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The Guardian
19-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Springtime at the seaside: Emily Scott's recipes for tinned sardine margherita and trout and crab tarts
Crab, wonderful crab, an ingredient that has always been found on my restaurant menus and at home in my kitchen. This simple, rather rustic tart is delicious and sings of warmer days. Tarragon is underrated, but this soft herb is a staple in my garden and eats especially well with crab. Then, all the love for these little sardine tins of happiness, taking the classic flavours of a margherita pizza, tucking them up with the fish and using the tin to the max. This makes a super-easy starter or midweek lunch. Prep 10 min Cook 15 min Serves 4 460g tinned sardines in escabeche (ie, 4 x 115g tins), or tinned sardines in olive oil (ideally in round tins to mimic the shape of a pizza) Black pepper150g pack mini mozzarella balls 8 black olives, pitted and halved To serve50g unsalted butter1 sourdough loaf, sliced Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Remove the lids carefully from the tins of sardines and drain half the tomatoey oil from each tin into a jug. Put the tins with the sardines still in them on a baking sheet. Tear up the mozzarella balls and push them into the tins between the sardines, then season with a little black pepper. Do the same with the olives. Drizzle a little of the reserved oil over the top of the contents of each tin, then bake for about 10 minutes, until bubbling and slightly caramelised. Serve with slices of buttered sourdough. I like to use only white crab meat here, but if you like the brown meat, use half and half. Prep 25 min Chill 1 hr Coo 35 min Serves 6 For the shortcrust pastry (or use ready-made)175g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting1 egg yolk A pinch of sea salt For the crab custard3 eggs, separated300ml double cream 2 tsp dijon mustard 1 tbsp chopped tarragon leavesJuice of 1 lemon500g white crab meatSea salt and black pepper 2 tbsp grated parmesan Line the base of a 23–24cm fluted, loose-bottomed tart tin with baking paper. If you're making your own pastry, rub the butter into the flour, either in a bowl with your fingertips or in a food processor. Add the egg yolk, two tablespoons of cold water and a good pinch of salt, and mix to combine well. Bring the pastry together into a ball, slightly flatten it, then wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge to chill and rest for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/gas 7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface, use it to line the prepared tart tin, then chill for another 30 minutes. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans, and blind bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are golden. Carefully lift out the paper and beans, bake for a further five to 10 minutes, until golden, then take out of the oven and set aside. Turn down the oven to 210C (190C fan)/415F/gas 6½. In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks, cream, mustard, tarragon, lemon juice and crab meat, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they just form stiff peaks, then gently fold through the crab mixture with a metal spoon, using a figure-of-eight movement. Spoon into the pastry case and top with the parmesan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until just set with a slight wobble, then remove and leave to cool before cutting. This is delicious with a simple watercress and fennel salad and some good olive oil. The pastry can be made in advance and frozen (or swapped for shop-bought). Dried rice is a good alternative to baking beans for blind baking, because it gets right into the edges. Prep 55 minChill 2 hr 30 min Cook 50 min+ Serves 6 For the cheesy shortcrust pastry250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting100g unsalted butter25g mature cheddar, grated2 egg yolks2–3 tbsp milk For the filling50g unsalted butter 6 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced2 tbsp tarragon leaves225g watercress, trimmed, washed and sliced (discard any tough stalks)100g creme fraiche 100ml double cream 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk200g hot-smoked trout, flesh flaked25g parmesan, gratedSea salt and black pepper Line the base of a 23cm fluted, loose-bottomed tart tin with baking paper. Make the pastry in a food processor by pulsing the flour, butter, cheese and egg yolks until well combined, then let it down with a little milk the mix comes together into a dough. Cover with clingfilm and leave to chill and rest in the fridge for at least two hours. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to 1cm thick, use it to line the prepared tin, then chill again for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Line the pastry case with a sheet of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 20–25 minutes, then trim off any excess pastry. If you want to get ahead, the pastry can be made up to this point in advance and frozen. For the custard, turn down the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add the sliced spring onions, tarragon and watercress, and cook until softened and wilted. Transfer to the tart case and spread over the base. Whisk the creme fraiche, cream, eggs and egg yolk in a bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Pour this over the tart filling, then top with the smoked trout flakes and the grated parmesan. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden and firm in the centre, then remove and leave to rest and cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. These recipes are edited extracts from Home Shores: 100 Simple Fish Recipes to Cook at Home, by Emily Scott, published by Quadrille at £30. To order a copy for £27, visit The Guardian aims to publish recipes for sustainable fish. Check ratings in your region: UK; Australia; US.
ABC News
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Crispy chicken meets fresh tarragon
When you're cooking for a comedian like Colin Lane, the pressure's on to deliver something that's no joke – and Alice knows just the trick. These tarragon crumbed chicken tenders are crispy, golden and packed with herby goodness, thanks to fresh tarragon and a tangy buttermilk marinade. They're easy enough to whip up midweek, but special enough to impress the whole family. Served with a zesty tarragon dipping sauce and a big green salad. Here's the full list of recipes from Season 2 of A Bite To Eat With Alice. This recipe appears in A Bite to Eat with Alice, a new nightly cooking show on ABC iview and weeknights at 5pm on ABC TV.
