Warning: Smoking is bad for your health and can cause cancer. Grow and smoke with caution. 

While you might not want to take a chance with a new turkey preparation method, the side dishes are often open to a bit more creativity. I tried the honey and almond hasselback pumpkin with butternut squash (known as butternut pumpkin in Australia). You make ¼ inch slices through your peeled half squash, stopping just short of the bottom, so that it all holds together. Roast this until it’s tender and golden, and then pour over a syrup made of honey, vinegar and bay leaves, wedging the leaves between the slices, and roast a little longer. To serve, sprinkle with toasted almonds. This was delicious, and it also offers a lot of visual appeal for little effort.

This is an Australian book, so there are some cultural differences: There’s a lot of seafood, and dessert pies are replaced with trifle and pavlovas. But much of it is very relevant to the average North American holiday celebrations. If you’re stuck in a holiday rut, hosting for the first time this year, or just looking for ideas that stretch through the whole of the holidays and not just Dec. 25, Christmas Feasts and Treats will provide a lot of festive inspiration.

Wendy Underwood tests out cookbooks weekly on Instagram at @kitchenvscookbook.

Excerpted from Christmas Feasts and Treats (C) 2019 by Donna Hay. Reproduced by permission of Fourth Estate. All rights reserved.

Honey and Almond Hasselback Pumpkin

1 x 1.8kg butternut pumpkin (squash), halved lengthways, peeled and seeds removed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (180g) honey
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
14 bay leaves
½ cup (80g) almonds, toasted and chopped
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place half the pumpkin, cut-side down, on a chopping board. Place a chopstick, lengthways, on each side of the pumpkin. Using a very sharp knife, carefully slice through the pumpkin to the chopsticks at 5mm intervals. Repeat with the remaining pumpkin half.

Place the pumpkin on the tray, cut-side down, and drizzle with the oil. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and roast for 1 hour. Uncover and roast for a further 20 minutes or until golden.

Place the honey, vinegar and bay leaves in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 4–5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Spoon half the honey glaze over the pumpkin and place the bay leaves in the incisions. Roast the pumpkin for a further 5–10 minutes or until tender and golden. Sprinkle with the almonds, salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining honey glaze to serve. Serves 6

Chewy Caramels with Salted Peanuts

3 cups (420g) salted peanuts
1.1kg white (granulated) sugar
1.125 litres single (pouring) cream
1 cup (350g) golden syrup
100g unsalted butter, chopped

Line a 20cm x 30cm slice tin with non-stick baking paper. Sprinkle the base with half the peanuts and set aside.

Place the sugar, cream, golden syrup and butter in a large saucepan over high heat and stir with a metal spoon until the butter and sugar have melted. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 20–25 minutes or until the temperature reaches 122°C (251°F) on a sugar (candy) thermometer. Working quickly, pour the caramel into the tin and carefully sprinkle with the remaining 1½ cups (210g) of peanuts. Allow to cool completely at room temperature for 3–4 hours. Refrigerate for 25–30 minutes or until firm.

Turn the caramel out onto a board and, using a large sharp knife, cut into pieces+. Wrap each caramel in brown wax paper, twisting the ends to seal. Keep refrigerated and bring to room temperature to serve. Makes 50

+ If the caramel becomes too soft to cut, simply return it to the refrigerator for 5 minutes.

Tip: Store caramels, wrapped in paper, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Prosecco Brined Turkey Breast with Brussels Sprouts and Speck

¼ cup (75g) rock salt
¼ cup (45g) light brown sugar
2 sprigs tarragon
2 bunches thyme (about 12 sprigs)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1.25 litres water
3 cups (750ml) prosecco
2 x 1.5kg turkey breast fillets, skin on
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
350g speck or bacon, chopped
500g Brussels sprouts, halved
1 bunch thyme (about 6 sprigs), extra

lemon garlic butter
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

Place the salt, sugar, tarragon, thyme, lemon and 2 cups (500ml) of the water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 4 minutes, stirring to dissolve the salt. Allow to cool slightly. Pour the brining liquid into a large (5-litre-capacity) non-reactive container+. Add the prosecco and another 2 cups (500ml) of the water. Using your hands, carefully loosen the skin from the flesh of the turkey breasts. Lower the turkey, skin-side down, into the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours (but no longer).

To make the lemon garlic butter, place the butter, garlic and lemon rind in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Remove the turkey from the container, discarding the brine, and pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper. Using your hands, spread the lemon garlic butter under the skin.

Place the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the turkey with salt and pepper. Add 1 turkey breast to the pan, skin-side down. Cook for 4 minutes each side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining turkey. Return both turkey breasts to the pan, skin-side up. Add the remaining 1 cup (250ml) of water, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove the turkey from the pan, loosely cover with aluminium foil and reserve the cooking liquid.

Wipe the pan out and return to medium heat. Add the speck and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until crispy. Remove and set aside. Increase the heat to high, add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until lightly charred. Add the extra thyme and reserved liquid and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve turkey with the sprouts and crispy speck. Serves 4–6

Non-reactive materials include glass, plastic and stainless steel.

The post COOK THIS: Christmas Feasts and Treats by Donna Hay appeared first on Modern Farmer.

Strawberry-Banana Santas (and More)
Because they don’t require cooking and provide the perfect red-and-white color combo, bananas and strawberries offer endless opportunities for the creative, time-strapped holiday chef. Check out the strawberry-banana Santa treats from mykidslickthebowl.com (they could also pass as elves) and the strawberry-banana snowmen pops from onehandedcooks.com. Delish.com has an adult version involving Jell-o and vodka.

