Rachel Allen - Recipes from My Mother

8. Loosen the remaining dressing with 1 tablespoon of the beetroot cooking liquid. Dress the leaves, divide among four plates in a ‘nest’ in the centre of each. Alternate wedges of beetroot and blobs of cheese around the leaves. Chop the candied pearl barley and sprinkle over, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

Scandi kale salad with horseradish

SERVES 4–6

A lovely simple salad with Scandi flavours that uses lots of nutritious raw kale. The deliciously hot/sweet/tangy dressing is also super tossed with raw grated beetroot, carrot and celeriac, slaw-style.

200g (7oz) de-stalked kale leaves, roughly chopped

For the dressing

175g (6oz) crème fraîche

120ml (4fl oz) lemon juice

2½ tbsp finely grated horseradish

40g (1½oz) sugar

pinch of sea salt

1. Place the kale leaves in a bowl.

2. To make the dressing, whisk together the crème fraîche, lemon juice, horseradish and sugar, and season with a pinch of salt. Add the dressing to the kale and toss to combine.

Beetroot and coriander hummus

MAKES 450ml (16fl oz)

1 raw beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks

1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp light tahini (sesame seed paste)

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed

juice of ½–1 lemon, to taste

2 tbsp chopped coriander

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the beetroot chunks, chickpeas, garlic and tahini into a food processor, pour in the olive oil, then pulse until smooth. Add the lemon juice and the chopped coriander then season to taste with salt and pepper. If the hummus is a bit too thick, add a little more olive oil.

2. The hummus will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for three to four days. Use as a dip for raw vegetable sticks or pitta bread, or as a salad dressing.

Chicken burger with lemon and chive mayonnaise

MAKES 6–8 BURGERS

This is comfort food in a bun. It’s up to you whether you use brown or white meat for mincing, but I find that a mixture of the two works well to give a deliciously flavoursome and juicy burger. The lemon and chive mayonnaise is the perfect accompaniment.

25g (1oz) butter

300g (11oz) shallots, finely sliced, or 1 red onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp chopped thyme

900g (2lb) minced chicken

zest of 1 lemon

1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the lemon and chive mayonnaise

2 tbsp snipped chives

2 tbsp of lemon juice, plus extra to taste

1 tsp Dijon mustard

generous pinch of salt

2 egg yolks

50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

150ml (5fl oz) sunflower oil

To serve

Buttermilk Burger Buns

fresh rocket

slices of ripe tomatoes

1. First make the mayonnaise. Put all the ingredients, except the oils, in a glass bowl (a stainless-steel bowl can give the mayonnaise a grey colour). Mix the oils in a jug. Continuously whisk the mixture in the bowl while adding the oil slowly in a thin, steady stream until it is completely combined to a smooth, creamy texture. Taste for seasoning and add an extra splash of lemon juice if necessary. (For speed, you can use an electric hand whisk.) Cover and chill while you make the burgers.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the shallots or onion, the garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Put the lid on the pan and sweat over a gentle heat until the onions are soft but not coloured. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Combine the minced chicken, cooled onion mixture and the lemon zest in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Break off a small piece and fry it in a little oil, then taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed.

4. Use your hands to shape the mixture into 6 large or 8 medium burgers, each with a thickness of roughly 2cm (¾ in) – having wet hands makes this much easier to do.

5. Preheat a griddle or frying pan over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and add the olive oil. Fry the burgers for 8–10 minutes on each side to cook through, turning the heat down to low once the burgers are golden on both sides. You may need to do this in two batches, adding more olive oil when frying the second batch. (You can finish them in the oven preheated to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6 for 5–8 minutes until cooked through, if you want to.)

6. Serve in a bun with some rocket, tomato slices and a good blob of the lemon and chive mayonnaise.

Pork burgers

MAKES 6–8 BURGERS

The fresh, summery mayonnaise works a treat with this great pork burger.

900g (2lb) minced pork

150g (5oz) spring onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

6–8 slices of mozzarella cheese

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tomato and basil mayonnaise

2 tsp tomato purée

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp chopped basil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

pinch of sea salt

2 egg yolks

50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

150ml (5fl oz) sunflower oil

To serve

Buttermilk Burger Buns

cucumber slices

1. First make the mayonnaise. Put all the ingredients, except the oils, in a glass bowl (a stainless-steel bowl can give the mayonnaise a grey colour). Mix the oils in a jug. Continuously whisk the mixture in the bowl while adding the oil slowly in a thin, steady stream until it is completely combined to a smooth, creamy texture. Taste for seasoning. (For speed, you can use an electric hand whisk.) Cover and chill while you make the burgers.

2. Next make the burgers. Mix the pork, spring onions, garlic, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Break off a small piece and fry it in a little oil, then taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed.

3. Use your hands to shape the mixture into 6 large or 8 medium-sized burgers, l–2cm (½–¾in) thick.

4. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and heat the olive oil. Fry the burgers for 8–10 minutes on each side over a medium-low heat. You may need to do this in two batches, adding more olive oil when frying the second batch. When the burgers are nearly cooked, place a slice of mozzarella cheese on each burger, cover the pan with a lid and cook until the cheese has melted.

5. Serve in a fresh bun with some sliced cucumber and a blob of tomato and basil mayonnaise.

Beetroot and hazelnut slaw

SERVES 6–8

A slaw is just the thing to serve with rich meats at a barbecue, or indeed burgers. It’s both a salad and a sauce that’ll bring freshness and crunch.

225g (8oz) raw beetroot, peeled and grated

225g (8oz) carrot, grated

3 tbsp chopped mint or parsley

¼ head of savoy cabbage

4 tbsp hazelnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

110g (4oz) hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (see tip, here)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the grated beetroot and carrot and the chopped mint or parsley in a large bowl. Remove the dark outer leaves from the cabbage, cut out and discard the core and shred the leaves as thinly as possible, cutting across the quartered head. Add the cabbage to the bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine the oil and lemon juice with the Dijon mustard, then season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing onto the vegetables and herbs and mix well until evenly coated.