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Pizza expressed three ways
You can either make the dough from scratch for this pizza, which takes no time at all, or for an even speedier method, buy soft tortillas and use these as a base for the pizza instead of making your own.
Time from start to finish: 40 minutes (for all three pizza toppings)
or
Dough: 15 minutes prep
Toppings: 5 minutes per pizza
Time baking in the oven: 8–10 minutes
Makes: 3 thin 14 × 40cm pizza bases
Equipment: Large bowl, freestanding electric mixer fitted with the dough hook (optional), rolling pin, 3 baking sheets, clean tea towel (or cling film), scissors, blender, peeler
Pizza dough
300g strong bread flour, plus a little
extra for dusting
1 × 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast
1½ tsp salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling
175ml warm tap water (not too hot)
+ Preheat the oven to 240°C, (fan 220°C), 475°F, Gas Mark 9.
+ Put the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and the water. Then mix it all together with a wooden spoon to form a soft, slightly sticky ball.
+ At this stage I like to get my hands into the bowl and squidge everything together. Then throw a little flour on the work surface and knead the dough for 8 minutes by hand (or 4 minutes in a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a dough hook).
+ Divide the dough into three equal(ish) pieces and then use a rolling pin to roll each one out into roughly a 14 × 40cm rectangle. It will be really nice and thin. Put each rectangle on an oiled baking sheet and cover with a clean tea towel or some oiled cling film so they do not dry out while you prepare the toppings. There are three delicious toppings on the next page – each recipe provides enough to top one pizza base. You can make one pizza using the topping you like or make three to try each of them!
Harissa, chilli & sausage pizza with fennel seed & rocket
2 spring onions
1 red chilli (optional)
2 fat sausages
2 tbsp harissa paste (found in most supermarkets)
2 tsp fennel seed
A handful of wild rocket
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Harissa, chilli & sausage pizza with fennel seed & rocket
+ Trim and finely slice the spring onions (both the green and the white bits), then halve, deseed and finely slice the red chilli, if using, and set aside.
+ Snip the skin off the sausages and then peel it off or squeeze the sausage meat out. Break the sausage meat into small pieces.
+ Spread the harissa paste all over the pizza base. I like to leave a 1cm border, for aesthetic purposes only! Scatter over the onions, chilli, sausage meat and fennel seed and season with a little salt and pepper.
Goat’s cheese & sweet pepper pizza with chorizo
50ml passata
50g mild or hot Peppadew peppers (jars are available from most supermarkets, near the capers and vinegars!)
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 garlic clove
75g goat’s cheese
10 chorizo slices
Small handful of fresh basil leaves
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Goat’s cheese & sweet pepper pizza with chorizo
+ Put the passata and Peppadew peppers in a blender. Run your fingers down the length of the thyme sprigs to release their leaves, peel the garlic and add both to the blender. Blitz until smooth and then spread over the pizza base, leaving a 1cm border.
+ Break the goat’s cheese into small pieces and scatter over the pizza base along with the chorizo slices. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Feta, hummus & courgette pizza with balsamic drizzle & mint
100g hummus
100g feta cheese
½ small courgette
6 cherry tomatoes
Drizzle of balsamic glaze (found in the supermarket)
Extra virgin olive oil
Small handful of fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Feta, hummus & courgette pizza with balsamic drizzle & mint
+ Spread the hummus over the base of the pizza and crumble the feta on top. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the courgette into long, thin strips. Keep going until all is used up and arrange these also. Halve the tomatoes, scatter them over and season with salt and pepper.
+ When you have topped the pizzas, bake each one in the oven for 8–10 minutes or until crispy and the sausage on the harissa, chilli & sausage pizza is cooked. Once cooked, scatter the rocket over. Scatter the basil leaves over the cooked goat’s cheese pizza and drizzle with a little oil. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the feta pizza with a good drizzle of olive oil, then scatter over the mint leaves. Serve the pizzas immediately.
Aussie sweetcorn breakfast fritters with avocado & rocket salad & sweet chilli jam
Peppadew peppers, which are used in this dish, are generally found in a jar near the capers in the supermarket. However, if you can’t find them, just use 100g of cherry tomatoes in their place (in addition to the cherry tomatoes already in the recipe), along with a bit of Tabasco.
