The Joyful Home Cook

Memorable Mains

This is the place for golden-crusted pork chops rubbed with fennel, thyme and cayenne (see here), and squishy fried aubergine with crispy roasted chickpeas and labneh (see here); things you can rustle up without too much trouble. Giving care and attention to those important details, however – like frying those aubergines to a silken splendour – elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary, making these meals, well, you guessed it: memorable.

As well as making the most of seasonal veg in the Burrata and Roast Root Rave Salad (see here) and Allotment Greens Orecchiette (see here), this chapter is alive with some of my favourite international influences, and will bring some revelations, like how off-the-charts salmon tastes when cooked gently in a marinade of tahini and preserved lemon; what fresh curry leaves can bring to your kedgeree; and how an anchovy-laced béchamel can transform our old pal broccoli. You’ll put your sourdough starter to good use again to make the Sourdough Pizzas (see here) – perfect for a pizza night with pals – and your vegan mates will love you for the delicious Sri Lankan-inspired vegan curry feast you cook up for them (see here).

Pork chops rubbed with fennel, thyme and cayenne

Serves 2–4

You can’t beat a succulent pork chop for a simple, satisfying meal thrown together in a matter of minutes. This effortless fennel, thyme and cayenne rub flavours the meat beautifully, and is also good as a seasoning for homemade pork burgers, or a rub for chicken. Find chunky, best-end pork loin chops with a nice layer of fat for crisping up. Serve with a bright, sharp shaved salad such as the Shaved Fennel, Radish and Pickled Peach Salad (see here and pictured here).

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp sea salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp caster sugar

grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon

leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme

4 skinless pork best-end loin chops (about 250g each)

1 Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for a minute or two, until fragrant and golden. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor, or a pestle and mortar, add the salt, cayenne pepper, sugar, lemon zest and thyme and blitz or pound in the mortar until finely ground.

2 Season the flesh of the pork chops with the salt mixture, rubbing it into the meat but avoiding the fat (you’ll only need about half of the salt mixture – store the rest in an airtight container and use it for other meats, or chicken). Leave the pork chops to sit in the rub at room temperature for 1 hour (if you’re leaving them for any longer than that, keep them in the fridge), then gently rinse them and pat dry with kitchen paper.

3 Heat a griddle or skillet over a medium-high heat, or prepare a barbecue.

4 Grill the pork for 5 minutes on each side (or a little longer if the chops are really thick), pressing the fat against the pan or barbecue grate to render some of it out and crisp it up. If you’re cooking the pork in a pan, baste it in its own fat. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes, then serve with a salad.

Chilli, broccoli and anchovy gratin

with pan-fried red mullet

Serves 4

Red mullet is one of my absolute favourite fish. Aside from being crazy beautiful, its iridescent rose-red skin has a wonderful nuttiness, and its flesh a special sweetness that requires very little from the home cook, other than a quick pan-fry. This leaves you free to lavish the broccoli with a bit of attention, and really, it’s never felt sexier than it does here, cloaked in this creamy, yet deeply umami béchamel made with anchovies, garlic and chilli. Rosemary adds an aromatic edge, while sourdough breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds provide an irresistible crunch and tang. Once you’ve made and tasted this gratin, I’m convinced you’ll want to use it as a side dish for all manner of things, as it’s also superb with meat such as rare roast beef, or salt marsh lamb, and you could even make it into a meal in itself served with a little pasta or warmed white beans.

2 small-medium red mullet, cleaned, scaled and gutted

2 tbsp olive oil

thumb-sized strip of lemon zest, pith removed

leaves from 1 sprig of thyme

For the gratin

1 large head of broccoli, broken into florets, leaves set to one side, stalk trimmed and thinly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing

grated zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon

1 red jalapeño chilli, deseeded and half sliced, half diced

5 good-quality anchovy fillets in oil, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped

2 tbsp plain flour

glass of white wine

300ml whole milk

75ml double cream

6 tbsp anchovy breadcrumbs (see here)

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Take the mullet out of the fridge, put it on a plate, season with a little salt and leave to reach room temperature.

