Spaghetti with onions
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
6 large white onions
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
200ml chicken stock
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
350g dried spaghetti
1 large knob butter
1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
100g grated parmesan
Peel the onions and, using a very sharp knife, slice into 5mm-thick rings. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium-low heat, add the onions and slowly saute for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently so they don’t burn: they should take on a glossy, translucent appearance with a hint of golden-brown here and there.
Add the stock and cook for 10 minutes more: if the stock bubbles too fiercely, reduce the heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. When al dente, drain the pasta and add it to the frying pan. Mix well over a gentle heat, adding the butter, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, the parsley and most of the parmesan.
Take off the heat, mix again, and serve on warm plates with the remaining parmesan scattered on top.
Fennel, mint and orange salad
Prep 20 min
Serves 4
1 large fennel bulb
2 navel oranges, or blood oranges when in season
1 small red onion, peeled
1 large handful kalamata olives
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
1 small handful mint leaves
Cut the fennel in half lengthways, and remove and discard the core. Cut off a few of the feathery fronds and set them aside. Using a mandoline or an extremely sharp knife, slice the fennel very thinly.
Peel the oranges and separate the segments, setting two segments aside. Using a sharp, serrated knife, remove the pith and the membrane from the others.
Slice the onion as thinly as possible, and remove the stones from the olives by squeezing them between thumb and index finger – it doesn’t matter if they get squashed in the process.
Put the orange, fennel, olives and onion into a large bowl, and add a generous glug of olive oil and a good crunch of salt. Sacrifice the two reserved orange segments by squeezing their juice into the bowl and discarding them. Turn once or twice, add the mint leaves, turn once more and divide equally between four pretty plates, garnishing each plate with the reserved fronds.
Tomato and oregano bruschetta
Prep 10 min
Rest 15 min
Cook 5 min
Serves 4
600g ripe tomatoes
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
1 handful plump, fresh oregano leaves, stalks removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices sourdough, 3cm thick
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
Give yourself plenty of space, with a large chopping board and a very sharp or serrated knife. Make sure the tomatoes are at room temperature – this is of critical importance. Carefully cut them into pieces about the size of small dice: shape isn’t important but creating as much surface area as possible is key. Discard the stalky bits from the crown, but keep the seeds and juice, of which there should be plenty. Transfer the chopped tomatoes to a large bowl and scatter over a generous amount of salt. Leave to stand for 15 minutes, preferably in the sun.
Tear any large oregano leaves in half and add to the tomatoes with a good glug of olive oil; stir once or twice. Keep the small oregano leaves intact and set aside.
Grill the slices of bread until they are lightly charred but still have a little spring when pressed with a finger. (If you have a barbecue on the go, even better; a few minutes over hot coals does wonders for the flavour.) Lightly rub the garlic clove very briefly on to one side of each slice.
Taste the tomatoes and add more salt, if necessary, then spoon generously over the grilled bread. Scatter the remaining small oregano leaves evenly over the top, add a twist of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, then cut the slices in half and serve.
Grilled ribbons of flank steak with field mushrooms and watercress
Prep 15 min
Rest 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
800g flank steak, trimmed of any fat
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 handfuls watercress leaves, washed and dried
8 large field mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and very finely chopped
1 large handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
Generously season the outside of the meat and, using a hot, oiled griddle pan, grill the steak until it is nicely charred on the outside and pink on the inside – six to eight minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. Leave to rest somewhere warm for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, dress the watercress leaves in a few splashes of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper, and divide between plates.
Put a frying pan over a medium flame and heat a very good glug of olive oil. Fry the mushrooms, garlic and half the chopped parsley; when soft and shiny, remove from the heat and set aside.
Put the rested meat on to a firm chopping board and thinly slice with a very sharp knife into 5mm-thick strips. Lay the juicy, pink slices on top of the watercress, scatter the mushrooms evenly on top and serve with a scant drizzle of oil and the remaining parsley.