Time from start to finish: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Equipment: Colander, blender or food processor, medium pan, large frying pan, medium bowl or jug
Chilli jam
375g jar of mild or hot Peppadew peppers
125g cherry tomatoes
½ bag of fresh basil
6 tbsp caster sugar
Fritters
Sunflower oil
50g self-raising flour
50ml whole milk
1 egg
425g tin of sweetcorn
50g half- or full-fat crème fraîche, to serve
Avocado & rocket salad
1 ripe avocado
½ bag of rocket
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
+ First, prepare the chilli jam. Drain the Peppadew peppers well and put them in a blender or food processor with the cherry tomatoes. Rip the leaves from the basil stalks, add them too and blitz until smooth. Then tip into a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the caster sugar and bring to the boil.
+ Meanwhile, start on the fritters. Put a big drizzle of oil into a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Put the flour, milk and egg in a medium bowl or jug with a big pinch of salt and some pepper. Beat the mixture hard with a wooden spoon to get rid of any lumps. Drain the sweetcorn well, stir into the batter and set aside for a moment.
+ Once the chilli jam is boiling, turn down the heat and leave it to simmer away for 8 minutes, stirring it from time to time so that it does not catch on the bottom.
+ Once the oil in the frying pan is nice and hot, put four dollops of the fritter mix into the pan. Each one should be about 10cm in diameter and this uses all of the mixture up. Cook for about 3 minutes.
+ Meanwhile, cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. The easiest way to get the stone out is to put the blade of a sharp knife into the stone as if you were going to cut it in half. Then twist the knife a bit and the stone should just pop out. Peel off the skin and slice the flesh into long, thin strips. Arrange to one side of two serving plates and set aside for a moment.
+ The underside of the fritters should now be crisp and golden brown, so flip them over and leave to cook for another 3 minutes.
+ Pile the rocket into the centre of each plate, drizzle with a little oil and balsamic vinegar. Once the fritters are crisp and golden on the bottom, remove them from the heat and arrange two of them on each plate opposite the avocado. Dollop the crème fraîche beside them. Remove the now-reduced chilli jam from the heat and spoon a little onto each plate. Give a little twist of black pepper over everything and serve.
+ Any remaining chilli jam can be stored in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to one month. See the limoncello recipe for how to sterilise jars. It is also delicious served with meats and cheeses.
Simple salmon ceviche with tortilla chips
Use the freshest, freshest fish that you can find for this dish. Even go to the fishmonger if you have one near you and ask him for his finest catch. This is a wonderfully summery South American-style dish with lots of tang and spice. Sea bass, tuna, salmon, even scallops, can all be used here. You can either just buy a big bag of tortilla chips or, if you fancy making your own, they are very, very easy and I have included the recipe below.
Time from start to finish: 30 minutes if making your own tortilla chips (you actually only save 2–3 minutes if using shop-bought!)
Serves: 4
Equipment: 1–2 large baking sheets
Ceviche
3 × 125g (approx) really fresh, skinless, sustainably caught salmon fillets
3 spring onions
2cm piece of fresh ginger
1–2 red chillies (depending on how hot you like them)
1 avocado
1 squidge of honey (optional: a bit of sweetness for those with a sweet tooth!)
1 lime
½ orange
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Small handful of fresh mint leaves
Tortillas
4 corn or wheat tortillas, if making homemade tortilla chips
or
200g bag of tortilla crisps, if not Vegetable oil or oil spray (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
+ If home baking your own tortilla chips, then preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6.
+ Pull any bones from the salmon fillets and, using a sharp knife, remove any brown flesh from underneath. Cut them up as thinly as possible (no thicker than about 5mm) as if you were cutting a loaf of bread into slices. Arrange them in a single layer on a large serving platter.
+ Trim and finely slice the spring onion (both the green and the white bits), peel the ginger and chop it into thin sticks and then halve and finely slice the chillies, discarding the seeds. Scatter all three ingredients over the salmon.
+ Halve the avocado, discard the stone and carefully peel the skin off. Then turn each half cut side down and slice them really thinly lengthways. Arrange them over the salmon and drizzle the honey over, if using.
+ Squeeze the lime and orange juice over, making sure you cover all of the fish. Drizzle with some oil, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and then leave in the fridge to ‘cook’ for about 10 minutes.
+ If you are making tortilla chips, put the tortillas in a pile and cut them into 12 wedges as if you were cutting a cake. Lay them in a single layer on one or two large baking sheets. Drizzle or spray with some oil, if using (not essential but makes them a little tastier), and season with salt and pepper.
