JULY 26

Swiss roll, toffee sauce, pasta and green fritters.

This month, three dishes for three different moods and three different occasions. I’ve never understood people who happily eat the same lunch every day. Variety has always felt like one of life’s quiet pleasures, and the kitchen is where I indulge it most.

Some days, all I want is a piece of toast or something wrapped in pastry, the kind of meal that calms you from the inside out. Other days, I strike a solemn bargain with myself: nothing but bone broth, greens and virtuous intentions for the foreseeable future. It never lasts. More often than not, a spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar or a late-night bowl of gelato has other ideas. But guilt is to be let go of as joy takes over, the pendulum swings from nourishment of the body to nourishment of the soul.

Like most cooks, I have a repertoire I return to instinctively. The recipes I can make almost without thinking are the ones that see me through busy weeks, cold evenings and empty fridges. But I don’t ever want to become too comfortable. Curiosity is one of the greatest gifts cooking has given me. There is always another ingredient to understand, another technique to borrow, another family recipe worth asking about, another market stall to linger at.

These are three recipes I’ve been returning to lately, each suited to a different appetite, a different mood and a different kind of day. Pea and herb fritters, perfect for a solo breakfast or lunch, umami packed onion and anchovy spaghetti to be eaten with a friend or lover and a very indulgent sticky date Swiss roll to please a crowd (or just yourself).

Pea and Herb Fritters

(makes 8 fritters)

300g blanched peas (frozen is fine!)

1 clove garlic

1 egg

½ bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

½ bunch of mint, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dill, chopped

½ bunch of chives, finely chopped

½ cup plain flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

50g feta, crumbled

Zest of one lemon

Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee for frying

1. Pat the peas dry after blanching.

2. Blitz about two-thirds of the peas with the garlic and egg until roughly chopped, not completely smooth.

3. Fold through the remaining whole peas, herbs, feta, flour, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

4. Let the mixture rest for 15–20 minutes. The flour will absorb moisture and the mixture will firm up.

5. If it still feels very wet after resting, add another tablespoon of flour. If it feels too stiff, add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice.

6. Heat a skillet over a medium high heat with the oil, and then spoon two tablespoons or so of batter into the pan for each fritter. Serve with greek yoghurt, soft boiled eggs and more herbs or enjoy as is!
   

   

Venetian Onion and Anchovy Spaghetti

(serves 2)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 medium brown onions, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 small tin anchovy fillets (or roughly 12 anchovies)

80ml dry white wine

250g spaghetti

Cracked black pepper, sea salt

2 tsp white wine vinegar

Handful parmigiano, finely grated

25g cold salted butter

½ bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 slices stale sourdough, crusts removed, made into breadcrumbs

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tbsp olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying over a low to medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. The salt helps draw out the moisture of the onions, allowing them to soften. Cook gently, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or so, until very soft and lightly golden.

2. Place a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. In a medium frying pan add the additional oil, heating over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic clove, stirring until toasted and golden. Set aside.

3. Once the onions have softened, turn the heat up, add the anchovies and stir until they melt down into the onions. Add the white wine and let it simmer very gently on a low heat. Add the pasta to the water and cook until aldente. Add the vinegar to the onions and season well with pepper and just a little salt.

4. Add the pasta to the pan, along with a cup of the cooking water, tossing liberally until emulsified and glossy. Add the cheese and butter, a little more of the cooking water as well as the parsley, stirring to combine.

5. Serve into two bowls and sprinkle over the toasted breadcrumbs.

Sticky Date Swiss Roll

(highly recommend reading the method for this before beginning as the sections of ingredients will make more sense)

For the cake

150g pitted medjool dates

150ml boiling water

½ bicarbonate soda

*

4 egg yolks

40g brown sugar

40g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla paste

*

65g plain flour

20g cornflour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

*

4 egg whites

80g caster sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

2 tablespoons icing sugar

1 additional tsp cinnamon

For the filling

250g mascarpone

250ml whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

60g icing sugar, sifted

For the toffee sauce

150g unsalted butter

265g brown sugar

250ml single cream

1. Start by making the sponge. Swiss rolls can be a little tricky to perfect but follow closely and all will be well! The first step is to make a paste with the dates. Add the pitted dates, boiling water and bicarbonate soda to a bowl and allow to sit for ten minutes to soften. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth, with a few small chunks still remaining.

2. Preheat your oven to 170C fan force. Line a baking tray, 37cm x 24cm (I use rolled edge aluminium trays, they are great) with baking paper and a little butter.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, vanilla and melted butter until smooth, thick and pale. Whisk in the date mixture and then sift over the flour, corn flour, cinnamon and salt. Mix together gently with a spatula.

4. In an electric mixer with the whisk attached, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add in the caster sugar, a spoon at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy. Whip for an additional couple of minutes to help the sugar dissolve.

5. Add half of the egg whites to the yolk mixture, folding gently. Repeat with the second half, gently incorporating until there are no more white streaks.

6. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, spreading evenly with a spatula into the corners. Bake for 10-12 minutes. While the cake is baking, lay a clean tea towel onto your bench top and sift over the cinnamon and icing sugar in one even layer. When the sponge is ready it will spring back lightly when you press it.

7. Take the sponge from the oven and immediately run a knife around the side of the tray to loosen the cake. Flip onto the tea towel and peel back the baking paper, carefully as the cake is obviously very hot. Roll the cake up along with the tea towel, starting with the narrow end. Allow to cool completely in this formation. This trains the cake to bend in this way and prevents it from cracking when you add the filling.

8. For the filling, add the cream, mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a mixer and whip with the whisk attachment until you reach still peaks. Careful not to over whip, this should take around 3-4 minutes, keep an eye on it.

9. Unroll the sponge once it’s cooled and spread over the cream, leaving a 5cm gap at one end. Begin rolling at the edge with the gap, using the tea towel to help you firmly form the roll. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

10. For the toffee sauce, add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and then gently simmer until the sauce thickens, around 10 minutes.

11. Slightly reheat the sauce and serve with the cold sponge, along with some cold custard for extra indulgence!

Happy cooking and listening to this month’s playlist.

Sian x