This set of recipes represents the very best of weekend cooking. Even when the weather might look a little glum, turn your radio up, stick the kettle on and cook a proper lunch for all to enjoy. This is the time to tackle some pastry, or maybe experiment with some bold new flavours or one-pot wonders. Bright, confident cooking here – and singing along to the radio is pretty much obligatory.
Tacos will always go down well. It’s the best sort of meal, with everyone at the table assembling their own tacos, some adding more chilli, others preferring more lime and coriander. Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs and they give a fantastic crunch to fried foods. They are available in most supermarkets, but if you can’t track them down you can use normal breadcrumbs. Chilli sauce will work here, but I like the kick of chopped fresh chilli.
100g mayonnaise or sour cream
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g plain flour
2 tsp paprika
500g firm white fish fillet, cut into 10cm × 3cm strips
2 eggs, beaten and seasoned with a pinch of salt
300g panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), or other dry breadcrumbs
1 red onion, very thinly sliced (or Quick Pickled Red Onions, opposite)
150g white cabbage, very thinly sliced or shredded
Vegetable oil for frying
8 corn or wheat tortillas, warmed
Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Fresh or pickled chillies, finely sliced, or chilli sauce
In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise or sour cream with the zest and juice of 1 lime and add salt and pepper to taste. Put to one side.
Line a tray with baking parchment.
In a large plastic bag, combine the flour, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the fish, close the bag and shake to coat. Shaking off excess flour, put the fish pieces on a plate.
Put the eggs in a shallow dish and the breadcrumbs in another. Dip the fish in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs to coat all over, then place the pieces – spaced apart – on the lined tray.
Rub a large pinch of salt into the onion for 1 minute, then rinse and drain well and squeeze over the juice of ½ a lime.
Season the cabbage with the remaining lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Pour about 4cm of oil into a large, deep pan and carefully heat to 180°C, or until a piece of onion or cube of bread begins to sizzle immediately and brown within 20 seconds.
Fry the fish in batches until golden all over, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the fish on kitchen paper.
Serve the fish in the tortillas with the lime mayonnaise, the cabbage and the red onion. Top with coriander, adding chilli to taste.
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
200ml white wine or cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, halved
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 small dried chilli or ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Put the onions in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and leave for 30 seconds, then drain in a sieve over the sink.
Put the vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt and chilli (if using) in a small pan and bring to the boil until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
Put the onions in a jar, pour over the vinegar and stir or shake gently.
The onions will be ready in about 30 minutes, but are better after a few hours. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
This is a real showstopper. The cooked pie, or to give it its Moroccan name, pastilla, is dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon and brought to the table. It is an intoxicating moment when the crisp pastry is cut into and the steamy, spicy aroma escapes. Use a medley of roasted root vegetables (carrots, beetroot, parsnips) instead of the chicken if you prefer, adding them at the same time as the eggs. Serve with harissa or chilli sauce and a great big green salad.
1 tbsp olive oil
700g boneless chicken thighs
80g butter, melted
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
Seeds from 6 cardamom pods, crushed
½ tsp turmeric
Pinch of saffron (optional)
300ml chicken or vegetable stock, or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
75g dried dates, apricots or raisins, roughly chopped
75g almonds or pistachios, chopped
1 tbsp honey
3 eggs, beaten
Small bunch of parsley or coriander, finely chopped
5 large sheets of filo pastry
1 tbsp icing sugar
Harissa, to serve (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken for about 8 minutes, or until browned all over. Put to one side on a plate.
Add 1 tablespoon of the melted butter to the pan, add the onions and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, half the cinnamon and the rest of the spices and cook for 1 minute more.
Return the chicken to the pan and add the stock. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool slightly. Boil the liquid in the pan to reduce to about 100ml.
Roughly chop the chicken and return to the pan along with the dried fruit, nuts and honey. Add the eggs and cook gently until the mix resembles loose scrambled eggs, then add the herbs and put to one side.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (170°C fan). You will need a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken mix (about 25 × 20cm should do it). Brush the dish with melted butter.
Take a sheet of filo pastry and brush it with melted butter. Drape it over the baking dish, gently pushing it into the corners. Repeat with another sheet of filo, placing it at a right angle to the first. Repeat with two more sheets of filo to form a pastry case.
