The day before
5 mins

If you’re using dry butter (lima) beans, put these in water to soak overnight.

Mise en place
45 mins

Clean the mushrooms.

Rinse the herbs and store them between paper towels.

For the sardine crostini: Seed and thinly slice 55g kumquats. Seed and thinly slice 2 thai chilis. Mince 45g shallots.

For the spiced beef kebabs: Finely dice 70g onion. Measure out 30g chickpea flour, seed and mince 1 thai chili. Mince 2g garlic. Peel and grate 1/2 inch fresh ginger. Measure out 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp dried mint, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp dried sage, 1/4 tsp dried dill, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt.

For the turkey filling: Finely dice 70g white onion. Set aside 1/4 tsp kashmiri chili and 1/4 tsp ground chipotle chili. Mince 1 garlic clove. Thinly slice a thai chili. Slice 45g cremini mushrooms.

For the chouriço: Grind 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, and 2 cloves in a mortar and pestle. Mince 1 garlic clove. Peel and grate 1/2 inch of fresh ginger. Set aside 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, 1/2 tbsp kashmiri chili, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp brown sugar or jaggery, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon. These can all go in the same bowl.

For the roasted cauliflower salad: Trim a small cauliflower into florets. Store them in the fridge.

For the red onions and coriander: Thinly slice 100g red onion (I used a mandoline).

Start cooking
3.5 hours

Cook the beans
Put the soaked beans in a pot with their liquid and top up if necessary. Add some salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until soft and creamy on the inside.

Make the paneer
Note: I halved this recipe
Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth. In a large pot, bring 2L milk to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent scalding. Stir in 30ml fresh lemon juice. The milk will curdle and separate (add a little more lemon juice if it doesn’t completely curdle). Continue to boil for about 30 seconds, stirring slowly to prevent the large clumps from breaking up. Remove from the heat and pour through the cheesecloth. Hold under cold running water for 15-20 seconds. Gather the edge of the cloth, tie together, and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Hang the cloth from the handle of a wooden spoon and set the spoon over the colander. Allow the water to drain from the cheese for 1 hour at room temperature.

Make the dough for naan
Heat 180ml milk to 105-115˚F. Using a fork, whisk the milk, 1 egg, 2 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp fine sea salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp active dry yeast and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly on the surface. Put 280g all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture in to the middle of the well. Using clean hands, gradually mix the flour from the inside wall of the well into the liquid to form a sticky dough. Knead well for 4 to 5 minutes. Fold the dough by grabbing it from the underside and stretching it and folding it back on itself. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat three or four times. Brush a bowl with a little oil and put the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cure the fish
Using a mortar and pestle, grind 2½ tbsp Darjeeling tea leaves, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, and 1 tbsp coriander seeds to a coarse powder. Transfer to a small bowl and add 85g Himalayan pink salt, 1 tbsp of sugar, and the zest of 1 lemon. Pat the salmon dry. Lay out a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to cover the whole piece of fish. Place the salmon skin side down on the foil and brush with 1 tbsp Pernod or vodka. Sprinkle the curing mixture over top, making sure the whole piece of fish is completely covered. Wrap the fish tightly and place on a tray or baking dish in the fridge, weighing the fish down. Refrigerate for 36 to 48 hours, turning the fish periodically to redistribute the curing mixture. Unwrap the foil, scrape off the curing mixture and store the fish wrapped in parchment.

Make the basil yoghurt
Combine 60g plain full-fat greek yoghurt, 85g scallions (white and green parts), ½ ripe avocado, 1 thai chili, 1½ tbsp fresh lime juice, 4 black peppercorns, ½ tsp fine sea salt, and 120ml chilled water in a blender and pulse on high until smooth and uniform. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and thin with a little more water if it’s too thick. Store in the fridge

Make the hot green chutney
Rinse out the blender. Combine 120g arugula, 60g baby kale, 60ml extra virgin olive oil, 60ml water, 70g chopped onion, 2 tbsp lime juice, 4 garlic cloves, 4 serrano chilis, 1 tsp caraway seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp fine sea salt in a blender and pulse on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until you get a coarse paste. You might need to stop the blender occasionally to move things around. Taste and adjust seasoning. Store in the fridge.

Make the cilantro oil dressing
Rinse out the blender again and add 120ml olive oil, 10g cilantro leaves and stems, 1/2 serrano chili, the juice of 1/2 lime, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, 1/4 tsp black peppercorns, and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Pulse at medium-high speed until smooth. Store in the refrigerator.

You’re done with the blender!

Shape the paneer
Place the drained cheese, still in the cloth, on a flat plate. Put a heavy weight like a dutch oven, over the cheese. Let sit for 30 to 45 minutes.

