sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine three-quarters of the chopped dill with the lemon zest, rock salt, demerara sugar and crushed juniper berries in a bowl. Put the salmon in a small dish and pack the cure in and around it. Cover the dish loosely with clingfilm and refrigerate for 8 hours.
While the fish is curing, line a sieve with a piece of clean muslin or thick kitchen paper and place over a bowl. Put the buttermilk in the sieve and put the bowl in the fridge for 6 hours. Scrape the strained buttermilk out of the muslin cloth or kitchen paper, put it into a clean bowl and whisk to loosen it.
When the salmon is cured, remove the cure and rinse the salmon under cold running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper and slice the fish thinly.
Mix the bergamot zest and juice together with the olive oil, honey and horseradish. Mix this into the sliced kohlrabi in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the sliced salmon with a spoonful of the whisked buttermilk and the kohlrabi, finishing with the remaining dill.
MARCUS’ TIP:
Only eat raw salmon or tuna when it’s very fresh. Go to a good fishmonger to source your fish and you’ll always be fine. Be brave and have a go.
Asparagus with Brown Butter Hollandaise, Hazelnut Crumb and Poached Egg
Making hollandaise seems to be one of those things that scares a lot of people. The trick to it is to get the temperature of all your ingredients correct, and to take your time. This recipe uses brown butter, which gives it a lovely, nutty flavour.
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SERVES: 4 AS A STARTER | PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES
30g butter, cubed
100g blanched hazelnuts
2 slices of sourdough (about 100g), torn into small pieces
4 eggs
¼ tsp white vinegar
2 bunches of asparagus (about 500g), tough ends trimmed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE HOLLANDAISE
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
100ml white wine
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs of thyme
40ml white wine vinegar
¼ tsp fennel seeds
250g butter, cubed
3 egg yolks
To make the hollandaise reduction, put the shallots, wine, herbs, vinegar and fennel seeds in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 6–8 minutes until reduced to a third, then strain into a jug and discard the shallots and herbs.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Put the butter in a small roasting dish with the hazelnuts and sourdough. Season lightly and bake for 10–15 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden. Remove, allow to cool, then roughly chop.
To poach the eggs, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add a heavy pinch of salt. Crack the eggs into four bowls, adding a few drops of vinegar to each. Whisk the boiling water so it swirls in a whirlpool, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer then slide in the eggs. Poach for 3–4 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and place on a warm plate. Keep warm.
For the hollandaise, begin by making the brown butter. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it has melted and is foaming, whisk it quickly to form a deep brown butter. Immediately remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve into a jug. Cool until warm to the touch.
Place the egg yolks in a large stainless steel or heatproof glass bowl. Bring a third of a pan of water to a very gentle simmer. Place the bowl of egg yolks over the pan and whisk by hand until they are thick and ribbons form when you lift the whisk. Very slowly add a little of the brown butter, whisking continuously. Keep adding small amounts of the butter, whisking well between additions, then when the hollandaise begins to thicken, add 1 tablespoon of the reduction, whisk again, add another tablespoon, whisk until smooth, then continue adding the butter. Add more reduction if needed. Season with sea salt.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes. Drain and divide the asparagus among 4 warm plates. Top with a poached egg and hollandaise. Finish with the hazelnut crumb and serve while hot.
MARCUS’ TIP:
The freshness of the egg is the most important thing here. You can put a little bit of acid in the water, and you can season it, but at the end of the day, you’re just dropping an egg into a pan of water, and if it doesn’t hold together it is because your egg is too old. For those who want that perfect poached egg shape, buy poached egg moulds.
Spice-roasted Quail with Freekeh, Pistachio and Lime Pickle
This show-off dish makes a fantastic starter at any time of year. If you want to turn it into a more substantial main course, you can use poussin in place of the quail. The lime pickle makes more than you will need, but it is a delicious chutney to have in the fridge to serve with cold meats, curries or fish. People are often nervous of quail as they see it as a little bird with a gamey flavour that’s a pain to cook, but actually it’s not. It’s really delicious and doesn’t have any gaminess at all.
