Author: Sophie

My favourite cookbooks

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I have a deep and abiding affection for my favourite cookery books, especially the bits that are stained and wrinkled and spattered with use. Here are a few of them

Fresh India. Nothing is here is not delicious. There is literally not one single dud recipe. And the writing is wonderfully evocative and humorous too. My top choices include her fresh mater paneer, root vegetable masala, pineapple raita and mango paneer skewers.

The Roasting Tin. The chicken wings with sweet potato and lime yogurt. Life-changer. And that’s just the beginning. You could happily read this cover to cover, drooling gently as you browse. And the photographs of every dish are lovely.

Zaitoun. Extraordinary and poetic. Special shout-out to the spiced lamb and hummus, smashed avocado, rainbow carrot salad with herb yogurt, the roast chicken with sumac. And there are salads for days. Make EVERYTHING. Fragrant, tasty, delightful.

Nigel Slater‘s books are a delight to read and salivate over. I’ve got more of his books than any other writer’s. My fave is Real Food, but there are so many to choose from and read for hours in a comfy chair. He offers a deep pool of knowledge, experience and reassurance that I can sink contentedly into, knowing there will be something delicious at the end of it.

Queen Nigella is my go-to for anything sweet. And a substantial number of savoury things too. But most especially her chocolate cloud cake, pavlovas, nutella cake, lemon tender cake with blueberry compote, chocolate chip cookies, molten chocolate babycakes, incredibly sticky, spicy, deeply treacly gingerbread and marzipan cake. The list of amazing things to put in your mouth is endless. Incredibly happy-making food.

Nigel and Nigella are like the mum and dad of my cooking.

And, if they’re the parents, then Felicity Cloake is like the kind, clever older sister (although I’m probably actually older than her in real life).

Her book Perfect is soothing and comforting. So much so that, at moments of high anxiety – and there have been a LOT of them in recent months – I read it in bed and it sends me to a happy sleep where things make sense and someone else has done the hard work for you. She also writes the brilliant Perfect column in the Guardian, full of recipes tried and tested by someone I trust so much that I’d leave my child with them. Seriously, all her food always works.

Gnocchi, broccoli and walnuts

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Whip up this delight for a quick weeknight dinner. The creamy cheesiness is set off beautifully by the slightly bitter broccoli and walnuts, tangy mustard and sweet, fresh peas. Tasty and incredibly more-ish. Will make you want to lick the bowl. And no-one would judge you if you did

  • 500g bag fresh gnocchi
  • 200g pack long stem broccoli
  • 100g frozen petit pois
  • 50g walnut pieces
  • 100ml double cream
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 50g gruyere, grated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  1. Toast walnuts in a dry pan over a medium heat. Don’t allow to burn or they’ll go bitter
  2. Cut the broccoli stems into halves/thirds
  3. Boil large pan of water
  4. Add broccoli and cook for 3 mins then drain, keeping a cup of the broccoli-water on one side
  5. Heat large non-stick frying pan with olive oil
  6. Tip in broccoli, gnocchi and frozen peas
  7. Fry for 2 mins then add mustard and cream
  8. Stir together, bring to a bubble, taste and season. Add a little broccoli-water if it gets too thick
  9. Turn off the heat, add cheese and walnuts and stir together
  10. Serve straight away

Pastitsio

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The Greek answer to lasagne. I’m genuinely not sure which I like best. Maybe both…

Top 3 pastitsio facts : 1) it uses lamb rather than beef 2) it features the most unwieldy pasta in the known universe and 3) you beat eggs into the white sauce so it sets gently in a layer on top of the savoury concoction below. The pasta is like 30cm-long tubes of macaroni, apparently used for nothing except this dish. If you can’t find it, just substitute with regular macaroni. Feeds 6-8 and takes a couple of hours, from start to finished dish

