Home Cooking

Nettle soup with smoked mackerel crostini

SERVES 6 · VEGETARIAN (IF MADE WITH VEGETABLE STOCK)

This is a tasty and highly nutritious soup that freezes very well. Feel free to substitute the nettles with other greens such as spinach, watercress or sorrel. For the best flavour, pick young new nettles that haven’t been sprayed. Don’t forget to wear gloves while picking and chopping! The sting goes out of the nettles as soon as they hit the hot stock. Like all green soups, this should not be left to simmer for a long time or it will lose its fresh green colour and flavour.

25g (1oz) butter or 2 tbsp olive oil

110g (4oz) peeled and chopped onions

150g (5oz) peeled and chopped potatoes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

600ml (1 pint) chicken or vegetable stock (see page 326)

600ml (1 pint) milk

350g (12oz) nettles, destalked and chopped

For the crostini

2 demi baguettes or 1 thin baguette, cut in half

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 smoked mackerel fillets (about 150g/5oz in weight)

4 tbsp crème fraîche

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp dill

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (optional)

1 Add the butter or olive oil to a large saucepan on a very low heat and when the butter has melted, tip in the onions and potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned.

2 Pour in the stock and milk into the pan, bring to the boil and add the nettles. Cook, uncovered, on a high heat for about 1 minute until the nettles are just cooked — don’t heat them for too long or they will lose their fresh green colour. Remove from the heat and purée until smooth in a blender or using a hand-held blender. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and prepare the crostini.

4 With the baguettes running lengthways away from you, trim the ends of each loaf and then cut the remaining bread into six long thin slices. Arrange the slices on a baking tray crust side down and brush the olive oil over evenly. Bake in the oven for 6–8 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove and allow to cool.

5 Peel the skin from the mackerel and chop the flesh. Place in a blender with the crème fraîche, lemon juice, most of the dill, chilli sauce (if using) and a little pepper. Blend for a few seconds until smooth. Taste and season with a little salt, if necessary.

6 When ready to serve, divide the mackerel pâté between the cooled crostini, spread evenly and sprinkle with the remaining dill. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, arrange two pieces of mackerel crostini on the side and serve.

6 5 minutes or until the spring onions have softened. Check the seasoning, adjusting it if necessary, and ladle into warm bowls to serve.

Chicken and garlic soup

SERVES 6–8

This is a wonderfully easy, warming soup with deliciously sweet garlic. As well as normal garlic, you could use wild garlic leaves in this soup, which are in season in April and May. Simply substitute for the chives and spring onions.

50g (2oz) butter

1 onion, peeled and diced

10 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 200g/7oz), finely diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

600ml (1 pint) chicken stock (see page 326)

300ml (½ pint) milk

300ml (½ pint) double or regular cream

1 tbsp finely chopped chives

4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat and fry the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook for a further 4–5 minutes.

2 Pour in the stock, the milk and cream and bring to the boil. Stir in the chives and spring onions and simmer for about

Oxtail soup

SERVES 10 – 12

This old-fashioned, rustic and hearty soup has been popular since the 18th century and makes good use of a cheaper cut of beef. It is ideal for warming up friends and family on a cold day.

1 tbsp plain flour Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.5kg (3lb 5oz) oxtail, cut into 3 cm (1¼in) pieces and trimmed of excess fat

2–3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

3 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely sliced

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme

6 peppercorns

2 cloves

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 litres (3½ pints) beef stock (see page 326)

1 Sift the flour onto a large plate, season with salt and pepper and toss the oxtail pieces in the flour to coat evenly. Place a large saucepan or casserole dish on a high heat, add 1–2 tablespoons of the oil and fry the oxtail pieces in batches, adding more oil if necessary, for 4–5 minutes in total, or until they are well browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2 Add the onion, carrots and celery, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook on a gentle heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft but not browned.

3 Return the oxtail to the pan and add the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, cloves, tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper, pour in the stock and bring slowly to the boil, skimming off any frothy impurities that rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to very low, cover with the lid and gently simmer for about 3 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Continue to occasionally skim off any impurities as well as any melted fat.

4 Remove from the heat and strain through a colander over a large bowl to catch the liquid. Tip the meat and vegetables into a large, shallow bowl and leave to cool a little. Add a few ice cubes to the liquid and wait for the fat to solidify and rise to the top, before removing and discarding it. Once the meat and vegetables are cool enough to handle, discard the bay leaf and thyme stalks (the cloves will be blended into the soup later) and remove the meat from the oxtail bones.

