Trout and apple tartare

A crisp, light and fresh-tasting starter for the Christmas meal or for serving as canapés. Add crunch with radishes or the larger, milder mooli. Failing that, use a chunk of cucumber, lightly peeled to keep some of its colour.

Serves 2-4

trout 2, fresh, filleted, pin boned and skinned
apple 1
mooli or radish 50g , peeled and cubed
yuzu juice 1 tbsp
chopped dill 2 tbsp

Skin the trout fillets. Make sure that the trout has been thoroughly boned and any trace of tiny pin-bones removed. This is a really important step and one that shouldn't be missed.

Slice the fish into very fine dice, each piece about the size of a pea, then put it in a mixing bowl and chill in the fridge. Cut the apple into similar-sized dice and place in a separate bowl together with the yuzu juice.

Peel the mooli, then cut into small pieces. If you are using radishes then dice them without peeling and add to the apple. Finely chop the dill then toss it with the apple and radish.

At the last moment before serving, add the diced trout to the apple mixture, toss gently and serve.

Five Spice Duck Salad

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

1 large duck breast
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 pomegranate, halved
3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
1 sprig fresh coriander, leaves picked
a few sprigs watercress
½ ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks
juice of ½ lime
sesame oil, to drizzle
1 little gem lettuce

Method

Season the duck breast and dust with Chinese five spice powder. Put in a medium-hot frying pan and fry very gently for 5 minutes, turning halfway, until lots of fat has come out of the skin and the skin is golden brown. Take out of the pan and slice thinly – the duck will still be raw in the middle but don't worry! Discard the fat from the pan and put the sliced duck back in. Stir fry for a few minutes, until cooked through and crispy. Set aside.

Mix the pomegranate seeds, spring onions, coriander, watercress, mango and crispy duck together. Dress with the lime juice and a drizzle of sesame oil. Season to taste.

Separate the lettuce leaves and arrange on plates. Top with the dressed salad to serve.

Seared beef salad with pickled ginger recipe

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

4 beef fillets, approx 4 oz each
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mixture of shiso and baby leaf salad, purple and green cress
Pickled ginger to garnish

For the dressing:

5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp pickled ginger, diced
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Trim the beef fillet of excess fat and sinew. Mix the coriander and cumin seeds together with salt and pepper, lightly crush using a pestle and mortar or base of a heavy-based pan. Scatter the seasoned spices evenly over a plate.

2. Roll the fillets into the crushed spices to coat. Heat a large heavy-based sauté pan until hot. Lower the fillets into the pan and sear for 30 seconds on each side over a moderate to high heat. Remove from the pan, roll in the toasted sesame seeds and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the ingredients for the dressing together and season to taste. Toss the mixed cress together with enough dressing to coat lightly. Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the beef and divide between plates. Serve the sliced beef on a bed of the dressed salad and garnish with a touch more dressing and some pickled ginger. Serve immediately.

Jamie's Vegetable Jalfrezi

ingredients

1 medium onion
1 fresh red chilli
a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
2 cloves of garlic
a small bunch of fresh coriander
2 red peppers
1 cauliflower
3 ripe tomatoes
1 small butternut squash
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
groundnut or vegetable oil
a knob of butter
½ a 283g jar of Patak’s jalfrezi curry paste
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons
200g natural yoghurt

To prepare your curry
• Peel, halve and roughly chop your onion
• Finely slice the chilli
• Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic
• Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks
• Halve, deseed and roughly chop the peppers
• Break the green leaves off the cauliflower and discard
• Break the cauliflower into florets and roughly chop the stem
• Quarter the tomatoes
• Carefully halve the butternut squash, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard
• Slice the squash into inch-size wedges, leaving the peel on but removing any thick skin, then roughly chop into smaller pieces
• Drain the chickpeas

To cook your curry
• Put a large casserole-type pan on a medium to high heat and add a couple of lugs of oil and the butter
• Add the onions, chilli, ginger, garlic and coriander stalks and cook for 10 minutes, until softened and golden
• Add the peppers, butternut squash, drained chickpeas and jalfrezi curry paste
• Stir well to coat everything with the paste
• Add the cauliflower, the fresh and tinned tomatoes and the vinegar
• Fill the 2 empty tins with water, pour into the pan and stir again
• Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on
• Check the curry regularly to make sure it’s not drying
• When the veg are tender, taste and add salt and pepper – please season carefully – and a squeeze of lemon juice

To serve your curry
Delicious with poppadums or my fluffy rice recipe and with a few spoonfuls of natural yoghurt, a sprinkle of coriander leaves and a few lemon wedges for squeezing over.

