Kevin Dundon - Great Family Food

This is a delicious and really warming soup, and on cold days the girls often take it to school. Its beauty is that it can be made in advance and reheated as required, so why not make a double batch to keep out the winter chill?

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

400g/14oz pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks

2 celery sticks, sliced

1 parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

75g/3oz/ 3/ 4stick butter

1/ 2onion, peeled and cut into chunks

1 leek, trimmed and sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 rounded tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

1.5 litres/2 1/ 2pints/6 1/ 4cups vegetable stock

200ml/7fl oz/generous 3/ 4cup double cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.

2Put the prepared carrots, pumpkin, celery, parsnip and sweet potatoes in a roasting tin, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

3Meanwhile, gently heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, leek, garlic and chilli flakes (if using) and fry for 6-8 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables, pour in the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are fully softened. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cream, season with salt and pepper and blitz to a smooth purée using a hand-held blender.

4Correct the consistency with additional stock if required. Return the pan to the heat and reheat gently. Serve steaming hot with a swirl of double cream, a twist of black pepper and buttered crusty brown bread.

Asparagus is a wonderful spring vegetable, and this smooth and creamy soup is great for those days when there’s still a chill in the air. It has the most delightful green colour, which is enhanced by the fragrant garlic leaves. For a lighter option, try using crème fraîche instead of cream.

900g/2lb fresh asparagus

50g/2oz/ 1/ 2stick butter sunflower oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

25g/1oz/2 1/ 2tbsp plain flour

1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups boiling vegetable stock

125ml/4fl oz/ 1/ 2cup double cream

50g/2oz wild garlic leaves, or chives, roughly chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Croûtons:

3 slices of stale bread, cut into small dice

2 tsp sunflower oil

1If you want to make your own croûtons, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Spread out the cubes of bread flat on a baking tray and drizzle with the oil. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Alternatively, buy ready-made croûtons.

2Prepare the asparagus by trimming off the tough outer stalks. These can be used for making stock.

3Melt the butter in a large saucepan, adding just a little oil to help prevent burning. Add the chopped onion and fry gently for 6-8 minutes, or until soft but not brown.

4Add the trimmed asparagus and cook with the onion for a further 10 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Mix in the flour and stir until the vegetables are completely coated with the flour. Pour in the boiling stock and stir for 2 minutes, making sure that none of the flour has stuck to the sides of the pan. Bring this mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

5Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream, wild garlic and seasoning. Using either a hand-held blender or a food processor, purée the soup in small batches. Return to the heat, correct the seasoning, warm through and serve with croûtons.

This recipe is great, as it uses ingredients that you may already have in your larder. Because the marinade is quite strong, it takes only 30 minutes to infuse the fish with its piquant flavour.

6 salmon darnes or steaks (175g/6oz each)

sunflower oil, for frying

Marinade:

250ml/9fl oz/1 cup soy sauce

scant 4 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp tomato purée

dash of Tabasco sauce

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp sesame oil

1 red chilli, chopped

2.5cm/1in piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped

2 tsp chopped fresh coriander

1To make the marinade, put all the ingredients into a large bowl and whisk rapidly until thoroughly combined. Place the salmon darnes or steaks into the marinade and mix gently to ensure that the salmon is completely covered. Set aside in a cool place to marinate for 30 minutes.

2When you are ready to cook the salmon, remove it from the marinade. Place a large frying pan drizzled with a little oil over a medium heat. Pan-fry the salmon on each side for 4 minutes (starting flesh-side down), then pour the remainder of the marinade into the pan and allow it to bubble up around the fish. Continue cooking on a medium heat for a further 5-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. When the salmon is cooked, it should be firm to the touch.

3Transfer to serving plates and spoon a little of the reduced syrupy marinade onto the top of the salmon. I like to serve this with basmati rice and garden salad (see page 130).

This roulade looks amazing, but is really very simple to make and tastes delicious with a crisp glass of Chablis. I use leeks and sweetcorn for the filling, but you can try alternatives such as goat’s cheese and roasted red peppers, chargrilled aubergine and courgettes or roasted cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella.

25g/1oz/ 1/ 4stick butter, plus

extra for cooking the leeks

1/ 2tsp ground nutmeg

600g/1lb 5oz baby spinach

4 free-range eggs, separated

75g/3oz/ 3/ 4cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced

175g/6oz/ 3/ 4cup crème fraîche

1 × 275g/10oz tin of sweetcorn, drained

4 tsp chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Line a 33 × 23cm/ 13 × 9in Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.

2In a large saucepan, melt the butter, add the nutmeg and spinach and wilt the spinach for 3-4 minutes, or until it is completely cooked. Remove from the heat, squeeze dry, season with a little salt and pepper and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

3Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl for 3-4 minutes, or until they are pale and creamy. Add the cooled and drained spinach.

4Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they are stiff and full of air. Gently fold the egg whites into the spinach mixture and transfer to the prepared tin. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan on the top. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Allow to cool completely in the tin.

5Meanwhile, in a small pan, sweat the leeks in a little butter until they are completely soft. Allow to cool. Invert the roulade onto a large piece of parchment paper.

6Mix the leeks, crème fraîche, sweetcorn and parsley together with some seasoning. Spread the creamy filling over the roulade and roll up tightly. Be warned—it does have a tendency to crack. Serve with a large salad or some minted baby potatoes.