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3 Drizzle the sunflower oil on a large baking sheet and arrange the chicken pieces on it in a single layer. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until cooked through and golden.
4 Meanwhile, prepare the tzatziki as on page 72.
5 Toss the ingredients for the salad together in a bowl and pile onto a large serving platter or individual plates. Arrange the warm chicken pieces on top and drizzle with tzatziki. Serve immediately.
Aromatic crispy duck rolls
SERVES 4
These are fabulous for a party or for enjoying as a family meal. They are also a great snack if everything is prepared and stored in small containers in the fridge for people to help themselves whenever the mood strikes. Chinese pancakes are available in Asian food stores, some supermarkets or even from your local Chinese take-away.
2 duck breasts (about 250g/9oz each), skin on
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken stock (see page 326)
3 star anise
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns or ½ tsp black peppercorns
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 spring onions, trimmed and very roughly chopped
2.5 cm (lin) piece of root ginger, peeled and sliced
100ml (3½fl oz) Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
To serve
16 Chinese pancakes
Bunch of spring onions, trimmed and cut into fine strips
2 × 6cm (2½in) pieces cucumber, cut into fine strips
200ml (7fl oz) Hoisin sauce
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas mark 7.
2 Remove the skin from the duck breasts and make three long scores in each piece of skin with a sharp knife. Place the skins in a small, non-stick roasting tin and rub the salt and five-spice powder evenly over. Roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes until crisp and golden.
3 Meanwhile, pour the stock into a saucepan and add all the remaining ingredients. Bring slowly to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes.
4 Add the duck breasts to the stock, cover with a tight-fitting lid and gently poach the duck for 15–20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and allow to cool a little before shredding with two forks, pulling the meat apart. Place on a plate or baking tray, cover with foil and keep warm in a low oven.
5 Drain the crisp duck skins on kitchen paper and finely slice. Scatter the slices back into the roasting tin (which should be full of rendered duck fat) and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Drain well on kitchen paper again and toss with the shredded duck breast.
6 Warm the Chinese pancakes in a steamer or microwave, then place the spring onions, cucumber and Hoisin sauce in separate serving bowls and serve alongside the warmed pancakes and shredded crispy duck. Allow people to assemble the rolls themselves. Spread a little Hoisin sauce on a Chinese pancake, scatter with some spring onions, cucumber and crispy duck and roll up to enclose before eating with your fingers. Finger bowls of warm water may come in handy, or lots of napkins!
Lamb, bean olive and feta salad with redcurrant dressing
serves 4
I created this salad one day with some leftover lamb. It has delicious Greek flavours and works so well with the redcurrant jelly in the dressing. More of a meal in its own right than a starter, this dish is ideal for a midsummer lunch or supper.
300g (11oz) leftover, cooked lamb
1 × 200g tin of beans (such as butter beans, black eye or cannellini beans), drained, or 75g (3oz) dried beans, soaked and cooked (see page 329)
110g (4oz) salad leaves (about 4 large handfuls)
Small handful of mint leaves
About 24 black olives, pitted and halved
200g (7oz) feta cheese, crumbled
For the redcurrant dressing
4 tsp redcurrant jelly (see page 328)
2 tsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 First make the dressing. Place the redcurrant jelly in a small bowl, add the vinegar and olive oil, season with a little salt and pepper and whisk together until emulsified.
2 Carve or tear the lamb into thin slices and toss lightly with the beans, salad and mint leaves on one big serving platter or in individual bowls. Scatter the olives and crumbled bits of feta cheese on top. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.
Pork and egg picnic pie
SERVES 8 – 10
This is best served at room temperature and eaten with pickles and cheese on the side. It’s also delicious served with a little chutney. The pie lasts for a few days in the fridge.
