This is the perfect, festive drink for Christmastime – or anytime!!!
2 fl. oz. vodka
1 fl. oz. Chambord
1 fl.oz. Creme de Cacao Blanc
1 rosemary sprig
Combine the vodka, Chambord and Creme do Cacao Blanc in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake to mix. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with the rosemary sprig.
This is a twist on the classic Steak au Poivre, but instead of giving the cream sauce a punch with pepper, Nigella uses anchovies. They melt into the sauce and add an earthiness and deep flavor that is utterly irresistible.
2 steaks, rump, strip, rib-eye or fillet
1 tsp. sea salt flakes
2 tsp. regular olive oil
1 tsp. unsalted butter
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 fat clove garlic, minced
2 tbs. fresh chives, finely chopped
75ml heavy cream
Take the steaks out of the fridge and sprinkle them with the salt on both sides. Leave them to come to room temperature.
Pour the oil into a heavy-based skillet in which the steaks will fit without too much empty space around them. Turn the heat to high. When the oil is hot, add the steaks and cook 3 minutes a side for rare, or longer for more well done.
Take the pan off the heat and transfer the steaks to a plate, then tent with foil. Put the pan back on the heat and turn it to low. Add the butter to the pan juices. When melted, stir in the anchovies and garlic. Cook for a minute or so until the anchovies melt into the butter. Add most of the chives and pour in the cream. Let the sauce boil and thicken, then remove from the heat. Pour over the steaks and serve sprinkled with the remaining chives.
Serves 2
Something akin to Italian tomato bruschetta where the tomatoes are roughly chopped, this Spanish version finely chops the tomatoes into a fuzzy mush. They are spread on toasted bread and make a fabulous side dish or easy lunch.
1 large, very ripe tomato (not beefsteak), chopped very finely
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 chunky slices sourdough or other rustic bread, halved
Having chopped the tomato, keep it on the board and add the garlic, mashing them together with a fork. Transfer to a small bowl and add the olive oil. You should have about 1/2 cup. Ideally, leave the mixture to sit for a while.
Toast the bread, spread with the tomato mixture and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
Serves 2-3
These marvelous moules are a jot to make and a delight to eat. By the time it takes to cook pasta, supper is sorted. Place the pan in the middle of the table and serve this family style in large bowls.
2 lbs. mussels
8 oz. short, stubby pasta such as macaroni or ditalini
2 tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatos, cut across the equator
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. chili flakes
80ml red vermouth
4 tbs. chopped fresh parsely
Clean the beards from the mussels and rub off any debris from their shells. Soak in cold water for 20 minutes, then discard any that are still open.
Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large, wide pan that has a lid. Tumble in the tomatoes and cook until softened over a medium heat, 2-3 minutes. Tip in the garlic, chili flakes and salt. Stir often until the tomatoes start to melt down and make a juice, 3-4 minutes. Pour in the vermouth and let it bubble up.
Add the mussels to the pan and cover. Cook, shaking the pan a few times, for 3-4 minutes, or until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that have stayed closed. Add the pasta, cover and leave for a minute or two off the heat. Uncover, stir in most of the parsley and serve with the remaining parsley sprinkled on top.
Serves 4
Nigella calls this “Pig and Fig” for obvious reasons. The best part is the rich and syrupy port laced pan sauce.
6 soft, dried figs
175ml Tawny part
1 tbs. plain flour
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. around cumin
1 tsp. sea salt flakes
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
4 thick-cut pork loin steaks
1 tsp. regular olive oil
2 tbs. butter
few drops Worcestershire sauce
Put the figs in a small saucepan, pour over the port and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let them bubble for about 10 minutes. The figs should be soft and swollen and the port reduced by about half. Remove from the heat.
Mix the flour, spices and salt in a freezer bag. Drop in the pork and shake to coat evenly.
Over a medium-high heat, war the oil and butter in a heavy-based skillet that will fit the pork snugly. Add the pork and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove to a plate.
To the skillet, add the figs, port and Worcestershire sauce. Over the heat, let it bubble for about 30 seconds, or until rich and syrupy. Pour over the pork and serve.
Serves 2
Everyone has a favorite carrot cake recipe. This one, however, is exceptional. Studded with crystallized ginger and walnuts, this is not overly sweet and more reminiscent of an old-fashion, rustic English teatime treat.
1 2/3 cup plain flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs. light brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
200ml vegetable oil
1 3/4 cup loosely packed carrots, coarsely grated
1 cup walnut pieces, roughly chopped
4 1/2 tbs. crystallized ginger, finely chopped
7 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. corn starch
4 oz. full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup walnut pieces, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp. crystallized ginger
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line the base of a 8″ springform tin.
Combine the flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and fork to mix together.
