{Carrot fritters}

Makes: 6–8
Serves: 2–3

325g carrots
1 medium-sized onion
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
150ml double cream
1 egg, beaten
3 heaped tablespoons grated cheese (a good strong cheddar)
1 handful of coriander
2 heaped tablespoons of plain flour
Olive oil for shallow frying

1) Scrub the carrots and then either grate them by hand using the coarse side of your grater or push them through a food processor with a large grater attachment. You’re after long, thin shreds of carrot rather than mush!

2) Then peel the onion, finely slice and stir into the carrots along with the peeled and crushed garlic and a seasoning of salt and black pepper.

3) Stir in the double cream, beaten egg, grated cheese, the roughly chopped coriander leaves and the flour.

4) Warm a shallow layer of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Drop large dollops of the mixture
into the pan and fry till lightly cooked on the underside, turn them over and allow the other
side to colour. Your carrot fritters should take 3/4 minutes per side. They’re ready as soon as they
are dark gold.

5) Lift them out onto a warm plate. A sheet of kitchen roll will remove any oil. Eat immediately!

Source
- Nigel Slater's simple suppers
- www.amazon.co.uk (DVD)

{Blackberry focaccia by Nigel Slater}

A dough speckled with fruit. It is difficult to know exactly when to eat such a treat—it’s too substantial for dessert, so maybe we should file it under tea.

Enough for 8

In the market

- For the focaccia

Bread flour, 3⁄4 cups (450g)
Quick-rise yeast, 1 package (7g), about 2 teaspoons
Sea salt, 1 teaspoon
Superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon
Warm water, 1⁄2 cups (350ml)

- For the topping

Blackberries, 8 ounces (250g), about 3⁄4 cups
Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
Superfine or demerara sugar, 2 tablespoons
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

In the kitchen

1) Put the flour in a large bowl, add the yeast, the sea salt (if you are using coarse salt, crush it finely first), then the sugar and warm water.

2) Mix with a wooden spoon, then turn the dough out onto a generously floured board and knead lightly for 5 minutes or so. You need not be too enthusiastic. A gentle pummeling will suffice.

3) Once the dough feels elastic and “alive,” put it into a floured bowl, cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap, and leave it somewhere warm to rise. It will take approximately 1 hour to double in size. Once it has, punch it down again, knocking some of the air out.

4) Tip it into a shallow baking pan about 12 inches (30cm) in diameter. Gently knead half the blackberries into the dough, scattering the remaining ones on top.

5) Cover the dough once more and return it to a warm place to rise.

6) Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

7) Once the dough has expanded to almost twice its size, drizzle over the olive oil, scatter with the sugar, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and crisp on top. It should feel springy when pressed.

8) Leave to cool slightly before dusting with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into thick wedges and eat
while it is still warm. It will not keep for more than a few hours.

Source: www.foodandwine.com
Book: www.amazon.com

{Root Vegetable Tangle by Nigel Slater}

For 2

Potatoes, parsnip, carrots, onion, rosemary, pumpkin seeds.
A lightmain course. A side dish for any grilled meat.

In the market

8 ounces (250g) potatoes
1 large parsnip
2 large carrots
1 onion
Rosemary leaves
5 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds

In the kitchen

1) Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

2) Shave 8 ounces (250g) potatoes, a large parsnip, and 2 large carrots with a vegetable peeler.

3) Peel and finely slice an onion into rings. Toss the potatoes, parsnip, carrots, and onion in a large mixing bowl with a heaping tablespoon of rosemary leaves, 5 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds, then transfer to a baking sheet.

4) Spread out into a shallow layer.

5) Bake for 20 minutes, till tender and lightly crisp on the edges.

{Steak with miso by Nigel Slater}

Steak with deeply savoury juices.
Rib-eye or sirloin steak, white miso, shallot, tarragon, chervil, cider vinegar, butter.

For 2

In the market

2 rib-eye or sirloin steaks
Butter
Olive oil
4 tablespoons (60g) butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of white (shiro) miso
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
Tarragon, chopped
1 tablespoon chervil, chopped

In the kitchen

1) Fry 2 rib-eye or sirloin steaks in a little butter and olive oil in a shallow pan, turning and basting regularly (I turnmine every 2 minutes and baste almost continuously).When the meat is done to your liking, lift from the pan and set aside to rest on a warm plate.

2) Add 4 tablespoons (60g) butter to the pan, let it sizzle briefly, then stir in a shallot, finely chopped, and let it soften for a minute, stirring occasionally and scraping the browned steak juices from the pan.

3) Add 2 tablespoons of white (shiro) miso and a tablespoon of cider vinegar and whisk. (If it looks like the sauce is splitting, add a spoonful of hot water and whisk.) Stir in a tablespoon of chopped tarragon and a tablespoon of chopped chervil.

Source: www.theguardian.com

{Nigel’s soda bread}

Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins
Makes: 1 medium-sized loaf

Nigel Slater proves that making your own bread doesn't have to be time-consuming or hard work. Try his quick soda bread.

Ingredients

225g/8oz wholemeal flour
225g/8oz plain flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
350ml/12fl oz buttermilk

Preparation method

1) Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 8.
2) Put a large casserole dish and its lid into the oven.
3) In a large bowl, mix the flours, sea salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda together with your fingers.
4) Pour in the buttermilk, bringing the mixture together as a soft dough. Working quickly (the bicarbonate of soda will start working immediately), shape the dough into a shallow round loaf about 4cm/1½in thick.
5) Remove the hot casserole dish from the oven, dust the inside lightly with flour then lower in the dough. Cover with the lid and return to the oven.
6) The bread should be ready after 25 minutes.
7) Remove from the oven and leave in place for 5 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool slightly before eating.

