Top stuff Ottolenghi's pizza party Feast Issue No.317 Saturday 17 February 2024 José Pizarro Leche frita with caramel oranges Rukminilyer Masalaomelette Meera Sodha Spicy tempeh spaghetti Cynthia Shanmugalingam Easy, veg based Sri Lankan curries Philip Khoury Vegan hazelnut financiers Felicity Cloake How to make banana pudding Rachel Roddy Sausage and winter greens soup Grace Dent ‘Nobody wantsa deconstructed curry’Yotam Ottolenghi In theory, making pizza at home- particularly with kids involved - shouldbe fun. In practice, making pizza at home - particularly with kids involved ~is total mayhem. Flour goes everywhere, there’s dough stuck to every work surface and everyone remembers just that bit too late that they should have put the base on the baking tray before the toppings went on. The solution? Pizza al taglio, or y the cut’ pizza, with which one large, traybake pizza serves four happy (and flour-free) people. I've given ideas for two toppings overleaf, but what goeson top isreally a free-for-all, so play around as muchas you (or any kids) like. Q voearan © woo (] swrntee oorr tee Prep 10min (Cook 40 min fest 34h Serves 46 ‘450qstrong bread four plus extrs for dusting ‘Gtsp granulated or ‘ister sugar ‘a ast-acton ered Yeast fe, ached Tog ne or medium Semoline ‘ome ot, pus fra forgreasing tbsp aed sa att Pizzaal taglio base Alltaglio pizzais very versatile because the toppings can be added before orafterit'sbaked, or both. Pve siven instructions formaking the dough ina stand mixer and by hand. Put the flour, sugar, yeas, 50g ofthe semolina, 30ml ofthe oll and 220m watm water ina stand mixer with the dough hook attached, Knead for 10 minutes on medium-high, adding the salthalfway, until it comes together intoa smoath, elastic dough, then tip out on to alight floured work surface. Altematively, mixin above then knead by hand for 1215 minutes ‘The dough shoul be slightly moist and tacky, but not stick to yourhands: ifit does, add alittle extra flour. Gently shape t into asmooth bal, then putitina large, lightly oiled ‘bowl, coverand keep ina warm spot fortwo hours, until doubled in size. Greasea 30cm x 45cm oven tray with 4om ol, then scatter the last 30g semolina over the top. Tip the ‘dough on oa lightly floured worktop, then use your knuckles gently to Knock out the at. Shape i into ball, then use your fingertips to spread it into a rough 20cm x 30cm rectangle. Lay thisin the centre ofthe tray and rest uncovered for 90 minutes, every now and then stretching ittovards the comers ofthe tray, unt it's right in the edges and not springing back. Heat the oven to its highest setting = ideally to 2506 (2306 fanigas Ms for many people, though, the hottest setting is 2406 (9206 fangs 9, in ‘hich case bake the pizza foran extra minute orto, until the base is crisp. Drizzle the last 20m oil over the doughand add your toppings of choice. Bake on the highest shelf for 18-20 minutes, rotating once halfway, “until the crusts golden and crisp and the dough fufy and almost focacia- Tike, Seatterover any extra toppings of your choice, transfer to aboard, cutinto squaresand serve hot.-> :)Prep 25min ‘Cock 20min Makes tage ‘way pia {tbsp ative ot ‘3 gartecoves, paced snd etshed ets chil aes (eptonad Fine so sat nd black pepper 114009 tn pooled plum tomatoos sp granulated or caster sugar Setspredwine vinegar ‘400g portobello mushrooms, ut nto Vemthek aces YEtop cil Makes ‘tsp dred oregano ‘Yatspfennel seeds. Yatsp smoked. papi ‘ths alive oi 2tsp soy sauce ‘isp maple syrup uncooked pizza at tal base (se fest feepe) or x shop Bought plza bases 2omtotive ot 2509 fre imorzarelacrained 2009 neotta sgbast tenes ‘This is my vegetarian homage to the indisputable 0G of all pizzas, namely ‘the pepperoni, using the “meatiest” ofall veg, mushrooms, and making ‘them sweet, salty, smoky and spicy. First make the sauce, Puta small saucepan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, add the oil, garlic, chill flakes and a good twist of black pepper, and sizzle fora minute, stirring, until fragrant and starting to colour. Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar anda ‘quarter-teaspoon of salt, turn down the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, stirring regularly and ‘crushing the tomatoes with the spoons you do so, until the sauce thickens slightly and turns. deep red, Take off the heat and set aside, Heat the oven to 2306 (210C fam)/ gas 814. Put all the ingredients for the mushrooms in a medium bowl with an eighth of teaspoon ‘of salt and a good twist of black pepper, and mix well, Spread out the mushroom mix on a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, then roast for 12 minutes, turning the mushrooms over halfway. Take the tray out the ovenand set aside to cool, ‘When you're ready to bake the pizza, heat the oven to its highest setting asin the first recipe. To assemble the pizza, spread 20m oll lover the top of the uncooked pizza base, then spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the top. Tear up the mozzarella and scatter the cheese evenly over the tomato sauce, then scatter on the mushrooms. Bake for 18-20 minutes, asin the previous recipes, until the bottom land edges are crisp, remove from the oven, then dollop and smear the ricotta on top. Season withan eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a few twists of black pepper, scatter over the basil leaves and serve. Ons ‘The Guardian Saturday 17 ebruary 2024Prep 15min Cook 20min Nokes large troy pizza Vets hilt kes, {tbsp tomato paste Boga, sms Femeved sng tered 109 net) 209 bast ‘tbsp white-wine ‘negar 530g eream cheese ‘omit ove ot looks great” peated tnd eat nto le ‘ekrings (2809) 2tbsp alive ot 20m ave ot ‘uncooked pizza altagliobase ae previous recipe) 500g aeag, theese suchas ‘motsarelisor Semsthiesiees ‘Test kitchen development chef Jake ‘Norman's first kitchen job was at a pizza joint in Guadalajara, Mexico, ‘that made only two sorts: green or rred. This pizzais in honour of the ‘green one. All the elements can be ‘made ahead of time. First, make the honey. Put the chilli flakes and tomato paste ina small saucepan with two tablespoons of water, bring toa simmer, then cook, stirting, for 90 seconds, until almost allthe water has evaporated and the paste is bubbling. Take off the heat, stirin the oil and leave to cool. Once cool, whisk in the honey, a teaspoon and a half of water and a quarter- teaspoon of salt and set aside. Now for the sauce. Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted water toa boil, drop in the kale, blanch for two minutes, then drain and put under running cold water to cool and to stop It cooking further. Squeeze out the excess water, then put the kale inthe small bowl ofa food processor with the remaining sauce ingredients, ‘60m! water, an eighth of a teaspoon saltand a few twists of pepper. Blitz smooth, then set aside. ut a griddle pan on a medium- high heat. Toss the onions in the of! ‘and a quarter-teaspoon of saltto ‘oat, taking care that the rings stay intact, then gril for three to four minutes on each side, until charred and softened, Transfer toa large plate and season with black pepper. Heat the oven to its highest setting asin the frst recipe. Lightly drizzle 2oml oll over the uncooked pizza base, spread two-thirds ofthe kale sauce on top and scatter the talegaio evenly over that. Bake for 18-20 minutes, as inthe previous recipe, then remove from the oven. Spoon over the remaining sauce, scatter on the charred onions, drizzle over the chilli honey and serve hot.José Pizarro Milk the situation Imade this for my partner's mum Hilda not long after we met, and apparently it won her heart. This dish is actually a popular, sweet street food snack, but here I'm serving it with sticky caramel blood oranges - the pick of the winter crop. As farasIcan tell, leche frita (or ‘fried milk’) was first made and sold by nuns in northern Spain to raise money for their convents and was traditionally eaten at Easter; nowadays, though, is popularall year round, probably because it's just so moreish. Prep 10min infuse 20min hil 3h cock SOmin Senes 8 For the oranges ‘blood oranges 100g caster sugar For tho leche frit 750m whote mil Tnmamon stick ‘The pared zest of orange ee a0 andmethoe) ‘Vani ped, slit lengthy sng seeds scraped out 100g caster sug: plus? top ext for fhe cinnamon sugar ‘0g plain our, us Bagexta for ‘Goring, ‘30g cormiour 2meetum egg yous ‘somt ave ot, for frying step ground 2wholeeags, beaten Leche frita with caramel blood oranges Freeze the excess orange peel to put incold drinks, to bring a welcome citrus hit to stews, or for desserts. Peel the skin and pith off four ofthe ‘oranges, reserving one of the skins, then slice the peeled fruit and put it ina medium bowl, Juice the fifth ‘orange ~ you should get about 100ml + and pour into ajug. Cut all the white pith off the reserved orange peel, then cut the zest into wide strips. Put the caster sugarin a pan with ‘30ml water, and melt gently, stirring, (ona low heat. Turn up the heat and leave to bubble until it's a dark golden ‘caramel, Pour into the juice jug ~ take cate, because it will spit = then pour over the sliced oranges and leave to cool. Once cool, chill until needed. ‘You can make this up toa day ahead. Forthe leche frita, put the milk, cinnamon, reserved orange zest and vanilla ina pan and heat gently until, almost boiling, Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes, Blend the sugar, 25g plain flour and ‘the comflour in a bow, strain in 100ml of the infused milk and whisk toasmooth paste. Beat in the rest of the milkand the egg yolks, then retum to the milk pan and cook, ‘whisking, ona medium heat for 1015 minutes, until thick. Pour the milk mix intoa greased, ‘deep lipped baking tray, so it comes about 24cm up the sides, cover with lingfiim and chill for at Teast three hours or, even better, overnight. ‘Tum out theset leche on toa board and cut into 2cm squares. Heat the ol ina deep pan. Inasmall bowl, micthe last two tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon, Working in batches, dip the leche squares in beaten egg, then dust in flour and fry fora minute on each side, until golden, Drain on kitchen roll, dust with the ‘nnamon sugar and repeat with the rest of the set milk squares. Serve hot with the caramel blood oranges. (Feast) 7)Rukmini lyer Quick and easy Ugandan rolex is a fantastic street food dish: a freshly cooked omelette rolled up in a chapati, and perfect for avegetarian lunch on the go. Fora snacky dinner, | like to take inspiration. from Indian masala omelettes and add mushrooms, peppers, onions anda bit of spice to make a hybrid dish that Iserve with my favourite coriander chutney. Prep 15min Cook 18min senes 2 23 thsp neutral or lve lt Vaart cove, peeled and finely rated ‘small red orion, Decled and fray chopped {sp ground curin {sp ground conander(iealy ‘round rom whee eds) Yatsp ground ‘Yatep cil fakes (eptenad) ‘Sea salt aes ‘small red pepper, Stal lth and seeds femoved, flesh finely enone 1509 mined rehestnst ‘mushrooms, finely chopped 2 razon parathas ‘4eqgs beaten wer Tsp ky se salt For the chutney 130g fresh colander, lenrerend softens ‘Ogtresh mint eaves 23cm place root ‘ginger peeled oie of ime Yegreen ci (options remove the pth and weds, yous) {$09 yoghurt 25gamenth peanut batter Yatep ay saat Roll-up masala omelette with peanut chutney Put two tablespoons of the ol ina large frying pan on a medium heat, then add the garlicand onion, and stir-fry for five minutes. Lower the heat, add the spices and a teaspoon of salt, and fry for another minute. ‘Add the pepper and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, fora further eight minutes, until softened and cooked through, While the vegetables are