Thanksgiving Pumpkin
Happy Thanksgiving!
Although technically not celebrated in this country, it’s true that turkey day has gained some popularity in recent years even on this side of the pond. Perhaps partly due to our fascination with all things American and partly out of jealousy for those two whole days extra holiday that they get stateside. We could really do with a bank holiday in the autumn months!
I don’t doubt that part of it is to do with the dreaded (or anticipated?) Black Friday sales, an American import I’m particularly grateful for this year as we’ve recently received keys to our new place. We don’t have a washing machine or a hoover, so the discounts will come in handy, even if it means stepping off the high ground and begrudgingly taking part in the frenzy this year (albeit online).
There’s also been an uprise in the fascination for all things pumpkin – spiced lattes made a comeback around halloween this year and I’ve also seen recipes for soups and pies floating about. So while few over here will want to go the whole hog and have turkey in November (the brits save that for Christmas day), pumpkins are a different matter. Here are a few of my favourite ways to use up the popular squash and I should mention too that all of these would work equally well with the Butternut, Harlequin and Kaboucha varieties too.
Cheesy Pumpkin Scones
Makes 6
You will need:
175g peeled pumpkin, coarsely grated
120g strong hard cheese, like cheddar or Wensleydale
200g self raising flour, sifted
5 spring onions, chopped
1/4tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp milk
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5 and lightly oil a baking sheet. Place the grated pumpkin into a bowl with 80g of the cheese. Add the flour, spring onions, paprika and salt and stir to combine.
2. Briefly whisk the egg and milk together in a measuring jug and then slowly add to the dry ingredients, mixing all the while. You should end up with a sticky dough. Tip this out onto a floured work surface and use the palms of your hands to bring it to gather to form a smooth round.
3. Transfer to the baking sheet and reshape a little if necessary. Using the back of a knife, press into the dough, creating the indents of six triangles. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and dust with a little extra flour.
4. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Repeat the indenting process if necessary, then leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve as they are, with plenty of butter or use to dip into a bowl of soup.
Roasted Pumpkin with Kale, Burrata and Sumac
Serves 4
You will need:
750g pumpkin, cut into cubes
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
150g kale, roughly chopped
150g burrata
1 small bunch mint, leaves picked and torn
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Place the cubes of pumpkin onto a large oven tray and drizzle liberally with oil. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds, sumac and chilli flakes and season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together to coat the pumpkin cubes evenly with all the ingredients.
2. Place the pumpkin in the oven and roast for 25-30 mins, until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, blanch or steam the kale until just tender. Drain completely and pat dry, then drizzle with a tsp of olive oil and toss to coat.
3. Add the pumpkin to the oven tray for the final 10 minutes of cooking, just to allow it to crisp up a little. To serve, transfer the pumpkin and kale to a plate and tear or spoon over bits of the burrata (depending on how soft). Drizzle with a little extra olive oil, scatter with the mint and serve immediately.
Honeyed pumpkin and ricotta loaf cake with muesli streusel
You will need:
For the streusel
75g butter, softened
50g light muscovado sugar
25g oats
1 tbsp plain flour
3-4 tbsp mixed nuts and seeds, like peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
For the cake
350g self-raising flour
100g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
50g cooled melted butter
75g honey
1 large egg, beaten
150g ricotta
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
250g grated pumpkin
Method:
1 . Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 5. Butter and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin. Start by making the streusel. Beat the butter and sugar tougher, then add the oats and flour mixing to combine. Finally, add the nuts and stir to form a crumbly consistency. Set aside.
2. To make the cake, combine the flour, muscovado and ginger in a small bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, egg, honey, ricotta and vanilla essence (if using).
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined, then fold through the grated pumpkin.
5. Pour into your prepared loaf tin and scatter over the streusel mixture, pressing a few of the nuts into the batter.
6. Bake for an hour until golden and cooked through when tested with a cake tester. If the nuts are going very brown towards the end of the cooking time, cover with tinfoil and continue baking. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing and spreading with plenty of butter.
Of course, you don’t have to use fresh pumpkin at all and you certainly don’t have to make your own pumpkin puree to make a decent pumpkin pie. My local deli has started selling tins of pumpkin puree, once quite difficult to find even in London, so I nabbed a can for these cookies with pecans and brown butter frosting (is there a better kind of frosting? I’m not convinced there is…). This recipe is adapted from the second Magnolia Bakery book. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients, these are super easy.
