100g butter
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoons ginger paste
200g onions, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons chilli paste
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1kg lamb (neck, shoulder or leg), diced into small cubes
2 tins of kidney beans, drained
To serve
rice
cream
fresh coriander, chopped
Put the butter into a large pan with the oil and let it melt. Then turn up the heat, add the garlic paste, ginger paste, onions and salt, and cook on a high heat until the onions are very brown and soft. Keep a jug of water handy in case they start to stick – if they do, just splash in a little water.
Add the chilli paste, tomato purée, curry powder, garam masala and ground cinnamon, and cook on a medium heat until the mixture really starts to thicken.
Add the lamb and leave to cook till the lamb is browned. Then put a lid on the pan and let it cook gently for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, put the drained kidney beans into a bowl and give them a little squash with the end of a rolling pin to help them break up a little. Dansak is traditionally made with lentils, but lentils take longer, so I use tinned kidney beans instead – plus I love that deep purple colour. Stir the beans into the lamb, pop the lid on again, and cook for 20 minutes over a medium heat.
Cook some rice now, or, if you are still short of time, get a few of those pre-cooked rice packets into the microwave.
I like to serve this with a tiny splash of cream drizzled over, and some chopped coriander. A pineapple salsa also works as a refreshing side – just toss chunks of pineapple with chopped red chillies, red onion and fresh coriander.
Remember, there is enough curry here for two meals, so you can freeze the leftovers.
LAMB DANSAK
SHORTCUT BEEF PASTY
SERVES: 4, OR UP TO 8 IF YOU HAVE LITTLE MOUTHS TO FEED ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
There’s nothing I like more than eating a pasty the size of my head. I’ve only visited Cornwall a handful of times, but during those times the variations in pasties were shocking. I had a good go at trying as many as possible, learning the basics, the traditions and the out-there flavours. They were filled with everything from chocolate to tikka! Some had butter pastry, others were more bready; some pleased, others depressed. So here I have taken the traditional flavours and kind of changed it around a bit, and changed the way I do it too. Make some now, save some for another day, but I applaud you if you can consume three human-head-sized pasties in one sitting!
2 small red onions, diced
1 medium potato, grated
2 small parsnips, grated
2 sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
225g beef mince
4 knobs of butter (about 10g each)
Put the onions into a large bowl. I like using red onions, because they add a tiny bit of colour, not so much once they are cooked but enough to see a slight difference, along with the lovely onion flavour. That onion flavour is one of my favourite parts of the whole pasty.
Traditionally the contents of a pasty would be thinly sliced, but to ensure that everything is cooked all the way through, I am grating the potato and parsnip instead. Take the grated potato and squeeze out any excess liquid, then add to the bowl of onions. Add the grated parsnips – I know these are not traditional, but they still add a lovely sweetness, plus I prefer grating parsnips (swedes are a bit fiddly).
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C and have a large oven tray standing by.
Unroll the pastry and cut both sheets across the centre, widthways. Brush the edges of the pastry lightly with a little of the beaten egg.
Give the onion mixture a stir, then divide between the 4 pieces of pastry, piled high on one half, leaving the other half free, as you need to fold it over. Season generously with salt and pepper. Divide the beef mince into four and pile on top of the vegetables. Season well again. Add a knob of butter to each pile of filling.
Carefully fold over the pastry and press to seal the edges, then brush each pasty with more of the beaten egg and sprinkle the top with salt. Cut a slit in the top to allow steam out. Now bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes. Give it a breath before you eat it, as it will be really hot.
LAVA FRIES
SERVES: 4 TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
My mission in life is to eat every kind of fry, and it would be rude not to share my ideas or my experiences with you. I recently watched a show where they served lava fries in an American diner, and I was like, ‘That’s it, I’m making those,’ and that’s what I did. They are spicy and hot and mountain-like, dripping with chilli and soured cream. I don’t know if it’s authentic, but the slow descent of the sauce down the fries makes them look like an erupting volcano. This is not for the faint-hearted. There’s enough here to freeze some for another day.
750g frozen oven chips
For the masala mince
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 medium onions, finely diced
1 tablespoon salt
1kg beef mince
3 tablespoons chilli paste
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
½ a bottle of Worcestershire sauce
2 tins of tomato soup
fresh coriander, chopped
1 can of kidney beans, drained (for the chilli)
For the topping
300ml soured cream
50ml whole milk
2 tablespoons onion granules
1 tablespoons garlic granules
1 teaspoon salt
1 x 210g jar of jalapeños, drained and finely chopped
100g Cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven ready to cook the chips, according to the instructions on the packet. Then start making the masala mince. Put the oil into a large pan on a high heat. Add the garlic, and as soon as it starts to brown, add the onions and salt and cook until the onions are golden and soft.