For the hot water crust pastry
75g (3oz) butter, cubed
225g (8oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten (plus another for glazing)
For the minced pork mixture
625g (1lb 6oz) minced pork
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated
1 tbsp chopped thyme and sage (a mixture)
1 egg, beaten
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
10 rashers of back (not streaky) bacon, trimmed of fat
4 eggs
25cm (10in) diameter tart tin with 3cm (1¼in) sides
1 First, prepare the pastry. Place the butter and 100ml (3½fl oz) water in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts, then allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the egg. Pour the hot liquid into the flour and quickly stir with a wooden spoon to mix to a dough. Use the wooden spoon to spread the dough out on a large plate and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Knead the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.
2 While the pastry is chilling, mix all ingredients for the minced pork mixture together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then fry a tiny bit to taste for seasoning (see tip on page 70).
3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
4 Roll out half of the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until it is about 7mm (3/8in) thick and use to line the tart tin. Trim the edges and brush around them with some of the beaten egg.
5 Cover the base of the pastry with five of the trimmed bacon rashers. Place the minced pork mixture over the top, then make four ‘dips’ or ‘wells’ for the eggs to go into. Crack an egg into each of these ‘wells', then cover the mixture with the remaining five rashers.
6 Roll out the second half of the pastry until it is also about 7mm (1/4in) thick and carefully place it on top of the pie. Trim the edges and brush the top with a little more of the beaten egg. If you wish, roll out the scraps until they are about 5mm (¼in) thick and cut into leaves or whatever shapes take your fancy! Place on top of the pie and brush the shapes with the remainder of the beaten egg to glaze.
7 Make a hole, about 5mm (¼in) wide in the centre of the pastry at the top of the pie and cook in the oven for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes—1 hour and 20 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out hot (too hot to hold on the inside of your wrist). Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the tin. When cooled, cut into slices to serve.
Linguini with shrimps, garlic and herbs
SERVES 4 – 6
A simple, classic Italian dish that is a particular favourite with my family. We try to get hold of shrimps (or small prawns) as often as possible. Use spaghetti if you don’t have linguini or why not try making your own pasta (see page 130)? 1 Fill a large saucepan with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Add the linguini and cook for 10–12 minutes (or follow the instructions on the packet), stirring occasionally, until just tender.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g (11oz) linguini
110g (4oz) butter
500g (18oz) cooked and peeled shrimps or small prawns
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, chives, dill, tarragon or chervil
Squeeze of lemon juice Lemon slices, to serve
2 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and, once sizzling, add the shrimps (or prawns), garlic and chilli (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4–5 minutes, tossing regularly until warmed through and becoming golden.
3 Drain the now cooked linguini (leaving a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid in the saucepan) and return it to the pan, removed from the heat. Stir in the herbs and tip the shrimp mixture onto the pasta.
4 Toss everything together and check the seasoning, adding enough lemon juice to taste and more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.
Rachel’s tip
For a quick and easy snack or a simple starter, simply cook and serve the shrimps or prawns with crusty bread instead of the linguini.
Tagliatelle with smoked salmon, watercress and peas
SERVES 4
This is a really good pasta dish, great for all the family, and it makes a little bit of smoked salmon go a long way. Use rocket instead of watercress if you can’t get hold of it. If you’d like to make your own pasta, try the recipe on page 130.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g (1lb 2oz) tagliatelle
200g (7oz) crème fraîche
200g (7oz) smoked salmon, sliced into strips 1cm (Hin) wide
50g (2oz) frozen peas
25g (1oz) finely grated Parmesan cheese
Good squeeze of lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped chives
50g (2oz) watercress leaves, roughly chopped
1 Fill a large saucepan with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook for 10–12 minutes (or follow the instructions on the packet), stirring occasionally, until just tender.
2 In the meantime, place the crème fraîche in a saucepan on a low heat and gently warm through for 1 minute. Add the smoked salmon strips and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3 Meanwhile, cook the peas in a small saucepan of boiling, salted water (I usually take some of the pasta cooking water from the large saucepan) for 1–2 minutes or until just cooked. Add the peas to the crème fraîche mixture along with three-quarters of the Parmesan cheese, the lemon juice and half of the chives, and stir together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
