We all have those dishes we turn to as soon as the sun comes out, things we wouldn’t dream of making in the depths of winter. But to whom do the country’s top foodies turn for inspiration come the warmer weather? We asked eight leading chefs and food writers to share their go-to recipes for lazy summer days. Next week, our food editors choose their favourites.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s favourite recipe
Roast chicken with bread salad from Zuni Café
Serves 2-4
I adore this recipe, by Judy Rodgers at Zuni Café in San Francisco. It’s the crispy bread, dressed with the juices from the freshly roasted chicken, which I love so much. Tossed with chicken pieces, rocket leaves and a sweetish dressing, it’s difficult to beat as far as salads go.
Ingredients
• 1 small chicken, about 1.4kg
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary or sage, about 1cm long
• 2-3 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For the salad
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• 225g slightly stale pain de campagne
• 6-8 tbsp mild olive oil
• 1½ tbsp white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2-3 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
• 4 spring onions, including a little of the green part, shredded
• 1 tbsp dried currants or sultanas, plumped in 1 tsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp warm water
• 2 tbsp chicken stock or lightly salted water
• A few handfuls of rocket or frisée salad leaves
Method
1. One to three days in advance, slide a finger under the skin of each of the chicken breasts, making two little pockets. Use the tip of your finger to gently loosen a pocket of skin on the outside of the thickest section of each thigh. Push a herb sprig into each of the four pockets and sprinkle well all over with salt and pepper. Place in the fridge until ready to cook.
2. On the day, bring the chicken to room temperature and dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. Heat the oven to 200C fan/gas 7. Cut the bread into slices, removing as much crust as possible. Brush all over with a little olive oil. Cook on a baking sheet in the oven, turning halfway, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Cut or tear the slices into bite-sized pieces and place in large bowl. Combine 4 tbsp olive oil with the vinegar. Season and drizzle over the bread pieces.
3. Increase the oven to 220C fan/gas 9 and heat a small roasting tray. Once hot, add the chicken, breast up, to the tray. It should start to brown within about 20 minutes. If it doesn’t, raise the temperature progressively until it does. The skin should blister, but if the chicken begins to char, or the fat is smoking, reduce the temperature by 10C.
4. After about 30 minutes, turn the bird over with the breast side down and roast for another 10-20 minutes, depending on size, then flip back over to recrisp the breast skin.
5. Meanwhile finish the salad. Toast the pine nuts for a few minutes in a hot dry pan and add to the bread. Add a spoonful of olive oil to the pan and cook the garlic and spring onions until softened. Add to the toasted bread along with the drained currants and gently fold in. Dribble over the stock or water and fold again.
6. Pile the bread salad in a baking dish and cover with foil. Place the salad in the oven after you flip the chicken the final time. After 5-10 minutes remove the chicken and leave to rest. Turn off the oven but leave the bread to continue warming for another 5 minutes or so.
7. In a large bowl, toss the bread salad and salad leaves together. Test for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper or vinaigrette if necessary. Spread on a warm platter. Cut the chicken into pieces, nestle in the salad and drizzle with the cooking juices.
Jamie Oliver’s favourite recipe
Whole grilled halloumi with apricots by Georgina Hayden
Serves 2-4
Georgie introduced me to this wonderfully simple yet incredibly delicious combo many years ago and I feel it’s my duty to shout about it because if you haven’t yet experienced the beautiful friendship between halloumi and apricots, you are truly missing out. Bolstered with honey and fresh herbs, you’re going to want this in your life.
Ingredients
• 1 x 250g piece of halloumi
• Olive oil
• 4 apricots
• 2 tbsp honey
• A few sprigs of oregano or thyme
Method
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1. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Carefully score the top of the halloumi in a criss-cross pattern — don’t cut too deep; you want to keep it intact. Rub the cheese with olive oil, in between the cuts too.
2. Halve the apricots, remove the stones, and halve again into quarters. Place the halloumi in a snug dish (ideally metal) and nestle around the apricots, drizzling them with olive oil too.
3. Pop under the grill, not too close, and grill for 8-10 minutes, so the fruit starts to caramelise and the halloumi is tender and charred. The success of this recipe depends on having the right distance from the grill and heat, so check a few minutes into cooking and see if you need to raise the temperature or lower the grill rack.
4. When the halloumi is ready, drizzle with honey and scatter over the oregano or thyme. Serve immediately.
Extracted from Greekish: Everyday Recipes with Greek Roots by Georgina Hayden (Bloomsbury, £26). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Discount for Times+ members
Rick Stein’s favourite recipe
Tartare of marinated salmon by Raymond Blanc
Serves 4
This is an early recipe from Raymond from his Quat’Saisons restaurant days in north Oxford. I used to go there a lot and Raymond’s cooking was a defining moment for me — so delicate, colourful and fresh tasting but within a grounding of solid French provincial cooking from around Besançon from where he came. The idea of using raw fish in a dish was very avant garde and exciting at the time. It still is, actually.