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SERVES: 4 AS A STARTER | PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES, PLUS MARINATING | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 1½ HOURS
4 quail (brined for 2 hours if you wish – use 1 quantity of the brine from Crackling’d Slow-cooked Pork Shoulder with Baked Apple Sauce)
80g freekeh
20g golden or plain raisins
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
50g shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE LIME PICKLE
4 unwaxed limes, washed and finely diced (skin included)
½ tsp table salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely diced
75g soft light brown sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
FOR THE SPICE MIX
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
4 green cardamom pods, bashed
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp soft dark brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp table salt
To make the lime pickle, toss the lime pieces in the salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the ginger, garlic and chilli. Fry for 2 minutes then add the salted lime, sugar and vinegar. Add 100ml warm water, cover and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly. Simmer for 1 hour, until the limes are soft, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
For the spice mix, put the fennel and cumin seeds and cardamom pods in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Toast until fragrant then, using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, grind to a powder. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Rub the spice mix over the quail and wrap each one tightly in clingfilm. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
Remove the quail from the fridge to come to room temperature and preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
Cook the freekeh according to the packet instructions. Add the raisins for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain well, add the sesame oil and pistachios and mix through.
While the freekeh is cooking, remove the clingfilm from the quail and sit them in a roasting dish. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Mix the yoghurt with the herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Serve the quail with the freekeh, lime pickle and yoghurt.
Confit Duck Ravioli with Cucumber and a Peanut, Sesame and Chill
i Dressing
The time it takes to make this dish is somewhat in your hands. Given the availability of good-quality shop-bought ingredients, you can skip some of the steps that take up a little more time, if you wish. Instead of buying raw duck legs, pick up some confit duck legs in the chilled section, or in a can. And if you prefer not to make pasta from scratch, buy gyoza wrappers instead. If you are making the duck confit, start the day before you want to serve the dish, as the legs need to be salted for a good eight hours, and if you are making the pasta dough from scratch, you will need a pasta machine.
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SERVES: 2 AS A STARTER, 3 AS A MAIN | PREP TIME: 1¾ HOURS, PLUS SALTING, COOLING AND CHILLING | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 3¾ HOURS
4 skin-on duck legs
100g rock salt
500g duck fat
3 tbsp dark soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp plum sauce
½ bunch of coriander, finely chopped (leaves and stalks)
50ml white wine vinegar
½ cucumber, halved lengthways, seedy centre removed, then flesh diced
20g unsalted toasted peanuts, finely chopped (see Chocolate and Peanut Caramel Tray Bake for method)
FOR THE PASTA
275g ‘00’ pasta flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs, plus 4 large egg yolks
1 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE PEANUT, SESAME AND CHILLI DRESSING
25g caster sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
25ml rice wine vinegar
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely diced
100ml toasted sesame oil
60g unsalted toasted peanuts, finely chopped (see Chocolate and Peanut Caramel Tray Bake for method)
10g white sesame seeds, toasted (see Tahini and Caramelised Honey Cake for method)
10g black sesame seeds
Start by confiting the duck. Lay the duck legs, skin side up, in a shallow bowl or tray. Sprinkle over the rock salt and leave in the fridge for 8–12 hours.
Rinse the salt from the duck legs and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2.
Heat the duck fat in a 20cm square roasting tray in the oven until melted. Add the duck legs, ensuring they are submerged in the fat. Cover the tray with foil and cook slowly in the oven for 3–3½ hours until the duck is tender and you can put a butter knife through the flesh easily. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then carefully remove from the fat. Pick the meat from the bones and place it into a mixing bowl, discarding the bones and skin. Add the soy sauce, plum sauce and coriander and mix well. Add 4 tablespoons of the duck fat and mix to combine. Shape the mix into 12 balls, place on a plate, cover and refrigerate.
While the duck legs are cooking, make the pasta. Put the flour and salt in a food processor. In a jug, beat together the whole eggs and 2 of the egg yolks. Pour about a third of the egg mixture into the food processor. Pulse to combine then, with the motor running, add the oil. Slowly pour in some more egg mixture to get a coarse, crumbly texture. Use your hands to squeeze a small amount of the mixture; if it doesn’t come together well, add a little more egg.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. It will be crumbly, but start to bring it together to form a soft ball. Knead well until it is smooth, silky and matt in texture. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
While the pasta is resting, make the dressing. Put the caster sugar, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chilli and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and remove from the heat. Allow to sit.
In a separate small saucepan, bring the white wine vinegar to a simmer. Pour it over the cucumber and refrigerate.
Once the pasta dough has rested it is ready to roll. Divide it into quarters. Working with one piece at a time, roll each piece into a strip that is roughly the same width as your pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough and machine with flour and roll each one through the machine. Start with the thickest setting and work your way down to the second thinnest setting, sprinkling with flour as you go. Repeat running the pasta through the machine on each setting 2–3 times until you have very smooth, thin and even sheets of pasta. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Cut out 24 circles of pasta (each sheet should give you 6 circles), using a 10cm ring cutter or a sharp knife and cutting around a circular shape (such as a tea cup or mug).
