SERVES 4
2 large bunches of sorrel, about 150-175g, washed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
1 large potato, about 300g, finely diced
800ml hot chicken or vegetable stock (see pages 258-9)
150ml sour cream handful of red-vein sorrel leaves, to garnish (optional)
Roughly chop the sorrel and set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion, potato and some seasoning. Stir well and cover the pan with a lid. Cook over medium-to-low heat for 10 minutes, lifting the lid every once in a while to give the mixture a stir. When the potato is soft, pour in the hot stock and boil for a few minutes. Tip in the sorrel, and as soon as the leaves begin to wilt, immediately remove the pan from the heat. In 2 batches, transfer the soup into a blender and blitz until very smooth. Hold a tea towel over the lid of the blender to avoid burning your hands with the hot soup, should it splash out.
Stir in half of the sour cream and reheat the soup if necessary. Pour into warm bowls and garnish with a spoonful of sour cream and, if you wish, some red-vein sorrel.
At home, we don’t just stick to rice and spaghetti. Tana has begun to feed the kids a vegetarian meal once a week, which means being creative in combining pulses, grains and pasta with a variety of vegetables. The kids love it when she experiments. When the weather is cold we use a lot of barley, adding it to soups, stews and winter salads. Barley can even take the place of rice in a risotto. The excellent barley risotto here has featured many a time on our restaurant menus.
My love affair with pasta stems from the time I spent in Sicily and Sardinia as a young chef. When I finally returned to London and opened Aubergine back in October 1993, I was determined to include handmade pasta on the menu. Fresh pasta can be mind-blowing, and any young chef joining our brigade had to master the art of making it. It is a fundamental skill in our kitchens.
Farfalle with bacon, peas and sage
Fresh tagliatelle with stilton and mushrooms
Grilled vegetable lasagne
Conchiglie with meaty tomato ragù
Penne with baked pumpkin and rosemary
Spaghetti with broccoli, garlic and chilli
Chorizo, broad bean and mint couscous
Linguine with lemon, feta and basil
Smoked haddock with white beans and parsley
Gordon’s posh kedgeree
Spinach, mushroom and ricotta cannelloni
Goat’s cheese, beetroot and lentil salad
Wild mushroom barley risotto
Herby rice pilaf with pistachios and almonds
Farfalle with bacon, peas and sage
This is an easy pasta carbonara, without any egg yolks, so there is no chance of splitting the sauce. My kids must have this for tea once a week – they love it! (Illustrated on page 50.)
SERVES 4
400g dried farfalle
3 tbsp olive oil
150g bacon lardons or 8 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
300ml double cream
150g peas, thawed if frozen
60g freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to sprinkle small handful each of sage and flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Tip in the farfalle and cook according to packet instructions until the pasta is al dente.
Heat the oil in another pan and add the bacon. Fry over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the bacon is golden brown. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Pour in the cream and bring to the boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes until reduced and thickened slightly. Tip in the peas, bring back to a simmer and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir the grated parmesan into the sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander and immediately tip into the sauce. Add the herbs, then toss the pasta until well coated with the creamy sauce. Divide among warm plates and sprinkle over a little more parmesan to serve.
Fresh tagliatelle with stilton and mushrooms
Tana likes to make this towards year end, using leftover stilton from Christmas. Of course, you can use any blue cheese: piquant roquefort, savoury dolcelatte or creamy gorgonzola would work well.
SERVES 6
25g butter
250g chestnut or baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
100ml double cream
500g fresh tagliatelle
100g stilton, chopped or crumbled
handful each of fresh oregano and flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. In the meantime, melt the butter in a wide sauté pan. When it begins to foam, add the mushrooms and some seasoning. Fry over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown and tender. Add the cream and reduce the heat.
Cook the tagliatelle in the boiling water for 2 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta, but reserve 4-5 tablespoons of the water in the pan. Return the tagliatelle to the pan and tip in the mushrooms and cream. Add three-quarters of the stilton and half of the chopped herbs and toss until the pasta is evenly coated with the melting cheese and sauce.
Divide among individual serving plates and scatter over the remaining stilton and herbs. Serve at once.