1. Chef Rowley Leigh, Cafe Anglais
Peach, tomato and basil salad
Pour boiling water over six white peaches and let stand for 10 to 30 seconds, depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Refresh in cold water and skin. Do the same for six large tomatoes, which should still be firm and full of flavour. Slice the tomatoes thinly and salt them. Cut the peaches into thin segments. Arrange them in an overlapping circle, alternating the two fruits. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over the salad and drizzle lightly with oil (very lightly if you are using walnut oil). Tear six basil leaves and scatter these over the salad. Mill some black pepper, and serve.
2. Chef Gordon Ramsay, Claridge's
Slow-roasted tomatoes
We go mad whenever English tomatoes are in season - the kitchens are filled with so many that we could probably fill a bathtub with them. Slow-roasting is a great way to use them up and intensifies the flavour. Heat the oven to the lowest setting and halve the tomatoes. Arrange them, cut-side up, on a lightly oiled roasting tray and scatter over some chopped garlic, shallots and thyme leaves. Drizzle generously with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Gently roast for an hour until tender. Serve at room temperature with pasta, fish dishes or salads or as a bruschetta topping.
3. Chef Michel Roux, Le Gavroche
Spicy crab with avocado
Buy the best-quality fresh picked claw meat you can find. Put the white crab meat into a bowl and add one avocado, two thinly sliced spring onions, the juice of a couple of limes, sesame oil, salt and Tabasco. Mix gently with a fork. Place a spoonful of brown meat in each serving dish, then add the white meat mixture. Garnish with watercress.
4. Chef Giorgio Locatelli, Locanda Locatelli
Cipollotto di tropea salad
I'm in love with this salad: just blanch some runner beans in salted water for three minutes, add mint leaves and cipollotto di tropea (which is like a spring onion and is from Calabria), and fresh green almonds.
5. Restaurateur Henry Dimbleby, Leon
A simple ceviche
Slice any very fresh white fish as finely as possible (I like bass), and finely slice some firm radishes and shallots. Season and soak in lemon or lime juice for 30 minutes. Drain and lay on a plate with thin slices of ripe avocado, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with finely chopped coriander. Eat with sourdough and very cold white wine.
6. Chef Stuart Gillies, Boxwood Cafe
Asparagus, feta and smoked salmon salad
Cut raw asparagus thinly at an angle up to the tip, then mix with crumbled feta cheese, cooked chilled peas and broad beans, watercress leaves and a white wine and olive oil vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and serve with smoked salmon.
7. Chef Henry Harris, Racine
Watermelon and feta salad
Toss cubes of watermelon, feta and mint together with a splash of olive oil and a good milling of black pepper.
8. Baked fennel with harissa
Toss wedges of fennel in a mixture of Greek yoghurt and rose harissa. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven or in open foil in a kettle barbecue.
9. Mimolette, red onion and watercress salad
Make a salad of watercress and finely sliced red onion. Use a vegetable peeler to shave a generous pile of mimolette cheese over the top.
10. Chef Jeremy Lee, Blueprint Cafe
Asparagus and fried egg on toast
I suggest boiling asparagus and laying on grilled, buttered bread with a fried egg atop; grated parmesan is a welcome addition.
11. Chef Chris Galvin, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe
Creamy spiced mussel soup
Cook half a kilogram of mussels in a wine glass each of good fish stock and dry white wine, then drain, reserving the stock. Heat some butter in a pan and add shallots, garlic and curry powder. Add a pinch of saffron and stir in the warm stock, bring it to the boil and then add a generous splash of whipping cream. Reduce the soup by a third and season. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with parsley for a light and flavoursome summer soup.
12. Food writer Anissa Helou
Cod with tarator and pine nuts
Sauté onions in olive oil. Add tarator (tahini mixed with lemon juice and water) and let bubble for a few minutes. Spoon over pan-fried black cod fillets. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and serve.
13. Chef Richard Bertinet, The Bertinet Kitchen
The best garlic bread
In a blender blitz some butter, one shallot, two cloves of garlic, a handful of parsley and chives and a good dollop of mascarpone. Spread on some good bread and place into a preheated oven (180º-200ºC/Gas 4-6) until golden brown.
