Rick Bartram

A crisp, irregular onion fritter became a curry-house staple because it is inexpensive, quick to portion and ideal for sharing.

Ingredients

• 300 g (10½ oz) onions, very thinly sliced
• 120 g (4¼ oz) gram flour (chickpea flour)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 80–100 ml (2¾–3½ fl oz) water, as needed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• Neutral vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Method

1. Separate the onion slices into a bowl. Add the gram flour, spices, baking powder, salt and coriander.
2. Add the water a little at a time, mixing with your hands. The mixture should cling to the onions rather than form a pourable batter.
3. Heat the oil to 175°C (350°F). Drop in rough walnut-sized clusters and fry in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp.
4. Drain on a rack or kitchen paper and serve immediately.

Cook's note. Let the onions sit in the mixture for a minute or two before frying so their moisture starts to hydrate the flour. Don't crowd the pan: a crowded fryer loses heat and makes greasy bhajis. Serve with mint sauce, tamarind chutney or the pickle tray.

One of Britain's most famous hybrid dishes. Glasgow's Shish Mahal and several other restaurants claim to have invented it. This is the creamy tomato version most curry-house diners know.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp ghee or butter
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp curry-house spice mix
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sugar
• 500 ml (17 fl oz) curry-house base gravy
• 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) cooked chicken tikka pieces
• 100 ml (3½ fl oz) double cream
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander

Method

1. Heat the ghee and fry the ginger-garlic paste for 30 seconds. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the paprika, spice mix, cumin and sugar and fry for 20 seconds.
3. Add the base gravy and simmer briskly for 5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken tikka and simmer for 3–4 minutes.
5. Lower the heat, stir in the cream and fenugreek, then finish with coriander.

From the book. The base gravy, spice mix, ginger-garlic paste and tandoor-style chicken tikka each have their own recipe in Part Two of the book.

Bean soup has been on the menu of the U.S. Senate restaurant every day for more than a century. This older version is thickened with mashed potato, and a smoked ham hock gives it its deep flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed
• 1 large smoked ham hock (about 1 lb / 450 g)
• 3 quarts (2.8 L) water
• 2 tbsp (30 g) butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup (225 g) plain mashed potatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Drain and rinse.
2. Put the beans and ham hock in a large Dutch oven with the water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 1½–2 hours, until the beans are tender.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet and cook the onion for 6–8 minutes, until soft.
4. Lift out the ham hock, pull the meat from the bone and chop it. Return the meat to the pot with the onion.
5. Whisk in the mashed potatoes until the broth turns velvety. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then season with pepper, and with salt only if it needs it.

Cook's note. The Senate kitchen's modern recipe leaves out the potato. For a clearer, lighter soup, leave it out too. The ham hock is salty, so taste before salting.

The Lowcountry's New Year's dish, eaten for luck in the year ahead. Black-eyed peas are cooked with smoky bacon and then with rice, so every grain stays separate.

Ingredients

• 8 oz (225 g) dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight (optional)
• 4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 cups (950 ml) chicken stock
• 1 cup (200 g) long-grain white rice
• Salt and cayenne pepper

Method

1. Fry the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until crisp. Add the onion, pepper and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme for 1 minute.
2. Add the peas and stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 40–45 minutes (an hour if unsoaked), until tender.
3. You need about 2 cups (475 ml) of liquid left to cook the rice; add water if needed. Stir in the rice, cover tightly and cook on low for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
4. Rest off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and cayenne.

Cook's note. For the full New Year's table, serve with collard greens (for money) and cornbread (for gold).

Atlantic cod is the fish whose collapse closed Newfoundland. Its Pacific cousin tells a different story: after a marine heatwave crashed the Gulf of Alaska stock, managers cut quotas and closed the fishery, and within a year the stock had recovered enough to regain its sustainability certificate.

For the curry sauce

• 1 lb (450 g) yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 8 garlic cloves (about 1 oz / 28 g)
• 1 oz (28 g) fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2¾ cups (650 ml) water
• ½ cup (120 ml) canned whole tomatoes, blended smooth
• ¼ cup (60 ml) grapeseed oil
• ½ tsp each tomato paste, turmeric, paprika and kosher salt

For the dish

• 4 Pacific cod fillets, 5–6 oz (140–170 g) each, skin on, scaled and pin-boned
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil and kosher salt
• 1½ lb (680 g) fingerling potatoes
• 1 small cauliflower, in florets
• ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garam masala, a pinch of chilli powder
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved, and 1 tsp lemon juice
• Cilantro (coriander) leaves, to finish

Method

1. Simmer the onions, garlic, ginger and water, covered, for 40 minutes, then blend until very smooth. Cook the oil with the tomato paste, turmeric, paprika and salt over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and onion mixture and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Boil the potatoes until just tender, peel while warm and slice into rounds. Blanch the cauliflower for 2 minutes and refresh in iced water.
3. Pat the fish skin dry and season. Heat the oil in a carbon-steel or cast-iron pan until it just smokes. Cook the fillets skin side down for 1–2 minutes, then lower the heat for 2–3 minutes more until the skin is crisp. Turn and let them finish off the heat.
4. Heat the sauce with the cumin, garam masala and chilli, add the potatoes and cauliflower, then stir in the tomatoes and lemon juice.
5. Spoon the vegetables onto plates, set the cod on top skin side up and finish with cilantro.