Pumpkin Pecan Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting
Makes about 45 cookies
You will need:
For the cookies
350g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
4 tbsp vegetable oil
130g dark brown sugar
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs
250g pumpkin puree
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g chopped pecans
For the frosting
220g icing sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp butter
Pecan halves and cinnamon to decorate (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, spices into a small bowl and mix to combine.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar before beating in the eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients to the liquid ones, staring constantly to form quite a wet batter. Finally, stir in the pecans.
3. Drop the dough onto a lined baking tray in rounded spoonfuls and bake for 12-15 min, until golden coloured and risen.
4. To make the frosting, combine sugar, milk and vanilla in small bowl. Cook butter until lightly browned, 3-5 min, making sure not to burn it. Then remove it from heat, add other ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy. Cover until ready to use.
5. When cookies are completely cool, spread or drizzle the frosting onto them. Decorate with the pecans and/or a sprinkle or two of cinnamon, if you like. Serve with a tall glass of milk.
Blackberries in winter
Blackberries are, for me, the most winter-y of all fruits. There is something about their jewel-like shapes and dramatic colour that makes them particularly well suited for these darker months. And although they are in season and most perfect, ripe for the picking, during the early autumn (when these recipes were in fact shot), they are easily found in the supermarkets right through the winter months, intended for porridge topping and jam making. They have a sweet-tart thing going on, which makes them wonderful for desserts- they come into their own baked into cakes and crumbles. But they can also be served with meat, in particular game and, as I’ve done here, in a simple winter salad. The recipe for thumb cookies is a take on a traditional Swedish cookie called often made with raspberry jam called ‘hallongrottor’ which literally translates to rasbberry ‘caves.’ As a child I couldn’t resist them and always pestered my aunt to make them whenever she came to visit. Potato flour (note, flour NOT starch!) is super silky and adds a wonderful crumbly texture to the cookies. If you can’t find it, you can either substitute with more plain flour or try adding a little cornflour.
All photographs here are by Faith Mason, do have a look at more of her work on her site!
Kale, Cobnut and Blackberry Salad
Serves 4
You will need:
For the salad
2 large handfuls cobnuts (or use shelled hazelnuts if out of season)
1 bag kale- i used a mixture of green and purple
1 lime- juiced
1 punnet black berries
For the dressing
100g blackberries
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
a few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. Crack open the cobnut and remove from their leafy and hard shells. Place on an oven tray and toast for about 20 mins, until golden, tossing halfway through. Allow to cool completely.
2) Meanwhile, tear the kale into smaller pieces, discarding any larger woody stems. Place in a large bowl along with the lime juice and a generous pinch of salt. Gently massage the leaves for a few minutes, until they start to break down and become more tender- you’ll notice a gradual change in colour as they go darker. Add the blackberries and cobnuts and toss.
3) Blitz the blackberries, balsamic and olive oil along with a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Add the thyme leaves and blitz for another few seconds. Use to dress the salad.
Ginger, mint and blackberry fizz
Serves 2
You will need:
150g blackberries
small handfull mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 ball stem ginger, roughly choppped plus 1 tbsp of the syrup
1 tsp golden caster sugar
50 ml bourbon
ice
ginger ale
mint sprigs, to serve
Method:
1) Blitz together the blackberries, mint, ginger, syrup and sugar. Strain through a fine mesh seive. Add to a cocktail shaker with the bourbon and a large handful of ice. Shake vigrously, then pour into two ice filled glasses. Top with ginger ale and garnish with a mint sprig.
Blackberry, vanilla and bay thumb cookies
Makes aprox 30 cookies
You will need:
150g blackberries (fresh or frozen)
4 fresh bay leaves
150g golden caster sugar
240g plain flour
80g potato flour
pinch vanilla powder
1 tsp baking powder
225g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Method:
1) Place the blackberries, bay leaves and 50g of the sugar in a saucepan along with about 50ml of water. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the fruit has completely broken down and is very jammy. Allow to cool completely.
2) Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining sugar, flours, vanilla and baking powder. Add the cubed butter and mix together with your finger tips, working quickly to form a dough. Alternatively, pulse in a magimix.