+ Put the tortillas in the oven for 5 minutes. I have a habit of not remembering they are in, though, and so I really have to keep an eye on them!
+ When the tortillas are crisp and golden, remove from the oven and leave to cool for a minute before piling into a serving bowl. Or, if using shop-bought tortilla chips, simply empty them into the serving bowl.
+ When the ceviche is just turning a bit white at the edges, it is ready, so remove it from the fridge. Rip up the mint leaves, scatter them over and serve with the tortilla chips.
Gingerbread pancakes with Parma ham & maple syrup
Major brownie points are awarded to anyone who goes the extra mile on Sunday and rustles up this breakfast dish. If you prefer to have the pancakes plain, then just omit the cinnamon, ground ginger, lemon zest, vanilla and sugar; this plain mix can also be used for your Yorkshire puddings.
Time from start to finish: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Equipment: Large bowl, zester, large frying pan, 2 baking trays
225g self-raising flour
3 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt
½ lemon
½ vanilla pod (or a couple of drops of vanilla extract) (optional)
300ml semi-skimmed milk
1 medium egg
Sunflower oil
12 slices of Parma ham (or bacon)
To serve
100ml maple syrup
100g sour cream or half- or full-fat crème fraîche
+ Preheat the oven to 110°C, (fan 90°C), 225°F, Gas Mark ½. This is to keep the pancakes warm, as they are cooked in batches.
+ Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a large bowl, give them a quick mix and make a well in the centre. Finely grate the lemon zest in. Split the vanilla pod open, scrape the seeds out and add them too (or vanilla extract, if using). Then gradually pour the milk in bit by bit, stirring all the time to give a smooth mixture. Beat the egg in well and set aside.
+ Put a drizzle of oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat and cook the Parma ham (or bacon) for 2–3 minutes on each side until nice and crisp. Then remove with tongs and drain on kitchen paper. Tip onto a baking tray and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
+ Leave the pan on the heat, but reduce it to low and add a little bit more oil if need be. Then spoon in four dollops of the pancake mix (to spread to about 10cm wide). Leave to cook for 1–2 minutes until golden, then flip them over and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Slide them onto a baking tray and put in the oven to keep warm. Then repeat with the remaining mix to give 12 in total.
+ Once you have made all of the pancakes, divide them between four plates. I like to pile the Parma ham high on them, drizzle with the maple syrup and serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
Roasted new patatas & chorizo bravas with aïoli
I went to a restaurant with my dad where we feasted on spicy patatas bravas, jamón ibérico that melted on the tongue like a fine butter and garlic prawns served simply with lime and fresh herbs. My dad (the Spanish teacher) was talking to the waiter who thought his Spanish was so good he was actually from Spain. Well, I just sat there beaming with pride. This is a recipe to remind me of that fantastic Friday lunch. There are many ways to make patatas bravas, and chorizo is not usually thrown in, but being a chorizo addict, totally entranced by its robust flavours, I just had to add some.
Time from start to finish: 25 minutes
Serves: 2
Equipment: Large roasting tin, medium pan
500g baby or new potatoes
Olive oil
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1–2 tsp smoked paprika
1–2 tsp caster sugar
150ml aïoli (shop-bought, or if you fancy making your own)
150g chorizo ring
A small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
+ Preheat the oven to 220°C, (fan 200°C), 425°F, Gas Mark 7.
+ Put the potatoes into a large roasting tin. If using new potatoes (not ‘baby’), halve or quarter them first. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a good amount of oil. Roast in the hot oven for 20 minutes.
+ Pour the tomatoes into a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the vinegar, paprika and sugar to taste, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer then bubble away for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
+ Meanwhile, make your aïoli and set aside or skip to the next step if using shop-bought.
+ Peel and chop the chorizo into chunky pieces and set aside.
+ Give the sauce a stir and check on the potatoes, tossing them about a bit. Add the chorizo to the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
+ The potatoes are cooked when crisp and golden outside and tender inside when pierced with a knife. Remove them from the oven and tip onto a serving platter for sharing. Take the now-reduced tomato sauce off the heat and add some salt and pepper if need be. Then pour it over the potatoes and top with the aïoli and tear over the parsley leaves. Sometimes in Spain this is served with cocktail sticks. Wonderful!
