Marcus Everyday Read online

  Copyright

  HarperCollinsPublishers

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  London SE1 9GF

  www.harpercollins.co.uk

  First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019

  FIRST EDITION

  © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

  Jacket design by James Empringham © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

  Cover photographs © Susan Bell 2019

  A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

  Marcus Wareing asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

  Photography: Susan Bell

  Food styling: Becks Wilkinson

  Prop styling: Tabitha Hawkins

  Find out about HarperCollins and the environment at www.harpercollins.co.uk/green

  Source ISBN: 9780008320997

  Ebook Edition © October 2019 ISBN: 9780008321000

  Version 2019-10-04

  Contents

  COVER

  TITLE PAGE

  COPYRIGHT

  INTRODUCTION

  1My Garden Patch

  Beetroot, Tahini Verde and Sourdough Salad

  Roasted and Pickled Cauliflower Salad with Almonds and Chives

  Crispy Courgettes with Goats’ Cheese and Lavender Honey

  Tomato, Wild Garlic and Burrata Salad

  Chilled Summer Garden Soup with Lemon and Mackerel

  Asparagus with Bagna Cáuda and Parmesan

  Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes with Prunes, Lentils and Sour Cream

  Carrots with Pine Nuts and Tarragon

  Parsnip, Rosemary and Horseradish Gratin

  Celeriac, Ham Hock and Barley Hot Pot

  Poached Rhubarb and Rhubarb Jelly with Bay Leaf Cream and Shortbread

  Strawberry and Mint Eton Mess

  Gooseberry and Basil Fool

  Caramelised Honey-roasted Pears with Mascarpone and Filo

  Harvest Preservation

  Fermenting – Fennel Kimchi

  Pickling – Pickled Cucumbers

  Jam-making – Fig Jam

  Chutney Making – Apple, Rhubarb and Rosemary Chutney

  2Weekday Suppers

  Beetroot, Wasabi, Feta and Pine Nut Salad

  Field Mushroom, Walnut and Thyme Filo Pie

  Roasted Cauliflower and Walnut Tagliatelle

  Chargrilled Mackerel, Pickled Onions and Salsa Verde

  Green Chilli Salsa Cod with Roast Potato and Almond Salad

  Baked Haddock with Lentils, Basil and Mascarpone

  Thai Chicken Salad

  Chicken, Leek and Wholegrain Mustard Potato Pie

  Chicken, Split Pea and Kale Curry

  Hasselback Potatoes with Red Wine and Pork Ragu

  Rump Steak with Green Sauce and Beer-braised Onions

  Pancetta and Mushroom Pasta Bake

  Pork Chops with Green Olives, Baked Orange and Fennel

  Beef, Asparagus, Cashew and Miso Stir-fry

  Lamb Chops with Minted Orzo and Pea Salad

  Lamb Meatballs with Harissa and Sour Cream

  3Waste Not, Want Not

  Potato, Thyme and Cheese Croquettes

  Carrot Fritters with Pickle Juice Emulsion and Carrot Salad

  Homemade Ricotta, Radicchio, Orange and Dill Salad

  Panzanella

  Leftovers Frittata with Piquant Fruit Chutney

  Not-So-Ordinary Tomato Sauce

  Pizza Base

  Cauliflower and Yellow Split Pea Curry

  Fridge Gazpacho

  Quick Vegetable Pickle

  Fruit Bowl Compote

  Winter Warmer Soup

  Baked Citrus and Polenta Cake

  Sticky Banana Pudding with Rosemary Sauce and Homemade Crème Fraîche

  4Home Alone

  Croque Monsieur

  Smoked Salmon and Garden Herb Omelette

  Chop Chop Salad

  Prawn, Tomato and Chilli Linguine

  Chicken Schnitzel with Celeriac Remoulade and a Fried Egg

  Butter-roasted Cauliflower with Capers and Parsley

  Barnsley Chop, Roasted Fennel and Black Olive Tapenade

  Sirloin Steak with Brandy Sauce and Crispy Potatoes

  Roast Chicken Leg with Tarragon, Cucumber and Cashew Salad

  Ultimate Beef Burger

  Pear, Blackberry and Walnut Crumble, with Pouring Cream

  Caramelised Banana Split

  5In the Fridge

  Blueberry Pancakes with Lemon and Honey Strained Yoghurt

  English Muffin Pain Perdu with Crispy Bacon, Avocado and Sriracha

  Welsh Rarebit

  Goats’ Cheese, Kale, Blood Orange and Mustard Salad

  Branston Pickle, Onion and Cheddar Omelette

  Prawn, Cos, Parmesan and Tahini Salad

  Chicken with Seared Lettuce, Soft-boiled Egg and Cornichon Mayonnaise

  Pizzas

  Chorizo, Rocket and Créme Fraîche Pizza

  Hummus, Aubergine and Roasted Pepper Pizza

  Ham and Egg Pizza

  Roast Chicken Breasts with Fennel Salad and Romesco Sauce

  Pea Pesto and Chicken Spaghetti

  Smoked Mackerel, Egg and Caper Fish Pie

  Beef and Garden Herb Meatballs with Roasted Tomato Sauce

  Rhubarb, Ginger and Almond Crumble

  Apple and Membrillo Tart

  Crêpes with Dulce de Leche Cream and Hot Nutella Sauce

  6Home Baking

