Food for all seasons
Fresh, simple food is the best, says Sarah Raven. The trick is to make it look it original. Here she gives two of her new recipes which will make a lasting impression
When I decided to write a book about my favourite kind of food, the sort of things I like to cook for my family and friends, I knew there’d be a lot of ground to cover. I’d want to include the obvious high days and holidays throughout the year, but also all those other occasions when I might feel like pushing the boat out – a long weekend, a lazy picnic, a crisp bonfire night or a pre-Christmas drinks party.
The food I like best is simple and not too fussed over. When planning a party, I’ll always try to choose food that is showy and original enough to hold its own, but easy enough that it won’t stiffen up the atmosphere of the party (or take over my life). The seasonal differences have always been important to me, and the best occasions are about marking the turning points in the calendar. It’s the coming and going of ingredients that keeps food exciting year after year.
Prawn and smoked trout salad
Similar to the salad Niçoise principle of fish with French beans and new potatoes, this recipe uses juicy prawns and chunks of smoked trout rather than anchovies and tuna, and sits them on a bed of lettuce.
For 6 as starter or side salad, 4 as a main course
12 raw unshelled North Atlantic prawns
1 tablespoon olive oil
450g French beans, stalks removed
450g waxy new potatoes, such as Belle de Fontenay, Ratte or Charlotte
2 large handfuls of summer salad leaves or 1 crunchy cos lettuce
4 whole vines of small cherry tomatoes
2 mild red chillies, cut into thin strips (optional)
12 radishes, sliced
20 black olives, stones in (about 100g)
300g smoked trout
20 capers
Small handful of fresh basil, parsley or chervil leaves
For the dressing
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper
Heat a ridged griddle pan for 3–4 minutes (until you can’t count to 10 with your hand hovering just above it).
Brush the prawns all over with olive oil and griddle for 1 ½ minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes before peeling and deveining.
Cook the beans whole for 3 minutes in a large pan full of boiling salted water (to retain their colour and texture). Plunge them into cold water. Drain and allow to dry.
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 15 minutes, until they’re tender. Drain and allow them cool a bit. Peel and cut into chunks.
To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a jam jar, screw on the lid and shake well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make a bed of salad or lettuce leaves in a large bowl or plate. Toss the beans in a little of the dressing and add them on the top. Add the tomatoes, chillies (if using), radishes, potatoes and olives. Flake the trout over them, scatter with the capers and lay the prawns on top. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing and scatter over some basil, parsley or chervil leaves.
Lemon tart topped with raspberries
There are few better things than an extremely lemony tart, but when it’s topped with fat, sharp raspberries, it is sublime. I much prefer it to the more classic crème pâtissière that is often served with raspberries.
For 8–10
Juice and grated zest of 6 lemons
6 whole eggs
200g caster sugar
1 x 284ml carton of double cream
600g raspberries
1 tablespoon runny honey, warmed, to glaze
1 x 284ml carton of double or whipping cream, softly whipped, to serve
For the pastry
175g plain flour
110g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Alternatively, pulse in a food processor. Add 2 egg yolks, the sugar and salt and mix/pulse again until the pastry comes together into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and heat a baking sheet until searing hot.
Line the base of a loose-bottomed 30cm tart tin with a silicone sheet or baking parchment (the rich pastry can stick). Roll out the pastry 3–4mm thick and use to line the prepared tin, leaving the excess draped over the sides in case it shrinks.
Prick the bottom of the pastry case with a fork, cover with a round of greaseproof paper or foil and weigh this down with some baking beans or rice. Place on the hot baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking beans and paper and allow the pastry case to cool for 5 minutes. Brush the case with the remaining egg yolk and bake for 5 more minutes to create a hard base and prevent leaks of the runny filling. Trim off the excess pastry and allow to cool.
Lower the oven temperature to 150°C/gas mark 2 and reheat the baking sheet. Put the lemon juice and zest, eggs, sugar and carton of double cream in a bowl and beat together. Place the tart tin on the hot baking sheet in the oven, then pour in the lemon mixture so you don’t have to move the brimming tart: this avoids spillage. Bake for about 30 minutes, until set and springy.
Leave to cool for 30 minutes before topping with the raspberries, either heaped up or placed neatly in circles. Brush with the warm honey, to glaze. Serve with the softly whipped cream.
