barolo-poached fillet steak with celeriac purée

I didn’t try poached meat until a couple of years ago and to be honest the idea didn’t appeal to me. A lot of chefs implied that cooking meat in good red wine was a waste, but how wrong they were. As well as Barolo, this dish works with many other red wines — especially nice spicy ones like Rioja or Shiraz. What I’m trying to say is that if you use rubbish wine in cooking it will come back to haunt you in the tasting.

SERVES 4

First, peel the celeriac down to the white, smooth flesh, then cut into rough 2cm dice. Half-fill a large pan with salted water and bring to the boil. Take another pan which will snugly fit the 4 steaks later, and add the chicken stock, wine, garlic, bunch of thyme, peppercorns and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. By this time the pan of boiling water should be ready, so add the celeriac, cover with a lid and boil fast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.

Place the steaks in the simmering liquid, making sure they’re covered well. Add a little water, if needed. It generally takes about 6 minutes to cook rare, 8 minutes for medium and 10 for medium to well done. Depending on the thickness of the steaks and how cold they were when you put them in, there’s always a bit of leeway on the timing, so it’s best to give them a little pinch to check how soft they are in the middle. Cover the pan with a cartouche (see page 174).

Once cooked to your liking, remove to a warm plate, cover and leave to rest while you drain the celeriac. Tip it back into the pan, adding half the butter. Mash to a smooth purée and season well to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

To make a light sauce, all you need is 2 wineglasses of the poaching liquor — freeze the rest. Bring to a fast boil, then remove the thyme and peppercorns and mash up the garlic, which will be soft and sweet. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, remove from the heat, season to taste and add the rest of the butter. Shake the pan lightly so the melted butter dissolves — this will make a shiny lightly thickened sauce. Do not reboil as it will split. Serve each steak with a bit of mash and a little sauce.

Try this: Any leftover cooking liquor can be sieved and kept in the freezer to use again or to make gravy from the goodness left in a roasting tray.

Or this: I prefer to serve this with celeriac mash because I think it’s more interesting, but you can make any mash you like — Jerusalem artichoke, purple potato, or any other flavour.

soft-boiled egg with asparagus on toast

This is a great brunch. Apart from being quite healthy — or that’s certainly how it makes you feel — you’ve got the great combination of silky soft asparagus with the soft egg and crunchy bruschetta and bacon. Anyone can make this.

SERVES 4

Get some water boiling and a griddle pan on the heat. Halve the tomatoes and place on a roasting tray, cut side up. Season with sea salt and black pepper, drizzle with a little olive oil and grill. When they start to colour, lay the pancetta next to them and continue grilling until it is crisp, then remove.

Carefully place the eggs and asparagus in the water and boil for just under 4 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the asparagus, you may want to fish it out a little earlier. Grill each piece of bread and put a slice on each of the 4 plates. Once cooked, remove the eggs and asparagus from the water. Toss the asparagus in the butter to coat. Peel the soft-boiled eggs. To make it really scrumptious, get one half of tomato and rub and squash it into the bread, then divide the asparagus on top. Lay the pancetta over that and then top each carefully with an egg. Once secure, cut open the egg and allow all the lovely yolk to drizzle down through the asparagus and on to the bread. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and tuck in.

Try this: Use different eggs, such as goose and duck eggs — they will need slightly different cooking times depending on their size.

spring minestrone

There’s a whole world of minestrones out there — most of which follow very strict, authentic recipes. Personally, I feel that a minestrone should always reflect the seasons: more cabbagy, frumpy ones in the winter and lighter, more colourful ones in the spring and summer. A minestrone can also be a whole meal if you want it to be, with pasta, stale bread or rice to bulk it out. To complement the spring vegetables, I’ve put a bit of a Genoese twist on it, with a spoon of fresh pesto added at the last minute, so the flavours explode in your mouth. Give it a bash.

SERVES 6

First, if you’re going to make the pesto do it now. Bring a pot of stock to the boil, then you need to get all the vegetables prepared and put to one side. The fennel has to be halved, sliced and finely chopped; the asparagus needs to have the woody ends removed, the stalks finely sliced and the tips left whole; the cauliflowers need to be divided into small florets; the courgettes need to be quartered lengthways and finely chopped, and finally the tomatoes need to be blanched (see page 110), cut in half, seeds removed and finely sliced. Now you’re ready to rock and roll.

