Author: Sophie Berzins

Chicken-liver pâté

Serves 2

500g/1lb chicken livers
200ml/7fl oz milk
200g/7oz unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
A small bunch of thyme, leaves only
2 fresh bay leaves
100ml/3 fl oz Cognac
A generous grinding of black pepper

It is important to use the freshest chicken livers. Look for those pale in colour, as their flavour is mellower and sweeter.

Soak the chicken livers in milk for two hours, then discard the milk.

Add four tablespoons of butter to a pan and place over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted and just begun to foam, add the onion and cook until soft and transparent – about 5 minutes. Now add the garlic, thyme and bay, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the chicken livers and cook for 2-3 minutes: the livers should be brown on the inside and still pink in the middle. Add the Cognac, turn up the heat a little and cook until just slightly reduced. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Allow to cool slightly then place in a food processor. Adding the rest of the butter in small pieces, purée until smooth.

Line an eight-inch terrine mould with butter and spoon in the pâté. Allow to cool completely before covering with a thin layer of butter and placing in the fridge to chill and firm – a minimum of 6 hours. We like to drop a whole bay leaf on top of the butter as it cools, so it looks beautiful when you serve it at the table. Eat alongside toast, and a few cornichons if you like.

Skye Gyngell’s Kimchi

Hot, sour and gloriously crunchy, kimchi is the most delicious and more-ish of condiments. I started making it in much the same way as sauerkraut – salting the vegetables and adding a little chilli and ginger. My recipe has evolved since then, but it is the most authentic and nicest I have come across. I can eat kimchi straight from the jar or simply with nothing more than a little bowl of sticky steamed rice. Most of the ingredients are readily available at a good Asian supermarket.

Ingredients

Makes 1 large or 2 smaller jars
1 Chinese cabbage
55g coarse salt
2 litres water
2 tbsp dried shrimps
4 dried anchovies
½ cup cooked white rice (50g uncooked weight)
½ yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced
4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp dried chilli flakes
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed

Method

To prepare the salted cabbage, put the salt into a stainless steel or glass bowl large enough to hold the cabbage. Pour over 1.5 litres water and stir well to dissolve the salt.
Slice the cabbage in half lengthways and then cut into 5cm pieces. Immerse the cabbage in the salted water and leave for 1 hour. Stir well, then let sit for another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the dried shrimps and anchovies into a small saucepan and pour on the remaining 500ml water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the broth into a bowl, discarding the fish.
Put the cooked rice, onion, apple, ginger and garlic into a blender and pour over the broth. Blend thoroughly. Spoon into a bowl and add the sugar, fish sauce and chilli flakes. Stir well and let stand for 10 minutes.
Drain the cabbage. Slice the spring onion finely and add to the cabbage. Now add the sauce and mix together, loosely but very thoroughly, using very clean hands. Ladle into a large (or 2 smaller) sterilised jar(s).
Finally pour a little water into the bowl in which you have mixed the kimchi. Swish this around to gather any residue and then pour over the kimchi in the jar(s). Seal.
The kimchi will be ready to use almost straight away (I love it newly made, as it is so vibrant and crunchy) but it will keep well for up to 2 months in the fridge.

Extracted from Spring The Cookbook, by Skye Gyngell (published by Quadrilled)

Vegetable Crisps

• 2 large beetroots (we used red and yellow)
• 1 cup beetroot leaves (reserved from the bunch)
• 1 small (190g) carrot
• 125g Jerusalem artichokes
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 medium celeriac
• Olive oil, to brush
• Honeycomb, to serve
• Salt flakes, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 120°C. Slice vegetables thinly on a mandoline. It doesn’t matter if you cut them lengthwise or crosswise, as long as they are evenly sliced and crisp thin. Pat dry between two paper towels.

2. Spread vegetables evenly on baking trays, making sure no vegetables overlap (if they overlap they will not dry properly and will not get crispy). Each vegetable has a different cooking time, so it’s best to place them on separate baking trays.

3. Sprinkle with salt flakes and brush with a little olive oil. Place trays in the oven and bake; they usually take between 1-2 hours depending on how strong your oven is, apart from the kale and beetroot leaves which take 30 minutes.

4. Remove from oven when dried and crisp. For ultimate crunch, let them cool for a couple of minutes. Serve with a spoonful of honeycomb and a sprinkle of salt flakes.

Vanilla Custard Pot with Roasted Plums

For the custard (makes 8 pots):

• 500ml/17fl oz double cream
• 200ml/7fl oz whole milk
• 160g/5 oz caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise
• 6 large eggs, yolks only

For the roasted plums:

• 8 to 12 small and ripe red plums such as Victoria, Quetsche or Czar
• caster sugar

1. To make the custard, combine the cream and milk and five tablespoons of the sugar in a large saucepan. Scrape the beans from the vanilla pod and add along with the pod. Simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, cover and let sit to infuse for an hour, then reheat the cream mixture until just warm. Whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar in a large bowl until just combined, then pour over the warm milk and strain. Pour into a jug and allow to cool to room temperature.

2. To cook, pour the custard into eight little pots or ramekins and place in a deep-sided baking tray that has been lined with parchment paper, leaving space between each pot. Place the baking tray on a baking sheet – this will provide double insulation and help the custards set evenly. Cover each pot with clingfilm. Add enough water to the tray to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 45 minutes. To test whether they are ready, remove a ramekin from the oven and shake it gently – the custard should be slightly wobbly. Remove the ramekins from the bain-marie and set on a cooling rack. Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for at least four hours before serving. They will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days.

3. Next, halve the plums and arrange, cut side up, in a roasting tin. Wrap a couple of the plum stones in a tea towel and pound with a rolling pin to reveal the fragrant kernels. Place the kernels in the base of the roasting tin and sprinkle the fruit with a thin layer of caster sugar.

4. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and roast in an oven preheated at 180C for 20-25 minutes, until the plums are beginning to fall apart and the syrup has turned a deep pink colour. Discard the plum kernels and leave to cool completely.

5. When ready to serve, place each custard pot onto a small plate lined with a napkin. Cover each custard with 2 roasted plum halves and a spoonful of syrup.