5 Pour the liquid into a blender with the reserved vegetables and two-thirds of the meat (you may have to do this in batches) and blitz to a smooth soup, then return to the pan. Add the remaining chunks of meat and bring slowly to the boil. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

Alphabet soup

SERVES 6

Alphabet pasta is available in larger supermarkets, but use what other little shapes you can get hold of, such as small rings, tiny shells, little bows, wheels, stars or moons — they are fun additions to soup, amusing adults just as much as children. You can use raw chorizo or chicken instead of the bacon, if you prefer.

1 tbsp olive oil

150g (5oz) streaky bacon, thinly sliced

1 onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 litre (1¾ pints) chicken or vegetable stock (see page 326)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½–1 tsp caster sugar

100g (3½oz) alphabet pasta or other small pasta shapes

2 tbsp finely shredded basil (optional)

1 Add the olive oil to a large saucepan on a high heat and fry the bacon for 3–4 minutes or until crisp and golden. Tip in the onion and garlic, reduce the heat and gently cook for 8–10 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add the tomatoes and stock and season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar.

2 Increase the heat a little and simmer for about 15 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add the pasta shapes and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.

3 Remove from the heat and stir in the basil (if using). Check the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or sugar if necessary, and ladle into warm bowls.

Zac’s chicken and sweetcorn soup

SERVES 4

Ideal for a light lunch, this is a quick and easy meal in a bowl — something the whole family will enjoy. Use leftover chicken or even the leftover Christmas turkey, adding it to the soup later in the method, as described below.

25g (1oz) butter

200g (7oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 2cm (¾in) cubes

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

3–4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

600ml (1 pint) chicken stock (see page 326)

125ml (4½fl oz) milk

125ml (4½fl oz) single or regular cream

1 × 340g tin of sweetcorn, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

1 spring onion, trimmed and finely chopped

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat and add the chicken, onion and garlic. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken and onion start turning light golden around the edges. If you are using pre-cooked chicken, just cook the onion and garlic and then add the meat.

2 Place the stock, milk, cream and sweetcorn in a blender, season with salt and pepper and whiz for a few seconds to a rough purée. Alternatively, place in a large bowl and blitz with a hand-held blender. Pour the purée over the cooked chicken and onion mixture and bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes.

3 Stir in the parsley and spring onion and squeeze in a little lemon juice to taste. Check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary, and serve the soup immediately.

Potato, leek and smoked bacon soup with parsly pesto

SERVES 6

The rich wintry flavours of this soup are made even more delicious with a drizzle of parsley pesto.

1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil

4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, diced

25g (1oz) butter

l onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 large leek, trimmed and diced

500g (1lb 2oz) potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken or vegetable stock (see page 326)

For the parsley pesto

15g (½oz) flat-leaf parsley

1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted (see tip on page 50)

1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Add the oil to a large saucepan on a high heat and sauté the bacon pieces quickly for about 1 minute or until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

2 Reduce the heat a little and add the butter to the oil in the pan. When it has melted, add the onion, leek and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 8–10 minutes without browning. Pour the stock over and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are completely cooked through.

3 Meanwhile, make the parsley pesto. Discard the stalks from the parsley and place in a bowl with the garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil. Using a hand-held blender, purée to a fairly smooth paste, adding a little more oil if necessary so that it is a thick but drizzling consistency. Alternatively, crush the parsley, garlic and pine nuts using a pestle and mortar and stir in the Parmesan and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

4 Purée the soup until smooth in a blender or using a hand-held blender. Return to the pan and stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon pieces. Check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary, and heat for a minute more before serving.

5 Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Drizzle over the parsley pesto and scatter the remaining bacon pieces on top.

Rachel’s tip

Use the leek trimmings and parsley stalks for making a delicious stock (see stock recipes on page 326).

Salad with goats cheese toast and walnuts

SERVES 2 · VEGETARIAN

This is the kind of simple salad that so many little brasseries in Paris have on their menus. In France the goat’s cheese served for this dish is usually the type with a rind, but you can also use a soft goat’s cheese for this salad. Make sure the walnuts are good and fresh; if stored for too long they can become bitter and rancid.

2 slices of white bread or 4–6 baguette slices

1 × 150g mini goat’s cheese log, cut into twelve 1cm (½in) slices

4 shelled walnuts, roughly chopped

2 handfuls (about 50g/2oz) of salad leaves

For the dressing

2 tbsp walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp runny honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the grill to high and lightly toast the bread on both sides. Arrange the goat’s cheese slices on top to cover evenly. Return to the grill for a few minutes until just molten.

2 Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes until just turning brown, then remove. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. (This will keep in the fridge for a week or two.) Dress the salad leaves with enough dressing to just lightly coat.

3 Place the dressed salad in the centre of two plates and arrange the goat’s cheese toast on top or to the side. Sprinkle over the toasted walnuts and serve.

