Two's Company: Simple E-Book

Orlando Murrin

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 184

Beschreibung

'We're all looking for quick routes to great dishes and Orlando Murrin does it so well in this beautiful cookbook.' Tom Kerridge 'Two's Company is a wonder and having a version that is "simple" is just even more appealing. Perfect for people who love great food but want less stress in the kitchen.' Georgina Hayden 75 deliciously simple recipes, offering advice and guidance on the easiest and quickest ways to feed two people without missing out on flavour or excitement. Following the success of Two's Company, this time Orlando Murrin turns his attention to super simple food designed for two people to share. He brings 75 more recipes to the table, encompassing everything from week-night quick fixes and easy-yet-impressive mains, to indulgent desserts. These speedy, often all-in-one, recipes have been carefully created so that there are minimal leftovers or half-finished packets of ingredients, making cooking for two easier and more cost effective than ever before. Whether you're craving comfort or looking for something special, need a 'store-cupboard winner' or something to satisfy your sweet tooth, Two's Company: Simple is the perfect resource for anyone who wants to make cooking for a pair both stress-free and enjoyable.

Leseprobe

TWO’S COMPANY

SIMPLE

Orlando Murrin

TWO’S COMPANY

SIMPLE

FAST & FRESH RECIPES FOR COUPLES, FRIENDS & ROOMMATES

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CLARE WINFIELD

Dedication

For Robert.

Senior Designer Megan Smith

Creative Director Leslie Harrington

Editorial Director Julia Charles

Production Manager Gordana Simakovic

Head of Production Patricia Harrington

Food Stylist Rosie Reynolds

Assistant Food Stylist Troy Willis

Prop Stylist Polly Webb-Wilson

Proofreader Anne Sheasby

Indexer Hilary Bird

Published in 2022

by Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields

London WC1R 4BW

and

341 E 116th St

New York NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

Text © copyright Orlando Murrin 2022

Design and photographs © copyright Ryland Peters & Small 2022

ISBN: 978-1-78879-467-1

eISBN: 978-1-78879-489-3

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed and bound in China.

CIP data from the Library of Congress has been applied for. A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book is intended as a manual for everyone who cooks regularly for two. Wherever possible, I’ve avoided saddling the cook with leftovers or half-finished packs. If something is only available in a family size pack I’ve suggested how you might use the remainder. I’ve tried to explain the recipes clearly but have assumed a basic familiarity with preparation and processes. For those who like to cook that way, I have weighed, measured and timed everything accurately. Many prefer a more Bohemian approach, in which case I hope you will use these recipes as a springboard.

When I specify FLOUR I mean plain/all-purpose flour. BUTTER is salted. OIL is vegetable oil (preferably rapeseed), unless otherwise specified. SUGAR is white or golden. When it comes to EGGS, I recommend buying mixed-weight eggs (as fully explained on page 8). All the recipes in this book will work with any size egg.

Whether your OVEN is gas, electric or convection, you don’t need to PREHEAT it – an explanation as to why, can be found on page 6.

Dotted throughout the book are nearly 50 tips and suggestions, which I hope you will find useful, interesting and thought-provoking. If one catches your eye but then vanishes, they have their own index on page 175.

Finally, warm greetings to American cooks, for whom we have interwoven U.S. MEASUREMENTS (oz. fl oz. and cups) for your convenience.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

STORECUPBOARD WINNERS

FRESH FROM THE FRIDGE

PASTA TONIGHT

ALL-IN-ONE

SOMETHING SPECIAL

SWEET THINGS

INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

There are times when it’s fun to embark on a complicated cookery project involving myriad ingredients combined in intricate ways, but what I’m usually looking for is inspiration for tonight’s dinner. I need dishes that are ready in under an hour, or come together quickly and can be left to do their own thing in the oven or on the hob. In an age when recipes seem to be getting more complicated, even reading some of the titles makes me feel exhausted – I want good, honest ingredients to be allowed to speak for themselves, and look great on the plate naturally, without embellishment or disguise.