Sourcing note. Buy Pacific cod (also sold as true cod or gray cod) from MSC-certified Alaskan fisheries caught by longline, pot or jig, and check the current rating. Haddock, hake or pollock loin work in its place.

Rope-grown mussels are one of the most sustainable animal proteins on the planet. They need no feed and clean the water they grow in.

Ingredients

• 4 lb (1.8 kg) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 4 oz (115 g) smoked bacon, diced
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup (240 ml) dry hard cider
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) crème fraîche
• A handful of chopped parsley
• Crusty bread or fries, to serve

Method

1. Discard any mussels with broken shells, and any open ones that do not close when tapped.
2. Fry the bacon in a large pot until crisp. Add the leeks and garlic and soften for 5 minutes.
3. Add the cider and mussels, cover and cook over high heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pot, until they open. Discard any that stay shut.
4. Stir in the crème fraîche and parsley and serve with bread for the juices.

Sourcing note. Rope-grown mussels from certified farms in Prince Edward Island, Maine, Scotland, Ireland, Chile or New Zealand are widely rated a best choice.

A generous splash of red colouring turned plain vanilla custard a fierce neon pink. It defied nature, it delighted children, and it became the defining memory of a generation.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp custard powder (such as Bird's)
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 850 ml / 1½ pints whole milk
• A few drops pink or red food colouring (leave out for yellow custard)

Method

1. Whisk the custard powder, sugar and 3–4 tablespoons of the cold milk into a smooth paste. Stir in the colouring if making pink custard.
2. Bring the rest of the milk to a gentle simmer. Pour in the paste, whisking constantly, and bring back to the boil as it thickens. Simmer for 1 minute until glossy.

Drowning or a lake? For the true hatch experience, let the custard stand for a few minutes so a skin forms, then pour it over the pudding (drowning) or around it (a lake).

Thick slices of tinned luncheon meat dipped in batter and fried until puffed and golden. A wartime ration standby that stayed on the canteen menu for decades, nearly always with baked beans and chips.

Ingredients

• 1 × 340 g / 12 oz tin Spam or pork luncheon meat
• 115 g / 4 oz self-raising flour, plus 1 tbsp for dusting
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large egg
• 150 ml / ¼ pint cold milk
• Vegetable oil for shallow frying
• To serve: baked beans, chips or mash

Method

1. Whisk the flour, salt, egg and milk into a smooth, thick batter that coats the back of a spoon. Rest for 10 minutes.
2. Cut the meat into 8 slices about 1 cm thick. Pat them dry and dust with flour so the batter clings.
3. Heat 1 cm of oil in a large frying pan to 180°C / 350°F, until a drop of batter sizzles straight away.
4. Dip the slices in the batter, let the excess drip off, and fry for 2–3 minutes a side until puffed and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
5. Serve hot with beans and chips.

A hearty Balkan bean stew, especially good for using up smoked pork, ham hocks or leftover cooked meat. Paprika and garlic give it most of its character.

Ingredients

• 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz dried white beans (cannellini, Great Northern or navy)
• 1.5 liters / 6 cups water or stock
• 1 smoked ham hock (500–700 g / 1–1½ lb), or 300 g / 10 oz smoked ribs or leftover ham
• 2 tbsp saved pork or bacon fat, or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika, plus 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
• 2 bay leaves and 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 400 g / 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour whisked into 120 ml / ½ cup cold water
• Salt, and chopped parsley to serve

Method

1. Soak the beans for 8–12 hours, then drain and rinse.
2. Simmer the beans with the ham hock in the water or stock for 60–90 minutes, skimming any foam, until beginning to soften.
3. Meanwhile, soften the onion and carrots in the fat for 7–10 minutes, then add the garlic for a minute. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the paprika so it doesn't burn.
4. Add the onion mixture, tomatoes, bay, thyme and pepper to the beans. Simmer for 45–60 minutes more, until the beans are completely tender.
5. Stir in the flour mixture and simmer for 10–15 minutes to thicken slightly.
6. Pick the meat from the hock and return it to the pot. Remove the bay leaves, season with salt and scatter with parsley.

