Easy smoked mackerel and horseradish pâté
Moroccan-spiced carrot and butter bean ‘hummus’
Asian-style slaw with peanuts, lime and sesame oil
Smoked trout, watercress and horseradish quiche
Caramelized garlic, spinach and mushroom tart
Bombay spiced beef and potato pasties
Free-form pork and pickle pies
Stilton, walnut and tarragon muffins
Muffin tin frittatas with peas, ham and mozzarella
Lemon and almond olive oil cookies
Apple and blackberry crumble bars
Cappuccino blondies with walnuts and white chocolate
Old-fashioned lemon and limeade
Most of us truly love the idea of a picnic and that perfectly hazy idyll of rose-tinted childhood memories, a rug spread with edible goodies stretched out along a river bank, or a basket laden with delicious treats driven out to the countryside for a ramble. But it’s not just lazy summer outings when it is useful to have delicious on-the-go food to hand.
Possibly the worst meal I ever ate was a foul pie at an arctic-cold football match. How much nicer would it have been to munch on a home-made pasty discreetly slipped from inside my jacket pocket? Just as with my footie pie, a picnic feast can often, sadly, be a real disappointment – squashed sandwiches with bread soft and slimy from a too-wet filling, or limp salad that has slid around for way too long in a watery dressing.
By its very nature picnic food needs to be eminently transportable, so robust pies and bakes are ideal, as are interesting fillings for DIY sarnies, and salads that mature gracefully rather than wilt miserably.
If I were to offer one top tip, it would be to keep it simple and do a few things well rather than strive for an endless picnic basket with masses of variety. I think the art to choosing the food you take lies in selecting things that taste as nice, if not better, eaten at room temperature rather than either piping hot or fridge cold.
Perhaps you are looking to pack up a picnic for a day at the races, or for a more elaborate feast at an outdoor concert or theatre performance. Maybe you want to provide that all-elusive perfect picnic spread for a family outing, or a tasty pocketable snack to fuel you at a sporting event, or (my favourite) you simply want to grab a blanket and a couple of cushions and set up camp in the garden. All these different picnic styles require a slightly different approach to eating.
Think of a picnic as a small transportable party where ultimately ‘party’-type food will work best. So finger food, or at the very most a one-handed fork feast, is your best bet. Bring a knife into the equation and it all gets a bit too much. The ultimate travelling picnic needs something you can wrap and pocket. One or two tubs in a rucksack is fine if you’re walking, or if you’re not going too far from the car, a quiche or a whole cake protected in a tin or an old-fashioned picnic basket can provide a slightly more luxurious spread.
Of course the weather is not always as kind as we might like, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to stop the party. The boot of an estate car, or the back of a van if you’re lucky enough to have one, makes for a great al-fresco-ish venue. I think there’s something wonderful about being within a whisper of the elements yet sheltered enough to be cosy. In a full-on gale, a picnic on the (well-protected!) carpet in the front room can be a hoot, especially for young kids, and a grown-up bed picnic on a rainy day can be a joy.
This chapter includes a multitude of exciting and delicious dishes that will travel well with both ease and style and will truly satisfy those hunger pangs, whatever your picnicking occasion.
Whilst you don’t really need any special equipment to enjoy a picnic – at its minimal best, a pocket in which to carry something to eat is sufficient – depending on the venue, you may want to up the sense of occasion with a wicker picnic basket or proper crockery. For example, on the rare occasion that I have gone to an outside theatre production armed with a nice bottle of wine, I wouldn’t dream of drinking it out of anything other than real glasses. I’d rather open a can of coke than drink wine out of plastic cups.
If you’re eating more than a simple hand-held snack, you will need something both to sit on and to spread your food out on – I find a waterproof coat is pretty adequate most of the time, or one of those roll-up travel rugs is great too. Conversely, you wouldn’t want to spread out a rug and open up a fancy hamper if you were watching a rugby match or, for that matter, carry it all on a long walk – that’s when pockets or rucksacks and plastic tubs are useful. Simply put, your picnicking equipment should match your picnic aspirations.
Some of my most memorable picnics have been the ones where the food wasn’t over-thought about or fussy, on days that started with a dawn so glorious that I didn’t want to miss a minute of fun. Here are a few almost instant ideas for impromptu picnics:
▪ Crisp butties – cheap crisps, your favourite flavour, plus white bread, ready-buttered. When you get to where you’re going, open up your bread, open up your crisps, stuff the crisps inside the bread and tuck in.
