From roast chicken and pasta to panna cotta and sponge, save these recipes to try this weekend …
APRICOT CHICKEN
If you’re unsure about pairing apricots with chicken, trust me – it’s delicious. If you like chicken wings glazed in sweet-vinegary-hot sauces, you’re going to love this. The apricots melt into the chicken juices and wine, making a tangy, sweet, sticky sauce. The fresh mint at the end ties it all together. You can take a shortcut by skipping the crispy-skin step and roasting everything together, but I promise the extra effort is worth it.
A WHOLE FISH WITH LIME, ORANGE AND GINGER BEURRE BLANC
This whole fish dish with a citrus twist is sure to impress guests. I don’t often say that I’m proud of a recipe, but this one deserves my pride. You can easily swap the whole fish for fillets if you prefer — my fishmonger just had a beautiful selection that I couldn’t resist. Don’t be put off by the idea of making a beurre blanc; it’s much simpler than it sounds, and everyone should try it at least once. As a lazy cook, I would never make anything too demanding. My version skips the wine in favour of orange and lime juice, mainly because I rarely have an open bottle at home (I know, shocking) but also because the flavours, in my opinion, are better.
LEMONY PASTA
This is one of those recipes that I make myself a lot when there’s very little in the house, the chopped lemon rind is the best bit, trust me on this. You can add anchovies here too, just drop them in along with the lemon and garlic.
GREEN BEANS WITH LEMON HOLLANDAISE
Hollandaise is one of those things most people only ever eat in restaurants with an egg, assuming it’s too tricky to make at home, but it’s not. Promise! It just takes a little patience. In this recipe, it becomes the perfect dressing for simply cooked green beans. You could easily swap beans for asparagus, tenderstem or purple sprouting broccoli, or even some steamed or roasted leeks.
ORANGE, GARLIC AND BUTTER-DRESSED GREEN BEANS
Another great greens dish, this simple recipe proves that orange can make a regular side stand out. This is arguably too simple a recipe, but I wanted to remind people that the addition of orange can make a mundane side a meal in itself. You can swap out the green beans for any greens you fancy – I dress broccoli this way and it’s just as crunchy.
WARM CAESAR SALAD
Elevate your Caesar salad with this crisp salad (with fudgey eggs) that will become your go-to. From my cookbook, Make More With Less, my preference is spring greens, but any leafy green works such as Savoy cabbage, hispi cabbage, kale, green beans, cavolo nero or even broccoli. Use whatever is in season.
BUTTERMILK SPONGE WITH BLACKBERRY FOOL FILLING
I make this often, along with the “any cake cake” from my cookbook, but I change the filling depending on availability. I found a huge bush of the most perfect-looking blackberries recently, so I filled the inside with them, but any berry suits. I’ve also made this in winter with torn figs inside or even jams. I usually fill my cakes with a fool rather than straight cream for lightness. The fool is great on its own too served with biscuits. If you can’t find buttermilk, replace it with 100ml double cream and 50ml milk.”
A PLUM GALLETTE FOR ONE (OR MORE)
It’s great to have a small batch pastry recipe that you can really trust and use again and again. This pastry recipe can be used for anything from a sweet or savoury galette, a pie top, a small batch of mince pies or sausage rolls. It’s so easy to make and master.
PANNA COTTA WITH TOASTED COCONUT AND RASPBERRIES
I’ve always loosely followed the River Café, London recipe, but over time I’ve made it my own. I often fold in thick yoghurt instead of whipped cream, as Ruth Rogers suggests, because it makes it lighter. This version, with toasted coconut, raspberries and lime, is one of my favourites. But if you’re looking for a more classic flavour, use vanilla and lemon instead.
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