Children’s birthdays chez Collier are celebrated with pancakes for breakfast. We owe this idiosyncratic tradition to the cycle of the moon, its influence upon the religious calendar, and the births of Louis and Rosa just two days (and three years) apart in mid-February: Shrove Tuesday regularly coincides with one of these birthdays. To deflect accusationsContinue reading “Pancakes galore”
Author Archives: motherrach
White chocolate cardamom mousse
If, after making hollandaise or mayonnaise or custard, you’re looking for a use for leftover egg whites, look no further than this rich, aromatic mousse. The recipe is from Nigel Slater’s Real Food (the same source as lemon chicken), which has a whole chapter devoted to chocolate. Slater insists that only the best quality whiteContinue reading “White chocolate cardamom mousse”
Squid & prawns with harissa
We tried this out for the first time back in Tarleton Gardens, after I received a copy of Sam & Sam Clark’s book Casa Moro for Christmas 2004. It’s a wonderfully simple and quick recipe, easy to rustle up for a weekday supper, and it has enjoyed a new lease of life since our returnContinue reading “Squid & prawns with harissa”
Coconut dal with lime kale
Last year, a pressing sense of responsibility towards the planet prompted us to sign up for Veganuary. We soldiered on through gamely, experimenting with all sorts of alternative foods, but were not prepared to commit to long-term veganism: the end of our month-long meat and dairy drought was marked by a slap-up full English breakfastContinue reading “Coconut dal with lime kale”
Chickpea & tomato soup
Here is another recipe originally from Sophie Grigson’s Food for Friends (see Aubergine Parmigiana). I’ve had to play around with it from the start because the officially published version has no tomatoes in it (in spite of the title) and, in any case, it lends itself to multiple variations. All sorts of tinned pulses willContinue reading “Chickpea & tomato soup”
Oven-baked mushroom risotto
The traditional method of making risotto involves the slow addition of warm stock and a lot of stirring over a hot stove to produce a creamy mass of al dente rice. This alternative approach, devised by Delia Smith, saves all that bother and leaves the cook free for other worthwhile activities (like polishing off theContinue reading “Oven-baked mushroom risotto”
Slow-cooked lamb shanks
This dish ticks multiple boxes. Hearty and satisfying, it is sophisticated enough for a dinner party but also affordable if you get your lamb shanks from your friendly local Syrian butcher rather than from Waitrose. Once all the onions have been sliced, it also entails very little effort. The recipe is from the first RiverContinue reading “Slow-cooked lamb shanks”
Parmesan & poppyseed biscuits
These are a savoury version of kilted highlanders, the demerara-coated shortbread biscuits that Great-Granny would often wheel out at tea time. They’re incredibly easy to make, arresting to look at and make a great accompaniment to pre-dinner drinks. Given that the recipe comes from Ottolenghi (his first book), you might be surprised to recognise allContinue reading “Parmesan & poppyseed biscuits”
Brandy butter
The essential accompaniment to Christmas pudding, brandy butter is easy to make and keeps for ages in the fridge. I’ve learned from bitter experience not to go in too heavy with the brandy: it’s liable to split the mixture, which will still taste fine but will look, unappetisingly, like scrambled eggs. If it does split,Continue reading “Brandy butter”
Christmas sauces
Here are foolproof instructions for two accompaniments to roast turkey: cranberry sauce and bread sauce. Both can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a couple of days. The cranberry sauce will in fact keep for much longer if kept in a sterilised jar. Cranberry sauce Serves 6 Ingredients Juice of 1Continue reading “Christmas sauces”
Years of Practice 