Beat the sugar, eggs and oil in a large bowl. Stir in the flour mixture. (At this point, the mixture may seem stiff, but the carrots will add moisture.) Fold in the carrots, walnuts and crystallized ginger. Spread in the prepared tin, smooth the top and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
To make the icing, beat the butter with the sugar until creamy. Beat in the corn starch followed by the cream cheese to make a smooth icing. Remove the cooled cake from the tin and place on a serving plate. Spread the icing generously on top and sprinkle with the walnut pieces and crystalized ginger.
Nigella Lawson has been dubbed, “The Queen of the Frozen Pea” and for just reason. The small jade orbs play a prominent role in her recipes. This recipe combines them with chicken thighs and leeks, all of which cook effortlessly in a large roasting tin.
7 cups frozen peas
4 leeks
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white vermouth
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. sea salt flakes
small bunch of dill, coarsely chopped
8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
Heat the oven to 400°F. Into a large roasting pan, tumble in the peas, leeks and garlic. Pour over the vermouth and olive oil, then sprinkle in the salt and most of the dill. Arrange the chicken on top, skin-side up.
Roast in the oven for 45 mins. Give the peas a stir, but leave to leeks in place (you want them to be caramelized). Roast for a further 30 minutes, or until the chicken is crisp and cooked through. Scatter with the remaining dill and serve.
Nigella describes these as “Middle-Eastern nachos”. It is a subtly textured, richly flavored arrangement of toasted pita bread with a meaty topping of beef and aubergine and a garlicky tahini sauce. This is meant to be put in the center of the table and shared.
4 pita breads, split oven and cut into triangles
1 1/4 cups Greek yogurt
5 tbs. tahini, at room temperature
3 tbs. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 sea salt flakes
3 tbs. regular olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 aubergine, cut into small cubes
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or paprika, plus more for sprinkling
1-2 tsp. sea salt flakes
1 lb. minced beef
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tbs. chopped fresh mint
Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the pita triangles on a large baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes until crisp.
Beat the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice and garlic together. Add salt to taste.
For the meat, warm the oil in a heavy saucepan and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down and continue to cook until soft and golden, about 4 minutes longer.
Turn the heat up to medium, tumble in the aubergine cubes and stir well. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper or paprika and 1 tsp. of the salt. Add the beef and, breaking it up with a wooded spoon, stir until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Taste and see if you need more salt.
Sit the bowl of the yogurt mixture over a pan of just simmering water. Stir until it is slightly room temperature and has the consistency lightly whipped cream.
To assemble, place the pita triangles on a large platter. Top with the beef mixture, followed by the yogurt sauce. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and mint. Sprinkle with a little Aleppo pepper or paprika and serve.
Serves 4-6
This is one of those dark, squidgy-bellied cakes that is irresistible. The mixture of ground almonds and amaretto gives it a marzipan-like quality that balances perfectly with the bitterness of the chocolate.
100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) (1 cup)
100g unsalted butter, softened (7 tbs.)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
125g caster sugar (1/2 cup)
75g ground almonds (3/4 cup)
2 tbs. cocoa powder, plus more to dust
3 tbs. Amaretto liqueur
250ml heavy cream (1 cup)
1 tbs. Amaretti liqueur
4 Amaretti biscuits, crumbled
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the sides and line the bottom of a 8″ springform pan.
Put the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl and set over a pot of just simmering water. Stir to melt, then pour into a jug and cool a little.
Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick, mousse-like and doubled. This will take 1-2 minutes. Fork the almonds and cocoa together in a small bowl, then turn the mixer to low and add to the egg mixture, tablespoon by tablespoon.
Stir the Amaretto liqueur into the slightly cooled chocolate, then pour the mixture into the egg batter, whisking all the time. Pour and scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is coming away at the edges, the top has formed a slightly crack and a cake tester comes out with just a few damp crumbs.
Remove to a wire rack, drape a clean towel over the top and leave to cool. Once cool, unclip the tin and transfer onto a serving plate. Sift additional cocoa powder over the top.
Make the amaretti cream by whipping the heavy cream until thickened then adding the Amaretti liquor. Serve dolloped over the cake and sprinkled with the biscuit crumbs.
Serves 10-12
If you have ever wondered what a lemon cloud tastes like, here is your answer: it is a heavenly experience of celestial lemon lightness! Think Eton Mess, Amalfi style. A fool is a classic and oh-so-easy British dessert (or pudding) and this version couldn’t be easier or more delicious.
3/4 cup good-quality lemon curd, plus more to decorate
2 tsp. Limoncello (lemon liqueur) or lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz. meringue cookies, crushed into large pieces
Put the lemon curd in a bowl and stir in the Limoncello or lemon juice to loosen the curd.
Whip the cream until soft peeks form, then gently fold in the lemon curd mixture and the crushed meringues, taking care not to over mix. You want swirls of the lemon curd throughout the cream.
Spoon the mixture into 4 small glasses and top with a dollop of lemon curd. Chill until ready to serve.
Cooking with Nigella 