Cook's note. Pasulj is often better the next day. A tablespoon of pickle brine stirred in at the end brightens the flavor.

A use-it-up meal. Stale bread is the main ingredient, while leftover vegetables, scraps of cooked meat, herbs and a little saved fat make it hearty.

Ingredients

• 300–400 g / 10–14 oz stale bread, torn into chunks
• 2 tbsp saved beef, pork, bacon or chicken fat, plus extra for the dish
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, grated or finely diced
• 1–2 celery stalks, finely chopped (optional)
• 150–200 g / 5–7 oz leftover cooked meat, chopped (optional)
• 6 large eggs
• 500 ml / 2 cups milk
• 100 g / 1 cup grated cheese (optional)
• 1 tsp dried thyme or mixed herbs, ½ tsp black pepper, salt

Method

1. Put the bread in a large bowl. If it is very dry, sprinkle with a little water.
2. Cook the onion, carrots and celery in the fat for 8–10 minutes, until soft. Add any meat and let it crisp a little.
3. Whisk the eggs, milk, herbs, pepper and a little salt. Toss everything with the bread and leave for 10–15 minutes to soak.
4. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Stir in two-thirds of the cheese and spoon into a greased 2-liter / 2-quart dish. Top with the rest of the cheese.
5. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until puffed, golden and set. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

The dish of the royal promise, cooked the way it is still made in Béarn: a hen stuffed with bread, ham, liver and herbs, simmered with winter vegetables, and served as two courses, first the broth, then the meat.

Ingredients

For the stuffing

• 150 g (5½ oz) stale white bread, crusts removed
• 150 ml (5 fl oz) milk
• 1 chicken liver, trimmed and chopped
• 100 g (3½ oz) Bayonne or other air-dried ham, finely chopped
• 150 g (5½ oz) minced pork or good sausage meat
• 2 garlic cloves and 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ tsp salt, plenty of black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg

For the pot

• 1 boiling hen, about 2 kg (4 lb 8 oz), or a large free-range chicken
• 3 litres (5¼ pints) white chicken stock or water
• 1 onion stuck with 2 cloves, 1 bouquet garni, 1 tsp coarse salt
• 6 carrots, 6 small turnips, 4 leeks (tied in a bundle), 3 celery sticks
• 1 small green cabbage, quartered (optional)
• To serve: toasted country bread, coarse salt, cornichons and Dijon mustard

Method

1. Soak the bread in the milk for 10 minutes, squeeze it dry and crumble it into a bowl. Mix in all the remaining stuffing ingredients.
2. Season the inside of the hen, pack the stuffing loosely into the cavity, close the opening and truss the bird.
3. Put the hen in a large pot with the stock, onion, bouquet garni and salt. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming, then simmer barely trembling, half covered, for 2 hours for a hen (1 hour 15 minutes for a young chicken).
4. Add the carrots, turnips, leeks and celery and simmer 45 minutes more, adding the cabbage for the last 20 minutes.
5. Lift out the hen and vegetables and keep warm. Skim the broth and taste for salt.
6. Serve the broth first, ladled over the toasted bread. Then carve the hen, slice the stuffing and serve with the vegetables, coarse salt, cornichons and mustard.

Cook's note. The stuffing must reach 75°C (167°F) at the centre, so pack it loosely. Leftover broth makes an excellent soup with vermicelli the next day.

The Alsatian cousin of coq au vin, pale and fragrant: shallots instead of onions, dry Riesling instead of red wine, and cream to finish.

Ingredients

• 1 free-range chicken, about 1.8 kg (4 lb), cut into 8 pieces
• 40 g (1½ oz) butter and 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Cognac or eau-de-vie
• 500 ml (18 fl oz) dry Alsace Riesling
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) white chicken stock
• 1 bouquet garni
• 250 g (9 oz) button mushrooms or chanterelles
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) crème fraîche
• 1 egg yolk (optional), a squeeze of lemon, salt, white pepper and parsley

Method

1. Season the chicken. Heat 25 g (1 oz) of the butter with the oil and cook the pieces over a medium heat until golden but not deeply browned. Remove.
2. Soften the shallots for 3 minutes. Return the chicken, add the Cognac and let it bubble, then add the Riesling, stock and bouquet garni.
3. Cover and simmer gently for 35 minutes, until tender. Lift out the chicken and keep warm.
4. Fry the mushrooms in the remaining butter. Reduce the cooking liquid by half, stir in the crème fraîche and simmer until it lightly coats a spoon.
5. For a richer sauce, whisk the yolk with a little hot sauce and stir it in off the heat; do not boil again. Season with lemon, salt and white pepper.
6. Return the chicken and mushrooms, warm through and scatter with parsley. Serve with fresh egg noodles or spätzle.