Broad beans, herbs, bacon and its fat
Enough for 2shelled broad beans 250g
spring onions 6
dill a small bunch
mint a small bunch
white wine vinegar 2 tbsp
olive oil
smoked back bacon 4 rashers
Warm chicken with green beans and chard
As much as I like big flavours, I sometimes want something more gentle, a little genteel even. French beans lend themselves to such cooking.Advertisement
chicken 2 plump breasts
oil a little
rosemary a bushy stalk
French beans 200g
chard 12 thin stems and their leaves
tomatoes 6 small ones, cut in halves or quarters, depending on their size
nasturtium flowers a few, if you wishFor the dressing
shallot 1 small
lemon juice 3 tbsp
olive oil 6 tbsp
mint a small bunchFor the dressing, peel and chop the shallot very finely. Put it into a screw-top jar with a good pinch of salt, the lemon juice, olive oil and the leaves from the mint, lightly chopped (discard the stalks). Screw on the lid and shake the jar to mix the dressing.Brush the chicken with oil, season with salt and black pepper and scatter with the finely chopped rosemary needles. Grill or roast until cooked right through and the skin is golden. Set aside for 10 minutes, perhaps with a mixing bowl over the top to keep it warm, saving any cooking juices that come from it.
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Roast lamb with mint, cumin and roast carrots
Young carrots, no thicker than a finger and often not much longer, appear in the shops in late spring, their bushy leaves intact. Often, they have a just-picked air about them, their tiny side roots, as fine as hair, still fresh and crisp. At this stage, they lack the fibre needed to grate well, and boiling does them few favours. They roast sweetly, especially when tucked under the roast. The savoury meat juices form a glossy coat that turns the carrot into a delectable little morsel.I have used a leg of lamb here but in fact any cut would work - a shoulder or loin, for instance. The spice rub also works for chicken.enough for 4-6leg of lamb 1.5kg
garlic 4 cloves
cumin seeds 3 large pinches
mint leaves a large handful
lemons juice of 2
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finger carrots 12
baby beetroots 4
white wine or stock a large glassFor the mint béarnaise sauce
shallot 1 small
white wine vinegar 3 tbsp
black peppercorns 6
mint leaves 2 tbsp, stalks reserved
egg yolks 2
butter 150g, soft, almost melted Put the lamb in a roasting tin. Peel the garlic and put it into a food processor with the cumin seeds, mint leaves and lemon juice. Add a generous grinding of salt and some black pepper. Blitz to a coarse paste, adding enough olive oil to make a spreadable slush, thick enough to cling to the lamb.Massage the roast well with the spice paste, spreading it over the skin and into the cut sides of the flesh. Set aside in a cool place (preferably not the fridge) for an hour, basting occasionally with any of the paste that has run off.
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Peppers with pork and rosemary
The deep sweetness of a roasted pepper makes it a suitable candidate for an exceptionally savoury filling. I have tried several over the years: beef with cinnamon and tomato; minced chicken, lemon and chillies; and more recently mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Each had its merits, especially the latter with its tart juices. The latest manifestation of the stuffed pepper in my kitchen is one of highly seasoned minced pork with rosemary, parmesan and garlic. I think of it as the best yet.enough for 4onion 1 large
olive oil 2 tbsp, and a little more
garlic 2 cloves
rosemary 3 bushy sprigs
tomatoes 2 large
minced pork 350g
breadcrumbs 50g
small red peppers 6
grated parmesanSet the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Peel and finely chop the onion, then put it into a large, shallow pan with the oil over a moderate heat. Let the onion soften without colouring. Peel and slice the garlic, chop the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary and add to the onion. When all is soft and fragrant, chop the tomatoes and stir them in. Continue cooking until the tomatoes have collapsed into the sauce. Season with salt and black pepper, then stir in the minced pork and the breadcrumbs. Remove from the heat.Cut the peppers in half lengthways, remove the seeds, then lower them into a pan of boiling water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are slightly limp. Remove them with a draining spoon and put them skin-side down in a baking dish.Divide the pork mixture between the peppers, then moisten with a little olive oil. Scatter grated parmesan over the top and bake for 35 minutes, till sizzling.
A warm pumpkin scone for a winter's afternoon
A warm scone is an object of extraordinary comfort, but even more so when it has potato in it. The farl, a slim scone of flour, butter and mashed potato, is rarely seen nowadays and somehow all the more of a treat when it is. I have taken the idea and run with it, mashing steamed pumpkin into the hand-worked crumbs of flour and butter to make a bread that glows orange when you break it. Soft, warm and floury, this is more than welcome for a Sunday breakfast in winter or a tea round the kitchen table.Cooked initially in a frying pan and then finished in the oven, I love this with grilled Orkney bacon and slices of cheddar sharp enough to make my lips smart - a fine contrast for the sweet, floury "scone" and its squishy centre.enough for 4peeled and seeded pumpkin 300g
plain flour 140g
bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp
salt ½ tsp
butter 70g
egg 1, beaten
warm milk 90ml
thyme leaves 2 tsp
oil or butter a littleCut the pumpkin into large chunks and steam until tender enough to mash.Set the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks and rub it in with your fingertips. You could do this in a food processor, but it hardly seems worth the washing up.Crush the pumpkin with a potato masher, then beat in the egg, followed by the milk and thyme leaves. Scoop this into the flour mixture and mix well. Season with black pepper.Warm a heavy, non-stick frying pan with a metal handle over a low to moderate heat. Melt a little oil or butter in it, then pile in the dough and smooth it flat. Leave to cook over a low heat till the underside is pale gold.Lightly oil a dinner plate. Loosen the underside of the scone with the help of a palette knife. Put the plate over the top of the pan, then, holding the plate in place, tip the pan so that the scone falls on to the plate. Slide the scone back into the frying pan and cook the other side for 4 or 5 minutes. Put the pan in the oven for 7 minutes or until the scone is lightly set in the middle.Turn the scone out of the pan and slice into thick wedges. Serve warm, with cheese or some grilled bacon.Photo: Broad beans, herbs, bacon and its fat. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin
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