Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Delicious UK

PORTRAIT: PAUL MITCHELL. BACKGROUND IMAGE: MIKE ENGLISH Easter is early this year, so to give you plenty of time to plan your roster of palate-teasing, bliss-making recipes for the long weekend shimmering into view on the horizon, we’ve made this our special issue. It’s another tricky moment, though, isn’t it? As I write, I have no idea whether restrictions will be lifted to the point where we’re allowed to invite another human being across our threshold. There’s a limit to the number of times I can sort out the garage – or, rather, plan to sort it out. Somehow it never gets tackled after the daily rigours of work, cooking and the bottomless pile of washing up, overlaid with listlessness. But I digress. If we can’t welcome PEOPLE, let us…

SARAH POUSTIE’S HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM STEW JEN: “I could almost taste your stew and scones – and the cosy log burner sets the scene well.” CLAIRE BRADLEY’S MAGIC MONKEY LOAF JEN: “This pull-apart monkey loaf looks perfect, with the shiny glaze expertly drizzled over. An excellent bake.” ISABELLE AUBREY’S BANANA, CHOCOLATE & TAHINI LOAF CAKE JEN: “Your cake looks so inviting with the mug of tea. You managed to capture the marbling too.” OLIVIA HAMILTON’S PEAR, APPLE AND CIDER MUFFINS JEN: “It’s great you made the wassail mulled cider cup to go with these – or was it vice versa?”…

Heaven in a nutshell This ingenious and hefty acorn by Melt Chocolates is half dark chocolate, half milk with crunchy almond pieces, finished with a candied orange stalk. A beautifully boxed showstopper you’ll want to squirrel away. £34.99 for 350g, meltchocolates.com Grab a straw, kids Aldi’s cookies-and-cream and strawberries-and-cream super shakes are undeniably OTT (and on the sweet side) but are child-approved (£6.99 for 250g). Look out for smile-worthy novelty ‘eggs’ at M&S too, including Walter the milk choc sausage dog (£5 for 135g) and a vegan dark chocolate aubergine (£6 for 140g). WORDS: PHOEBE STONE Attention Caramac fans The Chocolate Libertine is known for its vibrant cocoa butter-painted creations. The blonde crackle egg looks more low-key but delivers on flavour: inside the caramelised white chocolate shell are peanut clusters…

In the late 1980s in my first job as a lowly editorial assistant, in between learning not to be shy and how to use a fax machine (don’t worry, children, it’s something from the olden days, like Walkmans, legwarmers and Enya), I worked on very glossy cookbooks. In many of them, the power of the flower was mighty. Every green salad had a sprinkling of pansies and marigold petals; fruit salads were served in ice bowls with tiny flowers and herbs trapped in their frozen walls; on every steak a chive flower, every cake a rose. Then the 1990s rolled around and floral food went out of fashion. Dinner became so much more serious – more show-off plating, more reductions and foams, fewer blossoms strewn across the plate. But I…

Lamb shank hot-pot pie with pickled red cabbage SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 35 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 2 HOURS, OVEN TIME 30-40 MIN, PLUS COOLING AND OVERNIGHT PICKLING MAKE AHEAD Start the pickling at least a day and up to a week ahead (cover and chill the cabbage). Assemble the pie up to a day in advance, then cover and chill until ready to bake, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time. Cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly in the oven. HOW TO FREEZE Freeze the filling for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge, then continue recipe. • 50g plain flour, plus extra to dust • 6 organic lamb shanks (about 350g each) • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 medium onions, cut into wedges • 3…

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ‘TABLE SCAPING’ PHOTOGRAPHS: TOBY SCOTT. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE. ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES “If you’re looking for an inexpensive, simple-to-put-together table display that gives a nod to Easter without being twee, this is it. The spring-inspired design uses items from your local shop and/or foraged from your daily walk. Don’t feel you have to use tulips – use whatever favourite flowers you choose, to put your own stamp on your Easter table.” TABITHA PEET, FLORAL DESIGNER Use a collection of smaller vases and/or bottles in a mix of sizes. It’s a clever way to make fresh flowers go further – use however many vases you want to suit the size of your table. Once you’ve grouped the flowers and eggs in the larger vases (see below right), arrange…