3. Roll the dough into small balls- about the size of a walnut. Place these on the baking sheet before carefully making small indents into each with your thumb. Don’t worry if the dough cracks a bit, the cookies will still hold together. Fill each hole with a spoonfull of the jam. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just starting to turn golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Kale Pesto
Kale has had some brilliant press lately as a cure-all superfood. Whoever does its PR deserves one hellova pat on the back. I mean, it’s a cabbage. And although delicious, who ever thought that a cabbage could have so much appeal? Yet somehow kale is everywhere now- in juices, salads, stews and even crisps. A fad, perhaps, but this leafy veg actually deserves it’s moment in the limelight- it’s full of beta carotene, Vit C, K and calcium. It has a gorgeous, earthy taste and is genuinely versatile- steam it, bake it, have it stir fried, boiled, juiced or massage it (really) with some olive oil, lime juice and salt for a few minutes to tenderise it, then add pine nuts and cranberries for a salad worthy of a Californian health fanatic.
I’m putting my two cents in with my recipe for Kale pesto. My take has chilli and rosemary in it, for extra punch. I also bake the garlic and chilli in the oven first as I find this adds a lovely smoky flavour. This recipe makes a large amount- it should last you all week. Have it with pasta, gnocchi, drizzled on baked aubergine, roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash, mixed with a little water for a salad dressing, spread on toasted bread or a homemade pizza, in sandwiches, mixed with mince and made into burgers, stirred through peas with a little goats cheese, in a potato salad, as a dip, dolloped on soup, with white beans, lamb, fish, chicken or swirled through mash. Your pick.
Frequent readers of this blog (all two of you) will note that there’s been a small change to the way I write recipes- I’ve now added imperial measurements, which I hope will be useful.
Kale Pesto
You will need:
200g/7oz kale (approx 1 bag), woody stems removed
4 garlic cloves
2 long red chillies
3 large sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 lemon, juice and zest
25g/1/2oz Parmesan, grated
50g/1oz pine nuts, toasted
150ml/5fl oz extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Place the garlic cloves (still in their skins) and chilli on a small oven tray and bake for about 20-25 mins, until the chilli is starting to char and the garlic is soft. Allow to cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the kale and simmer until just tender, about 3-5 min. Drain very well, squeezing out any excess water.
3. Place the kale, rosemary, lemon zest, Parmesan and pine nuts in the bowl of a mixer (or use a handheld blender). Squeeze the garlic out of their cloves and add these along with the chillies, removing the seed if you like. Whizz to a paste, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running. Add lemon juice to taste and a little water if very thick.
Blood Oranges and Bergamot
The last few days have been gloriously sunny and bright- a real shock to the system after the wet, dank weather we’ve had since the start of the year. The only thing that really keeps me going towards from February to March is the promise of lighter days, warmer weather and finally being able to hang up my winter coat. It looks like I’ll be doing that a couple of weeks earlier this year- this weekend we even sat outside at the pub, squinting into the sun.
There is one bright and brilliant addition to the last push of winter that I always look forward to, though: blood oranges. It seems strange that this vibrant citrus fruit is in season during the winter, though I’m not complaining, as they always seem to arrive just when I need an injection of freshness and long for lighter foods. This year, I was lucky enough to find bergamots for sale alongside blood oranges at the brilliant Deli Downstairs, my local treasure trove. So I had a bit of a mad few weeks where every meal was finished with a juicy, plump Sicilian blood orange, bright juices streaming down my hands and feat like some sort of gory feast. But I also experimented with them in salads, puddings and bakes. The results are in.
Blood Orange Curd
Adapted from Steve Parle’s recipe, found here.
(makes 1 large jar)
You will need:
400ml blood orange juice (from about 8 blood oranges)
zest of 3 blood oranges
150g caster sugar
10 eggs (5 whole and 5 yolks)
200g butter, cubed
Method:
1. Sit a medium sized bowl over a pan of just simmering water. Add the blood orange juice, zest sugar and whole eggs along with 5 yolks. Allow to thicken for about 15 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the butter, one cube at a time, waiting until each has melted before adding the next one. Tip into a large sterilised jar, allow to cool completely then refrigerate. Use within two weeks.