Drizzle 5 tablespoons of olive oil into a casserole pan and place on a medium heat. Add the garlic, spring onions and fennel, then gently fry for 15 minutes without colouring. Add the rest of the prepared vegetables, the pasta and the boiling stock. Bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes, season with sea salt and black pepper, and serve in big bowls with a dollop of fresh pesto in the middle, a sprinkling of chopped basil and chives, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Try this: As you can see, the idea of this soup is to celebrate all the vegetables that are available at the time, so feel free to modify the soup and make it your own.

And this: A good way to break up your spaghetti is to wrap it in a tea towel, then run it over the edge of your work surface.

Did you know? The fact that everything is finely chopped means that the cooking time is very quick and the soup remains light and fresh.

roasted sweet garlic, bread & almond soup

I’m not quite sure where I got the inspiration for this recipe — I think it was actually when I was making bread one day and I incorporated some really sweet caramelized garlic and almonds into a focaccia. There’s a slight Spanish feel to the main ingredients — think of it as putting a bunch of old friends together and having a good party! My mother’s initial reaction was, ‘My God, that’s a lot of garlic, you’ll stink!’ but don’t let the amount put you off, as when garlic is roasted in its skin the pungent flavour is replaced by a jammy sweetness, which is divine.

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Roast the unpeeled garlic cloves in the oven for 30 minutes, or until soft. Meanwhile, slowly fry the onion in 4 tablespoons of olive oil for 10 minutes, or until really soft and translucent. Add the cream and the stock, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, awaiting the garlic. Remove the garlic from the oven and allow to cool slightly before squeezing out all the sweet, golden paste. Whisk this into the soup, discarding the garlic skins.

Remove the crusts from the ciabatta, rip up the bread into small pieces and throw into the soup. Add the sherry vinegar, then allow the soup to simmer for 5 more minutes. Whiz it until smooth in a blender or food processor with the toasted almonds — you may need to work in batches. Season nicely to taste with sea salt and black pepper and serve sprinkled with some orange segments, torn coriander and mint, and drizzled with a good lug of extra virgin olive oil.

Try this: You can eat this cold in the summer — it’s obviously going to be thick, which I think is a nice thing, but you can thin it with a little milk or stock, if you want to.

And this: You may want to big up the sherry vinegar to give it that twang you get with a Spanish gazpacho soup.

Or this: There’s a similar recipe from Spain where sliced white grapes are added to the soup — this contrasts really well with the garlic, so give it a go. A handful will do. Nice when eaten both hot and cold.

minted pea soup with crispy pancetta, bread & soured cream

This is a really addictive, thick soup that takes no time to make. I made it just at the start of summer, when the peas were really small, sweet and burst in your mouth. If you can do that then great, but in a way I think making a soup out of fresh peas is a bit of a waste really because spring peas are best just cooked for a couple of minutes in boiling water and served quite simply. I’ve got to be honest, when I made this with a packet of frozen peas it was brilliant. With the nice hit of mint, you can serve this soup all year round and it will always work a treat.

SERVES 4—6

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Remove the crusts from the bread and pinch off small irregular pieces. Place in a roasting tray and drizzle with a little olive oil, scatter over some of the mint leaves and season with sea salt and black pepper. Drape the pancetta over the top and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bread and pancetta are crunchy and golden. Meanwhile, place the butter in a large pan, add the onions and remaining mint, then cook for 3 minutes, or until soft. Turn the heat up, add the peas and chicken stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a low heat. Add the cream and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

When the time’s up, whiz the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth — you may want to work in batches. Correct the seasoning very carefully to taste — really think about this bit and get it just right. Remember: add, taste, add, taste. By this time the bread and pancetta should be nice and crisp, so ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle over the bread, mint and pancetta. Add a little soured cream and drizzle with some peppery extra virgin olive oil. Lovely.

Try this: In the past I’ve used broad beans, spinach and asparagus as partners in crime — always nice.

Or this: You could try serving some simple ricotta-filled tortellini or ravioli, drizzled with a little of this soup. Toss the pasta in a bit of unsalted butter, crumble up the bread and bacon and sprinkle over the top.

potato, celeriac & truffle oil soup

The fact is, I know using truffles at home is a little pretentious and very decadent, but even my local supermarket now stocks truffle oil. Admittedly it’s more than likely not the real McCoy, but it does have a flavour you can’t put your finger on — a kind of fragrant, garlicky, encapsulating smell which when used with subtlety is great. Truffle oil can be used for so many things — with a simple risotto or tagliatelle it’s amazing. Then, when you’ve got the bug, treat yourself to the real thing, be it black or the exceptional white truffle.