Spoon the chicken mixture into a round heap in the centre of the pastry, and then fold the pastry sides over the meat to make a pie. Lay the remaining sheet of filo on top, brush with butter and tuck under any corners.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little before dusting it with the icing sugar and the rest of the cinnamon.
Shout ‘meatballs’ and my bet is everyone will want to dash to the table with napkins at the ready! Giant meatballs will certainly raise a few eyebrows – mention they’re stuffed, and your guests will be bowled over. Serve with a green salad with plenty of chopped fresh mint, or with a diced cucumber and red onion salad dressed with lemon juice. These meatballs are also knockout stuffed in a roll with lots of lettuce and a dollop of yogurt.
600g minced lamb or beef
1 onion, coarsely grated
3 tbsp breadcrumbs (or use plain flour)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg (optional)
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g dried cranberries or sour cherries
50g pine nuts or chopped almonds
40g butter
2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g tomato passata or tinned chopped tomatoes
150g plain yogurt, seasoned with salt, to serve
Flatbreads, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan).
In a large mixing bowl, mix the meat with half the onion, the breadcrumbs, egg, all the spices, the parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and knead until evenly combined.
Divide the mix into four equal pieces and roll into balls. Stick your thumb deep into each ball to make a pocket, and then fill with the dried fruit and nuts and a little knob of butter. Close the meat mix over the filling.
Oil a large casserole dish or roasting tray, add the meatballs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, then roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes, until golden and sizzling.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and fry the remaining onion and the garlic for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the tomato and salt and pepper to taste and cook until thick and rich, about 10 minutes.
When the meatballs are cooked through, take the tray out of the oven and pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs, then return them to the oven for a couple of minutes.
Serve with seasoned yogurt drizzled over and flatbreads on the side.
Bread and butter pudding, savoury style. This recipe makes brilliant use of slightly stale bread. It can be served as a side dish for a big lunch to feed many, or serve it just as it is with a green salad or some cooked green beans on the side. Leave out the ham if you like, and by all means add some fried mushrooms or cooked cubed sweet potato for extra vegetable oomph.
2 leeks, thickly sliced
1 head broccoli, broken into florets (about 200g total)
100g mature Cheddar or Lancashire cheese, grated
100g chopped cooked ham (optional)
200g sliced white bread (such as sourdough), crusts left on
50g butter, softened
2 tsp Dijon mustard
300ml whole milk
3 eggs, beaten
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch each of parsley and marjoram or thyme, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 180°C (170°C fan).
Boil the leeks and broccoli together in salted water for 5 minutes, or until tender, then drain well. Place in a baking dish and top with half the cheese and all of the ham (if using).
Spread the bread generously with the butter and mustard, then lay on top of the vegetables, buttered-side up.
Whisk together the milk, eggs, nutmeg and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir in the herbs, then gently pour over the bread. Scatter the remaining cheese on top and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until puffed up, golden brown and just set in the centre. Serve immediately.
An undisputed classic, this will always make for a really special lunch. The top potato layer, bronzed and crisp in places, looks especially impressive when brought to the table. You can add a bit of raw lamb liver and kidney in the mix if you enjoy eating offal. If you come across mutton or hogget (from a sheep older than one year), do give this a go as the flavour will be deeper, just be aware the cooking time might be a little longer for the meat to be melting and soft. Pickled red cabbage, which you can buy or make, is the traditional accompaniment, and to be honest, nothing really beats it.
6 slices of lamb or mutton neck with bone (or use lamb or mutton chops)
300g diced lamb or mutton neck fillet or shoulder
4 tbsp plain or wholemeal flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large potatoes (about 800g), such as Maris Piper, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 sprig of thyme, finely chopped
3 tbsp butter
2 bay leaves
500ml lamb or chicken stock, or water
Preheat the oven to 180°C (170°C fan), and dust all the meat with flour, salt and pepper.
Toss the potatoes, onions and thyme together and season with salt and pepper.
Grease a deep casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and arrange one-third of the potato and onion mix in the bottom. Top with the meat and bay leaves.
Add the remaining potato mix, overlapping the top layer of slices attractively. Pour in enough stock to come up to the topping (the stock should be just visible).
Melt the remaining butter and pour over the top. Cover and bake for about 2 hours (a bit longer for mutton, until it feels tender when prodded with a skewer).
Uncover the casserole and bake for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes on top are golden brown and crisp. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving; remove the bay leaves as you serve.