To reflect today’s preference for eating less meat, nearly half the recipes in this book are either vegetarian or based on fish; many more can be easily adapted to be meat-free. Nestling among them are nearly 50 wide-ranging tips and tricks, many gleaned from chefs and fellow food writers, others new discoveries. These have their own index on page 175, and some may surprise you.

So what exactly do I mean by ‘simple’? Well, it’s not about cheating: almost all the recipes in this book are ‘scratch cooking’, where you start off with raw ingredients and end up with a home-cooked meal. Wherever I can, I’ve pruned out non-essentials and streamlined methods. I’m all for timesaving shortcuts and freezer standbys, but with a few exceptions I’ve avoided pre-prepared sauces and convenience foods.

A handful of recipes – specially those inspired by faraway cuisines – look as if they contain lots of ingredients, but they’re still straightforward to cook. A few contain specialist items which require seeking out, but are again easy to cook. Throughout, I’ve tried not to leave you with leftovers or half-finished pack (which are the curse of the smaller household); in the odd case where I can’t help marooning you with half a tub of something, I suggest how you might use it up.

One of the pleasures of creating this book has been the opportunity to experiment, and along the way I’ve had a major rethink of my kitchen strategies. Here are my new ten golden rules:

NO NEED TO PREHEAT YOUR OVEN

In this energy-conscious age, all the dishes in this book have been devised to be started in a cold oven, so as not to waste heat. This method works for roasts, bread, pastry, soufflés, cakes – the lot. A video I made of a cold-start Yorkshire pudding went viral on Facebook.

Many cooks are resistant to this principle, which I can understand as it goes against everything we were taught. If you prefer to stick with preheating, you will waste energy while the oven is heating up, but it will shave a few minutes off baking times; about 4 minutes if you have a fan oven, about 5–8 if you have a conventional electric or gas oven.

The canny cook can also turn the oven off a few minutes before cooking time has elapsed, to allow residual heat to finish the job.

When frying on the hob/stovetop, the received wisdom is to heat the oil first or the food will absorb it and end up greasy rather than crisp. I’ve not found this to be true. I add the oil, turn on the heat, swirl it round in the pan and start cooking.

Some people insist food should be served on very hot plates – I was taught this from an early age. In a restaurant, perhaps, but if you’re only dishing up for two and eating immediately, I find it unnecessary. If you do insist on hot plates, don’t put the oven on specially – just warm them under hot water.

WAIT TILL IT’S READY

Sounds obvious, but food tastes better when it’s pleasantly warm, rather than screaming hot. In many recipes, I recommend building in cooling time at the end – at least 10 minutes. You’ll be surprised how much more enjoyable food can be without fear of burning your tongue.

GET EVERYTHING OUT BEFORE YOU BEGIN COOKING

I know the old-fashioned wisdom is to get all equipment and ingredients out before you begin to cook, but in the past I’ve never bothered. I decided to try it out when testing the recipes for this book, and it’s true – it really does make cooking quicker and easier. You have to get used to working on a more crowded worktop – I’ve previously preferred Zen-like minimalism – but as well as saving time, you’ll find your kitchen remains cleaner and tidier, without constant traipsing back and forth between drawers and cupboards.

CHOOSE MIXED-WEIGHT EGGS

In recent years, it’s become possible to buy mixed-weight eggs rather than medium or large. They’re a better choice all round – for hens (who suffer needlessly from being artificially pressurized into laying large eggs), farmers and consumers. The difference between medium and large is usually insignificant, and all the recipes in this book can be made using any size of egg. Regrettably, some food writers continue to specify large eggs. If so, and it worries you, you can employ common sense and select the larger eggs from your box of mixed.

In finely tuned baking recipes such as meringues, weigh the whites and use twice the weight in sugar. For a classic Victoria sponge/pound cake, weigh the eggs (in their shells) and use equal weights of butter, flour and sugar. The campaign to promote mixed-weight eggs is spearheaded by the British Hen Welfare Trust.

