Hot favourite

The secret of making this classic pudding perfect every time is in what you do to it after cooking.

I take my role as a restaurateur and chef seriously. When guests have allergies, dietary requirements or food preferences, we pull out all the stops to deliver a dining experience of the same quality as that of our other diners.

Similarly, I take the role of food writer just as seriously and I use my experience as a chef and my knowledge of vegetarian and vegan dietary issues when writing my column. When I suggested recently that a recipe for broccoli fritters could be made suitable for a vegan by removing the egg, I meant exactly that. The fact that the subsequent recipe for the accompanying sauce contained anchovies seems to have caused consternation among some vegan readers. I apologise for the angst caused.

I hear your cry for help and accept your challenge to provide some vegan recipes, with not an anchovy in sight.

However, it won’t be this week. This first recipe is a raw beef dish. And it tastes bloody good.

Carpaccio is a simple recipe, but it’s vital that the beef is sliced thinly. It’s not that easy, which is why I suggest briefly freezing the meat to firm it up enough to run a knife through it. Further bashing the meat between two sheets of cling film also guarantees slices thin enough to melt on the tongue.

BEEF CARPACCIO WITH BEETROOT AND RED ONION SALAD

300g eye fillet of beef

salt and pepper

HORSERADISH CREAM

2 tbsp horseradish sauce

a bunch of dill

Wrap the beef in cling film and freeze for several hours until firm. Slice the meat thinly, no thicker than a dollar coin, then lay each slice between two sheets of cling film. Gently beat the slices with a rolling pin until very thin. Arrange the beef in a single layer across the serving plates, cover with more cling film and set aside.

For the salad, place the onions, beetroots and bay leaves in a deep pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until they are tender (about 20 minutes). Drain off the water and, when cool enough to handle, peel the onions and beetroots. Slice the onions thinly and place in a mixing bowl. Cut the beetroot into thick wedges from root to tip and add to the onions. Add the hazelnuts. Pour in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Gently toss together and keep at room temperature.

To make the dressing, put the horseradish sauce, mustard, lemon juice and cream into a bowl and whisk together until the cream is softly whipped. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the salad over the meat, drizzle the sauce over the top and garnish with the dill leaves.

Serves 4.

WHEN I RECENTLY ASKED some American chefs the secret to great fried chicken, a furious debate ensued. Some argued for first soaking the chicken in buttermilk, others in plain milk and another group made a compelling case for a simple salt brine, which is what I have used here. (It is useful to keep the salt brine in mind before roasting your next chicken. The results are nothing short of outstanding.) The only thing the chefs were united in was that the chicken needed to be served with coleslaw and mashed potatoes and washed down with tall glasses of iced tea garnished with lemon and mint.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

1 tbsp salt

1 cup flour

Combine the salt and water in a bowl, add the chicken pieces, cover and refrigerate for 2-8 hours. This will help tenderise the meat. Drain the chicken and pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper. Heat the vege­table oil and lard in a deep pot or cast-iron pan to 180°C. Sprinkle a couple of pinches of salt and cayenne pepper over the chicken. Put the rest of the salt, cayenne pepper and flour in a zip-lock bag and shake to combine. Place the chicken pieces in the bag one at a time and shake to coat. Drop each piece of chicken into the hot oil, skin side down. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 6 minutes, then uncover and cook for a further 9 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally during the last 3 minutes to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oil to a tray lined with absorbent kitchen paper and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION, bread and butter pudding is not at its best when eaten straight from the oven. It needs to cool for at least 15 minutes before being eaten with a drizzle of cold cream. Only then can the true joy of this pudding be appreciated. For interesting variations, you could use croissants instead of ciabatta, or lay slices of raw apple in the bottom of the dish before layering in the bread. I occasionally soak the sultanas first in whisky, then add the whisky to the marmalade. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

325g ciabatta

grated nutmeg

Set the oven to 180°C. Butter a deep 30x26cm ovenproof dish or a shallow dish that will hold a litre of liquid. Slice the ciabatta, spread with butter then lay half the slices in the dish and scatter the sultanas between them. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk in the milk with the vanilla essence. Melt the marmalade in a small saucepan and spoon half over the bread in the dish. Pour half the egg mixture over the top, add the remaining slices, the rest of the marmalade and then the egg mix. Dust the surface of the pudding with grated nutmeg and leave to stand for 20 minutes. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the custard has set, puffed up and turned golden. Remove from the oven, set aside for 15 minutes and serve warm.

Serves 4.