Lay 6 discs on your work surface and cover the remaining discs with clingfilm. Brush the egg yolk (from the remaining 2 yolks, mixed together) around 1cm of the edge of each disc then place a duck confit ball in the centre. Place a disc of pasta on top then press down around the filling first to remove any air trapped inside and then press down around the edges to seal. Continue with the remaining pasta discs until you have 12 ravioli.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer. Carefully cook the raviolis, in 2 batches, for 7–9 minutes. Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain. Place 2 or 3 ravioli on each plate, then then top with the cucumber, chopped peanuts and the dressing.
MARCUS’ TIP:
‘00’ flour is an Italian grade of flour that makes a silkier pasta dough than English plain or bread flour. It has a finer texture and also a lower protein content, giving it a certain elasticity too, which is perfect for making into pasta.
Lemon Sole with Brown Crab, Aioli and Samphire
Always ensure you purchase your lemon sole skinless, as it is quite a job to remove the skin. It’s great cooked on the bone – you wouldn’t want it cooked any other way. Brown crab has a lovely earthy flavour, so pairs well with the buttery taste and texture of the fish, and it brings the ocean back to the fish. The naturally salty samphire works well, but if it’s unavailable, use dulse seaweed, or simply watercress. Serve with crispy potatoes or a garden salad.
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SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: UNDER 15 MINUTES
4 skinless lemon sole (350–400g each)
80g butter
juice of 2 lemons
90g samphire
sea salt
boiled new potatoes, to serve
lemon wedges, to serve
FOR THE BROWN CRAB AIOLI
75g brown crab meat
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
200ml olive oil
First, make the aioli. Place the brown crab meat and garlic in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, cayenne pepper and lemon zest and blitz for a further minute. With the motor running (if your blender or processor has a lid with a hole to pour liquids in) gradually drizzle in the oil. If necessary, remove the lid, drizzle in a little oil and blend, and repeat the process, until thick. Season to taste with salt.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and prepare a foil-covered roasting dish large enough to fit all 4 fish.
To cook the fish, you will need a large non-stick frying pan. Season the fish on both sides with salt. Place a quarter of the butter in the pan over high heat. When the butter starts to brown, gently add one of the fish to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown then turn it over and brown the other side for 1 minute. Gently place in the prepared roasting dish and pour the butter over the top. Repeat with the other fish and the rest of the butter.
Drizzle the lemon juice over the fish and place the roasting dish in the oven for 6–8 minutes, until the fish easily comes away from the bone.
While the fish is in the oven, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Drop in the samphire and blanch for 1 minute then strain and place back in the pan.
When the fish come out of
the oven, carefully transfer them to hot plates. Tip the cooking juices from the roasting tray into the samphire pan then spoon the samphire and juices over the fish. Serve with a large dollop of aioli and some potatoes or salad.
Whole Roast Monkfish Tail with Mushrooms and Thyme
Monkfish is a great fish as it has only one large bone right down the centre, so there are no fiddly pin bones to deal with. Plus, it has such a delicate flesh so really does not need much doing to it. It makes a stunning centrepiece for a dinner with friends and family, and is easily one of my favourite dishes in the book. Cooking the fish whole, on the bone, means it retains its moisture and flavour. A potato gratin makes a lovely accompaniment. This sauce works very well with all white fish – try it with sea bass, cod or haddock.
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SERVES: 4 | PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 45 MINUTES
50g butter
1 monkfish tail, skin and membrane removed (1.5–2kg) or 2 smaller tails (750–1kg each)
juice of 1 lemon
400g flat mushrooms, stalks removed, caps thinly sliced
200g chestnut mushrooms, stalks removed, caps thinly sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SAUCE
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
100ml Madeira wine
375ml good-quality chicken stock
¼ bunch of thyme, tied with a string
10g dried porcini mushrooms
50ml double cream
Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2.
Start by making the sauce. Heat half of the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots, garlic and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook for about 7 minutes until soft. Add the Madeira and simmer for 5–7 minutes until it has a syrupy consistency, then add the stock, thyme and dried porcini mushrooms and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove the thyme stalks and transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor. Blitz until smooth, pass through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and add the cream. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Marcus Everyday Page 18