Gently fry the sausages in a lightly oiled nonstick pan for 15–20 minutes, turning them occasionally. Use very low heat to ensure that the sausage remains succulent. Do not pierce the skins, because this would only let the juices to escape.
Classic mixed grill
The simplicity of a mixed grill makes it perfect for outdoor entertaining. All you need to complete the al fresco meal are a few large bowls of salads and some bread.
SERVES 6–8
12 homemade bangers (see Chapter 4) or good-quality fresh pork link sausages
olive oil for brushing
12 large tomatoes, halved
12 cremini mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
12 thick slices of lean bacon
1½ pounds blood sausage (about 12 links)
12 small lamb chops, bone-in, about 4 ounces each
2½ pounds boneless sirloin steak, about ½-inch thick, cut into 12 portions
12 lamb kidneys, halved
few sprigs of watercress for garnish
Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the bangers in a lightly oiled roasting pan and cook in the oven until they are golden and just cooked through, 15–20 minutes, turning them over halfway. Set aside.
Prepare the barbecue.
First, cook the tomatoes and mushrooms: Place the tomatoes (cut-side up) and the mushrooms (gill-side up) on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over them and season well with salt and pepper. Place the baking sheet on the grill and cook until the tomatoes are just soft and the mushrooms are golden brown, 5–7 minutes, turning the vegetables over halfway through the cooking. Transfer to a large, warm platter and keep warm, preferably in a low oven, or simply covered with a piece of foil.
Place the bacon and bangers on the grill. Cook for 2–2½ minutes on each side, turning them occasionally. Brush the blood sausages with a little oil, add to the grill, and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side. Remove them all to a large platter and keep warm.
Brush the lamb chops, steaks, and kidneys with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Grill them in batches: The lamb chops will take 1–1½ minutes on each side for medium rare; the steaks need only 40–50 seconds per side; and the kidney halves require about a minute on each side. As the meats are grilled, transfer to another warm platter. Let the meats rest a little, then garnish the platters with watercress and serve.
Angus beef olives
These are a reminder of my Scottish roots. When I was young, beef olives were a real treat, even though the stuffing then was made with bread crumbs, herbs, and suet. Beef sausage is perfect for stuffing olives, giving this traditional dish a slightly upmarket feel. Serve some mashed potatoes and green beans on the side.
SERVES 4
4 thin slices of beef cut from the top or bottom round (sometimes called beef rolls by butchers), each about 7 ounces and cut 5/8-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
½ cup dry red wine
1½ cups beef stock (see Chapter 9)
Stuffing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 celery rib, minced
8 ounces fresh bulk beef sausage
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
leaves stripped from a few sprigs of fresh thyme
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 extra-large egg for binding
First, begin the stuffing. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onion and celery, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not browned, 4–6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Meanwhile, pound the beef slices between two layers of parchment paper using a meat mallet or a rolling pin. This helps to tenderize the meat, but be careful not to create any splits in the beef.
Once the onion and celery have cooled, mix in the sausage, bread crumbs, herbs, and egg to bind. Add a little seasoning. With wet hands, divide the mixture into four and roll each portion into a neat oval. Lay a stuffing portion on one end of a flattened beef slice and roll up into a neat log. Tie and secure the log with kitchen string, then enclose in plastic wrap. Holding both ends of the wrap, roll the log on the work surface to even out the shape. Make three more olives with the remaining beef and stuffing. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the beef olives firm up slightly.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a wide frying pan. Unwrap the beef olives, season lightly, and fry until browned all over. Transfer to a large baking dish. Return the pan to the heat. Add the butter and flour and stir for a minute, then blend in the tomato paste. Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the wine. Return to the heat, pour in the stock, and bring to a boil. Stir over high heat until the sauce is smooth and has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Pour the sauce over the beef olives and cover the baking dish loosely with a piece of foil. Put the dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour. Remove the foil and return to the oven to cook until the beef olives are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Turn the olives over halfway through the cooking. Remove the kitchen string, cut into thick slices, and serve with the sauce.
Chicken legs with braised peas and onions
Mark Sargeant, my head chef at Claridge’s, in London, and general right-hand man, considers this his most favorite dish. The braised peas and onions are similar to petits pois à la française, a French classic that even featured on Mark’s retro menu for his wedding reception—served with homemade sausages and mash.