“Where are your favourite delis and food shops? • Valvona & Crolla, Edinburgh is my favourite Italian deli of all – it has all these amazing products hanging from the ceiling…. There’s a restaurant at the back where you can get a simple plate of pasta. It’s a fantastic place. valvonacrolla.co.uk • Lina Stores, in Soho and King’s Cross, London, comes a close second. linastores.co.uk • Natoora I’ve worked with them for years – their produce is fantastic. natoora.co.uk • La Fromagerie in Highbury, Marylebone and Bloomsbury, London. You always find something unusual there that you’d never find anywhere else. lafromagerie.co.uk • 4COSE, London E2. They have amazing pastas. 4cose.square.site What always goes in your basket? Pretty much everything! I have a fascination with dried pasta shapes. The best is…

Easter rocky road roulade V SERVES 8-10. HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN, OVEN TIME 12-15 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD Assemble but don’t decorate the roulade up to a day ahead. Keep covered and chilled until ready to complete. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS For a more grown-up version, use brandy snaps or cantucci biscuits, salted caramel sauce and truffles (instead of mini eggs) in the filling/topping. Beat 2 tbsp hazelnut/Irish cream liqueur into the cream and drizzle with melted dark chocolate and a pinch of salt to finish. • 6 medium free-range eggs, separated • 100g caster sugar • 35g cocoa powder, plus extra to dust • 15g plain flour FOR THE FILLING • 4 tbsp Biscoff spread or dulce de leche sauce • 300ml double cream • 300g mixed Easter chocolates,…

Heat 50g caster sugar and 5 tbsp water in a pan until dissolved. Set aside to cool. With a Y-shaped peeler, peel strips from a 15-20cm stick of rhubarb, then submerge them in the cooled sugar syrup for 10 minutes. Line a baking sheet with compostable baking paper. Shake the excess sugar syrup from the rhubarb, spread in a single layer on the paper and bake at 110°C/90°Cfan/gas ¼ for 15-20 minutes or until just dry to the touch. Curl the rhubarb strips around the handle of a wooden spoon, leave to set, then carefully remove and use to decorate the cake.…

For a traditional Irish product, Ummera Irish Smokehouse’s organic smoked salmon is surprisingly international. It’s created with raw cane sugar from Colombia, sea salt from the Algarve and oak shavings from Germany. There’s nothing random about this choice of ingredients, however. All have been carefully selected for their purity and simplicity, which enable the West Cork smokehouse to produce an organic, natural product in which no single ingredient overpowers the others. “We could source our sea salt in Ireland, but it would be produced mechanically, whereas in Portugal it’s produced by the sun,” explains second-generation owner Anthony Creswell. “In years gone by, a local carpenter let us sweep up the shavings from his floor for the fire, but when we went organic we had to abandon that for a natural…

LEFTOVER ROAST BEEF Reuben-style roast beef bagel SERVES 1. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN This packs a bit of a calorie punch, so it’s one for a treat, not for every day, but boy is it good. MAKE AHEAD The dressing will keep chilled for several days. It goes well with anything from boiled new potatoes to baked salmon. KNOWHOW Sauerkraut comes in two varieties – pasteurised and raw. The former undergoes heat treatment to create a shelf-stable product; find it alongside other condiments in most supermarkets. Raw kraut has probiotic properties; find it in the chilled section of health food stores and some supermarkets. • 1 bagel, halved • 50g swiss cheese, thinly sliced • 100g roast beef, thinly sliced (we used leftover roast topside of beef – search ‘roast…

Chartered psychologist and nutrition expert Kimberley Wilson has these suggestions… • Aim for two servings per week of oily fish – mackerel, anchovies, sardines, salmon, sprats, herring or trout (canned, frozen or fresh). Vegans should take an algae-based omega-3 supplement with a 500mg serving each day. • Choose wholegrain food: legumes, brown pasta and rice, wholegrain breads and cereals (such as oats, barley or spelt). • Eat a daily serving of leafy green vegetables (spinach, rocket, watercress, savoy cabbage, kale, chard, herbs) and brightly coloured fruit and vegetables such as berries, beetroot, carrots and peppers (see our Eat the Rainbow feature on p113). Mental health charity Mind suggests… • Eating regularly to prevent your blood sugar levels dropping, which can make you feel tired, irritable and depressed. • Eating more…