14. Food writer Suzanne Pirret
Roasted corn on the cob with chipotle chilli butter
Pull back the husk from a cob of fresh sweetcorn and tie tightly with butcher's twine. Remove all silk fibres. Mix a spoonful or two of soft butter together with a good dash of chipotle chilli powder and sea salt, and slather over the corn. Cook on a griddle pan or under a grill for about 10-15 minutes total, turning till tender and charred. Sprinkle the husk with a few drops of water so it doesn't catch fire! (Chipotle chilli powder is available at coolchilli.co.uk.)
15. Green salad with fresh herbs
Toss a few handfuls of greens, a few thinly sliced baby fennel, and some fresh herb leaves - tarragon, parsley, or whatever else is available to you and summery. In small bowl, mix half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a small squeeze of fresh lemon, and whisk in double that of single cream or olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper and toss through the leaves.
16. Grilled lamb with lemon grass
Finely chop three lemon grass stalks and pound in mortar and pestle. Pound in a finely chopped red chilli, a small shallot, a spoonful of both olive oil and palm sugar (muscovado or brown works too) and a squeeze of lime till it's a chunky paste. Season three or four lamb chops well with sea salt and pepper, cover with paste, and if you can, marinate for an hour (or even overnight), and grill until done - the crispier the better. Best cooked over hot coals on a barbecue.
17. Courgette and corn quesadilla
Place a layer of paper-thin sliced courgette on a flour tortilla. Sprinkle with fresh sweetcorn scraped from a cob, a minced jalapeño pepper, some shredded Monterey Jack cheese (mild white cheddar works, too), and place another flour tortilla on top. Fry in a little groundnut oil in a pan. Flip carefully, press down, fry other side until brown (or just bake it) and serve warm with the guacamole below.
18. Fresh guacamole
In a bowl, mash a ripe avocado with a spoon. Add a little finely minced red onion and jalapeño, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped fresh coriander, and a good pinch of sea salt. Nice with a dash of chipotle chilli powder for a little smokiness.
19. Basquian lemon shrimp
In a bowl, mix together zest from half a lemon, its juice, a finely minced garlic clove, a small spoonful of finely chopped red onion, a small handful of pitted and coarsely chopped oil-cured black olives, a few coarsely chopped smoked anchovies, a dash of aged sherry vinegar, a glug of extra-virgin olive oil, and a pinch of pimentón de la Vera. Toss in six to eight cooked and shelled prawns and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Serve over a few thick slices of grilled peasant bread. (Pimentón de la Vera is available at brindisa.co.uk.)
20. Broad bean bruschetta with oozy burrata
Shell several handfuls of broad beans, place beans in boiling water for a few minutes, drain, then plunge into cold water. Squeeze beans from casings into bowl. Mash beans together in a mortar and pestle with a finely minced garlic clove, a squeeze of half a lemon, snipped fresh mint, a glug of olive oil, salt and pepper, and plop onto grilled bread spread with a slab of oozy burrata cheese. Drizzle with more olive oil.
21. Lemon lime gelato
In a saucepan, stir together 60ml each of the juice of a lemon and a lime, their zests, and 100g sugar. Simmer until sugar dissolves, strain, and let cool in fridge. Stir in 125ml double cream and pour into ice-cube tray. When frozen, spoon into one big refreshing cup.
22. Best crab cakes
In a frying pan, sweat a spoonful of a finely chopped shallot in a little butter. Add a minced jalapeño pepper until soft and add into 300g of carefully picked-through fresh lump crab meat. Add freshly chopped dill and enough of a well-beaten egg white so it holds together, then a little cornflour so it stiffens. Season with sea salt, form into a thick patty, roll in breadcrumbs, and fry in a little hot olive oil. (Serve with corn on the cob and green salad, above.)
23. Chef Claude Bosi, Hibiscus
Strawberries with hibiscus
Roughly chop 500g English strawberries. In a pan, grate a vanilla pod with 150g of sugar and add water. Add strawberries, and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Make a pot of hibiscus-flower tea and leave to cool. Remove strawberries from stock and portion into bowls or medium-sized ramekins. Top with the cool hibiscus tea (to create a consommé effect) and serve with a good dollop of clotted cream and/or chunky shortbread biscuits.
24. Chef Henry Harris, Racine
Garlic sourdough
Grill thick slices of sourdough bread and then rub with a peeled garlic clove - it acts like a grater - then drizzle with good olive oil and eat, adding slices of prosciutto or a good salami.