▪ Hard-boiled eggs – cooked, cooled and transported in their shells, hard-boiled eggs are robust and protected and they make perfectly neat little picnic packages. I usually take a mini foil twist of salt and black pepper along too, perhaps flavoured with a few spices (cumin and dried chilli flakes are ideal) to dunk them in as I eat.
▪ A simple ploughman’s on the go – for a very easy low-faff picnic, you can’t beat a fresh French loaf that can be torn greedily, some perfect cheese and perhaps a little ham or salami, plus a few cherry tomatoes on the vine. Soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert or Cambazola are great for picnics as they ooze lusciously when out of the fridge, rather than break out into a sulky sweat like a Cheddar would.
▪ A tin of tuna – on an Italian beach a long time ago, I clearly remember wrestling with the tin opener on my penknife, trying to make headway into a tin of tuna. The resulting oily, sandy sandwich was memorable for all the wrong reasons! Thankfully these days you can buy tinned tuna packed in good olive oil with an easy access ring pull, that makes for a delicious instant lunch when tipped into a crusty bread roll.
Whilst buying a crusty loaf to take on your picnic is undoubtedly the quicker option, there is much satisfaction to be had from a bit of stress-busting kneading when making your own loaf. This flat bread is designed to be torn apart and shared (I see little point in taking a rather cumbersome bread knife on a picnic). I like to add the wholemeal flour for the extra texture it gives, but use all white if you’d rather.
MAKES 2 FLAT LOAVES (EACH LOAF SERVES 3–4)
1 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp caster sugar
About 550ml hand-hot water
650g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
150g strong wholemeal bread flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing, kneading and drizzling
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3–4 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked
Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
Grease and lightly flour 2 baking sheets.
Add the yeast and sugar to a jug and pour over 100ml of the hand-hot water, stirring well until dissolved. Set aside for 10 minutes or so until you see little foamy bubbles on the surface.
Weigh the flours into a mixing bowl, add the fine sea salt and mix. Pour in the measured oil and the yeasty water, adding another 400ml of the hand-hot water as well. Use a wooden spoon to bring the dough together. Add a little more warm water if necessary to incorporate all the flour – it should be pretty soft, but not overly sticky.
Drizzle a little oil on to a clean worktop and spread it around with your hands. Tip the rough dough on to it and knead well until the dough is smooth and stretchy, about 5–8 minutes.
Cut the dough in half and place each in the centre of a prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to pat and stretch out each piece to a flat loaf about 1cm thick. Make deep dimples in the dough with your fingers, then press the garlic and rosemary into the holes. Drizzle over a little extra oil and add a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise on the worktop for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7.
Bake the flat breads in the oven for around 15–20 minutes until golden and baked through.
And three easy spreadables to eat with the flat bread…
I like to make these quick and tasty pâtés in a food processor so they are smooth, but make them by hand with a masher or fork for a coarser texture, if you prefer.
Each pâté will serve around 4, and I might be tempted to make them all, since they are so straightforward. They will all keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
250g frozen peas
1 × 250g tub ricotta
Finely grated zest and juice of about ½ lemon, or to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Plunge the peas into a pan of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well, then simply process or mash them with the ricotta and lemon in a bowl to achieve the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then cover and chill in the fridge until needed.
1 × 200g tub cream cheese (full-fat or light, as you wish)
170g smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and flaked
1–2 tsp horseradish sauce, or to taste
Small bunch of chives, snipped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Simply mix everything together, either in a bowl, or by whizzing in a food processor. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, adding a little more horseradish for extra bite, if you like. Cover and chill in the fridge until needed.
500g carrots (about 4 large ones), peeled and sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp each cumin and coriander seeds, roughly ground
½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
1 × 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
1–2 tsp white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, or to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the carrots in a pan of boiling water until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and then whilst they are still hot, mix in the oil, garlic and spices.
If you are using a food processor, tip the mixture in, add the butter beans and chopped coriander and whizz to a purée, adding a splash of water if necessary to help it along. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then sharpen with a little vinegar. Alternatively, mash the cooked carrots with the rest of the ingredients.
Scoop into a bowl and leave to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge until needed.
Picnic flat bread • Moroccan-spiced carrot and butter bean ‘hummus’ • Easy smoked mackerel and horseradish pâté • Ricotta, pea and lemon pâté
Not all salads are created equal when it comes to picnics. You need something that will travel well and here are two of my favourites. There are also a few great on-the-move salads to be found in the Barbecue Feast and Wilderness Eats chapters.
This is a salad that I make often, ideal for all manner of al fresco events, as it contains no mayo and only improves by sitting around a bit. It’s a great one for barbecues too (see photo).