Egg (and Eggplant) Penguins
For a protein platter, eggs offer a wintry look and plenty of calories around which to base a platter. Roxyskitchen.com has a creative take in which the black skin of eggplant is used to create the black head and wings of penguins made with an egg body. Carefully cut carrots supply the feet.

Cheese-and-Cracker Santas
This one is super-quick and super-fun: round crackers with a red Santa cap made from sun-dried tomato; black currants for eyes; and a beard and mustache made from white cheese. See catchmyparty.com for the full instructions.

Edible Wreaths
This is a no-brainer: Arrange vegetables on a circular platter with a bowl of dip in the middle. You can do the same with cheese, crackers and meat, or with fruit, using whipped cream or chocolate sauce for dipping. The key is to get creative with the design so it doesn’t look like any old dip platter. Plan your color combinations carefully (red, green, and white) and consider adding little accents (herbs, candy sprinkles, flowers, cherry tomatoes) that call to mind ornaments and Christmas lights. Looking for inspiration? Check out 10 edible wreath ideas at thedailymeal.com.

Fruit Tree
Now for the centerpiece. There are many ways to go about this, but Fully Raw Christina, a raw food YouTube sensation, has a great technique, which she demonstrates in a video that’s sure to make you smile. You sculpt a pineapple into a sturdy base, to the top of which you pin a pear with toothpicks (the two fruits should form a roughly pyramidal shape). Then you use more toothpicks to pin smaller pieces of fruit as decorations for the edible Christmas “tree.”

The post 5 Fun and Healthy Holiday Party Platters appeared first on Modern Farmer.

“Pastry” covers everything that a pastry chef might make, from a humble muffin (including some gluten-free options) through to dinner party showpiece desserts, caramels, and a whole section on bread. It opens with an exceedingly helpful “master techniques” section, and it ends with a chapter of Chang’s master recipes (for various doughs, pastry cream, ganache, etc.). The book is almost a journal with thoughtful notes before each recipe. What pulls it out of textbook territory are enticing recipes such as Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingerbread People, and Apple Cider-Miso Caramels.

I am easily seduced by a breakfast cookie, so I attempted Chang’s Nutty Seedy Breakfast Cookies. Melted butter (quite a lot of it), maple syrup, vanilla, eggs and mashed banana are whisked together in one bowl. In another, pepitas, coconut, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and millet are combined, with some set aside. Walnuts, dried cherries and cranberries, whole wheat flour, baking soda and spices are added, along with the wet ingredients. The dough is rested, rolled into balls, dunked in the reserved seed mixture, and baked in a medium oven. The result was definitely not healthy, but it was delicious and lighter than the usual hockey puck-like breakfast cookie.

Pastry Love is thorough in the way that baking books really need to be, but it’s also kind, comforting and, most of all, approachable. Those new to baking will appreciate Chang’s encouraging and rock-steady voice, while experienced bakers will love getting their hands on her tried-and-true creative recipes.  

Wendy Underwood tests out cookbooks weekly on Instagram at @kitchenvscookbook.

The following is an excerpt from Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes (C) 2019 by Joanne Chang and reproduced with permission from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Nutty Seedy Breakfast Cookies
MAKES 18 TO 20 COOKIES

Eating cookies for breakfast might seem like a ruse your kids try to pull on you to get out of eating their Wheaties. But when we created this recipe, we made sure it was full of whole grains and seeds and fruits and nuts and that it was wholesome enough for you to feel good about how you were starting off your morning. Don’t be daunted by the number of ingredients. While it most likely will require a trip to the grocery store, you’ll end up with a pantry nicely stocked with useful staples to encourage your whole grain baking even further. This cookie has become one of my favorite ways to start the morning, and I think it will become one of yours, too.

3/4 cup/90 grams walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup/2 sticks/225 grams unsalted butter
1/2 cup/170 grams maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs (about 150 grams), at room temperature
1 ripe banana, thoroughly mashed (about 1/3 cup/100 grams)
3/4 cup/100 grams raw unsalted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
3/4 cup/40 grams unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup/45 grams raw shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup/50 grams flaxseeds
1/4 cup/50 grams millet
11/2 cups/150 grams rolled oats
1 cup/120 grams dried cranberries
2/3 cup/100 grams whole wheat flour
1/2 cup/100 grams dried cherries
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are light golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Melt the butter, then place it in a medium bowl. Whisk in the maple syrup and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in the eggs and banana until the mixture is totally homogeneous. (The banana needs to be completely mashed so it whisks in smoothly.)

In a large bowl, stir together the pepitas, coconut, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and millet. Remove 1/2 cup/about 50 grams of the mixture and set it aside for topping the cookies. Add the walnuts, oats, cranberries, flour, cherries, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl and stir well to combine. Make a well in the center and pour in the butter mixture. Stir well to combine — the dough will be more like a soft batter than a stiff cookie dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight, to allow the grains to absorb the liquid and firm up the batter.

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or butter it.

