Lorraine Pascale - Home Cooking Made Easy

LORRAINE PASCALE

Home Cooking

Made Easy

100 fabulous,

easy to make recipes

Photographs by Myles New

Contents

Cover

Title Page LORRAINE PASCALE Home Cooking Made Easy 100 fabulous, easy to make recipes Photographs by Myles New

Introduction

Starters, Soups, Canapés & Snacks Starters, Soups, Canapés & Snacks It’s not every day that I serve starters and canapés, but when I do it’s usually something quick, easy and super tasty. Bacon and mature Cheddar twisties have become a firm favourite in my house, so much so that I often make a large batch and store them in a plastic container for people to grab on the go. Needless to say, they don’t usually last very long. My sausage rolls have a special twist, and the herbed Scotch eggs have a special place in my heart! On those I-don’t-feel-like-going outside days, my duvet day chicken noodle soup gives edible relief, while roasted butternut squash soup with chilli and ginger is real food for the soul. ‘One cannot think well, love well and sleep well, if one has not dined well.’ Virginia Woolf

Bacon & mature Cheddar cheese twisties Bacon & mature Cheddar cheese twisties When I made a batch of these they were gone before they were even cool! These are in my top ten all-time favourite foods and are fantastically easy to make. For a little extra spice, sprinkle on some paprika or cayenne. Makes 14 twisties 1 x 375g puff pastry Plain flour, for dusting 1 tbsp English mustard 100g mature Cheddar cheese, grated Freshly ground black pepper 14 or so slices of really good-quality thin bacon (sadly, the regular stuff is just too salty) or 14 slices of prosciutto or pancetta 1 egg, lightly beaten, for the eggwash Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and set aside. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a large rectangle that is as long (when I say ‘long’ I mean the height from top to bottom) as one of the slices of bacon and as wide as you can roll it. The pastry should be about 5mm thick. Turn the pastry so that the longest side is facing you and spread the mustard over, then sprinkle with the cheese and black pepper. Lay the pieces of bacon down side by side as if they were all lying in bed together, leaving a 2mm gap between each piece. Then use a sharp knife to cut between each piece. Pick up one piece and twist it about 4–5 times so it looks like a curly straw, then put it on the prepared baking tray and repeat with the rest of the twisties, arranging them spaced apart, as they will spread a little during baking. Put the trays in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to firm up, or in the freezer for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7. Remove the twisties from the fridge and brush the pastry with the eggwash. Put the baking trays into the oven, turn the oven down to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6 and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is well risen and looks golden brown. Preheating the oven at a higher temperature compensates for any lost hot air when the oven is opened to put the twisties in. Otherwise, the oven temperature may drop to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4 and it would not be hot enough to give the twisties that big blast of heat they need. When they are cooked, remove them from the oven and leave to cool.

Sausage roll’s big night out Sausage roll’s big night out I don’t have people over for dinner too much these days, as there do not seem to be enough hours in the day. The few times a year I do, however, these sausage rolls make a regular appearance. I know salami sticks are not everyone’s cup of tea, but all tucked up in puff pastry then lightly cooked they remind me of my youth, when Mum would put one in my lunch box along with egg-and-salad-cream sandwiches, prawn cocktail crisps and a carton of my favourite blackcurrant cordial. Makes 6 1 x 375g packet of puff pastry Flour, for dusting 6 skinny regular-sized salami sticks, cut in half 1 egg, lightly beaten, for the eggwash Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7. Cut the pastry in half and roll one half out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 42cm wide and 9cm high (or the height of half the salami stick). Trim the edges with a sharp knife to neaten them a little if necessary. Lay a salami stick half on the pastry about 1cm from the left-hand side edge, then take another one and lay it 4cm away from that one. Repeat until you have four sticks lying side by side (but spaced apart on the pastry). This will use up half of your 42cm piece of pastry. Brush the side with the salami sticks with the beaten egg, brushing it well in between the gaps and all around. Fold the other half of the pastry over the sticks like a neat book and press down in between them so they are nicely covered and the pastry is fitted all around. The salami sticks may roll round a little, but gentle prodding will get them to their right place in the end. They should look like they have been tucked up in bed! Now place this in the fridge to firm up, then repeat with the other half of the pastry and the remaining salami. Once the pastry is firm enough, remove from the fridge and put one block on a chopping board. Place the pastry so that the salami sticks are horizontal like the rungs of a ladder. Using a sharp knife, cut a slice vertically about 1cm thick. Repeat all the way along with both blocks of pastry, then place each slice onto a baking sheet, spacing them about 2cm apart because they tend to spread during baking. Brush the pastry (try to avoid the salami sticks) with the eggwash and place in the oven. Turn the oven down to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6 and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is well risen and golden brown. Have a peek through the glass at 15 minutes to see how they are doing, just in case they have cooked more quickly.

Goat’s cheese truffles

Roasted butternut squash soup with chilli & ginger Roasted butternut squash soup with chilli & ginger This is the soup that broke me – it turned me from being a model into wanting to be a chef. I made it one autumnal day in Battersea and the sweet, deep, slightly spicy taste blew me away. Makes about 1.2 litres, serves 4 1 medium butternut squash, about 800g, unpeeled, deseeded and cut in half from top to bottom 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled and squashed 2 tbsp olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 50g butter 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced 1 x 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated Pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional) or 1–2 chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (I like my chillies quite hot), plus extra to serve 900ml of liquid chicken stock (veggie stock is good but chicken stock usually has a better flavour) Squeeze of lime juice To serve Splash of coconut milk Few fresh coriander leaves Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7. Put the butternut squash halves on a large roasting tray with the garlic. Slash the squash with a knife, then drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and season well. Roast in the oven for about 30–35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the squash slides through easily and it is nice and soft. While the squash is roasting, put the remaining tablespoon of oil and the butter in a large pan over a low heat. Add the onion and seasoning and leave to soften right down, stirring occasionally. This is a little time-consuming and can take up to 20 minutes or so, but it is worth it for the sweetness of flavour. Remove the roasted squash from the oven and leave to cool a little, turn the oven off and pop some bowls in to warm. As soon as the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin and set aside, discarding the skin. Once the onion is soft, squeeze in the roasted garlic clove, discarding the skin, then add the squash, ginger, chilli and stock. Bring to the boil then take it off the heat. Next, get another large pan at the ready. Working in batches, blitz the soup in a blender, pouring the smooth soup into the clean pan. I like to blitz it until it is really, really smooth. Once all the soup has been blitzed, return the soup to the hob to heat through until piping hot. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it. At this stage I often add a squeeze of lime juice, which really lifts the flavours of the soup. Ladle the piping hot soup into the warmed serving bowls and serve with a little coconut milk drizzled over the top and a sprinkling of coriander leaves and finely sliced chilli.