Blood Orange and Mascarpone Victoria Sponge
(Serves many)
You will need:
175g butter
175g caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
175g self-raising flour, sifted
1 blood orange, zest and juice
blood orange curd
1 tub mascarpone
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease 2 x 23cm springform cake tins, lining each with a circle of greaseproof paper and greasing again. Cream the butter and sugar together with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, continuing to beat between each addition. Fold in the flour and orange zest, adding 1-2 tbsp of juice to lighten the mixture slightly.
2. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25 minutes or until the cakes are risen, golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Leave the cakes in their tins for 10 minutes, before removing from their tins and cooling completely on a wire rack. Generously spread one cake with the mascarpone and curd before sandwiching with the second cake.
Pan Fried Mackerel with Blood Orange and Fennel Salad
(Serves 2 as a light lunch or starter)
You will need:
220g pack of green beans, topped and tailed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of sugar1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly and any fronds reserved
2 blood oranges, peeled with any pith removed, sliced into rounds
large handful black olives, I used Kalamata
2 mackerel fillets, pin-boned (get the fish monger to do this for you)
small knob of butter
25g toasted flaked almonds
Method:
1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the beans and cook until just tender. Drain and place in a large bowl of ice cold water to cool and crisp up. Whisk together 2 tbsp of olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, sugar and some seasoning. Place the fennel, blood orange slices, drained green beans and olives in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss together then divide between two plates.
2. Add the remaining oil to a large, cold pan. Sit the mackerel, skin-side down, in the pan and turn the heat on to medium. Frying your fish this way means the fillets don’t curl up and ensures perfectly crispy skin. Keep frying, basting with the oil and adding a little knob of butter if necessary. Once the flesh of the fish has gone from translucent to opaque, it has cooked through. Flip over briefly and fry for a further 30 seconds. Top the salads with the fish fillets and sprinkle with flaked almonds and any reserved fennel fronds.
Bergamot and Blood Orange Pavlovas
(Serves 6)
You will need:
5 egg whites (from the curd, see recipe above)
2 bergamots, juice and zest
275g caster sugar plus a little extra
300ml double cream
1 blood orange, segmented
blood orange curd
handful pistachios, roughly chopped
Method:
1. To make the meringues, preheat the oven to 120C. Place the egg whites in a large, preferably metal or glass, bowl with a squeeze of bergamot juice. Whisk to stiff peaks. Mix the sugar with the zest of 1 bergamot then add in heaped tablespoonfuls to the whites, whisking between each addition. Line a large baking sheet with greaseproof paper, then drop on 6 even dollops of the meringue mixture, leaving as much space between each as your baking sheet will allow. Use a spoon to swirl each meringue nicely before placing the lower part of the oven for 1 hr 45 min- 2 hrs, until the meringues are crisp and dry and will easily lift off the baking sheet. Allow to cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the double cream until stiff peaks form. Add the zest of the remaining bergamot and a squeeze of the juice. Sweeten to taste with a little caster sugar, but keep in mind that the meringues are very sweet. Once ready to serve, place each meringue on a serving place the pile high with the cream, segmented blood orange slices (in the photos for these posts I used bergamot segments, but feel these were too sour), a dollop of blood orange curd and a sprinkle of the pistachios. Serve immediately.
Blood Orange Jelly with Custard
(makes 5-6 individual or 1 large jelly)
You will need:
For the jelly:
3 leaves of gelatine
300ml fresh blood orange juice (about 8 blood oranges)
25g sugar
For the custard:
290ml double cream
zest 1 blood orange
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp caster sugar
Method:
1. Begin by making the jelly. Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water so they are completely submerged. Leave for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, gently heat the blood orange juice and sugar until just dissolved. Do not boil. Set the sweetened juice to one side, then squeeze out any excess liquid from the now softened gelatine leaves and add to the pan. Stir for a few minutes, until all the gelatine has melted. Pour into a medium sized bowl or, for individual servings, ramekins and wine glasses work well. Allow to cool before chilling until completely set- at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
2. Make the custard. Place the cream and orange zest into a pan and bring slowly to the boil. Set aside to cool briefly. Beat the yolks and sugar in a medium-sized bowl briefly until combined and creamy. Pour over the cooled cream and then clean out your pan. Return the mixture to the pan and stir over a low heat, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. This should take about 10 minutes- do not simmer or boil at any point. Strain if necessary and use to top the set jellies. Return to the fridge for a further hour before serving.