25. Chef Jason Atherton, Maze & Maze Grill
Berries with meringues
Take a punnet each of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Boil up some sugar, water and vanilla and star anise and pour it over the berries, then chill and eat with crushed meringue and clotted cream.
26. Chef Michael Caines, Gidleigh Park & Abode
Strawberries with balsamic and mint
Quarter some strawberries and sprinkle them with sugar. Crush half of the strawberries with a fork to extract all their juices while keeping some whole. Mix all the strawberries together with some freshly chopped mint and leave to marinate for half an hour. Serve with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar and vanilla ice cream.
27. Chef Tom Norrington Davies, Great Queen Street
Smoked mackerel with beetroot and horseradish
Flake a pair of smoked mackerel fillets roughly and toss them with cooked beetroot, watercress, sliced shallots and capers. Grate fresh horseradish into a small tub of sour cream and season it with salt and pepper. Serve the salad and the cream with plenty of crusty bread (and a seriously dry cider).
28. Hot-smoked fish salad with hazelnuts
Toss hot smoked trout or salmon with an avocado pear, two heads of little gem lettuce, a generous handful of roasted, skinless hazelnuts and your favourite vinaigrette. Garnish with chervil or flat-leaf parsley.
29. Courgette, fennel and crab salad
Slice two courgettes and a bulb of fennel as thinly as is humanly possible. Dress the sliced vegetables with a slug of olive oil, the juice of a lemon and a good twist of salt and pepper. Add the meat of a dressed crab, croutons and cos or gem lettuce to the salad. Season with Tabasco if you fancy some heat.
30. Garlicky prawns, courgettes and beans on toast
Fry a couple of cloves of garlic and one fresh red chilli in three tablespoons of olive oil. Throw in a handful of cold water prawns and two diced courgettes or a chopped round of asparagus. Fry them until just tender. Add the drained contents of a can of borlotti or cannellini beans. Season with plenty more olive oil and a little salt. Serve this dish on toast or fold in cooked new potatoes.
31. Sardines on toast
Grill three or four fresh, gutted sardines per person. Chop the ripest, sweetest tomatoes you can get hold of with a handful of black olives, two cloves of garlic, a small bunch of basil and a red onion. Season the chopped tomatoes with olive oil and a splash of vinegar. Divide the salad among slices of grilled bread. Serve the sardines on top of the tomatoey bread.
32. Red mullet with wilted lettuce and fresh peas
Fry a shallot in two tablespoons of butter until it is sweet and tender. Throw two handfuls of fresh or frozen peas into the same pan and add a good pinch of salt. Add just enough fresh fish or chicken stock (or water) to cover the peas, and cook them until they are very soft and sweet (it might take 20 minutes or half an hour). Pull a gem lettuce apart and chop it roughly. Pick two sprigs of mint or basil. Grill two gutted and scaled red mullet with a seasoning of salt and plenty of olive oil. When the fish is ready, toss the lettuce and herb of choice into the peas and let it wilt. Serve the fish on top of the peas.
33. Mackerel with broccoli and spicy anchovy sauce
Grill two portion-sized mackerel for three minutes on either side and season them with sea salt and olive oil. Let them rest and break a head of broccoli into bite-sized florets. While you steam the broccoli, chop three anchovy fillets, two cloves of garlic and one red chilli to a near-paste. Melt the paste in a small frying pan with two tablespoons of butter. Toss it with the warm broccoli. Serve the broccoli next to the mackerel.
34. Lamb chops with minted new potatoes
Grill three lamb chops per person while you cook posh new potatoes (Jersey royals, Cornish mids or French belle de fontaine are great at this time of year). Chop a generous bunch of mint with cornichons and a red onion, then dress this modernist mint sauce with a tablespoon of the cornichon vinegar, two tablespoons of olive oil and a really mean pinch of sugar. A meal that has no business being eaten with cutlery.
35. Chicken with noodles
Grill two free-range chicken breasts and, once they are done, slice them thinly and toss the slices with two cloves of chopped garlic, a small bunch of chopped coriander, the juice and zest of a small lime and two teaspoons of sesame oil. Season with salt and a pinch of crushed dried chillies. Boil two nests of noodles and toss them with the chicken.