Wet your hands and use them to scoop about 1/4 cup of the dough from the bowl. Roll the dough into a rough ball, dip the top of the ball into the reserved seed mixture, and plop it seed side up on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat to form the remaining dough. Press the cookies down with the palm of your hand to make them flat. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking time, until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and firm when you press them in the middle.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Orange-Almond Pudding Cake with Chocolate Ganache
MAKES ONE 8-INCH CAKE, TO SERVE 8 TO 10

I first fell in love with this cake while spending an unforgettable weekend in the Ottolenghi pastry kitchens in London with two of my pastry chefs. Yotam Ottolenghi’s talented army of pastry cooks churned out endless platters of stunning pastries, each of which looked more delectable than the last. This supremely moist and orangey cake was sitting on a counter half eaten, and Paula, one of the pastry chefs, saw me eyeing it. “Oh my, eat it, eat it all!” She grabbed a few forks for me and my team, we descended on this cake, and it disappeared in seconds. Not only is this cake gluten-free, but it’s also made without any butter or oil. Yotam generously shared his recipe; I dress it up by double-glazing it with an orange-infused chocolate ganache to create a shiny mirrored surface.

Candied Oranges (page 318)
5 large eggs (about 250 grams), at room temperature
1 cup/200 grams sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
21/4 cups/225 grams almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chocolate-Orange Ganache (page 318), melted and cooled but still pourable

Make and drain the candied oranges. Set aside 2 or 3 pretty slices for garnish on the cake. Finely chop the rest and set aside separately.

Preheat the oven to 300°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan with a parchment paper circle (see page 23), or butter the pan liberally. Set it aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped candied oranges and vanilla and whip to combine. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, as well as the whisk. Whip again for a few seconds. Add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt and whip on low to combine. Stop the mixer and scrape again. Continue to mix until the batter is homogeneous.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, rotating the cake pan midway through the baking time, until the cake springs back when you poke it in the middle and is firm to the touch, and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool.

While the cake is baking, make the ganache and set it aside to cool.

When the cake is entirely cool, run a knife around the edges of the cake, pop the cake out of the pan onto a flat plate, and remove the parchment. Turn the cake right side up on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Pour about half the ganache over the entire cake, using an offset spatula to coat the sides evenly. Place the cake in the fridge, still on the wire rack, to allow the ganache t set for at least 15 minutes.

Pour a second coat of ganache over the cake. Let the ganache set for at least 30 minutes. Place the cake on a serving platter. Cut into the orange slices and twist them into spirals; decorate the center of the cake with them. Serve.

The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Candied Oranges
MAKES ABOUT 1½  CUPS/340 GRAMS
2 navel oranges
3 cups/600 grams sugar

Slice the ends off the oranges, then slice the oranges crosswise about 1/4 inch thick.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and 4 cups/960 grams water and bring to a boil. Add the orange slices to the sugar syrup and reduce the heat to very low.

Let the oranges simmer in the syrup for 2 to 3 hours, until they are translucent and the syrup has the consistency of maple syrup, gently stirring occasionally to move the top slices to the bottom of the syrup. Test for doneness by removing an orange slice from the syrup and biting into it; careful — it will be hot! The rind should be completely soft and sweet and the syrup should be very thick. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the oranges cool completely in their syrup.

The oranges can be stored in their syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Drain before using.

Chocolate-Orange Ganache
MAKES ABOUT 1¼  CUPS
3/4 cup/180 grams heavy cream
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about 1 large orange)
6 ounces /170 grams semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

In a small saucepan, heat the cream and orange zest over medium-high heat until just before it comes to a boil, when small bubbles collect along the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat and let the cream sit for 30 minutes to allow the orange to infuse into it.

Place the chocolate in a medium metal or heatproof glass bowl. Return the cream to just under a boil, then strain it through a fine-mesh strainer directly over the chocolate. Let it stand for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth.

The ganache can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Cranberry-Pecan Bread
MAKES 2 LOAVES

For ten months of the year we make a barely sweet raisin-pecan bread that is an homage to the nutty, hearty raisin-pecan bread from Amy’s Bread in New York City. I spent a very short time at Amy’s early in my career, learning the very basics of mixing, shaping, proofing, and baking bread. The owner, Amy Scherber, was — and still is — an inspiration to me, not only because of her fabulous bread that is beloved across New York, but also because she is kind, gracious, direct, and as generous a person as you’ll ever meet. When I’m in New York I always stop by one of her bakeries to get a few loaves to bring back to Boston. During the winter holidays we change up our standard raisin-pecan for a cranberry-pecan to celebrate the arrival of cranberry season. We knead dried cranberries into the dough and also throw in a generous handful of fresh cranberries. The combination of the sweet chewy dried with the tart juicy fresh makes this a loaf we look forward to all year long.

Note that this takes two days to make, so be sure to plan ahead.

Sponge for Cranberry-Pecan Bread (page 148), at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/270 grams water, at body temperature (when you stick your finger in it, it does not register as either warm or cold)
2 cups/280 grams all-purpose flour
11/2 cups/225 grams high-gluten bread flour
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup/85 grams honey
21/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup/100 grams pecan halves, toasted (see page 29)
3/4 cup/90 grams dried cranberries
1 cup/100 grams fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup cornmeal, for the baking sheet

The day before you will be making this bread, make the sponge. Two hours before making the bread, remove the sponge from the fridge.

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment or by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, mix the water, all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, and sponge for about 2 minutes, until all the ingredients are combined and you have a shaggy, stiff dough. (To prevent the flour from flying out of the mixer bowl, turn the mixer on and off several times until the flour is mixed into the liquid and then keep it on low speed.) Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and let sit for about 10 minutes. (This is called an autolyse; it allows the water to hydrate the flour, which makes for better mixing down the road.)