Flamiche is a recipe from northern France that uses yeasted dough. Flamiche sets the humble leek centre stage and, as such, it is important to cook the leeks until they are very soft, as this will make them all the sweeter and tastier. You can add a couple of rashers of bacon or sliced ham to the leek mix, but I rarely bother.
175g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
½ tsp dried yeast
¼ tsp salt
110ml warm water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
30g butter
500g leeks, white part only, sliced thinly
2 eggs
150g sour cream or crème fraîche
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
Freshly grated nutmeg
20g Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, grated
Make the dough as for the empanada recipe; this time you will need only ¼ teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 110ml water.
While the dough is proving, prepare the topping: heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the leeks in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 10 minutes, until really soft and sweet. Leave to cool a little.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the cream, thyme, salt, pepper and plenty of nutmeg to taste. Add the slightly cooled leeks.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan). Line a baking tray (approx. 40 × 30cm) with greaseproof paper and grease with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the dough to fit the baking tray: it should be about 5mm thick. Make a small lip around the edge of the dough and spoon the leek mixture on top, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the cheese over the leeks.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until the top is nicely coloured and the base is crisp. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, although it is still delicious served warm or cold.
Empanadas make an impressive, albeit fairly effortless, lunch offering. This recipe is based on Galician empanadas, from the north-west of Spain. It is made with yeasted dough and I’ve made it as one large pie rather than individual pasties.
350g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
1 tsp dried yeast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
225ml warm water
100ml extra virgin olive oil
2 green peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
3 onions, finely chopped
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp paprika (sweet, hot or smoked)
400g tin whole tomatoes, well drained (use the juice for something else)
2 × 250g cans bonito tuna, or other sustainable tuna, in oil, drained
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
In a bowl, mix together the flour, yeast and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix until fully incorporated. Cover and put to one side for 10 minutes. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes, then form into a ball by tucking the dough under itself. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and set aside in a warm place until just about doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the filling: heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a pan and fry the peppers and onions for about 15 minutes, until very soft and sweet. Add the garlic and paprika and cook for 4 minutes until the garlic is soft. Add the tomatoes and cook until thickened and any liquid has evaporated. Stir in the tuna and the hard-boiled eggs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (170°C fan). Line a baking tray (approx. 40 × 30cm) with greaseproof paper and grease generously with the remaining olive oil. Divide the dough in half and shape into two balls. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the first ball until it is slightly larger than the baking tray. Place the dough on the baking tray. Spoon the filling on to the dough and smooth it into an even layer.
Roll out the second ball of dough until it is the same size as the tray and place on top of the filling. Cut off any pastry that hangs over the sides. Seal the sides of the empanada by pressing and rolling the top and bottom layers of dough together. Cut a small hole in the centre of the dough to allow steam to vent. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake until browned on top and piping hot throughout, 45–55 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Cut into pieces and serve at room temperature.
It’s pretty tricky to beat a pie for lunch! Pies are also a fantastic way to use up leftover roast chicken. I’ve used spelt flour for the pastry here: spelt is an ancient grain with a nutty, wholesome flavour which has gained in popularity in recent years. Use plain or wholemeal flour if you can’t find spelt flour or would prefer to stick with your usual pastry combination.
175g very cold butter, cut into very small cubes
300g spelt flour, plus 2 tbsp for the sauce and extra for rolling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g leeks, sliced
300g chestnut or button mushrooms
250ml chicken stock
300ml double cream
600g cooked (roast or poached) chicken, skinned and roughly chopped
2 tsp roughly chopped tarragon leaves
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten
Rub 150g of the butter into the flour and ½ teaspoon of salt, using your fingertips or a food processor, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add about 3 tablespoons of very cold water until the dough just comes together, then knead very gently until just incorporated. Try to not over-knead the dough.
Shape the dough into a flattened disc, wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge while you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan).
Heat the remaining 25g of butter in a pan and fry the leeks for 5 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken stock and cream, bring to the boil, then boil to reduce the liquid until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the cooked chicken, tarragon and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour into a pie dish.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 1cm thick, rolling in one direction only. Cut out the pastry to a little larger than your pie dish, and then lay it on top. Using a sharp knife, cut around the side of the dish to trim excess pastry and then crimp the pastry around the edges to seal the dish. Cut a small hole in the centre of the pastry, then brush with the beaten egg.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked. Serve immediately.