cooking, blitz all the ingredients forthe chutney ina high-speed blender until you havea smooth, green sauce that’s roughly the texture of single cream, Taste and adjust the saltas needed, and set aside. Put a small to medium-sized frying pan on a medium heat, add one of the frozen parathas and ‘cook fora couple of minutes on each side (or according to the packet instructions), until golden brown. and fluffy. Wrap ina clean tea towel, to keep warm, then repeat with the second paratha, Once the mushrooms and peppers are cooked, heat half tablespoon of olin the pan you did the parathas. in it's nice if the omelette comes ‘out the same size as the paratha - then add half the vegetable mix. Pour half the beaten egg over the top, and very quickly stirto create an even layer of egg and veg. Cook ‘ona low to medium heat for 60-90 seconds on each side, then pop iton ‘one ofthe parathas, Drizzle with the chutney, oll up tightly, then return ito the tea towel to keep warm, Repeat with the remaining paratha, vegetables and egg, and ‘cook and roll up the second omelette in the same way. Serve with more chutney alongsideMeera Sodha The new vegan For the (nearly) seven years I've been writing recipes here, I've wanted to create a vegan bolognese. There are plenty of recipes out there for lentil, tofu, mushroom or vegan mince-based ‘ones, none of which has taken my fancy. But then a box of tempeh caught my eye at the supermarket and everything fell into place. Tempeh, for the uninitiated, is made from fermented soya beans. It's mild in flavour, and nuttier, meatier and chewier than tofu, and it dances with south-east and east Asian flavours as well as Ellie and Vito danced on Strictly. Prep 10min Cook 40 min sever 4 2009 tempeh -I ike the tooo C's one 2009 spring onions, temmee 2p sian Deppercors, wel Erehed ns morte tbsp 759) tomato puree bsp chil bean 3Matbsp lant soy plusalitecst for thepasta gariccioves, Decied ond minced 2ogenives, finely chopped Chil or vegan parmesan, (serve Spicy tempeh spaghetti ‘You'll find tempeh in the same aisle as tofuat the supermarket. You'll need chilli bean sauce (Lee Kum Kee ‘makes great and widely available one), Sichuan peppercorns and ‘Shaoxing wine, all of which can be found in larger supermarkets, ‘onlineand in Chinese and south- ‘east Asian food stores. Put the tempeh on a large chopping. board, cut it into chunks, then chop it nto lentil-sized pieces (or chuck the chunks into a food processor and blitz toa mince), Finely chop the white and green pasts of the spring onions, put them ina sieve and submerge it ina big bowl of cold ‘water, Squish with your hand to rinse out any sand, then drain, In another bowl, mix the ground Sichuan pepper, tomato puree, chilli bean sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing ‘wine and agave syrup. Bring two litres of water to a boil, ‘add two teaspoons of salt and cook the spaghetti according tothe packet Instructions. Near the end of the ‘cooking time, scoop out a mugful of the starchy water, then drain the pasta and drizzle witha litte oil, ut the oil in a wide frying or saute pan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, add the spring onions and garlic, and stir-fry for two minutes, until the garlic no longer smells pungent. Add the minced tempeh and stir-fry for up to eight minutes, until it starts to brown. Stir inthe sauce, cook for two minutes more, then add the cooked pasta and eight or nine tablespoons of the reserved cooking water and toss to combine. Fold in the chives and take off the heat, Portion the spaghetti into four shallow bowls, furnish with your favourite crispy chillin oil (mine is. Laoganma) or vegan parmesan, and serve at once. io @Cynthia Shanmugalingam Ataste of Sri Lanka InHindu mythology, all gods have an animal friend, for transportation and. companionship. The moon god Chandra has anantelope, Lord Ganesha sitsona nimble mouse, and the ferocious goddess of divine energy, Shakti (after whom my mother was named), has a roaring tiger. Inshort, there is a perfect vehicle for everyone, and it is the same with Sri Lankan sambols. For every main dish, Tthink youcan find the ideal sambol to hype it up. Katta sambol, the fieriest ofall, is wonderful with today’s fried rice, an addictive mix of chilli, lime, salt and bashed-up onions. Prep 15min Cook thr seves 4 2medim aubersines (about '50-500pin toad, Stalks removed, then ‘tint Zem- thick founds sale 2 tbsp coconut or ‘egetable ait ‘large red onion, peeled ond finely flced 15 fresh cur leaves Agaric coves, Bowled and sliced ‘em pleco root singer, poled and Fnaty cropped 100g tamarind block, sosked in warm water, oF 2 {bsp tamarind paste ‘2p fenagreee Seous 2 fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped 114009 tn chickpeas, dines 2 tbsp ti curry Powder (se below Bed method) {oom tinnes coconut mie Yoghurt to seve ‘winterice, to save Forthe etna cury powder 1509 corer seeds Tageumin seeds Fsgblack eppercoms 73a fennel sods 209 fresh curry, lees 350g dried ashi ehiies ‘Ytsp ground Aubergine, chickpea and coconut curry ‘This graces the homes of SriLankan. ‘Tamils from London's Wembley to Wentworthville in Sydney, ‘Australia I's often made with deep- {fried aubergine, but is just as good ‘with roasted ones. Heat the oven to 220 (2006 fan)/ 87. Ina bow, toss the aubergine with a half-teaspoon of saltand a ‘generous tablespoon of oil. Arrange ‘ona lined baking tray (or trays), so ‘they lie flat next to each other, then roast for 30-45 minutes, until golden. Remove and leave to cool ‘Next, make the curry powder, ‘Tur the oven to 180C (160C fan)/ gas 4, Putall the whole spice ‘seeds on an oven tray, toast for five ‘minutes, then tip into a bowl, Turn up the oven to 200C (180C fan) ‘245 6, then toast the curry leaves and chillies on the same tray, until ‘the chillies turn dark and both smell fragrant, Tip into the bowl, leave to cool, then finely blitz ina spice ‘Btinderor food processor. Tip into 2 Jar, seal and store in a cool, dark ‘spot this makes far more curry powder than you need here, but it keeps for months and works in all sorts: it's great in chicken curry and ‘adds oomph to dals, for example. Fry the onion in the remaining tablespoon of oil ona medium heat until soft, Add the curry leaves and, after 30 seconds, once they're sizzling and bright green, add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, fortwo or three minutes, Add the tamarind, fenugreek, tomatoes, chickpeas, 120ml water and two tablespoons of the curry powder, cover, turn the heat toa simmer and cook for five to six minutes, ‘Add the roast aubergine, then stir In the coconut milk and cook for a final two to three minutes, adding abit more water ifthe sauce seems thick. Serve on plain white rice with ‘generous spoonful of yoghurt. ‘TheGuardian Saturday 17 February 2024Prep 20min cock 50min ‘4009 pumpkinor buttemut squash 2tbsp coconut or ‘vegetable at Tispsalt or wo taste pected and thinly Ecce s0-cury leaves ‘6m fresh pandan tea options). Sigariecloves, pecied and halved Trspeuminseeds ‘isp mustard seeds 2 whole cardamom pods, gly ashe 200ml tinned = coconut ile “Atsp ground coriander ‘tsp ground armen ‘emplece rot ‘lager, pecled and eutinro mate, Valine, to serve 1509 red onion pected and fly dices 13 fresh curry leaves roughly hooped 1 sp cil fakes {pinch chil ponder Sittonet 2ogtinned Snchoves,desined Sra roughiy hopped (optional) Sule of ime 2009 smine re, finseo 2 2tbsp coconut or ‘vegetable at 23 tbsp whole ‘ashew nuts TO resi cur leaves Leave the anchovies out of the sambol to make things vegan. Put the rice and 400m! waterin a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, tum down toa simmer, cook for 10-11 minutes, then turn off the heat. Heat the oven to 220C (2006 fan)/ ‘ga87, Scoop out the pumpkin seeds, then cut the flesh into 3m skin-on cubes and put onan oven tray. Toss witha tablespoon of ol, a teaspoon of salt and a quarter-teaspoon of chilli powder, roast for 10 minutes, until tender and starting to brown at the edges, then remove, ash all the sambol ingredients ‘except the lime juice in a mortar, until chunky, Add the lime, adjust the salt and chill to taste, then cover. Put a medium-sized saucepan on ‘a medium-high heat, add the last tablespoon of oil and fry the onion until translucent. Add the curry leaves, pandan (if using) and garlic, stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the ‘cumin, mustard and cardamom and stir-fry for 60 seconds, taking care that they don't burn; adda little more oil, ifneed be ‘Add the coconut milk, ground coriander, turmeric and remaining, quarter-teaspoon of chilli powder, then add the pumpkin and a teaspoon of salt, Cook on a medium-low heat fora minute or two, so it bubbles, gently (adda litte wateriFitlooks a Dit thick), then take off the heat Puta wok ona medium-high heat, add the ofl, then stir-fry the cashews until they start to change colour. Add the curry leaves, let them crisp up, then add the cooked rice and fry, sting occasionally, so the edges go abit crunchy. Aftera minute or two, stirin the pumpkin cury. Serve in bow topped with the fresh ginger and a squeeze of lime, and with a big spoonful of samtol. Cynthia Shanmugaiinga is chef? ‘owner of Rambutan, London SEI ::)15 nights from £2,845"? © Departs uni Ma hug Dec 2004 Vietnam adventure Discover the magic of Vietnam from the conservative north and the rich heritage of the imperial cities to the coastal scenery and vibrant life of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. This small group adventure is your chance to experience Vietnamese daily life from the outgoing culture to theamazing cuisine. Small group adventure highlights: © Enjoyaboat triparoundstunningHaLongBay _-@ Small group of upto16 travellers offeringa moreauthentic experience © Tour the old quarter of Hanoiand the historic trading town of Hoi An © 1onightshotel accommodation, one night onaboat,one night ina guesthouse homestay and onenight onasleeper @ InHue visit the Imperial Citadel, the Thien Mu train, 12breakfasts, onelunch and twodinners Pagoda andtheTu Duc Mausoleum @ Return overnight flights from London, hotel transfers, all @ Experience mouth watering culsineinchudinga transport and listed activities throughout home cooked meal in a local homestay guesthouse @ Explore the Mekong Delta by boat Gattian HolidaysFiona Beckett Are there any affordable white burgundies? I you forced me to choose my favourite wine, it would have tobe ‘white burgundy. At its best ~ and these days it isa ruinously expensive pastime it's simply thrilling ‘experience that reminds you why ‘wine is such an incredibly special drink, Ethereal, creamy and with a crisp acidity that makes it perfect partner for seafood, white burgundy isanabsolute joy. And, aftera un of tricky vintages, the 2022 isnot only ‘200d, but plentiful - though sadly that doesn’t mean prices have gone down, rather that they just haven't ‘gone up much higher. ‘The 22s are already in the shops, ‘and most ofthe affordable ones come from the Maconnais, the region to the south, but, bara few exceptions, I don' find them as exciting, and too ‘much like chardonnay you can find Four of the best-value bottles Domaine Dampt Petit Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2022 £19.99 Laithwaites, 12.5%, Thishas all the quality ofa good chablis Booth’s White Burgundy 2022 £13.25, 139% Exemplary basic white burgundy and the best value wine inthis lineup ‘The Wine Society's Generation Series Macon: Villages £16.50, 13%. Fresher, crisper and more elegant than many mons Bourgogne Aligoté Comte ‘Armand 2022 £111 by the sixcbottle case Berry Bros & Rudd, 12.5%, Pristine aligoté Try with sashimi “Ss. cheaper elsewhere. That sad, the 28 are more in balance, with a fresh acidity that counterbalances the richness. (you share my view, look for ones of 13% or under that don't have the word “chardonnay” on the label, because that often flags up a ‘more international style.) Chablis from the northern end of. the region is particularly delicious this year, but itis expensive. It's still not like chardonnay from anywhere else, though. Pett chablis, which you ‘might assume meant lesser quality, simply refers to wines made from vines grown outside the officially recognised Chablis region, and it, too, can be excellent, as proven by the Domaine Dampt wine in today's pick, Its also worth looking out for less well-known appellations that don't carry the same price tags the ‘more famous ones: Auxey-Duresses and Pernand-Vergelesses, for example. Aligoté, Burgundy's other white wine grape, is also a more affordable option, and many good producers are making it now. Ifyou want one of the bett rowers, however, the best buy is ‘abasic bourgogne blanc, though even that can be pricey. [swooned over Dominique Lafon's, which are available from Berry Bros & Rudd (Gn the unlikely event they have any left). You will most likely have to buy them en primeur, which means you pay for the wine upfront minus tax and duty, which are payable on delivery in about a year's time, Wine ‘merchants’ generic white burgundy tends tobe more affordable, with the added advantage that the 22s are available ight now: Adnams and ‘Tanner's are two I'd recommend, Finally, you'llbe far better off drinking your white burgundy at home, rather than ina restaurant (unless you're doing BYO), because restaurant mark-upson the stuf? tend to be more than allitte cheeky. The good mixer Colasazerac Serves Fer the cola ‘eduction ‘800ml cola 250g white sugar Se cdnnamon sticks 25m lime ice Fer the drink (por ‘Soom bottle) {om cola reduction (ne above an metioa) 180m rye whiskey Sve use Wooded 150m cognac - we use by Hine ‘im absinthe Tomi Peyehauds Biers ‘We use Thums Up, India’s favourite cola, as befits our roots at Dishoom, ‘but any cola will do. Once this drink ismade up and bottled, keep it in the freezer for whenever the mood takes you, and make some for friends while you're about it. First make the cola reduction, Pour the cola into a large pan and stir until it’s no longer fizzy. Slowly heat to 80C (usea thermometer or probe), then str in the sugar in batches until ’s completely dissolved. Bring the cola syrup up to 120C, then keep itthere for halfan hour, to reduce. ‘Add the cinnamon, Keep at 1206 for another 30 minutes, to reduce by about haf, then take offthe heat and stirin the lime juice. Strain, then decant into a clean bottle of jar, seal and store in the fridge. To build the drink, measure everything into a jug, add 75m water and stir to mix. Decant into a clean bottle, seal and store inthe freezer, ‘To serve, pour a 125ml measure into chilled gimlet or coupe. Jake Odum and Laura Simonelli, Permit Room, Brighton FeastPhilip Khoury The sweet spot Some science is quite literally baked into this recipe. It has no added fat and is designed to use the oils that are naturally present in toasted hazelnuts, which lend their beautiful flavour and aroma to these little cakes. As thisisa plant-based recipe, the absence of eggs means you need less fat to achievea beautiful, tender sponge. Prep 15min Cook 18min senes 12 (00g hazelnuts, lus 209 ext for topping ‘Vegan butter or spread, to grease 1259 Lain flour, plas entra for ‘Sorting 1309 caster sugar Yetspbaking| powder ‘atspblearbonate ofsods, Apinch of sat 180g soy mitk Iispianila extract ‘Watsp apple cider vinegar Demerara sugar, or spenking Vegan hazelnut financiers Usea traditional financier mould fora traditional presentation, or simply use a 12-cupcake tin. This ‘will also work with the likes of almonds and walnuts. Heat the oven to 170C (150C fan)/ gas 3% and put the hazelnuts on baking tray, Bake for 15 minutes until golden all the way through ‘when you cut one in half: this is important for flavour. Remove and leave to cool. Turn up the oven to 200C (180€ fan)/gas 6. Rub some ‘vegan butter into your baking tin, then dust each indent with flour and tap out any excess, Put the cooled hazelnuts in food processor or blender, add all the other dry ingredients and blitz until fine and the mixture starts to clump (this means the oils have begun to be extracted); ifthe mixture clumps beforeall the nuts are ground, stop and serape down the sides of the blender, and blitz again, In another bowl or ajug, measure ‘out the milk, vanilla and vinegar, mix, then add to the nut flour and pulse until just combined. Pour the batter into the moulds so they're two-thirds full, then sprinkle some very coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts and a sprinkling of demerara sugar on top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 13-15 minutes, until the top of the sponge is lightly ‘golden and springs back when pressed gently with a fingertip. Remove and leave to cool until you can handle the tin safely. Puta tea towel ona counter and tap one side ‘ofthe tin upside down to tip out the cakes. Ifyou haven't greased the indents enough, the cakes might bbe very lightly stuck, in which case, give them another firm tap. oyFelicity Cloake The perfect .. Banana pudding The custard The base It’s more ofa pastry cream, really Though old recipes use stale cake e Edna Lewisand Scott Peacock _ (a featherlight angel food number in =| make theirs with heavy creamand Lewis and Peacock's case) crunchy eggyolks in The GiftofSouthern _Nilla wafers are more popular Cooking, while home cook Virginia these days. Fortunately, given Hanis’ recipe in ATaste of Home the cost ofthese inthe UK, Lean Banana pudding isatricky dish uses milkand whole eggs. Minesits confirm they're easy to replicate at to describe toa British audience, somewhere in between the two, home and are arguably even more it istic i using milkand yolks foraresult delicious - thanks tothe generous even without the linguisticconfusion | nerscinly th ba nt oo koa ood ite Nc i, surrounding the term ‘pudding. rich, ‘who points me towards Todd Beloved in the American South, ye Ce eee Milburscopest aol and with elementsof both fle sidecases tiscinnubsiityceep me and childhood bananas and custard, Mogeta Bakery both calforvanila while working for Misssipp che plus plenty of American pizazz, it'sa ogethold ofhere, but if you go. ae Mepon brilliant, make-ahead crowdpleaser down that route, make it according ‘The bananas even for those who Would NOW ee ea a tailgate ifit hit them on the head. unless you are very sweet of tooth. _ brown sugar before use. Heat themih and ila, the eave fins for an hour Beat the sugar and butter, then aad the egg and vanil, Combine the Rove, Beat the epg yolks, Baling 20d and suger and cco, Satta whisk fd ic th emi ‘TheGuardlan Satunday 17 February 2024‘The topping spaced out well. Bake for 18-20 Prep 20min Peel the bananas and cut them Lewis and Peacock go fora ‘minutes, until golden brown, then fuse te into lem-thick slices, Heat the butter spectacular toasted meringue, while remove andleavetocool completely. | cask —1 hima | ina ange frying pan until foaming, soul food expert Shaunda Necole Forthe custard, scrape theseeds chil ahs | thenstirin the sugarand nutmeg, uses whippedcreamcheeseand from the vanilla pod intoalarge sees 840 | fusing. Add the bananas, toss fora cream, butmy favourite topping is saucepan filled with the milk, then minute oro, to coat, then take off food writer Grant Melton’s tangy drop in the pod, too. Bring toa Sribeyeton the heat and leave to cool. ‘whippedcreamand salted peanuts, simmer, then tumofTthe heat and MMS Pill hebase of large ass dish Jeaveto infuse for aboutan hour. batter with third of the custard, top with Perfect banana pudding Whisktheegg yolks, sugarand | 2tbaplightBrown | layer ofthe biscuits, followed Forthe biscuits, ifyou'remaking _comflourinabowi.Bringthe milk $98. sauimey | by half the bananas, then repeat. them, cream the sugarsand butter, _backtoasimmer, removeand discard | ptenal Finish with layer of custard, thenbeatintheeggand vanilla,In the vanilla pod, then poura quarter cover and chil frat east two aseparatebowl, whisktheflour, ofthe hot milkintotheegg yolk —_‘Fershomenade | hours, and preferably longer. bakingpowderandsalt,then fold bowland whisk. Pourtheloback | e="5(coto Before serving. whip the cream to into the butter mixandstir until tall into the milkpan and heat sting | nfs. crsitesot | softpeaks, then fold inthe soured comes together intoa dough. continuously, until the mix thickens ‘ream, ifusing. Dollop this on top Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)’ Whenthe custard begins tobubble ofthe custard and fnsh with the 4286, nd linetwobakingtrays with on top, cook, sting, for just 90 nuts, fusing; erumbied cookies, ‘reaseproof paper. Tear offsmall seconds more, thentakeofthe heat S0geastersuper | cinnamon, nutmeg or moresliced Pieces ofthe dough, rollthem into and leave tocool. Once cool, stirin ‘25a buter. bananas tossed in lemon juce also Smallballsand arrange on the trays thevanlla extract, eeEhnegg | work as toppings. Sepals rack {sptatng powder Coote ces ep fine ate robubble then tae For the vata the eine canard tocol and sin ‘ana pd, pe thevanda erat leather ‘ito whole mite {options ‘anata salted peanuts, or pecans, Foughty chopped (eptonat) Chop the peeled N Putalayer of ananasinte eusardin about ins fry in bute, top withbiscuts and Sugar and natives banana, and repeat focost snd env Top with whipped 1 coo down cream and seve (reast) ©Kitchen aide The secret to one-pot pastas make tomato, kaleand lemon ‘one-pot pasta on repeat, but what ‘other one-pot pastas should Try? Linda, Belfast “One-pot pastas have a particular bailianceto them? says Anna ‘Tones, who is behind the recipe of ‘which you speak and whose latest book, Easy Wins, is published next month. Happily, this method, whereby you putthe sauce ingredients the pasta and the cooking wate all none vessel, can be taken in many directions, though ‘ones says itis especially well suited to “buttery lemony, olive cil-type sauces” ‘There are two schools of thought. ‘The frst, says Mateo Zielonka, author of The Pasta Man, is "to mix chopped vegetables broccoli, onion, tomatoes, herbs ~ pasta and wwaterina panand bring oa boil”. ‘The other option would be to “cook vegetables in olive ol, then add the pasta and water, and simmer ‘ntl the liquid fs absorbed”. Ether way, success hinges on ratios: you need equal amounts of pasta to water, "You can then play around with favours? Jones say, be that by adding zest, bashed-up spices, harissa or even miso Her current favouriteis finely chopped green olives and capers, which go nto.a 3 pan witha load of lemon zest, "At & theend, stir through green herbs, 2 irs simple, brightand delicious? Grated squash tossed inat the end # of cooking s another good shout $ "tsoftens and, with the pasta water, 3 creates asl sauce?’ Jones says 3 Zielonka, meanwhile, cooks {onions and garicin oil until 3 Just golden, then adds sliced 4 mushrooms, “Add asplash of white 5 wine and reduce, Add rgatoni $ orcasatecce, mix and cover with 2 water” A parmesan rind woulda’t £ goamiss, ether. Simmer unt the ® pasta isal dente, then fold through chopped parsley or spinach, plus taleggio or cream. Rosie Birkett, ofthe A Lot on Her Plate Substack, is currently into “a hybrid between a sauce/ soup and pasta” -a minestrone of sorts, She starts with “a version of soffttto- diced celery, onion, carrot = softened in olive ofl and butter for a few minutes with salt and pepper, ‘maybe some chill, and spices such as coriander or fennel seeds”. In sgoes chopped garlic, finely chopped chard stalks, atin of beans or chickpeas ~ “orred beans, though they can result ina sludgy colour” = chicken stock and leafy greens. ‘Snap spaghett in half, then cook it in the stock untill dente. Take the pot off the heat, coverand let it settle for a couple of minutes, then add lemon juice and chopped herbs.” ‘Top with pangrattato or grated parmesan, and drizzle with oil Finally, Rob Chambers, executive chef at Luca in London, heads back tohis childhood with pasta efagiol “sa classic that my nonna used tomake, Ina large pot, combine cooked éannellini beans with finely chopped soffritto, a parmesan rind and chopped pancetta, guanciale orham hock? Chuck in “short and small” pasta and chicken stock, cook untilal dente, then eat drizzled with oll, parsley and celery lea. Sof, brown, substantial: perfetto! ‘Anna Berzill Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com Waste not “ Chicken fat Tom Hunt Ifyou thought caesar salad couldn't ‘get any better, you'd be wrong. Use chicken fat scooped off the top of @ stock to fry the croutons and to ‘whisk into the dressing, and you'll take it toa whole new level, Caesar salad is all about the umaminess of its dressing and the chicken fat turns up the umam! dial to maximum, creating a remarkably delicious salad ‘that may well make you swoon, Caesar salad with chicken fat dressing Cut two slices of stale bread into cubes. Melt two tablespoons of, chicken fatima frying pan on a ‘medium heat, then fry the bread, ‘turning, until golden brown all over. ‘Meanwhile, grate 60g parmesan, stir ‘two tablespoons ofit into the erouton pan, then leave to cool. For the dressing, break an egg into the jugof an immersion blender. Slowly blend in three tablespoons of chicken fat, then, ifneed be, beat ina little extra-virgin olive oil to make a thin mayonnaise. Stirin the grated zest and juice of a quarter of an ‘organic lemon, a peeled and minced small garlic clove, four minced anchovies, two tablespoons of the ‘grated parmesan and two teaspoons each of Worcestershire sauce and ‘dijon mustard, then season well. Put 300-400g seasonal salad leaves (or the leaves from two litle ‘gems) ina bowl, then toss with four ‘generous tablespoons of the dressing, ‘Transfer toa platter, top with the ‘croutons and remaining cheese, drizzle more dressing over the top and serve - if you like, top the salad with crisp fried chicken skin and/or shredded leftover roast chicken, ‘TheGuardian Saturday 17 February 2024Rachel Roddy Tales from an Italian kitchen ‘Minestra maritata (married soup) «with greens and sausage ‘The principle of minestra maritata is simple: various cuts of pork are simmered in water to make a broth, which is then strained and used to cook a lage quantity of ‘mixed greens, before the botled ‘meat is returned to the pot and the dishis finished with cheese. The name comes from the idea that the vegetables and the meat si maritano (get married). It'sa bit of stovetop polygamy, because all of those Involved contribute to the flavour of this brothy, deeply tasty soup that’s traditionally served at Christmas or Easter, and on most days at Hosteria iT Brigante in Salerno, which is run bby aman who used to bea dentist and where! fist tasted it. As wellas the excellent memory of dark greens and bits of pork in a slightly gelatinous broth, and red ‘wine, my starting point was Jeanne Carola Francesconi’s magnificent La Cucina Napoletana, She begins witha short telling ofa long history ofa dish also known as pignatto ‘grasso, which embodies the idea of Neapolitans as mangiafoglie (eaf-eaters) before they were mangiamaccheroni (pasta-eaters). She notes how rare it was to find anywhere making minestra maritata in the traditional way (she was ‘writing in 1992) that is, using seven types of pork: a prosciutto bone, pork skin, fresh pork, pork ribs (tracchiolelle), salame (pezzentelle), sausages and lard, as well asa big ‘bunch of mixed herbs. While the _greens she suggests are broccoli chicory, escarole and two types of cabbage (the smooth-leaved ‘cappuccio and an old variety with stiffly ruffed leaves called torzelle). She also offers a modern adaptation that calls for just six types of pork. Thave adapted (reduced) her recipe further (and, Ihope, respectfully), to use just pork ribs, ppork sausages and a tocm x 10cm piece of pork skin had inthe freezer, with a mixture of broccoli, chicory, escarole and cabbage. Of course, you can expand or adapt according to what is available to you, but I do recommend using selection of greens here (the more robust and darker, the better); savoy cabbage, spring greens, kale or dandelions will all work well, too, Whatever the selection of ‘meat, the most important thing is togive ita long, slow simmer so stovetop polygamy’ Racha Roday’s mines mare soup with ‘greens and sausage the broth develops a full flavour. I’strue the meat gives much of itself during the simmering, but, aftera short divorce on straining, ittakes flavour back when it remarvies the broth and greens. ut four pork ribs, four large (or ight small) pure pork sausages and apiece of pork skin, if you can get hold of some, ina large pan, and add a peeled and halved onion, a stick of celery, a carrotand afew parsley stalks, then cover with 2.2 litres of water and add a pinch of salt. Bring toaboll, then reduce toa simmer and cook for two hours, skimming the surface if necessary, Strain the broth, discard the vegetables and set the meat aside, Once the meat is ool, pull it from the ribs and chop ‘orcrumble the sausages. Once the broth is cool, use a sieve to skim off the top layer of fat. ‘Wash 500g greens, discarding any scraggy ends, and chop roughly; break a small broccoli into florets Ifyou are using chicory, that will need bolling for five minutes, then draining. Bring litre and a halfof the broth back to aboil, add the ‘greens and a good pinch of chilli, then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the meat to the pan and simmer for another few minutes (alternatively, serve the meat separately, so people canada their own). Both of Francesconi’s recipes call for 100g cubed caciocavallo cheese to be boiled along with the ‘greens! Using cheese in this way is still surprising tome, but also ingenious: great flavour, good fat and all-round seasoning, which most likely means you won't need toadd more sat, For the modern version, she also suggests putting a bow of grated parmesan on the table and encouraging everyone to help themselves, which makes the broth cloudy and, marriage or not, keeps things together. FeastGrace Dent ‘Gymkhanarstyle experimentation at about half the price’ Oras Kokum isa fruit that's used like tamarind in southern Indian cooking toadd sour, fruity, salty punch and depth to curries, Kokum is also the name ofa modern Indian restaurant in south-east London that, like all contemporary subcontinental restaurants, hasa tightrope to walk: they're brimming with ambition and anced for authenticity, while at the same time having to cater toa neighbourhood clientele Kokum the restaurant offers uthappam pancakes, fish koliwada and beef short rib stewed nihari- style, nd aimsto explore different culinary comers ofthis vast country while also being aware of the need to listat least one chicken dish ina tomatoey sauce onthe mains 03s 59.60 eax Dulwich not toscare the horses, New aad, London Se22, ‘openings such as this want their (020-3551 1883, decor tobe chic, semi-industrialand Open Tues Fri dinner ‘only Spm: sat never cosyorchintzy,andtooffer 4% 51am complex cocktallsspiced withchat_ ran APM, andcayenne, butknow they nthe Spm Fem st Fiskthatlocalsmay cometo vist {35rd plus ‘once, deem the place “abittrendy” _‘“rinksandservce and never return, The other dilemma is that this kind of authenticity doesn't come cheap: that nihati short nib contains saffron and kewra, and the boozy Kalcutta cosmo cocktails feature roasted fenugreek syrup. “Eleven pounds 50 fora raan uthappam?” some will shriek, ‘The Guardian Saturday 17 ebruary 2024‘overlooking that this stew of kid lamb is simmered for 12 hours and served ‘with homemade coconut chutney. Ifanyone can pull this trick off, it Js Sanfay Gout, who used to be head. ‘chef at Gymkhana in Mayfair, which ‘was a gamechanger inthe British Indian restaurant world, Icould wax Iyricalabout the cooking, service and Michelin stars (of which, as f last week, it now has two), but that would mask the main message, which is that Gymkhana is one of Britain's, best reasons to leave the house. Should anyone ever offer you a table, say yes without blinking, order the lasooni wild tiger prawns, the methi ‘malai mutter paneer and the rasgulla tiramisu, After leaving Gymkhana, Gour and his Gymkhana colleague ‘Nand Kishor opened the much-loved Dastaan in Ewell in2016 (and a second branch in Leeds in 2022), and Black Salt aver in East Sheen, Kokam is Gour's newest baby with co- founder Simeron Lily Pateland head ‘chef Manmeet Singh Bali ‘We visited on the wettest, windiest ‘Wednesday night imaginable, fully expecting to be the only people there and instead finding it almost booked out. Whatever Kokum is Ee i doing, word of mouth has certainly spread, From the small plates section ofthe menu, wetried the uthappam, which to the untrained eye looks a bit like pikelet, all pale and puckered with holes, but which i, in fact, kind-of dosa made with fermented rice batter and, inthis case, topped with a rich, dark, meaty stew (pictured below lef). There are deceptively spicy pani puri: spherical, deep-fried little vessels of chickpea and potato singing with tamarind, mintand coriander. There's an ornate samosa chat in which chopped vegetable samosa, herbs, chickpeas and yoghurt combineto create crunchy, balm-like mouthful Prom the tandoori section, which also features kasundi prawns and roast cauliflower, we had the seekh Keebab - a kofta-like roll of minced lamb made aromatic with cardamom and cumin, and served with a pile of softened onion salad anda quenelle of tempered apple chutney. If those starters sounda little on the fancy side, you'll be pleased to Tearn thatthe mains selection is much ‘more brown, beige, gravy laden things-in-bowls, Nobody wants butter chicken or pork vindaloo deconstructed and served with a balanced breaklast ‘teamamon bun sd ‘chocolate cookie at Pavilion Mentmore Studio, London £10 = ee Pomsmes ana wth ‘want kota at La (Give nthe Haxeon Hotel Holborn @ayacedent Still, Kokum’s mains are made with the same seriousness as the small plates: prawns are made lively with lime leaf, coconut sauce and patty pan squash, and paneer makhani with cottage cheese has just the right amount of fenugreek. There isa pride inthis cooking, in each Hyderbadi biryani and even in each serving of pre-dinner papads and pickles, while attentive staff keep a close eye on every table, Writing about bread can sometimes feel a waste of words, but Kokum's truffle pecorino kucha is outrageous. Did [really need a cheesy, truflly flatbread to wipe through a puddle of slow-cooked black lentil dal (topy? No, twas probably louche and unnecessary, But would Ido it agatn, then carry on and order the bebinca coconut and cardamom cake, leave with a variety of paper bags fullof leftovers and eat the rest of the kulcha at the door of my fridge the next day? Yes, in an instant, Thisisa neighbourhood joint bringing Gymkhana-style ‘experimentation to a comer of south: ‘east London, and at about half the price. By the looks of things, the locals have already found it, and they won't thank me for telling you. Feast! Podcasts Grace Dent is backand breaking bread with celebrity guests Comfort Eating is todiscover what mealsmean themosttothem. Innew episodes, get ready forthe likesof Katie Price, AmolRajan, b ack on the menu Kathy Burkeand Dad adeltobust open thepantyand Listenon @ “pple Podcasts | Spotify | amazon music