Lorraine Pascale - Home Cooking Made Easy

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a square 30cm by 30cm. To make the windmill, or what are sometimes called Imperial stars, cut the pastry into 7.5cm squares and make diagonal cuts from each corner to within 1cm of the centre. Put one or two apricot halves in the centre of the square and spoon over a little ready-made thick vanilla custard, then fold alternate corners of each cut section down to the centre, brushing the tips with beaten egg.

Place them into the fridge for 15 minutes or so until they are firm. Remove them from the fridge, brush them with eggwash and sprinkle with sugar, then place the pastries into the oven. Bake for about 20–25 minutes, or until they are firm, risen and golden brown.

Remove them from the oven and leave to cool.

Mains

There is always a question in my mind at the beginning of every day – and that is, what shall I serve for dinner? At the weekends, this also becomes, what shall I serve for lunch? Most days I get in the kitchen and whip up something for the family, but I will wholeheartedly put my hands in the air and say that some days I pop out to the local supermarket and buy something out of a packet to prick with a fork and bung in the oven. So, I wanted to come up with a chapter full of recipes to cook for a main meal, such as super-fast pan-fried lemon sole, to the slightly less quick but very much worth the wait slow-roast pork shoulder with crispy crackling and the very frequently made (in my house) not-so-Cornish pasties. However much time you have, and no matter what the occasion, there is much to choose from here, whether you’re planning a family meal or a smart dinner to impress.

‘An empty belly is the best cook.’

Estonian proverb

Decadent rosemary & Worcestershire sauce shepherd’s pie

This pie is an old-school classic with a hint of something extra.

Serves 4–6

Oil, for cooking

2 medium red onions, peeled and chopped

3–4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 stick of celery, trimmed and chopped (optional)

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

700–750g lamb mince

2 large squidges of tomato purée

3–4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

200ml Madeira or a good red wine or lamb or beef stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

Mashed potato

1kg mashing potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

70ml single cream

75g butter

Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Grated cheese and breadcrumbs, for sprinkling (optional)

Equipment

Medium casserole dish

Piping bag fitted with a star nozzle

Heat some oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook for a few minutes until they are soft. Add the balsamic vinegar, turn up the heat and cook until all the vinegar has evaporated – this adds a little extra flavour. Add the carrots, celery, if using, and rosemary, then stir it all together and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the lamb mince, break it up with a wooden spoon and cook it until the meat has turned from pink to brown.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, wine or stock, salt and pepper and the bay leaf and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the mashed potato, put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Cover with the lid so it comes to the boil faster. Once it is boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 10–20 minutes, or until they are nice and tender and a knife can glide through them easily.

Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pan. Using a potato masher or mouli, mash the potatoes until smooth, then add the cream, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg, if using, and mix well together. If the mashed potatoes have gone cold, then return the pan to the hob and heat over a medium heat. Make a well in the centre of the potatoes, drop in the butter and wait until it melts, then remove the pan from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients, mixing well. Taste, adjust the seasoning, add more butter if needed, then set aside.

Tip the meat mixture into the casserole dish. If you find that there is too much liquid at this stage, use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to the casserole dish. This lovely leftover gravy can be used to pour over the shepherd’s pie once it is cooked.

Dollop the mash on top and fork it through to make a pattern. I like to allow the mash to cool a bit, then put it into the piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe the mash on top. Cook the shepherd’s pie in the oven for 20–30 minutes. While not strictly authentic, a large handful each of grated cheese and breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top prior to baking is a delicious optional extra.

Serve with a crispy and crunchy green salad.

Lemon, tarragon & garlic quick roast chicken with oven-baked potato slices

This is the best way to cook a chicken when time is not on your side; because the chicken is cooked flat it needs less cooking time, so the bird stays beautifully moist.

Serves 4

5 medium potatoes

1 bulb of garlic, unpeeled

Oil, for drizzling and rubbing

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