step 1 Heat grill to high. Season the lamb, then grill for 2 mins on each side until browned, but still very rare. Meanwhile, mix the seasoning, oregano and half of the mint into one of the tubs of yogurt, smother this over the lamb, then return to the grill for another 2-3 mins or until the yogurt is blistered and the meat is cooked to your liking. step 2 Leave the meat to rest on a board for a few mins while you toast the pittas, shred the lettuce and thinly slice the red onion. Stir the rest of the mint into the second tub of yogurt. Thickly slice the meat and stuff into the pitta bread with the salad and minted yogurt. Squeeze over lemon juice before tucking in, if you like.
Pound the garlic with sea salt in a pestle and mortar (or use a small food processor), until the garlic forms a paste. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, zest, dill and garlic. Mix in the lamb and combine well. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hrs or overnight in the fridge. If you’re going to use bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water. If you’ve prepared the lamb the previous day, take it out of the fridge 30 mins before cooking. Thread the meat onto the soaked or metal skewers. Heat the grill to high or have a hot griddle pan or barbecue ready. Cook the skewers for 2-3 mins on each side, basting with the remaining marinade. Heat the pitta or flatbreads briefly, then stuff with the souvlaki. Add Greek salad (see 'Goes well with', right) and Tzatziki (below), if you like.
Cut the meat into strips. Heat oil in a pan and fry the strips for 6 minutes until it's ready. Bake the fries until golden brown in a deep fryrer. When ready transfer to a backing dish. Make sure the fries are spread over the whole dish. Cover the fries with a new layer of meat and spread evenly. Add a layer of cheese over the meat. You can also use grated cheese. When done put in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Chop the lettuce, tomato and cucumber in small pieces and mix together. for a basic salad. As extra you can add olives jalapenos and a red union. Dived the salad over the dish and Serve with garlicsauce and hot sauce
step 1 Finely chop the peppers in a food processor, then tip them in a sieve and press into the sieve so that the peppers release all of their juices. Tip into a bowl along with the mince, red pepper paste, pul biber, 1½ tsp flaky sea salt, and 2 tbsp of the oil. Mix together, kneading well for at least 2-3 mins. If you need to, wet your hands with cold water to prevent the mixture from sticking. The mixture should be sticky when ready. Cover and chill for at least 2 hrs, or up to 12 hrs. step 2 When ready to cook, heat the grill to high or an oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, around 85g each. If you’d like to skewer them, divide into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Using wet hands, thread the balls onto the end of the skewers, massaging the mixture down the skewers in between the palms of your hands, until evenly distributed. Ensure that the mixture is fully wrapped tightly around the skewers without any exposed metal. Alternatively, lay them on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper if cooking in the oven, or foil if cooking under the grill. Shape into 20cm-long köfte. Wet your fingers with a little cold water and make indents all along the köfte for the traditional shape. step 3 Gently brush each köfte with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and cook under the grill, on the top shelf for 10-12 mins, turning regularly, or cook in the oven for 16-18 mins, until crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle
step 1 Tip the bread into a bowl and pour over 350ml water. Leave to soak for 10 mins. step 2 Blend the ingredients together with 350ml water and 1 tsp salt. step 3 Let the soup cool in the fridge for 1 hr or so, then serve with a drizzle of oil and some black pepper.
Put the oil, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and bay leaves in a big casserole dish, or two saucepans. Fry gently until the onions are softened – about 10-15 mins. Fill the kettle and boil it. Stir in the tomato purée, sugar, vinegar, chopped tomatoes and passata, then crumble in the stock cubes. Add 1 litre boiling water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 mins until the potato is tender, then remove the bay leaves. Purée with a stick blender (or ladle into a blender in batches) until very smooth. Season to taste and add a pinch more sugar if it needs it. The soup can now be cooled and chilled for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat the soup, stirring in the milk – try not to let it boil. Serve in small bowls with cheesy sausage rolls.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Season with saffron, salt and pepper to taste; stir in all but 4 tablespoons of the onion, and pour in the water. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the lamb is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover the pan, stir in the butter and allow the sauce reduce 5 to 10 minutes to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour into a serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped onions and parsley. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.
Add the lamb to a casserole and cook over high heat. When browned, remove from the heat and set aside. Keep a tablespoon of fat in the casserole and discard the rest. Reduce to medium heat then add the garlic, onion and spinach and cook until the onion is translucent and the spinach wilted or about 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the casserole with the onion-spinach mixture, add the tomato puree, cumin, harissa, chicken, chickpeas, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the pan. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
Place freekeh in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside. Combine lamb, onion, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and salt in a pot. Stir in oil, 1/2 the cilantro, 1/2 the mint, and celery stalk until combined. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas; pour in just enough water to cover, and return to a simmer. Stir in zucchini, carrot, and tomato paste. Set a steamer over the pot; add tomatoes. Cover and steam tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Crush tomatoes using a wooden spoon, so pulp drips into soup. Remove the steamer and discard leftover tomato peels. Add potato to soup and just enough water to cover. Simmer until potato is soft, about 10 minutes. Drain freekeh and add to soup. Simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove celery stalk and discard. Sprinkle soup with remaining 1/2 cilantro and remaining 1/2 mint before serving.
Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat some dripping or butter in a large shallow casserole dish, brown the lamb in batches, lift to a plate, then repeat with the kidneys. Fry the onions and carrots in the pan with a little more dripping until golden. Sprinkle over the flour, allow to cook for a couple of mins, shake over the Worcestershire sauce, pour in the stock, then bring to the boil. Stir in the meat and bay leaves, then turn off the heat. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top of the meat, then drizzle with a little more dripping. Cover, then place in the oven for about 1½ hrs until the potatoes are cooked. Remove the lid, brush the potatoes with a little more dripping, then turn the oven up to brown the potatoes, or finish under the grill for 5-8 mins until brown.
Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan and then add the onions. Cook on a medium heat until soft. Add a splash of water if the onions start to catch. Add the celery, leek, potato and a knob of butter. Stir until melted, then cover with a lid. Allow to sweat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid. Pour in the stock and add any chunky bits of broccoli stalk. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Add the rest of the broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Stir in the stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain. Season with black pepper and serve.
step 1 Heat a griddle pan. Rub the lamb steaks with the oil, cumin and some seasoning. Griddle for about 3-4 mins on each side or until cooked to your liking. Place to one side on a plate to rest. step 2 In a large bowl, stir the sugar into the vinegar until dissolved. Add the carrots, spring onions, cabbage and some seasoning, and toss together. step 3 Blitz the whole peppers and the mayo in a food processor. Add a heap of the salad to each flatbread. Slice the lamb, trimming off any excess fat and lay on top of the salad, drizzling with the resting juices. Spoon over the mayo and scatter with a few of the sliced peppers. Roll up and eat. If using pitta, split and stuff. Serve any extra salad on the side.
Grind the cashew, poppy seeds and cumin seeds into a smooth paste, using as little water as possible. Set aside. Deep fry the sliced onions when it is hot. Don’t overcrowd the oil. When the onions turn light brown, remove from oil and drain on paper towel. The fried onion will crisp up as it drains. Also fry the cashewnuts till golden brown. Set aside. Wash the rice and soak in water for twenty minutes. Meanwhile, take a big wide pan, add oil in medium heat, add the sliced onions, add the blended paste, to it add the green chillies, ginger garlic paste and garlic and fry for a minute. Then add the tomatoes and sauté them well till they are cooked and not mushy. Then to it add the red chilli powder, biryani powder, mint, coriander leaves and sauté them well. Add the yogurt and mix well. I always move the skillet away from the heat when adding yogurt which prevents it from curdling. Now after returning the skillet back to the stove, add the washed lamb and salt and ½ cup water and mix well. Cook for 1 hour and cook it covered in medium low heat or put it in a pressure cooker for 6 whistles. If the water is not drained totally, heat it by keeping it open. Take another big pan, add thrice the cup of rice you use, and boil it. When it is boiling high, add the rice, salt and jeera and mix well. After 7 minutes exact or when the rice is 80% done. Switch off and drain the rice. Now, the layering starts. To the lamb, pat and level it. Add the drained hot rice on the top of it. Garnish with fried onions, ghee, mint, coriander leaves and saffron dissolved in milk. Cover the dish and bake in a 350f oven for 15 minutes or till the cooked but not mushy. Or cook in the stove medium heat for 12 minutes and lowest heat for 5 minutes. And switch off. Mix and serve hot! Notes 1. If you are cooking in oven, do make sure to cook in a big oven safe pan and cover it tight and then keep in oven for the final step. 2. You can skip biryani masala if you don’t have
In a glass, muddle fresh mint leaves with granulated sugar and lime wedges to release the flavors. Add white rum and stir well. Fill the glass with ice cubes and top with club soda. Stir gently and garnish with a sprig of mint. Sip and enjoy the classic and refreshing taste of a Mojito!
Crust: make a dough from 250g flour (I like mixing different flours like plain and wholegrain spelt flour), 125g butter, 1 egg and a pinch of salt, press it into a tart form and place it in the fridge. Filling: stir 300g cream cheese and 100ml milk until smooth, add in 3 eggs, 100g grated parmesan cheese and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Take the crust out of the fridge and prick the bottom with a fork. Pour in the filling and bake at 175 degrees C for about 25 minutes. Cover the tart with some aluminium foil after half the time. In the mean time, slice about 350g mini tomatoes. In a small pan heat 3tbsp olive oil, 3tbsp white vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, salt and pepper and combine well. Pour over the tomato slices and mix well. With a spoon, place the tomato slices on the tart, avoiding too much liquid on it. Decorate with basil leaves and enjoy
Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water and drain well. Tip the clams into a large pan with 500ml of water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the clams have just opened. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander over a bowl to catch the clam stock. When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from their shells – reserving a handful of empty shells for presentation if you want. Strain the clam stock into a jug, leaving any grit in the bottom of the bowl. You should have around 800ml stock. Heat the butter in the same pan and sizzle the bacon for 3-4 mins until it starts to brown. Stir in the onion, thyme and bay and cook everything gently for 10 mins until the onion is soft and golden. Scatter over the flour and stir in to make a sandy paste, cook for 2 mins more, then gradually stir in the clam stock then the milk and the cream. Throw in the potatoes, bring everything to a simmer and leave to bubble away gently for 10 mins or until the potatoes are cooked. Use a fork to crush a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pan to help thicken – you still want lots of defined chunks though. Stir through the clam meat and the few clam shells, if you've gone down that route, and simmer for a minute to reheat. Season with plenty of black pepper and a little salt, if needed, then stir through the parsley just before ladling into bowls or hollowed-out crusty rolls.