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Pasta and pesto, broth and dumplings, pancakes and chutney: Ravinder Bhogal's pea recipes
My earliest memory of kitchen duties is sitting on a stool in our courtyard in Kenya with a sack of peas that was bigger than me. I spent hours coaxing them from their pods, munching as I went; the result was a red plastic bucket brimming with peas like gleaming green marbles. As with asparagus, they have a short season, so grab them while you can: throw them whole into salads, broths and curries, or grind them down and use their starchy goodness to make pestos, pancakes and fritters. Peas, broth and bread dumplings (pictured above) These herbal dumplings are made from the sturdiness of stale bread, cheese and sweet peas. I've used pecorino, but you could use parmesan or a hard goat's cheese instead. Prep 20 min Cook 35 min Serves 4 For the dumplings 30g butter 1 leek, white part only, washed and very finely chopped 1 large egg, beaten 250g stale sourdough, torn into small pieces Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 50g pecorino 1 heaped tbsp plain flour 125g podded fresh peas, or defrosted frozen peas, coarsely ground 2 tbsp chopped tarragon 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus extra to serve Sea salt and black pepper 1-2 tbsp milk For the broth 1 litre chicken stock, or vegetable stock 200g peas, fresh or frozen 1 tbsp olive oil (optional) 100g guanciale or pancetta, cubed (optional) Juice of ½ lemon Melt the butter in a frying pan, then gently saute the leek until soft but not coloured, then take off the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the remaining dumpling ingredients apart from the milk, then add the cooled leek and season. Add enough of the milk to make a soft dough, then, with wet hands, form the mix into ping-pong ball-sized dumplings and refrigerate. Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the dumplings, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, adding the peas for the last minute of cooking. If you're using the guanciale, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan, fry the cubed meat for five to six minutes, until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Season the broth to taste and squeeze in the lemon juice. Divide the dumplings and peas between four soup bowls, ladle the broth over the top, add the guanciale, if using, and serve with extra parsley. Pea and mung bean cheelas with fried eggs and coriander chutney Ravinder Bhogal's pea and mung bean cheelas. I regularly make these for breakfast or lunch; you could use spinach or any other greens instead, or cooked beetroot for vibrant purple pancakes. Prep 15 min Soak 6 hr+ Cook 35 min Makes 8 100g whole mung beans 200g podded fresh peas, or frozen and defrosted peas 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 green chilli, finely chopped 1 handful coriander, finely chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds Sea salt, to taste Coconut oil, or avocado oil Fried eggs, to serve For the coriander coconut chutney 100g coriander, stalks and all, roughly chopped 100g grated coconut (you can buy this frozen) 1 green chilli, roughly chopped Juice of 1 juicy lime ½ tsp caster sugar 2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped Rinse the mung beans well, cover with double the amount of water and leave to soak for at least six hours, or overnight. To make the chutney, put the coriander, coconut, green chilli, lime juice, sugar, salt to taste, ginger and 100ml ice-cold water in a blender, and blitz smooth. To make the cheelas, put the peas, ginger, chilli, coriander and a splash of water in a food processor and blitz smooth. Drain the mung beans, add them to the pea mix with the cumin seeds and sea salt to taste, and blend again. Add roughly 100ml water and blend until the mix has the pouring consistency of crepe batter. To cook, lightly oil a cast-iron or nonstick frying pan and put it on a low-medium heat. Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan and, using the back of the ladle, circle and spread the batter to make a thin pancake. Drizzle a little oil around the sides and in the centre of the cheela, then cook on both sides for two to three minutes, until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate, and repeat with the remaining batter, cooling the pan with a splash of cold water before making the next cheela. Serve with fried eggs and the chutney. Trofie with pea and lemon pesto Ravinder Bhogal's trofie with pea and lemon pesto. This makes a wonderfully bright pesto that is also excellent with grilled fish such as trout. Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Serves 4 Sea salt and black pepper 100g basil 25g mint, picked 250g podded fresh peas, or frozen and defrosted 1 fat garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 30g pine nuts, toasted 30g pecorino or parmesan, grated, plus extra for sprinkling Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 60ml extra-virgin olive oil 250g trofie , or other pasta shape of your choice 1 handful pea shoots (optional) Bring a large pan of heavily salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, put the basil, mint, half the peas, the garlic, pine nuts, cheese, lemon juice and zest into a blender, season and whizz to a puree. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle in the oil until it's all incorporated and you have a vibrant pea paste. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the remaining peas for the last minute of cooking. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water. Stir the pesto and a little pasta cooking water through the hot pasta and peas, then add the pea shoots, if using. Divide between four bowls and serve sprinkled with more grated pecorino or parmesan.