Add the honey and salt to the dough and mix on medium-low for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth. If it does not come together, let it sit for a few minutes to allow the flour to be absorbed into the dough more, then mix again for a few minutes. The dough should be somewhat sticky but still smooth, and have the texture of an earlobe (as strange as that sounds). If it’s stiffer than this, add a few tablespoons water, or if it’s looser than this add a few tablespoons all purpose flour, and mix until incorporated. Don’t add more flour unless it’s really soupy. If you’re mixing by hand this process will take at least 15 minutes of active kneading. Constantly knead, push, and fold the dough over itself, picking it up from time to time and slapping it onto the counter to incorporate all the ingredients and help develop the dough’s structure.

Add the pecans, dried cranberries, and fresh cranberries and mix on low for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the nuts and cranberries are all completely and evenly distributed within the dough. You may need to stop the mixer a few times to pull off any dough that has gathered around the hook or on the sides of the bowl. If you are mixing and kneading by hand, it will take at least 10 minutes to incorporate these ingredients.

Lightly oil a clean large bowl, remove the dough from the mixer bowl, and place it in the oiled bowl.

Cover it with an oiled piece of plastic wrap or a damp lint-free towel. Place it in a draft-free warm place (78° to 82°F is ideal; an area near the stove or an oven with only the pilot light on is good) for 2 to 3 hours. The dough will rise a little bit but not a lot, and will feel a little loose and relaxed and somewhat sticky.

Generously flour your hands and work surface and turn the dough out of the bowl. Divide the dough in half with a sharp chef’s knife or bench scraper. Shape each half into a rough square. Working with one half at a time, bring the upper right and left corners of the dough to the center of the square and then fold over the top of the dough to meet the corners in the center. Now hold the top part of the dough in both hands, cradling the folded-over part with your fingers, and line up your thumbs in the center of the dough along the seams in the middle. Push at the center of the dough at the seam, nudging away from you with your thumbs to create a taut surface at the outside of the dough. Cup the outer part of the dough in your fingers again and bring your thumbs against the seam again as you nudge the dough away from you. Roll your hands toward you to create more surface tension on the dough as you roll it down to the bottom of the square. Continue nudging and rolling until you have a long loaf that is fat in the middle and tapered at the ends like a football. (At this point you can store the shaped loaves on a baking sheet or flat plate, covered lightly with plastic or a lint-free towel, in the fridge overnight. Remove the next day and proceed as directed.)

Generously sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal to keep the loaves from sticking to it. Place the shaped loaves seam side down on the baking sheet, at least 3 inches apart. Cover them loosely and completely with plastic wrap or a lint-free towel and let them sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, until the dough has loosened up and seems relaxed. It won’t pouf up too much but it will seem much softer.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and place racks in the center and bottom third of the oven. (It’s very important to make sure the oven comes to temperature before you place the bread inside! The heat from the oven ensures that your loaves will get enough oomph to rise and grow.) Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with 2 to 3 tablespoons flour. Slash the loaves on top with a knife, lame, or razor blade (see page 27) and place the baking sheet on the center rack. Place a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking pan filled with about 2 cups water on the rack underneath the bread. (The steam from the water will create a nice moist atmosphere, allowing your bread to grow.) Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the baking sheet with the bread midway through the baking time, until the bread is dark golden brown on top and makes a hollow sound when you thump it on the bottom.

Let cool for at least 1 hour, directly on a wire rack.

The bread can be stored in a paper bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. (Plastic seals the air out and keeps the bread from breathing, so it can get too soft.)

Sponge for Cranberry-Pecan Bread

MAKES ABOUT 11/4 CUPS/380 GRAMS

1 cup/140 grams all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast

Stir together the flour, 1 cup/240 grams room temperature water, and the yeast until well mixed and sloshy. Cover and leave out at room temperature for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.

Stir the sponge, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Pull it out of the fridge 2 hours before using to bring it back to room temperature.

The post COOK THIS: Pastry Love by Joanne Chang appeared first on Modern Farmer.

The recipe for Cranberry Jewelled Rice caught my eye; it’s listed as a main course, but it would actually make a very festive side dish. Onions and carrots are cooked in butter until soft, before being joined by cardamom, cinnamon and nuts. Basmati rice and dried cranberries are added, along with hot water and orange blossom water that has had saffron soaking in it. It’s cooked for about 15 minutes, and briefly blasted with heat at the end to develop a crust on the bottom. This was delicious—delicately spiced with the bright acidity of the cranberries bringing everything together.

Sour offers the best of both worlds, with easy projects to get you started on some home fermenting, but also offering some very creative, exciting dishes for indulging your sour tooth. Unlike many books that include fermentation, the recipes themselves are very straightforward, and dare I say, a treasure trove of homemade gifts for the holidays as well.

Wendy Underwood tests out cookbooks weekly on Instagram at @kitchenvscookbook.

Excerpted from Sour/the magical element that will transform your cooking. (C) 2019 by Mark Diacono. Reproduced by permission of Quadrille. All rights reserved.

CRANBERRY JEWELLED RICE
Serves 4

Saffron is a funny thing. Mostly it reminds me of that time I sucked the end of the fountain pen I used for all of a fortnight at school, only to find it was leaking its turquoise (classy) Quink all over my mouth. Happy days. Saffron gives me hope that perhaps there is nothing to which a delicious end cannot be found. Here, its generous nasal bitterness is what creates the alchemy. Sour fruit and nuts are so fine together too, and I think this shows that happy alliance at its best. I’m as likely to eat this as it is – a joyously satisfying bowlful, fork pecking away – as I am to bother with a bright salad to accompany.

300g (10oz) basmati rice large pinch of saffron (or use ground turmeric)
50ml (2fl oz) orange blossom water
3 tbsp butter, ghee or olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
100g (3½oz) shelled pistachios (or use flaked almonds or pine nuts, or a mix)
100g (3½oz) dried cranberries (or use dried sour cherries)
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper

Wash the rice thoroughly and drain well. Soak the saffron in the orange blossom water.