2 Bring a large saucepan of well salted water to a rolling boil. Add the sliced broccoli stalk and boil for a couple of minutes, then add the florets and boil for another 3 minutes, until tender, adding the leaves for 30 seconds before you drain. Drain the broccoli and toss it into an oiled roasting tray. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and scatter over the sliced chilli.

3 Return the pan to the hob and heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Slide in the anchovies, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary and diced chilli and fry for a few minutes, until the anchovies have melted into the oil.

4 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

5 Tip the flour into the oil and stir quickly to form a paste or roux, let it cook for a minute or two, until it smells nutty, then add the white wine and cook, stirring, until smooth. Now, slowly add the milk, whisking continuously, and cook for 5–8 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, breaking up any lumps with the whisk. Add the cream and whisk to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Scatter over the anchovy breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave to rest while you cook your mullet.

6 Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the lemon zest and thyme leaves, stirring for a few seconds. Slide in the fish and pan-fry, basting them with the warm oil, for about 2 minutes on each side, until the flesh is opaque and cooked through. Serve with the gratin.

Sri Lankan-style beetroot curry

Serves 4

The beetroot curry from the second night of our Sri Lankan honeymoon has been obsessively recreated in our kitchen ever since. Deep purple, rich with coconut and the earthy, fragrant, smoky flavours of Sri Lankan curry powder, roasted to bring out extra flavour in the spices, it’s a favourite meal for when vegetarian and vegan friends are round. Sri Lankan curries centre around seasonal vegetables cooked with black mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves, roasted curry powder and, crucially, fresh coconut: its luscious oil, reviving water and rich, luxurious cream, which are all added at different stages. A tin of good-quality coconut milk and dried curry leaves make perfectly reasonable substitutes for fresh, but it is worthwhile making the roasted curry powder (see here). This dish is adaptable to almost any vegetable glut– swap beetroot for cauliflower, parsnip or courgette, even runner beans in summer. Serve with black or basmati rice, Tomato, Coconut and Spinach Dahl (see here) and Coconut Sambol (see here).

400g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

handful of fresh curry leaves (or 2 tsp dried curry leaves)

½ red or white onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

⅔ green chilli, thinly sliced

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 tbsp Roasted Curry Powder (see here)

200ml coconut milk

cooked black or basmati rice, to serve

1 Put the beetroot in a bowl with the fenugreek, chilli powder and 1 teaspoon of the salt and mix by hand.

2 Heat a non-stick frying pan or wok (with a lid to hand) over a medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil and black mustard seeds and fry until they start to sizzle and spit, then add the curry leaves, swirling them around the pan with a wooden spoon to infuse the oil. Now, slide in the onion, garlic, green chilli and the remaining salt. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the onion is starting to colour, then add the beetroot and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring to combine it with the contents of the pan.

 

3 Add the tomato and roasted curry powder and fry for a couple of minutes, until the tomato is starting to break down and release its juice, then add the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Cover and cook, stirring every now and then, for 10–15 minutes, until the beetroot is tender and cooked through and the curry is glossy and reduced. Remove from the heat and serve with rice and yoghurt flatbreads (see here), spinach dahl and coconut sambol on the opposite page.

Tomato, coconut and spinach dahl

Serves 4

Frugal, nourishing and brilliantly flavourful, this dahl uses two kinds of lentil for added texture, and is vegan, so everyone can enjoy it. Before I started making my own, I always imagined dahl took hours and hours to cook, but if you soak the lentils ahead, it’s actually so quick to make. It’s perfect with beetroot curry (opposite) but is also great with a fried egg, roasted cauliflower or broccoli, some fried smoked tofu or aubergine on top.