SERVES 4–6
750g new potatoes, halved
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 red onion, finely chopped
Large bunch of basil, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp caster sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the potatoes in a pan of cold water, add a shake of salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or so until just tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, onion, basil, garlic and sugar, adding a little salt and plenty of black pepper.
Drain the potatoes well, then stir through the dressing whilst they are hot. Leave to cool to room temperature before serving – the dressing will soak in and flavour the potatoes beautifully.
Coleslaw with an irresistible Asian zing, this is hot, sharp and sweet. It also keeps really well in the fridge, so is a good one to make ahead of time. (See photo.)
SERVES 4–6
400g red cabbage, finely shredded
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
Bunch of spring onions, chopped
½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks
Handful each of coriander and mint, roughly chopped
2 tbsp each soy sauce and sesame oil
1 tbsp each runny honey and fish sauce
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1–2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Mix together the cabbage, red pepper, spring onions, cucumber and herbs in a large bowl. In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the soy sauce, oil, honey, fish sauce, lime zest and juice, chillies and garlic.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to mix. Serve immediately or cover and chill in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tarts are great for a picnic, especially if you transport them in the tin so they are robustly packaged. I usually make my own pastry for quiches but, of course, the ready-made stuff is perfectly acceptable too, especially if you buy all-butter pastry. About half a 500g pack is what you’ll need to line the tin.
MAKES A 25CM QUICHE/SERVES 4-ISH
For the pastry
180g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
A pinch of fine sea salt
90g cold butter, diced
3–4 tbsp ice-cold water
For the filling
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 × 110g bag watercress, roughly chopped
2 tbsp horseradish sauce
2 skinless smoked trout fillets (about 125g in total), roughly flaked
3 eggs
250g crème fraîche
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse together until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Trickle in the water, continuing to pulse, until the pastry just starts to clump together (don’t over-process or the pastry can become tough). Tip on to a sheet of cling film and gently press into a ball. Wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently sweat the onion until soft, about 15–20 minutes. Add the watercress and let it wilt for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worktop to about 3–4mm thick and use it to line a 25cm loose-based tart tin (trying not to stretch it too much), then swiftly roll the rolling pin over the top of the tin, cutting off the excess pastry. Line with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes to dry out.
Spread the horseradish sauce over the base of the cooked pastry case, then spoon in the watercress mixture. Scatter the trout over the top. In a jug, beat together the eggs and crème fraîche and season well with salt and black pepper, before gently pouring over the filling. Return to the oven to cook for about 20 minutes until set. Leave to cool completely before wrapping ready for your picnic basket.
The inspiration for this rich vegetarian tart came from a delicious Ottolenghi recipe in his Plenty cookbook. The blanching and caramelizing really mellows the garlic so don’t worry about it being too pungent.
MAKES A 25CM QUICHE/SERVES 4-ISH
1 × 25cm blind-baked pastry case (as per quiche recipe here)
2 whole heads of garlic, cloves separated
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
125g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
250g spinach, washed and well dried (preferably spun in a salad spinner)
300ml single cream
2 large eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Make and blind-bake the pastry case as directed in the quiche recipe here (preheating the oven to 200°C/Gas 6, when required).
Meanwhile, add the unpeeled garlic cloves to a large saucepan and pour over just enough boiling water to cover. Set over a high heat and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain, then cool a little so you can squeeze the cloves from their skins. They should pop out very easily.
Return the pan to the hob and set over a very low heat. Add the oil, vinegar, sugar and peeled garlic cloves and leave to caramelize for around 10 minutes. Shake the pan every now and then to stop it sticking. Stir through the mushrooms and thyme, increase the heat a little and fry for about 10 minutes, until they have released and reabsorbed their liquid – they should become quite dry. Add the spinach, cover and let it wilt for a couple of minutes, stirring once to help it along.
In a jug, lightly whisk the cream and eggs together with a fork. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Spoon the vegetables into the cooked pastry case, then gently pour over the egg mixture.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until just set. Leave to cool to room temperature before packing for your picnic.
Some other ideas…
There are many ways to change a tart, and there are no hard and fast rules, which is why they are so useful to make. For each pastry case allow 2–3 eggs and around 250–300ml cream or crème fraîche (or even milk for a slightly less rich version) to make the custard base. Basically, the more ‘bits’ you add to the filling, the less custard base you need, and as a general rule the bits should be lightly cooked before adding to the quiche. Here are a few of my most loved combinations:
▪ Caramelized red onion, purple sprouting broccoli and Brie
▪ Leek, blue cheese and walnut
▪ Crab and asparagus (use an equal mix of white and brown crab meat for the best flavour)
Whilst a cuttable quiche for sharing is a very lovely thing, there is also something rather nice about having an individual pie just for one. The practicality of not having to take a knife is one very good reason, but it also feels kind of special to be offered a pie just for yourself.
