Hectic weekend? The horror of a pre-bank holiday week of work beginning to dawn on you? Why not ignore that for just a little bit longer – make yourself a cup of tea and have a browse of the recipes from the supplements over the last few days.
Savoury
I’m not sure I’m on board with the one pot pasta thing, though Anna Jones’ pea, lemon, asparagus and spaghetti number looks fresh (love the inclusion of sorrel). I suppose I should give it a go and find out whether it’s better or easier than cooking the pasta as per normal. The problem is, Anna’s column also included a carrot dal with quick radish, lemon and nigella seed pickle. So I’m not sure I won’t get distracted each time I return to that pasta recipe.
The Telegraph had news of Tom Adams (Pitt Cue) and April Bloomfield (Spotted Pig)’s new Cornish farm project – basically, rooms, land, food in, er, Cornwall. Which may well be the most interesting news of the food year to date (background: Cornwall has amazing produce; both chefs cook awesome food; there’s a lot of room for good, rural food destinations). That piece included recipes for seasonal things you (well, I), really want to cook and eat: asparagus with wild garlic and pork fat; courgette and ricotta salad; slow cooked lamb with more of that wild garlic.
There were ten speedy soups from food stylist Henrietta Clancy in The Times Magazine, complete with varied garnishes. It feels like the wrong time of year to release a soup book. But, to be fair, the flavours and ingredients in the ten recipes that were featured are bright and zesty: sweetcorn; gaspacho; cucumber with lemon salsa.
Stephen Harris cooked Telegraph readers skate with brown butter and cockles. Which might be one of my favourite things.
In the Guardian Magazine, Yotam Ottolenghi celebrated the three finalists in the BBC Food and Farming Awards ‘Food Producer’ category, of which he is a judge this year. Tasty, achievable recipes include baked celeriac with smoked trout and caper salsa, and bacon jam to go with a leek and Cheshire cheese toastie. But my eyes were drawn to the bottom of the page, and a very fine looking giant couscous, chorizo, fennel and cherry tomato bake. Lush.
Having questioned one pot pasta, I find myself endorsing Tommy’s roast chicken and baked puttanesca-come-panzanella, all of which sits in the same tray, juices mingling and soaking and generally vibing out together. Good, easy lunch or supper for 6 that. Her Saturday Guardian Magazine recipe section was completed by a quick to prepare and assemble pineapple and anise fruit salad with toasted coconut.
In the FT, the Honey & Co duo proposed a steak ‘fattoush’ salad on a sourdough trencher: aged sirloin, tomato slices, mint and parsley leaves, grapes, red onion. As they mention, this will live and die on how good your meat and tomatoes are.
I have, to date, neglected Romy Gill’s Cook Residency in The Guardian Cook supplement. Bad form. Her Bengali food looks homely and packed with flavour – which is what we want, right? Her three recipes this week would make a gorgeous, balanced, meal: smoky spiced aubergines, lovely sticky chicken with fenugreek leaves, and a sparky mung dal salad with pomegranate and cherry tomatoes.
What to serve with your next slow roast lamb shoulder? How about Rachel Roddy’s Roman spring vegetable stew?
The Sunday Times’ recipes were linked to its 2016 Rich List. Apparently, the head chef of Richard Branson’s Necker Island cooks the super wealthy visitors beetroot cured salmon, shepherds pie and fruit salad. Never have the grey, cold, rough, impoverished but creative wilds of East London been more tempting.
The OFM published a spring recipe special. The first part came online today – Nieves Barragan Mohaco’s white asparagus and romesco, and Sean Kelly’s braised rabbit, radishes and mustard caught my eye.
Sweet
Nigel Slater’s Observer column was based around a lemon mousse recipe he found in an old notebook – and reinvented it as a lemon cream-cheese mousse cake. I imagine it as a sharp finish to a good meal. But am perhaps more keen to begin that meal with his other recipe: a chilled cucumber soup with crab cakes (and, as he suggests, dark rye bread on the side).
Nadiya Hussein spent much of her Saturday’s Times Magazine intro worrying about what it means to be a pie. Which was strange, because whilst she then produced a ‘no-tin apple and almond pie‘, this was, in fact, a galette. Which is really a no-tin tart. Almonds and marzipan in the apple mix, though. Which was nice.
Forced rhubarb is great, isn’t it? All fluro pink and pretty and stuff. Yet I’ve probably a greater affection for the outdoor, green and red mottled stuff. Maybe it’s an underdog status thing. Maybe it actually the better ‘barb – stronger flavour, more sour, hefty. Anyway, point being the battery farm forced stuff is pretty much over and we’re on to free range, outdoor reared season … and Claire Ptak’s Cook recipes make the most of it: a roulade (with a splash of orange blossom) and a classic ice cream.
From the internet
The Running Baker blog features the recipes of drool-worthy instagram account: @edwardmelconian. I rather like the look of his maraschino cherry meringue tart.
Supplemental Cooking
The end of last week featured a mass of photo shoot cooking. Which had the double impact of many leftovers to get through; and virtually no interest in time at the stove. An assembly of blanched agretti, egg yolk and ricotta was more than enough effort for the weekend. I would otherwise have tried one (or both) of Anna Jones’ recipes.
Weekend Menu, 23 and 24 April 2016
—
Chilled cucumber soup with crab cakes
Nigel Slater, The Observer
—
Skate with brown butter and cockles
Stephen Harris, The Telegraph
—
Rhubarb and orange blossom roulade
Claire Ptak, The Guardian, Cook
—
Subscribe to the Rocket & Squash newsletter for monthly emails. These bring together the latest blog posts, plus a few other things from elsewhere that you might find interesting. Sign up using the envelope button at the base of the site. Next one in the first week of May.
* NB if you’re reading this using an RSS feed / Feedly, you’ll probably be wondering why I’m pushing tramadol … not intentional. Visit the site directly on rocketandsquash.com and the links will appear normal. I’m working on sorting that out.
Comments