SERVES 6

Drizzle 4 tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan, add the onions, then cook for 5 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Get the bunch of thyme, tie it up with a little string and add to the pan with the celeriac, potatoes and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the cream, bring back to the boil, then remove the thyme and whiz in a blender or food processor until smooth — you may want to work in batches. Season carefully to taste with sea salt and black pepper, adding 3 to 4 tablespoons of truffle oil, to taste — the oil can vary in strength depending on the brand. Divide between serving bowls. Feel free to improvise by adding croûtons, a little extra cream or, if you’re really lucky, some real black or white truffles shaved over the top.

Try this: If you want to give an edge to this comforting soup, try dressing some chopped parsley and celery leaves with a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle over the soup just before serving.

‘as soon as the pasta’s ready, eat it quick!!’
‘as soon as the pasta’s ready, eat it quick!!’

handy pasta recipe

I’ve covered pasta before in my books, but this time I thought I’d give you a few more genius combinations.

Here is my basic pasta recipe. It’s good for making many different pastas, such as ravioli, tortellini, lasagne, pappardelle or tagliatelle. Please don’t read this and think, ‘Oh, I can’t do it.’ I’ve honestly watched ten-year-old kids have a go and make half-decent ravioli. I’ve come home and in five minutes I’ve made my own pasta.

To make the pasta recipe less frightening and more accessible, I’m going to be less strict on exact measurements, as all flours and eggs have slightly different absorption rates and moisture levels.

You will need strong flour, preferably Tipo 00, which is an Italian term for milling the flour extra fine. I normally make at least enough for 6 people at any one time — i.e. 600g flour and 6 large eggs. If you want to make the pasta slightly yellower and richer, add 2 egg yolks per 100g instead of 1 egg. And if you want to give the pasta a little more texture, use half strong flour and half semolina flour.

TURNING PASTA DOUGH INTO A SHEET

It’s amazing the number of different things you can do with a sheet of pasta, so get stuck in and have a go at making one!

‘you don’t always get it right the first time, but after a while everyone will get the knack of it’
‘you don’t always get it right the first time, but after a while everyone will get the knack of it’

ravioli of roasted red onions, thyme, pine nuts & maris piper potato

This was a pasta I tried in a restaurant in Tuscany in late November, when I was over there buying olive oil for the restaurant. It’s quite a robust ravioli but one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Although it’s a winter ravioli I eat this any time of the year.

SERVES 6

Start by making the pasta dough (see page 87).

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put the onions in a small roasting tray and add the thyme, 12 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and a few good lugs of oil, then cover well with a piece of wet greaseproof paper. Prick the potatoes and place on another tray. Place both trays in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the onions are really soft and sweet and the potatoes are cooked through (the spuds may need a bit longer, depending on their size — if so, just remove the onions while you wait for the potatoes). Once cooked, allow the onions and potatoes to cool slightly, then scoop the fluffy potato out of the skins into a bowl.

Finely chop the onions, then spoon into the bowl along with the juices from the tray. Add 3 knobs of butter and the Parmesan, then mix up and season well to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Allow to cool. Roll out the pasta dough (see page 88). Roll the filling up into marble-sized balls — use your hand or a teaspoon to do this — and fill the ravioli (see page 92).

To serve, cook the ravioli in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain. At the same time, lightly toast the pine nuts in a hot non-stick pan in a little lug of oil and the last knob of butter. Fry until the nuts are lightly golden, then remove from the heat and add a couple of swigs of balsamic vinegar. Add the ravioli to the pan, toss and serve with a little more grated cheese over the top.

Try this: You should really cook the ravioli as near to making them as possible. But, if you want to serve them at a dinner party, place them in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and cool carefully in cold water. Drain again and toss in a little olive oil. Cook them in boiling water for 3 minutes before finishing as above.

SHAPING INTO RAVIOLI

SHAPING INTO CARAMELLA

caramella of mint & ricotta

This is a really lovely summer pasta which is easy to make. Caramella means ‘sweetie’ in Italian, and the finished pasta looks like a sweetie in its wrapper.