100g split red lentils

50g split yellow or green lentils

1 tsp salt, plus a pinch

1 tbsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

handful of fresh curry leaves (or 2 tsp dried curry leaves)

½ red onion, diced

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

5 tbsp creamy coconut milk (fresh or tinned)

2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Soak the lentils together in a bowl of water for a couple of hours, then rinse, drain in a sieve and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water (about a finger’s tip above the level of the lentils), add the teaspoon of salt and the ground turmeric and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape.

2 Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil in a frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and fry until they start to sizzle and pop, then add the curry leaves, onion, cumin, garlic and pinch of salt and cook for a few more minutes, until the onion starts to colour. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed and given up their juice.

3 Add 4 tablespoons of the creamy coconut milk and spinach to the dahl and simmer for another 3 minutes, then pour in the contents of the tomato pan, along with the final tablespoon of coconut milk. Stir, taste, season with salt and pepper and serve or keep warm by covering with a tea towel.

Coconut sambol

Serves 2–4

Heaped on the side of the plate and dusted onto every mouthful of curry, this spicy condiment, based on Sri Lankan pol sambol, is at once fiery, tangy with lime juice and cooling with creamy coconut. It can be made ahead and kept in the fridge.

½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

½ red onion, finely chopped

¼ tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of dried chilli flakes

4 tbsp desiccated coconut or fresh coconut

juice of 1 lime

1 In a pestle and mortar, grind the chilli, red onion, salt, pepper and dried chilli flakes together until well combined and the onion releases some juice.

2 Add the coconut and grind again, then add the lime juice and mix well. Taste and season further with salt and lime if needed. Store in the fridge.

Squishy aubergine, crispy chickpea and broccoli salad

with homemade ferments

Serves 2

Something magical happens when salted aubergine is fried in plenty of oil – the aubergine at once sucks it up, creating a silken, creamy inside, while the outside of the flesh caramelises and browns, making something deeply savoury and utterly addictive. Paired with nutty roasted broccoli, cooling labneh and crispy spiced chickpeas, with an array of homemade ferments to cut through the richness of the aubergine and tahini dressing, this salad has it all. The inspiration for this dish came from one of my favourite local restaurants, The Good Egg in Stoke Newington, which specialises in Israeli food and serves ‘Sabih’ – a popular Israeli sandwich of fried aubergines and boiled eggs stuffed into pitta bread. Add boiled eggs to this to beef it up, or lose the labneh to keep it vegan.

1 large aubergine, cut into 1.5-cm slices

1 tsp sea salt flakes

1 × 400g tin chickpeas, drained

½ head of broccoli, broken into florets, including leaves

3 tbsp rapeseed, olive or vegetable oil

pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 tsp smoked sweet paprika

handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves

handful of dill fronds

handful of mint leaves

1 tsp sumac

150g Labneh (see here)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

20g preserved lemon, deseeded (shop-bought or (see here))

1 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp honey

1 tsp salt

1 garlic clove

½ tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin

1 tbsp good-quality tahini

To serve

1 tbsp Fermented Turnips (see here), drained

1 tbsp Pink Pickled Onions (see here), drained

1 tbsp Fermented Green Chillies (see here), drained

2 toasted pitta breads

1 Place the aubergine slices in a sieve over the sink or a bowl and scatter the sea salt all over. Leave it to sit and drain the moisture from the aubergine for about 30 minutes.

2 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Dry the chickpeas with a clean tea towel and tip them into a roasting tray. Add the broccoli, broccoli leaves, 1 tablespoon of the oil, chilli flakes, smoked paprika and some salt and pepper and toss together. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes, until the chickpeas are really crispy and the broccoli is crispy at the edges but tender when cut into.

3 Meanwhile, wipe off any excess water from the aubergine with kitchen paper, then heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based frying pan or skillet over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering hot, add the aubergine slices and fry for 4–5 minutes on each side, until nicely browned on the outside and squishy in the middle. You may need to add a little more oil as you go. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside.