Heat the butter, ghee or oil in a large pan, add the onion and carrots and cook over a medium heat until soft – this will take 10–15 minutes or so. Add the spices, nuts and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the drained rice and cranberries and cook for a minute to toast the rice, then add the orange blossom saffron water plus another 400ml (14fl oz) hot water and cover. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking for 15 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the rice is tender. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for 5 minutes to develop a crust at the base.

Turn off the heat. Place a clean tea towel between the pan and its lid and let the pan sit and rest for 5 minutes in about 3cm (1¼in) cold water in the sink to help loosen the crust.

Turn the rice out on to a large platter to serve.

TAMARIND PORK RIBS
Serves 2–3 (or just me watching a game)

It’s 8.07am and I’m writing about tamarind ribs and now all I want for second breakfast is tamarind ribs. And all I’ll want for lunch and dinner is tamarind ribs. They may take a while in the oven, but the only attention you need to pay here is in softening the onions slowly: after that, you just have to come back in a couple of hours with an appetite.

The sauce is hugely adaptable: when I couldn’t get good pork ribs, I tried it with a rack of lamb – cooked hard at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes, before being slathered on the sauce and cooked for another 25 minutes at 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 – and it was extraordinary.

4 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely diced
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
15g (½oz) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1½ tsp fennel seeds
1 star anise
1½ tsp Aleppo pepper
5 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 tbsp maple syrup
60g (2¼oz) soft dark brown sugar
5 tbsp tamarind paste (ideally made from tamarind block, see page 18)
1kg (2lb 4oz) pork ribs
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2.

Warm the oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat, add the onions and fry slowly, stirring often – we are after sweet softness, without burning, so expect it to take 15–25 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes more. Add the spices, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the soy sauce, ketchup, maple syrup, sugar and tamarind paste and stir to incorporate thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just for a minute or two.

Place the ribs into a roasting tray large enough to accommodate them in a single layer, close-ish but not jammed in. Spoon the spicy paste over the ribs.

Cover the tray in foil and cook for 2 hours. Turn the heat up to 180°C/350°F/ gas mark 4. Uncover the ribs and taste the paste, seasoning more if needed. Spoon some of the paste from the tin over the ribs. Replace the foil, and return to the oven for 20 minutes more – be careful; you are after dark and sweet– sour gooey rather than black and burnt.

Remove from the oven and allow the ribs to cool a little, before serving with pea shoots and a sharp dressing, or just a cold beer.

Tamarind
I’ve come to tamarind rather too recently, and it is one of those flavours that can make you enter a slightly daydreamy state, imagining how it might suit this or complement that. Once you start cooking with tamarind, it is as if you have discovered a special music or favourite author previously unknown to you. The weeks following may easily be lost in enthusiastic exploration, and that ‘what else can I do with this?’ feeling never quite leaves you when it comes to tamarind.

Tamarind comes from a tropical tree of the same name, likely to originate from Madagascar. Its brown pods look not unlike broad beans after a long weekend and in need of a shower and a glass of water; they contain a dark sour pulp that is extracted from the desiccated pods when ripe and squeezed into blocks, or strained of seeds to make a paste. In either form, it is used in curries, stews, drinks, chutneys and more throughout the Middle East and Asia, as well as Worcestershire sauce and brown sauce in the UK. As much as it is used for its distinctive and complex flavour – perfectly described by Niki Segnit in Lateral Cooking as ‘like a lemon that’s sucked a date’ – tamarind brings a distinctly characterful souring that just works in so many dishes.

The concentrated paste is pretty good and widely available; the block version is superb and available online and from Asian food shops. Tamarind block involves the tiny faff of adding a little boiling water and encouraging it to dissolve, for which – as is usual for a little culinary effort – you are more than proportionately rewarded in flavour.

Although tamarind adds a unique spicy-sour tone, if you are without, then use vinegar or lime juice in a similar quantity (and then amend to taste) to add the required sourness.

MANGO SALAD
Serves 4

If ever I tire of the home-worker’s high-carb, quick-grab lunches and crave a cold shower of freshness, this is one I turn to. It’s a waltz, a cha cha cha and a tango in the mouth, all at once. I tend to leave the herbs large-leaved and barely shredded, to give a big hit of independent flavour from each, and I use red (rather than green) chillies for looks, but the recipe is really a blueprint to play with as you like. The mango should be unripe and sour, but if yours has sweetened, consider upping the lime for balance. And, if you can find them, small green mangoes are perfect here.

2 bird’s-eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
50ml (2fl oz) fish sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2–3 tsp soft light brown sugar
1 unripe mango, peeled and julienned
2–3 shallots, thinly sliced
60g (2¼oz) unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
small handful of coriander leaves, barely chopped
small handful of mint leaves, barely chopped
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper

Stir together the chillies, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar and plenty of black pepper – this dressing should be a jumble of flavours more than a complete amalgamation.

Combine the mango, shallots, two-thirds of the peanuts, coriander, mint, sesame seeds and the dressing in a large bowl, season with salt to taste and serve immediately with more nuts to the side and a cold beer.

The post COOK THIS: Sour by Mark Diacono appeared first on Modern Farmer.

