These winter-friendly plates by Thomas Straker will provide plenty of comfort.
British chef Thomas Straker, whose cookbook Food You Want To Eat has just hit shelves in Aotearoa New Zealand, is known for an uncomplicated approach to cooking.
Below, he shares three simple and warming recipes with Viva that encapsulate this philosophy. Together, the dishes make up an excellent dinner party menu for chilly weather.
Cavolo Nero Rigatoni
Serves 4
Rich and velvety, this deep green sauce shines as it coats the rigatoni. The key to the dish is really good-quality olive oil.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the cavolo nero and garlic in the water for 3 minutes, then transfer to a blender with a little of their cooking water. Blend to make a smooth puree, then add the olive oil and blend again. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente, according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving the cooking water.
- In a wide pan, toss the cooked pasta with the sauce, loosening with a little of the pasta cooking water, if needed. Check for salt, then spoon on to warmed plates, finishing with cracked black pepper, a grating of Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Chicken & Chips
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Advertise with NZME.Serves 4
Succulent, juicy roasted chicken is one of life’s great pleasures. Paired here with chips and lemon mayo, this is one of the best chicken dishes you will ever make. I find myself returning to this recipe again and again and it never disappoints.
- Start by preparing your chicken. Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, remove the ends of the legs, the wings and the backbone from the whole chicken for the gravy. Cut the chicken in half through the breastbone and season both halves all over with fine salt. Set aside.
- To make the gravy, put the chicken bones you have trimmed off in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and fry vigorously for 2–3 minutes to get some nice colour on them. Throw in the shallots and cook until lightly coloured, then add 4 of the garlic cloves and 3 thyme sprigs and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Deglaze with the white wine and reduce by half, then pour in the stock. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into chips.
- Pick 3 rosemary sprigs and finely chop, then mix them in a small bowl with sea salt flakes.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 6–8 minutes, then drain and spread out on a tray to steam-dry for at least 10 minutes.
- Strain the chicken sauce into a bowl, then return it to the saucepan and continue to reduce until you have about 500ml of gravy.
- Set a wide-based pan over a medium-low heat and add a good glug of vegetable oil. Add the chicken halves, skin side down, and cook slowly for 15–20 minutes until well coloured. Using something heavy to weigh the chicken down here is helpful for getting a good sear. After this time, flip the chicken halves over and cook on the other side for 10 minutes.
- Flip back again and add the butter to the pan along with the remaining 4 garlic cloves, 3 rosemary sprigs and 3 thyme sprigs. Cook until the butter is foaming, then use it to baste the chicken for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the bird to rest for 15 minutes while you make the chips.
- Pour a 2cm depth of vegetable oil into a large frying pan and heat until it reaches 180C. Shallow-fry the chips until golden-brown and crispy, then remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain off any excess on a rack or tray lined with kitchen paper. Toss with most of the rosemary salt.
- Meanwhile, reheat the gravy, if necessary.
- Serve the chicken with the rosemary chips and lemon mayonnaise. Pour over as much gravy as you like and sprinkle with an extra pinch of rosemary salt before tucking in.
Set Custard With Rhubarb
Serves 6–8
Rhubarb and custard is a classic. This super-velvety sweet vanilla custard provides the perfect partner to the slightly sharp roasted rhubarb. You’ll have to make the custard a day before, to allow it to set.
Note: You will need a probe thermometer to make this dish.
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Advertise with NZME.- The day before you serve the pudding, cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds, then put the pod and seeds in a large saucepan with the cream. Set over a medium heat and gently bring to the boil. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the 75g of sugar until well combined and thickened.
- Once the cream is boiling, slowly pour it over the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Once combined, return the custard to the pan and heat gently until it reaches 86C on a probe thermometer, stirring all the time. Remove the vanilla pod.
- Transfer the custard to a high-speed blender and blitz, then pass it through a fine sieve into a container. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic food wrap to prevent a skin from forming, then put it in the fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hours, or ideally overnight.
- To prepare the rhubarb, preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Put the rhubarb, sugar, orange zest and juice in an ovenproof dish just big enough to fit the rhubarb pieces in a single layer. Toss together gently, then roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the rhubarb is tender but still holding its shape. Remove and leave to cool.
- Serve the set custard with the roasted rhubarb and its juices alongside, with a final grating of blood orange zest.
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