As a working mother my day-to-day cooking is pretty much thrown-together, though I do try harder when we have people round. But I'm always guided by what veg is in season at my local market (cheaper than the supermarket, with none of that silly packaging) and by what cook books are by my bed. I do try to get ahead the day before, but usually end up flying in late from work to start cooking, so my food is never rocket science. We don't sit down until quite late, and if my husband brings out the tequila, we stay at the table until very late. Well, you only live once…
Asparagus and goat's cheese salad with burnt butter dressing
My favourite way to eat asparagus isdrenched in burnt butter, but here I turn the butter into a slightly healthier dressing. A hard sheep's cheese such as Berkswell works just as well as goat's cheese. When chicory is out of season, baby gem isgood, too. Serves four.
1 bunch asparagus
4 heads pink chicory
70g hard goat's cheese, like Old Ford
1 large handful mint leaves, washed and roughly chopped
3 spring onions, finelychopped
For the dressing
90g almonds, roughly chopped
50g butter
Salt
1 heaped tbsp honey
2 tbsp white-wine vinegar
The juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
½ tsp hot smoked paprika
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For the dressing, put a pan on amedium heat, add the almonds and butter, and season generously with salt. Once the butter starts to bubble, swirl the pan until the nuts go a rich caramel colour and the butter a deep golden brown, about five minutes (take care not to burn them, as this can happen quite suddenly). Quickly add the honey, then the lemon juice and vinegar – the butter will foam up and then die back down. Simmer for a minute, stir in the paprikas and oil, and set aside.
Steam the asparagus for seven minutes, until al dente, then leave to cool for a minute. Meanwhile, separate the chicory leaves. Cut the asparagus on an angle into short lengths. Toss the chicory, mint asparagus and spring onions in the dressing, crumble the cheese on top, check for seasoning and serve with garlic-rubbed toasts.
Baked sea bass with Jerusalem artichoke and fennel
I love Jerusalem artichokes and am always delighted to see them appear in the winter. They die out in March, but have a brief resurgence in April, willing me to cook with them just afew more times before they vanish again (if you suffer from the, er, explosive consequences of eating Jerusalems, just sprinkle a pinch of asafoetida over them to minimise the effects). Jerusalems have a real affinity with the sweetness of sea bass (plaice is a great cheaper alternative, by the way). This is an easy dish to make that looks and smells wonderful. Serves four.
800g Jerusalem artichokes
3 medium fennel bulbs
1 tsp fennel seeds
About 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 head of garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
80ml extra-virgin olive oil
½ bottle white wine – a medium-bodied dry chardonnay or viognier
800g sea bass, whole or in fillets, wild ideally
Heat the oven to 210C/410F/gas mark 6½. Scrub the artichokes clean, then cut into 1-2cm discs. Remove the outer layer of the fennel, cut away the bottom root (they can be kept for stocks) and cut into 1cm-thick slices. Place the fennel, artichokes, fennel seeds and thyme in the base of a deep roasting tin. Break apart the head of garlic and scatter the unpeeled cloves on top. Season generously, toss with two-thirds of the oil, then add a third of the wine.
Roast the vegetables for half an hour, by which time they should be smelling delicious and beginning to go a little golden in places. Lay the fish on top, season generously and pour over the rest of the oil. Empty the rest of the wine into the tray and roast for another 10 minutes if using fillets, 15-20 minutes if baking awhole fish, until the fish offers no resistance to the point of a sharp knife. If in doubt, cut into a deep part of the fish; the flesh should be opaque and flake away easily. Serve at the table with boiled new potatoes and a green salad.
Meringue ice-cream with baked rhubarb
My grandmother used to make us this magic ice-cream without the need of an ice-cream machine. It's so simple that it is a great dish to make with children – though the agony of waiting for the cream to freeze is alesson in patience that I've yet to master even after all these years. Ilove the slight tartness of the rhubarb with this ice-cream; gooseberries, which will turn up in amonth or two, are another great accompaniment, as are raspberries.
1 tsp sunflower oil
240ml double cream
1 vanilla pod plus ½ tsp vanilla extract (or use a large teaspoon ofextract and omit the pod)
4 medium eggs, separated
A glug of rum (optional)
120g caster sugar (or vanilla sugar)
75g meringues
For the rhubarb
6-8 rhubarb stalks (about 600g)
4 heaped tbsp caster sugar
The juice of 1 orange
A glug of rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
Start the night before. Lightly oil aloaf tin and line it with clingfilm (leave a generous overhang around the edges). With an electric hand whisk or mixer, whisk the cream until it starts to thicken, then whiskmore slowly until it just formsstiff peaks.
Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways (if using) and scrape the seeds into a bowl with the egg yolks and half the sugar. Clean the whisk blades, and whisk the yolks until light, fluffy and doubled in volume.
Clean the blades again and in athird bowl beat the egg whites until frothy, then add the rest of the sugar and beat on high speed until the whites form stiff peaks. With alarge metal spoon, fold the egg yolks into the cream, then gently fold in athird of the whites. Bash up the meringues into rough chunks (easiest with aplastic bag and rolling pin) and fold into the rest of the egg whites with the cream mixture and the rum.
Pour into the prepared tin, cover with the overlapping clingfilm and freeze overnight.
For the rhubarb, heat the oven to180C/350F/gas mark 4. Wipe the rhubarb clean with a damp cloth andcut into 3cm lengths. Arrange on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the sugar, orange, rum and vanilla extract. Add a splash of water and bake for 15-20 minutes, until soft when pierced with a sharp knife, butstill holding their shape.
When ready to eat, turn out the ice-cream on to a board and slice. Serve with the baked rhubarb, warm orat room temperature