Variation

Cranberry sauce: For a change, mix together equal quantities of cranberry sauce and boiling water (l teaspoon of each per person) and drizzle over the goat’s cheese toast before serving.

Fragrant sugar snap and beansprout noodle laksa

SERVES 6 – 8 · VEGETARIAN (IF MADE WITH SOY SAUCE)

Laksa is an Southeast Asian dish consisting of noodles either in a coconut-based curry soup (as here) or in a ‘sour’ fish-based soup. The vegetables add a bit of crunch, so it’s important that they remain as fresh-tasting as possible and are not overcooked. For a completely vegetarian dish, substitute the fish sauce with soy sauce.

150g (5oz) fine rice noodles

2 red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2.5cm (lin) piece of root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 stick of lemongrass, outer leaves removed, roughly chopped

50g (2oz) coriander, leaves and stalks torn

Juice of 1–2 limes

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 × 400ml tins of coconut milk

700ml (1¼ pints) vegetable stock (see page 326)

1–2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce

250g (9oz) sugar snap peas, halved lengthways

150g (5oz) beansprouts

8 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced at an angle

1 Place the noodles in a large bowl, pour over boiling water to cover, so that it comes up to about 2.5cm (1in) above the noodles, and leave to soak for 3–4 minutes or until soft. Drain well.

2 Meanwhile, place the chillies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, coriander (reserving a few leaves for scattering over the dish) and juice of one of the limes in a food processor (or use a pestle and mortar) and blend to a paste. Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and fry the chilli paste for 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, stock and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce or soy sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3 Add the sugar snap peas and beansprouts and simmer for a further 2–3 minutes or until almost cooked but still a bit crunchy. Check the taste and add more lime juice or fish/soy sauce if necessary.

4 Divide the noodles between warm bowls, ladle the hot soup over and scatter the sliced spring onions and reserved coriander leaves on top.

Variation

Chicken noodle laksa: Use chicken stock rather than vegetable stock and substitute the sugar snap peas and beansprouts with 550g (1lb 3oz) thinly sliced raw chicken breast, legs or thighs, cooking for 5 rather than 3 minutes.

Broccoli, olive and Parmesan salad

SERVES 2 · VEGETARIAN

This is a really easy dish to prepare, highly nutritious and perfect for a quick lunch. It’s unusual to have broccoli in a salad of this style, but it combines beautifully with the olives and Parmesan. Serve the salad as a side dish with barbecued food or with toasted or grilled bread drizzled with olive oil, bruschetta style.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

225g (8oz) broccoli or purple sprouting broccoli, cut into florets

1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

½ lemon, for squeezing

8–10 black olives, stoned and chopped

2 tbsp grated Parmesan or Parmesan shavings

1 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the broccoli and blanch for 3–4 minutes, so that it stays crunchy. Drain well.

2 While still warm, arrange on plates, drizzle over the olive oil and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Scatter over the olives and Parmesan, add a good twist of pepper and serve.

Summer garden salad

SERVES 4 · VEGETARIAN

A fabulously simple salad. The dressing is based on an old-fashioned recipe and is wonderful served with fresh ingredients plucked straight from the garden.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 eggs

4 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tsp soft light brown sugar

2 tbsp lime or lemon juice

1 small cucumber, finely sliced

8 small plum tomatoes, halved

Small bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced

15g (½oz) bunch of mint, leaves only

75g (3oz) watercress leaves, any thick stalks removed

1 Bring a saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil and carefully add the eggs, cooking them for 6–7 minutes or until semi-hard boiled. Drain and immediately cool under cold running water to stop them cooking. Peel off the shells and cut the eggs in half.

2 In the meantime, start making the dressing. Pour the olive oil into a small frying pan on a medium heat, add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds until golden brown. Remove from the heat and leave the oil to cool completely.

3 Place the sugar and lime or lemon juice in a large bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Scoop out two halves of egg yolk from the whites and add to the mixture, mashing them down with the back of a spoon. Roughly chop the whites and reserve for serving. Add the cooled oil and garlic, season with salt and pepper and vigorously whisk everything together to form a smooth, thick dressing. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

4 Put the cucumber, tomatoes and spring onions into a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Add the mint and watercress and toss all the ingredients together.

5 Pile the salad onto plates, arrange two egg halves on top of each, scatter over the reserved chopped egg whites and serve.

Middle Eastern spiced lamb koftas with dips and spicy pittas

SERVES 4

Koftas are a type of meatball from the Middle East, but you can find variations (all with very similar names) in South Asia and the Balkans. They are lovely hot or cold, served as part of a meal or eaten as a snack or as canapés. Here I’ve served them meze-style with pitta bread and a variety of cooling dips. You could, of course, use minced pork or beef instead of lamb to make the koftas.