Orzotto with greens and sesame

Orzotto seems to refer to two dishes, one a risotto made with wheat grain, and the other with Orzo pasta, which is what I have used here. This is a deeply comforting and nutritious dish, great for a warming supper. It can become vegan if you use coconut or soy yoghurt to serve, and vegan stock for cooking.

For 4
5 minutes préparation
30 minutes cooking

20g butter
150 – 200g watercress
100g baby spinach
Dash of ponzu or cider vinegar
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 litre or so chicken or vegetable stock (I use Clearspring’s wonderful vegan noodle broth)
100g orzo
Salt and pepper
Toasted sesame oil
Leaves, cream and parmesan to serve

Melt the butter in a large pan and sweat the onions for 3-4 minutes until softened but not browned.

Deglaze with the ponzu or vinegar and stir. Add the spinach and the watercress and let them cook and wilt in the steam.

Pour in the stock and let the greens simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Blitz until smooth with a hand held blender then add the orzo, topping up with water as needed. Cook for around 10 minutes until the orzo is tender, stirring regularly.

Season with salt if needed, pepper and a dash of sesame oil. Serve hot with rocket leaves, cream and grated parmesan.

OTT savoury brioche and butter pudding, with shitakes, herbs de Provence and gruyère

There’s no excuse for this type of thing, really, but I promise, when you need deeply comforting comfort food, this hits the spot.

For 4
15 minutes preparation,
10 -15 minutes cooking

4 slices stale brioche, croissants or white bread
20g butter for spreading
20g butter for frying the mushrooms
150g shitake mushrooms, sliced
50g butter
1 heaped tablespoon flour
500ml full fat milk
80g grated gruyère
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 180c.

Butter the slices of brioche and set them into a gratin dish.

Fry the mushrooms in butter until crisp and brown. Add them to the gratin dish, pushing them between the brioche slices.

Bring the milk to a boil but don’t let it boil!

Meanwhile, melt the 50g of butter in a non stick pan and add the flour, stirring until you have a thickish paste (a roux). Cook for a couple of minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.

Pour in the hot milk gradually, whisking with a whisk as you do so. Once all the milk is added, heat over low heat and let the sauce thicken. Add the cheese and stir gently through the bechamel sauce.

Season and pour over the mushrooms and slices of brioche, letting the sauce fall through all the gaps and nooks.

Sprinkle with herbs and bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling. Serve with something green !

Fig and pineapple gratin

A delicious way to use up overripe fruit and a simple little dish for winter dinner parties. I like to have something tart in there and in this case, the contrast of sharp pineapple with the pungent figs works very well. You could substitute raspberries, mangos or strawberries or a mix of everything!

For 4
5 minutes preparation
5 – 10 minutes cooking

3 or 4 figs, washed, cut in half or quarters
150g pineapple pieces
3 egg yolks
75g sugar
200ml double cream
Vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 180C.

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until they are pale and have doubled in volume. Beat in the cream and a few drops of vanilla extract.

Put the fruit in four small or one larger gratin dish and pour the eggy cream over it.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the top is browning and bubbling. Serve hot with some more cream.