Greenfeast Page 7
For the dressing:
soured cream 150ml
pickling liquor from the onion 4 tablespoons
Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon
grain mustard 1 teaspoon
poppy seeds 1 tablespoon
Peel the onion and finely slice into rings. Warm the vinegars, 120ml of water and the mustard seeds in a small saucepan, add half a teaspoon of salt and the onion. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat, cover and leave for twenty-five minutes.
Finely shred the red cabbage. Peel the carrots, then slice them into long shavings with a vegetable peeler. Halve, core and slice the pear. Toss the cabbage, carrots and pear with a little of the onion pickling liquid.
Make the dressing: lightly beat the soured cream, onion pickling liquor, mustards and poppy seeds. Fold the dressing into the shredded cabbage, carrots and pear. Finally, add the smoked almonds and the pickled onions, drained of their remaining pickling liquor.
• Should smoked almonds prove elusive, make your own by mixing smoked salt with a little paprika and groundnut oil, then toast in a dry pan, before adding the whole almonds.
You push your spoon through the crust. The pastry, potato, toasted cheese or crumbs give under its weight. A puff of aromatic steam. Steam scented with onions and bay, thyme or rosemary, tarragon or garlic. And then your spoon sinks into the depths below. There may be melting cheese or a cloud of sweet potato, there might be mushrooms, sprouts or silky shallots. Whatever, it will be something to nourish and soothe, warm the heart and calm the soul.
Of course, your crust may be below the filling. A layer of pastry supporting shallots and apple, or a fan of late autumn plums. Maybe some slices of banana glistening with maple syrup. The pastry may be puff or rich buttery shortcrust, it might have chopped thyme rubbed into it, or grated Parmesan.
Food cooked with a crust is both soft and crisp. I am not sure food can get better than this on a winter’s night. A puff-pastry parcel filled with mashed sweet potato; a deep dish of filo pastry filled with almost-liquid melted Taleggio and toothsome greens. Layers of swede, mushrooms and Gruyère with a crumbly thyme-freckled wrapper of shortcrust; a herb crumble baked on top of a cream sauce in which sleep tomatoes, leeks and basil.
I delight in crusts that split here and there. Holes and tears and gaps where the filling peeps deliciously through. Sometimes it floods the pastry: something I always hope for but which happens all too rarely – a tantalising glimpse of what lies beneath. Be it creamy or simmering in its own juices, spiced or herbed, piping hot or served relaxed and at room temperature, the filling is all the better for having a little of the crust come with it.
I rarely put pastry both under and on top of the filling. The base often fails to crisp at all. And yet a single sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry can be draped over any vegetable stew and baked; a few sheets of filo, each brushed with melted butter (and, if you wish, crumbs or chopped thyme) can provide an instant tart base. For everyday eating I would go for a top or bottom crust, not both.
And although this chapter is complete in itself, it would be remiss of me not to point you in the direction of the pudding chapter, and the quickest banana and maple syrup tarts.
FILO PASTRY, CHEESE, GREENS
A tart to eat straight from the oven, while the cheese is still soft and melting.
Serves 4
purple sprouting broccoli 250g
sprout tops 150g
butter 90g
filo pastry sheets 7 (270g)
Taleggio 500g
Parmesan 150g
You will also need a metal baking dish or tart tin about 30cm in diameter.
Bring a large, deep pan of water to the boil. Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Place a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven. Slice each stem of purple sprouting broccoli in half lengthways. Finely shred the sprout tops. Lower the broccoli into the boiling water, leave for three or four minutes till the colour is bright, then lift out with a draining spoon and refresh in a bowl of iced water. Do the same with the shredded sprout tops.
Melt the butter in a small pan. Brush the base of the baking dish or tart tin with some of the butter, lay a sheet of pastry over the base and brush it with more butter. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry, letting them overhang the edges of the tin.
