Marcus Everyday

by Marcus Wareing

  Peel the shells from the eggs and quarter them. Press them into the top of the mackerel mix.

  Mix the butter and breadcrumbs together and season well with salt and pepper. Top the pie with the crumbs in an even layer.

  Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

  Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

  MARCUS’ TIP:

  White sauce, or béchamel, is a very handy thing to have on hand. Make a double recipe and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze. It’s perfect for a quick supper such as pasta, a pie, making croquettes or lasagne. See my masterclass.

  Beef and Garden Herb Meatballs with Roasted Tomato Sauce

  These flavoursome meatballs are not 100 per cent meat. Instead, they have a few other ingredients in them to bulk out the mix, and to add flavour and texture. With the intention to use up what’s in the fridge and add nutritional value, the meatballs call for cooked grains or pulses. They are a great way to use up any leftovers and are perfect for vegetable-shy kids. Serve with spaghetti, jacket potatoes, rice or just a simple green salad. I would personally eat them with bread alone.

  * * *

  SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES, PLUS DRAINING | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR

  2 tbsp vegetable oil

  100g full-fat cream cheese

  4 tbsp milk

  50g Cheddar cheese, grated

  FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

  750g overripe tomatoes, halved

  1½ onions, peeled and quartered

  1½ tbsp olive oil

  310ml tomato juice

  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  FOR THE MEATBALLS

  2 courgettes, grated (400g)

  1 tsp table salt

  400g minced beef

  100g cooked brown rice, barley, lentils or bulgur wheat

  1 onion, finely diced

  2 tbsp tomato purée

  2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  6 tbsp finely chopped herbs, such as basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, coriander

  50g rolled oats

  1 egg, beaten

  Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.

  For the tomato sauce, place the tomatoes, quartered onions and olive oil in a large roasting dish, season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Stir well, then roast for another 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the tomato juice and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

  While the tomatoes are roasting, toss the grated courgettes in a colander with the table salt and leave to sit over another bowl for 10 minutes to drain. Squeeze as much moisture out as possible and place the courgettes in a large mixing bowl. Add all of the other meatball ingredients and mix well, using your hands (gloved if you wish). Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions and roll into balls.

  Heat half of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 8 of the meatballs. Brown them all over for 5–7 minutes, then transfer to a 20 × 30cm baking dish. Repeat with the remaining meatballs and oil.

  Pour the sauce onto the meatballs and place in the oven to bake for 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

  While the meatballs are in the oven, whisk the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add the milk and a good grind of black pepper and mix well. Fold in the grated cheese.

  Remove the meatballs from the oven and dollop the cream cheese mix on top. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes.

  Remove from the oven and serve with accompaniments of your choice.

  Rhubarb, Ginger and Almond Crumble

  This is one of my favourite ways to eat rhubarb. The sourness of the rhubarb is perfectly balanced with the sweet, crunchy crumble. The only question left to ask is whether to have cream, custard or ice cream with it.

  * * *

  SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES

  500g rhubarb, sliced into 3cm-thick sticks

  3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

  2 tbsp honey

  80g caster sugar

  25ml amaretto (optional)

  FOR THE CRUMBLE

  125g plain flour

  75g soft dark brown sugar

  ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  ½ tsp ground ginger

  75g blanched almonds, toasted and roughly chopped (see Butter-roasted Cauliflower with Capers and Parsley for method)

  75g cold butter, cubed

  Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

  Put the rhubarb, ginger, honey and sugar in a large saucepan over low-medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently for 10 minutes – there should still be some firmness to the rhubarb. Place in an approximately 24cm pie dish.

  For the crumble topping, put all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using your fingers, rub the diced butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

  Cover the rhubarb with the crumble and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden. Pour the amaretto over the top (if using) and serve.

  Apple and Membrillo Tart

  As quinces contain such a high level of pectin, when cooked they naturally set. The resulting quince paste, membrillo, is generally served with cheese but it works well in puddings, too, such as this easy tart.

  * * *

  SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES, PLUS CHILLING | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 20 MINUTES

  1 pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry

  3 Braeburn or Pink Lady apples, peeled and cored

  50g membrillo (quince paste)

  25ml brandy

  20g butter, cubed

  vanilla ice cream, to serve

  Roll the puff pastry out on a sheet of baking parchment into a rectangle about 3mm thick. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

  Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

  Cut the apples into 2mm-thick slices, ideally using a mandoline.

