Hi, hi. I might’ve missed some things, but here’s a fairly comprehensive rundown of the latest recipes in the weekend broadsheets.
The Guardian and Observer
From the Ottolenghi stable on Saturday: shellfish. So, clams with harissa; crab on toast with lime, cumin and pickled samphire; soba noodles and prawns with a passion fruit (!) dressing.
Loved Meera Sodha’s warm, spiced salad of chickpeas, samphire and potatoes. Stick that under a piece of cod or haddock.
I was keen, too, on Nigel Slater’s punchy olive, caper and anchovy paste, which gets smothered over lamb chops and served with a simple but oh so seasonal tomato salad. Also for the spoils of the tomato box: a tray of chicken wings with a roast tomato, chilli and harissa base to scrape from the pan.
Look! An almond cake from king of puddings Jeremy Lee — to be topped with pine nuts and served with lightly macerated strawberries. Lovely.
Also in Cook, there was a dreamy extract from Olia Hercules’ new book Kaukasis. The column is not on t’internet, yet. But to be honest you should just go straight to a bookshop / online, and get yourself a copy*. This journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan and beyond is unlike any of the other tomes on your bookshelves right now. It’s utterly beautiful and compelling, makes you want to cook food you’ve never thought or heard of, and is a blooming triumph all round. A strong contender for cookbook of the year (shoe-in/fist fight with Rachel Roddy?).
(*I know we shouldn’t use Amazon, but it’s underpriced at the moment, and better this way than not getting one at all).
The Telegraph
Only two sets of recipes online, as far as I could see.
These included good, nay, great ideas for filo from Diana Henry. Of course there’s a Greek-ish feta pie. Though this has got bulgar wheat too, and actually the normal go to spinach is instead collapsed courgettes, plus loads of herbs, so ultimately looks both reliable and interesting. But ultimately my eyes are on the apricot croustade. Which is not just apricots encased in filo pastry. But brioche crumbs, armagnac, vanilla and ground almonds (to soak up juices, I suspect) as well. A large slice of that with double cream and ice cream, please.
The second recipe columns comes via Stephen Harris, who provides an authentic to the nineties Thai green curry.
The Times and Sunday Times
There was an extract from Jamie’s new book 5 Ingredients (where each recipe is based on five ingredients…) in The Sunday Times Magazine. I’m not sure I’m his target market anymore, but am happy to stick two fingers to detractors and say he’s a hero. This latest manual is all about quick, simple yet flavourful etc etc and there looks to be a load of good ideas. It’ll be a rip roaring success improving many mealtimes, no doubt. Yet how many of the dishes would be better (and just as quick), if just one or two extra ingredients were sneaked on top? Strikes me that the ‘crazy simple fish pie‘, for example, could do with a tub of creme fraiche, because otherwise it’s really just cod and spinach with a filo topping. Then again, better people ate things like the honey berry filo smash for pud, than had nothing of interest (or nothing home made) at all. And I suppose that’s the point.
There were recipes from Sarah Raven’s bucolic sounding, seed producing garden in the same glossy. I reckon the sweet potato, ginger and coconut dauphinoise would make a good side to a piece of poached salmon.
Been in France for your holibobs and keen for more Gallic puds? Saturday’s Times Weekend included six French sweets, including an apple and blueberry galette and a cherry pistachio tart. Plus the obligatory brulée.
How’s Nadiya’s TV show going down? I quite like chocolate based, desiccated coconut maceroons — easy street — and these were her focus in this Saturday’s mag. Bit like the brulées, though, in that you’ve probably seen them before.
And there was also space in the mag for a Texan lady called Jess Pryles to promote her meaty book — big interview, clutch of recipes, glossy shots. I stopped reading at the instruction to buy lamb chops with the “fat cut off”.
FT Weekend
From Rowley Leigh (or, actually, from other acknowledged sources and put in print by Rowley), salt cod crudo with peppers (salt the cod yourself), and an intriguing toast topper of macerated lemon segments (pith and all), raw onion and mint.
The Internet
I was scrolling through Delicious Magazine’s seasonally organised recipe pages, and stumbled across this sticky plum and custard cake.
Speaking of sticky, let’s finish on Helen Graves’ sticky pecan buns.
Weekend Menu, 5 and 6 August 2017
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Salt cod crudo with red peppers
Rowley Leigh, The Financial Times Weekend Magazine
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Olive paste lamb chops and tomatoes
Nigel Slater, The Observer
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Apricot croustade
Diana Henry, The Sunday Telegraph, Stella
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