USE LESS PLASTIC FILM, BAKING PARCHMENT AND FOIL

In the past I’ve used these as if there’s no tomorrow, but I’ve seen the error of my ways and in this book I only suggest them when strictly necessary. My friend Sophie Grigson tipped me off that plastic film should be kept in the fridge. Not only does it make it easier to peel off and use, but the fact it isn’t at your fingertips makes you think twice (or thrice) about whether you really need to use it at all.

COOK AHEAD

This book contains a mixture of dishes that are ready in half an hour, and others that cook long and slow. I’ve now established a pleasant routine that if I’m cooking something quick and easy for tonight, I’ll often put something together for tomorrow night at the same time. This can either be cooked now and reheated, or refrigerated and put in the oven tomorrow afternoon.

Many of the recipes in the All-in-One chapter are suitable for when you’re in this ‘get ahead’ mode, which makes me feel as if I’m enjoying two meals for the effort of one.

USE YOUR FREEZER

I try not to use my freezer as a dumping ground for leftovers or unwanted scraps, but it’s brilliant for frozen fruit, vegetables and herbs, leftover stock, breads (including bake-from-frozen), ice cream, puff pastry dough and other useful commodities.

For the purposes of this book, I investigated frozen onion, garlic and ginger (see page 57) and herbs (see page 128), as well as prepared spinach, (bell) peppers, mushrooms, squash – although they may lack some of the punch of fresh – I am impressed with the results. Although often more expensive than buying fresh, you often end up saving because there is no wastage.

BUY THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD

When cooking simple food, there’s nowhere for ingredients to hide, so try and buy the best. Some of the ingredients that have shone in my kitchen during the creation of this book have been Greek and Spanish olive oil; dry (secco) Marsala (dolce is a too sweet for most cooking); artisanal pasta; black garlic (see page 100); top-quality herbs and spices (by mail order from steenbergs.co.uk, or in the States, www.penzeys.com); and the Bomba! brand of tomato purée/paste. Many recipes in this book are based on that miracle ingredient, canned tomatoes – San Marzano are the best. Living in the West Country of England, I am liberal with cream and butter.

Most supermarkets prefer to sell food in family-size quantities. Whenever I can, I patronize independent greengrocers, farm shops, delicatessens, butchers and fishmongers, where you can buy as much as you need and no more. It also makes shopping more personal and enjoyable.

PREPARATION OF INGREDIENTS

Obvious as it may sound, the more finely you chop or slice ingredients, the quicker they will cook; so if you’re in a hurry, spend an extra minute on prep to save five of cooking.

I chop with an Alligator chopper. Some cooks swear by garlic crushers, others prefer to grate. If a dish involves onions and garlic, the crushed or grated garlic is generally best added after the onions have been browned for just 30 seconds, till fragrant. Sliced garlic safely can be added earlier as it doesn’t burn as quickly.

Fresh ginger should be peeled (I find scraping with a teaspoon is easiest) then grated or very finely chopped. I never seem to use it all in one go, so you can freeze it, or indeed buy frozen prepared ginger.

Fresh chillies/chiles should have seeds removed, unless you like a sting of heat, and be very finely sliced or chopped.

Peppers (bell) should have seeds removed (I rinse them away under the tap/faucet) before being sliced or chopped.

To prepare fresh tomatoes for cooking, trim out the core with a small knife, halve and use your fingers to squeeze out most of the seeds and pulp (I also do this under the tap/faucet).

During the course of writing this book, I’ve also been converted to the virtues of pre-washed baby spinach leaves (handy for wilting into a dish at the last minute) and spring onions/scallions, slivered and sprinkled on at the end to panache and impact. I wish they kept better – they tend to shrivel up after two or three days in the fridge – so use them generously.

I have faithfully recorded cooking timings according to my own (domestic) kitchen equipment. Equipment and utensils vary, so all timings should be used in conjunction with looking, smelling and touching. Wherever possible, I’ve suggested ‘indications’ as well as timings, and I would encourage cooks to develop their confidence in deciding when something is cooked to their liking. Useful as timers are, we should not be enslaved to them.