Ingredients
For the salmon tartare
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• 300g salmon fillet, skinned
• ½ tbsp sea salt
• ½ tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp dill, chopped
• 30g shallots, finely chopped
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp soured cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
For the cucumber salad
• 5ml grapeseed oil
• 1 tsp chardonnay vinegar
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ribbons of cucumber, lightly salted, frozen for 3 hours and defrosted
• 1 tsp mustard seeds, blanched for 5 minutes in boiling water
• 1 tiny sprig of fresh dill, picked and chopped finely
To serve
• 4 lemon segments, skin and pith removed, diced small
• 8g caviar
• 4 tsp crème fraîche
• Pinch of paprika
• 12 dill fronds
• 12 micro mustard leaves
Method
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1. Pin-bone the salmon fillet and place on a piece of clingfilm large enough to wrap it completely. In a bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, lemon zest and dill and gently rub the mixture into both sides of the salmon. Seal the clingfilm around the seasoned salmon fillet like a parcel and chill in the fridge for 12 hours.
2. Remove the salmon from the fridge and unwrap the clingfilm. Rinse the salmon fillet under cold running water. Pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Dice the salmon into 3-4mm cubes and place in a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the shallots, mustard, soured cream, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Add the diced salmon. Cover the tartare mix with clingfilm and reserve in the fridge. This process is important because it acts as a secondary marinade. The salmon absorbs all the soured cream, giving it richness.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the grapeseed oil, vinegar, 1 tsp water and black pepper. Add the cucumber ribbons, mustard seeds and dill to the dressing and stir together well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required.
6. Divide the salmon tartare between four plates. Spoon it into a pastry cutter and shape into circles about 1cm deep. Carefully lift off the pastry cutter.
7. Arrange the cucumber ribbons, lemon dice and caviar on top of the salmon. Place 2 small quenelles of crème fraîche on each serving and dust lightly with a pinch of hot paprika. Add 2 or 3 fronds of dill and finish each plate with a few micro mustard leaves.
raymondblanc.com
Ruth Rogers’s favourite recipe
Marinated fried courgettes by Arthur Schwartz
Serves 4 as an antipasto or side dish
Arthur Schwartz doesn’t sound very Italian — he’s actually from New York — but his book, Naples at Table, is a wonderful source of inspiration. One of my favourite recipes is zucchini a scapece. It’s the perfect summer recipe as you serve it at room temperature. Italians will often eat it in a sandwich on a hot August day and at the River Café we serve it on its own with an aperitivo or with mozzarella and anchovies as an antipasto.
Ingredients
• 450g courgettes, as small as possible
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 10g mint leaves, torn
• 60ml white vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
Method
1. Wash and dry the courgettes. Slice them into rounds no more than 0.5cm thick. Place on racks to dry for 12 hours or more.
2. In a 20cm frying pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat and, when hot, fry the courgettes in small batches. They will brown quickly, so do not leave the pan unattended. Fry on both sides. With a slotted spoon or skimmer, remove the courgettes as soon as they are browned on both sides. Drain them on kitchen paper if desired, although they do not absorb much of the oil.
3. Place the fried courgettes in a bowl. As you add another small batch, sprinkle each layer with a tiny bit of salt and pepper and some torn mint leaves. Reserve the frying oil. You should have about 2 tbsp.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, 4 tbsp water and garlic. Bring to a boil and then let it boil for 10 minutes. Stir in the leftover courgette frying oil and pour the hot mixture over the courgettes. Cover (with a plate or some clingfilm) and let stand for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Nigel Slater’s favourite recipe
Raw sea bass with radishes and nasturtiums by Diana Henry
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Serves 6
This is a big favourite of mine. It is so fresh and pretty.
Ingredients
For the dressing
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, preferably lemon-flavoured
• 1½ tbsp rice vinegar
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tsp runny honey
• 3 tsp very finely chopped shallots
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
• 15g mixed micro leaves, such as cress, and baby leaves, such as pea shoots
• 1 punnet of nasturtium flowers and leaves
• 12 radishes, preferably French breakfast radishes, washed, leaves removed and long tails cut off
• 500g spanking-fresh sea bass or sea bream fillets
Method
1. Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking with a fork. Set aside for about 15 minutes; the shallots will gently flavour the dressing as it sits.
2. Pick through the leaves and flowers, choosing the freshest and best-looking specimens. Shave the radishes into thin tear-shaped slices or rounds using a mandoline, or cut them very finely with a sharp knife.