SERVES 4
Chicken legs:
4 large, free-range chicken legs, each 10–12 ounces
2 tablespoons olive oil
small handful of fresh thyme sprigs
1 fat garlic clove, skin on, lightly crushed
1½ tablespoons butter
2/3 cup water
Braised peas and onions:
2 tablespoons butter
7 ounces pearl onions, peeled (about 1½ cups)
few sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cups green peas, thawed if frozen
2/3 cup water
1 romaine heart, shredded
Trim any excess fat from the chicken legs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot. Season the chicken legs all over with salt and pepper, then fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the thyme, garlic, butter, and water to the pan. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan, and braise until the chicken legs are tender, 30–40 minutes. Turn the legs over halfway through the cooking.
About 15 minutes before the chicken is ready, melt the butter in another pan and tip in the onions. Toss well and cook over medium to low heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, 8–10 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, peas, and water. Season well. Simmer until the peas are tender and most of the water has evaporated, 5–6 minutes. Add the lettuce and stir until just wilted, about 1 minute longer.
Spread the braised peas and onions on a large serving platter and arrange the glazed chicken legs on top. Serve immediately.
Goat curry
This is a light, piquant, and flavorful curry inspired by the Caribbean goat curries I used to enjoy during the Notting Hill carnival in London. Here, chicken stock or water take the place of yogurt or coconut milk (both staples in South Asian and Southeast Asian curries). The list of ingredients may seem long, but don’t let this daunt you—you most likely have all the vegetables and spices in your kitchen. Serve the goat curry with plain steamed rice.
SERVES 4
2¼ pounds boneless goat shoulder (or other braising cut)
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin or seeds
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon brown sugar
fe
w curry leaves (optional)
14-ounce can crushed tomatoes in juice
1¾ cups chicken stock (see Chapter 9) or water
handful of cilantro leaves for garnish
Chili paste:
1 small onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
4 small, fresh, hot chili peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
1½-inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons peanut oil
To make the chili paste, put all the ingredients into a small food processor and blitz to a fine paste. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl two or three times to be sure it is all evenly ground. Scrape the paste into a small bowl and set aside.
Cut the goat shoulder into small, bite-size chunks and season with salt and pepper. Heat half the oil in a wide saucepan. Fry the meat in two batches until golden brown all over. As each batch is browned, remove to a plate and set aside. Tip the chili paste into the pan and stir over medium heat until fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Add the dried spices, sugar, and curry leaves, if using. Continue to stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock to the pan and stir well. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan, and cook gently until the meat is just tender, 3–4 hours.
Remove the lid and skim off the excess oil on top. Gently simmer until the curry has reduced and thickened slightly, 20–30 minutes longer. The meat should be very tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve garnished with cilantro.
Roast loin of pork with apple sauce
In Britain, we like to roast pork with the skin on. After cooking, the skin—called crackling—is deliciously crunchy. The secret to good crackling is to ensure that the pork skin is dry and well-scored. As the skin is tough you may struggle to score it. I use a clean, sharp craft knife for this, although a sharp cook’s knife will also do the job. Also, make sure the oven is very hot when you put the pork in so the skin starts sizzling quickly.
SERVES 6–8
3-pound boneless pork loin roast, skin on if possible
few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
olive oil for drizzling
Apple sauce:
1 pound tart cooking apples
1½ tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4–5 tablespoons sugar
Preheat the oven to its highest setting, about 500°F. Remove the butcher’s strings if the pork loin is tied. Pat the skin of the pork dry with paper towels, then score it in a crisscross pattern, spacing the cuts ¾ inch apart. Turn the pork loin over meat-side up. Cut a slit along the thick side of the loin, without cutting all the way through, to open it out like a book.
Mix the chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir well, then spread the mixture over the pork loin. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Roll up the loin and secure tightly with kitchen string at 1½-inch intervals. Rub the scored skin with a large pinch of salt.
Scatter the onion over the bottom of a roasting pan. Set the pork on top, skin-side up. Drizzle olive oil generously over the skin and sprinkle with another large pinch of salt. Place in the oven and roast until the skin is golden and starting to crisp, about 20 minutes.