36. Steak with warm new potato and rocket salad
Boil two handfuls of new potatoes in salty water until just tender. Meanwhile, grill a large, thick-cut slab of rump or rib-eye steak as briefly as you can stand, leaving it rare or medium rare. While the steak rests, slice then dress the still-warm potatoes with a handful of capers, two tablespoons of Dijon mustard, a shake of balsamic vinegar and a small bunch of tarragon. Carve the steak into thin slices across the grain. Toss it through the potatoes with rocket, salt and olive oil.
37. Lamb chops with chickpea purée and flatbread
Grill three lamb chops per person while you drain a 400g tin of chickpeas. Dry roast a teaspoon of cumin seeds for literally half a minute and pop them in a food processor with the chickpeas, one level tablespoon of tomato purée, three tablespoons of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Blitz the mixture. Season the chickpea purée to your liking and serve it with the lamb chops and a flatbread like pitta or naan. A knot of coriander leaves mixed with rocket is optional as a garnish.
38. Roast chicken with chips and mayonnaise
Rub free-range chicken legs with mild olive oil and a slightly over-generous amount of celery salt. Roast them hard and fast, and then serve with oven chips and mayonnaise, plus your favourite leaf mix. Eat this meal with your fingers.
39. Crab with chips and mayonnaise
Alternatively, if you are a fan of oven chips and mayonnaise but not so sure about eating them with roast chicken, buy a fresh crab - 700g (a one-and-a-half-pounder, in fishmonger speak) - is a perfect portion. Boil it in plenty of salted water for eight minutes, and as soon as it is cool enough to handle, spend a lazy lunchtime picking over and eating it with the above.
40. Pork chops with broad beans
Rub two pork chops with a marinade made from half a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a teaspoon of tomato purée, a tablespoon of runny honey, a tablespoon of posh(ish) vinegar, half a teaspoon of salt and enough mild olive oil to loosen everything up. Fry the chops until done to your liking and let them rest. Meanwhile, boil two handfuls of freshly shucked broad beans for five minutes. Drain them and toss them with the juices of the rested chops. Throw the beans over the chops and eat this very loose-limbed supper with your fingers. Mop up juices with sourdough bread.
41. Penne with asparagus
Boil three handfuls of penne rigate. Meanwhile trim a bunch of the freshest asparagus you can get and cut it into cross sections that match the size of the pasta shapes. Throw them into the same water for the pasta's last minute. Separate two eggs, keeping only the yolks. Grate a fistful of parmesan and pick a bunch of basil. Drain the pasta and asparagus, and return it to the pot, off the heat. Add a tablespoon of butter, the egg yolks, the basil and the cheese. Fold together quickly, season to your liking and eat. When asparagus goes out of season you can make the same dish with peas straight from the pod.
42. Roast quail with puy lentils
Roast one or two quails per person. While they cook, drain a tin or vacpac of cooked puy lentils. Dice two or three shallots as finely as possible. Deseed and chop three tomatoes and mix them with the shallots and lentils. Dress with your favourite vinaigrette and lots of chopped parsley. Serve the quails on top of the lentils.
43. Linguine with herbed ricotta
Boil enough linguine or spaghetti for two people. Meanwhile chop a fistful of rocket with a small bunch of chives, and another small bunch of mint or basil or, if you prefer, oregano. Fold all this verdant herbiness into a small tub of ricotta cheese. Loosen this mix with the juice of half a lemon and two tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Drain the cooked pasta only briefly, leaving it damp, and fold it with the ricotta mix before serving.
44. Pasta with roasted peppers and buffalo mozzarella
Roast two or three peppers, and as soon as they are nice and wrinkly, skin them, and then pull out the seed cavity. Chop them to a near-paste with garlic, anchovies, capers and a small bunch of basil or oregano. Roughly dice a ball of very good buffalo mozzarella. Boil three handfuls of penne or fusilli pasta until done to your liking. Toss the drained pasta with the pepper mix and the cheese. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.
45. Fettucine with roasted mushrooms
Roast four large field mushrooms with a generous slug of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. They will take about 15 or 20 minutes. Once they are done, slice them roughly and toss them with two tablespoons of olive oil, a chopped clove of garlic, a small bunch of chopped parsley, the grated zest and the squeezed juice of half a lemon. Boil enough fettuccine or tagliatelle for two people and, once it is cooked and drained, toss it with the marinated mushrooms. Season to your liking and serve garnished with plenty of grated parmesan.