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g lamb mince
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of allspice
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 250ml red wine
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 lamb stock cube
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 400ml milk
  • 200g halloumi, grated
  • 200g cheddar, grated
  • 2 eggs
  • Nutmeg
  • 300g pastitsio macaroni
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil in a large thick-bottomed saucepan over a high heat
  2. Brown the lamb mince, breaking it up with the spoon, then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil behind
  3. Drop in the onion and garlic and saute for around 8 mins until soft
  4. Add tomato puree, crumbled lamb stock cube and wine. Cook, stirring, for 5 mins
  5. Add chopped tomatoes, herbs, spices, half a tin of water, sugar, salt and pepper
  6. Simmer over a low heat for 45 mins, stirring every now and again to make sure it doesn’t stick. Add a bit more liquid if needed as it cooks
  7. In the meantime, make a roux with butter and flour (melt the butter and whisk in the flour, cooking for a couple of mins)
  8. Pour in the milk, whisking it as it warms to make smooth white sauce
  9. Over a low heat, add the grated cheddar and halloumi
  10. Grate over a few grates of nutmeg and season well
  11. Take off the heat and beat in the 2 eggs
  12. Preheat oven to 180C fan (200C)
  13. Cook the pasta for 8 mins in salted boiling water
  14. In a deep ceramic oven dish (rectangular will be simplest because the pasta wants to lie in straight lines), layer the meat sauce and pasta – keeping the pasta tubes all lying in the same direction
  15. Pour the cheese sauce over the top, sprinkling with a bit more grated cheddar
  16. Bake for 30 mins until golden and bubbling on top

To serve, cut slices across the pasta so the cross-section shows all the hollow tubes like a honeycomb. Serve a crispy, lemony salad alongside

Coconut chai spiced loaf

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Sweet, creamy coconut x warm, chai spices. A perfect match, and a legitimate reason to have both of these things for breakfast.

  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 140g light brown soft sugar
  • 140g plain flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 40g desiccated coconut
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Seeds from 5 cardamom pods, crushed
  • Grating of nutmeg
  • Pinch ground cloves
  1. Line a loaf tin and pre-heat oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. In a bowl or large jug, whisk together the coconut milk, oil, eggs and vanilla.
  3. In another bowl, mix the sugar, flour, baking powder, desiccated coconut, spices and a pinch of salt.
  4. Simply pour in the wet ingredients and mix until just combined to a smooth batter.
  5. Pour into the tin and bake for 1 hour (or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean)

Cucumber salad

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Simple, spiky, sweet, tangy, mouthwatering. Goes with anything. Feeds 2

  • Half a cucumber
  • 4 tbsp vinegar
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Slice the cucumber as thin as poss, use a mandolin if you have one
  2. In a cup, mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved
  3. Pour over the cucumber slices and mix through. Leave for 5 mins before serving, but no more than half an hour

If you’re making this to go with SE Asian food, use rice vinegar and garnish with sliced red chilli. If it’s Eastern European, use white wine vinegar, add a load of freshly ground black pepper or fresh chopped dill. If you’re just eating it with a pile of barbecued sausages, you can keep it plain!

Apple crumble

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Like a hug from your favourite person.

  • 5 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1 eating apple, peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 240g (2 cups) plain flour
  • 200g (1 cup) soft light brown sugar
  • 160g softened, unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  1. Pre-heat oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Mix together flour, brown sugars, butter and cinnamon, rubbing the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
  3. Sprinkle the caster sugar and lemon juice over the sliced apple and mix together. Place the sugary apple in a wide, ovenproof dish, evenly distributed
  4. Spread over the crumble topping evenly. Press down gently with your fingers
  5. Bake for an hour. Maybe pop a baking tray on the shelf below just in case there are any small eruptions!
  6. Cool for 10 mins before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

You can add fruit such as cooked rhubarb or strawberries (with a sprinkle of flour to absorb the liquid). Or make it with peaches or apricots, and mix some flaked almonds and crushed amaretti biscuits into the crumble topping.

Oat and raisin rock cakes

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Nibbly, nubbly, raisiny, oaty and wholesome little craggy cookies. Makes 24.

  • 100g raisins
  • 150ml vegetable oil
  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 140g plain flour
  • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 300g oats
  1. Heat oven to 160C fan (180C) and line 2 baking trays
  2. Pour 50ml of boiling water over the raisins and leave to soak for 20 mins until plump. Drain, reserving the liquid
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar. Gradually beat in the egg, then the reserved water from the raisins, the cinnamon and vanilla
  4. Stir in the flour, bicarb, a pinch of salt, oats and raisins until well combined
  5. Drop heaped tbsps of the cookie dough onto the baking trays, evenly spaced. They can be quite close together, this mixture doesn’t spread much when baked
  6. Bake for 12-15 mins until golden
  7. Cool on a rack

Corn fritters

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The ultimate brunch. Also supper, lunch, I could argue breakfast too. This recipe makes 6-8 fat fritters. Pop some piquant salsa on the side, dollop on some crushed avocado, pop a poached egg on top or drizzle with sriracha. Or, of course, all of the above for ultimate delicousness.

