I devise the recipes for this column by staring off into the distance and imagining what ingredients to put together and then how to cook them. The changing seasons are always the driving force. The method is, of course, crucial. Most of the time they work in my head, but when it comes to testing the recipes, which also happens to be the day they are photographed, the odd time they don’t work. It can be pretty hectic. There’s a lot of feverish jotting down, cursing and adjusting.
This week these pages were supposed to feature dishes to be cooked under the grill. Flaccid, unappealing meat and the smell of burning breadcrumbs alerted me to the flaws of two of the recipes. Then, working with an always patient Harry Weir (the photographer), I quickly abandoned the grill theme and just concentrated on making nice dishes.
The price of lamb has rocketed. I’m using the rack which makes this dish quite expensive, but you could use gigot chops. It’s my first time using aubergine this year and, believe it or not, anchovies with lamb is a thing. I love their salty umami hit. Orange, rosemary and tomato bring the dish into the south of France, a lovely place to be at this time of year.
This red pepper dish is perfect for baking; these were the burning breadcrumbs in question, hence the rethink. The olive laden breadcrumbs crisp up as the peppers roast and sweeten and the creme fraiche proves the perfect foil for the fiery sriracha. This is perfect as a vegetarian main course, or as a side dish with a roast.
The last dish is for those who love simple seafood. The only snag is that I’m getting all foragey and using seabeet for my set butter. It’s also called sea spinach and can be found growing adjacent to most beaches, which I know won’t be available to everyone.
However, don’t fret as there are some lovely dried seaweeds available that you can substitute. Alternatively, leave it out, that’s the whole point about recipes, it’s always a moveable, very exciting feast. This will make more butter than you need, but you can freeze it for next time, it’s very versatile, lovely with spuds or pasta.
You could use any fish with this method, and the cooking times will vary according to the thickness of your chosen fish.
Recipe: Lamb chops with aubergine, orange and anchovy
Recipe: Pointy red peppers, olive crumble, sriracha creme fraiche
Recipe: Plaice with new potatoes, Little Gems and sea beet butter
