58 h. ago Nigel Slater’s recipes for fettuccine with mussels and dill, and lemon Swiss roll

Combine classic pasta and a favourite old cake for a spring lunch full of bright colours and vivid flavoursMussels, ribbons of pasta, herbs and cream is a perfect marriage for a spring lunch. I sometimes fill a puff-pastry case with such an assembly or present it in a white porcelain dish with a splodge of creamy potato in the retro style of coquille St Jacques. (And when exactly did I last see that on a menu?) The mixture of shellfish and cream is one of my favourite pasta sauces, especially when I take a few minutes to remove the mussels from their shells.Any aniseed-scented herbs work, chervil or tarragon being good dill alternatives, but also fennel fronds. I even used celery the last time I made this, but you can also finely chop a bulb of fennel instead, letting it cook for a few minutes before you add the vermouth or white wine. You could also swap the mussels for clams, if you are the sort of person who doesn’t mind extricating the little chaps from their shells as you eat. ...

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1 week ago From spicy noodles to a light pie: Ravinder Bhogal’s recipes for purple sprouting broccoli

Three ways to enjoy this prince of the brassicas: in a pie with ricotta and preserved lemon, with sausage and noodles in a spicy sesame sauce, and charred with cheesy polenta and anchoviesBefore we start swooning over asparagus and jersey royals, let’s take a moment to appreciate the robust appeal of purple sprouting broccoli. Like its regular calabrese cousin, it’s packed full of nutrients, but the taste is nuttier and more complex, while the texture has a wonderful, satisfying bite. Steamed, boiled, stir-fried or roasted, PSB will stand up to all sorts of punchy flavours, from briny anchovies to bold Asian condiments. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Nigel Slater’s recipes for baked feta with blood oranges, and aubergine and haricot beans

Substantial dishes for when spring afternoons get colderIt has been a week of bright, sunny days that suddenly turn into chilly evenings. The sort of weather that can wreak havoc with dinner plans. Twice this week I have had to make last-minute changes when the temperature dropped.What started out as a light supper of stuffed aubergine ended up being rethought as a more substantial offering, the aubergines layered with haricot beans and chilli-spiked tomatoes under a thyme and breadcrumb crust. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for butternut squash with noodles

A tom-yum style bowl bursting with aromatic Thai flavoursThis is probably a middle-aged thing, but it only takes something small to make my day. Usually, that’s bumping into a friend on the school run, spotting a cheeky green parakeet in the tree-tops or lighting a few candles at dinner in the evening. When it comes to food and today’s recipe, however, I rather childishly like to say the words “noodle soup” out loud, as if my mouth is pursing in anticipation of the noodles. I love using a whole butternut squash in a dish – that is where a cook’s satisfaction lies. And, for my sins, I adore slurping the noodles out of the bowl. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Nigel Slater’s recipe for mango salad with cashews and chillies

The contrast of hot, sticky chilli with the sweet, ripe mango and tomatoes is extraordinaryThinly slice 2 large tomatoes – I use beefsteak – and put them in a mixing bowl. Scrub, peel and very thinly slice a couple of small beetroot (a golden or candy-stripe variety is a colourful addition, but any sweet beet will do). Add to the bowl with the tomato.Peel 1 medium-sized, ripe mango. Cut thin slices of flesh from each side of the stone and add them to the mixing bowl. Squeeze the fruit in your fist into the bowl to extract as much juice as possible, then discard the stone.I like to eat this as soon as it is dressed, to get the mixture of hot, cold, sweet and sour.In hot weather, I have been known to swap the beetroot for cucumber, peeled and thickly sliced and, on occasions, have tossed in a few cooked prawns and a big handful of coriander. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Jamie Oliver’s air fryer cookbook is the one we’ve been waiting for – and it’s half

Recipes span sticky aubergine noodles, pear and blackberry crumble and more

Society

3 w. ago Nigel Slater’s recipes for noodles with breadcrumbs, and panna cotta with passion fruit

Spicy noodles and delicate dessert for these see-saw daysIn tune with the changeable weather, dinners this week have veered between substantial winter casseroles and lighter, more uplifting dishes. A typical dinner was one of a spicy noodle dish glowing red with chilli followed by a pale and gently flavoured panna cotta. A sort of whip-and-kiss effect that followed that of the week’s see-saw between icy mornings and blissful afternoons with the sun on our backs.I used two hits of chilli for the noodles – a thick, brick-red Korean paste in which to toss the strings of noodles hot from their steaming water and then flakes of dried chilli added to the breadcrumbs I used to finish the dish. A double hit of chilli, but still producing an effect that was warm and aromatic, rather than blow-your-socks-off hot. Continue reading...

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4 w. ago Nigel Slater’s recipe for brown butter and chocolate chip friands

Delicious little cakes, made with ground hazelnuts rather than almonds Set the oven at 200/gas mark 6. Lightly butter or oil 12 shallow bun tins.Melt 180g of butter in a small pan over a moderate heat. Watch carefully as the butter first froths and then calms down and starts to turn deep gold. Once the butter becomes walnut coloured and smells nutty and toasted, remove immediately from the heat and set aside. Continue reading...

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