  • 1 small tin of sweetcorn, drained
  • 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 100g strong cheese (grated cheddar, crumbled feta, grated halloumi)
  • 250g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • Milk (enough to bring together as a thick batter, can add a couple tbsp sour cream instead)
  • Salt and pepper (add other spices to taste – maybe garlic powder, paprika, smoked paprika)
  • Veg oil

Just mix everything together briefly until well-combined but without over-beating it. Heat some veg oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry for about 4 mins a side until golden brown and cooked through. Keep warm in a low oven if you need to cook in batches. Enjoy!

Chocolate-dipped crystallised orange peel

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My granddad used to call these hash because he was an innocent and that was the most addictive thing he could think of. I wouldn’t go as far as to say addictive, but I would place a substantial bet against anyone being able to eat just one of them. This is another family Christmas tradition, combining chewy, deeply orange flavoured, crystallised peel with deep, dark chocolate. They are genuinely sublime and much greater than the sum of their parts. AND they use a bit of the fruit which normally gets thrown away, so it’s a double-win.

I’m not going to lie, this is a slightly more complicated process than most of my recipes. It’s a labour of love. Not difficult at all, but there are quite a few steps (all though 3 of them are just ‘change the water’) and it takes at least a week. Also, one of your saucepans will be occupied for 4 days.

You need to spend a couple of weeks (depending on how many oranges you eat) beforehand peeling oranges carefully with a knife and collecting the peel in a box. You need at least 4-6 oranges-worth to make it worthwhile. You can also use grapefruit or lemons. Not satsumas or limes though, because the skin is too thin.

Before you start, the peel should be in pieces like the pic below. (I know, a picture, what a treat!)

  • Day 1: Cut the peel into long strips 1-2 cm at their widest point. Then slice off half the pith from each strip (so you’re cutting the top layer of the white bit off each piece). This is easiest if you hold the peel down flat on a chopping board with one hand, orange side down, and use a very sharp knife in the other hand to slice a thin strip of the pith off the top. (It’s ok if you go deeper by accident.) Then put the strips into a big bowl, cover generously with cold water, stick a plate or something on top so nothing falls in it and leave to soak for 24 hours
  • Day 2: Drain and change the water
  • Day 3: Drain and change the water 
  • Day 4: Drain and put the wet peel into a saucepan. Cover with new cold water and bring to the boil. Drain and then weigh the peel. In a separate bowl, measure out the same weight of sugar as peel. Then, in a jug, measure out the same ml of water as grams of sugar. Put the sugar and water into the empty pan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the peel, stir in and leave to cool in the pan
  • Day 5: Bring to the boil, stirring gently, then leave to cool 
  • Day 6: Bring to the boil, stirring gently, then leave to cool
  • Day 7: Bring to the boil very slowly, stirring occasionally, until the syrup begins to crystallise. Turn the heat down very low and stir gently and continuously until there’s no liquid left. Remove the crystallised peel (not using your fingers) to cool onto a lined baking sheet. Make sure they’re not touching or they’ll stick together 
  • Day 8: Melt dark chocolate in a bowl. The chocolate can be as dark and as fancy as you like. Although I’m a big fan of a Dairy Milk button or two, you should not use milk chocolate here. Dip each piece of peel into the chocolate to cover the whole thing except for the tinest finger-hold at one end. Place, not touching, on a lined tray and leave to harden in the fridge

They will keep well in a tin or airtight container in a cool place for weeks if you can stop everyone in your life from hoovering them up before you put them away.

Peels awaiting their fate!

Banoffee pie

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Sticky, gooey, ridiculously sweet. Will win you friends and influence people. Serves 6 generously

  • 120g digestive biscuits (about 8 of them)
  • 60g butter, melted
  • 200g tinned Carnation caramel (annoyingly half a tin) or dulce de leche
  • 2 bananas
  • 150ml double cream
  • Chocolate shavings to decorate

If you don’t have caramel, you can cook a tin of condensed milk by placing it in a saucepan, fully covering the tin with water, bringing to the boil and simmering uncovered for 3 hours.You will probably need to keep topping the water up. Then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before opening.So then it’s just a construction job.

You need a tin or serving dish and, if you want to serve it like a cheesecake, you’ll need a lined springform tin

  1. Crush the digestives to crumbs and pour over the melted butter
  2. Mix together and press into the bottom of the tin/dish
  3. Leave on one side to cool and harden for at least 15 mins
  4. Cut the bananas into rounds and whip the cream until thick but not stiff
  5. Spread the caramel over the biscuit base, arrange the banana slices on top in an even layer and finish with a layer of whipped cream
  6. Decorate with grated dark chocolate or cocoa powder