Turn the heat down and continue to stir until it makes a thick sauce
  7. Pour this over the pork and mix through
  8. Let the pork mixture cool to room temperature before making the pastries
  9. Preheat the oven to 180C fan (200C) and take the pastry out of the fridge to let it come to room temp
  10. Unroll your pastry and cut into 9 rectangles
  11. Place a heaped tsp of the pork filling in the centre. Then bring together the corners and pinch closed, then the edges, folding together to seal. The parcel should be roughly round-ish
  12. Flip the bun over so the edges are underneath and gently place on the lined baking tray
  13. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds
  14. Bake for 20-30 mins until the pastry is golden

Custard

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Easier than I had imagined to make from scratch. When you planned an apple crumble but forgot this essential accompaniment, you can whip up some creamy, thick, unctuous custard in between the main course and pudding (while the crumble is cooling from volcano temp to something edible). Feeds 4.

  • 300ml whole milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp corn flour
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  1. Put the milk in a small saucepan and heat gently until it starts to bubble around the edges
  2. While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks, corn flour, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl
  3. Pour the hot milk in a stream over the egg mixture, whisking constantly (potentially a 2-person job, depending on how stable your bowl is)
  4. Then give the saucepan a quick rinse and pour the egg mixture back into the pan
  5. Cook the custard very gently over a low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens. You’ll think it never will and then suddenly it will be thick and everyone will be happy!
  6. Take the pan off the heat and serve warm

Rhubarb, apple and almond pudding

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Warm, comforting, fragrant. Tangy with fruit and richly sweet with almond sponge.

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced
1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and diced
400g rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
3 heaped tbsp soft light brown sugar
2 heaped tbsp cornflour
1 tsp cinnamon
140g ground almonds
140g unsalted butter at room temperature
140g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Place the apples and rhubarb into a ceramic baking dish
  3. Throw in the brown sugar, cornflour and cinnamon and toss the fruit until coated
  4. In a big bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy
  5. Beat in the eggs a bit at a time until well combined
  6. Then fold in the ground almonds
  7. Dollop big spoonfuls onto the fruit and then spread the mixture evenly
  8. Bake for 1 hour and leave to stand for 15 mins before serving warm with custard

Bun cha

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Succulent little balls of pork and herbs, simple to throw together and perfect with a cold beer. A Vietnamese name, but without any claim to authenticity. Serve with fine rice noodles, chilli sauce and lettuce leaves to wrap if you want to make them into a meal. Makes around 10.

  • 400g minced pork
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 5 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp sriracha
  • Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
  1. Thoroughly mix everything together in a bowl
  2. Cover and leave to rest for 30 mins in the fridge. Then lightly scoop up and roll into golfball-sized balls without overworking or compressing the mixture too much
  3. Grill, fry or barbecue for 10 mins until cooked through and serve straight away

Chicken casserole and herby dumplings

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The most savoury, comforting food you can imagine. Brilliant for celebrating friends, mending heartache or just for dinner. Serve with greens and bread for mopping. Feeds 4.

  • 700-800g boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 150g pancetta, cubed
  • 1 large leek, washed and chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
  • 3 carrots, halved lengthways and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
  • 200ml white wine
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 1 heaped tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper
  1. In a large heavy-bottomed pan over a high heat, melt the butter and oil together until they bubble and start to turn golden
  2. Pop the chicken thighs into the hot fat in a single layer and brown on both sides
  3. Remove into a plate (they don’t have to be fully cooked) and turn the heat down
  4. Add the pancetta to the pan and fry until golden brown and catching round the edges
  5. Drop in the prepped leek, celery, carrot and garlic
  6. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 mins until soft
  7. Sprinkle over the flour and stir in well, cooking for 2 mins
  8. Add the wine and stir until it disappears, then add the chicken stock, mustard, lemon juice, thyme and bay
  9. Season well with pepper and salt to taste
  10. Bring the sauce to a bubble until it’s glossy and thickened
  11. Pop the browned chicken back into the pan, pushing the pieces just under the surface
  12. Put the lid on and simmer for 30 mins
  13. While it’s cooking, make the dumplings
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 60g plain yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 40g butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
  • 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan
  • 150g fresh white breadcrumbs
  1. Whisk together all the ingredients except the breadcrumbs
  2. Then stir in the breadcrumbs until just combined
  3. Gemtly roll between your palms into 12 round-ish dumplings
  4. Drop them into the stew and gently press beneath the surface
  5. Cook (without stirring or poking) for 15-20 mins

Serve immediately to those you love (or to those barely tolerate – maybe this casserole will change things for the better, you never know)