SERVES 6

Start by making the pasta dough (see page 87). While the dough is resting, make the filling by mixing the ricotta, mint and Parmesan together — you may want to reserve a little Parmesan and mint for garnish. Finely grate in the lemon zest and ¼ of the nutmeg, then carefully season with sea salt and black pepper to balance the flavours. Squeeze a little lemon juice into the mix to loosen it a bit. If you’re partial to a little bit more Parmesan, mint or lemon, then do personalize the dish to your liking. Roll teaspoons of the mix into little balls then shape and fill the caramella (see page 93). Make as many as you can, but I like to serve about 4 per person.

If you’re not going to cook the caramella straight away, put them on to a flour-dusted tray and place in the fridge until you’re ready. To serve, cook the caramella in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain, reserving some of the starchy cooking water. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan with the juice of ½ a lemon and 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Season a little, and toss the pasta in this flavoured butter. Serve straight away with a little extra Parmesan and mint scattered over the top, if you like.

Jamie and Gennaro

SHAPING INTO CULURZONES

sardinian culurzones with butternut squash & baked goat’s cheese

Here’s a beautiful sexy little pasta that my mate Gennaro Contaldo makes. Culurzones are ravioli or folded pasta shapes classically served with three cheeses and mint. You can make this dish using caramella-shaped pasta or the more usual ravioli shapes (see pages 92—3) if you prefer, but this one is exciting — the way the pasta is almost plaited together means it holds the cheesy, buttery sauce better.

SERVES 6

Start by making the pasta dough (see page 87).

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Deseed and coarsely grate the squash, reserving the seeds. Pound up the coriander seeds and chilli in a pestle and mortar (or use the end of a rolling pin and a metal bowl), then mix with the squash. Add the rosemary and 3 tablespoons of oil, then lay it out flat on a tray. Roast for 30 minutes, or until it looks dried out but is really sweet and intense.

Roughly chop the squash seeds. Rub the goat’s cheese with a little oil and pat and press the squash seeds and oregano around the cheese. Place in an ovenproof dish, then roast for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden — it will taste fantastic and be really crumbly.

Allow the squash filling to cool slightly, then season well with sea salt and black pepper. Shape and fill the culurzones (see page 97).

To serve, cook the culurzones in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Put the butter in a non-stick pan and heat. When it foams toss in the culurzones, then divide between serving plates. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan and sliced basil and crumble over the baked goat’s cheese.

Try this: Sometimes, Italians contrast the savoury sweetness of the squash with something called mostarda di Cremona, which is a mustard-spiced selection of preserved fruit, and quite hot! And bashed-up cantucci biscuits, which are usually served with coffee. These are just mixed in with the squash before the pasta is filled.

SHAPING LASAGNETTI, PAPPARDELLE, TAGLIATELLE & TAGLIERINI

SHAPING LASAGNETTI, PAPPARDELLE, TAGLIATELLE & TAGLIERINI

pappardelle with amazing slow-cooked meat

For this recipe you can use beef, venison, wild boar and even pigeon or hare. In Italy, if a family had to feed ten people out of this, they would cook more pasta and add a little more water — as always, a little meat can go a long way.

SERVES 6

Season the meat with sea salt and black pepper, then fry in a casserole pan on a medium heat with a drizzle of oil — it doesn’t matter if it’s cut into large 5cm chunks if it’s venison, beef or wild boar, or left whole if a pigeon, or jointed into 5 or 6 pieces if you’re using a hare. Fry until golden, then add the herbs, onions, garlic, carrot and celery. Turn the heat down and fry for a further 5 minutes, or until the veg are soft. Add the red wine and simmer until the liquid has almost cooked away.

Add the plum tomatoes, the pearl barley and just enough water to cover the meat by 1cm. Make yourself a cartouche of greaseproof paper (see page 174). Wet it under the tap, rub it with a little olive oil and place it over the pan. Put a lid on the pan as well, as this will retain as much moisture as possible. Cook on a really low heat for about 2 to 3 hours, or until super tender and you can literally push the meat off the bone. Season carefully to taste and allow to cool slightly before removing the meat from the pan. Using 2 forks, pull apart all the lovely pieces of meat, discarding any skin and bones, then place the meat back in the pan on a low heat.

