Food on the Move
The idea for my latest book came to me over the course of a few months as I planned outdoor adventures with my family, including days out with friends, camping trips and picnics in the park; or we were asked to ‘bring a plate’ to a friend’s house. I always think about how the finished dish will look when I’m writing a recipe. But on these various excursions it occurred to me that for recipes cooked at home and then eaten elsewhere, extra thought needs to be given not only to how to transport the dish, but also whether it will still taste good once it’s cold. Food can do strange things when it cools down.
There are numerous occasions when you might need recipes that travel well. Maybe you’ve been asked to bring a plate to someone’s house or you’re planning a picnic at the races. Perhaps you’re going on a hike and would like something tasty for the end of your walk, or you simply want to eat in your garden because it’s a beautiful summer’s day. Whatever the occasion, this book is full of inspiring recipes that look and taste great, and travel well.
A Moveable Feast, by Katy Holder, with photography by Natasha Milne, is published by Hardie Grant, £20
Serves 4
20 medium raw king prawns, peeled and deveined, or 20 cooked prawns, peeled and deveined
150g mixed salad leaves
Paprika, to dust
lemon wedges, to serve
For the dressing:
40g good-quality egg mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
2 heaped tsp tomato sauce
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Couple of good shakes of Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
If using raw prawns, cook them in boiling water for about 3 mins, or until they turn pink. Refresh under cold water. Cut each prawn into bite-sized pieces.
Combine all the dressing ingredients, adding extra lemon juice, Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce as desired, to make a fullflavoured, tangy sauce.
Divide half the salad leaves among the jars, then add half the prawns. Top with the remaining salad leaves and prawns. Put a spoonful or two of dressing on top of the seafood and sprinkle with paprika. Pop on the lids and screw tight.
If not transporting immediately, place the jars in the fridge until needed. To transport, wrap each jar in a large cloth napkin and secure with twine or a rubber band, tucking a fork into the side of each. Give guests their salad and suggest they mix the sauce into the salad before starting to eat. Offer the lemon wedges for squeezing over the salad.
TIP: If you don't have any jars, you can serve the salad on a platter with the dressing spooned over.
SERVES 6-8
250g French shallots unpeeled
1 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 roma tomatoes, halved lengthways
1 tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish
1 tsp sugar
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 24cm x 24cm), thawed in fridge
Find a 20cm (across the base) ovenproof frying pan. Check the handle is ovenproof too, ie, not plastic, or cover it with a double layer of foil. Also check it fits in your oven with the door closed. Preheat fan-forced oven to 120C/ gas mark 6).
Simmer the shallots in water for 5 mins, then drain well. Cool slightly then peel (the skins should slip off easily). Heat the oil in the frying pan. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 mins or until starting to brown.
Transfer to a plate and remove the oil from the pan. Put the butter in the pan over low heat. Once it has melted, add the garlic and stir around briefly. Add the tomatoes cutside down and sprinkle with the thyme and sugar. Cook over medium heat for 1 min. Remove from the heat and add the shallots, ensuring that everything is in a single, compact layer.
If your pastry is a square sheet, snip off the corners to make them rounded.
Carefully place the pastry over the shallots, tucking it inside the pan (not over the edges of the pan). Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 mins until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 mins. Then carefully turn out onto a large serving plate, remembering the handle will still be hot. Also be aware the tomatoes may have leaked a little juice.
Serve warm or cold, scattered with the extra thyme. If transporting, cover with foil once cool.
Serves 6
1 small red pepper, halved and deseeded (or 50g bought chargrilled peppers, drained)
200g smoked salmon u 200g cream cheese
100g sour cream u 4 tbsp dill, finely chopped
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
8 thin slices of wholemeal bread
Preheat grill to high. Squash the halves of pepper to flatten them, then put them under the hot grill, skin side up. Grill until the skin is blackened. Transfer pepper to a plastic bag, seal and leave for 15 mins. Peel off the skin and finely dice the pepper.
Put the salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, dill and 3 tbsp lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor and blend for about 20 seconds. Taste, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and add 1 tbsp of lemon juice if needed. Then either add the diced pepper and blend for 10 seconds or transfer the pâté to a bowl and stir in the diced pepper. Put the mixture into the fridge for about 30 mins to allow it to firm up slightly.
Heat fan-forced oven to 200C/gas mark 6 and put a baking sheet into the oven to heat up. Remove the crusts from the bread, then roll it out thinly using a rolling pin or bottle. Cut each piece into four triangles. Bake for 8-10 mins until the toast is golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.
Store and transport the toast in an airtight container. Serve alongside the pâté.