HOT ON THE SHELVES MY MATE, IN A SAVOURY BUN I’m not quite over my addiction to M&S cheesy Marmite crumpets, but the kids have moved on to cheesy hot cross buns. What doesn’t taste better with Marmite? Our break-time snacks during home schooling have hit new highs. M&S Cheese Hot Cross Buns & Marmite, £1.65 for 4 (or 2 packs for £2.50) IT’S PUNCHY Achar is a southeast Asian pickle made by brining fruit and veg with vinegar, oil, chilli and spices. This one packs a punch (probably not one for children) and has a tingly quality balanced with a touch of sweetness. Try it with rice dishes or stir-fried prawns. Tracklements Special Edition Feisty Pineapple Achar, £3.35 for 220g, from good food shops UKwide and tracklements.co.uk NICE ICE,…

Sophie Austen-Smith’s simple, savvy ideas for using up what might otherwise go to waste ALMOND CRUMBLE GROUND ALMONDS From pear almondine, p52 Pulse 50g each plain flour, ground almonds, soft brown sugar and unsalted butter in a food processor until the mix forms rough breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over your favourite fruity loaf cake just before baking. CREAMY KORMA SAUCE PHOTOGRAPHS: ELISABETH PARSONS, GETTY IMAGES Put a frying pan over a medium heat with a little oil. Add 1 sliced onion and fry for 5 minutes. Add 3 tbsp korma paste and stir well. Stir in 300g sliced paneer (or chicken for non-veggies) and fry for 3-4 minutes until starting to brown. Add 50g ground almonds, a large handful of baby leaf spinach, 200ml stock and 100ml double cream. Stir until smooth…

MAKES 4-5 X 500ML JARS. HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN, SIMMERING TIME ABOUT 30 MIN, PLUS INFUSING AND SETTING 1 Toss together 1kg forced rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces, 1kg jam sugar and the finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon in a non-metallic bowl until well mixed. Cover and set aside for a couple of hours to infuse, stirring occasionally to help the sugar start to dissolve. 2 Put a saucer in the freezer to chill. Transfer the mixture to a preserving pan or large heavy-based flameproof casserole and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, stirring frequently. After 30 minutes, remove from the heat and spoon a little mixture onto the frozen saucer. Leave to cool for 30 seconds, then…

It’s often the last question in an interview that prompts a gem of a reply. Our ‘and finally…’ to Nepali chef Santosh Shah was to name something he couldn’t live without. He didn’t understand – why should he miss any one thing when he has so much? “There is nothing that I couldn’t live without. I am a happy person.” Anyone who watched Santosh trailblaze his way to the finals of MasterChef: The Professionals 2020 with his creative, complex food and a gentle, smiling demeanour would know his answer is authentic. “Being a chef is like a fever – and MasterChef is a thermometer measuring how good you are” “I draw inspiration from when I was growing up,” says Santosh. “I came from a very poor family and my father…

Food writer Frances Bissell has written a trio of books about cooking with flowers: The Scented Kitchen: Cooking with Flowers; The Fragrant Pantry: Floral Scented Jams, Jellies and Liqueurs (above); and The Floral Baker: Cakes, Pastries and Breads (Serif Books from £11.99 each). With recipes such as lavender cassis, rose-scented madeleines, saffron and cheddar puffs, and nasturtium mayonnaise, these are the sort of beautiful books that have me trailing them around the house, from kitchen to bedside table.…

I regard cooking as an act of giving PORTRAIT OF RAYMOND AND HIS MOTHER: AUTHOR’S FAMILY COLLECTION “I began to dream of writing a book that would pay homage to two great inspirations: mentors who inspired me to appreciate and relish simple cooking at its best. “Food talks to the cook, and I implore you to use your senses more often: listen for the gentlest simmer or the rapid, rolling boil. Taste, taste, taste and let it guide you to the finish” One of these inspirational figures was Édouard de Pomiane – a Frenchman, scientist and author who could see the future of food. His book, La Cuisine en Dix Minutes – in English, Cooking in Ten Minutes – was published in 1930, which shows just how far he was…

“When time is no object, what’s your favourite thing to cook? I get my pasta machine out and make fresh pasta – probably ravioli. But I also love to cook a curry and all the bits to go with it. I find the process comforting. What do you cook for yourself? Something like tagliatelle – with nothing more than a little olive oil or butter and parmesan and black pepper. Or just tomatoes: you can get winter varieties. I’ll slice them with a little bit of salt, some new-season olive oil and toasted sourdough. And maybe a burrata or some mozzarella… What do you snack on? I always have parmesan in the fridge and I often take out a chunk. I have bottles of balsamic vinegar that are around 30…

