+ Squeeze the lime and orange juice over, making sure you cover all of the fish. Drizzle with some oil, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and then leave in the fridge to ‘cook’ for about 10 minutes.
+ If you are making tortilla chips, put the tortillas in a pile and cut them into 12 wedges as if you were cutting a cake. Lay them in a single layer on one or two large baking sheets. Drizzle or spray with some oil, if using (not essential but makes them a little tastier), and season with salt and pepper.
+ Put the tortillas in the oven for 5 minutes. I have a habit of not remembering they are in, though, and so I really have to keep an eye on them!
+ When the tortillas are crisp and golden, remove from the oven and leave to cool for a minute before piling into a serving bowl. Or, if using shop-bought tortilla chips, simply empty them into the serving bowl.
+ When the ceviche is just turning a bit white at the edges, it is ready, so remove it from the fridge. Rip up the mint leaves, scatter them over and serve with the tortilla chips.
Gingerbread pancakes with Parma ham & maple syrup
Major brownie points are awarded to anyone who goes the extra mile on Sunday and rustles up this breakfast dish. If you prefer to have the pancakes plain, then just omit the cinnamon, ground ginger, lemon zest, vanilla and sugar; this plain mix can also be used for your Yorkshire puddings.
Time from start to finish: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Equipment: Large bowl, zester, large frying pan, 2 baking trays
225g self-raising flour
3 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt
½ lemon
½ vanilla pod (or a couple of drops of vanilla extract) (optional)
300ml semi-skimmed milk
1 medium egg
Sunflower oil
12 slices of Parma ham (or bacon)
To serve
100ml maple syrup
100g sour cream or half- or full-fat crème fraîche
+ Preheat the oven to 110°C, (fan 90°C), 225°F, Gas Mark ½. This is to keep the pancakes warm, as they are cooked in batches.
+ Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a large bowl, give them a quick mix and make a well in the centre. Finely grate the lemon zest in. Split the vanilla pod open, scrape the seeds out and add them too (or vanilla extract, if using). Then gradually pour the milk in bit by bit, stirring all the time to give a smooth mixture. Beat the egg in well and set aside.
+ Put a drizzle of oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat and cook the Parma ham (or bacon) for 2–3 minutes on each side until nice and crisp. Then remove with tongs and drain on kitchen paper. Tip onto a baking tray and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
+ Leave the pan on the heat, but reduce it to low and add a little bit more oil if need be. Then spoon in four dollops of the pancake mix (to spread to about 10cm wide). Leave to cook for 1–2 minutes until golden, then flip them over and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Slide them onto a baking tray and put in the oven to keep warm. Then repeat with the remaining mix to give 12 in total.
+ Once you have made all of the pancakes, divide them between four plates. I like to pile the Parma ham high on them, drizzle with the maple syrup and serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
Roasted new patatas & chorizo bravas with aïoli
I went to a restaurant with my dad where we feasted on spicy patatas bravas, jamón ibérico that melted on the tongue like a fine butter and garlic prawns served simply with lime and fresh herbs. My dad (the Spanish teacher) was talking to the waiter who thought his Spanish was so good he was actually from Spain. Well, I just sat there beaming with pride. This is a recipe to remind me of that fantastic Friday lunch. There are many ways to make patatas bravas, and chorizo is not usually thrown in, but being a chorizo addict, totally entranced by its robust flavours, I just had to add some.
Time from start to finish: 25 minutes
Serves: 2
Equipment: Large roasting tin, medium pan
500g baby or new potatoes
Olive oil
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1–2 tsp smoked paprika
1–2 tsp caster sugar
150ml aïoli (shop-bought, or if you fancy making your own)
150g chorizo ring
A small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
+ Preheat the oven to 220°C, (fan 200°C), 425°F, Gas Mark 7.
+ Put the potatoes into a large roasting tin. If using new potatoes (not ‘baby’), halve or quarter them first. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a good amount of oil. Roast in the hot oven for 20 minutes.
+ Pour the tomatoes into a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the vinegar, paprika and sugar to taste, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer then bubble away for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
+ Meanwhile, make your aïoli and set aside or skip to the next step if using shop-bought.
+ Peel and chop the chorizo into chunky pieces and set aside.
+ Give the sauce a stir and check on the potatoes, tossing them about a bit. Add the chorizo to the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
+ The potatoes are cooked when crisp and golden outside and tender inside when pierced with a knife. Remove them from the oven and tip onto a serving platter for sharing. Take the now-reduced tomato sauce off the heat and add some salt and pepper if need be. Then pour it over the potatoes and top with the aïoli and tear over the parsley leaves. Sometimes in Spain this is served with cocktail sticks. Wonderful!
Potato & leek vichyssoise with crispy bacon & chives
It has been said that this soup comes from Vichy in France, but rumour has it that the chef who created it had some Vichy