Turn down the oven to 350°F and roast the pork until it is just cooked through, 30–40 minutes longer. To test, insert a metal skewer into the thickest part of the loin and press gently: the juices that run out should be clear. (I prefer to serve pork just slightly pink to retain its succulence and moisture.) Let rest for 10–15 minutes before carving.
Make the apple sauce while the pork is roasting: Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Roughly chop the quarters. Put them in a medium saucepan with the butter, lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and a splash of water. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Lift the lid and give the apples a stir every now and then, adding a little more water if the pan looks too dry. When the apples have broken down into a purée, taste for sweetness and add a little more sugar to taste. Adjust the consistency with a little more hot water as necessary. Serve warm with the roast pork.
Sweet potato and duck rösti with fried duck eggs
Sweet potato with tender duck meat is a fabulous combination, and the soft, runny yolks of duck eggs bring the dish together. Serve this with a sharply dressed salad on the side to contrast with the sweetness and richness of the main dish.
SERVES 4
2 confit duck legs, each about 5 ounces
2 medium sweet potatoes, about 8 ounces in total
2 extra-large egg whites
1 tablespoon cornstarch
little olive oil for cooking
4 fresh duck eggs
Scrape off the fat from the duck legs and peel off the skin. Pull the meat off the bones and shred into small pieces. Place in a large bowl. Peel and coarsely grate the sweet potatoes over the bowl. Add the egg whites, cornstarch, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and mix well.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a wide, nonstick pan. Spoon three or four neat piles of the sweet potato-duck mixture in the pan and press down to flatten them and form thin patties. Fry over low to medium heat until golden brown, 4–5 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side for the same amount of time. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining sweet potato-duck mixture.
While the last batch of rösti is cooking, heat a little oil in another frying pan (or several blini pans). Fry the duck eggs until the egg whites are set but the yolk is still runny in the middle, 1–2 minutes.
Stack two potato and duck rösti on each of four warm serving plates and top each with a fried duck egg. Serve immediately.
Honey-roast ham
A large, glazed ham need not be confined to a holiday feast. Make it the next time you have a big gathering of family or friends. You will probably need to order the ham in advance from a good butcher or specialty food store.
SERVES 8–10
½ unsmoked country-cured ham, bone in, about 10 pounds, soaked overnight
1 large carrot, halved
1 large onion, quartered
2 celery ribs, cut into large chunks
1 bay leaf
few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
about 50 whole cloves
For the glaze:
½ cup honey
½ cup Demerara or Turbinado sugar
¼ cup Madeira wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons English mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Cumberland sauce:
1½-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
3 tablespoons port
1/3 cup red-currant jelly
1½ cups fresh cranberries
small pinch of cayenne pepper
juice of ½ orange
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 piece of stem ginger in syrup, finely sliced into matchsticks
Find a pot large enough to hold the ham and put it inside. Add the carrot, onion, and celery, and fill with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Scoop off any scum that rises to the surface of the liquid. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns. Simmer for 3–4 hours, replenishing the water level with boiling water as necessary. The ham is ready when the meat will come away from the bone easily.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Put the honey and Demerara sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. When the mixture begins to foam, remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the Madeira. The sugar will spit and splatter, so take care not to burn your hands. If the sugar hardens, return the pan to the he
at and stir until it dissolves again. Let cool slightly, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Cool completely.
Lift out the ham to a large roasting pan and let cool slightly. (If the stock is not too salty, keep it to make soup.) Preheat the oven to 325°F. Cut away the skin of the ham, leaving behind an even layer of fat. Score the fat all over in a crisscross pattern, then stud with whole cloves, pressing each into the middle of a scored diamond.
Brush the glaze over the ham. Bake for about 1 hour, basting frequently with the glaze. When nicely browned, remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
For the Cumberland sauce, put the ginger, port, red-currant jelly, cranberries, cayenne, and orange juice into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened and syrupy, 5–10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon and orange zests and the stem ginger. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool completely. Serve with thin slices of honey-roast ham.
Cider and honey roast leg of lamb
Apples and cider go wonderfully with lamb. The apples break down during cooking and help thicken the sauce. Crisp roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli make the perfect accompaniments.
Cooking for Friends Page 7