The New English Kitchen: Changing the Way You Shop, Cook and Eat. Rose Prince
room for all the vegetables in the lamb pan, you could put the rest in with the chicken and cook as for the lamb).
To serve, put the herbs, almonds and sultanas or figs into separate bowls. Lift out the meat and arrange it on a large dish with the vegetables all around. Pour all the stock into a pan, then taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Bring back to the boil. Spoon the heated couscous on to each serving plate, followed by the meat and vegetables, then some of the herbs, nuts and sultanas or figs. Ladle over the stock to moisten, then offer the harissa to those who like a bit of heat in their food.
to make a store of bulgar wheat
Put 240g/8oz bulgar in a pan, cover with water and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 8 minutes, until tender. Drain and either use immediately or cool quickly and put into a sealed container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
bulgar and parsley salad for barbecued meat
The salad to make during a parsley glut – you will need a lot of tender leaves.
Serves 2
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 helpings of cooked bulgar wheat (see here)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
a pinch of sea salt
8 sprigs of parsley, very finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until golden. Add them to the bulgar wheat with all the other ingredients and stir well. Eat with flat breads (see here) or grilled meat.
lentils
With lentils you enter the realms of pulses, and the many braised dishes that can be made with them. These are foods that can form a meal in their own right, without meat, fish or eggs, because they contain proteins and fats, but you can also feast on them with those foods. Lentils that have been hulled and split, such as red lentils, are best for soft, sloppy dal-like dishes to eat with hot flat breads (see here), while whole lentils belong in stews and salads.
You can make a store of lentils – green ones are good because they will stay firm in a sealed container – eating them once with a big meal, then dipping into them for little dishes of curry, or in salads with semi-soft boiled eggs and herbs.
Puy lentils are the finest. They have blue-grey marbled skins and cost more than standard green lentils, which are over twice the size. Cooked, they have a shiny, almost caviar-like quality and pop pleasingly in your mouth. Both types are easy to overcook, becoming a dry, powdery hash, so keep an eye on them when they are on the go.
to cook puy lentils
Serves about 10
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
480g/1lb Puy lentils
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, onion, lentils and thyme. Swish them around in the warm oil for a minute or two, then cover with water (or stock). Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes; when cooked, the lentils should be tender inside, with firm skins. Add more liquid during cooking if you need to.
Remove the pan from the heat and tip the lentils into a large, cold bowl – it is important to stop the cooking process and – if you are storing them – to cool them quickly before putting them in the fridge. Season with salt and pepper. When the lentils are completely cold, cover and place in the fridge, where they will keep for about 5 days.
kitchen note
Use a combination of red wine and water for a rich lentil stew to eat with beef or game.
lentils and eggs
Undeniably pretty to look at, this recipe has become a picnic lunch regular.
Serves 2
8 heaped tablespoons of cooked lentils (see here)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
3 sprigs of coriander, chopped
4 semi-soft-boiled eggs (see here), peeled and halved lengthways
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the lentils in a bowl and add the oil, vinegar and three-quarters of the coriander. Season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Spoon on to a flat dish and arrange the eggs on top. Scatter the remaining coriander leaves over them.
kitchen note
You can use a few pinches of a good curry powder to devil up the eggs a bit.
spiced green lentils with buttered spinach
Scoop this rich, green stew up with strips of hot flat bread – either bought naans or bread made using the recipe on here 22.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 heaped tablespoons of cooked lentils (see here)
150ml/1/4 pint water or stock
150g/5oz unsalted butter, melted
480g/1lb frozen spinach leaves, defrosted, the water squeezed out
salt
Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry over a low heat until it turns the colour of fudge. Add the spices and heat through, then add the lentils and cook for 1 minute, stirring slowly. Add the water or stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and season with salt.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan. When it foams, add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, until it wilts. Pour the spinach on top of the lentils, with the butter, and take it to the table without stirring.
braised red lentils with lime juice and fresh ewe’s milk cheese
A meal in itself – soft hulled red lentils, citrus, lots of spice as for dal and lumps of fresh, lemony ewe’s milk cheese – feta is best – added at the end. Serve in big bowls and abandon forks, giving everyone a big spoon instead. It can also be stored in the fridge for a few days and successfully reheated.
Serves