Notes: soda bread is best eaten warm.

Web: www.bbc.co.uk

{Revuelto de salchicha, cebolla y papa}

Tiempo de preparación: 30 minutos
Tiempo de cocción: 10 minutos
Porciones: 2

En el mercado

2 cucharadas de aceite de maní
50 g. de manteca
3 salchichas caseras o parrilleras, sin piel
1 cebolla, cortada en juliana
½ papa grande con piel
2 huevos

En la cocina

1) Calentar el aceite en una sartén grande.
2) Agregar la manteca y las salchichas y cocinar por unos minutos, mezclando para que la carne se dore.
3) Agregar la cebolla.
4) Rallar la papa junto con la piel, escurrir para eliminar cualquier líquido y agregarla a la sartén.
5) Cuando todos los ingredientes estén cocidos, romper los huevos encima.
6) Dejar cocinar y servir.

Fuente: www.bbc.co.uk
De: Nigel Slater
Programa: Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day

{Butternut squash soup, by Nigel Slater}

Tiempo de preparación: 10 a 30 minutos
Porciones: 3-4

En el mercado

1 calabaza
2 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
1 cebolla picada
Manteca para condimentar
600 ml. de caldo de vegetales
1 cucharada colmada de pimentón picante ahumado
Sal y pimienta negra fresca

En la cocina

1) Pelar la calabaza, descartar la pulta y cortar el resto en trozos grandes.
2) Picar la cebolla.
3) Calentar el aceite en una caserola grande, agregar las cebollas, la calabaza y bastante manteca. Cocinar hasta que esté marrón y caramelizado.
4) Agregar el caldo y hervir a fuego lento durante 20 minutos.
5) Remover del fuego, dejar enfriar y luego, procesar hasta obtener la consistencia deseada.
6) Agregar el pimentón y condimentar con sal y pimienta.
7) Servir caliente.

Fuente: www.bbc.co.uk

{Bean soup, by Nigel Slater}

Tiempo de preparación: 10 a 30 minutos
Porciones: 4

En el mercado

2 cebollas
2 zanahorias
2 cucharadas de aceite de oliva  oil, más extra para rociar
3 o 4 tomates maduros
1 hoja de laurel
Un puñado de porotos pre-cocidos
Caldo de vegetales
Algunas pocas tiras de cáscara de naranja (opcional)
1 cáscara de queso parmesano
Sal y pimienta negra fresca
1 puñado de tallos y de hojas de acelga pequeña
Perejil fresco picado
Baguette, para servir

En la cocina

1) Picar bruscamente las cebollas y las zanahorias.
2) Calentar el aceite en una sartén grande y a fuego bajo. Agregar las cebollas con las zanahorias.
3) Picar los tomates y agregarlos a la sartén con la hoja de laurel.
4) Agregar los porotos seguidos del caldo de vegetales (suficiente para cubrir la preparación). Agregar un poco de tiras de cáscara de naranja seguidas de la cáscara de queso.
5) Condimentar con sal y pimienta negra fresca y dejar que la sopa hierva.
6) Picar los tallos de la acelga y agregar a la preparación. Se puede agregar cualquier tipo de vegetales verdes.
7) Agregar bastante perejil fresco picado y luego, las hojas de la acelga.
8) Servir con baguettes tostadas o ciabatta y un toque de aceite de oliva.

Fuente: www.bbc.co.uk

{Plum pudding cake, by Nigel Slater}

Esta es una sorpresa especiada, dulce y maravillosa, ideal como budín o para acompañar el té de la tarde.

Tiempo de preparación: menos de 30 minutos 
Tiempo de cocción: de 30 minutos a 1 hora
Porciones: 8

En el mercado

- Para el budín

250 g. de harina común

1 cucharada ligeramente colmada de polvo de hornear

1 cucharada al ras de bicarbonato de sodio

1 cucharada al ras de canela en polvo

1 cucharada al ras de jengibre en polvo

200 g. de Kero (golden syrup)

2 cucharadas colmadas de abundante miel

125 g. de manteca

125 g. de azúcar morena

350 g. de ciruelas

2 huevos grandes

240 ml. de leche

- Para la cubierta de mermelada especiada de ciruelas

5 ciruelas

1 cucharada de azúcar morena

1 cucharada de manteca

1 cucharada de almíbar de frasco de jengibre

Crema doble, para servir

En la cocina

- Para el budín

1) Encender el horno a 180° C.
2) Use baking parchment to line a 24cm/9½in square cake tin or baking dish.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl.
Warm the golden syrup, honey and butter very gently in a pan until the butter and sugar melts. Stir in the muscovardo sugar. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Halve the plums, or cut them into quarters if they are very large, and remove the stones.
Break the eggs into a bowl, pour in the milk and whisk lightly to mix.
Pour the golden syrup mixture into the flour and mix with a large, metal spoon. Pour in the egg and milk and continue stirring till you have a loose, almost sloppy batter without any traces of flour.
Tip the mixture into the lined cake tin, drop in the plums and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Now for the topping; halve and de-stone the plums and add to the same pan as you cooked the syrup and honey. Add the sugar, butter and the syrup from a jar of crystallised ginger. Cover and leave to cook down.
Serve the cake with a generous topping of the spicy plums and a dollop of cream.

Fuente: BBC Nigel Slater's simple cooking