The expert guide to... BOXED WINE It’s good to see the bag-in-box coming back into fashion – especially if you just want a glass or two and don’t want to open (and possibly waste) a bottle. Happily, you can now expect to find much better quality reds, whites and rosés packaged this way (usually in 2.25 litre quantities, or three regular bottles’ worth). Check out The BIB Wine Company (bibwine.co.uk) for starters. It sources from smaller independent wineries, packaging the wine in the UK, which saves on the wine’s carbon footprint. Bag-in-box is mostly recyclable too – the cardboard certainly is, while the bag can go in supermarket bag recycle bins. Separate the tap and discard. And the technology behind this packaging has improved. BIB co-founder Oliver Lea says modern…

Marcus Wareing’s sausage & lentil casserole SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 35 MIN, OVEN TIME ABOUT 30 MIN “A warming, homely recipe, this is a perfect way to use up that pack of dried lentils in the back of the cupboard or some leftover veg. Full of earthy flavours, it became a lockdown staple for us.” MAKE AHEAD Make to the end of step 1, allow to cool, then cover and chill for up to 2 days. Reheat until piping hot to serve. • 2 tbsp vegetable oil • 8 thick, outdoor-reared good quality sausages FOR THE LENTILS • 2 tbsp vegetable oil • 2 onions, roughly diced • 1 garlic clove, chopped • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika • 2 tbsp tomato purée • 500g tomato passata • 500ml chicken…

WHY WE LOVE FIZZ AND OYSTERS We all know champagne and oysters are a perfect match – and now scientists know why. It turns out both are packed with umami – the savoury ‘fifth taste’ that humans are hardwired to love. Researchers in Copenhagen found various types of food and drink with umami have a ‘synergy’ that magnifies their appeal when they’re consumed together. They believe these findings may be useful in getting people to eat more fresh fruit and veg too – pairing naturally low-umami greens with an umami-rich food such as parmesan, for example, could make them more appealing. BUY NOW Make the most of purple sprouting broccoli, which is at its best right now. Brimming with vitamin C, which is important to support your immune system, the…

*SOURCE: BRITISH DIETETIC ASSOCIATION. PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY/ISTOCK IMAGES FIND OUT MORE… • The British Dietetic Association has produced a fact sheet on how to improve your mood through diet and nutrition (visit bda.uk.com and search for ‘food and mood’). • Deakin University offers a free online course called Food and Mood: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition. Visit foodandmoodcentre.com.au and go to ‘resources’ • Visit Mind.org and search for ‘food and mood’ • Read Professor Felice Jacka’s book Brain Changer about the links between diet and mental wellbeing.…

Our star email wins two boxes of premium red and white Portuguese wine worth over £50, brought to you by experts from The Wine Show (Amazon Prime). These delicious wines stay fresher for longer thanks to their box format, which produces less CO2 than glass bottles do. For more information visit thewineshow.com/boxed-wine See what other delicious. fans are talking about at facebook.com/ deliciousmagazineuk Follow us at twitter. com/deliciousmag Follow us at instagram. com/deliciousmag Follow us on pinterest. co.uk/deliciousmaguk…

Tested by digital editor Fiona Logan Brought to you by the GBBO team, this monthly subscription box (right) delivers a recipe and all the dry ingredients needed for it, plus a useful piece of GBBO kit. I tested Box One, with a recipe for chocolate cake, the ingredients, plus a gorgeous cake stand to display the finished bake. At under £20 a box, it’s great value and gets top marks for the packaging – it’s the prettiest subscription box I’ve laid eyes on. The Bake Off Box, £19.99 per month, bakeoffbox.co.uk…

WHO IS YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE? There are many… My mother taught me that whether we have or have not, we should be satisfied. When I came to work in the UK, I learnt so much from chef Vivek Singh: how he remains humble, how he manages his team. Another influence is chef Bella Giordimaina from Malta, who helped me so much with MasterChef. And Barack Obama; he was one of the best presidents in history. WHAT DO YOU COOK AT HOME? After I have been cooking all day, I want comfort food. We all have our idea of comfort: for Italians it is pasta, for some people it is bread. For me it is lentils, rice and curry. HOW DO YOU UNWIND? I’m on social media in my free time…