Ghee!
Clean the strainer you just used for the cheese and line it again. Place it over a clean, dry, 480ml jar with a tight-fitting lid. In a heavy, medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 455g butter, stirring occasionally with a large metal spoon. As the butter melts, skim off and discard any foam that rises to the surface. Cook until all the water in the butter boils off, and the fat stops sizzling and turns a deep golden yellow. The milk solids at the bottom of the saucepan will be reddish brown. The entire process wshould take 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the liquid through the cheesecloth. Seal and store the ghee in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months or indefinitely in the fridge.

Make the lemon syrup
Put 100g sugar and 120ml water in a saucepan on medium heat. Remove when the sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature and then mix in 120ml lemon juice. Put 3/4 tbsp cumin seeds in a small dry skillet and toast until fragrant. 30-45 seconds. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder and then add immediately to the lemon syrup. Store this up to a week in the fridge.

Mix the meat for kebabs
Meanwhile, mix together 230g ground beef with the diced onion, 1 large egg, the chickpea flour, chiles, ginger, garlic, and spices. Divide into 8 equal parts and shape into 1 inch discs. Store between parchment in the fridge.

Make the turkey filling
Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add the white onion and saute until translucent. Add the spices and garlic and cook until fragrant (30-45 seconds). Add 230g ground turkey and cook until the turkey is cooked through (12-15 minutes). Stir in 1 tbsp coconut or apple cider vinegar, raise heat to high, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning with fine sea salt if necessary. Cool and store.

Make the chouriço
Put the spices, garlic, and ginger with 230g ground pork and 30ml of coconut vinegar in a bowl and mix well with a fork. Shape into a log, wrap with wax paper, and store in the fridge.

Cook the lentils
Rinse 100g green lentils and 115g black lentils under cold running water. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil and then turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until tender but not mushy. Cool and store.

Back to the paneer
Remove the paneer from the cloth and and store, wrapped with plastic wrap in an airtight container.

Pickle some red onions
Put the red onions in a clean canning jar. In a small, dry cast-iron or stainless steel skillet, toast 1 tsp coriander seeds over medium-high heat, until fragrant, swirling the seeds occasionally so they toast evenly, 30-45 seconds. Toss the seeds into the jar with the onions. Add 120ml apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp sugar, and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt. Seal the jar and shake a few times. Store in the fridge.

Make the smoked sardine and kumquat topping
Combine kumquats, thai chilis, shallots, 5g fresh dill fronds, drained butter beans, and one can of sardines packed in oil, drained, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 2 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Season with ½ tsp fine sea salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. I ate this for dinner immediately after tasting it for seasoning because I couldn’t help myself but you can also store it in the fridge for lunch.

Lunches

Smoked Sardines & Kumquat Crostini

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Cut a baguette into rounds and brush them on both sides with olive oil. Toast in the oven for 15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Cool the bread for 5 minutes. Top each slice of bread with a generous tbsp of topping and drizzle with olive oil.

But as you can see I served them side by side with one weird lentil.

Salmon gravlax with red onion and coriander on baguette

Slice and toast the baguette in the same way you did for the crostini above. Take the salmon out of the fridge and remove from the foil. Scrape the coriander salt rub off the skin and slice the fish on an angle as thinly as you can with your sharpest knife. Top the bread with some butter or soft cheese if you have it (cream cheese, ricotta, Boursin). Lay the salmon on top and garnish with some of the pickled red onion we made.

Spiced Beef Kebabs and Red Onions with Coriander
with Toasted Cumin, Lime and Cucumber salad

Peel and dice 1 large English cucumber. Mince 1 thai chili (I sliced them on my mandoline because I like using the mandoline). Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and toast 1/2 tsp cumin seeds until they start to turn brown: 30-45 minutes. Grind them with a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a large bowl and add the cucumbers and chilis. Stack 3-4 mint leaves, roll them into a tight cylinder and cut into thin strips. Add to the bowl along with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add 1 tbsp fresh lime juice and stir gently to combine. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Heat about 1 tbsp neutral oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the kebabs in batches, adding more oil as needed, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with the pickled red onions.

Roasted Cauliflower, Paneer, and Mixed Lentil Salad

Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Cut 140g paneer into 1/2 inch cubes. Thinly slice 2 scallions. Add the cauliflower and paneer to a roasting pan and season with 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, mixing to coat evenly. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the florets and paneer are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (20-25 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl and gently stir in the lentils and scallions. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the cilantro oil dressing you made and serve warm or at room temp.

Turkey-Mushroom Hand Pies

Take one sheet of puff pastry out of the freezer a couple of hours before you are making your hand pies.