This may appear to be a humble, frugal-sounding recipe, but, made with care and attention, it is anything but. Served with buttered boiled potatoes and a pot of mustard on the table, this is first-class comfort food. Add a big handful of watercress in lieu of the parsley if making this in the springtime. You want the sauce to be a vivid and arresting shade of green.
2 unsmoked ham hocks
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 large onions: 1½ quartered, ½ finely chopped
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
400ml whole milk
Large bunch of curly parsley, stalks separated, leaves very finely chopped
50g butter
50g plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
75ml double cream
Boiled potatoes and mustard, to serve
Soak the hocks in water for about 8 hours (overnight is good), changing the water a couple of times.
Put the hocks in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Skim any scum off the surface and add the carrots, celery, quartered onion, peppercorns and bay leaves and simmer gently for about 2–3 hours, until the meat is coming away from the bone.
Remove 200ml of the cooking liquid and put it in a saucepan with the milk, chopped onion and the parsley stalks. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes, then strain.
Heat the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour and cook for 1 minute, then start whisking in the infused milk, whisking until smooth before you add more. Simmer for 4 minutes, whisking all the time, then stir in the cream, followed by the parsley, and cook for a few minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm.
Remove and discard the fat from the hocks and cut the meat into large chunks, then warm through in the remaining ham stock. Serve the ham with the parsley sauce, boiled potatoes and mustard.
Jambalaya is a Creole and Cajun rice dish, with Spanish, African and French influences. There are many regional variations, but one thing that all jambalayas have in common is the ‘holy trinity’ of Cajun and Creole cookery: onion, celery and green pepper are the backbone of this flavoursome, one-pot recipe.
500g boneless chicken thighs
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 small chorizo ring (about 200g) or smoked Polish sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp paprika (sweet or hot)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
400g tin whole plum tomatoes, drained (use the juice for something else)
250g long-grain rice (not the easy-cook type)
500ml chicken stock
200g large raw prawns
Tabasco or hot sauce, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C (170°C fan).
Mix the chicken with the smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. This can be done up to 8 hours ahead, covered and stored in the fridge.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan and fry the chicken and chorizo for about 8 minutes until the chicken is lightly browned all over.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and chorizo and set aside in a bowl, leaving the oil in the pan.
Add the onion, celery and peppers and fry for 10 minutes, until soft.
Add the garlic, paprika, thyme and oregano and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add the rice, stir well and cook for around 2 minutes, until the rice begins to turn opaque.
Return the cooked chicken and chorizo, along with any juices remaining in the bowl. Add the stock and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
Cover the pan with foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes, then add the prawns, cover again and cook for a further 5–10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice and prawns are cooked. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving with hot sauce.
Picking over a huge bowl of aromatic steaming mussels is the epitome of a relaxing, convivial lunch. Mussels are at their seasonal best from September to April. I’ve added some cooked rice to the liquid here, as I love how the rice absorbs the flavoursome broth. Crusty bread is also essential to soak up the juices. Serve with a glass of chilled rosé or white wine.
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g finocchiona salami, chorizo or pancetta, finely chopped (optional)
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
50ml pastis, Pernod or white wine (optional)
Pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp warm water
Pinch of chilli flakes or powder
1 strip of orange zest, white pith removed
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or use ½ a 400g tin whole plum tomatoes, drained)
1.5kg mussels, cleaned
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
200g cooked rice (optional)
1 tbsp butter
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan and fry the salami (if using) for 1 minute until the fat begins to run out, then add the fennel, onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the alcohol, saffron, chilli, orange zest and tomatoes, increase the heat and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the mussels, cover and cook, shaking the pan frequently, for about 5 minutes until the mussels are open (after 1 minute, peek every 30 seconds or so to keep an eye on the mussels opening: you don’t want them to overcook). As soon as all the mussels are open, stir through the parsley and lemon juice.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a bowl and place the pan lid over the bowl to keep warm.
Add the rice and butter to the pan to warm through and check the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, chilli or lemon juice to taste.
Return the mussels to the pan, stir to combine, then transfer to a warm serving bowl.
If the mussels are sandy, gritty or have hairy beards coming out of their shells, rinse and scrub them well under cold water and pull out the beards by pulling them towards the hinge end of the mussel. Discard any cracked mussels and any mussels that won’t close when tapped firmly against the side of a bowl.