Tear the Taleggio into small pieces and grate the Parmesan. Drain the vegetables and dry on kitchen paper. Fill the tart case with the drained purple sprouting broccoli and sprout tops, then tuck the Taleggio amongst them and scatter over the grated Parmesan. Fold the overhanging pastry back over the edges of the tart, place on the heated stone or baking sheet and bake for about twenty to twenty-five minutes, till the pastry is crisp.
• Putting a metal baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven before you start is a sound idea. As the oven warms, the sheet will heat up, providing an extra hot base on which to bake your tart. Doing this will ensure a crisper base than if you simply place the tart on the oven shelf.
LEEKS, PARSNIPS, PASTRY
Bosky vegetables. Cream sauce. Crisp crust.
Serves 4
leeks, medium 2
butter 45g
chestnut mushrooms 200g
olive oil 4 tablespoons
parsnips 400g
smoked garlic 4 cloves
thyme 12 sprigs
double cream 350ml
puff pastry 325g
a small egg, beaten
Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Cut the leeks into 2cm-thick rings and wash them thoroughly. Put the leeks in a saucepan with the butter, place a piece of greaseproof paper or baking parchment over the surface of the leeks, then cover tightly with a lid. Let the leeks steam in the butter over a moderate heat until tender, but not coloured.
Thickly slice the mushrooms. In a shallow ovenproof pan about 24cm in diameter, warm the olive oil, add the mushrooms and fry till golden. Meanwhile, peel the parsnips and cut into 1cm dice. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Remove the mushrooms as they are ready, then add the parsnips to the pan, together with a little more oil if necessary. Let them brown lightly, adding the garlic after five minutes, then remove them and return the mushrooms to the pan.
When the leeks are tender, remove the lid and paper and add the leeks and parsnips to the mushrooms. Season the cream with salt, pepper and the sprigs of thyme, then pour over the vegetables, remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.
Roll the pastry out into a disc large enough to cover the pie. Lower the pastry into place over the vegetables, pressing it tightly over the edges. Brush with the beaten egg, then cut a small hole in the centre to let the steam out. Bake for twenty-five minutes till pale gold and the cream is bubbling.
LEEKS, TOMATO, PECORINO
Hearty but not heavy.
Serves 4
leeks 850g
butter 40g
cherry tomatoes 300g
basil leaves 10g
double cream 250ml
For the crumble:
plain flour 250g
butter 125g
Pecorino, grated 75g
thyme 10g
parsley 15g
Cut the leeks into 1cm-thick rounds, then wash very thoroughly in cold water. Put the leeks into a deep ovenproof casserole or saucepan with the butter, cover with a lid and let them soften over a moderate heat. A regular stir will stop them colouring. Cut the tomatoes in half and stir into the softening leeks, together with some sea salt and black pepper, letting them cook for about ten minutes until soft and juicy. Stir in the basil leaves, then the cream. When the cream has warmed, remove from the heat. Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6.
Make the crumble: put the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the butter in small pieces and rub in with your fingertips. Stir in the grated cheese. Pull the leaves from the thyme and parsley, finely chop and stir in to the crumble. You can do this in seconds in a food processor. Sprinkle several drops of water over the mixture and shake the bowl back and forth until you have a mixture of large and small crumbs. Sc
atter the crumble over the tomato and leeks then bake for forty minutes till bubbling round the edges.
• Parmesan or a firm, extra mature Cheddar, grated finely, will do the job of the Pecorino if you prefer. Rosemary, finely chopped, can work in place of thyme, or you could use the dried herb mixture ‘herbes de Provence’.
SHALLOTS, APPLES, PARMESAN
A classic tart. A savoury twist.
Serves 6
For the pastry:
plain flour 225g
butter 150g
egg yolk 1
thyme leaves 2 teaspoons
Parmesan, finely grated 4 tablespoons
banana shallots, medium 4
olive oil 2 tablespoons
apples 2
You will need a tarte Tatin tin or a metal-handled frying pan measuring 24cm in diameter.