SEASON, TASTE, SEASON

Books have been written about whether one should season food early or late in the cooking process, and even top chefs can’t seem to agree. Seasoning with salt and pepper is a skill worth mastering, because it can bring a dish to life or cause it to fall flat. I do not list salt and pepper within recipes, but refer to seasoning often. My own method, which works for almost everything, is to season judiciously throughout the cooking process. If a recipe starts by frying onions, I season them lightly at that point, and so it continues as other ingredients are added. I use table salt during cooking, flaky salt at the table, and freshly ground black pepper (unless cracked is specified).

I know some cooks enjoy tasting as they go along, but I do so mainly at the end, so my tastebuds don’t get jaded. When tasting, the first thing to get right is the salt. Only when that is sorted can you attend to the general flavour balance. Brighten flavour with a squeeze of lemon juice, sweeten it with a pinch of sugar, deepen it with a splash of Worcestershire or soy sauce, or enrich it with a spoonful of brandy or a knob/pat of butter.

STORECUPBOARD WINNERS

Perfect recipes for those times when you don’t feel like shopping, or want to pop out briefly, just to pick up a couple of simple ingredients.

SHAKSHUKA

This North African dish is a great choice for two because for larger numbers it’s difficult to fit the eggs in the pan. It makes a satisfying supper served with pitta bread, other flatbreads or crusty French bread.

Zhoug (pronounced ‘zoog’) is a spicy coriander/cilantro-based sauce originally from Yemen, but popular throughout the Middle East; it adds excitement to falafels, roasted veg, wraps and pittas. You can make it yourself by blitzing fresh coriander and parsley with chillies/chiles and a little cardamom and cumin, but bought in small jars, it is a handy condiment to keep in the fridge.

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

½ a small fresh red chilli/chile, deseeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, sliced

a squeeze of tomato purée/paste

400-g/14-oz. can cherry tomatoes

4 tbsp chargrilled red (bell) peppers from a jar, sliced (optional)

½ tsp sugar

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp ground cumin

4 eggs, any size

50 g/1¾ oz./⅓ cup crumbled feta, to serve (optional)

2 tbsp pitted black olives, sliced, to serve (optional)

zhoug, for drizzling (optional)

bread, to serve

1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan, one with a lid, and cook the onion, chilli and garlic for 5 minutes till softened. Add the tomato purée for 30 seconds, then the tomatoes, peppers, sugar, spices, 100 ml/3⅓ fl oz./⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon water (you can use the can as a measure) and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes till thickened and check the seasoning.

2 Make 4 indentations in the surface of the sauce. Break an egg into a small dish and slide into the first indentation, then repeat with the other 3 eggs. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the eggs, then spoon some of the sauce over the whites (which will spread), but leave the yolks uncovered. Cook over a low heat, covered, for about 6–8 minutes, until the eggs are how you like them.

3 Lift out the eggs with a spatula and spoon the sauce around them. Top with crumbled feta and olives, if using, and flick over some zhoug, if you wish. Serve with some good bread.

IN PRAISE OF RUBBER SPATULAS

A friend of mine used to call spatulas ‘last licks’. Their obvious use is when making a cake, so the mixing bowl is properly scraped of cake mixture; though some might argue this is cruel to children.

In recent years, I have dramatically expanded my spatula collection. I have three heatproof spatulas for savoury cooking and two set aside for desserts and baking. The former are in constant use when frying and sauce-making, and conveniently fit in the cutlery section of my dishwasher.

Apart from being handy and economical, rubber spatulas are simply brilliant for emulsifying. They have a magic effect on mashed potatoes (if you haven’t tried it, stand by to be amazed) and sauces. In a risotto, they ensure none of the caramelized goodness that collects around the side of the pan is wasted, and also that the sauce in which the rice is bathed is smooth and unctuous.

CHEESY MEXICAN BEANS ON TOAST

Canned baked beans have their place but this shows how tasty they can be if you make your own and add a few tasty touches.

My friend and expert Mexican cook Marlena Spieler tipped me off about Cholula Hot Sauce, which now occupies a permanent place in my storecupboard alongside Tabasco. I know one shouldn’t be influenced by such things, but it has a charming wooden cap which makes it specially welcome on the dinner table.