I love a pasty as much as the next person and hailing from Cornwall I should probably think of this recipe as sacrilege. But I’m also a fiend for spices and can rarely resist adding them to liven up my cooking. These pasties (see photo) are great served with mango chutney, or try them with the Fiery Carrot Pickle here.
MAKES 6 PASTIES
1 × 500g pack ready-made puff pastry (ideally the all-butter variety)
Plain flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
For the filling
500g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
250g minced beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50g butter, melted
2 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
First make the filling. Mix the potato, minced beef, onion and garlic together in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, mustard seeds, turmeric and coriander, stirring to mix well. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Set aside whilst you prepare the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Cut the block of pastry into 6 even-size pieces. Lightly dust the worktop with a little flour and roll out each piece to a squarish shape, about 4mm thick. Divide the filling evenly across the middle of each pastry square.
Lightly brush the pastry edges with a little water, then bring up the sides to meet on top of the filling. Crimp and roll the edges together to completely seal the filling inside (rustic is a good thing here), placing the prepared pasties on one or two baking trays as you go. Brush all over with a little beaten egg to glaze.
Bake in the oven for about 35–40 minutes until deep golden brown and puffed up. Eat, preferably whilst still on the warm side of room temperature.
These little pork pies use a hot water crust pastry as a sturdy shell to support the filling. Hot water crust is possibly the easiest of all pastries to make, as there is no rubbing-in and trying to keep it cool as you roll. Make these the night before you picnic, store in the fridge and serve cold, just like a traditional pork pie (except these ones have their pickle inside rather than on the edge of your plate, making them very handy for on-the-move eating).
MAKES 4 GENEROUS INDIVIDUAL PIES
For the hot water crust pastry
300g plain flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 egg
110ml cold water
60g butter, diced
60g lard, diced
For the filling
500g minced pork
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
½ nutmeg, freshly grated
4 generous tsp chutney or pickle (of your choice)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
To make the pastry, mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre, then crack in the egg and flick a little flour over to cover it completely. Put the water, butter and lard into a pan and set over a medium heat. Stir as the fats melt and as soon as the liquid comes to the boil, tip into the mixing bowl, stirring well to form a soft ball. Tip on to the worktop and knead briefly, then cut into 4 even-size pieces (to help it cool quicker). Wrap in cling film, then chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes to firm up.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In a bowl, mix together the minced pork, bacon, herbs and nutmeg and season generously with salt and black pepper. Tip on to the worktop and divide into 4 even-size balls. Flatten each ball into a 1cm-thick disc, spoon some chutney into the centre of each, then bring up the sides to enclose the chutney completely. Set aside whilst you shape the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
Cut about a third off each ball of pastry (this smaller piece will be the lid). For each pie, using your hands, flatten the larger piece to a 5mm-thick disc, then set a ball of filling in the middle. Shape the smaller piece of pastry to a 5mm-thick disc and drape over the top of the filling to create a lid. Bring the sides of the bottom pastry disc up to meet the lid, then crimp and press together to seal the filling inside completely. Repeat with the rest of the pastry and filling to make 4 pies. Use a skewer to pierce a generous hole in the top of each pie to let the steam out, then sprinkle over a few sea salt flakes and a grind of black pepper.
Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about an hour until the pastry is crisp and golden. Leave to cool completely before wrapping and packing for your picnic.
Muffins are a breeze to make, the beauty being that they need minimal mixing to make them light and fluffy, so they are about as hands-off as baking gets. These are great eaten on their own, preferably on the same day you bake them, or try them with a spoonful of the Peppered Onion Relish here.
MAKES 6 BIG MUFFINS
Olive oil, for brushing
100g walnut pieces
175g Stilton, crumbled
150g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Small bunch of tarragon, leaves picked and chopped (about 2 tbsp)
2 eggs
200g plain yogurt
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Brush a 6-hole muffin tin (holes and tops too) with oil, then shake in some flour and tap around until the holes and around the tops are lightly coated, tapping out the excess.
