Mary Berry - Cook Now, Eat Later

MARY BERRY

COOK NOW EAT LATER

RECIPES THAT MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER

Copyright 2014 Mary Berry

Photographs 2014 Martin Poole

The right of Mary Berry to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This edition first published in 2014 by HEADLINE BOOK PUBLISHING

Cook Now Eat Later was first published in 2002

Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Every effort has been made to fulfil requirements with regard to reproducing copyright material. The author and publisher will be glad to rectify any omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 4722 1474 4

Photographs by Martin Poole

Edited by Jo Roberts-Miller

Food Stylist Kim Morphew

Assistant Food Stylist Poppy Campbell

Prop Stylist Lydia Brun

Headlines policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products and made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The logging and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

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CONTENTS

Mary Berry is well known as the author of more than seventy cookery books with total sales of over 5 million. She has presented a number of television series and is currently a judge on The Great British Bake Off. She contributes to radio programmes and cookery magazines, and is loved for her practical and unfussy approach. She gives many demonstrations around the country but when she is at home, she loves to be with her family and tending her garden her other great passion.

This book is all about being organised. Its about preparing and cooking ahead, whether you are feeding the family casually in the kitchen or friends more formally in the dining room. We all love entertaining, but sometimes the reality of the many separate parts involved in a meal can seem daunting. How long will the pudding take to set? When can I prepare the vegetables? Will the potatoes be ready at the same time as the meat? Will the whole house smell of fish when I sear the sea bass skin? When can I talk to my friends if Im stuck in the kitchen? Panic can set in, but thats where I will come to your rescue. In a book such as this, where the concept is cook now, eat later, it would be easy to give you recipes that could all be cooked completely in advance and that merely needed reheating. Easy, yes, but a bit boring. What I have done is gather together my very latest, up-to-the-minute recipes, many of which, I will happily admit, need some last-minute attention. But various stages of them can be prepared and/or cooked in advance, which means that on the day itself, you will have much less to do, and will not feel too much immediate pressure. The recipes themselves are divided into easy-to-follow numbered steps, and thats essentially what I want to do here: help you to be one step ahead of the game. Being organised, so far as food and entertaining are concerned, is not just to do with the actual cooking. For instance, if you order the fish or meat you want well in advance from fishmonger, butcher or supermarket, thats one aspect of the meal taken care of. We all think freshly prepared is best, but many vegetables can be peeled, trimmed and cut at least the day before, which means one less chore on the day. And dont ever be ashamed of cutting corners to enable you to be organised and ahead. Buy ready-prepared vegetables or salad leaves in packets if you think you wont have time: theyre more expensive, but your peace of mind might be more important than cost. Even counting out the napkins, and checking on candles and cutlery a couple of days in advance, puts you a step or so ahead. But the majority of the information here does actually concern some degree of cooking, and when you are doing this in advance, there are certain stages which must be followed. The refrigerator is intimately involved in this, and the rules concerning cooling and chilling are particularly important. Make sure your fridge is working properly. The ideal temperature for the short-term storage of perishable foods is just above freezing point. Individual makes of fridges vary, but the temperature range should be between 1C and 7C (3444F).

I wont detail every single way in which you can prepare and cook ahead, but just give you a few general ideas.

Firstly preparation, which does not require cooking. Many non-cooked cold starters and desserts can be completely prepared ahead and stored in the fridge to set and/or chill. Meats, fish and vegetables can be marinated overnight in the fridge, ready for cooking the next day. Many vegetables can be prepared in advance and kept raw in the fridge. Savoury butters handy for so many uses last well in the fridge, and some uncooked stuffings can be assembled with meats or fish and carefully chilled until its time to cook. Raw pastry, bought or home-made, positively benefits from being kept in the fridge, after rolling and cutting into the desired shapes.

Everything must be carefully covered to prevent smells permeating where they shouldnt or surfaces drying. Clingfilm and foil are invaluable tools for those who want to get ahead. Some foods need to breathe when stored, like cheese, which is best wrapped in greaseproof or wax paper.

Cooking ahead lies at the heart of the book. Many dishes require part-cooking a day or hours before, and then finishing off at the last minute. Some fish, for instance, can be seared briefly to brown the day before, then chilled and baked or grilled for a few minutes before serving. The same can apply to some poultry and game dishes, especially prime cuts such as breasts. Many stew-type dishes and soups can be completely cooked ahead and kept in the fridge for a couple of days and most of these can be frozen (see overleaf). Root vegetables can be char-grilled ahead then blasted with heat at the last minute.

In general, try to slightly undercook things if cooking completely ahead. You will have to reheat until piping hot and you dont want things to overcook and disintegrate. Even if the main ingredient in a meal cannot be cooked in advance like roast lamb, for instance you can pre- or part-cook its accompaniments.

Suggested cooking times and cooking techniques are given for the Aga alongside each recipe. When the top of the oven is used, obviously cooking on the Aga hotplates is very similar and so I havent gone into too much detail there. But occasionally, instead of cooking on the Simmering Plate and losing heat by keeping the lid up for a long time, you can cover and cook something like onions in the Simmering Oven. Bring a sauce, stew or casserole to the boil on the Boiling Plate then cover, transfer to the Simmering Oven and cook until tender. This means that, although they take longer to cook, they will not boil over, they dont need to be watched, and they will be beautifully tender. And, most importantly, the Aga will not lose too much heat through the open lids.

These are vital elements of preparing and cooking ahead. When you have partially or completely cooked something, you want it to cool as quickly as possible before chilling. The first thing to do is simple: take off the lid! One option with a casserole-type dish is to decant it from its hot cooking pot into two smaller, cold dishes, or a shallow roasting tray. This means that more surface area is exposed to cool air, but also means extra washing-up, so Im not too keen. And I dont think you need to use cold water baths or ice. A cool ambient temperature, such as a larder or pantry, should be sufficient.

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