To serve, cook the pappardelle in boiling salted water for 3 minutes if using fresh pasta and according to the packet instructions if using dried. Once cooked, drain, reserving some of the starchy cooking water. Remove the stewed meat from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan with a little of the cooking water — this will make it juicy and shiny. Toss together with the pasta, loosening with a splash of cooking water, if needed. Serve immediately.

Try this: Serve sprinkled with a little finely chopped fresh rosemary and some grated Parmesan.

tagliatelle genovese

This is one of the all-time classics from Genoa in Italy: really beautiful fresh home-made pesto with pasta, cooked broken potatoes and green beans. The reason I’ve included it in the book is that two years ago I taught one of my mates, Wally, how to make pesto from scratch. He’s not a great cook, but he got the hang of it quickly and made it really well. Since then he’s stretched from an inch to a mile and has done barbecued veg with pesto, grilled fish with pesto and roasted chicken with pesto, and I think that’s the key really. To be a good cook you don’t need to know everything — you just need to be able to do something well. Even though it might sound a bit odd to us to have potatoes and pasta in the same dish, in Italy they manage to pull it off with such amazing results that you really should try it.

SERVES 6

First of all, make the pesto (see page 106). Slice the potatoes 1cm thick and put them into a large pan of salted water — the idea is to cook the pasta in this pan as well, so make sure it’s big enough. Bring to the boil, cook the potatoes until tender but still holding their shape, then add the pasta to the same water. If you’re using fresh pasta, add the beans at the same time, as they will both need about 3 minutes; if using dried, add the beans 3 minutes before the pasta is done. Don’t worry too much about the potatoes breaking up, as very often when you’re served this in Genoa, the beans are a little overcooked and sometimes the potatoes have broken up into small pieces but the flavour remains sublime — it adds to the whole character of the dish.

Once the potatoes, pasta and beans are cooked, drain, reserving some of the starchy cooking water. Now place the potatoes, pasta and beans in a large bowl with the pesto. Toss together to coat, then add a splash of cooking water to loosen slightly — you don’t want it to be too claggy. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper and serve straight away. Delicious with extra grated Parmesan on the table and a nice bottle of crisp white wine.

pesto

There are no real rules for pesto — as long as you make it fresh and use the best ingredients it’ll always taste superb. The key to getting it spot on is to keep tasting and adding cheese or oil until you have the right flavour and consistency.

SERVES 6

Pound the garlic with a little pinch of sea salt and the basil leaves in a pestle and mortar, or pulse in a food processor. Add a bit more garlic if you like, but I usually stick to ½ a clove. Add the pine nuts to the mixture and pound again. Scrape into a bowl and add half the Parmesan. Stir gently and drizzle in the oil — just enough to bind and to get it to an oozy consistency.

Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then add the rest of the cheese. Pour in a little more oil and taste again. Keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you’re happy with the taste and consistency. It may need a squeeze of lemon juice at the end, but it’s not essential.

taglierini with a simple sweet tomato sauce & shrimps

Taglierini is a similar shape to fettuccine or egg noodles and lends itself well to creamy, buttery or light tomato-based sauces and especially little seafood numbers like this one. Feel free to use tagliatelle, if you’d prefer.

SERVES 6

Blanch and skin the tomatoes (see pages 110—11), then halve and chop into small pieces.

Put a couple of lugs of oil in a pan, add the prawns, garlic, and tomatoes, finely grate in the lemon zest, then fry for 2 minutes. Add the booze and allow to flame, if you like (the flame should go out after about 30 seconds, so don’t worry!). Pour in the cream, allow to simmer gently for a couple more minutes, then remove from the heat. Season carefully with sea salt, black pepper and the lemon juice.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water — fresh will need only 3 minutes and dried will need to be cooked according to the packet instructions. If your sauce has cooled down, reheat it now. Once cooked, drain the pasta, tip back into the pan and toss with the parsley. Check the seasoning, then serve with the sauce on top.

Try this: Crumble over a little ricotta or feta cheese — just a little bit — both these cheeses have a nice texture, go really well with prawns and make it look great.

And this: A handful of spinach added at the end gives a nice vibe — the heat will wilt it into the sauce.

Or this: You can use tinned tomatoes for this dish but you won’t get the same freshness or lightness you get from fresh tomatoes.

BLANCHING TOMATOES

This is one of the first things you learn at college, when you make tomato concassé, which is basically peeled, deseeded and finely chopped tomatoes. However, it’s also handy for peeling cherry or plum tomatoes before roasting them, as their skins aren’t digestible. Also good for removing the skins of peaches and plums, etc.