A spontaneous Saturday night with friends was the perfect opportunity to try out Roman’s Spicy Pork Meatballs in Brothy Tomatoes and Toasted Fennel. The meatballs are made from ground pork (I also used some turkey), garlic, fresh herbs, Greek yogurt, fennel seeds, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes. They’re browned before being simmered in a broth of fresh tomatoes and shallots spiked with a little vinegar. We served the lot over some steamed kale and mopped up all of that delicious broth with chunks of baguette. These were simple, tender and so satisfying!

We’re coming to a time of year full of opportunities (and expectations) for “having people over,” and most of us could do with some inspiration. Flipping through Roman’s book, I was hard-pressed to find something I didn’t want to make, although it is a little short on vegetarian main course options. Her breezy, encouraging and no-apologies-required approach paired with creative recipes makes Nothing Fancy a winner.

Wendy Underwood tests out cookbooks weekly on Instagram at @kitchenvscookbook.

Reprinted from Nothing Fancy. Copyright © 2019 by Alison Roman. Photographs copyright © 2019 by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.


Creamy Sesame Turmeric Dip
makes about 2 cups

8 ounces cream cheese or ricotta, preferably room temperature
¾ cup sour cream or labne
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons water
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Flaky sea salt

1. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, tahini, and water in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well blended and creamy (alternatively, use a fork or spoon; there might just be a few lumps, which is actually fine). Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the olive oil and sesame seeds in a small skillet or pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the sesame seeds are toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and remove from heat.

3. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a cute serving bowl and top with the sesame-turmeric oil. Finish with flaky salt and more pepper before serving.

Spicy Pork Meatballs in Brothy Tomatoes and Toasted Fennel
Serves 4 to 6

6 garlic cloves (2 grated, 4 thinly sliced)
½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, tender leaves and stems, plus more for garnish
½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
1½ pounds ground pork, lamb, beef, and/or turkey (feel free to mix!)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 pints Sungold or cherry tomatoes (about 1½ pounds), halved
¼ cup distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 cups water
1 cup fresh mint leaves
Piece of pecorino or parmesan, for grating
Toast or crusty bread, for serving

1. Place the grated garlic in a medium bowl along with the chives, parsley, yogurt, fennel seeds, paprika, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix until well combined.

2. Add the meat, season with pepper, and, using your hands, mix until well combined. Roll the mixture into balls about 1½ inches in diameter (about the size of a plum; I like these meatballs on the smaller side). Place on a baking sheet or large plate.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a few meatballs at a time, taking care not to crowd the pot. Cook, using tongs or a spatula to occasionally gently rotate them, until they are all golden brown all over (they may not hold their perfectly round shape, but that is more than okay), 8 to 10 minutes. As the meatballs are browned, transfer them to a large serving platter or plate. Leave the remaining bits and fat in the pot.

4. Add the shallot and sliced garlic to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is tender and the garlic starts to brown a bit, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they burst and start to become all saucy and caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the vinegar and water, scraping up any bits along the bottom. Bring to a strong simmer and reduce the sauce by about one-fourth, just until it thickens slightly (it should still be relatively brothy), 5 to 7 minutes.

6. Return the meatballs to the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the flavors have melded, 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Remove from the heat. To serve, top the meatballs (either in individual bowls or right in the pot) with the mint and more crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds, if you like. Drizzle with some olive oil and serve with the cheese for grating and some toast for dipping.

DO AHEAD
The meatball mixture can be made up to 1 day ahead (either kept in a bowl or shaped into meatballs), wrapped, and refrigerated (or up to 1 month in the freezer). The whole dish can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

NOTE
These meatballs and their tomato-y broth really want something to dip in, like simple crusty bread, or perhaps very good garlic bread. They also want some bitter green, which can actually be eaten out of the same bowl, the leaves taking a brief dip in the broth to soften slightly—wow, yes please.

tiny, salty, chocolatey cookies
I am not a chocolate person, but there are some occasions when I want a lightly sweet, definitely salty, chocolatey little something. In those moments, there is nothing better than this something, which I can best describe as the edges of a chewy brownie but in cookie form. No special equipment, fancy techniques, or chilling time are needed, which means that even if you only bake cookies once a year, you can still make these. Perfect for the end of a meal, when you, too, have decided you’ve just got to have a chocolatey little something.

makes 24 cookies

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (see Note)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 67% cacao), chopped
½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, or walnuts (optional)
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon or Jacobsen

NOTE
This is the time to invest in some high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, since that’s mostly what you’ll be tasting here (that, and browned butter).

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

2. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat, swirling, until starting to foam and brown, 3 to 4 minutes (whisk the butter from time to time so that the solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pot). Let cool.

3. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl, ridding it of as many lumps as possible (if you really want to, feel free to sift everything).

4. Using a spatula, mix in the egg whites, whole egg, and browned butter, stirring until you’ve got a good, smoothish mixture (any small lumps will take care of themselves), followed by the chocolate and any nuts you may want to add.

5. Using a spoon, drop quarter-sized blobs of dough (the texture is really somewhere between a dough and a batter), spacing about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet (they spread a lot). Sprinkle with flaky salt and bake until the cookies have flattened considerably and look baked through and a little wrinkled, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool before eating so they can firm up.

DO AHEAD
Cookies can be baked up to 2 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and stored at room temperature.

The post COOK THIS: Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman appeared first on Modern Farmer.

The need for a quick and tasty Sunday dinner before heading out seemed like a good excuse to try Slater’s recipe for Mushrooms, Chickpeas, Tahini—stuffed and baked Portobello mushroom caps. The filling is made by grinding together garlic, chickpeas, olive oil, salt, lemon juice and sumac, then stirring through tahini, thyme and sesame seeds. The caps are filled with this, topped with more chickpeas and sesame seeds and baked for 30 minutes. My mushrooms deflated, leading to some of the filling cascading onto the tray around it, but there’s no denying that this was a delicious, low-effort dinner.

