Fattoush

Ingredients

For the dressing
300ml/10fl oz olive oil
5 lemons, juice and zest only
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 tbsp sumac (a sour-tasting ground spice, available in Middle Eazstern delicatessens)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad
1 pitta bread, torn into small pieces
8 plum tomatoes, seeds removed, quartered
half cucumber, peeled, cut into 5cm/2in batons
half green pepper, cut into strips
8 radishes, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
small handful rocket leaves
1 small Little Gem lettuce
handful fresh mint leaves

Preparation method

For the dressing, place the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, crushed garlic and sumac into a bowl and whisk together to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Technique: Zesting citrus fruit
   
For the salad, place the torn pitta, tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, radishes, shallot, rocket leaves, Little Gem lettuce leaves and mint leaves into a large bowl and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, pour the dressing over the salad and gently mix together to coat the salad evenly with dressing.
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Bacon Strata

Try this bacon and egg bake for a decadent brunch or light supper.

Ingredients
6 free-range eggs
500ml/18fl oz full-fat milk
250g/1lb 5½oz ricotta cheese
125g/4½oz sourdough bread, ripped into small pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely sliced
200g/7oz smoked bacon lardons
175g/6oz roasted butternut squash, chopped
150g/5½oz buffalo mozzarella, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
75g/2¾oz freshly grated parmesan

Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Beat the eggs and milk together in a bowl. Add the cheese and bread and mix until well combined. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the bacon and cook until golden-brown and crisp. Stir in the butternut squash, mozzarella and sage
Spoon half the eggy bread mixture onto the base of a 25cm/10in ovenproof dish. Add half of the squash mixture.
Repeat the layering process in point 4. Finish by sprinkling over with parmesan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the mixture has set and the cheese is bubbling on top.
Serve the bacon strata with green vegetables and garlic bread.
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Asparagus with Coddled Eggs

NB. For this recipe you will need an egg coddling pan.

Ingredients
For the dressing
2 free-range egg yolks
2 lemons, juice only
215ml/7½fl oz extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp truffle oil
For the asparagus and coddled eggs
12 British asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed, bottom ends peeled if necessary
50ml/1¾oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
4 free-range eggs
To serve
2 ready-made bagels, cut in half, toasted until pale golden-brown
4 tbsp parmesan shavings, or similar vegetarian hard cheese shavings
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method
For the dressing, place the egg yolks into a food processor and blend until smooth.
With the motor running, gradually add the lemon juice in a thin stream until it has been fully incorporated into the egg yolks. Do the same with the olive oil. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the parsley and truffle oil and pulse until combined.
For the asparagus and coddled eggs, blanch the asparagus spears in boiling water for 10 seconds, then remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Add the butter and shake the asparagus spears to coat them in the melted butter.
Grease four coddler trays with butter and arrange them in the coddler pan. Add enough boiling water to just reach the base of the coddler trays, then add one egg to each coddler tray. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
To serve, place one toasted bagel into the centre of each of four serving plates. Place one coddled egg on top of each. Divide the asparagus equally among the plates and place alongside the bagel. Drizzle over the dressing. Sprinkle over the parmesan shavings and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Sweetcorn Fritters with Homemade Ketchup

These simple fritters make a decadent brunch with some crisp bacon or a simple supper.

Ingredients
For the fritters
100g/3½oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch smoked paprika
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
75ml/2½fl oz milk
350g/12oz sweetcorn kernels (if using tinned, drain well)
6 finely chopped spring onions
125-150ml/4½-5fl oz vegetable oil, for frying
For the homemade ketchup
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion
1 stick celery
½ bulb fennel, finely chopped
2.5cm/1in fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded
1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
2 cloves, tied into a muslin bag
500g/1lb 2oz plum tomatoes, skins removed
300ml/10½fl oz water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g/3½oz soft brown sugar
200ml/7oz red wine vinegar