I am not into preheating generally, but by the time you have made the beans and toasted the bread, you are probably feeling hungry, so by all means preheat your grill/broiler 5 minutes before you need it.

1 tbsp oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 tbsp tomato purée/paste

2–3 tsp chipotle paste, or other Mexican-style paste

230-g/8-oz. can chopped tomatoes, or ½ a 400-g/14-oz. can

400-g/14-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

a good pinch of sugar

2 large, or 4 small slices of white or sourdough bread, for toasting

50–75 g/1¾–2¾ oz. sliced Mexicana Cheddar slices, Applewood Smoked Cheddar slices, or other sliced or grated cheese

Cholula, or other hot pepper sauce, to serve

1 Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and fry the onion and garlic with a little seasoning for 4–5 minutes till softening and turning gold.

2 Stir in the tomato purée and chipotle paste, then add the tomatoes, beans, sugar and 100 ml/3⅓ fl oz./⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon water. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes, till thickened and the flavours have melded. Check the seasoning.

3 Toast the bread. Pile on the beans and top with the cheese. Grill/broil for 3–6 minutes till browned and bubbling. Serve dotted with Cholula.

TOMATOES – CHOPPED OR PLUM?

One of my snobberies of yesteryear was always to buy plum tomatoes, and chop them up if the recipe said chopped, on the basis that the chopped tomatoes were the sweepings-up from the tomato canning process. (I used to say the same about chopped walnuts, that they were the bits that fell off the whole walnuts.) It isn’t true. If, however, you need chopped tomatoes and you only have plum, the easiest way to chop them is in the can, using scissors.

The best plum tomatoes are the San Marzano variety, from southern Italy. Canned cherry tomatoes are a welcome new addition to the scene.

BACON, SPINACH & CHEDDAR SCRUMPLE

This dish is of American origin, where it is known as ‘strata’. Maybe it’s a hard word to remember – Robert seems to think so – thus it has become known in our household as ‘scrumple’.

It’s a sort of savoury bread pudding, and a popular choice in the States for breakfast or brunch, but also makes a brilliant supper dish, and is useful to have in your repertoire because you can adapt it in many ways. Add in fried sausagemeat or sliced sausages, fried mushrooms, cooked potatoes or fresh herbs, and vary the cheese as you wish. It’s a good use for stale bread.

Traditionally, the mixture is left overnight so the bread can absorb the milk mixture. If you choose to make this for breakfast, then by all means assemble the night before, pour into a dish and bake in the morning.

Frozen spinach is easily defrosted in the microwave. Squeeze dry before using.

100 g/3½ oz. bread (1 small baguette, or 2–3 slices of white sandwich bread), stale bread is fine

175 ml/6 fl oz./¾ cup milk, or milk mixed with single/light cream

3 eggs, any size

100 g/3½ oz./1 cup grated mature/sharp Cheddar

a splash of vegetable oil

4 rashers/slices of smoked streaky bacon, chopped

3 spring onions/scallions, chopped, or finely chopped shallot or onion

125 g/4½ oz./4¼ cups frozen leaf spinach, defrosted

1 Slice the baguette thinly and cut into 2–3-cm/1-inch cubes, or cube the sandwich bread. Do not discard the crusts.

2 Use a fork to mix the milk, eggs and cheese thoroughly in a medium bowl. Season well.

3 Heat the oil in a medium ovenproof frying pan and fry the bacon and spring onions till lightly browned, 4–5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and the bread cubes, mix well and season. Now transfer this to the egg mixture and mix well. The scrumple can be made ahead to this point.

4 Pour back into the frying pan (or a greased dish if you prefer) and bake at 190ºC fan/210ºC/425ºF for 15–20 minutes, turning at half time, till the centre is set and the edges browned and pulling away from the pan. (There is no need to preheat your oven, but if you do, you will save yourself 5 minutes.) Remove the scrumple from the oven and allow to cool for 5–10 minutes before serving.

BENGALI EGG CURRY

This recipe, known in India as dimer dalna