On the face of it, Slater’s “handful-of-this, bake-’til-golden” style is best suited to sure-footed cooks with experience to make those judgment calls in the kitchen, but this casualness also takes the pressure off a new cook to get everything perfect. But perhaps the best reason to get Greenfeast: autumn, winter is that it might actually get you excited for our cold-weather harvest.

Wendy Underwood tests out cookbooks weekly on Instagram at @kitchenvscookbook.

Excerpted from Greenfeast: autumn, winter © 2019 by Nigel Slater. Photos © Jonathan Lovekin. Reproduced with permission of 4th Estate. All rights reserved.

MUSHROOMS, CHICKPEAS, TAHINI
A mushroom as thick as beefsteak. A silky puree.

Serves 2

large ‘portobello’ mushrooms 2
olive oil 8 tablespoons
garlic 2 cloves, peeled
ground sumac 2 teaspoons
juice of half a lemon
chickpeas x 400g can
tahini 2 tablespoons
thyme leaves tablespoon
black sesame seeds tablespoon
white sesame seeds tablespoon

Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Cut out the stalks from the mushrooms, then place the mushrooms gill side up on a baking tray. Score the inside of each mushroom with the tip of a knife—it will allow the oil to penetrate—then pour one tablespoon of olive oil into each.

Use a pestle and mortar to crush the garlic, then pound in four table­spoons of the olive oil, the sumac, lemon juice and a little salt. Drain the chickpeas, then mash half into the oil and garlic paste. Stir in the tahini, thyme leaves and half of both the sesame seeds.

Fill the mushrooms with the chickpea paste, then cover each with the reserved whole chickpeas. Finally, trickle over the last of the olive oil and scatter with the reserved sesame seeds. Bake for about 30 minutes.

The best mushrooms for these are the very large portobello mushrooms with upturned edges to hold the filling.

RED CABBAGE, CARROTS, SMOKED ALMONDS
Crisp, crunchy, sour and smoky. A cabbage salad for a winter’s day.

Serves 4

a red onion
malt vinegar 50ml
cider vinegar 75ml
yellow mustard seeds teaspoon
red cabbage 450g
carrots 250g
a pear
smoked almonds a handful or two

For the dressing:
soured cream 150ml
pickling liquor from the onion 4 tablespoons
Dijon mustard teaspoon
grain mustard teaspoon
poppy seeds tablespoon

Peel the onion and finely slice into rings. Warm the vinegars, 120ml of water and the mustard seeds in a small saucepan, add half a teaspoon of salt and the onion. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat, cover and leave for 35 minutes.

Finely shred the red cabbage. Peel the carrots, then slice them into long shavings with a vegetable peeler. Halve, core and slice the pear. Toss the cabbage, carrots and pear with a little of the onion pickling liquid.

Make the dressing: Lightly beat the soured cream, onion pickling liquor, mustards and poppy seeds. Fold the dressing into the shredded cabbage, carrots and pear. Finally, add the smoked almonds and the pickled onions, drained of their remaining pickling liquor.

Should smoked almonds prove elusive, make your own by mixing smoked salt with a little paprika and groundnut oil, then toast in a dry pan, before adding the whole almonds.

PEARL BARLEY, KALE, GOAT’S CHEESE
Nutty grains, melting cheese, tender greens.

Serves 2

vegetable stock 800ml
pearl barley 200g
smoked garlic head
curly kale 150g
olive oil 4 tablespoons
goat’s cheese 200g

Heat the stock in a deep pan and tip in the pearl barley. Cut the smoked garlic in half horizontally, slicing through the skin and cloves, drop into the stock and simmer for 35 minutes until the barley is tender.

Cut the stems from the kale, setting the leaves aside. Roughly chop the stems. Pile the leaves on top of each other and finely shred into ribbons. Remove the smoked garlic, scoop out the flesh with a knife and crush to a paste. Discard the skins. (Any cloves that have fallen in the barley during cooking can be left in.)

Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow pan, add the chopped kale stems and cook for a few minutes until tender and bright. Stir in the crushed smoked garlic, then add the shredded kale leaves. Sizzle for a couple of minutes, then fold into the pearl barley, together with crumbled goat’s cheese.

I have suggested kale because of its stridency against the soft, smoky grain, but almost any brassica is applicable here.

Mozzarella would add strings of cheesy joy to the barley, as would Fontina.

I like the nutty quality of pearl barley, but this recipe could also be made with orzo pasta for a softer consistency.

The post COOK THIS: Greenfeast: autumn, winter by Nigel Slater appeared first on Modern Farmer.

A drizzly Sunday seemed like a great excuse to try the recipe for apple, turmeric and fennel soup. Fennel, leeks and onions are sautéed before adding apples, thyme and turmeric. This is then simmered with vegetable stock for about half an hour. The soup is blended until smooth and served topped with honeyed walnuts, red pepper flakes and fennel fronds. I found the turmeric a bit overpowering, but that’s easy to scale back. The apples added a lovely sweetness; this was the gently warming September lunch that I needed.

If you think of apples purely as year-round lunch-box stuffers, Apple is going to get you excited about the possibilities, as well as help you understand more about the different varieties available beyond the supermarket produce section. And if you’re already an apple aficionado with a backyard full of heirloom varieties about to drop, you’ll love the innovative ideas for using this season’s haul.