‘sourcing olive oil in Italy, November 2001. we had lunch with the adorable Cassini family.’ From left to right: Elisa Cassini, Rinaldo Cassini, David Gleave the wine don, Vittorio Cassini, Elina Cassini, me, my best mate Jimmy Doherty, Gennaro Contaldo the Italian stallion, and my editor the lovely Lindsey Jordan.
‘sourcing olive oil in Italy, November 2001. we had lunch with the adorable Cassini family.’

From left to right: Elisa Cassini, Rinaldo Cassini, David Gleave the wine don, Vittorio Cassini, Elina Cassini, me, my best mate Jimmy Doherty, Gennaro Contaldo the Italian stallion, and my editor the lovely Lindsey Jordan.

lasagnetti with chickpeas, parma ham, sage, cream & butter

I had a soup in Italy made by the Cassini family’s lovely mother, Elina, whose son Enzo is the manager of Zafferano restaurant in London. Her other son, Vittorio, makes fantastic olive oil under the Zafferano brand. Mrs Cassini made this amazing soup using massive dried chickpeas, and prosciutto hock with broth. Since the day I ate it, I’ve wanted to adapt it into a pasta recipe and so here it is. Lasagnetti is basically a smaller version of lasagne. If you’re not going to make fresh lasagnetti, you can buy fresh lasagne sheets prepacked and cut them in half lengthways, or use some tagliatelle. If you’ve got time, then dried chickpeas soaked overnight will give the best results, but you can use tinned or jarred.

SERVES 6

Soak the chickpeas overnight in water. Drain, then bring to the boil in fresh water and simmer for 40 minutes, or until tender. Add the tomato and potato to the water as this will flavour and soften the chickpea skins. Drizzle 2 lugs of olive oil into a casserole pan, add the Parma ham and bacon, then fry until golden. Scatter in the sage leaves and stir until lightly crisp. Add the butter, leeks and garlic and slowly fry until softened. Drain the chickpeas (discard the tomato and potato), reserving the cooking liquor, then add to the pan. Mush up a quarter of them to give a pasty, smooth consistency to the sauce. Give them a good stir and pour over the chicken stock, or you could use the cooking liquor from the chickpeas. Pour in the cream, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 15 minutes to let all the flavours mix. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Cook the lasagnetti in boiling salted water, then drain, reserving some of the starchy cooking water. Throw the pasta into the chickpea pan — this can now be taken off the heat. Add most of the Parmesan and carefully stir the whole lot together, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Divide between plates and serve immediately with the rest of the Parmesan sprinkled over the top and a good drizzle of peppery extra virgin olive oil.

Try this: Rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms in boiling water, then drain and add with the leeks and garlic for a lovely intense flavour.

SLICING HERBS & LEAVES

Normally I rip up herbs as this tends to bruise more of the flavour out of them, but sometimes there is call for delicate, finely sliced herbs or salad leaves like spinach — the French call this ‘chiffonade’.

SLICING HERBS & LEAVES

the easiest, lightest & most flexible gnocchi

I’ve made gnocchi with potatoes and with semolina — in fact, I’ve made just about every type of gnocchi possible! However, it’s the lightness that you’re after, so make sure you use really good-quality crumbly ricotta from an Italian deli, not the stuff you find in the supermarkets.

SERVES 4

Stir the ricotta, Parmesan and most of the basil together, grate in the lemon zest and half the nutmeg, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Empty most of the semolina into a little tray so it’s about 1cm deep. Take a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture. To smarten up its shape you want to scrape it from one spoon to another — do this a few times, it’s called ‘quenelling’ in French and is a classic thing to do in cooking (they don’t have to be perfectly shaped, so don’t worry too much about this!). Once the gnocchi is shaped, place on the semolina base in the tray. When they’re all done, sprinkle the rest of the semolina on top and give the tray a gentle shake to ensure the gnocchi are covered. Leave for 2 hours before turning them over on to their other side. Leave for at least 2 further hours, but preferably overnight, in the fridge to set, making sure they don’t touch. The semolina will stick to the ricotta, forming a coating to protect it during cooking. To cook the gnocchi, add to a large pan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, or until they float to the surface.