46. Spaghetti with spicy sardines
Boil enough spaghetti for two people. Meanwhile, open a tin of sardine fillets in olive oil. Chop them to a near-paste with a chilli, two cloves of garlic, three anchovy fillets and a small bunch of parsley. Loosen this paste to the consistency of pesto with lemon juice and olive oil. Toss the cooked, drained pasta with this fantastic sardine sauce and season to your liking just before serving.
47. Chef Andrew Turner, The Landau at the Langham Hotel
Avocado with smoked duck
Cut a ripe avocado in half (remove the stone) and remove the flesh, leaving the skin intact. Dice the flesh into cubes and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Then add chopped sundried tomatoes, thin strips of smoked duck and plenty of chopped fresh mint and parsley. Place back in the skin and serve with a crisp Riesling.
48. Chef Anthony Demetre, Arbutus & Wild Honey
English asparagus with chopped poached egg vinaigrette
Cook two bunches of asparagus in plenty of salted, boiling water and then refresh in iced water. Set aside. Poach four eggs as normal, but cook slightly longer than you would normally - you don't want the yolk too runny but equally not hard. Crush the eggs with a fork, add one small finely chopped shallot, a tablespoon each of finely chopped parsley and finely chopped gherkins and the same of miniature capers, and bind with good quality olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
49. Chef Vivek Singh, The Cinnamon Club
Roast bream with green mango and coconut
Blend together half a coconut's flesh and one green mango with an onion, red chilli flakes and some salt and sugar. Add a little oil or water to blend into a coarse paste. This paste can be used either as a chutney or dip on its own, or as a marinade for sea bass, gilt bream or even mackerel. Cook the fish in either an oven or on a barbecue - ideally wrap it in a banana leaf or tin foil with a little oil.
50. Chef Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
Fricassée of mushrooms
To enhance a simple fricassée of mushrooms, finish with a mix of chopped parsley, shallots and garlic in a three, two, one ratio and add a squeeze of lemon.
51. Buttered summer vegetables
Instead of cooking summer vegetables in a large pan of boiling water, try using a medium-sized, flat sauté pan with just half a cup of water, a knob of butter and a pinch of salt. Let the vegetables half poach and half steam on full boil. To serve, add some freshly chopped herbs and pour over the cooking juices. Perfect for carrots, asparagus, beans, leeks, cabbage or peas.
52. Chef Bryn Williams, Odette's
Courgette and pine nut salad
Slice green and yellow courgettes lengthways into ribbons, place strips in a colander and season with a little salt. Leave to stand until the excess water is extracted. Pat courgettes dry with paper towel and place on a plate. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and drizzle with balsamic dressing (balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon all whisked together), then add a layer of wild rocket leaves and finish with parmesan shavings and more of the dressing.
53. Chef Shaun Hill, The Walnut Tree
Herbed white fish with sourdough
Paint a slice of white fish (sole is nice, but then so is gurnard) with olive oil then grill, along with some similarly treated sourdough bread. Blend some parsley, and maybe whatever other herbs strike your fancy, along with a shot of white wine, a crushed garlic clove and some olive oil, salt and pepper so that you have a thickish sauce-cum-dressing. Spoon this over the grilled bread, fish and some salad leaves. Bob's your uncle.
54. Chef Thomasina Miers, Wahaca
Chilled cucumber and potato soup
Gently cook onions and potato in lots of olive oil until the onions go translucent. Add a clove of chopped garlic and the peeled, diced flesh of two cucumbers. Whizz up, chill and serve ice cold for a delicious summer starter.
55. Chef Anna Hansen, The Modern Pantry
Skate with clams and chorizo
Pan fry a piece of skate in a pan with some diced chorizo, a handful of clams, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes and a pinch of saffron. Slosh over a decent slug of white wine and cover with a lid until the fish is cooked and the clams have opened. Serve with roast sweet potatoes, endive and a generous sprinkling of parsley.