Preparation method
For the fritters, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper, paprika and caster sugar together in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Gradually add the egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients and combine to form a batter.
Place the sweetcorn kernels and spring onions into a separate bowl and add just enough batter to the mix to bind them.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, and drop in a good spoonful of the mix. Cook for two minutes on each side, drain on kitchen paper and keep warm until all the batter is used up.
For the tomato ketchup, heat the oil in the pan and gently fry the vegetables and spices until tender.
Add the tomatoes and water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to cool slightly.
Remove the cloves and blend the mixture in a food processor. Pass through a fine sieve, and then pass through again if the sauce isn't smooth enough.
In a non-reactive pan, boil together the sugar and vinegar to form a syrup. Add the sauce and cook for about 12-13 minutes until it reaches the consistency of ketchup.
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Smoked Haddock, Potato Pancake and Lemon Crème Fraîche

Simon Rimmer’s classy brunch is ready in no time and even uses up leftover mashed potato.

Ingredients
For the lemon crème fraîche
150ml/5½fl oz rice vinegar
2 lemons, juice and zest
1 green chilli, finely sliced
150g/5½oz caster sugar
200g/7oz crème fraîche
For the smoked haddock and potato pancakes
1 free-range egg, egg and yolk separated
200g/7oz mashed potato
pinch baking powder
50g/1¾oz plain flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 x 100g/3½oz pieces smoked haddock
1 cucumber, grated, to serve

Preparation method
For the lemon crème fraîche, heat the vinegar, lemon juice and zest, chilli and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan for 8-10 minutes, or until the sugar had melted and the mixture is syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
Stir the lemon syrup into the crème fraîche until well combined.
For the potato pancakes, whisk the egg white in a bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.
Mix the mashed potato, baking powder, flour and egg yolk together in a separate bowl then fold in the whisked egg white.
Divide the mixture into four and shape into rounds.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the potato pancakes for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on both sides.
Meanwhile, warm the smoked haddock pieces.
To serve, place the potato pancakes onto serving plates and top with the smoked haddock. Drizzle over a little lemon crème fraîche and top with the grated cucumber.
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Nduja and Potato Hash

Nduja is an ingredient worth trying. The soft salami works brilliantly in making a delicious potato hash.

Ingredients
300g/10oz new potatoes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
75g/3oz nduja (available from Italian delis and specialist online retailers)
1 red chilli, chopped
200g/7oz Serrano ham, chopped
1 tbsp capers
100g/3½oz butter
8 free-range eggs
To serve
4 slices French bread
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
chilli sauce

Preparation method
Place the new potatoes in a saucepan, fill with water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in two heavy-based frying pans set over a medium heat. Divide the onion between the two pans and fry gently for 10 minutes, or until soft and golden-brown.
Add half the nduja and chilli to each pan and cook for three minutes. Stir in equal amounts of the Serrano ham, cook for a further three minutes.
Add half the potatoes, capers and butter to each pan. Let the potatoes brown - keep turning them every so often with a spatula until crisp all over.
Make two holes in the mixture in each pan. Crack two eggs in each hole, cover with a lid and cook for three minutes until set.
Meanwhile, toast the bread on a griddle pan until crisp.
Spoon the hash onto four plates, giving each person two eggs, and sprinkle over the parsley. Serve with the toast and chilli sauce on the side.
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Pan-fried Dab with Lemon and Mint Potatoes

Dab are a small flatfish with a delicate flavour. This recipe is a simple, summery way to enjoy them.

Ingredients
500g/1lb 2oz new potatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
75g/2¾oz butter
bunch fresh mint, chopped
2 lemons, juice and zest
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp capers
4 x dab fillets, scaled and gutted
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation method
Place the new potatoes into a saucepan, cover with water and add a pinch of salt, a knob of the butter and half of the mint. Bring to the boil and cook the potatoes for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Mix the lemon zest, juice, sugar and capers together in a large bowl. Stir in the potatoes and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the remaining butter, reserving a knob of butter to fry the fish, and set aside.
Rub the dab fillets with the oil and with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the reserved butter in a frying pan and cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
To serve, spoon the potatoes onto serving plates and top with the dab fillet.
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