Add the beef mince and cook until browned, then add the chilli paste, tomato purée, paprika, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour in the tomato soup, stir, then leave to simmer on a medium heat until the mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally.
Now pop the chips into the preheated oven and cook as instructed.
Make the topping by mixing the soured cream with the milk, onion granules, garlic granules and salt.
To finish the masala mince, stir in the coriander. Divide the mince mixture in half and mix in the kidney beans to make a chilli for another day.
Once the chips are done, pile them up in an oven-safe serving dish. Pile the mince on top of them, sprinkle over the jalapeños, then scatter over the cheese and grill on high until the top is toasted.
Allow leftover mince to cool, then freeze in a tub or bag. You could serve it another day with rice and soured cream, sprinkled with fresh coriander and chopped chillies.
BUTTERFLIED LAMB LEG WITH A RHUBARB AND ROSEMARY GLAZE
SERVES: 4-8 BASED ON A 1KG WEIGHT OF LAMB ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES
I like the idea of having an alternative to chicken, and for us, a leg of lamb is a real treat. A butterflied leg of lamb is basically a leg of lamb with the bone taken out, which makes it easier to cook and easier to carve as there’s no bone to cut around. Perfect for the oven and even better on the barbecue. Cooked simply, it’s finished with a fragrant rhubarb and rosemary glaze.
whole leg of lamb, butterflied (y
ou can get your butcher to do this, or buy it already done)
oil, for coating
2 tablespoons salt
For the rhubarb glaze
50g butter
2 large sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed from stalks and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
400g rhubarb, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C. If the leg of lamb is thicker in places, lay it on a board and make vertical slices, then open it up. This will help it to cook evenly.
Pop into a large roasting dish.
Drizzle over the oil and be generous. Cover both sides. Sprinkle over the salt and, again, don’t be afraid to be generous – that’s a big bit of meat and it needs seasoning well.
Pop it into the oven for 40 minutes if you like the meat medium, or 30 minutes if you prefer it pink. While it’s cooking, make the glaze.
Melt the butter in a pan. Next add the rosemary and garlic and cook them on a high heat for just a few minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the rhubarb, salt, honey and chilli powder, then stir.
Increase the heat slightly and mix occasionally. As it cooks it should resemble lava bubbling. You need to cook this for about 30-40 minutes until you have a rich, deep paste. If it starts to stick, just lower the heat and stir frequently. If you have a particularly tart batch of rhubarb you may like to add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of honey.
Once the leg of lamb has been in the oven for the required cooking time, remove it. If there is any liquid in the base of the roasting dish, carefully drain it off.
Brush the glaze all over the top and base of the meat, and leave it fat-side up to finish cooking.
Once it has cooked for a further 20 minutes, take it out and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before eating.
TO BARBECUE
Alternatively, you can barbecue the butterflied lamb – it’s always good to have options. Once the coals are hot enough, put the seasoned and oiled lamb on to the barbecue, fat-side down, and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes until well browned. Turn over and cook on the other side for 5 minutes to brown the other side too.
Now move the coals from the centre to around the edges of the barbecue and leave the meat to cook, covered, for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally if you need to.
Take the lamb off the barbecue, cover it with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes, undisturbed. By which time it is ready to slice and eat.
SLOW COOKER MUSHROOM LASAGNE
SERVES: 4 NOW AND 4 LATER ACTIVE TIME: 40 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES
Sometimes we like to go meat-free during the week, and that’s when mushrooms are my saving grace. They are deep in colour and rich in flavour – they give off the aura of meat, but they are not. That’s why we love them, and it means we can have a meat-free lasagne too. This is the kind of thing you want to leave on the slow cooker just before popping out, knowing you will have dinner ready for when you get back and another one ready to go in the freezer (if you only want to make one, halve all of the ingredients).
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 medium onions, diced
2 teaspoons salt
2 heaped teaspoons cumin seeds
2 x 625g packs of chestnut mushrooms, roughly sliced, or 4 x 285g tins of mushrooms
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
500g mascarpone cream
200ml milk
400g Cheddar cheese, grated
cooking oil spray
12 lasagne sheets
Put the oil into a medium pan on a high heat and as soon as it is hot, add the garlic. When it’s golden, add the onions and salt and cook until soft.
