Diana Henry - Cook Simple: Effortless Cooking Every Day

COOK SIMPLE

effortless cooking every day

COOK SIMPLE

DIANA HENRY

photographs by Jonathan Lovekin

MITCHELL BEAZLEY

to Gillies, with love

First published in Great Britain in 2007 by Mitchell Beazley,
an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group Limited,
Endeavour House, 189 Shaftesbury Avenue
London, WC2H 8JY
A Hachette Livre UK company
www.octopusbooks.co.uk

First published in paperback in 2010

Octopus Publishing Group Limited 2007
Text Diana Henry 2007
Photographs Jonathan Lovekin 2007

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publishers.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781845337582

While all reasonable care has been taken during the preparation of this edition, neither the publisher, editors, nor the authors can accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use thereof or from the information contained therein.

Commissioning Editor: Rebecca Spry
Art Director: Tim Foster
Designer: Miranda Harvey
Editors: Susan Fleming, Debbie Robertson
Proofreader: Jamie Ambrose
Home Economist: Sarah Lewis
Production Controller: Lucy Carter
Index: John Noble

contents

introduction

A keen cook, I used to dash around convenience stores after work trying to think of something for supper, envying those who could spend more time in their kitchens. Im not an aficionado of the ready meal. Even after a tough day I prefer to spend 15 minutes cooking spaghetti and tossing it with olive oil, garlic and chilli than the same amount of time waiting to eat the contents of a foil tray that will feed only one person when it says it will do two.
But when I had a baby my cooking changed. Quick cooking was no longer the answer; I couldnt stir a risotto for 25 minutes with a baby on my hip. I needed effortless cooking. I had to find simple ways to turn the building blocks of meals chicken thighs, chops, a few red peppers into something that would make me salivate as well as sustain me.
The first thing I did was bung nearly everything in the oven, which takes less time than youd think. A jointed chicken cooks in 40 minutes, a small leg of lamb in 50 and fillets of fish in 12. An ever-growing range of marinades kept me roasting and baking meat and vegetables for months. When I got tired of marinating, I served roasted meat and fish with pestos, salsas and savoury butters that could be whizzed in the blender. I plundered the cuisines of every country I could think of for ways to accessorize simple offerings.
Even puddings got the oven treatment. Baked fruit might sound boring, but try it doused in red wine and cassis, cooked very slowly and served with a big bowl of cream better than any slaved-over bit of ptisserie. One-dish cooking also became vital: vegetables were stuck in with the meat and I acquired winning ways with little potatoes, roasting them with spices, glazed with balsamic vinegar or drizzled with pesto. Green salad became ubiquitous.
There are plenty of faster dishes in this book, too. Lots of them are quite restaurant-y and ideal for last-minute supper parties. Seared tuna or chicken can be dressed up with the same sauces as roast food. A bag of leaves can be tossed with other ingredients figs, Parma ham and pomegranate seeds, for instance which require only a bit of shopping.
Finding ways of cooking that involve spending no more than 15 minutes at the kitchen counter (though the dishes might take longer to cook) has made me more creative: I have looked again at what I can do with a jar of tahini, a can of anchovies or a bag of pears. It has also made me more sociable. These days I can have friends for supper mid-week (even with a job and two children) and not end up frazzled.
Whether you have a punishing job, are juggling kids, or are single and just want ideas for no-hassle entertaining, if you like your food simple, this book will help you to make it better.

pacific lime chicken

A recipe, from a caf in Hawaii, which I have been making for years. Theres practically no cooking but everyone loves this dish its always hard to resist sweet, honey-glazed meat. Serve with rice and stir-fried greens, or in good weather, a salad of leaves, shredded spring onions and julienned (fine strips) cucumber and carrot.

serves 4

8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
wedges or halves of lime, to serve

marinade

5 tbsp runny honey
5 tbsp dark soy sauce
juice of 4 limes
3 tsp soft brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
leaves from 5 sprigs thyme
black pepper

Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Make incisions in the underside of the chicken and pour the marinade over it. Cover with cling film. If you have time, leave the chicken to marinate anything from 15 minutes to the whole afternoon in the refrigerator, turning the chicken pieces every so often.

Lift the chicken out of the marinade and put it in a small roasting tin or shallow gratin dish; it needs to lie in a single layer. Roast in an oven preheated to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for 3540 minutes, basting every so often with the leftover marinade and the cooking juices until cooked through. If it gets too dark in colour, cover the dish with foil. The finished dish will be sticky and glossy. Serve with fresh limes, cut into wedges or halves.

and also

Cook in the same way as above but make the marinade from 4 tbsp olive oil, 8 tbsp runny honey, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 6 crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Serve with little roast potatoes and a big green salad.

roast chicken with warm vegetables and rocket cream

Here is good old roast chicken and then some. I like it because all the veggies are served in one dish and theres no gravy to make: just prepare the sauce in advance and spoon the cooking juices over the meat. In summer, I dont even bother to roast the tomatoes simply toss in halved cherry tomatoes. And instead of potatoes, you could serve rinsed cannellini beans straight from the can.