56. Chef Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, Caffe Caldesi
Steamed greens with garlic
Toss some freshly boiled or steamed green beans with some finely diced garlic cloves in red-wine vinegar and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
57. Chef Richard Bertinet, The Bertinet Kitchen
Warm cherries with ice cream
Place a handful of ripe cherries in a pan with a large knob of butter and a tablespoon of caster sugar. Stir well. Add two tablespoons of kirsch or brandy and leave to caramelise. Serve poured over a good vanilla ice cream.
58. Braised little gem lettuce
For a delicious alternative to cold salad - cut some little gem lettuce in half lengthways and rub the cut edge with some olive oil and the edge of a cut clove of garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Place in a hot frying pan or on a barbecue griddle for two or three minutes on each side.
59. Pasta with cherry tomatoes, crème fraîche and rocket
While your pasta is cooking, warm a punnet of cherry tomatoes in a pan in a glass of white wine. When it starts to simmer, add a dollop of crème fraîche. Stir well. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Finally stir in a large handful of rocket. Serve with some shaved parmesan.
60. Chef Ichiro Kubota, Umu
Avocado wasabi salad dip
Mix avocado purée with the same amount of wasabi. Season with sea salt and sesame oil to taste. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve with seasonal vegetables or crackers.
61. Chef Sally Clarke, Clarkes
Pasta with summer vegetables and goat's cheese and chives
Cook your favourite pasta, and when it is almost ready add freshly podded peas, fava beans, thinly sliced runner beans and thinly sliced summer carrots. Strain and immediately put back over the heat with a splash of the best olive oil, sea salt, cracked pepper, snipped chive blossoms, small pieces of fresh goat's cheese and chopped chives or chervil. Stir briefly together.
62. Chef Jacob Kennedy, Bocca di Luppo
Ginny's pasta with raw tomatoes
From Campania - as made by my beloved grandmother Ginny countless times - is pasta with raw tomatoes. Roughly chop, seeds and all, some ripe, flavoursome tomatoes. Combine with basil and lots of oil, salt and pepper - plus a few black olives if you like - in a large bowl. Cook some long pasta al dente - Ginny uses spaghettini - toss into the sauce, and leave to stand for a minute before serving.
63. Food writer Mark Bittman
Steak and mustard
Sear skirt steak to medium-rare, not more than eight minutes. Cut into chunks 1 cm-2.5cm, first going with the grain, then against it. Spread bread with coarse mustard and/or butter. Top with steak and coarse salt.
64. Stir-fried beef
Cut fillet or other tender beef into bite-size chunks. Toss with a lot of roughly chopped basil (say, 40g basil per 450g of meat) and peanut oil. Stir-fry with garlic and red pepper flakes until rare. Sprinkle with soy sauce or nam pla and lime juice.
65. Broccoli and garlic
Top bruschetta or toast with chopped, well-cooked broccoli rabe or other greens tossed with minced garlic and olive oil while still warm. Health food, practically.
66. Aioli with steamed cold vegetables
Make the mayonnaise yourself or flavour bottled mayonnaise with lemon, garlic, anchovy (if you like it) and a little saffron (if you have it) for amazing colour. Serve with lightly cooked carrots, sugar snap peas, purple potatoes, seafood etc.
67. Spicy lamb chops
Sprinkle rib lamb chops (rack of lamb, separated) or loin chops with good coarse curry powder or any spice mix you like. Grill quickly, until crisp but not well done. Serve hot, with yoghurt mixed with the same spice rub.
68. Beef tartare
Carefully pulse good beef in a food processor. For each 450g, add an egg, a teaspoonful of dry mustard, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco to taste, a handful of chopped spring onions and a touch of minced garlic. Salt and pepper, if necessary. Amazing stuff.
69. Steamed asparagus wrapped in prosciutto
That's the recipe.
70. Home-made hummus
Truly one of the great culinary inventions. Mix four parts well-cooked or canned chickpeas with one part tahini, along with some of its oil, in a food processor. Add garlic, cumin or pimentón and purée, adding as much olive oil as needed. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste; garnish with olive oil and pimentón.
71. Bean dip
Purée white or other beans (if canned, drain them) with garlic and olive oil in food processor, adding olive oil as needed. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Garnish with chopped spring or red onion. You can add cumin or chopped rosemary with lemon zest.
72. Crispy quail
Quarter a quail and rub with olive oil or peanut oil. Grill, skin-side down, for about three minutes. Grill, skin-side up, until brown, crisp and cooked through for about five minutes more. Brush lightly with some pesto or soy sauce and sesame oil, and serve hot or warm.