Potato & leek vichyssoise with crispy bacon & chives
It has been said that this soup comes from Vichy in France, but rumour has it that the chef who created it had some Vichy roots and the link is no more than that. It is supposed to be served cold, but personally I am not one for cold potato soup. So I turned up the heat and added one of my favourite ingredients, bacon, which has been crisped up to within a very inch of its life, adding some welcome crunch and saltiness, along with a drizzle of cream and a few snips of chives.
Time from start to finish: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Equipment: Large pan, small frying pan, stick or standard blender, scissors
50g butter
2 large leeks
2 large floury potatoes
100ml white wine
1 litre good-quality chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)
75g oak-smoked bacon lardons or cubed pancetta
A little double cream (optional)
Small handful of fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
+ Put a large pan on a low heat with the butter. While it is heating up, trim the leeks, remove any tough outer leaves, split them in half lengthways and wash really well before finely slicing. Add to the pan and cook gently for about 10 minutes until really soft, stirring from time to time.
+ Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Add to the leeks (once they are cooked) along with the wine. Allow the wine to bubble down for 2–3 minutes before adding the stock and some salt and pepper. Then turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Let the soup bubble away for 10–15 minutes until the potato is nice and tender.
+ While the soup is cooking, place a small frying pan on a high heat. Once hot, add the bacon (or pancetta) lardons and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until crisp and golden. Spoon onto kitchen paper to drain, and set aside.
+ Using a stick blender, carefully blitz the now-cooked soup until really smooth. A jug blender does the trick also; just be careful to blend in a couple of batches.
+ Taste the soup, adding more salt and pepper if you think it needs it (but allowing for the saltiness of the bacon) and then ladle into four serving bowls. Swirl a little cream on top of each, if using, snip the chives over and finally scatter with the cooked lardons to serve.
Thai chicken soup with coconut milk & ginger
A smoother-than-velvet Thai-style soup with an orchestra of flavours going on inside. If you can get your hands on fresh kaffir lime leaves that would be great; the dried ones can be found in the herbs and spices section in the supermarket, or use frozen.
Time from start to finish: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Equipment: Large pan or wok
Vegetable oil
1 lemongrass stalk
2 garlic cloves
5cm piece of fresh ginger
Large handful of fresh coriander
3 kaffir lime leaves (fresh, frozen or dried)
2 × 400ml tins of coconut milk
300ml good-quality chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)
1 red chilli
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 bunch of spring onions
2 limes
2–3 tbsp fish sauce
1–2 tsp caster sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
+ Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan or wok on a medium heat.
+ Trim the lemongrass stalk and discard any tough outer leaves before finely chopping the white bit (discard the green bit as it can be quite bitter). Peel and finely chop the garlic and then peel the ginger and cut it into thin slivers. Chop the stalks off the coriander (in one go) and then finely slice them (keeping the coriander leaves aside for later).
+ Carefully toss them all in the hot oil with the kaffir lime leaves and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, being careful that nothing catches and burns.
+ Next add the coconut milk and stock and leave to come to the boil.
+ Meanwhile, halve the chilli lengthways and then finely slice it, leaving the seeds in if you like it quite fiery. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add both ingredients to the now-boiled soup. Reduce the heat a little and leave it to bubble away for about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
+ Finely slice the spring onions (both the green and the white bits), juice the limes and roughly chop half of the reserved coriander leaves. Add these once the chicken is cooked and then leave to simmer for a final minute. Finally, add enough fish sauce and sugar to taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
+ Ladle into four serving bowls, scatter the remaining coriander leaves over and serve.
Hot-and-sour king prawn soup
A light, lucid soup with fragrant Asian flavours and succulent blushing prawns. Definitely one for a packed lunch.
Time from start to finish: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Equipment: Medium pan with lid
500ml good-quality fish or chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)
1–2 red chillies (depending on how hot you like them)
1 lemongrass stalk
Small handful of fresh coriander
2 kaffir lime leaves (fresh, frozen or dried)
3 tbsp fish sauce
12 sustainably caught raw king prawns, shell off
2 limes
1–2 tsp caster sugar
+ Pour the stock into a medium pan on a high heat and cover with the lid (so it heats up more quickly).
+ Meanwhile, slice, deseed and finely chop the chillies, finely slice the lemongrass (the white bit only) and coriander stalks (reserving the leaves).
