Home Cooked. Donal Skehan
of ½ lemon
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt and ground black pepper
1 Baby Gem lettuce, leaves separated
200g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Toss the tomatoes in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and place in a roasting tin. Roast in the oven for about 35 minutes until they have shrunk and become caramelised.
Meanwhile, dry fry the chorizo in a frying pan over a high heat until the discs are sizzling and coloured. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Save the oil the chorizo has produced in the pan.
Place the frying pan back over the heat. Add a drop of olive oil if required and then fry the halloumi slices on both sides until they have a nice golden colour.
To make a dressing for the salad, pour the lemon juice into a bowl, then add the cider vinegar and garlic, season with sea salt and ground black pepper and whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, toss together the Baby Gem lettuce leaves with the dressing, chickpeas, chorizo and red onion and transfer to serving plates. Top with the halloumi slices and roasted cherry tomatoes and serve straight away.
SPICY SEAFOOD PAELLA
What I love most about this recipe is that a big steaming pan of food is served straight to the table and people just dig in. It also makes a great leftover lunchbox if you’re lucky enough to have any left.
SERVES 4–6
12 prawns, shell on
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Good pinch of paprika, plus 1 tsp
A good grinding of black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
150g chorizo sausage, cut into chunky discs
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
200g Arborio or paella rice
A few thyme sprigs
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne pepper
125ml white wine
1 × 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
400ml fish stock
1 large squid, cut into rings
150g frozen peas
Good handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to garnish
Lemon wedges, to serve
Put the prawns in a bowl and then add the garlic, paprika, black pepper and olive oil. Stir to coat the prawns and then set aside to marinate.
Meanwhile, dry fry the chorizo in a frying pan over a high heat until the discs are sizzling and coloured. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Save the oil the chorizo has produced in the pan.
Cook the onion in the chorizo oil for about 6 minutes until softened, then add the rice, thyme, turmeric, cayenne and the remaining 1 teaspoon of paprika. Cook for 3 minutes, then pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for about 15 minutes, without stirring, then add the prawns (with the marinade) together with the squid, peas and chorizo. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle over the parsley and tuck lemon wedges in around the sides. Serve straight to the table.
PASTA ALLA NORMA
As sweet as it might sound, this dish is not named after the old lady who used to serve me lunch at school. It’s a classic Italian recipe from Sicily supposedly named after the opera La Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. Like most pasta dishes, it’s wonderfully simple to prepare and makes for a tasty weeknight supper. Use any pasta you like and try to get ricotta salata, a creamy cheese that makes a world of difference to the dish. If you can’t find ricotta salata, you could use mozzarella.
SERVES 4
1 large aubergine, cut into 3cm cubes
6 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 × 400g tins of plum tomatoes
Good handful of basil leaves
400g linguine
75g ricotta salata cheese, finely grated
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Toss the aubergine in a mixing bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Transfer to a roasting tin and place in the oven to cook for 25 minutes.
While the aubergine is cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the chilli flakes and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and use the back of a fork to mash them down. Mix through half the basil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Allow to simmer for 6 minutes.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water following the packet’s instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta leaving a little water behind and place back into the pot along with the sauce and cooked aubergine. Mix through using a tongs. Serve straight away in warmed bowls garnished with the remaining basil and the ricotta salata.
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