This spatchcock chicken with sticky miso & harissa is sure to wow any guests you have over this summer. It's simple to put together but the delicious umami and sweet flavours of the marinade give it a mouth-watering and succulently complex taste.
For years I thought that anything other than the green Genovese version was sacrilege - until I was introduced to its Sicilian cousin aka Trapanese. Since then, I’ve been swimming with the Trapanesian fishes. The only caveat is that you have to have the right tomatoes. Only the finest and tastiest will do and that definitely doesn’t include cherry - or anything available in the supermarket.
You need that mythical beefsteak tomato some old lady in a french provisioners used to make you a sandwich, one hot afternoon just outside Carcassonne about twenty years ago. As you can tell, it was the highlight of my holiday but I was firmly put in my place a few years later when a friend, who had had a similar experience told me that she had extracted some tomato seeds from said sandwich, smuggled them back to Blighty, germinated and grown them the next year. Now that really must have been a good sandwich.
Anyway, back to the pesto. It’s a simple concoction of peeled and deseeded diced tomatoes (blessed by the lady in black from Carcassonne), blanched almonds, garlic, basil and a little mint. Recipes invariably call for Sicilia or Sardinian pecorino but I reckon it’s best left out of the sauce and grated over the finished dish.
An indulgent dish of nduja, artichokes and ricotta for a spicy sausage dish with a difference.
The classic Tuscan tomato drenched version isn't the only panzanella in town. Relish broad bean season with this green ciabatta, broad bean and herb panzanella. Perfect for eating alfresco - as a starter or side with barbecued fish, vegetables or chicken. One of our new jarred Persian Feta type cheeses (Graceburn or vegan Haverstock White) would work well instead of the mozzarella as would, if you can find it, burrata. You can also mix things up a little by adding peas, sugar snaps, asparagus etc dor a primavera panzanella.
Our seasonal hero this May is the humble broad bean. For the gardener, autumn sown broad beans should be just ready by the end of the month but Spanish and French will have been around for months. As with peas, you have to be pretty hard core to turn your nose up at frozen but freshly picked and podded, they’re in a league of their own. If you’re lucky enough to get a May harvest, you certainly won’t have to worry about double podding them.
For this simple Rowley recipe, a good quality olive oil and tuna, such as the Ortiz Bonito del Norte (white tuna) are essential. Serve al fresco and with a pale rose.
Bright, refreshing, and bursting with citrusy goodness, this fennel and orange salad is a simple yet elegant dish that celebrates seasonal produce. The crisp fennel pairs beautifully with the sweetness of oranges, while the lemon and marmalade dressing adds a zesty twist. Perfect as a light starter or a vibrant side, this salad is a quick and delicious way to elevate your meal.