The trick with pastry (and it’s a quickly learned one) is to be confident enough to mix the dough so it’s cohesive, but to not overwork it, otherwise it becomes leaden when cooked. Blind baking – cooking the pastry before adding the filling – makes for a super-crisp tart base. Taleggio cheese has an edible salty crust and soft middle, and pairs beautifully with fennel, but use a blue cheese here if you prefer. You will need a 24-cm tart tin.
300g shortcrust pastry (or use the recipe for Chicken and Leek Pie, using plain, wholemeal or spelt flour, or a mix)
2 fennel bulbs, finely sliced (fronds reserved and chopped if there are enough, or use parsley)
1 red onion, finely sliced
20g butter
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
4 large eggs, beaten
250ml whole milk
200g Taleggio or blue cheese, chopped into little pieces or crumbled
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
First, make the pastry case. Dust the rolling pin and work surface lightly with flour. Roll out the dough using short rolls in one direction only, turning the dough a few times to make a round shape. When the dough is about 5cm larger than the tart tin, lift it up by carefully rolling it around the rolling pin and lay it across the tart tin. Press the dough into the corners of the tin using your fingers, but don’t trim it yet. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan).
Fill the pastry case with a disc of baking paper and add dried beans to weigh it down. Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the paper with the beans (which can be used to bake blind again) and cook the pastry for another 5 minutes.
Carefully trim off the excess pastry using a small sharp knife.
Turn the oven down to 160°C (150°C fan).
While the pastry is being baked, cook the fennel and onion in the butter in a covered pan over low heat until meltingly soft, about 15 minutes. Don’t allow the fennel to colour – keep the heat low and stir occasionally.
Remove the lid, turn up the heat and cook until all the moisture has evaporated from the fennel and onion. Stir in ½ teaspoon of pepper and season with salt to taste. Leave to cool a little.
Whisk the eggs and milk together until well combined, and season with salt and pepper.
Spread the cooked fennel and onion over the base of the blind-baked pastry and scatter over the cheese, then carefully pour the egg mix over the cheese. Scatter over the fennel seeds, another ½ teaspoon of black pepper and the chopped fennel fronds and/or parsley.
Bake until the custard in the centre is set, 20–25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes before removing from the tin. Cut into wedges to serve.
This recipe is loosely based on bibimbap, a Korean dish that translates as ‘mixed rice’. Nowadays it might well be referred to as a rice bowl. There are no rules for bibimbap, a wholesome, pleasing meal that encourages the cook to use as much or as little as you have to hand in your fridge and store cupboard. A fried egg perched on top is simply stupendous.
4 fresh red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
2 roasted red peppers (from a jar, or roasted in a hot oven until soft, then deseeded and peeled)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp rice, white wine or cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
5 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g short-grain brown rice (or use white rice if you prefer – follow packet instructions to cook)
1 pointed cabbage or small white cabbage
4 tbsp sunflower or sesame seeds
400g mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 bunch of spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
4 eggs
Small bunch of basil, coriander or mint, roughly chopped
Soy sauce, to serve
Sesame oil, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan).
Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, blend the chillies, roasted peppers, garlic, vinegar, sugar, 2 tablespoons of the oil and salt and pepper to taste until you have a coarse paste. Put to one side.
Boil the brown rice in twice its volume of cold water and a big pinch of salt for 20–25 minutes or until tender. Make sure it doesn’t boil dry, adding a little more boiling water if needed.
Meanwhile, cut the cabbage into six thick wedges and toss in 1 tablespoon of the oil, some salt and pepper, then roast in the oven for around 20 minutes, until just cooked through and charred in places; it should still have a fair bit of crunch. Chop into thick slices.
Sprinkle the seeds on a baking sheet and toast them in the hot oven for 5 minutes until golden, then put to one side.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry the mushrooms until they are starting to brown at the edges, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the pan and put to one side.
Fry the spring onions in the same pan as the mushrooms until just starting to brown. Put to one side.
Fry the eggs in the same pan as the spring onions.
Drain the rice and spoon into bowls then top with the cabbage, spring onions, mushrooms and egg, then top the lot with the seeds and herbs. Serve the chilli paste, soy sauce and sesame oil on the side to stir through the rice.