73. Stuffed endive
Fill endive leaves with crème fraîche or sour cream and caviar or salmon roe. Or use drained ricotta mixed with chopped parsley, thyme, a little olive oil and a little minced garlic.
74. Nachos
Yes, nachos. Top a layer of tortilla chips with grated cheese (something orange is traditional) and bake until the cheese melts. Top with warm beans seasoned with chilli powder, along with chopped spring onions. Other possible toppings: jalapeños, sour cream, coriander, tomatoes, olives.
75. Prawn and parsley pesto
Make parsley pesto (parsley, garlic, oil, lemon juice) in a food processor. Sauté whole prawns or small pieces of fish in oil. Arrange fish on small beds of the pesto. You can put this on bread and forget the plates.
76. Fennel and celery salad
Cut two medium fennel bulbs in quarters lengthwise, discarding the outer layer if it is exceedingly tough. Use a mandolin to slice quarters thinly; slice three celery ribs equally thin. Put sliced fennel and celery into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. Top with lots of freshly shaved parmesan and chopped fennel fronds if you like.
77. Pork kebabs, West Indian style
Mix together a tablespoon of garlic, half a teaspoon of ground allspice, a pinch of nutmeg, a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, 50g of chopped onion and the juice of a lime. Toss with 450g pork shoulder (you need some fat or these will be tough) cut into 2.5cm cubes. Skewer and grill for about five minutes.
78. Pork kebabs, Iberian style
Mix a tablespoon of garlic, 50g of chopped onion, one tablespoon of ground cumin, two teaspoons of paprika, one tablespoon of grated or minced lemon zest and 50ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Toss with 450g cubed pork shoulder (with fat). Skewer. Grill for about five minutes.
79. Chicken kebabs, Greek style
Cut boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 2.5cm chunks. Toss with minced onion, minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, crumbled bay leaf and oregano. Skewer. Grill, turning occasionally, until browned.
80. Chicken kebabs, South Asian style
Cut boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 2.5cm chunks. Toss with equal amounts ground cardamom, minced garlic, ground allspice, ground turmeric and thyme leaves; add a dash of nutmeg and peanut oil to moisten. Skewer. Grill, turning occasionally, until nicely browned.
81. Cheese quesadillas
Use 10cm tortillas; on each put grated cheese, spring onions and minced green chillies or chopped poblanos. Salsa and beans are optional. Top with another tortilla. Griddle with oil, turning once, for about five minutes.
82. Hot wings
Cut chicken wings into three sections; discard the tips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill until browned on one side, about five minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter with vinegar, garlic and hot sauce to taste. Pour off excess fat, baste the wings with hot sauce, turn them, baste again and brown. Baste once more and serve, with napkins.
83. Flash-cooked squid
Marinate whole baby squid for five minutes in olive oil, a little sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. Sear on both sides in a very hot pan or under a grill for less than three minutes total. Cut into pieces and sprinkle with more salt. You can do this with shrimp and scallops, too.
84. Lemon scallops
Cook scallops in hot butter or oil for just a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley and serve hot.
85. Bisque
Heat prawn, lobster, fish or chicken broth with minced onion and chopped tomato for five minutes. Add chopped shrimp or lobster to the simmering stock, and cook for another two minutes. Purée, then add double cream or half-and-half, along with salt and pepper. Serve in small cups garnished, if you like, with a piece of cooked prawn or lobster.
86. Avocado soup
Put 150g avocado flesh in a blender with 700ml whole milk along with some salt and cayenne. Purée, then add fresh lime or orange juice to taste, and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate or serve immediately in small cups garnished with a piece of avocado or cooked prawn.
87. Gazpacho
Chop 900g of tomatoes and a cucumber; blend with a couple of slices of day-old bread, torn into pieces, olive oil, sherry vinegar, garlic (optional) and anchovies (optional). Add a little water (or more oil) to the blender, if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve in small cups. Optional garnishes include minced pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, a piece of anchovy or parsley.
88. Goat's cheese with herbs
Slice a soft goat's cheese and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chopped herbs, then with breadcrumbs. Bake at 180°C/Gas 4, until soft - about 10 minutes - and serve hot.