Put the flour into the bowl of a food processor, add 120g butter in small pieces and process to the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk, thyme leaves and 3 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan, process briefly, then transfer to a lightly floured board and bring together into a ball. Of course, you can do this by hand if you wish, rubbing the flour and butter together with your thumb and fingertips (a peaceful flour-dusted thing to do), then fold in the yolk, thyme and cheese. Wrap in baking parchment or place in a bowl and cover, and leave to rest in the fridge.
Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Peel the shallots, then halve lengthways. Melt the remaining 30g of butter with the oil in the tin or frying pan over a moderate heat, then add the shallots, cut side down. Let them brown lightly, then turn to let the other side colour. Meanwhile, halve, core and slice each apple into eight segments. Remove the shallots from the pan, then add the apples, letting them soften and turn lightly gold. Scatter over the remaining tablespoon of grated Parmesan, then return the shallots.
Roll the pastry out to a good 3cm larger than the tin or frying pan. Lay the pastry over the shallots and apples, tucking in the overhanging dough. Bake for twenty-five minutes, until the pastry is pale biscuit-coloured and the butter is bubbling round the edges. Remove from the oven, leave to settle for ten minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate.
SWEDE, MUSHROOM, GRUYÈRE, THYME
Herb scented, rib-sticking filling. Crumbly pastry.
Serves 6
For the pastry:
plain flour 200g
rye or wholemeal flour 100g
thyme leaves 1 tablespoon
butter 150g
salt a pinch
an egg, beaten
For the filling:
a medium onion
butter 90g
swede 450g
chestnut mushrooms 250g
Gruyère 250g
Make the pastry: put both the flours and the thyme leaves in a large bowl, cut the 150g of butter into small pieces, then add it with the salt to the flour and rub together with your fingertips until you have a breadcrumb-like consistency. Introduce enough cold water to produce a soft, rollable dough. Alternatively, you could make this in a food processor. Turn out onto a floured work surface, pat into a ball, flatten the top, then wrap in baking parchment and refrigerate for thirty minutes.
Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Place an upturned baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven to heat up. Peel and roughly chop the onion then let it soften in 30g of the butter over medium heat in a large, wide pan. Peel the swede, cut it in half lengthways, then cut each half into quarters. Slice each quarter thinly. Remove the onion from the pan – it should be pale gold and translucent. Add the pieces of swede to the pan, adding more butter if necessary, turning them as they brighten and soften. Thinly slice the mushrooms, then add them to the pan, with the remaining butter, and cook till pale gold. Grate the Gruyère into a large bowl, then add the swede, onions and mushrooms. Season generously with black pepper.
On the floured board, roll the pastry out into a large, rough-edged circle approximately 30cm in diameter and transfer to a parchment-lined or flour-dusted baking sheet. Pile the filling in the centre of the pastry, leaving a wide gap of bare pastry round the edge. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling, leaving the middle open. Brush the edges with beaten egg, then place the whole baking sheet on top of the hot sheet or stone in the oven and cook for twenty-five minutes, till the pastry is pale gold and the filling has crisped on top. Leave to settle for ten minutes before slicing.
• This is rather good cold too, and can be sliced and tucked inside a lunchbox or taken on a picnic.
SWEET POTATO, PUFF PASTRY
Crisp pastry. Soft, mildly spicy stuffing.
Serves 4
sweet potatoes 850g
harissa paste 2 teaspoons
ras el hanout 1 teaspoon
puff pastry 325g
an egg
black sesame seeds a couple of pinches
Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Place an empty baking sheet in the oven to warm. (It will help the base of your pastry crisp.) Put a pan of water on to boil and balance a steamer basket or colander over it. Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them into large pieces and steam for ten to fifteen minutes until tender. Remove from the steamer, then mash with a potato masher or food mixer till smooth. Season with sea salt, the harissa paste and the ras el hanout and set aside to cool.
