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12 vine cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
12 pitted black olives
1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh mint Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
I first enjoyed halloumi while on holiday in Cyprus, where it has been produced for centuries. It is a semi-hard cheese prepared from the milk of sheep, cows or goats and then sometimes rolled in wild mint. It has a distinct and pleasant flavour and is versatile to cook with, as its soft springy texture always retains its shape even when fried or grilled.
To prepare the salad, place the garlic, lemon rind and juice and olive oil in a large pan set over a low heat, stirring to combine. Stir in the haricot beans with the tomatoes, red onion, olives and herbs, add salt and pepper to taste, then leave to warm gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl to marinate for 1 hour, which will allow the flavours to develop.
When ready to cook the halloumi, heat a griddle pan and a frying pan, until both are very hot. Cut the halloumi cheese into four thick slices and dip them in cold water, then dust all over with the paprika. Add the olive oil to the heated frying pan, then add the halloumi slices. Fry for 4 minutes, turning once, until golden. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze the lemon juice over the cheese.
Meanwhile, arrange the pitta bread on the griddle pan or under a preheated grill and cook for 1 minute, turning once until puffed up and lightly charred. Alternatively, put the pitta in a toaster for a minute or two. Cut into slices on the diagonal.
Spoon the red onion, bean and tomato salad into the centre of four plates and arrange a piece of grilled halloumi on top, spooning over the lemon-flavoured pan juices. Arrange the griddled pitta slices on the side to serve.
Bruschetta Platter (#ulink_d8c2ea3b-61cf-5e7b-9c90-b8e3d0a84d52)
Serves 4-6
12 thick slices of rustic bread, preferably sourdough
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Warm grilled breads with various toppings appear all over the Mediterranean, and make the perfect nibble at a drinks party. The key to success with this dish is to use the finest-quality ingredients. Splash out on the best extra-virgin olive oil and get some lovely rustic bread, or if you’re really lucky you might be able to find wood-fired sourdough.
To prepare your bruschetta, preheat the grill to medium or heat a griddle pan and use to toast the slices of bread on both sides. Remove the toast from the heat and immediately rub one side with a piece of garlic.
Drizzle over the olive oil and cut any very large slices of toast in half. Use immediately with a selection of the delicious toppings that follow. Arrange on large serving platters or trays to serve.
Goat’s cheese with fig and onion marmalade
VEGETARIAN
2 tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
225g (8oz) ready-to-eat dried figs, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small glass red wine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
good pinch of chopped fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
450g (1lb) goat’s cheese with rind
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the sliced red onions until softened. Stir in the chopped figs, crushed garlic, red wine and the balsamic vinegar. Simmer for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, then stir in the teaspoon of caster sugar and the thyme. Season to taste and leave to cool completely, then spread onto the prepared bruschetta. Thinly slice the goat’s cheese and arrange on top. Place briefly under the grill until the cheese is lightly melting and brown on top.
Artichoke and Parmesan purée
VEG ETARIAN
300g jar of artichoke hearts in olive oil (or 400g can of artichoke hearts in water)
handful of flat-leaf parsley
50g (2 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
juice of
lemon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper
Drain the artichoke hearts and place in a food processor with the flat-leaf parsley, Parmesan cheese and the lemon juice. Blitz to form a smooth paste, then with the motor still running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, then spread thickly over the prepared bruschetta.
Parma ham-wrapped asparagus with tapenade
12 slices Parma ham
12 asparagus spears, blanched (plunged into boiling water for 1 minute, then rinsed)
For the tapenade
250g (9oz) pitted black olives
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped capers
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make a rough-textured tapenade, chop the black olives and mix in a bowl with the lemon juice, capers, anchovy fillets, crushed garlic and the chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper and add enough olive oil to form a fairly thick paste. Spread each slice of Parma ham with some of the tapenade and then wrap the slices around the blanched asparagus spears. Spread the rest of the tapenade over the prepared bruschetta and put the Parma ham-wrapped asparagus spears on top.
Roasted Aubergine and Cumin Soup (#ulink_f0de21c5-083b-5be4-8ad2-19d77cfdd9a8)
Serves 4-6 | VEGETARIAN
3 large aubergines
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 red peppers
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Vitsp cumin seeds
900ml (1
pints) vegetable stock (see page 213)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
The silky texture of aubergine makes this a particularly rich and creamy soup. At only 150 calories per serving, it’s also the perfect low-fat option.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), gas mark 6. Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and trim off the stalks. Brush the cut sides with a little of the oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place cut-side up in a roasting tin along with the whole red peppers and bake for 30–35 minutes or until the flesh of the aubergine is tender and the skin of the red pepper is blackened and blistered.
Remove the vegetables from the oven, put the peppers in a plastic food bag and leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, roughly chop the cooked aubergines, place in a food processor and blend to a purée. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Once the peppers are cool, remove from the bag, peel away the skin and chop the flesh, discarding the seeds. Place in a food processor and whiz until smooth.
Heat a tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2–3 minutes until they are softened but not browned. Stir in the cumin seeds and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the roasted aubergine purée and the stock, stirring to combine. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes until the flavours are well combined and the mixture is heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Purée the soup with a hand-held blender and ladle into deep soup bowls. Spoon the red pepper purée into the centre and swirl it gently into the soup. To serve, drizzle lightly with the remaining olive oil.
Crispy Fried Squid with Harissa and Crème Fraîche (#ulink_117d96ce-cb6a-5f18-85ee-961f06bc310a)
Serves 4
about 1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable oil, for deep-frying
450g (1lb) medium-sized squid, cleaned
2 tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp fine semolina
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp ground paprika
2 tsp harissa paste
120ml (4fl oz) crème fraîche
1 medium-hot red chilli (optional), thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 spring onions (optional), trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
salt and freshly ground black pepper
In Spain there is a type of flour milled especially for frying, called harina de trigo. The closest equivalent in the UK and Ireland is finely ground semolina. For this recipe it’s crucial not to overcook the squid or it will become tough and rubbery.
Pour the oil into a large, heavy-based saucepan or wok and set over a high heat. Alternatively, heat a deep-fat fryer to 190°C (375°F). Cut the body pouch of each squid open along one side and score the inner side with the tip of a small, sharp knife into a fine criss-cross pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through the flesh. Then cut each pouch in half lengthways, then across into 5cm (2in) pieces. Separate the tentacles into pairs.
Put the cornflour, semolina, sesame seeds, paprika and a teaspoon of salt into a plastic food bag. Add the prepared squid, close the bag and shake and toss to coat. Tip out onto a tray, knocking off any excess coating, and leave for 1–2 minutes so that the cornflour mixture becomes slightly damp. This will give a crispier finish.
When the oil is hot enough (it should sizzle fiercely when you drop in a small cube of white bread), fry the squid in batches for 1–2 minutes until it is covered in a crunchy golden coating. Drain on kitchen paper.
Meanwhile, mix together the harissa and crème fraîche in a small bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Tip the squid onto a serving plate and sprinkle over some chilli and spring onions if you wish. Place the harissa and crème fraîche dip alongside to serve.
Chicken and Wild Mushroom Wontons with Chinese Black Bean Sauce (#ulink_b5a2a17c-9dc2-5c1d-9813-55878b603bc1)
Serves 6
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 shallots, peeled and diced
175g (6oz) mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, chestnut and chanterelle), finely chopped
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp Madeira or ruby port
120ml (4fl oz) double cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh mixed herbs (such as chives, basil and flat-flat parsley)
1 large skinless chicken breast fillet, diced
3 eggs
1 packet wonton wrappers (contains about 30 square wrappers), thawed if frozen