An early spring laksa

for the paste:

2 or 3 small hot red chillies
2 cloves of garlic
a lump of ginger the size of your thumb
2 plump stalks of lemon grass
5 or 6 roots of coriander leaves and stalks
1 lightly heaped tsp turmeric
a little vegetable oil
1 tbsp tamarind paste

for the soup:

500ml chicken or vegetable stock
400ml coconut milk
300g broccoli or purple sprouting
2 bunches of spinach
2 tbsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
100g thin, dried rice noodles
a large handful of coriander and mint leaves

Chop the chillies, peel the garlic, peel and roughly chop the ginger and put them all into the bowl of a food processor. Peel away and discard any tough outer leaves from the lemon grass and roughly chop the tender leaves inside.

Scrub the coriander roots and cut them off, putting them with the chillies along with half the coriander leaves and stems. Blitz them with the chillies then add the turmeric, adding a drop of oil if the mixture needs it to help it go round.

Place a fairly deep pan over a moderate heat, add half the spice paste (keep the other half in the fridge for tomorrow, covered tightly with clingfilm) and fry it, moving it round the pan so it does not scorch. Do this for a minute or two, then add the tamarind paste, pour in the stock and coconut milk and bring it to the boil.

Bring a deep pan of water to the boil, then simmer the broccoli briefly until just tender to the point of a knife. Drain. Clean the spinach thoroughly, remove the toughest of the stalks and tear any particularly large leaves into pieces. Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly. Put the leaves, still wet with their rinsing water, into a hot pan, cover tightly with a lid and leave to steam for a minute or so until they have wilted. Lift out and add, together with the drained broccoli, to the soup. Season with fish sauce to taste.

Cook the noodles as it suggests on the packet. They all vary depending on the exact type and brand. (Some rice noodles only need a quick soak in boiling water.) Chop the remaining coriander leaves and the mint, and stir them into the laksa together with the drained noodles.

Aromatic blackeye bean curry

(serves 4)

Ingredients

2 x 410g tins of black-eye beans (or use 225g dried beans, soaked overnight and cooked)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
1c stick cinnamon
½ - 2 tsp crushed chilli flakes
4 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
salt to taste
550ml water
2 tbsp coriander leaves
2 tbsp fresh coconut, grated (optional, but do not use desiccated)

Method
1. Drain and rinse the beans, and mash a few lightly with fork.
2. Put the cumin, coriander, fennel and fenugreek seeds with the cinnamon stick into a small heavy-based frying pan. Roast on a medium heat, stirring frequently until the spices change colour and become aromatic, taking care not to burn them.
3. Grind the roasted spices into a fine powder in a coffee grinder, and add crushed chilli flakes.
4. Heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Remove the pan immediately from heat, cover, and let the seeds and leaves crackle and pop.
5. Put the pan back on heat, add the onion and cook until light golden. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for a further 30 seconds.
6. Add the beans, ground spice mixture, salt, and water, and bring to the boil.
7. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
8. Top with coriander leaves and fresh coconut, if using, and serve with rice or flatbreads.

This curry is spiced with flavours from the west coast of India.

Charred aubergine and coconut curry

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

1 medium aubergine, about 250 g
2 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
250 g sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into cubes
1 medium courgette, about 200 g
400 g canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
400 g canned chopped tomatoes
250 ml unsweetened coconut milk
sea salt, to taste
For the spice paste
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cardamom seeds, about 10 pods
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp turmeric
1-2 chillies, de-seeded, or 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tomato, cut into quarters
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar

To serve

steamed basmati rice
sprigs of coriander
mango chutney
Greek-style yoghurt

Method
1. To make the spice paste, dry-toast the spice seeds in a frying pan, shaking until they pop and turn lightly golden. Transfer to a blender or spice grinder, add the remaining ingredients and six tablespoons of water, and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Roast the aubergine directly over a high gas flame until charred and softened, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, roast in a preheated oven at 220 C for about 40 minutes. Let cool, then peel and discard the skin. Don't worry if a few charred bits remain - this will add extra flavour.
3. Heat the oil or ghee in a large, heavy-based saucepan, add the onion and cook until softened. Add the spice paste and stir for two minutes to release the aromas, then add the pepper, sweet potatoes or yams, courgette and chickpeas. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 250ml
, then bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.
4. Put the peeled aubergine in a blender, add the coconut milk and pulse to a coarse purée. Add to the pan and bring back to a simmer. Add salt, if necessary. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes or preferably overnight.
5. Reheat, then serve with rice, coriander sprigs, yoghurt and mango chutney.