Add the cumin seeds, then add the mushrooms and keep cooking on high until they have really reduced in size. Stir in the black pepper and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated, then take off the heat.
To make the easy white sauce, mix together the mascarpone, milk and cheese.
Lightly spray some oil on the inside of your slow cooker pot, and have a medium lasagne dish at the ready.
Put a quarter of the mushroom mixture into the slow cooker, and the other quarter into the lasagne dish, then make a layer of 3 sheets of lasagne in each, breaking the pasta up where necessary to fit.
Layer on a quarter of the mascarpone sauce in the slow cooker, and another quarter in the lasagne dish, followed by the rest of the mushroom mixture and the remaining lasagne sheets, half in each. Finally, spread the rest of the mascarpone mixture on top. Set the lasagne dish aside to cool. Leave the slow cooker on a low setting for 2 hours.
I like to serve this with with garlic bread (see p. 242) and salad.
When the lasagne in the dish has cooled, cover with foil and freeze.
SLOW COOKER MUSHROOM LASAGNE
GRANDMAMA’S CURRY
SERVES: 6 ACTIVE TIME: 50 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES
From my travels through Thailand this is a recipe that has stayed with me – it’s fragrant, creamy and spicy, warming and delicious. I don’t know whose grandmother started this, but whoever she is, we are thankful, because it is one of the best things ever to pass my lips. The paste is pretty versatile – see here for other ways you can use it.
For the paste
150g desiccated coconut
50g peppercorns
3 whole bulbs of garlic, peeled
250g ginger, peeled and chopped
120g fresh red chillies, roughly chopped
9 sticks of lemongrass
5 teaspoons ground turmeric
4 tablespoons salt
300ml vegetable oil (you may need more)
To cook
100g desiccated coconut
4 tablespoons paste (see above) per 500ml water
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoons ginger paste
250ml coconut cream
about 1.5 litres water
1 whole chicken, skin removed
2 tablespoons cornflour
200g mangetout
200g baby corn, halved lengthways
To serve
rice
a large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
limes, cut into quarters
Start by making the paste. Toast 150g of desiccated coconut until very brown. Put into a blender with the peppercorns, and blend until the pepper-corns are broken down. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies, lemongrass, turmeric, salt and oil. Blend till you have a smooth paste. If it isn’t moving, scrape the sides down and add some more oil until it does.
Transfer the paste to a large jar. This makes a large amount, and it will keep in the fridge for 6 months.
Put 100g of desiccated coconut into a large pan and toast until dark brown. Take off the heat and stir in the paste, then add the garlic paste, ginger paste and the coconut cream and mix really well.
Add the whole chicken to the pan and pour over the water – you need enough to come about three-quarters of the way up the chicken. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave the whole thing to cook gently for 1 hour.
Take off the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken, gently, as it will be falling apart. Place it on a large plate or a board. While the chicken is cooling slightly, turn up the heat under the liquid in the pan and boil rapidly for 10–15 minutes.
Pull the chicken off the bones, using two forks as it will be hot, and get rid of the bones. Put the chicken back into the pan and cook slowly for another 30 minutes with the lid off.
Meanwhile cook enough rice for 6 people.
Mix the cornflour with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, then stir it into the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking, together with the mangetout and baby corn.
Put the rice on a platter and pour all the chicken on top. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with wedges of l
ime.
Leftovers can be frozen in a tub or freezer bag.
GRANDMAMA’S CURRY PASTE
Once you have a curry paste made up, the possibilities are practically endless. This paste is really versatile. It is a great base for any curry – be adventurous with the protein you choose – use fish, lamb or chunks of good hearty vegetables. It’s also great added to instant noodles for extra flavour, and can simply be drunk as a flavoured broth by stirring a teaspoon of the paste into a mug of boiling water.
GRANDMAMA’S CURRY
BAO BUNS WITH SPICY TUNA
MAKES: 6 ACTIVE TIME: 45 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 15 MINUTES
These do take a little effort to make, and they can get demolished in seconds, but most of the effort is in waiting around. Lots of waiting. But it’s worth it – these buns are soft and light, and with the spicy raw tuna it is quite literally a melt-in-the-mouth experience.
For the buns
500g plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons fast-action yeast
300ml warm water
For the spicy tuna
440g tuna steaks (sashimi grade), finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely diced, with seeds
2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds
a small handful of fresh coriander, chopped
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