  Lemon Curd Madeleines

  Chocolate and Clementine Crunch Cookies

  Hazelnut and Chocolate Choux Rings

  Carrot and Parsnip Cakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

  Caramelised White Chocolate Brownie

  Chocolate and Peanut Caramel Tray Bake

  Date, Cardamom and Caramel Slice

  Tahini and Caramelised Honey Cake

  Blackberry and Buttermilk Cake

  Blood Orange Meringue Pie

  Rhubarb and Pistachio Frangipane Tart

  Garden Focaccia

  Green Olive and Fennel Seed Bread

  Pumpkin Seed, Cumin and Cheddar Buns

  7Holiday Eats

  Salmon Pastry

  Easter Slow-cooked Leg of Lamb with Spiced Rub

  May Day Spring Salad

  Ultimate Veggie Barbecue

  Barbecued Lamb Ribs with Chimichurri Sauce

  Black Forest Gateau

  Festive Season Canapés

  Pork and Sage Croquettes

  Quick Gin-cured Salmon with Horseradish and Parsnip

  Slow-cooked Celeriac with Brie and Thyme

  Stuffed Turkey Leg with Turkey Gravy

  Marmalade and Earl Grey Tea-glazed Ham

  Ultimate Roast Potatoes

  Seasonal Sides

  Caramelised Cauliflower Cheese

  Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut Butter and Anchovy

  Celeriac and Parsnip Boulangère

  Spiced Pumpkin Fritters

  Quince, Rosemary and Honey Trifle

  Mince Pie Puddings with Brandy Cream

  Boxing Day Bubble and Squeak Pie

  Crackling’d Slow-cooked Pork Shoulder with Baked Apple Sauce

  Ham, Membrillo and Gruyère Bakes

  8Weekend Dining

  Cured Salmon with Buttermilk, Bergamot and Kohlrabi

  Asparagus with Brown Butter Hollandaise, Hazelnut Crumb and Poached Egg

  Spice-roasted Quail with Freekeh, Pistachio and Lime Pickle

  Confit Duck Ravioli with Cucumber and a Peanut, Sesame and Chilli Dressing

  Lemon Sole with Brown Crab, Aioli and Samphire

  Whole Roast Monkfish Tail with Mushrooms and Thyme

  Parmesan, Oregano and Onion Baked Pumpkin

  Aromatic Aubergi
ne with Cashew and Turmeric Sauce

  Rack of Lamb with Lamb and Harissa Ragu and Courgette

  Lamb Hotpot

  ’Nduja-stuffed Pork with Smoked Bacon and Red Wine Sauce

  Port-braised Feather Blade Steaks with Potato, Onion and Horseradish Gratin

  Tarts

  Milk Chocolate, Raspberry and Thyme Tart

  Fig and Hazelnut Tarts with Smoky Crème Fraîche

  Burnt Honey Parfait with White Chocolate and Apricot

  Pear and Star Anise Tarte Tatin with Buttermilk Ice Cream

  LIST OF SEARCHABLE TERMS

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

  Introduction

  Everyday cookery should be just that: something that is achievable on a daily basis and fits in with the busy lives we all lead. This book of recipes for great home cookery will enable anyone to create something delicious and exciting for the whole family, for every occasion.

  Each chapter has earned its place in this book and came to mind when I started thinking about how I live my life and how I view food when I’m not being a chef and am in my kitchen at home. It’s about my life outside my work, but the inspiration still comes from being a chef – the two are intertwined. This book is divided into eight chapters, which, from my perspective, cover all the different demands and challenges of everyday cookery and provide a resource for absolutely anyone to create something wonderful in their kitchen. I wanted to explore everything from easy weeknight dinners to ideas for what to eat on holidays, and anything in between.

  Home cookery is, and always will be, a way of creating many positive connections through food; from knowing what is in the food on your plate, to minimising what you waste and to the sense of enjoyment gained by knowing that you’ve created something delicious with your own hands.

  In the autumn of 2017 I acquired a property in East Sussex called Melfort House, which has given us an opportunity to spend quality time together as a family all year round, away from the hustle and bustle of London. One of the big pluses for me was the farm and arable land that came with the house: there was an overgrown and unused kitchen garden, a small orchard, some beehives and huge potential for more in terms of what they could produce.

  For me, 2018 was a year of discovery. What would grow? Where, and how? What would the yield be? After a huge clearout and clean up, small green shoots were celebrated with a sense of anticipation of what they would grow into. Even though I’ve been a chef for more than 30 years, this has been the one part of the process I hadn’t yet experienced; the growing and harvesting of the produce.