STYLING TIP: Use alphabet stamps to personalise napkins, place settings, luggage tags and the like whenever you want.
There are numerous occasions when you might need recipes that travel well. Maybe you’ve been asked to bring a plate to someone’s house or you’re planning a picnic at the races. Perhaps you’re going on a hike and would like something tasty for the end of your walk, or you simply want to eat in your garden because it’s a beautiful summer’s day. Whatever the occasion, this book is full of inspiring recipes that look and taste great, and travel well.
A Moveable Feast, by Katy Holder, with photography by Natasha Milne, is published by Hardie Grant, £20
PRAWN COCKTAIL IN A JAR
Serves 420 medium raw king prawns, peeled and deveined, or 20 cooked prawns, peeled and deveined
150g mixed salad leaves
Paprika, to dust
lemon wedges, to serve
For the dressing:
40g good-quality egg mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
2 heaped tsp tomato sauce
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Couple of good shakes of Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
If using raw prawns, cook them in boiling water for about 3 mins, or until they turn pink. Refresh under cold water. Cut each prawn into bite-sized pieces.
Combine all the dressing ingredients, adding extra lemon juice, Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce as desired, to make a fullflavoured, tangy sauce.
Divide half the salad leaves among the jars, then add half the prawns. Top with the remaining salad leaves and prawns. Put a spoonful or two of dressing on top of the seafood and sprinkle with paprika. Pop on the lids and screw tight.
If not transporting immediately, place the jars in the fridge until needed. To transport, wrap each jar in a large cloth napkin and secure with twine or a rubber band, tucking a fork into the side of each. Give guests their salad and suggest they mix the sauce into the salad before starting to eat. Offer the lemon wedges for squeezing over the salad.
TIP: If you don't have any jars, you can serve the salad on a platter with the dressing spooned over.
TOMATO & SHALLOT SAVOURY TARTE TATIN (pictured above)
SERVES 6-8250g French shallots unpeeled
1 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 roma tomatoes, halved lengthways
1 tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish
1 tsp sugar
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 24cm x 24cm), thawed in fridge
Find a 20cm (across the base) ovenproof frying pan. Check the handle is ovenproof too, ie, not plastic, or cover it with a double layer of foil. Also check it fits in your oven with the door closed. Preheat fan-forced oven to 120C/ gas mark 6).
Simmer the shallots in water for 5 mins, then drain well. Cool slightly then peel (the skins should slip off easily). Heat the oil in the frying pan. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 mins or until starting to brown.
Transfer to a plate and remove the oil from the pan. Put the butter in the pan over low heat. Once it has melted, add the garlic and stir around briefly. Add the tomatoes cutside down and sprinkle with the thyme and sugar. Cook over medium heat for 1 min. Remove from the heat and add the shallots, ensuring that everything is in a single, compact layer.
If your pastry is a square sheet, snip off the corners to make them rounded.
Carefully place the pastry over the shallots, tucking it inside the pan (not over the edges of the pan). Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 mins until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 mins. Then carefully turn out onto a large serving plate, remembering the handle will still be hot. Also be aware the tomatoes may have leaked a little juice.
Serve warm or cold, scattered with the extra thyme. If transporting, cover with foil once cool.
SMOKED SALMON & ROASTED RED PEPPER PÂTÉ ON TOAST
Serves 61 small red pepper, halved and deseeded (or 50g bought chargrilled peppers, drained)
200g smoked salmon u 200g cream cheese
100g sour cream u 4 tbsp dill, finely chopped
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
8 thin slices of wholemeal bread
Preheat grill to high. Squash the halves of pepper to flatten them, then put them under the hot grill, skin side up. Grill until the skin is blackened. Transfer pepper to a plastic bag, seal and leave for 15 mins. Peel off the skin and finely dice the pepper.
Put the salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, dill and 3 tbsp lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor and blend for about 20 seconds. Taste, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and add 1 tbsp of lemon juice if needed. Then either add the diced pepper and blend for 10 seconds or transfer the pâté to a bowl and stir in the diced pepper. Put the mixture into the fridge for about 30 mins to allow it to firm up slightly.
Heat fan-forced oven to 200C/gas mark 6 and put a baking sheet into the oven to heat up. Remove the crusts from the bread, then roll it out thinly using a rolling pin or bottle. Cut each piece into four triangles. Bake for 8-10 mins until the toast is golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.
Store and transport the toast in an airtight container. Serve alongside the pâté.
STYLING TIP: Use alphabet stamps to personalise napkins, place settings, luggage tags and the like whenever you want.