Preheat the overn to 350˚F (180˚C). Roll the puff pastry thin on a clean, lightly floured surface and use a ring mold or cookie cutter (I used a glass) to cut out 4” rounds. Pile about 2 tbsp of turkey filling in the center of one round, brush the edges lightly with water, and top with another round, pressing the edges on to each other to close.

Put the little sealed packets on parchment on a baking sheet and use a fork to crimp the edges. Mix one egg with a tbsp of water and use this to brush the top of the pies. Sprinkle each one with a few nigella seeds.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the baking sheet. halfway through.

Hot Green Chutney-Roasted Chicken
and Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Yoghurt Sauce

You need to start the recipe at least 4 hours before you want to eat, or start marinating the chicken the day before and then leave 2 hours to bake.

Put a 5lb whole roasting chicken in a large roasting pan. Pat it dry with paper towels. Slip you fingers between the skin and flesh to loosen the skin. Massage 1/2 cup of the hot green chutney you made all over the meat, under the skin, spreading to coat as evenly as possible. Rub generously with salt over the skin. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.

When you’re ready to bake, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400˚F (200˚C). Unwrap the chicken and pour 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth into the pan. Roast the chicken for 2 hours, basting it with the broth every 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 165˚F (74˚C) and the skin turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Tent loosely with foil and let it sit for 10 minutes.

While the chicken in resting, peel 1lb sweet potatoes and slice them into matchsticks. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp chili flakes and roast in the oven until browned and tender.

You can collect and liquid left behind in the pan and refrigerate or freeze for future use. Serve the chicken and sweet potatoes warm with the remaining chutney on the side as a dipping sauce. Drizzle the sweet potatoes with the basil yoghurt sauce.

Margherita Naan Pizza

Important: You’re using half the naan dough you made for this recipe and half for the soup. You can cook all of it now, though, if you like. The instructions for how to make the remaining naan is in the chicken soup recipe.

Place a baking steel or pizza stone on a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 500˚F (260˚C) for 30 minutes.

Take the naan dough out of the fridge, cut it in half. If you’re not making all the naan now, put the other half back in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap. Let the dough come up to room temp a bit to make it easier to roll out. Shape the dough into a ball. Roll out the dough into a 1/8 in thick, 12” circle on a clean, lightly floured surface.

Crack 1 tsp coriander seeds lightly with a mortar and pestle. Add 1 tsp nigella seeds and 1tsp chili flakes.

Flip over a baking sheet, wrong side up, and place a sheet of parchment on the baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 tsp of semolina flour and 1 tsp of cornmeal on the parchment to coat evenly. Place a rolled out circle of dough on top of the paper and drizzle with melted ghee. Spread out 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes and another 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and the spices. Slide the circle of dough onto the preheated baking steel, discard the parchment, and shut the oven door. Lower the heat to 425˚F (220˚C) and bake until the edges of the crust turn golden, 10-12 minutes. Garnish with 1/2 tbsp chopped chives and 1/2 tbsp flaky sea salt and drizzle with a little extra ghee.

Toasted Naan and Chicken Soup

To make this dish, you’re going to need to procure 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken. Good thing you roasted that whole chicken! You’re also going to need to make some naan. If you made the margherita pizza already using half the dough, then you can use the rest for the soup. Heat a skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Halve the remaining dough and roll each into a ball. Roll them thinly on a lightly floured surface and slap the first one into the skillet and cover with the lid to catch the steam. Cook until golden with blackened bubbles. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grind the seeds of 2 cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high. Add 1 cup finely diced red onion and sauté until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low and add 2 minced garlic cloves, the cardamom, 1 tsp ground kashmiri chili, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala and cook until fragrant, 30-45 seconds. Add a 415g can of chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of shredded chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in 4 cups of low-sodium chicken stock, 1 cup frozen sweet corn, and 3 tbsp lime juice. Increase the heat to high and bring to a roiling boil. Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until the corn is tender, 10-12 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Let the soup sit, covered for 10 minutes before serving.

While it’s cooking, cut the naan into 1/4 inch strips,drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil. Toast on a baking sheet in the oven until golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Garnish the soup with toasted naan strips, a halved hard-boiled egg, cilantro, some thinly sliced scallions, and a seeded, thinly sliced serrano chile.

Chouriço Potato Salad

Break the chouriço you made into small pieces and set aside. Halve 340g fingerling potatoes lengthways. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp ground chipotle chile and 1/4 tsp paprika and fold to coat evenly. Add the chouriço and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the sausage is browned and cooked through, stirring frequently. Add 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a cool bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Gently stir in 1/2 tbsp thinly sliced chives, 35g crumbled paneer, 1 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, and 30ml fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve warm or at room temperature with lime wedges.