MY KEY INGREDIENT IS ENJOYMENT

Food-Feb27-04-176I am a cook, not a chef. I am passionate about food and firmly believe that cooking and eating should be about one thing: enjoyment, not worrying about presentation and whether your roux is made to Michelin- star standards. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than preparing a meal for family and friends, and then sitting back and watching everyone dig in. We all live busy lives, and those moments together are special, to be treasured, so why make life more complicated than it already is? Keep it simple – enjoy! 

My recipes tend to fall into two categories – either quick and simple, like my easy salads or speedy weeknight suppers, or slow and simple for lazy weekend lunches – stews and roasts that are perfect to leave simmering while you go for a long walk.

I cook the way my mother and grandmother taught me, with a hearty disregard for following the recipes to the letter. Good food is all about flavour, and a few simple twists can make the ordinary extraordinary. I want you to cook, sit, eat and enjoy!

My Busy Kitchen: A Lifetime Of Family Recipes, by Alex Hollywood, with photography by Dan Jones, is published by Hodder & Stoughton, priced £25.

Baked Chinese Duck with Cucumber and Chilli Salad(main image above)

Serves 6 to 8

  • 6 duck breasts, skin scored with a diamond pattern

For the glaze

  • 2 star anise
  • 1 tsp ground cloves 
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon 
  • 75g corn flour
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp clear honey
  • zest of 1 orange

For the salad

  • 1½ large cucumbers, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large red chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 6 spring onions, sliced
  • handful of coriander leaves
  • pinch of salt

For the dressing

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp white rice wine vinegar or mirin
  • pinch of salt

Put all the glaze ingredients into a blender and blitz to a smooth consistency. Rub the duck breasts with the mixture, place on a tray and leave in a cool place for at least 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200C/ gas mark 6 and preheat an oven tray.

Transfer the duck breasts to the hot tray and roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside on a plate to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put all the salad ingredients into a bowl. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a screwtop jar and shake well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.

Slice the rested duck breasts and serve on top of the salad.

 

My Kitchen Moules with Pull-Apart Bread

Serves 4 to 6

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  • 75g butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 400ml dry white wine
  • 1 bouquet garni
  • 2kg fresh mussels, rinsed and scrubbed
  • squeeze of lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • handful of parsley leaves, chopped, to serve

For the pull-apart bread

  • 1 baguette
  • 75g butter
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • squeeze of lemon juice
  • handful of grated Gruyère cheese

First prepare the bread. Make deep criss-cross cuts along the baguette, then wrap it in foil, leaving the top of the parcel open. Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in all the other ingredients except the cheese. Pour this mixture into the cuts, then stuff them with the cheese. Put the open parcel in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the garlic and onions and fry until translucent. Stir in the wine, add the bouquet garni and heat until bubbling. Season well, add the mussels, cover with a lid and cook until the shells open: this shouldn’t take any longer than a few minutes. Give the pan a good shake every so often to move them around, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl, discarding any that haven’t opened, along with the bouquet garni.

Boil the liquid left in the pan until reduced by about half. Add a little lemon juice, taste and season accordingly. Pour the liquid over the mussels, sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately with the pull-apart bread. Tip Keep the hinged shell of the first mussel you eat to use as a pincer for eating the rest.

 

Lavender Honey Cheeseboard

Serves 6

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  • 200g clear honey
  • 1 tbsp freshly picked lavender flowers
  • crottin de chèvre (young goats’ cheese) 
  • Époisses (cows’ milk cheese washed in brandy)
  • figs, to serve

Put the honey and lavender in a heatproof bowl and microwave gently until hot, but do not allow to boil. Alternatively, heat gently in a small saucepan. Cover and allow to infuse for up to 1 hour. It will depend on the strength of your lavender, so taste a little every so often: you want a good ‘kick’ of lavender flavour. When ready, pour the mixture through a fine sieve, discarding the lavender.

Pour the honey into a screwtop jar and allow to cool before replacing the lid. Store in a cool place.

When ready to serve, place the cheese on a board and cut into slices. Pour the lavender honey into a ramekin and serve on the board along with freshly cut figs and forks for dipping.