Equipment 6QT Pressure cooker Instructions Rinse goat meat with vinegar and water. Season goat meat with 1 ½ tablespoon curry powder, all-purpose seasoning, ground ginger, allspice, onion, garlic cloves, and thyme. Marinate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Remove onion and garlic from goat and set aside. Set an electric pressure cooker, like an Instant Pot, on high sauté and add oil. Add goat meat and brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove goat from insert and add 1 tablespoon oil and remaining curry powder and sauté for about 10 seconds. Then add onions and garlic and sauté until softened. About 4 minutes. If the onions look dry, add a little water and continue to sauté. Add goat and water to the pressure cooker and cover the pressure cooker. Cook for 40 minutes on high pressure. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure. Once all the pressure has been released, open the pressure cooker. Place on sauté for 10-15 minutes, add potatoes and a whole scotch bonnet pepper. Cook until potatoes have softened. Remove scotch bonnet pepper.
1. Steps for the Meat: Roast meat over medium heat for 50 minutes and salt it as you turn it. 2. Steps for Ugali: Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the cornmeal slowly, letting it fall through the fingers of your hand. 3. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue stirring regularly, smashing any lumps with a spoon, until the mush pulls away from the sides of the pot and becomes very thick, about 10 minutes. 4.Remove from heat and allow to cool. 5. Place the ugali into a large serving bowl. Wet your hands with water, form a ball and serve. 6. Steps for Kachumbari: Mix the tomatoes, onions, chili and coriander leaves in a bowl. 7. Serve and enjoy!
step 1 In a blender (or with a stick blender), whizz together the passata, red pepper, chilli, garlic, sherry vinegar and lime juice until smooth. Season to taste, then serve with ice cubes
Marinate chicken thighs in a mixture of yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, and Kashmiri red chili powder. In a pan, melt butter and sauté the marinated chicken until browned. Add tomato puree and cook until the oil separates. Stir in heavy cream. Sprinkle kasuri methi, sugar, and salt. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve this creamy butter chicken over rice or with naan for an authentic Pakistani/Indian experience.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid. Add the sausage pieces and fry on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden-brown all over. Transfer the sausages to a plate, then add the onion and fennel to the hot pan and fry for 15 minutes, stirring once in a while, until soft and caramelised; if the pan goes a bit dry, add a teaspoon or so of extra oil. Stir in the paprika, garlic and half the fennel seeds, fry for two minutes more, then pour on the wine and boil for 30 seconds, to reduce by half. Add the tomatoes, sugar, 100ml water, the seared sausage and half a teaspoon of salt, cover and simmer for 30 minutes; remove the lid after 10 minutes, and cook until the sauce is thick and rich. Remove from the heat, stir through the olives and remaining fennel seeds and set aside until you’re ready to serve. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 12-14 minutes (or according to the instructions on the packet), until al dente. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, stir in a tablespoon of oil, then divide between the bowls. Put all the pesto ingredients except the basil in the small bowl of a food processor. Add a tablespoon of water and blitz to a rough paste. Add the basil, then blitz until just combined (the pesto has a much better texture if the basil is not overblended). Spoon over the ragù and top with a spoonful of pesto. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped fennel fronds, if you have any, and serve at once.
step 1 Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and soften the onions for 5 mins. Add the garlic and spices and cook for a few mins more. Spoon half the onion mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool. Add the tomatoes, sugar and seasoning to the remaining onions in the pan and simmer for about 10 mins until reduced. step 2 Meanwhile, add the mint, lamb, apricots and breadcrumbs to the cooled onions, season and mix well with your hands. Shape into little meatballs. step 3 Heat the rest of the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the meatballs until golden (in batches if you need to). Stir in the sauce with a splash of water and gently cook everything for a few mins until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with pitta bread and salad.
step 1 Put the garlic in a bowl with the ginger, lemon juice, oil, spices and seasoning. Blitz with a hand blender until smooth, then use to coat the lamb chops on both sides. Leave to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. step 2 Heat a barbecue until hot. Barbecue the chops over the coals for 3 mins on each side until cooked but still pink and juicy in the centre.
In a pan, heat cooking oil and sauté chopped onions until golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until fragrant. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess oil if needed. Add diced potatoes, chopped tomatoes, and spices. Mix well. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the masala is well-cooked. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with naan or rice.