Grind the walnuts in a food processor until they resemble crumbs, or crush them in a food bag with a rolling pin or using a large pestle and mortar. Tip into a mixing bowl, add the Stilton, flour, bicarbonate of soda and tarragon, season well with salt and black pepper, and mix well.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and yogurt, then pour into the dry ingredients and mix briefly until just combined. Lumps, and even little bits of dry flour, are just fine. Using two dessertspoons, fill the holes of the prepared tin. You can pile the mixture pretty high. These muffins will rise and spread a little out of the holes (which is why you have greased and floured the tops of the holes too, so they don’t stick).
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then ease them out with a blunt knife on to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Or how about a different flavour…?
▪ If you don’t like Stilton, replace it with grated Cheddar, Gruyère or crumbled feta.
▪ You can also change the herbs – basil, parsley or thyme all work well.
▪ Try using different nuts – ground pecans are delicious, as are hazelnuts.
▪ Add a couple of tablespoons of chopped black olives, capers or sun-dried tomatoes.
▪ Stir through a little snipped-up cooked bacon, chopped salami or chorizo.
Mini frittatas are a brilliant way to use up bits and bobs from the fridge. Ring the changes any way you please, swapping the mozzarella for another cheese, or try using lightly cooked asparagus or green beans, or even a few slices of cold potato.
MAKES 6 MINI FRITTATAS
Butter or olive oil, for greasing
Couple of slices of ham, chopped
Handful of frozen peas (no need to defrost)
1 × 125g ball mozzarella, torn into little pieces
Small handful of basil leaves, chopped
5 eggs
A pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Grease a 6-hole muffin tin with butter or oil.
Divide the ham, peas, mozzarella and basil between the muffin tin holes.
In a jug, lightly whisk the eggs, then season with the chilli flakes, if using, and a little salt and black pepper. Pour slowly into the holes, letting the egg mixture settle to the bottom before adding more. The holes will be quite full.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until just set and light golden on top. Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin and serve at room temperature.
My son’s favourite way with chicken, he’d eat these day and night if I indulged him. I have to be honest and say these are best eaten before they have been refrigerated. So I marinate them overnight, then roll in flour and quickly fry on the day I want to eat them.
SERVES ABOUT 4
600g skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets, each cut into 4 pieces
3 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tsp fennel seeds, ground
½ tsp smoked paprika
Plain flour, for coating
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Start the night before you want to eat. Put the chicken into a bowl, stir in the yogurt, fennel and smoked paprika and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for a minimum of 3 hours).
When you are ready to cook, put a good few tablespoons of flour into a bowl, then roll the marinated chicken, piece by piece, in the flour until it’s well coated, transferring the coated pieces to a plate as you go.
Heat some oil in an electric deep-fat fryer or in a large, deep saucepan to 180°C (or until a small cube of bread sizzles and browns in less than 60 seconds), then deep-fry the chicken in batches for about 4–5 minutes until cooked, crisp and deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve whilst warm or within a couple of hours of cooking.
Muffin tin frittatas with peas, ham and mozzarella • Southern-fried chicken bites • Asian-style slaw with peanuts, lime and sesame oil
Scotch eggs are quintessential picnic fare, principally because they travel so well and follow the golden picnic rule of tasting as nice, if not better, cold rather than hot. I like to eat these with sweet chilli sauce or with the Smoked Chilli Jelly here.
MAKES 4 SCOTCH EGGS
5 eggs
500g minced pork
3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (frozen taste better than dried)
1 stem lemongrass, tough outer part removed and inner part finely chopped
1–2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp caster or granulated sugar
80g panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add 4 of the eggs to a pan of cold water and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and run under cold water until cool. Peel, rinse and set aside.
Put the minced pork into a mixing bowl and add the spring onions, garlic, lime leaves, lemongrass, chillies, coriander, fish sauce and sugar and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Mix together thoroughly and set aside for 30 minutes or so for the flavours to infuse (or leave overnight in the fridge, along with the cooked eggs, if you prefer).
Lightly beat the remaining egg in a small bowl. Add the breadcrumbs to another bowl. Divide the minced pork mixture into 4 equal balls and flatten each one to about 1cm thickness. Place an egg in the centre of each. Fold the pork mixture up and around each egg, enclosing it completely and pressing any cracks together. Roll each one in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs until coated.
Heat some oil in an electric deep-fat fryer or in a large, deep saucepan to 180°C (or until a small cube of bread sizzles and browns in less than 60 seconds), then deep-fry the coated eggs for 7–8 minutes until crisp and deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper and cool before serving.
