The recipes that follow are meant as guidelines so you can adapt them according to what you have a lot of, or flavours you enjoy. Garden herbs, spices and citrus peel are all great things to add to any of the recipes below.
FERMENTING
Fermentation is an age-old preservation method that has had somewhat of a resurgence of late. It’s a little more adventurous, and is something everyone should try. It’s good for your gut, too. A lot of items we consume daily are actually a product of fermentation, such as cheese and wine. Kimchi is Korean in origin and is a spicy, fermented cabbage. It is great to shred up and use in salads, on burgers, in frittatas and in toasted sandwiches.
Best for fermenting
Cabbage, Cauliflower leaves, Fennel, Lettuce, Kale
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Fennel Kimchi
MAKES: AROUND 1KG | PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES, PLUS 2 WEEKS’ FERMENTATION
2 garlic cloves, grated
15cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp demerara sugar
2 tbsp gochujang paste
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp table salt
3 fennel bulbs (about 900g), cut into 5mm-thick slices
Put all of the ingredients, apart from the fennel, in a blender or food processor. Blitz until well combined and a paste has formed.
Using gloves, massage the paste into the fennel for at least 4 minutes.
Pack the fennel kimchi into sterilised jars and seal with a lid. Leave to ferment at room temperature for at least 2 weeks before eating. The longer you leave it the more developed the flavour will become. To stop the fermentation, place in the fridge.
PICKLING
Jars of pickled produce not only look beautiful, they are also a very tasty thing to have on hand all year round. Always ensure what you are pickling has been thoroughly washed and that all the pieces are of an equal size. I recommend a minimum pickling time of 14 days, but up to 1 year will yield flavoursome results. Make sure you evenly distribute the bay leaves and peppercorns, and any other flavourings you use, between the jars. And always ensure the lids are properly sealed, to prevent any spoilage, along with storing the jars in a cool, dark place.
Best for pickling
Cucumber, Beetroot, Cauliflower, Beans, Cabbage, Rhubarb, Carrots
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Pickled Cucumbers
MAKES: AROUND 700G | PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES, PLUS CURING AND PICKLING | COOKING TIME: UNDER 5 MINUTES
2 small cucumbers (about 200g each), washed
4 tbsp rock salt
FOR THE PICKLING LIQUOR
250ml white wine vinegar
55g demerara sugar
½ tsp caraway seeds
6 black peppercorns
6 dill sprigs
Cut the cucumbers in half widthways, then each half lengthways into four. Put them in a dish, sprinkle them with the rock salt and leave for 2 hours. Wash off the salt and pack into a sterilised jar.
Put all ingredients for pickling liquor, apart from the dill, in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat and add the dill.
Pour the hot pickling liquor over the cucumbers and seal with a lid. Leave for at least 2 weeks before eating. They will keep for a good few weeks in the fridge once opened.
JAM-MAKING
I have sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, friends and uncles who all make jam, and everyone makes it completely differently. I wanted to put jams in this book as there is a right way and a wrong way to go about jam-making, and it’s all about balance. A big pot of steaming fruit sends delicious aromas throughout the house and is the perfect way to use up overripe fruit. One of the issues we find we have to tackle as parents is the amount of added sugar in shop-bought products. Making your own preserves allows you to control the levels of sugar you add, and thus the end result on your larder shelf. Obviously, fruit that is sourer will need more sugar, but if you combine a few different ones you can get the best of both worlds.
Best for jam
Stone fruit, Berries, Rhubarb, Figs, Quince
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Fig Jam
MAKES: 1.3KG | PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES
1kg figs, tops of stalks removed, roughly chopped
2 fig leaves, cleaned
500g jam sugar (containing pectin)
Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and stir well to combine. Place over low heat and allow the sugar to dissolve, then increase the heat slightly and bring to a gentle simmer.
Once the liquid begins to come out of the figs, turn the heat up a little and stir regularly to prevent the jam catching on the bottom of the pan. Simmer rapidly until the jam reaches 105º. If you don’t have a thermometer, use the saucer test: put a saucer in the freezer, then once it’s cold put half a teaspoon of the jam on the saucer. If it does not run, it’s ready.
Remove the fig leaves, scraping the jam off them and back into the pan, and pour the jam into sterilised jars. Cover with the lids immediately. The unopened jars will keep for up to 12 months, and up to 1 month in the fridge once opened.