Roll the pastry out to a rectangle measuring 35 × 23cm, then transfer to a baking sheet, turning the pastry so the long side is facing you. Spoon the cooled sweet potato on the right-hand half, leaving a 2cm rim around the edge uncovered, then smooth the surface flat.
Break the egg into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork to mix yolk and white. Brush the bare edge generously with the beaten egg, then fold the left-hand side over the right, as if you were closing a book, and press firmly around the edges to seal.
Score a trellis pattern on the top of the pastry, then brush with more of the beaten egg. Scatter the black sesame seeds over the top, then bake for forty minutes on the hot baking sheet till golden brown.
• The filling should be soft but not wet. Should you choose to boil the sweet potato instead of steaming, make sure to drain thoroughly, and leave uncovered for ten minutes to allow the steam to escape.
• I have also made this with maincrop, floury-fleshed potatoes, adding a handful of grated cheese after mashing. A deeply satisfying pie for a cold day.
A ladle is the spirit of generosity. Deeply comforting, capacious, motherly. A ladle is a spoon that is expecting friends for dinner. (Even the largest kitchen spoon feels mean beside the smallest ladle.) Generosity that goes beyond mere quantity. You dip your ladle deep into a pot of soup or stew and lift out enough to fill the hungriest of diners, a bowl of steaming savour and sustenance. Full to the brim, overflowing with welcome.
And yet what we serve from a ladle is often humble – a soup of beans and woody herbs; a piping hot onion broth; a scented stew of noodles and spices. No matter how basic the ingredients, the food we share from this piece of bent metal is at once hearty and wholesome.
A ladle doesn’t do dainty, twee or tight-fisted. It doesn’t do lonely. You don’t often serve your own dinner with a ladle. Like a pot of tea, this is a piece of equipment that is about sharing something with others. You may ask everyone to help themselves to a spoonful of pie. To cut themselves a slice of bread. But it is invariably the cook who wields the ladle.
Some foods ask to be served from this bowl-on-a-handle. Broth obviously, smooth vegetable purées too, but also lumpy soups and wannabe stews. But nothing with a crust, which needs a wide spoon to ensure the pastry or crumb topping stays on top. A ladle is there for a soup of black-eyed beans and greens; small seed-shaped pasta with grated cheese and herbs; a creamy purée made from a cauliflower or pumpkin and, of course, stock.
My first ladle, taken from a restaurant that had more than it needed, was too wide. The soup gushed over the sides of the narrow-mouthed bowls I had at the time. The second, a gift from a friend (which surely belonged with a silver-plate tureen in a grand restaurant), had a fl
amboyant kink in the handle that made it uncomfortable to hold. It twisted as you poured. The next had a handle too upright from the bowl and made aiming the contents difficult. It left a few stains behind.
The handle should sit at a slight angle to the bowl, so it pours comfortably as you turn your hand to the left (assuming you are right-handed), which discounts most of those sold in catering supply shops, whose handles seem to sit straight against the bowl. And they must have a hook or a sharp bend at the end, so you can hang them by the cooker, which is where they are going to be of most use. I don’t think it should be stainless steel, too clinical and cold-hearted. The one I have settled with is made of white enamel, a little chipped now, and has been with me for so long it feels like an old friend.
The right ladle, like the right knife, is the one that feels made for your hand. Ideally, it should look as much at home at the table as it does in the kitchen. A cheap one will probably work as well as any. Try before you buy. Hold it aloft in the shop and scoop bowlfuls of air into an imaginary soup bowl. How does it feel? A good ladle is a friend for life, and will be a friend to your friends, who are sitting patiently at the table, waiting for you to turn up with it in your hand.
BEETROOT, LENTILS, GARAM MASALA
Soft, soothing spice.
Serves 4
a medium onion
olive oil 3 tablespoons
garlic 2 cloves
chilli flakes 2 teaspoons
yellow mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
vegetable stock 800ml
split orange lentils 300g