To serve, toss the drained gnocchi in unsalted butter, then sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan and finely sliced basil (see page 114).

gnocchi with fresh tomato & morel sauce

Dried morels have a slightly smoky flavour, which is a nice contrast to the ricotta. Feel free to use fewer morels mixed with cheaper mushrooms, if you like.

SERVES 4

Make the gnocchi. When they have firmed up in the semolina, just cover the morels with boiling water and let them soak for 15 minutes to rehydrate, then drain. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of oil into a pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and fry until soft, then add the morels and tomatoes. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, breaking up the morels, if you can. Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, or until they float to the surface, while you season the sauce to taste with sea salt, black pepper, basil and Parmesan. Stir in the butter. With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the water and stir into the tomato and morel sauce. Divide between serving plates and sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan, if you like.

risotto

This is a great recipe for making risotto. You want it to be smooth, creamy and oozy, not thick and stodgy.

SERVES 6

Stage 1: Heat the stock. In a separate pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and a small knob of butter, add the onions, garlic and celery, and fry very gently for 15 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Next, add the rice and turn up the heat.

Stage 2: The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After 1 minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring — it will smell fantastic. Any harsh alcohol flavours will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.

Stage 3: Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add the first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of sea salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next — this will take around 17 minutes. Taste the rice — is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don’t forget to taste and check the seasoning. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.

Stage 4: Remove from the heat and add a knob of butter and the Parmesan. Cover and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat it as soon as possible, while the risotto retains its beautiful texture.

easy chicken stock

Stock is usually one of those things that even chefs don’t have time for at home, but here is a really easy recipe for a good chicken stock. I find that I tend to make this after we’ve had our Sunday roast — I just throw the carcass in a pan with any root veg and herbs I happen to have. However, you’ll probably get a cleaner-tasting stock if you use raw carcasses.

MAKES 4 LITRES

Place the chicken carcasses, garlic, vegetables, herbs and peppercorns in a large, deep pan. Add 5 litres of cold water and bring to the boil, skim, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Continue to simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours, skimming as necessary, then pass the stock through a fine sieve. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, then pop in the fridge. Once the stock is cold it should look clear and slightly amber in colour. I usually divide it into small containers at this point and freeze it. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

roast squash, sage, chestnut & pancetta risotto

If I could pick a load of ingredients that just shout out ‘Bonfire Night! Christmas! Cosy!’ it would have to be all the ones in this risotto. It’s so damn good — cook it whenever the ingredients are in season.

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Deseed the squash, reserving the seeds, then cut lengthways into ½cm slices. Bash the coriander and chillies with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper in a pestle and mortar (or use a metal bowl and the end of a rolling pin). Sprinkle over the squash, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Toss to coat, then line up snugly in a roasting tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until soft. Now get all your ingredients ready and start making the basic risotto.

Remove the squash from the oven and lay the pancetta over it. Mix the squash seeds, chestnuts and sage leaves with a little oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the squash and pancetta and place back in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the pancetta is crisp.

Once the squash has cooled down a little, shake off the pancetta and chestnuts and finely chop the squash — it will be quite mushy but that’s fine. I go for half of it fine and half chunky. Add this to the risotto at the end of Stage 3. Carry on as normal through the recipe, season to taste and serve with the pancetta, chestnuts, sage leaves and squash seeds sprinkled over the top. Lovely served with a dollop of mascarpone on the side.

Try this: Place a grater and a block of Parmesan cheese in the middle of the table so that everyone can help themselves.

yellow bean, vodka & smoked haddock risotto

The thing about risottos is that you can never have enough combos, and just when you think you’ve done them all you come up with a new one that hits the spot. The use of vodka instead of wine leaves you with a fragrant freshness, which marries fantastically well with the smoky flakes of haddock and the al dente crunch of fine yellow beans. As there is fish in this risotto you don’t want to include any Parmesan, so bear this in mind. If you’re a risotto fan you’ve got to give this a try.

SERVES 6

Start the basic risotto, adding the vodka at Stage 2 instead of the wine. Lightly poach the haddock in the milk and stock from the basic recipe with the bay leaves, covered with a lid. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. At Stage 3 of the risotto recipe, I like to add the poaching liquor to the rice and then I carry on as normal through the recipe. At the end of Stage 3 flake in the smoked haddock, add the beans and carry on as normal through the recipe. Serve sprinkled with the celery leaves, adding a dash of vodka and a squeeze of lemon juice to lift the flavours, if you like. Lovely.