  I feel like a child again when I’m there, and the kitchen garden, the bees, the orchard, the apples, the pears … they all inspire me as a chef. We transported numerous boxes of freshly harvested fruit and vegetables, as well as honey from the beehives, in the back of the car into central London, to the chefs in my kitchens. Their excitement was a joy to see. The logistical challenge of growing, harvesting and then getting produce from Sussex to London was a little trial and error, and we learned a lot in the first year. I’m currently creating a pond at the back of the house, around which we’re growing herbs and wild flowers to use in the restaurant. But I have even bigger plans, so watch this space!

  I have therefore dedicated a whole chapter to celebrating my first year at Melfort – ‘My Garden Patch’. While you may not have your own garden patch, you can source some great produce from farmers’ markets, community gardens, and even your local supermarket. Or sign up for online vegetable boxes. We sometimes forget to celebrate the humble vegetable, instead spending time sourcing and investing in a great joint of beef or other meat. I implore you to put the same effort into sourcing good-quality garden produce and use this chapter to inspire you. My kids now know the difference in taste between tomatoes grown under the sun, harvested within their rightful season, and the tomatoes from the supermarket – they’re chalk and cheese! But what I’ve also taught them is how to take those everyday tomatoes we all buy and improve their flavour if we need to.

  What you will also see scattered throughout the book is a focus on honey as a fantastic ingredient, used in many different ways. Having comb honey from our own bees at Melfort has made me think about this ingredient in a completely different way and about the flowers (in particular the lavender and roses) they pollinate – all of which flavour our honey. This ingredient that I have always taken for granted as a cook suddenly has magical implications now that I’ve witnessed its making.

  Running a restaurant kitchen from a young age instilled in me an awareness of waste and resourcefulness; of not wanting to needlessly discard a single thing. The cost of food, how you prepare it and how you eventually sell it, can make or break a restaurant business. The notion of throwing something in the bin that could still be used is sacrilege to me. So, for me, this principle should also be applied at home. After Marcus at Home and New Classics I wanted to write a book that celebrated home cookery and seasonal produce, which would also be a practical guide to creating delicious meals from ingredients that may not have been completely used up, or might otherwise typically be destined for the bin.

  We are bombarded with a constant stream of news about environmental issues. The sheer amount of food that we, as a nation, waste on a daily basis is a huge problem. Food gets stacked up in the fridge, then we overbuy – throwing things into our shopping baskets because we think we need it, without necessarily looking in the fridge before we go shopping and planning what we’re buying for. It’s so easy to buy more than we need, be seduced by 2-for-1 deals and so on. We need to start buying only what we’re actually going to eat. Things go off, of course, but having been taught as a young man by my father to appreciate fresh produce, I know how not to take an ingredient for granted as well as how to use it up resourcefully.

  The chapter ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ came about originally because of the sheer volume of some of the Melfort produce (tomatoes, for example) that I could not keep up with, and the recipes that I used to avoid throwing anything away. This chapter provides a framework for how to use what you may have a glut of, but also how to breathe new life into that old potato lying at the bottom of your pantry, or that slightly shrivelled orange in your fruit bowl.

  I also felt there was a need for a chapter on cooking solo – ‘Home Alone’. Instead of having a cheese sandwich, or ordering a takeout, try these recipes to give yourself a bit of a treat (my favourite is the Sirloin Steak with Brandy Sauce and Crispy Potatoes), and enjoy the silence.

  I’ve included handy methods and tips throughout the book for how to cook ingredients the way that I, as a chef, cook them. It’s intuitive for me, but I have realised when cooking at home with my family and friends that there are certain techniques and procedures that transform a dish from being just okay to being great, such as how to cook a steak, how to make perfect mashed potato, and my foolproof method for cooking omelettes. As well as what to do when things don’t quite go to plan …

  Everyone thinks chefs make everything from scratch when they cook at home, but I don’t. Like so many, my life doesn’t allow me to do that. Instead, I take basic things, like an average shop-bought mayonnaise, which can be a little bland, and make it better. I’ll enhance it with garlic, or curry seasoning, or a little bit of saffron or herbs – anything, really. Even gherkins or chillies – it’s easy to improve it. I also use stock cubes like salt, as a seasoning, crumbling one over a dish as a flavour enhancer. I still wouldn’t ever mess with baked beans, though (apart from maybe adding a bit of HP Sauce).

  I’ve been a cook since I was 14 years old, and ran restaurants as a head chef from the age of 25, so much of my life has been spent in a professional kitchen. This book is about a different style of cooking, and is about me in my everyday life. Some of the recipes will look familiar, but there are little twists, anecdotes, secrets and tips. These are the things that make chefs seem different to everybody else – it might appear that we have a Midas touch, but it’s really j
ust layer upon layer of training.