As winter approaches, it's time to think about a nostalgically comforting Sunday roast, followed by that old favourite, baked apples.
Mother’s Day was a long one, starting at a ludicrous 5.30am to get my City Market under way. The morning was brisk, with a damp fog hanging over the city, and I recall thinking it was nearly time for porridge to reintroduce itself. All morning I was taunted by the delicious aroma of a lamb tagine wafting through the market, a dish that I never managed to taste. The celeriac, jerusalem artichokes, cabbages, figs and tamarillos were a delight to see, and the arrival of unpasteurised French cheeses had everyone talking, yet I left empty-handed. The downside of running a farmers market is that I don’t find the time to shop there myself.
The morning progressed and I moved on to the restaurant, where we were busy cooking for mothers being treated to a relaxing lunch, one that strayed long into the chilly afternoon. A goats’ cheese salad with roasted pears, slowly cooked oxtail on creamy polenta or groper cooked with a scented broth thickened with aioli hit the spot for our guests, but not for me. The downside of running a restaurant is that I rarely find the time to eat.
By early evening I had a raging hunger that could only be satisfied with a traditional Sunday roast (it was about now I realised that despite a long day of looking after lots of other mothers, I had neglected to phone my own). I wanted a hearty meal of thick slices from a fatty roast and gravy made from the pan juices of caramelised meat that could be spooned over a creamy root vegetable purée.
I wanted the earthy sweetness that comes from roasted vegetables and the cheesy creaminess of a cauliflower gratin. I also needed a glass or two of deeply flavoured red wine. This was a meal that I actually did not have the time or patience to cook. Exhausted, I ended up dining at a colleague’s restaurant, where they serve a delicious Sunday roast.
I fear the idea of the wintry Sunday roast may be waning. Sundays should afford us the time to spend preparing the rich and nostalgically comforting meals that fill a kitchen with warm flavours and happy scents. Onions baked with cream and parmesan cheese, roast kumara mashed with spring onions, and parsnips added to the roasting dish are cheap ways of adding flavour to a meal. Choose economical cuts like shoulders or legs of lamb or pork and finish dinner with an apple pie. Even easier are stuffed apples, baked until tender and served with a deep dish of crème fraîche. Surely this is the very essence of autumn.
Ask your butcher to bone a leg of lamb and tie it up, leaving the shank attached. The spices introduce a wintry depth of flavour, adding an earthy warmth.
Spiced Roast Leg of Lamb with parsnip Purée
1 leg of lamb, boned
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
juice of 2 lemons
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
200ml chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Finely chop the garlic and mix in a bowl with the cumin, coriander, lemon juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper. It should resemble a thick paste. Massage the lamb with the spice rub, spreading it over the skin and into the flesh. Leave it at room temperature while the oven is heating up. Roast the lamb in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and rest the meat in a suitable place while you make the gravy. Put the roasting pan over a medium heat, pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to lift the caramelised juices off the bottom of the pan. Season if required then strain into a sauce boat.
Parsnip Purée
6 large parsnips
2 tbsp unsalted butter
50ml cream
1 tsp smooth Dijon mustard
sea salt and white pepper
Peel the parsnips, removing the woody core. Chop into 3cm lengths. Boil the pieces in salted water for about 30 minutes until tender. Drain then blend in food processor with the butter, cream and mustard until a smooth, flowing purée forms. Season with salt and a little white pepper. Place a large spoonful of purée in each serving bowl. Top with slices of lamb then pour over the reduced juices.
Serves 6.
A thick wedge of baked pumpkin is a sign that autumn cooking has arrived. Pumpkin, in various guises, will accompany most of my roast meals. Pumpkin also makes a great meal on its own, cooked in a spicy coconut curry (serve with rice scattered with fresh coriander leaves) or roasted and served with a chunky tomato sauce. Surprisingly, tomatoes can be particularly intense at this time of the year.
Pumpkin with Spinach and Pine Nuts
1kg pumpkin
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil
salt and black pepper
500g spinach
2 tbsp pine nuts
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the pumpkin into thick wedges, then slice off the skin and remove the seeds with a spoon. Place in a roasting dish. Chop the garlic and toss with the pumpkin in a little oil, then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the pumpkin over and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Wash the spinach thoroughly, then heat a little oil in a frying pan. Sauté the pine nuts until golden brown, then add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the spinach over the pumpkin.
Serves 4-6.
I used the new jazz variety of apple, a richly sweet cross between a braeburn and a royal gala. It still has enough of a sour bite to keep it refreshing. The apples baking filled the kitchen with the kind of aromatic scents that made me wish I had lit some candles. The crème fraîche sauce adds a pleasant sour taste.
Baked Apples
8 apples
150g sultanas
3 tbsp honey
pinch of cinnamon
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
50g unsalted butter
Sauce
200g crème fraîche
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
a pinch of allspice
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the apples and remove the cores with an apple corer. Put the sultanas in a bowl and mix with the honey and cinnamon. Fill the cavity of the apples with the sultana mixture. Any extra can just go into the roasting dish with the apples. Wet the tops of the apples with water, then sprinkle with the sugar and dot with the butter. Place in a roasting dish. Bake for 40 minutes until the apples soften and the tops are golden brown. To make the sauce, warm the crème fraîche with the sugar and spice in a small saucepan. Serve with the apples.
Serves 4-6.