Cabbage with mustard seeds

1 small cabbage finely shredded [Savoy]
2 tbsp groundnut or corn oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
12 curry leaves [fresh, you can freeze the ones you don't use]
1 dried red chilli, broken, seeds removed
2 small onions, sliced
2 cm fresh ginger, finely shredded
1.25 ml tsp turmeric powder
pinch chilli powder
1 tomato blanched, seeds removed, diced.

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
2. Toss in the fenugreek and mustard seeds, curry leaves and the chilli (take care, lots of crackles!).
3. Lower the heat immediately and add the onions and ginger.
4. Cover the pan and soften the onions without colouring for 5 minutes (they should be opaque).
5. Add the turmeric and chilli powder to the pan and stir to mix.
6. Add the shredded cabbage and salt.
7. Cover the pan once more and cook over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage has softened but retains a bite .
8. Stir in the diced tomato, reheat, re-season and serve.

Spiced Lamb Koftas braised in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

For the koftas:

400 g minced lamb
1 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 small onions, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the sauce:

400 g tomatoes
1 small onion finely chopped
1 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 sticks cinnamon
salt and freshly milled black pepper

You will also need a lidded, flameproof casserole with a capacity of 2 litres.

Dry-roast the coriander and cumin seeds: place them in a small frying pan over a medium heat and toss them around for 2 minutes until they begin to jump and pop, then crush them as finely as possible with a pestle and mortar.

Next, place the lamb in a large mixing bowl. Put the onions in a food processor, along with the mint and coriander leaves, then pulse everything until the onion is finely chopped. Transfer all this to join the meat in the bowl, add the spices and a good seasoning of salt and freshly milled black pepper, then mix everything thoroughly and evenly together with your hands. Then take small amounts of the mixture and roll them with your palms into little rounds slightly larger than a walnut.

Now heat about a tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat and when it's hot, begin to brown the koftas, about six at a time, turning them to get brown on all sides. As they cook, transfer them to a plate and add more oil when needed as you continue browning all the others.

Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes for the sauce. Place them in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water on to them. After exactly a minute (or, if the tomatoes are small, 15-30 seconds), remove them from the water; slip off their skins (protecting your hands with a cloth if they are hot) and chop them into small pieces.

After that, place the casserole over a high heat, add another tablespoon of oil and when it's hot, soften the onions, stirring them around now and then and keeping the heat highish so they turn golden brown, which should take about 6 minutes. Next, add the garlic to the onions and cook for about a minute more. Now add the tomatoes and cinnamon, stir well, then add the koftas, stir once more, turn the heat down to low and let them simmer slowly for about 30 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid to allow the sauce to reduce, continuing to simmer for a further 30 minutes before

Aubergine, Potato and Chick Pea Balti

Ingredients
For the vegetables

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 aubergine, cut into 1cm cubes
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
1 x 410 g tin Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground turmeric

For the sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp root ginger, peeled and grated
4 cm cassia bark, (optional)
6 whole Cloves
450 g tin chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp red chilli powder, to taste

To finish

4 tbsp fresh Coriander, finely chopped
200 ml water
1/2 tsp Garam masala

Method

1. For the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the sliced onions and cumin seeds. Cook for 3 minutes

2. Add the chopped potato, aubergine, ground coriander, cumin and turmeric. Stir to coat vegetables evenly and then cook over a high heat for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. For the sauce: Heat the oil in the pan. Add the onion, crushed garlic, grated ginger, cassia bark and whole cloves and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add chopped plum tomotoes, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt, sugar and chilli to taste. Cook on a high heat for two minutes, then lower to a medium heat and cook for a further 3 minutes stirring occasionally.

5. Remove the cassia bark and blend the sauce roughly with a hand blender, then add the vegetables to the sauce with 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander, the water and the garam masala.

6. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with remaining chopped coriander and serve with Basmati rice and/or naan bread.