BITS & BOBS

last but not least.

BACON MARMALADE.

This is a multi-talented and oh-so-clever little kitchen staple. Slather it on oozy brioche French toast, heap it on pretty little pre-dinner tartlets with crumbled Gorgonzola or even slap it on burgers. I suggest doubling the recipe, because where it says ‘lasts up to 10 days in the fridge’, that really should say ‘theoretically’ because I’ve never seen a jar that wasn’t finished before 2 days were up.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

WHAT TO DO

  1. Fry the bacon in a frying pan for about 5 minutes until crispy, then use a slotted spoon to remove and set aside on paper towel to drain.
  2. Pour out any remaining fat that is in the pan, add the butter and olive oil, and then gently fry the onions with the sugar for 3–4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients, return the bacon to the pan and simmer gently for about 30 minutes uncovered. If you find the mixture is becoming too dry, add a little more citrus juice.
  4. Store in a sterilised glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes | COOKING TIME 45 minutes (mostly unattended)

NOTE: Lasts up to 10 days in the fridge.

AVOCADO MAYONNAISE.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 1 egg
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1⁄2 avocado, roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
  • pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3⁄4 cup cooking oil (not olive oil)

WHAT TO DO

  1. Add all the ingredients except the oil to a blender.
  2. Set the blender on a low speed and slowly drizzle in the oil in a constant stream until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise.

MAKES about 1 cup | PREPARATION TIME 5–10 minutes

NOTE: This will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 2 litres milk
  • 1⁄4 cup cream
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 Tbsp lemon juice

WHAT TO DO

  1. Bring the milk, cream and salt to a simmer in a heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the stove, and pour in the lemon juice.
  2. Gently stir three or four times and then leave on the heat for a further minute before removing. The mixture will immediately start to separate into curds (the ricotta) and whey and will continue to do so over a period of about 15 minutes.
  3. After 15 minutes, pour the mixture into a sieve lined with a cheesecloth and placed over a large bowl. Leave to drain for up to an hour, until the ricotta has separated from the whey.
  4. Either use immediately or spoon into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

MAKES 11⁄2–2 cups | PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes

NOTE: For a delicious herbed ricotta, mix in chopped herbs of your choice.

LIME CURD.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • zest and juice of 6 limes
  • 150 g castor sugar
  • 75 g unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk

WHAT TO DO

  1. Place the lime zest and juice, castor sugar and butter in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (the water must not touch the bottom of the bowl). Gently stir the mixture from time to time until the butter has melted.
  2. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and extra egg yolk by hand, and add them to the lime mixture. Stir until combined. Leave to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of custard.
  3. Remove the mixing bowl from the pan and set aside to cool, stirring intermittently. Store in the fridge or freezer in sterilised airtight glass jars.

SERVES 2 | PREPARATION TIME 30 minutes

PECAN NUT BRITTLE.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 100 g castor sugar
  • 85 g pecan nuts, roughly chopped

WHAT TO DO

  1. Cut a 20 × 20 cm square of baking paper and set aside on a heatproof surface. Lightly brush a spatula with olive oil.
  2. Pour the castor sugar into a wide, heavy-based frying pan so that you have a thin layer. Leave to gently cook over medium-high heat until the sugar has melted. Try not to stir the sugar as it melts, as this can cause it to caramelise and become grainy. Rather tilt the pan to evenly distribute the heat.
  3. As soon as the sugar has melted, toss in the pecan nuts, gently stir and then pour onto the baking paper. Use the oiled spatula to spread out the toffee on the paper to about 0.5 cm thick. Leave to cool and then cut into rough squares.

SERVES 2 | PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes

chai-spiced

WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 400 ml milk
  • 2–3 cardamom pods, ‘bruised’ to split them open
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • pinch of salt
  • 75 g white chocolate, roughly chopped

WHAT TO DO

  1. Bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan, add the remaining ingredients except the chocolate and turn down the heat to low. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour over the warm milk through a sieve. Leave to stand for 1 minute, and then gently stir to a silky consistency. Serve immediately.

SERVES 2 | PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes

PINK GIN FIZZ.

Almost nothing beats sublimely summery sundowners. Those priceless moments when you have time on your hands, sun on your side and socialising to do. This is my all-time favourite party-time pal. The combination of the gin with the zesty tartness of the grapefruit juice and the smoothness of the tonic makes for a party in your mouth.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 1 tot good-quality gin
  • 100 ml pink grapefruit juice
  • 150 ml tonic water
  • lots of ice
  • squeeze of lime juice

WHAT TO DO

  1. Mix everything together in a blender and bottoms up!

SERVES 1 | PREPARATION TIME 3 minutes