Prue Leith - Bliss on Toast: 75 Simple Recipes

BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK 29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland This electronic edition published in 2022 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2022 Copyright Prue Leith, 2022 Photographs Haarala Hamilton, 2022 Prue Leith has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. All rights reserved
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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-1-5266-5423-6 (HB)
ISBN: 978-1-5266-5422-9 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-5266-5421-2 (ePDF) Project Editor: Lucy Bannell Designer: Evi O. Studio | Kait Polkinghorne Photographer: Haarala Hamilton Food Stylist: Hanna Miller / Katrina Whittaker Food Styling Assistant: Joanna Jackson Prop Stylist: Jennifer Kay Indexer: Vanessa Bird To find out more about our authors and their books please visit www.bloomsbury.com where you will find extracts, author interviews and details of forthcoming events, and to be the first to hear about latest releases and special offers, sign up for our newsletters. For John, who has eaten a lot of stuff on toast, not all of it bliss. This little book comes out of a long habit (the 30-odd years since my children left home) of eating something on toast on Sunday nights in front of the telly. The simplest of old favourites such as variations on baked beans on toast, scrambles on toast, mushrooms on toast are here for their wonderfully comforting vibe. But then, during the Covid pandemic, I started to experiment with more sophisticated combinations which make cooking for two original, and, importantly, good looking.

They are still easy though. For 18 months I did a column for The Oldie magazine, producing one Bliss on Toast each month. The recipes just consisted of a title, say Fried Pineapple on Brioche with Ice Cream, with a picture. I enlisted the help of my friend, Katrina Whittaker (aka the chef Miss Ingredient) who cooked and photographed the recipes. All the reader had to do was follow the picture. Id like to think that most home cooks will be able to do the same from the photographs in this book.

Or at least get inspiration from them and make something similar. But I know that many people are beginner or nervous cooks, so I have also included a proper recipe for each. Ive never understood the kitchen purists objections to ready-made sauces, or food from packets and cans. The great French chef Escoffier put canned tomatoes and bottled white asparagus on the map. My first husband would happily have lived on canned sardines. What matters is the quality.

Escoffiers large white asparagus are a treat; most green asparagus in cans is mushy and only good for soup. A good brand of baked beans can be rich and flavourful; a cheap one watery and tasteless. I almost never take the time to bash the tough stalks of lemon grass into submission. Why would I when great lemon grass paste can be had in a tube? Because speed and convenience are important to todays home cooks, Ive gone for bottled, canned and ready-prepped ingredients where I can. But, on the Keen Cooks pages, Ive included tips on how to make things at home too. Theres a flatbread recipe which is foolproof and fast to make, for instance, certainly faster than going to the supermarket to buy it.

On the other hand, a packet of ready-made flatbreads from ones freezer is even quicker. I have recommended suitable breads for the recipes, but of course they are widely interchangeable. I tend to buy the same wholemeal sourdough for weeks, and then suddenly get tired of it and focaccia will have a run, or a fat white bloomer, or light rye. Im not expecting anyone to follow the recipes exactly. For example, I have occasionally suggested ingredients which are unlikely to be in the store cupboard or are only available online. They are never essential, but Im hoping some of the recipes will inspire readers to have a go at something different.

Writing, testing and most of all consuming these Bliss on Toasts has been a huge pleasure. I hope reading, making and eating them will be for you too. Let me know on social media, or see www.prue-leith.com. = vegan All recipes serve 2 @prueleith@prueleith or @miss.ingredientprueleithofficialCamembert & blackberries with chilli sauce on rye Early autumn brings fat little brambles in the hedgerows. In the far-off days when I had time to go brambling with the children, wild blackberries would have adorned this treat. 2 slices of rye bread butter for spreading (optional) 100g ripe Camembert cheese 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce handful of blackberries, halved if you like handful of rocket Toast the bread. 2 slices of rye bread butter for spreading (optional) 100g ripe Camembert cheese 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce handful of blackberries, halved if you like handful of rocket Toast the bread.

Spread it with butter, if you like. Slice the cheese and arrange it as best you can on the toast, then drizzle over the chilli sauce, sprinkle with blackberries and top with rocket. TIP If the Camembert isnt ripe enough, warm it a bit (in 10-second bursts) in the microwave. Welsh rarebit with crisp bacon on granary This has got to be the most popular Bliss on Toast in my family. Who doesnt like a toastie? Especially if the cheese is a true Welsh rarebit rather than just a slice of processed stuff. 4 rindless streaky bacon rashers, or pancetta slices 1 tbsp oil for frying 1 heaped tsp butter 1 heaped tsp plain flour 4 tbsp milk 80g mature Cheddar cheese, grated 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 thick slices of granary bread Start by frying the bacon slowly in the oil until crisp, curly and brown. 4 rindless streaky bacon rashers, or pancetta slices 1 tbsp oil for frying 1 heaped tsp butter 1 heaped tsp plain flour 4 tbsp milk 80g mature Cheddar cheese, grated 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 thick slices of granary bread Start by frying the bacon slowly in the oil until crisp, curly and brown.