How to dry petals To dry petals for cooking and storing, heat the oven to 100°C/ gas ¼ (turn the fan off). Line a baking sheet with foil and scatter over the petals. Dry them in the oven for 1-2 hours, depending on how fleshy they are. Remove them from the oven and leave to cool on the sheet. Alternatively, dry them in a dehydrator. I have a very cheap one I bought from Argos and I surprise myself by using it quite a lot – for everything from drying oranges for Christmas decorations to making dog chews and, yes, drying flowers and herbs for cooking. Make sure the flowers are very dry and brittle before storing in an airtight jar in a dark cupboard to preserve the colour. They…

King oyster mushroom and caraway torte SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 30-40 MIN, PLUS INFUSING AND COOLING MAKE AHEAD You can make the torte a few hours in advance to allow time for setting and cooling. It’s best served at room temperature or gently heated. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS King oyster mushrooms are available from larger supermarkets, good greengrocers and specialist Asian grocers. Swap for regular oyster or portobello mushrooms if you prefer. USE IT UP Freeze egg whites with a pinch of sugar/salt for up to 3 months, labelled with the date and number of whites. • 30g butter • 1 tbsp light olive oil • 6 (about 450g) king oyster mushrooms, cut in half lengthways (see tips) • 200ml double cream • 150ml whole milk •…

“A key ingredient can make a big difference – whether that’s a bit of salted fish or beautiful new-season olive oil – so I thought it would be great to write a book about that, based on things I like cooking at home. I always find myself going to certain shops... and buying a particular brand of pasta or variety of olives or anchovies, and even when I go on holiday to Italy, I take an extra bag and fill it with these. The Italian Deli Cookbook is a celebration of fabulous Italian ingredients and Italian delis. You can buy most things at a supermarket, but Italian delis have so much history and the people who own them have so much knowledge – they need our support. There’s nothing like…

“Who knows whether Easter will be a family affair this year, but we’ve designed these treats so you can give some away to neighbours. There’s a hot cross theme, including amazing cheesy buns (and even gin – not strictly baking but it will be gratefully received all the same). Whatever you make, be sure to keep enough back to indulge yourself. It is a four-day weekend, after all.” SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH, DEPUTY FOOD EDITOR Chilli-cheese hot cross buns V MAKES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 25-30 MIN, PLUS RISING AND PROVING MAKE AHEAD Keep the finished buns in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze in a sealed freezer bag for up to 1 month. Defrost, then toast to serve. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS You shouldn’t need…

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: JEN BEDLOE. PHOTOGRAPH: TOBY SCOTT. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE The recipe V “I’m a fussy cake eater. The ones I love double as pudding: fruity numbers with a tartness to cut through the sugar. This is one of those cakes. Rhubarb and custard are a magic combination, and to celebrate Easter (or Mother’s Day) we’ve added a few show-off finishing touches. Don’t be put off, though – if you want to make the cake less fancy, it tastes just as good simple, luscious and unadorned.” JEN BEDLOE, FOOD EDITOR CUTS INTO 16 SLICES. HANDS-ON TIME 60-70 MIN, OVEN TIME 70-85 MIN, PLUS COOLING AND SETTING MAKE AHEAD The decorated cake will keep covered and chilled for up to 2 days. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS If you’d like to…

ACTION PLAN FOR MARCH DECLUTTER... IT’S CATHARTIC Clearing a space can also clear your mind and boost your productivity, so why not spend part of your lunchbreak decluttering? We’re not talking an arduous top-to-bottom clear-out but, rather, tidying one small area of stuff that’s nagging at you to give it away to charity. Why is it a good lunchtime choice? Research suggests creating order can have  a positive effect on your mental health. It’s a win-win situation – you get a boost and the items go to a good home. 1 TIDY DESK, CLEAR MIND Is the spot where you work in disarray? If so, that could be making it harder for you to do your job, as clutter can make your brain less effective at processing information. Clear…

NEW! KNIFE-SHARPENING SERVICE BY POST You don’t realise how blunt a knife has become until you sharpen it properly. I was sceptical about the safety of sending knives in the post, but the Knife Sharp service comes with a cleverly designed ‘knife box’ and easy-to-follow (read: Jen-proof) instructions. I chose a box for five knives (£46.95 including box, p&p and sharpening), which comes with individual cardboard covers for each blade, a plastic envelope to hold the filled box and an address label. There was an update to tell me when Knife Sharp received my knives and a note to say when they were due back. The service took a week from dropping off the knife box at my local Hermes drop-off point. You get the same box back through the…