3. Using a sharp, fine-bladed knife (a fish filleting knife is ideal, if you have one), slice the fish fillets thinly across their width, as you would smoked salmon, leaving the skin behind. Lay the fish on a big plate, or divide between six smaller plates. Spoon on two thirds of the dressing.
4. Scatter the radishes, leaves and flowers over the top, then spoon on the rest of the dressing. Don’t use too many flowers or leaves — just keep them to add to another salad — or the whole thing looks blowsy rather than delicate. Serve immediately.
Extracted from How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley, £30). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Discount for Times+ members
Stanley Tucci’s favourite recipe
Pissaladière by Julius Roberts
Serves 10 as an appetiser or 4-6 as a light lunch
I’m obsessed with Julius’s book The Farm Table and this is my favourite recipe. I’ve made pissaladière before without much success but this recipe always works for me.
Ingredients
• 10 large onions
• 50g butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• 1 sheet of ready-made all-butter puff pastry
• 3 tins of anchovies
• 1 jar of pitted Kalamata olives, 160g drained weight
• 1 egg
• Handful of fresh thyme leaves
Method
1. Slice the onions thinly. Chuck the butter and olive oil into a large heavy-based pan and, once the butter is melted, add the onions with a splash of water and a generous pinch of salt. Cook on a medium heat for about 30 minutes, until they are wonderfully sweet and tender — but be incredibly careful that they don’t burn and catch on the bottom of the pan. When ready, turn off the heat and leave to cool (I often do this the night before).
2. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/gas 7.
3. Roll out the pastry on a sheet of baking parchment and place on a baking tray. Two fingers’ width from the edge, score a line with a sharp knife to create a frame around the pastry, not cutting all the way through. This allows the outer layers of pastry to rise above the filling and form a lovely crust. Spread the onions over the inside of the frame, right to the edge of your lines but not going over. Place the anchovies on top of the onions in diagonal lines, creating a diamond trellis. Rinse the olives, shake dry and dot one in the centre of each diamond. Whisk the egg and brush the edge of the pastry, then place in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the pastry has puffed at the edges and is a lovely golden brown colour.
4. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the thyme and serve while still warm.
Extracted from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts (Ebury Press, £27). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Discount for Times+ members
Nadiya Hussain’s favourite recipe
Tropical fruit salad by Norman Musa
Serves 4
I love to finish a meal on a hot day with a fruit salad, but the trouble is they can be a bit samey. That’s why I really like this one. It is bright, vibrant and tropical and the cinnamon and star anise give it another dimension.
Ingredients
• 1 semi-ripe mango, diced
• 200g diced fresh pineapple
• 10 lychees (tinned are fine)
• 4 kiwi fruit, quartered
• Seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 10 mint leaves
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 star anise
• 500ml lychee or orange juice
Method
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and give them a good stir to mix in the cinnamon powder thoroughly. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving.
Extracted from Amazing Malaysian by Norman Musa (Square Peg, £28). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Discount for Times+ members
Nigella Lawson’s favourite recipe
A summer tiramisu by Anna Del Conte
Serves 6-8
This pudding is always a success. It always works and everyone always loves it. I have the great Anna Del Conte to thank for it. It is also the recipe that converted me to tiramisu, which I had always snobbishly referred to as the Black Forest gateau of the Nineties. Anna suggests making your own meringues and I used to, but now I use ready-made ones. It’s lazy, I know, but it turns a slightly labour-intensive pudding into an effortless one. It should be made one day in advance.
Ingredients
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 90g caster sugar
• 325g mascarpone cheese
• 90ml white rum, such as Bacardi
• 100ml full-fat milk
• 18 savoiardi biscuits
• Small meringues, made with 2 egg whites and 120g caster sugar, or 125g shop-bought mini meringues
Method
1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and mousse-like. Fold in the mascarpone gradually and then beat until fully incorporated. Whisk only one of the egg whites until firm (keep the second egg white for another recipe) and fold into the mascarpone cream.
2. Mix the rum and the milk in a soup plate. Dip the savoiardi biscuits in the mixture just long enough for them to soften. Lay about 9 moistened savoiardi biscuits in a dish. Spread over about a third of the mascarpone cream. Crumble half of the meringues and sprinkle over. Dip another 9 savoiardi biscuits into the rum and milk and arrange on top of the meringue crumbs. Spread over about half the remaining cream. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate. Put the remaining cream into a closed container and refrigerate.
3. Leave for a day, or for up to 2 days. Before serving, smooth the remaining cream all over the pudding and decorate with the meringues you have set aside.
Extracted from Amaretto, Apple Cake and Artichokes by Anna Del Conte (Vintage, £16.99). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Discount for Times+ members