Take your Scotch eggs around the world in flavours…
Use the same recipe and quantities of eggs, pork, onion, garlic and breadcrumbs given above and flavour the minced pork mixture with…
▪ Caribbean – add 2–3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, and 1 teaspoon soft brown sugar.
▪ Moorish – add 1 teaspoon each cumin, caraway and coriander seeds, all roughly ground, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped.
▪ Indian – stir through 1 tablespoon of your favourite curry powder, along with a small bunch of coriander, chopped.
Every picnic has to have a sweet course, but some things are going to work better than others. Sturdy cookies, brownies and muffins travel well and are easier to eat than cakes with gloopy icing or a cream-based filling. And unless you can keep them cold in a cool box, sweets like fudge, liquorice or even penny chews are going to fare much better than meltable chocolate bars.
For something a bit more healthy and refreshing, fruit almost always tastes better at room temperature, so can be a great picnic choice. Soft fruit, such as strawberries, raspberries and the like, are susceptible to squashing though, so I’d plump for something more protected. A whole melon is brilliant, providing you remember to pack a sharp knife to get into it. Kiwi fruit, cut in half and eaten with a spoon just as you would a boiled egg, are fun to eat. Or you can’t beat a perfectly ripe bunch of grapes or some fresh juicy cherries for simplicity.
But if you fancy something a bit more substantial, here are a few delicious baked treats that pack up easily and travel well. These treats all keep well for around 5 days in an airtight tin or wrapped in foil.
I made these cookies for a dairy-free friend of my son’s and although it may sound a little strange, baking with olive oil is traditional in many countries around the Mediterranean. These are the easiest of cookies to make.
MAKES ABOUT 18 COOKIES
100g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
100g self-raising flour
100ml olive oil
1 egg
Finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
Simply add all the ingredients to a food processor and whizz together until you have a soft, sticky dough (or mix by hand in a bowl with a wooden spoon).
Use your hands to roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls, then place them on the prepared baking sheets with plenty of space in-between. Using a dessertspoon, press each one out flat, to a thickness of around 1cm.
Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes until pale golden. Transfer to a cooling rack using a palette knife and cool completely before storing in an airtight tin.
Flavour your cookies another way…
▪ Add a handful of chocolate chips – milk, white or dark, as you wish.
▪ Add a teaspoon each of vanilla extract and ground mixed spice for sweetly spiced cookies.
▪ Add a couple of teaspoons of caraway seeds for an interesting taste.
These are like the best-ever apple and blackberry crumble in a cuttable, transportable bar. What’s not to love? At their butteriest, crumbly best these can be a touch on the delicate side, so I tend to take the whole lot (already cut up) in the tin to protect them.
As well as being delicious, they freeze brilliantly when assembled but left uncooked. Simply freeze in the tin until solid, then remove from the tin using the baking paper to help lift the frozen block out. Wrap well and put back in to the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the crumble bars, slide the block back into the original tin and let it defrost, before baking as below.
MAKES ABOUT 15 BARS
2 medium cooking apples (about 550–600g whole/unprepared weight), peeled, cored and diced
150g fresh or frozen blackberries
2–3 tbsp granulated sugar, or to taste
100ml cold water
200g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g soft light brown sugar
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g porridge oats
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Grease and line a 30 × 20 × 2cm baking tin with non-stick baking paper, leaving a couple of ‘tails’ to help lift it out.
Put the apples, blackberries, granulated sugar and water into a medium saucepan. Cover and simmer gently until soft, about 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Whizz together the butter and brown sugar in a food processor until creamed. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and pulse until combined (the mixture will be quite crumbly). Add the oats and pulse again to mix.
Tip about two-thirds of the crumble mixture into the prepared tin and press down well using the back of a spoon, covering the base completely. Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the top, then sprinkle over the remaining crumble mixture to cover the fruit completely.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the top is crisp and golden. Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into bars.
And another thing…
▪ You can swap the blackberries for blackcurrants.
▪ Or replace the apples and blackberries with about the same weight of rhubarb. Simmer the fruit with 3–4 finely chopped pieces of crystallized ginger.
▪ Try substituting the cooked fruit with a jar (340g-ish) of your favourite jam.
Coffee and walnut is my all-time fave cake flavour and a secret healthy ingredient in this version (it’s actually a tin of cannellini beans, but ssshhhh, no one will ever tell!) means you can bake these blondies (like brownies but with white chocolate) without extra butter.
Whilst I don’t really like the name ‘traybake’ (it seems just a touch too ‘mumsy’ for my liking), cakes cooked in a slab like this one are eminently practical for picnics as they cut and wrap neatly. You can even transport the lot in its tin, ready-cut, for extra sturdiness. (See photo.)
