It can be hard to think outside the box when it comes to mealtimes. A busy working week doesn’t always allow for trying out new recipes, but our popular Chefs series is one that we revisit time and time again. The nine part series where leading chefs around London share their favourite recipes is the perfect way to expand your culinary skills.
PART ONE
In a bid to make mealtimes more exciting and expand your repertoire in the kitchen, we’ve enlisted the help of some of London’s top chefs who have shared their favourite recipes. What started out as a few recipes from some of our culinary favourites has turned into an absolute beast of a series with over 100 recipes that will not only get your reaquainted with your stove but earn you some brownie points with the rest of your household.
Read through this week’s offering and keep scrolling for over 100 chef-approved recipes that make up our delicious lockdown series.
On the menu this week we have everything from Theo Randall’s delicious pasta which only requires five ingredients to Vitelio Reyes of Amazonico fame’s legendry guac that you’ll quite literally want to pile on everything, here are eight fresh recipes to make this week.
We’ll be bringing you a selection of dishes each week, all using easy-to-find ingredients and amateaur kitchen skills, from one-pan wonders to something a little fancier and sweet treats: welcome to our Chefs Series.
Harissa Chicken
from Carlo Scotto, Chef & Owner at Xier | XR
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Chicken Breast
- 45g of Harissa Paste
- Olive oil
- 200g bag of baby spinach
- 1 tin of Piquillo peppers
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 shallot
METHOD
- Mix the harissa paste with the olive oil and marinate the chicken breast overnight ideally, or at least for four hours.
- Pour a splash of oil in a frying pan and place the marinated chicken skin down on a medium heat to crisp the skin off. Next place the chicken in a preheated oven at 160 degrease for 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, remove the stalks from the baby spinach and wash them, then open the piquillo tin and remove all the seeds inside and slice the peppers.
- Slice the garlic and the shallot and then add to a frying pan with a splash of oil and cook for around two minutes. Next add the spinach and the piquillo and cook for around 5 minutes on a low heat.
- To serve, place the mix of spinach and piquillo in the centre of the plate and add the chicken on top.
Courgette & Parmesan Pasta
by Theo Randall, Theo Randall, Theo Randall at the InterContinental
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 300g of Penne Rigate
- 4 courgettes ( cut into 1cm rounds)
- 2 medium sized white onions ( cut in to thin slices)
- 4 tbsp of olive oil
- 100g grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 8 basil leaves
METHOD
- Cook the onions slowly in a sauce pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil for 20 mins until soft but with no colour. Fry the courgettes in a frying pan gently for 20 mins until soft, do this at the same time in two pans if possible, to save time. Add the basil leaves to the courgettes so they absorb the flavour of the basil. Season and take off the heat but leave the courgettes in the pan.
- In a pot of salted boiling water add the Penne and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests. Remove the Penne from the pot with a slotted spoon and add to the frying pan with the courgettes and 2 ladles of pasta water. Place the frying pan back on the stove and add the onions and courgette to the penne. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- In a bowl beat up the egg yolks and Parmesan cheese and pour into the pan with the Penne courgettes onions and basil. Toss well and add a little more pasta water so it remains really creamy. Serve in hot bowls with black pepper and a little grated Parmesan on the side.
Simple Stews
from Rose Mann, CEO & Co-Founder of Farm Girl
Stewing veggies is a good one because it can be made into soup, or a pasta sauce. The stew can also be added to rice for a simple and delicious meal. Then I might add something extra like chicken or lamb and cook together to marinade.
INGREDIENTS
You can use a combination of any veggies you want – my go to ingredients are:
- Aubergine
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Garlic
- To finish I add a teaspoon of bouillon and herbs / spices. Including thyme, oregano and basil (can be from the cupboard or garden). Salt, pepper and some fresh chilli.
Amazonico’s Famous Guacamole
by Vitelio Reyes, Executive Chef at Amazonico
INGREDIENTS
- 2 whole ripe avocados
- 1/4 red onion in small dices
- 1 whole tomato – small dices and seeds removed
- 1 lime – juice only
- 1 small red chili – finely chopped
- Small bunch Coriander – finely chopped
- Pinch salt
- Glug olive oil
METHOD
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together until you have a smooth paste.
- Serve with tortilla chips as a snack or with spiced chicken or pork as an accompaniment.
Grilled Lemon Sole with Seashore Vegetables
by Matthew Whitfield, Head Chef at The Montagu Arms
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium lemon sole (weighing about 300-500g)
- 1 cucumber
- 50g samphire
- 50g salty fingers
- 50g sea purslane
- 50g sea ice lettuce
- Dill
- 2 shallots
- 200g crème fraiche
- Salt/pepper
- Lemon juice
- 200ml white wine
- 200Ml noilly prat
- Olive oil
METHOD
- Skin and fillet the lemon sole and place both fillets from one side of the fish on top of each other to for a portion of fish. You will have 4 portions of fish. Leave the fish in the fridge until needed.
- To make the sauce firstly Cook down the shallots slowly with no colour until soft. Add 200ml white wine and 200ml of noilly prat and reduce until dry.
