Stein - Rick Steins Long Weekends

I love writing cookery books. Its not a solitary activity, like writing a memoir; its about working with a team, which is lots of fun Actually, there are two teams: the book one, Ebury; and the TV one, Denham Productions. I would like to thank the two people who work in both: Portia Spooner, who has put so much hard work into collating and testing all the recipes in this book, in close collaboration with everyone at Denhams, including preparing all the food for the cooking filmed at my cottage in Padstow; and Arezoo Farahazad, who has worked tirelessly to give Portia so much back-up, including writing down recipes of all the dishes being cooked while filming on location, and sending them straight back to Portia for testing.

At Ebury, I would like to thank Rebecca Smart, the MD, Lizzy Gray, Publishing Director, and Charlotte Macdonald, Editor, with whom Ive worked on an almost daily basis recently and have enjoyed it very much. Id also like to thank Claire Scott, my long suffering publicist at Ebury, who I note Ive been working with great enjoyment for 16 years. The lynchpin between me and the publisher, though, has been my long-standing (eleven years) copy-editor, Mari Roberts. Thanks for the pinpoint attention to detail, making the recipes so clear and accurate.

For their vital role in making Long Weekends look so lovely, thanks to Alex and Emma Smith, who designed it, and James Murphy, who took every one of the beautiful photographs and with whom Ive now been working for seventeen years. Also thanks to Aya Nishimura for her beautiful food preparation and Penny Markham for so expertly matching the pots, plates and pans for the food photography from so many weekend cities.

For Long Weekends , the TV programme, thanks to David Pritchard and for all weve done together over the last twenty-five years. It goes on being a delight to work with someone so creative and talented. Thanks, too, to my TV family: Chris Topliss, a great cameraman, and Pete Underwood, our sound recordist, whos a bit like a bass guitarist very good, and essential, but not often recognized as such. Then theres Martin Willcocks, on second camera; Adam de Wan, Suki Hughs and Richard Atkinson, our editors; Tom Edwards, dubbing mixer; Grace Kitto, who runs Denhams, and Chris Denham, aka the Major, whose company it is.

Not forgetting a few occasional helpers: Henry Morris and my stepson Zach Burns, both tripod carrying in the hot Greek sun; Paul Ashton, who rigged the cottage; and Rob Jones, who put in time testing recipes in Padstow. Also the programme researchers at Denhams: Fiona Pritchard, Daves wife, and Jemma Woodman, Elizabeth Stone, Charlotte Barton and Claudia Selby.

Finally, a big thank-you to Viv Taylor and Jane Reese for coordinating everything in Padstow.

All these credits would be still running as the cinema was emptying, but I always wait till it says where the film was made, so I would see this: I would like to thank my dear wife, Sas, who came with me to every city and added so much colour to the whole book. You need to go with someone who you love on a long weekend.

Monday, I have Friday on my mind
THE EASYBEATS

Each day of the week feels differently to all of us. Monday, maybe, theres a little residue of a great weekend when your efficiency can be slightly impaired. Monday nights dinner will probably be diet-conscious, with certainly no beer or wine. Tuesday is back to normal and its great to feel fit again. Wednesday Im going places and the healthy diet continues except that I always need to meet my oldest friends for a pint or two at the Cornish Arms that night. Thursday a little ennui creeps in at work. Everything seems interminable and there may be a dinner somewhere that night to compensate. On Friday, however, with the prospect of the weekend, things happen at work, efficiency is incredible, work really is done in the time given. Decisions always seem to get made on a Friday afternoon.

Coming from someone whos spent much of his life working in restaurant kitchens, it might seem odd to be writing about how the pace of life and indeed what one eats differs from day to day through the week. In a busy kitchen, surely, any day is the same? Actually, its not. Each corresponds to the way other people feel about the week, especially Friday night. In the early restaurant days, Id often get in for the evening service with the excitement of a full restaurant all weekend and change the entire menu, brimming with euphoria, much to the dismay of the rest of the kitchen. Not a good idea, and nor is it a good idea to get complicated with a Friday nights cooking at home. You could almost call these recipes thirty-minute meals after a hectic week. Just such a recipe would be the ), from Reykjavik. The sort of thing to warm you with comfort as you come in from an icy, cutting wind on the road home.

CADIZ

SERVES FOUR TO FIVE

This is my take on a dish I had in Cadiz at a restaurant called La Marea (The Tide), which specializes in seafood and rice. It is one for garlic lovers, particularly as I untypically for Spain like to serve it with alioli as well.

60ml olive oil

60g shallots, finely chopped

12 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 litre

100g flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped

1 tsp salt

400g short-grain paella rice, such as Calasparra

30 raw clams, preferably palourdes (vongole), scrubbed

200g small raw peeled prawns

, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a 2830cm cazuela or shallow flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add the shallot and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and fry for 40 to 60 seconds, then stir in the fish stock, parsley and salt and bring to the boil.

Sprinkle in the rice, stir once, then leave to simmer vigorously over medium-high heat for 6 minutes. Put the clams and prawns on top and shake the pan briefly so they sink into the rice a little. Lower the heat and leave to simmer gently for another 12 minutes. At the end of this time, almost all the liquid should be absorbed and the rice will be pitted with small holes. Serve with alioli.

Green Rice with Garlic, Parsley, Clams & Prawns

THESSALONIKI