MAKES 12 SQUARES
Vegetable oil, for greasing
1 × 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 eggs
125g caster sugar
300g white chocolate, finely chopped
125g walnuts, roughly chopped
75g plain flour
2 tbsp very strong (espresso strength) brewed coffee, cooled
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Grease a 25cm square tin with oil and line with non-stick baking paper.
Tip the beans into a large mixing bowl, break in the eggs and add the sugar, then use a stick blender to purée them together to get a really smooth paste. This is what makes the beans ‘disappear’ so it’s worth working at the mixture a little to get it smooth. Set aside.
Melt about two-thirds of the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (reserve the remaining chocolate). Scrape the melted chocolate into the puréed bean mixture, along with the rest of the ingredients (except the reserved chocolate). Use a metal spoon to fold everything together into a smooth batter, then pour evenly into the prepared tin. Sprinkle over the rest of the white chocolate.
Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the blondie mixture is golden and starting to come away from the sides of the tin. A little bit of ‘squidge’ to the centre is just fine. Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into 12 squares.
Or try this…
▪ Chocolate, orange and hazelnut brownies – if coffee is not your thing, make a traditional brownie version by replacing the white chocolate with dark. Omit the coffee (replace it with milk) and instead add the finely grated zest of a large orange. Replace the walnuts with the same weight of roughly chopped hazelnuts.
Whilst a relish or sauce of some kind is often essential for a picnic, the most usual suspect, mayonnaise, isn’t really the best traveller, unless you keep it cold with ice blocks. Hence, I prefer to take pickles on picnics, so here are a few of my favourites, which incidentally are all great for barbecue food as well.
Sterilizing the jars is the most important part of making pickles. A squeaky clean jar will mean whatever is inside will keep for much longer, so you can make a big batch safe in the knowledge it will last for ages, at least 6 months to a year. It’s a very straightforward process, simply wash the jars and lids in warm soapy water, then rinse and shake off the excess water. Spread out on a baking tray and shove in a cool oven (around 110°C/Gas ¼) for about 30 minutes until completely dry.
All these recipes are best made a month or so before eating to allow the flavours to mature; they will keep for at least 6 months in a cool, dry cupboard, so they are just the sort of thing to make on a rainy day ready for when the sun comes out.
This Indian-style pickle goes very well with the Bombay Spiced Beef and Potato Pasties here, but try it also with your favourite cheese.
MAKES 4 STANDARD-SIZE (450G) JARS
300ml malt vinegar
300g granulated sugar
2 heaped tsp each dried chilli flakes and cumin seeds
2 heaped tsp coriander seeds, roughly ground
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
1.3kg carrots, peeled and grated
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
Add the vinegar, sugar, spices and salt to a large saucepan, then bring to a steady simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the carrots, stirring well, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir through the chopped coriander.
Remove from the heat, then pack into hot, sterilized jars. Cover and seal, then cool completely before storing.
Caramelized onion relish is a true classic and tastes great with so many things, from cheeses and cold meats to pork pies and burgers. This version has crushed black peppercorns for a hit of heat, but leave them out if you prefer.
MAKES 4 STANDARD-SIZE (450G) JARS
1.5kg onions (5 large ones), thinly sliced
1kg granulated sugar
500ml sherry vinegar
4 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp sea salt
Bung everything in a large saucepan and set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring from time to time, then turn down the heat to a steady simmer and cook for about an hour until the onions have turned a deep golden brown and are surrounded by a thick syrupy liquid.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool just a little before spooning into hot, sterilized jars. Cover and seal, then cool completely before storing.
Hot, sweet and smoky, I love this with cold meats, or try it with the Thai-style Scotch Eggs here.
MAKES 4 STANDARD-SIZE (450G) JARS
1 litre clear apple juice
1kg preserving sugar (this contains pectin to help the jelly set)
80g hot green or red chillies (bird’s eye or finger ones are ideal), finely sliced into rounds (seeds and all)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sea salt
Put a few saucers in the freezer to chill for testing the set as you cook. Add all the ingredients to a large saucepan and set over a medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and boil rapidly for around 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 10 minutes, begin testing for set by taking a chilled saucer and dribbling ½ teaspoon of the jelly mixture on to it. When it’s cool, the jelly should wrinkle a little when you push it with your finger. Continue boiling and retesting until it does.
Remove from the heat and leave for 30 minutes before stirring to mix the chillies evenly, then pour into hot, sterilized jars. Cover and seal, then cool completely before storing.