CHUTNEY MAKING
We always have chutney in my house, whether it’s homemade or shop-bought. It is a staple on cheese sandwiches and a go-to condiment when a little extra flavour is needed.
Best for chutney
Tomatoes, Onions, Stone fruit, Apples, Pears, Rhubarb, Figs
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Apple, Rhubarb and Rosemary Chutney
MAKES: 475G | PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 40 MINUTES
1 onion, cut into 1cm dice
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2cm dice (about 400g)
4 rhubarb stalks, cut into 2cm pieces (about 250g)
4 sprigs of rosemary, tied together with string
150ml white wine vinegar
100g dried, pitted dates, finely chopped
Put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30–40 minutes until sticky and shiny.
Remove the rosemary sprigs, pour into sterilised jars and seal. The unopened jars will keep for up to 12 months, and up to 1 month in the fridge once opened.
Weekday meals are some of the toughest to get inspired for. They’re the ones we don’t think about until we get home or call for a takeout. Or we eat something quick and rubbish because we just don’t have time to prep a meal. We’re all working incredibly hard, and we also have to fit in travel, family and down time, so making food can quickly become a chore. These simplified dishes are really easy to make, and they offer great nutritional value, too. Don’t overthink it and don’t worry about it.
Beetroot, Wasabi, Feta and Pine Nut Salad
This dish makes a great summer, or early autumn, meal. It is delicious and also surprisingly filling, with the chickpeas, feta and pine nuts all playing a part. The wasabi is there to season the dish, not to overpower it. So even if you are not a fan, do try it!
* * *
SERVES 4 | PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR
100g pine nuts
500g cooked beetroot
100g tinned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
100g lamb’s lettuce
200g feta
2 slices of sourdough (about 100g), gently toasted then torn
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE DRESSING
½ tsp wasabi paste
50ml olive oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 7.
Place the pine nuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes, shaking halfway through, until a deep golden colour.
Slice the beetroot into large chunks and lay them on a platter. Scatter the chopped chickpeas on top, followed by the lamb’s lettuce. Crumble the feta on top, then add the pine nuts and a generous grind of black pepper. Finish with the torn sourdough pieces.
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br /> For the dressing, whisk everything together in a bowl, season with salt, then drizzle over the top of the salad. Serve immediately.
Field Mushroom, Walnut and Thyme Filo Pie
I’m from the North and two things I really love are pies and mushrooms. This is rich, satisfying and a total winner, providing a delicious weekday supper or weekend lunch. It’s technically a little challenging, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s simple to put together. In summer, a side of chargrilled broccoli makes a great accompaniment, and in winter I like it with kale sautéed in a little butter and soy sauce.
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SERVES: 4–6 | PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 55 MINUTES
100g puy lentils
70g butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ bunch of thyme, ⅔ of it tied together with string, the remaining third’s leaves picked
8 large field (or flat) mushrooms, thinly sliced
100g walnuts
1 tbsp vegetable oil
100g cream cheese
2 tbsp milk
50g Cheddar cheese, grated
7 large sheets of filo pastry
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the lentils according to the packet instructions.
Melt 15g of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onions, garlic, tied thyme and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes until lightly browned, then transfer to a large bowl. Heat another 15g of the butter in the same frying pan, with the bunch of tied thyme, and when the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and season well with salt. Cook for about 15 minutes, until all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to the bowl containing the onions. Squeeze any liquid out of the bunch of thyme into the bowl then discard.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
Put the walnut pieces in a roasting dish with the vegetable oil. Season well with salt, toss to coat in the oil and toast in the oven for 5–7 minutes until a deep golden colour. Remove from the oven, leave to cool then roughly chop.
Add the walnuts, lentils and thyme leaves to the large bowl. Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream cheese and milk together until smooth. Add to the large bowl, along with the grated Cheddar, and mix well.
Melt the remaining 40g of butter in a pan. Brush a 23cm pie dish with a little butter. Lay one sheet of pastry on your work surface, brush liberally with melted butter and place in the dish. Brush a second piece of filo with butter then add in an overlapping criss-cross pattern. Continue with 2 more buttered sheets to create a star shape. Add the mushroom mixture and smooth the surface. Brush the remaining 3 filo sheets with butter, then scrunch up and place on top of the pie. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the mushroom mix is lightly bubbling.
Remove from the oven and serve warm with your chosen side dish.
Roasted Cauliflower and Walnut Tagliatelle
Well-roasted cauliflower has the most delicious, nutty flavour. I always find that home cooks do not roast it for long enough, thus missing out on the best flavour from it. This recipe combines a roasted cauliflower purée to create the sauce, with roasted florets and crunchy, toasted walnuts.