- Take out half of the shallots and keep for the garnish on the plate.
- Place the other half in the blender and blend with the crème fraiche and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- For the cucumber, firstly peel and discard the skin. Continue to peel the cucumber to create ribbons and season with lemon juice and olive oil.
- Take the heart of the cucumber and char with a blow torch on all side and season with salt and lemon juice. Cut into small pieces to garnish.
- Take all of the seashore vegetable and wash in cold water and season with lemon juice.
- Grill the fish gently until cooked and season with lemon juice.
- Heat the shallots with the samphire and chopped dill and place on the left had side of the plate.
- Place the fish on top of the shallots.
- Place 3 pieces of the charred cucumber on the right-hand side of the plate and lay the ribbons of cucumber over the top.
- Add the seashore vegetables to this and place small sprigs of dill onto the garnish.
- Heat the sauce and pour in the centre of the plate and serve
Chilli Con Carne
by David Coutts, Executive Head Chef at The Runnymede
INGREDIENTS
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
- Olive oil
- 500g minced beef
- 1tsp ground cumin
- 2tsp dried oregano
- 2tsp sweet paprika
- 1 Bay leaf
- 3tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tin tinned tomatoes (chopped)
- 200mls beef stock
- 1 tin kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Parsley (chopped)
METHOD
- Sweat onion, garlic and chilli in olive oil until softened, add the dried spices and cook until they give off a nice aroma, then season.
- In a separate pan, seal the minced beef in moderately hot oil to brown the meat.
- Add the beef to the onion and spices and mix together.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.
- Add the stock, bay leaf and tomato paste.
- Bring to the boil and turn down to a gentle simmer for about 45 minutes.
- Add kidney beans and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes until it has thickened slightly.
- Season to taste.
- Serve with steamed rice, a sprinkling of chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream.
TOP TIPS
- Chilli Con Carne tastes better the next day when the beans have soaked up the flavours.
- Brown the meat in small batches so that it browns evenly, increasing the flavour.
Leafy Spring Salad
by Eran Tibi, Head Chef & Founder of Bala Baya
INGREDIENTS
- Mixed leafy herbs.
- Sliced fresh or dried fruit you’ve hydrated
- Any kind of seeds or whole spices
- Any cheese
- Dressing made from an oil (of your preference) and a citrus juice or vinegar
METHOD
Pan fry your seeds a little bit. Mix all your herbs in a bowl and add those seeds. Pour a generous amount of drizzle of oil and juice. Crumble or shave your cheese. Slice the fruit and gently toss it all together with a touch of salt.
Serve immediately.
Sashimi Salad with Matushisa Dressing
by Nobu London
INGREDIENTS:
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 200g fresh tuna fillet
- 60g assorted salad vegetables
FOR THE DRESSING:
- 70g finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 4 teaspoons grapeseed oil
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
METHOD:
- Start by making the dressing. Combine all the ingredients except the oils. When the salt is fully dissolved, add oils.
- Preheat a grill or broiler. Sprinkle a little sea salt and black pepper on the tuna. Briefly sear the tuna until its surface turns white. Plunge the fillet into iced water to stop it cooking any further, then shake off the excess water.
- Pour the Matsuhisa Dressing into a serving dish. Arrange the salad vegetables in the centre of the dish. Cut the tuna into slices 4-5mm thick. Roll each slice into a cylinder and place them in a petal-like pattern around the vegetables in the centre.
TOP TIP: Many local fishmongers are still open, but if you can’t find tuna then this salad is also delicious on its own as a vegetarian dish. If you don’t have grapeseed oil, you can use a good olive oil instead. This all-purpose dressing also works with meat or spooned over chilled tofu – one of Nobu san’s favourite ways to enjoy it.
Croissant Pudding
by Apollonia Poilâne, CEO and Third Generation Baker at Poilâne
SERVES 6-8
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup packed (75g) light brown sugar
- Fine sea salt
- 2 cups (475ml) whole milk
- Six 1- 2-day-old Croissants, torn into thirds
- Softened butter, for the pan
- Whipped cream and raspberries, for serving (optional)
METHOD
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Pour in the milk and whisk until frothy.
- Place the torn croissants in a large bowl and pour the egg mixture over them. Toss together and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours so the croissants absorb the liquid (or coverage with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight).
- Position a rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13-cm) loaf pan.
- Transfer the croissant mixture, including any liquid, to the pan. Bake until the custard is set and the top is browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
- Cut the pudding into slices and serve warm or cold with whipped cream and fresh fruit, if you like.
Croissants are at their best the day they’re made, but there’s a limit to how many you can eat in one sitting! Give leftovers new life with this pudding.
www.poilane.com
LOOKING FOR MORE RECIPES?
CHEFS LOCKDOWN SERIES PART 2
CHEFS LOCKDOWN SERIES PART 3
CHEFS LOCKDOWN SERIES PART 4
CHEFS LOCKDOWN SERIES PART 5
CHEFS LOCKDOWN SERIES PART 6
CHEFS LOCKDOWN SERIES PART 7