  Put the membrillo in a small saucepan with 4 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer and whisk the paste to form a thick purée. Add the brandy and butter and whisk until the butter has melted.

  Remove the pastry from the fridge and place on a baking tray (still on the baking parchment). Leaving a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry sheet, prick it all over with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Place the apple slices, overlapping each other, on top of the pastry in 3 rows. Brush liberally with the membrillo paste and bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes until the apples are cooked and golden brown.

  Remove from the oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

  Crêpes with Dulce de Leche Cream and Hot Nutella Sauce

  This is the ultimate treat. Warm crêpes with cool cream and hot chocolate sauce. It is a very simple recipe though, as most of the ingredients are already in your fridge or pantry, and there is not a huge amount of cooking involved, apart from making and cooking the crêpes.

  * * *

  SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 15 MINUTES

  FOR THE CRÊPES

  130g plain flour

  2 eggs

  300ml milk

  1 tbsp vegetable oil

  FOR THE DULCE DE LECHE CREAM

  4 tbsp dulce de leche

  150ml double cream

  FOR THE HOT NUTELLA SAUCE

  4 tbsp Nutella

  2 tsp cocoa powder

  6 tbsp milk

  4 tbsp chopped toasted hazelnuts (see Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut Butter and Anchovy for method)

  To make the crêpe batter, place the flour and eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Gradually whisk in the milk then transfer the batter to a jug. Allow the mix to rest.

  To make the cream, put the dulce de leche in a medium bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons of the double cream. Whisk the remaining double cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, then add it to the bowl of dulce de leche and fold it through to combine. Cover and refrigerate.

  To make the hot
Nutella sauce, put the Nutella, cocoa powder and milk in a saucepan. Place over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer, whisking. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often, until thick. Keep warm.

  To cook the crêpes, brush a large non-stick frying pan with vegetable oil using a pastry brush. Place over medium heat and when hot, add a little of the mix from the jug and swirl the pan to distribute it evenly and create a thin crêpe. When lightly browned, and the top is no longer sticky to touch, gently fold the crêpe in half, then in half again and remove from the pan to a warm plate. Repeat until the mix is all used – you should have 8 thin crêpes.

  Bring the Nutella sauce back to simmer then add the hazelnuts and remove from the heat.

  Serve the 2 warm crêpes per portion with a good dollop of the dulce de leche cream and the hot Nutella sauce.

  MARCUS’ TIP:

  We always have a jar of dulche de leche in our fridge (not just for the kids!). It is simple to make yourself, too, just boil an entire, closed tin of sweetened condensed milk for around 3 hours in a pan of water.

  These are the recipes I really enjoy making with my daughter, Jessie. She has always loved baking and she has a real knack for it. Jane’s mum bakes, my mum bakes, Jane bakes, and now Jessie bakes – it has all followed through. She makes cakes for her brothers’ birthdays, and when Jane and I had gluten- and egg-free diets she made gluten- and egg-free cakes for us. I particularly love the cookies in this chapter as they’re one of the first things I made with my children. There are some lovely recipes here that all kids can get involved in – they’re not too complicated and are fun to make together.

  Lemon Curd Madeleines

  Freshly baked madeleines are a delicious treat that is very hard to beat. Topping them with lemon curd makes them even more irresistible. I remember we used to have them on the bon-bon trolley at my restaurant, so giving them the taste-test was always important, especially just as they came out of the oven and were still warm. Any leftover curd will keep well in the fridge for a few days.

  * * *

  MAKES: 12 LARGE MADELEINES | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES, PLUS RESTING | COOKING TIME: 20 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING

  icing sugar, to dust

  FOR THE MADELEINES

  2 eggs

  100g caster sugar

  grated zest of 1 lemon

  100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

  ¾ tsp baking powder

  100g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

  FOR THE LEMON CURD

  80ml fresh lemon juice

  50g caster sugar

  1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks

  80g soft butter, cubed

  To make the lemon curd, put the lemon juice, caster sugar, egg and egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk constantly with an electric whisk until the mix is light and fluffy and begins to thicken to the consistency of custard. This will take about 10 minutes.

  Remove the saucepan from the heat, with the bowl of curd on top, and whisk in the butter, cube by cube, until it is all incorporated. Pass the curd through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, cover the surface of the curd with clingfilm (to prevent a skin forming) and chill.

  Using a pastry brush, grease a 12-hole madeleine tin with melted butter. Shake a little flour on top, to coat, tapping out the excess.

  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk for 3–5 minutes until fluffy. Add the lemon zest.