These delicately spiced cucumber slices add a nice little crunch to a sandwich, or try them with cold poached salmon.
MAKES 4 STANDARD-SIZE (450G) JARS
250ml white wine vinegar
250g granulated sugar
1 tbsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed
1 tsp each white peppercorns and allspice berries, roughly crushed
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
Add the vinegar, sugar, spices and salt to a large saucepan, then bring slowly to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the onions, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cucumber slices and simmer, uncovered, for another 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, then pack, liquid and all, into hot, sterilized jars. Cover and seal, then cool completely before storing.
And if you haven’t got time for pickling…
Pesto is a complete doddle to make and tastes infinitely nicer than the shop-bought jarred stuff. It also travels well and jazzes up innumerable things. I love it with cheese or cold meats, or try it stirred through a simple pasta salad with tinned tuna. This pesto will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. A layer of cling film pressed snugly on to the surface will stop it discolouring.
MAKES A DESSERT BOWLFUL
50g pine nuts
Large bunch of basil (about 100g), leaves and thinner stalks roughly torn
1 clove garlic, chopped
25g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
Lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over a medium heat until they are golden and smell deliciously nutty. Tip them into a food processor and pulse until ground.
Add the basil, garlic, Parmesan and oil and pulse to a purée, adding just enough cold water to help it along. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
Scrape into a bowl and chill in the fridge until needed.
I’m a bit of a lightweight when it comes to alcohol in the daytime, so I pretty much always plump for soft drinks on a picnic, saving wine for when the sun is over the yardarm. But if you are made of sterner stuff than me, then I suggest you pack sturdy little glass tumblers. Wine in plastic glasses misses the point. And if it’s white or rosé, be sure to have a way of keeping it cold because lukewarm wine that should be chilled is a non-starter.
Here are three summery cordial recipes that would be my choice on a picnic. Pack a bottle of cordial, along with a semi-frozen bottle of still water (which will also keep your food cool) or a well-chilled bottle of fizzy water, and then dilute to taste at your destination.
A great cordial to make in May with young flower buds. This cordial keeps really well, for at least 2 months in the fridge in sterilized bottles (see here for tips on sterilizing).
MAKES ABOUT 2 LITRES CORDIAL
2kg granulated sugar
1.5 litres cold water
20 fresh just-opened heads of elderflowers
3 lemons, cut into 5mm slices
60g citric acid (available from brewing shops or online)
Add the sugar and water to a large saucepan and set over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat.
Wash the elderflower heads by dipping them quickly into a washing-up bowlful of cold water, shaking dry as you go, then drop them into the hot syrup. Add the lemon slices to the hot syrup, then add the citric acid and stir well.
Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and leave to infuse at room temperature for 24 hours, stirring a few times.
Strain through a muslin-lined sieve into a jug (in batches if necessary) before pouring into sterilized bottles, then seal and store in the fridge.
Serve diluted to taste with chilled still or fizzy water.
The essence of raspberry in a glass, this cordial is great for when fresh raspberries are cheap and plentiful, but also when they are out of season, made using frozen fruit for a delicious reminder of summer days. It keeps for up to a week in the fridge, but also freezes brilliantly in ice-cube trays (single portions) or small plastic boxes for up to 3 months.
MAKES ABOUT 1 LITRE CORDIAL
600g fresh raspberries
300g granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 litre cold water
Add the raspberries to a large saucepan, along with the sugar and lemon juice, then top up with the water. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then cover and simmer until the raspberries have collapsed, about 6–8 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
Strain through a sieve into a large jug, pressing well to get as much juice out as possible. Cover and chill in the fridge until required.
Serve diluted to taste with chilled still or fizzy water.
One sip of this citrus-burst of a drink will take you straight back to childhood summers. Like the Raspberry Cordial (see here), it keeps for up to a week in the fridge, but you can also freeze it in small containers for up to 3 months.
MAKES ABOUT 1.25 LITRES CORDIAL
3 large lemons
4 limes
300g granulated sugar
1 litre freshly boiled hot water
1 tsp citric acid
Finely grate the zest from the lemons and limes and add to a deep heatproof bowl. Squeeze in the juice from all the fruit (no need to worry about pips going in as it’ll be strained later). Add the sugar, then pour in the freshly boiled hot water, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the citric acid and stir well.
Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and leave to infuse at room temperature overnight or for up to 24 hours.
Strain through a sieve into a jug, then cover and chill in the fridge until required.
Serve diluted to taste with chilled still or fizzy water (about half cordial and half water is a good guide with this cordial).
