Some things old, some things new, some things borrowed, and at least one recipe involving Stilton. Here are the highlights of the weekend’s recipes:
Oldies but goodies
It’s a mistake for writers and editors to think we only require inventive, unusual and / or new dishes for cooking inspiration. Whether we realise or not, it’s often classic dishes that grab the attention. That doesn’t mean any old re-hash will do, you understand (we get plenty of those most weeks, but I don’t tend to link them). It’s just that some well rehearsed recipes have a certain je ne sais quoi, and scream to be made.
Like Mark Hix’s marrowfat peas cooked in beef stock, to go with pork dumplings. Blimey. On reading this in The Independent, I contemplated mentioning only this recipe and telling you there was nothing else worth looking at … but decided, in the end, that you should probably have a scan of his spiced puy lentils to go with cuttlefish too (including soy, ketchup, sweet chilli sauces and an overnight chill and mingle in the fridge).
Also, Rowley Leigh’s pot au feu. Rowley is the weekend king of highlighting old school dishes – if you’re in the mood for that kind of thing (and have a subscription), it’s worth scanning through his FT back catalogue.
Nigel Slater’s sticky marmalade pudding in the Observer also caught my eye. I was slightly surprised it’s a baked, not steamed pud. But tempted, nonetheless.
I really enjoyed reading about smoked kippers in The Telegraph – not least the cooking instructions: stick ’em in just boiled water for 6 minutes. Nothing more complicated than that (though there was a microwave method too, which stuck me as wonderfully unbothered by cookery snobbery). If you want a little more, they have recipes for kipper kedgeree, potted kippers, and kipper toasties.
Stephen Harris bemoaned the (lack of) flavour depth in British beef primal cuts – we slaughter them too early, he thinks. Harris prefers the muscles that need braising, such as ox cheeks. For which he gifts Telegraph a recipe.
A little bit different
Of course we do need some new / novel ideas too. Plenty this weekend.
Anna Jones’s butter bean and kale stew in The Sunday Times was topped with caramelised blood orange segments, among other things.
German and Scandinavian readers are probably all over rye and caraway bread. But there’ll be at least a few Brits keen to try this for the first time, thanks to Florence Knight’s recipe in the Sunday Times (to go with broccoli and apple soup).
Saturday’s Times magazine included a large handful of spice yourself slim recipes from cook Kalpna Woolf. Monkfish chermoula stood out.
Yotam presented Guardian readers with four ways with vegetables. He’s so good at bringing interesting veg recipes to the table (where it all began, no?). Saturday’s included roast potato and Jerusalem artichoke with black garlic; crushed roast roots with crisp sprouts; roast baby carrots with harissa and pomegranate (and bitter leaves)
Cook’s new Resident is Nicholas Balfe from Salon restaurant in Brixton. He began with three root based recipes. One was for parsnip ice cream, introduced with the comment “the flavour or parsnip almost seems made to infuse into milk and cream“. Now, personally, I’m with him on that, but I haven’t dared to look at the reader response below the line …
And the Independent on Sunday’s current guest chef, Ben Tish, certainly made the most of a glut of winter vegetables, with roast, spiced cauliflower with a mojo verde sauce; potato and beetroot gratin with chard and manchego; roast pears, mascarpone, hazelnut crumble. All worth a crack, I’d wager.
Have you tried blood orange sorbet? The version at Gelupo, a Soho based gelateria, is one of my favourite things in the whole of the eating world. If you’re not familiar, perhaps have a crack at Thomasina Miers’ Graun mag recipe.
Asian desserts are, by and large, not well known in the UK. I enjoyed the inclusion of a saffron and evaporated milk payasam in Cook – with pearl barley as a swap for the more typical vermicelli. See also the Sausage and pearl barley casserole recipe in the same column.
More rye vibes in the same magazine, with Claire Ptak’s pear and rye upside down cake. Nice.
Among Nigel Slater’s warming fish dishes for the OFM are: potato, haddock and clam soup, with a horseradish roule; smoked haddock and mushroom pie; and squid and chorizo couscous.
Also in the OFM were six recipes from a Parisian restaurant called Frenchie (which happens to be launching a sibling in London soon). Razor clams with leeks and a white miso vinaigrette stood out (to me).
From the internet
I liked the sound of Ms Marmite Lover’s whole yellow pea curry, to be served with soy milk and lime. Great for a cold mid-week supper.
Bon Appétit’s “17 Recipe Projects to Tackle This Weekend” is from December, but definitely worth highlighting.
#Supplemental Cooking
Nicholas Balfe’s celeriac and almond ‘risotto’ in Cook intrigued. It was dead easy and very comforting and would make a subtle, sophisticated supper on its own. Though next time I make it, I think I’ll serve it with a roast game bird or too (and fix my food processor so I can pulse, rather than grate the root).
Weekend Menu, 16 and 17 January 2016
Razor clams with leeks and a white miso vinaigrette
Greg Marchand, The Observer Food Monthly
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Marrowfat peas and pork dumplings
Mark Hix, The Independent
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Pear and rye upside down cake
Claire Ptak, The Guardian, ‘Cook’
with
Parsnip ice cream
Nicholas Balfe, The Guardian, ‘Cook’
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