Wendy Underwood tests out cookbooks weekly on Instagram at @kitchenvscookbook.

Excerpted from Apple: Recipes from the Orchard © 2019 by James Rich, photographs by Jacqui Melville. Reproduced by permission of Hardie Grant. All rights reserved.

Apple, turmeric and fennel soup
Serves 4
Prep 20 mins
Cook 45 mins

There’s nothing better on a cool autumn evening than a warming bowl of spicy soup. Apples are great in soups, especially Bramleys. They break down adding a base note of sweetness while enhancing the other flavours in the dish. I love this recipe; in my mind it’s the perfect balance of savoury, sweet and spicy. If you want to take the heat up a notch, you can add more chilli (hot pepper) flakes at the end, but don’t go over the top with the turmeric. It’s a bold and confident flavour that can easily overpower, but used correctly will provide a golden warmth.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 leeks, trimmed and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped, reserving any leaves to garnish
2 cooking apples, such as Bramleys, cored and chopped (about 350 g/12 oz)
2 sprigs of thyme
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
750 ml (25 fl oz/3 cups) vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of walnuts, very roughly chopped
drizzle of Apple syrup (page 116) or runny honey

To serve
chilli (hot pepper) flakes
fennel leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks, onion and fennel and fry for 5–7 minutes until everything starts to become translucent but without allowing it to brown. Keep an eye on the mixture as you don’t want anything to burn or stick at all.

Add the apples and thyme and fry for a further 2–3 minutes to allow the apples to start to cook.

Then add the turmeric and give everything a good stir to coat all the ingredients in the pan equally. Fry for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. The fruit and vegetables will start to stick and go slightly brown – that’s okay at this point, but you don’t want them to burn.

Add the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring the pan to the boil for a minute and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. The fruit and vegetables need to be nice and soft and thoroughly cooked. You might need a little more or less time here, so keep watch.

While the soup is cooking, heat a non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat and toast the walnuts for a couple minutes, ensuring they don’t burn.

Add a little apple syrup or honey to the nuts, shaking the pan, until it begins to bubble and the walnuts are thoroughly coated. Turn the walnuts out onto a plate lined with baking parchment and leave to one side to cool.

Once the soup is cooked, leave to cool slightly before whizzing in a food processor in batches or blitz with a hand-held blender in the pan. You need to get it really smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little water or more stock.

Serve by filling bowls with soup and topping with the caramelised walnuts, a sprinkle of chilli flakes, some fennel leaves and a drizzle of olive oil – or any combination you like.

Apple, thyme and Cheddar scones
Makes 8–10
Prep 20 mins
Cook 15–20 mins

The flavours of the sweet apple and savoury, herby thyme blend nicely together in these aromatic scones, while the saltiness of extra mature Cheddar cuts through to provide a tasty bite. These scones are best served fresh and warm out of the oven.

200 g (7 oz/scant 1⅔ cups)
self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
100 g (3½ oz) cold butter, grated (shredded)
150 g (5 oz) Cheddar, finely grated (shredded)
2 sharp eating (dessert) apples, such as Cox’s, cored and grated (shredded)
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons whole milk, plus extra for brushing

Preheat a fan oven to 190°C (375°F/gas 7) and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.

Mix together the flour, mustard powder, baking powder, thyme and salt until well combined. Add the butter and rub the mixture together with your fingertips until evenly combined. Stir the cheese and apples into the mixture.

Mix the beaten eggs and milk together and gradually work into the flour mixture until you have a firm but moist dough. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it is about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick all over. Cut out the dough using a 80 mm (3 in) cutter – you should get at least 8 scones and maybe a couple more and brush with milk.

Put on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, watching closely so that they don’t overbake. Serve immediately.

Apple, coconut and ginger curry
Serves 4
Prep 10 mins
Cook 25–35 mins

Apples and curry do not sound like they should form a dish together at all. But fruit works wonderfully in curries. In fact, I think they could be my favourite kind. Here, the tartness of the apples, combined with the flavours of chillies and spices, are soothed by coconut milk and together it forms something quite special. The dish can be eaten as a side or as it comes, alongside some rice or naan bread.

I really wanted to explore adding apples to curry and so the inspiration for this dish comes from a Caribbean recipe and another from Sri Lanka, a mix of East meets West. It’s important to use sharp apples, such as Granny Smith, that will keep their shape when cooked. It’s also important to leave the skin on. If you are looking for a milder version, then remove the seeds from one or both of the chillies. However, personally, I would go for full heat and add more coconut milk if it needs taming at all.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
4 dried red chillies, chopped
4 curry leaves
1 green bird’s eye chilli, chopped
4 large sharp, green eating (dessert) apples, such as Granny Smith, quartered and cored
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5 cm (1 in) piece of ginger root, peeled and grated (shredded)
50 ml (1¾  fl oz/3 tablespoons) apple juice
400 g (14 oz) tin of coconut milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan (skillet). Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes to soften. Next, add the curry powder, turmeric, mustard and caraway seeds and dried chillies and toast the spices for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the curry leaves, chopped chilli, apple quarters, garlic and ginger to the pan and stir well to mix everything together. Cook for 10–15 minutes to allow the apples to start to cook and soften.

Add the apple juice and simmer for a minute, then pour in the coconut milk and reduce to a slight simmer. Add salt to season and cook gently for 10 minutes until everything is well blended and the sauce is thick with the softened apple chunks.

Once the curry has cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with either some steamed rice or a chapati or naan bread.

The post COOK THIS: Apple: Recipes from the Orchard by James Rich appeared first on Modern Farmer.