Birthday- Part I of II
I can’t remember the last time I had a big birthday bash. Dinner and drinks, yes, absolutely. It’s a great excuse to get a few friends together at a favourite watering hole for a nibble and natter. But there’s normally just a few of us. Low key and lovely.
But, but. This year I’ve got a bigger birthday and that merits a bit more in way of celebrations. Three sound about right. So I had a summer lunch with family back in Sweden a few weeks ago, dinner at the delicious Brawn on the day itself and finally a do at Wilton’s Music Hall on the following Friday. Why not, after all?
The lunch I made for family and friends back on the island in Stockholm was a cross cultural affair with recipes inspired by my time at Leiths mixed in with a few family favourites. A sort of pan Moroccan-Swedish smörgåsbord with spiced lamb, tahini and aubergine meeting smoked fish, saffron and Västerbotten cheese. I’m not saying it necessarily made any kind of logical sense as a menu, but I figured it was my party and I’d cook what I wanted to. I’ve copied the full menu below.
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| Jasmine from the garden |
Admittedly there was a ridiculous amount of food but in my defence, there were 23 of us! And my family are pretty good eaters, it must be said. Luckily, I had some help from Toby, my trusted sous chef, who was particularly proud of the Moroccan meatballs he made (they have been mentioned several times since) and he insisted I post the recipe. The quiche calls for delicious Västerbotten cheese (a tongue-tingling tangy Swedish cheese), which is available at Waitrose and Ocado, however, a strong cheddar works just as well. For the terrine, I used a large rectangular bread tin, no need to go out and buy a special dish.
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| Lemon, Tarragon and Olive Chicken |
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| Tahini Green Peppers |
Kefta Maticha
(Lamb meatballs in tomato and cinnamon sauce)
A Recipe from Leiths Cookery Bible
You will need:
250g minced lamb
1/2 onion, peeled and grated
1.5 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp mint, chopped
1.5 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
salt to taste
For the sauce:
250g chopped tinned tomatoes
1 tsp parsley, chopped plus extra
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3-4 cinnamon sticks
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
sugar
Method:
1. Place the mince in a large mixing bowl and combine with the onion, parsley, garlic, spices and salt and pepper. Mix well.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan and add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add parsley and cinnamon and stir. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, shape the mince into meatballs. Add to the sauce and simmer gently until cooked through. Remove the cinnamon stick and check the seasoning, adjusting with salt, pepper and sugar.
4. Serve scattered with parsley and accompanied by a bulgur salad and flatbreads.
Smoked Mackerel, Trout and Saffron Potato Terrine
Adapted from the Chef’s Chef website.
For 1 large terrine mould, you will need:
600g Smoked mackerel (whole, approx 400g if you are using fillets only)
300g Floury potatoes
About 4 Smoked trout fillets (or two packets)
75g Butter, softened
two generous pinches of Saffron
1 tbsp Dill, finely chopped plus extra
1 Lemon
Method:
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil in a large pan of salted water along with a pinch of saffron. Line a large terrine mould or bread tin with a double layer of cling. You may find it easier to do this if you lightly wet the sheets of cling first. There should be plenty of overhang.
2. De-bone mackerel and remove the skin, separating the flesh into fillets.
3. Place mackerel fillets on the base and sides of the mould, packing tightly. You should find that the fillets will easily mould to each other and can use any smaller pieces to patch up any gaps.
4. Once the potatoes are cooked through, drain them and return to the hot pan for a minute to get rid of any excess moisture and fluff them up a bit. Add the butter, dill, a little lemon juice to taste. Mix together so that the potatoes begin to break up a bit. Season with salt, pepper and another pinch of saffron if desired.
5. Layer the centre of the mould with the potato mix and smoked trout and close the terrine with the rest of the mackerel.
6. Close cling film over the top of the mould and weight lightly for 4 hours minimum in the fridge, ideally weighted down and overnight.
7. Remove from the tin and from the cling. Cut into generous slices and scatter with dill.
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| Look who I found hanging out by the cake… |
