Rachel Allen - Entertaining at Home

Crab bisque Crab bisque A bisque is a gorgeous rich creamy soup made using fish, shellfish or meat. This crab bisque is fab — the sweetness of the crab meat is lightened ever so slightly by the tomatoes and ginger. You can either buy cooked crab meat or to cook your own (see below). Serve the soup as a starter or for lunch with crusty bread. SERVES AT LEAST 6 50g (2oz) butter 1 onion (about 200g/7oz), peeled and chopped Salt and ground black pepper 400g (14oz) cooked crab meat from 2 medium–large crabs (white and brown meat if possible) 100ml (3½fl oz) dry white wine 2 tsp peeled and finely chopped root ginger 600ml (1 pint) Crab or Prawn/Shrimp Stock (see opposite) or fish stock 200g (7oz) chopped fresh or tinned tomatoes 100ml (3½fl oz) single or regular cream 1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat, then add the onion with some salt and pepper and cook for 6–8 minutes or until the onion is softened but not browned. 2 Add all the remaining ingredients apart from the cream and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes or until the tomatoes are completely soft. 3 Remove the saucepan from the heat and whiz the soup in a blender. Reheat gently if necessary and stir in the cream, season to taste and serve immediately with some crusty bread.

Salade Niçoise Salade Niçoise This is, of course, a classic, and when made with freshly seared tuna and delicious seasonal vegetables, lovely free-range eggs and really good olive oil, it is a perfect, fresh daytime dish. SERVES 6 18 small new potatoes, unpeeled Salt and ground black pepper 18 French beans 3 handfuls of rocket leaves 3 chunky tuna steaks, seared 6 eggs, hard-boiled (see tip below), peeled and cut into quarters 2 tbsp chopped parsley 2 tbsp sliced or torn basil 6 very ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges 24 black olives with the stones in, or pitted if you prefer (see tip below) 2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed 9 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 1cm (½in) chunks 18 tinned anchovies, drained and rinsed Handful of chopped mixed herbs For the dressing 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp runny honey 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 1 Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil, then cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes and cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks and set aside. 2 Meanwhile, bring another saucepan of water to the boil, add a good pinch of salt and cook the French beans for 3–4 minutes or until just cooked but still a little ‘squeaky’ when bitten, then drain and set aside. 3 Next make the dressing by placing all the ingredients in a clean screw-top jam jar. Season with a little salt and pepper, then place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously. Set aside. 4 Place the rocket leaves in a serving dish, then arrange the cooked potatoes and beans randomly on top, along with the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the dressing and sprinkle with the herbs. Toss the salad so all the ingredients are evenly coated in the dressing and serve immediately.

Chicken and cabbage salad Chicken and cabbage salad This is a wonderful, great big salad to serve as a centrepiece for a lunch with friends. Like any good salad, this one has a lovely balance of flavours and textures. SERVES 6–8 4 large cooked chicken breasts or thighs, shredded 1 tsp chopped tarragon 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 200g (7oz) streaky bacon rashers ½ green leafy cabbage, such as Savoy 2 green eating apples, grated 3 large carrots, peeled and grated 2 tbsp mayonnaise Salt and ground black pepper 1 In a large bowl, mix together the chicken with the tarragon, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar. 2 Cut the bacon rashers into 2cm (¾in) pieces. Quarter the cabbage lenthways, remove the core and finely slice the leaves. 3 Place a frying pan on a medium-high heat and pour in the remaining olive oil. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes or until the bacon is golden and crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. 4 When the bacon is cooked, add it to the bowl with the chicken, followed by all the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then toss together and serve.

Thai noodle broth Thai noodle broth The Thai tradition of making a specially flavoured paste as a base for soups is a great way of dispersing flavours, but it’s also such a convenient method for entertaining, as the paste can be made beforehand and will keep for a week or two. I’ve used tiger prawns here, but you could use any prawns or chicken. SERVES 3–4 75g (3oz) egg or rice noodles (optional) 1 × 400ml tin of coconut milk 450ml (16fl oz) chicken stock 250g (9fl oz) peeled raw tiger prawns For the paste 1 bunch of coriander 1 lemongrass stalk (outer layer removed), roughly chopped 3 cloves of garlic, peeled 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla) 2 tbsp caster sugar ½ red chilli, deseeded To serve ½ red chilli, deseeded and sliced Juice of 1 lime A few splashes of fish sauce (nam pla) 1 Cook the egg or rice noodles (if using) following the instructions on the packet, then drain and rinse through with cold water. Drain again. 2 For the paste, remove the leaves from the coriander and chop 4 tablespoons of the leaves to serve. Set aside and put the stalks, together with the rest of the paste ingredients and 2 tablespoons of water, in a food processor. Whiz for 1–2 minutes or until smooth. 3 Pour into a large saucepan and cook for 1 minute on a medium heat, then add the coconut milk and stock and gently warm through for 5 minutes. Add the prawns and noodles (if using) and cook for a further 2 minutes. 4 To serve, stir in the chilli, chopped coriander leaves, lime juice and fish sauce, and pour into warmed bowls.

Pork rillettes Pork rillettes This has to be one of my very favourite things to eat! It’s a sort of rough pâté. Traditionally made just with pork, rillettes is now prepared with other types of meat and even fish, but the original is the best in my opinion. I usually pot it and serve it as a starter or for lunch with delicious breads from the market and some cornichons on the side. It will keep for a few months if left completely covered in the fat in a sealed jar. MAKES 1 LITRE (1¾ PINTS) 500g (1lb 2oz) pork belly 500g (1lb 2oz) pork shoulder 200ml (7fl oz) dry white wine 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg ½ tsp ground black pepper, plus extra if needed 2 tsp sea salt, plus extra if needed 2 bay leaves 1 tbsp chopped thyme or rosemary leaves Medium-sized casserole dish or ovenproof saucepan 1 Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas mark 2. 2 Remove the rind and fat from the top of the pork and cut the flesh into 1–2cm (½–¾in) cubes. Also cut the pork shoulder into 1–2cm (½–¾in) cubes. Set the shoulder and flesh aside. Roughly chop the pork belly rind and fat into a few pieces and place in a roasting tin. Cook in the oven for ½–1 hour to render the fat, then pour the liquid into a bowl and discard (or eat!) the cooked rind. Set aside until later. 3 To make the rillettes, place all the remaining ingredients in a casserole dish or ovenproof saucepan with the meat. Place on a medium heat, stirring to mix everything together. Bring to simmering point, then cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. The rillettes need to cook for about 5 hours; all the fat on the meat should be rendered into liquid and the meat should be flaky and not at all chewy. You can break the meat up a little if you wish. 4 Taste for seasoning, then transfer to one or more sterilised preserving jars (see tip below), packing the meat down tightly and pouring over the rendered fat to just cover the meat. Allow to cool to room temperature so the fat has solidified before serving.