89. Fresh strawberries with almond crème anglaise
Put 100g chopped almonds in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until beginning to toast, about three minutes. Add 200ml each of milk and cream, 120g sugar and four egg yolks, and whisk well to combine. Cook, whisking almost constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil. While the sauce is still hot, strain it through a sieve and let cool a bit. To serve, put a handful of washed, hulled and quartered strawberries in each dish, drizzle with the warm sauce and garnish with 50g slivered almonds.
90. Grilled lamb on rosemary skewers
Start a charcoal or wood fire or heat a gas grill. Thread 900g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into chunks, and figs onto rosemary branches, three or four per skewer. Do not mix meat and figs on same skewer. Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix together 100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, two cloves of garlic, roughly chopped, and a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary, and brush a little of this mixture on lamb and figs. Grill, turning skewers as each side browns and taking care to avoid flare-ups - total cooking time should be from six to 10 minutes for medium-rare meat, and four or five minutes for the figs.
91. Meatballs
Combine 1 thick slice of white bread with 100ml milk; let sit for five minutes. Squeeze the milk from the bread and gently mix bread with 225g not-too-lean ground sirloin, 225g ground pork, 50g chopped onion, 50g freshly grated parmesan, 40g chopped fresh parsley leaves and salt and pepper. Shape into 2.5cm balls. (If the mixture doesn't hold well, add more breadcrumbs and an egg.) Grill for about five minutes, turning once or twice.
92. Cod cakes with sauce rouge
Combine 450g chopped boneless cod, an egg, four tablespoons mayonnaise, a tablespoon Dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. Add breadcrumbs until you can shape the mixture into cakes. If possible, refrigerate for an hour. Meanwhile, cook chopped canned tomatoes in olive oil with salt and cayenne until saucy. Shape into small cod cakes. Dip in flour, sauté in butter and oil until nicely browned. Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce.
93. Egg salad
Extra seasoning takes this egg salad higher: toss chopped hard-boiled eggs with spring onions, chopped anchovies and parsley. Bind with seasoned mayo.
94. Prosciutto and parmesan
Roll prosciutto and parmesan in small tortillas. Bake gently to soften the cheese.
95. Chickpea salad with ginger
In a dry pan, toast a tablespoon of cumin seeds over medium-low heat until fragrant, about two minutes. Grind to a powder. If using ground cumin, lightly toast. Toss 600g of cooked or tinned (and rinsed) chickpeas; two peppers, red, yellow or orange, diced; a red onion, diced; 3cm piece ginger, peeled and minced, or more to taste; a tablespoon of sugar (optional); three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, or to taste, and salt and pepper to taste. Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice if you like, garnish with coriander, and serve.
96. 15-minute fried herbed chicken
In a blender or food processor, combine one onion, one to two tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, such as tarragon and sage, and two tablespoons of tahini or peanut butter. As you purée the mixture, slowly add just enough olive oil to make a thick, smooth paste - do not let it get too thin. Put a little flour in a shallow bowl. Place six boneless, skinless chicken thighs or four half-breasts in another bowl. Rub the puréed mixture over the chicken, then dip each piece in flour. Gently shake off any excess, coat again with paste and dip again in the flour. Heat half a cm of olive oil in a pan; when it is hot, fry the chicken for about four minutes each side until browned and cooked through. Garnish with parsley and serve hot or warm, with lemon wedges.
97. Mussels and mayonnaise
Wash mussels or clams well; steam open in a covered pot. Let cool, remove from shells, and serve with aioli, flavoured mayonnaise or vinaigrette.
98. Bream with basil balsamic
Score the sides of a whole bream and pack the cuts with a roughly pounded mix of three tablespoons balsamic, one clove garlic and handful of basil per fish. Roast for 20 minutes or until flaking off the bone at 190ºC and serve with fresh peas and crusty bread.
99. Paprika chicken salad
Mix a spoonful of sweet smoked paprika with crushed garlic, olive oil and chopped fresh coriander, and toss chunks of chicken in the mixture. Skewer and grill until lightly browned. Serve in a salad of rocket and warm chargrilled peppers, onion and cherry tomato.
100. Sweetcorn fritters
Mix cooked sweetcorn into pancake batter and fry as 10cm-wide fritters. Serve with ketchup.