4 To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until you have a loose but emulsified dressing.

5 Toss the roasted chickpeas and broccoli in a bowl with half the fresh herbs and the sumac. Season with salt and pepper and coat with a little of the dressing. Spread the labneh over a serving platter and top with the salad, then strew the fried aubergine, remaining herbs and ferments over the top. Serve with fluffy toasted pitta and the dressing on the side.

Burrata and roast root rave salad

with harissa and walnut salsa

Serves 4 as a starter, 6 as a side

This is a showstopper of a salad, perfect as a sharing platter and a great way to make a fuss of the meat-free people in your life. People always swoon for burrata, and here it lends its bursting creamy splendour to a medley of root veg, roasted until tender and caramelised and piled atop mounds of fregola (a spherical, toasted Sardinian pasta) and lentils. With a punchy salsa to spoon over the whole lot, and the burrata to tear into, it’s an all-star line up of spice, sweetness and umami. If you’re making it for veggies, sub the anchovies for capers or black olives.

150g puy lentils

200g fregola or giant couscous

2 large beetroots, scrubbed

olive oil, for drizzling

300g organic carrots, scrubbed and halved lengthways

100g parsnips, scrubbed and halved lengthways

4 banana shallots, peeled and halved lengthways

4 slices of Preserved Orange (see here) or zest of 1 orange

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

leaves of 3 heads of chicory

2 large burrata

handful of parsley and coriander

sea salt and black pepper

For the pickled beetroot

100ml cider vinegar

5g sea salt

30g caster sugar

½ tsp each fennel seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds

½ cinnamon stick

2 candy-striped beetroots, peeled and thinly sliced

½ red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)

For the walnut salsa

50g walnuts

40g tinned anchovy fillets

1 tbsp rose harissa (I love the Belazu one)

1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tbsp coriander leaves

1 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp lemon juice

100ml olive oil

1 Cook the lentils in salted water, according to packet instructions, and the fregola separately (also in salted water) until al dente, drain both and transfer to a bowl. Pour in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and fork it through so that they don’t stick together.

2 Now pickle the beetroot. Combine the vinegar, 100ml water, salt, sugar and spices (except the chilli) in a non-reactive pan and bring to the boil. Place the beetroot slices and chilli (if using) in a clean heatproof jar or jug and pour over the pickling liquor. Leave to steep.

3 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Take a piece of foil big enough to wrap the beetroots and place the whole beetroots on it. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Wrap the beetroot in the foil, leaving a little air between them, and place on a baking tray. In a roasting tray, combine the carrots, parsnips, shallots and preserved orange or zest, pour over a little olive oil to coat, then scatter over the spices and drizzle over the honey or maple syrup. Season well with salt, give everything a good toss, then put that tray and the foiled beetroot tray in the oven, with the beetroot tray on the top rack.

4 Check the parsnips and carrots after 35 minutes. They should be browned and tender with crispy edges, but not dry, while the shallots should be nicely caramelised and sticky. When done, remove the tray from the oven. Roast the beetroots for 1 hour in total, until they are tender all the way through (use a skewer to check). Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle, then use some kitchen paper or the back of a spoon to peel away the skin, and slice them into wedges.

5 To make the salsa, blitz the walnuts in a food processor briefly until coarsely chopped, then add the anchovies, harissa and herbs and blitz again to combine. Add the the orange juice, lemon juice and the olive oil. Blitz again, then taste and season with salt to taste.

6 To assemble the salad, add the chicory and herbs to the bowl of lentils and fregola, season with salt and pepper and add a splash of the beetroot pickling liquor and a little olive oil. Toss to coat, then arrange on a sharing platter. Top with the roast beetroots, carrots, shallots, parsnips and burrata, then dress with the salsa. Drain the beetroot from the pickling juice (reserving the juice for another use, see Rhubarb Poaching Liquor Roast Parsnips here). Scatter over the pickled beetroot and serve with extra salsa on the side.