This is a beautiful dish for your summery get togethers which, once you’ve released the spicy fragrances, comes together in minutes. I’ve used Honey and Co’s amba spice mix here because it’s very good but you can make your own or simply swirl a couple of spoonfuls of my amba sauce into cool Greek yoghurt….
Haricots Beurre Marocain, Butter Beans with Rose Harissa, Saffron and Sumac
This beautifully fragrant dish is inspired by one we ordered for supper in a tiny North African restaurant set on a cobbled side street just off the Canal St-Martin in Paris. It makes for a perfect year-round lunch served with grilled pain de levain rubbed with garlic and a glass of red wine. Or, serve…
Huevos a la Flamenca, Flamenco Eggs with Pimentón de la Vera
An old man’s bar deep in the heart of Barrio de la Latina in Madrid, this one was nothing fancy yet it was glorious. A wooden bar with a centuries-old patina, a few barrels with high stools to sit upon but not for too long because traditional Spanish bars are not built for idle lingering….
Amirim Lemon-scented Labneh with Zhoug and Hazelnut and Thyme Dukkah
Labneh is a beautiful soft cheese simply made from strained yoghurt that can be eaten with pretty much everything and is a particularly good friend to rich and spicy mezze dishes. The first time I tasted it I was sat at a little linen-covered table on the edge of a vegetable garden in Amirim, an entirely vegetarian organic…
Aya Yorgi Fasulye Piyaz, Turkish White Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs
An early morning walk through the dusty streets of Istanbul down to the banks of the Bosphorus, a long and choppy crossing over the Sea of Marmara, a death-defying ride on a horse-pulled phaeton (there are no cars on Büyükada, the largest of the Princes Islands, just mad horsemen) followed by a hot and steamy…
Akko Amba Sauce with Mango, Lime and Iraqi Spices
Amba sauce. When I think about it, I feel utter love because it’s such a beautiful thing. I think so highly of it that, if Amba were a man, I would run away with him. My first experience of this Iraqi sweet and sour mango condiment was sitting on a harbour wall in the Crusader…
Lebanese Slaw with Mint, Oranges and Pomegranate Molasses
This gorgeous Lebanese shredded red cabbage, carrot and mint salad with oranges, red chilli, fresh herbs, toasted almonds, juicy pomegranate arils and pomegranate molasses is one of those versatile recipes that has it all. Sweet and sour flavours, texture and a fresh herby zing. It’s perfect on its own, as part of a mezze table,…
Orléans Caramelised Tomato Tarte Tatin
A gloriously butter puff pastry case filled with caramelised tomatoes and oregano. To this version I added a little homemade tomato sauce left over from last weekend’s pizza menu and served it with a vibrant salsa verde which keeps in a jar in the fridge for several weeks. So simple, so delicious and as light…
Provençal Lemon-baked Ricotta and Gruyère Omelette with French Tarragon and Fresh Chives
As the days shorten and the nights darken, I find myself dreaming of long lazy lunches in Paris, a winter destination for us as we travel to family Christmases in Europe. I love the grand brasseries that sit quietly amongst the streets that surround the Gare de l’Est from where we travel on to Strasbourg…
Caldo Gallego, a Spanish White Bean Soup with Sherry Vinegar and Mojo Verde
A beautiful bowl of love for late summer evenings, this beautiful aniseed-based broth with lightly braised haricot beans, tomatoes, courgette and fennel is seasoned with a really good Spanish sherry vinegar, chilli and fennel seeds but it’s the punchy mojo verde – a garlicky green herb and garlic sauce originating from the Canary Islands –…
Cardamom and Dill 