  In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together, then fold this into the egg mix. Add the melted butter and mix gently until a smooth batter is formed.

  Cover the madeleine batter with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 20 minutes, to rest. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

  Divide the mix evenly among the moulds in the tin, and bake for 8–10 minutes until lightly golden and firm to the touch.

  Release the madeleines from the tin as soon as you remove it from the oven, so they do not stick, and cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar and serve with the lemon curd the same day they’re made.

  Chocolate and Clementine Crunch Cookies

  Chocolate and orange is a classic combination that just works so well. Our kids get a chocolate orange in their stocking every Christmas – I’m sure Jane will carry on the tradition until they’re adults. These cookies are crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. If clementines are not in season, you can substitute them with one orange.

  * * *

  MAKES: 18 COOKIES | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING

  125g soft butter

  100g granulated sugar

  70g soft dark brown sugar

  1 egg

  grated zest and juice of 2 clementines or 1 orange, plus an extra clementine (or small orange) for zesting

  180g plain flour

  25g cocoa powder

  1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

  100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), cut into small chunks

  4–6 tbsp icing sugar

  Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment or silicone mats.

  Beat the butter and the sugars together in a bowl, using an electric whisk or a stand mixer, until light and creamy. Beat in the egg and clementine zest and juice. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda, stir to combine, then mix in the chocolate chunks.

  Roll the dough into 18 golf-ball-size pieces then dip them into the icing sugar. Using the palm of your hand, flatten the balls onto the lined baking sheets, leaving space around each cookie to allow for spreading. Grate the zest of the extra clementine over the top of the cookies.

  Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, until risen and nearly firm to the touch (they will firm up more upon cooling). Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days, or freeze.

  Hazelnut and Chocolate Choux Rings

  A Paris-Brest is a choux ring piped full of the most delectable hazelnut praline cream. When I was living in Paris I used to gaze longingly at the patisserie counters and their endless window displays, filled with beautiful pastries as far as the eye could see. While most French pastries take a lot of work and skill, I found the Paris-Brest to be the easiest to recreate so developed this version to make at home.

  * * *

  MAKES: 8 CHOUX RINGS | PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 35 MINUTES

  icing sugar, for dusting

  FOR THE HAZELNUT AND CHOCOLATE CREAM

  100g hazelnuts (skin off)

  100g caster sugar

  pinch of fine sea salt

  4 tbsp Nutella

  250ml double cream

  FOR THE CHOUX BUNS

  150g butter, plus extra for greasing

  25g caster sugar

  ½ tsp fine sea salt

  250g plain flour

  4 eggs

  Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or baking parchment. Grease another baking sheet and set both baking sheets aside.

  Put the hazelnuts in a roasting dish and bake for 10–12 minutes until they have taken on a deep golden colour. Remove from the oven, leave to cool, then roughly chop.

  Put the caster sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan or frying pan. Place over medium heat and leave the sugar to melt and caramelise to a deep golden colour, swirling the pan occasionally to get even caramelisation (do not stir). Add the nuts and stir quickly to coat then tip onto the greased baking sheet to cool slightly.

  Transfer the caramelised hazelnuts to a blender or food processor and blitz to form a smooth paste. Add a pinch of fine sea salt and the Nutella, blitz briefly, then transfer the paste to a bowl, cover and put the mixture in the fridge.

  To make the choux buns, put the butter, sugar and s
alt in a medium saucepan with 250ml water. Bring to the boil to melt the butter, then turn the heat down to low and add the flour to the water mix. Using a wooden spoon, stir well and keep mixing until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the saucepan.

  Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs, one by one. Transfer the mix to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe 8 rings, each made of 2 piped layers of choux mixture and around 8cm in diameter, onto the silicone mat or parchment-lined sheet. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until lightly golden and puffed and there is no give when you pick up the buns. Remove from the oven, turn off the oven and leave the choux to cool for 5 minutes. Then slice them in half through the middle and put them cut side up back into the cooling oven to dry out for 5 minutes (you might have to do this in batches). Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

  Remove the hazelnut and chocolate mix from the fridge and beat in 50ml of the double cream. Whisk the remaining 200ml of cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form, then fold it into the hazelnut and chocolate mix. Chill in the fridge until the choux buns are completely cool.

  Transfer the hazelnut cream to a piping bag fitted with a plain round or star nozzle and pipe onto the bases of the choux buns. Top with the choux lids then dust with icing sugar and serve.

  Carrot and Parsnip Cakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting