Fergus Henderson's St John beef and kidney pie
Pie is a mystery restrained by pastry (you can have a suet top or puff). I've heard of people suffering from pie phobia: what lies beneath the crust! But believe me, pie is your friend. There is something magical about a pie, especially beef and kidney communing under the crust and resulting in a joyous textural flavourful delight. Open something red and from Burgundy.
Serves 4-6
for the filling
diced beef 400g, preferably not too lean
ox kidney 200g, trimmed and diced
onions 2, sliced
garlic 6 cloves, sliced
rosemary & thyme,finely chopped
plain flour 3 tbsp
porter 500ml
for the trotter stock
pig's trotters 2
chicken wings or bones 250g, a leftover carcass is perfect
celery 1 stick
white onion 1, halved
carrots 2, peeled, whole
for the suet pastry
self-raising flour 200g
suet 100g, grated (fresh if possible, ask your butcher)
sea salt a healthy pinch
egg yolk 1, beaten, to glaze
middle veal marrowbone 1 piece
Start by making the trotter stock. This is best made a day or so in advance, so maybe on the Monday after a roast chicken lunch. Place the trotters in a pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Drain and rinse with cold water. Time for a piggy pedicure - remove any stray hairs.
Put the trotters back into the pot with the stock vegetables and the chicken wings or bones. Cover with water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2-3 hours until the trotter meat is falling from the bone. Remove the trotters from the pot then strain thestock. While the trotters are warm pick the fleck and skin from the bones, then add this back to the stock. Cool until required.
For the pie filling: brown the beef and kidney separately as the kidneys give off a lot of moisture. In the beef pan allow any moisture to reduce until the meat starts to fry again then add the onions, garlic, herbs and seasoning. Take care that the mix does not catch. Once the vegetables have had a chance to soften, sprinkle over the flour. The flour will bind with the fats to make a roux, sizzle this mix for a further moment then add the stout, stirring as you go to avoid lumps. Add the kidneys back into the mix, cook off the stout then add the trotter rich stock to cover. Braise through the oven for about 1½ hours until the beef is just tender. Allow the mix to cool and check the seasoning.
To make the pastry, mix together all the ingredients except the egg yolk, then add cold cater cautiously to achieve a firm dough. Allow this to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours before use.
Place your cool mixture in a pie dish (if there appears to be too much sauce, hold some back – it will come in handy somewhere else). Place the marrowbone on its end in the centre. Cover with pastry making a slit for the bone so that it sticks out of the pie like a chimney. Paint with egg yolk and bake in a medium to hot oven for 40 minutes. When the pastry is ready and golden and the stuffing bubbling inside, serve and eat.
Chris and Carolyn Caldicott's channa dhal
This is a dhal made from split chickpeas and tempered with fried fresh coconut and raisins.
Serves 6
channa dhal 225g
water 1½ litres
ground turmeric 1 tsp
chilli powder ½ tsp
ground coriander 1 tsp
ground cumin 2 tsp
garam masala 1 tsp
green chillies 6, slit down the side
jaggery or brown sugar 2 tsp
salt to taste
ghee or butter 2 tbsp
small coconut ¼, finely diced
raisins 2 tbsp, soaked in water for 30minutes and then drained
bay leaves 4
garam masala 1 tsp
Blend the coconut, ginger, chillies and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Dry roast the mustard seeds and crushed peppercorns in a small frying pan until they pop, and then add to the chutney, along with the sugar, salt to taste and enough water to make the chutney moist.
Place the channa dhal in a saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. Remove any foam that rises to the surface. Add the turmeric and chilli powder, cover the pan and gently simmer until the dhal is soft. Mash the dhal with a potato masher to break it up a little. Combine the coriander, cumin and garam masala with a little water until a paste forms, and add to the dhal along with the green chillies, jaggery or brown sugar and salt to taste. Continue cooking for a further 5 minutes.
Heat the ghee or butter in a small frying pan. When hot, add the coconut and raisins, and fry until golden. Add the bay leaves and garam masala, fry for 1 minute and pour on to the dhal.
From World Food Café: Vegetarian Bibleby Chris & Carolyn Caldicott (Frances Lincoln, £20)
Jason Atherton's paella of chicken, squid and chorizo
Serves 4
chicken thighs 4, bone in
sea salt and black pepper
squid 200g, cleaned
olive oil 4 tbsp
chorizo 50g, sliced into 1cm rounds
paprika ¾ tsp
saffron strands pinch
dried oregano ½ tsp
dried chilli flakes pinch
tomato 1, diced
onion ½ peeled and diced
garlic 2 cloves, peeled and finely chopped
paella rice 250g
fish stock 750ml
orange zest of ½ finely grated
vegetable oil 3 tbsp
chopped parsley 1½ tbsp
Preheat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2 and put a baking tray in to heat up. Rinse the chicken thighs and trim off any fat. Season with salt. Slice the squid pouches into 1cm rings, place in a bowl with the tentacles, cover and chill.
Place a paella pan or shallow casserole dish over a medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. When hot, add the chorizo and fry, stirring, until just coloured. Add the paprika, saffron, oregano, chilli flakes, tomato, onion and garlic.
Stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the onion and garlic are softened, then tip in the rice. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring.
Pour in the fish stock and stir in the orange zest and ½ tsp salt. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes without stirring until the rice is tender, while retaining a bite.
While the paella is simmering, cook the chicken. Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper and sear in the hot pan for 4-5 minutes each side to colour and crisp the skin. Transfer to the hot baking tray and place in the oven for about 5 minutes to cook through.
To cook the squid, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the squid, in batches if necessary, for 1½-2 minutes until lightly coloured. Season with salt and pepper.
Just before serving toss two-thirds of the squid and chopped parsley through the paella and check the seasoning. Top the chicken thighs and scatter over the remaining parsley and squid.
Serve the paella straight from the pan or divide between warm plates.
From Gourmet Food for a Fiver by Jason Atherton (Quadrille, £14.99)
David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl's rhubarb, apple & yellow split pea stew
We always keep a few boxes of rhubarb in our freezer, so we have been able to make slightly varied versions of this dish all year round.
Serves 4-6
ghee, coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
cumin seeds 1 tbsp, ground
cardamom seeds ½ tbsp, ground
cayenne pinch
large onion 1, diced
garlic 4 cloves, crushed
fresh ginger 5cm piece, finely chopped or grated
butternut 800g
squash, summer pumpkin or sweet potato peeled, seeded and cut into 2 cm cubes
rhubarb 5 sticks (250g), sliced
red eating apple 1, cored and diced
yellow split peas or yellow lentils 150g, rinsed
sea salt
clear honey 2-3 tbsp
flat-leaf parsley a handful to garnish, optional
Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy-based pan. Add all the spices and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Fry until they smell fragrant and look browned – be careful not to let them burn. If it looks too dry, add a spoonful water, or more. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes while stirring.
Add the butternut squash, rhubarb and apple and stir around to coat with the spices. Next add the split peas and 900ml water and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the vegetables and split peas are soft. Season with salt and add the honey. Serve with a good handful of chopped parsley, if using.
From The Green Kitchen by David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl (Hardie Grant, £25)
Tom Kerridge's pot-roasted pollock, chickpeas and chorizo
Perfect for feeding friends, and leaves you feeling content and happy.
Serves 4–6
dried chickpeas 150g
sea salt flakes 4 tbsp
saffron pinch
pollock, 1 fillet (about 500g), skinned and pin bones removed
olive oil 100ml
garlic 2 cloves, grated
fresh red chillies 2, chopped; seeds and all
onions 2, finely chopped
cooking chorizos 4, cut into bite-size chunks
dried bay leaves 2
cinnamon stick 1
ground cumin 1 tsp
smoked paprika 1 tsp
chopped tomatoes 400g can
chicken stock 200ml
spinach leaves 400g
salt and pepper to taste
A day ahead, place the chickpeas in a large bowl with water to cover and leave to soak overnight.
The next day, drain the chickpeas and place them in a saucepan with fresh water to cover. Bring to the boil, skimming the surface as necessary. Reduce the heat to very low and leave them to simmer, uncovered, for 2hours, or until the chickpeas are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the chickpeas to cool in the water in the uncovered pan. They will expand in size.
Meanwhile, mix together the sea salt flakes and saffron. Place of piece of clingfilm large enough to wrap around the pollock on the work surface.
Sprinkle half the salt mix on to the clingfilm and place the pollock on top, then sprinkle the remaining salt mix over the fish and wrap in the clingfilm tightly. Place this parcel into the fridge for 1½ hours.
Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add garlic, red chillies and onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until the onion has softened.
Add the chorizo to the pot and continue frying for a further 5 minutes so the red paprika-soaked oil comes out from the sausage. Stir in the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cumin and paprika and fry, stirring, for a further 3-4 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Drain the chickpeas and add them to the pot, then add the canned tomatoes and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and put it in the oven for 45 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and taste the chickpeas. The sauce should have reduced a little and thickened. Add salt, if necessary.
Rinse the pollock thoroughly in running cold water.
Pat it dry and place on top of the chickpeas. Place the pot back into the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the flesh flakes easily.
Remove the pot from the oven. Gently take the fish from the pot and place it onto a large serving plate.
Stir the spinach into the hot chickpeas until it just wilts. Spoon this mix over and around the fish and serve immediately. Remember to take out the bay leaves and the cinnamon.
From Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food (Absolute Press, £20)
All the books above are available at a special discount price from the Guardian Bookshop