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SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 50 MINUTES
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed, broken into florets
50g butter, cubed
100g walnut pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
150ml milk
150ml good-quality vegetable stock
350g tagliatelle
200g cavolo nero, roughly chopped
¼ bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 230°C/210°C fan/gas 8.
Place the cauliflower florets in a roasting dish with the cubed butter. Season well with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 6 minutes. Stir well, to coat the cauliflower in the butter, and cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring again after 10 minutes. The cauliflower should be a dark golden brown by this point. If it’s not, return it to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
While the cauliflower is roasting, put the walnut pieces in another roasting dish with the vegetable oil. Season well with salt, toss to coat in the oil and toast in the oven for 5–7 minutes until a deep golden colour. Remove from the oven, leave to cool then roughly chop.
Pour the milk and stock into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Add a third of the toasted walnuts and simmer for 5 minutes, then add a third of the roasted cauliflower florets and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a blender or food processor and blitz until silky smooth. Taste, and add more salt if necessary.
Bring a medium-large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the tagliatelle according to the packet instructions, adding the cavolo nero for the last minute of cooking. Drain, reserving a little of the pasta water.
Mix the tagliatelle and cavolo nero with the roasted cauliflower and walnut sauce. Add a little pasta water to your sauce to loosen it a little if desired. Stir through the remaining roasted cauliflower and toasted nuts and parsley and serve.
Chargrilled Mackerel, Pickled Onions and Salsa Verde
There is not much that beats freshly caught mackerel that has been lightly chargrilled on the barbecue or on a griddle pan. The quick pickled onions are a great, speedy, addition to the dish, giving it extra texture and acidity, and will keep happily in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I like to serve the mackerel with some steamed new potatoes and a peppery rocket salad.
* * *
SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: ABOUT 15 MINUTES, PLUS SOAKING AND PICKLING | COOKING TIME: 5–10 MINUTES
1 tbsp vegetable oil
8 mackerel fillets, pin-boned, skin scored
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE QUICK PICKLED ONIONS
2 small red onions, sliced into 3mm-thick rings
100ml pickled gherkin liquid
2 tbsp caper brine
100ml white wine vinegar
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp onion seeds
FOR THE SALSA VERDE
2 heaped tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves
¼ bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
20g drained capers in brine
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
125ml extra virgin olive oil
To make the pickled onions, separate the onion rings from each other and place them in a bowl of cold water. Leave to soak for 10 minutes, then drain and transfer to a shallow heatproof dish. Place all other ingredients for the pickled onions in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the hot pickle mix over the onions and cover the dish with clingfilm. Set aside.
To make the salsa verde, put all the ingredients in a mini food processor or blender and pulse until you have a chunky sauce. Add salt to taste and set aside.
If using a barbecue, preheat it until hot. If using a griddle pan, place it over high heat until almost smoking. Brush the vegetable oil onto the mackerel fillets, on both sides. Season the skin side with salt and pepper and place on the hot barbecue or griddle, skin-side down, for 2 minutes (in batches if you’re using a griddle pan). Season the flesh side then carefully turn the fillets over and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.
Serve immediately, with a good dollop of the salsa verde and the pickled onions.
MARCUS’ TIP:
Salsa verde literally translates as ‘green sauce’. This is the traditional Italian version, but you can use the same quantities of different herbs, such as coriander, mint or lemon balm, to create delicious sauces depending upon what’s in your fridge or herb pots.
Green Chilli Salsa Cod with Roast Potato and Almond Salad
Weekday suppers are all about meals that are delicious, but time friendly. In some ways, these ingredients shouldn’t go together – co
d is classically English, roast potatoes too, but then the salsa and the almond salad hail from somewhere quite different – but it’s my job to be daring. Cod is a meaty fish and can carry all of those elements brilliantly, working a treat with the salsa, which brings a lovely, spicy freshness to this rich dish, balancing it well.
* * *
SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 35 MINUTES
2 tbsp olive oil
4 skinless cod fillets (about 150g each)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE GREEN CHILLI SALSA
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 small green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, plus 2 tbsp for the potato salad
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
60ml olive oil
FOR THE ROAST POTATO AND ALMOND SALAD
500g small potatoes, scrubbed
4 tbsp olive oil
100g almonds
Marcus Everyday Page 4
