Recipes

August 10, 2020 – Published in Design & Decor Summer 2013 issue

Summer entertaining

 

Liz Said reveals, mouthwatering recipes for fish, meat and salads as well as desserts, making the perfect summer comfort food.

Words: Liz Said

Photographs: Alan Carville

(All ingredients in the recipes may be purchased from Scotts Supermarket)

AUBERGINE FRITTERS

SERVES 6

• 4 medium aubergines

• 750ml vegetable oil, for frying

• Large pinch saffron

• 3 eggs lightly beaten

• 150g plain fl our

• 75g cornflour

• 250ml sparkling water

• Yogurt sauce

• 450ml Greek yogurt

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 4 spring onions sliced

• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves roughly chopped

Cut the aubergines into thin slices; pour enough vegetable oil into a large frying pan to a depth of roughly 1cm deep; heat over a medium heat. Mix the saffron with the beaten egg and slowly whisk in the flour and cornflour; add the water and mix well.

Dip the aubergine slices into the batter and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden; drain the cooked slices on kitchen paper and serve immediately with the yogurt sauce; the fritters can also be made in advance and reheated in a very hot oven, for 5 minutes, just before serving.

To make the sauce:

Mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, spring onions and coriander leaves and keep in the refrigerator until needed.

COURGETTE AND POTATO

SERVES 6

• 150g potatoes

• 150g courgettes

• 60g goat’s cheese

• 3 eggs

• 90ml cream

• Salt and pepper

• 30g butter cut in small pieces

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash and peel the potatoes; wash and trim the courgettes. Butter 6 ramekin dishes. Slice the potatoes and the courgettes very, very thinly and layer them into the ramekin dishes, alternating slices of potato and courgette.

Cut the cheese into pieces and dot these over the top. Beat the eggs with the cream, season with salt and pepper and pour over the gratins. Dot with the pieces of butter and bake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes.

Allow to stand for 5 minutes then turn out and serve.

SWEET AND STICKY CHICKEN

SERVES 6

• 1 chicken jointed

• Marinade

• 1 orange, zest and juice

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar

• 2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Spread out the chicken in a shallow dish. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over the chicken; toss and turn over until the chicken is completely coated with the marinade; chill overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas4; turn the chicken over one more time and roast for 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through with no pink meat and the juices run clear.

You can finish off on a hot barbecue or a griddle pan, browning the pieces skin-side down for about 5 minutes until the chicken is crisp and lightly charred.

Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY TART

SERVES 6

• 350g puff pastry

• 225g mascarpone cheese

• Grated rind of 1 orange

• 2 tbsp Cointreau

• 3-5 tbsp icing sugar plus extra for dusting

• 450g strawberries, hulled

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm and use to line a 28cm x 10cm rectangular tart tin; trim the edges of the pastry with a knife and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas6. Prick the base of the pastry all over; line the pastry case with foil, fill with baking beans and bake for 15 minutes; remove the foil and beans and bake for 10 minutes more until the pastry is browned; gently press down on the pastry to deflate it, then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Whisk the mascarpone, orange rind, Cointreau and icing sugar together; spread the cheese filling in the pastry case; halve the strawberries and arrange on top of the cheese; dust with icing sugar and serve. 

 See more recipes from Design & Decor Summer 2013 issue