Cucumber sandwich with egg salad

For ➍ 

½ cucumber

8 slices of bread (rye bread)

egg salad:

8 cool hard boiled eggs (10 m boil)

3 tbs mayonnaise*

1 ts grain mustard

1 lick white wine vinegar

1 small bunch of chives

1 small bunch of dill

black pepper from the mill

salty

Finely chop the cold peeled eggs and place in a bowl. Finely chop chives and dill. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients under the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. If the egg salad is too dry, stir in an extra tbs of mayonnaise.

Cut the cucumber into thin slices (use the mandoline). Cover the sandwiches with the egg salad, finish with the cucumber.

*for a lighter sauce, replace 1 or 2 tbs mayonnaise with low-fat yoghurt

Elizabeth David recipes by other chefs

Best recipes of Elizabeth David

Lemon curd biscuits

For ➋x➓ cookies 

125 g butter, cold 

225 g flour 

125 g sugar 

1 egg zest of 1 lemon 

100 g lemon curd 

salt 

powdered sugar 

Cut the butter into cubes. Mix with flour, sugar, egg, a pinch of salt and the zest of a lemon in the bowl of the food processor. Knead it into a firm dough. If the dough is still too dry, add 1 tbs of ice-cold water if necessary. Wrap the dough in cling film. Let it rest for at least 30 m in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 170 ° C. Remove the dough from the fridge and form balls the size of a 2 euro coin. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Press a hole in the dough with your thumb or with a spoon. Divide 1 ts lemon curd over the hole. 

Bake the lemon curd cookies in the oven in about 15-20 m. 

Let them cool on a cooling grid. 

Sprinkle them with icing sugar when they have cooled down. 

Store the lemon curd cookies in an airtight container.

Lemon curd

For ➊ pot (about 150 g) 

2 eggs 

2 lemons, grated peel & juice 

200 g sugar 

115 g butter 

Heat the sugar and the butter au bain marie. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add to the lemon mixture. Keep stirring continuously until the mixture has thickened. The mixture should be about the thickness of yogurt, sometimes it takes up to 10 m. 

Put the lemon curd in a sterilized jar and keep it in the refrigerator (up to 3 weeks).

Modern gimlet

For ➊
6 cl gin
1 cl lime juice*
1 cl simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water)
lime wheel for garnish

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
Add ice and shake until chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. (Add a splash of soda, if wanted).
Garnish with a lime wheel.

*Before fresh juice was standard in cocktails, Rose’s Lime Cordial was the traditional substitute for simple syrup and lime juice. Some still insist that a gimlet is not a gimlet without Rose’s, but we prefer to use fresh citrus whenever possible.

This cocktail was created for English sailors as a way to prevent scurvy. It used Rose’s Lime Cordial, lime juice mixed with syrup, to add vitamine C. This preventative drink turned out to be delicious as well. Modern Rose’s Lime Cordial is a much sweeter concoction than the original and should be replaced by fresh juice. Replace the sugar in the syrup with stevia, if wanted.

Flourless chocolate & almonds cake

For ➏-➑
115 g bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
6 tbs (85 g) butter
85 g sugar
85 g powdered almond, (ground almonds or almond meal)
1 tbs brewed espresso
1 tbs rum
3 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 145°C. Line the bottom of a spring form cake pan or a tart pan with a removable base, with parchment paper and butter the sides.
Put the chocolate and the butter in a bowl and melt over barely simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, almond powder, rum and coffee until smooth. When the mixture has cooled, mix in the egg yolks, one by one.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks then fold them into the chocolate batter. Pour into the prepared mold and place in the oven for 45 m.
Allow to cool in the cake pan before unmolding. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

English chicken casserole

For ➍
2 tbs vegetable oil
8 chicken thigh fillets
6 shallots, peeled & quartered
2 carrots, peeled & sliced thickly
110 g white mushrooms, cleaned & thinly sliced
8 new potatoes, scrubbed & quartered
1 l chicken stock
1 tbs roughly chopped flat parsley leaves, plus leaves for garnish
12 black olives, stoned
2 tbs crème fraîche
bread

Heat a large oven-proof casserole over a medium heat being careful not to make it too hot or the oil will smoke. Add the oil to the casserole and raise the heat slightly until hot but again, not smoking.  Add 4 of the chicken thighs and turn the thighs constantly in the hot oil until browned all over. Remove from the pan, place on kitchen towel to drain and keep to one side. Repeat this with the remaining 4 thighs.
Once the thighs are browned, to the hot pan add the quartered shallots,  sliced carrots, sliced mushrooms and the quartered potatoes . Stir thoroughly to make sure all the vegetables are covered with the oil.
Return the browned chicken thighs to the casserole,  pour the chicken stock over. Cover the casserole with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 20 m on a medium heat, the casserole should be bubbling but not boiling fiercely.
Add the parsley and olives, cover again with the lid and cook for a further 15 m or until the potatoes are tender, when pierced with a sharp knife.
Remove from the heat the casserole from the heat, stir in the cream, garnish with the parsley leaves.
Serve with crusty bread, a must for mopping up the lovely juices.

*Change the herbs to tarragon which is a classic herb for chicken.
Remove the olives and crème fraîche, adding canned borlotti or haricot blanc beans instead.
Keep the olives but remove the crème fraîche and add a can of drained chopped tomatoes.

Scotch medallions of lamb & a marmalade of red onion & fennel

For ➍
1 ts fennel seed
1 head of sliced fennel
2 zucchini
1 lamb strip loin (750 g), trimmed of all fat (or 4 medaillons)
2 red sliced onions
1 ts sugar (5g)
1 tbs Scotch malt whisky
50 g butter
salt & pepper
pinch of rosemary
8.5 dl lamb stock
1 ts tomato puree
25 g diced cold butter

Make the Scotch whiskey sauce. Put the lamb stock into a pot. Place over a high heat and reduce to 1.7 dl.
In a small pot, warm the tomato puree with 2 tbs of the reduced stock, stir until smooth; add more stock if necessary.
Add Scotch whisky & whisk in 25 g of diced cold butter.
Slice the medallions of lamb from the loin, flatten slightly and sprinkle with rosemary and season.
Make the marmalade. Sauté the red onion, fennel and fennel seed in 25  g butter over a low heat until soft.
Add sugar and cook for 1 m. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Melt the rest of the butter, 25 g in pan. Quickly fry the lamb for 1 m on each side. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Quickly fry the courgettes until just hot, then slice into thin shoelace strips. Put a swirl of courgettes in the centre of a warm plate, place four medallions around the outside and fill the spaces in between with the marmalade.
Serve with the Scotch sauce.

Pot roast leg of lamb

For ➏-➑
20 cl red wine
20 cl water
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 medium red onion, diced
1 ts dried oregano
1.5 kg leg of lamb
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs tomato puree
½ ts sugar
1 ts salt
1 tbs ground black pepper

Combine the red wine, water, white wine vinegar, diced onion and dried oregano in a mixing bowl. Stir the marinade with a wooden spoon to blend.
Place the leg of lamb into a large bowl, and pour the marinade over top.
Cover the lamb with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 h. Turn the leg of lamb once an hour so the meat marinates evenly.
Remove the leg of lamb from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
Pour the vegetable oil into a casserole dish and place over medium-high heat for three minutes. Brown each side of the leg of lamb for 3 m and reduce heat to low. Pour the reserved marinade over the top.
Cover the casserole dish and leave the lamb to cook for two hours or until its internal temperature registers 60°C.
Remove the leg of lamb from the casserole dish and wrap it in aluminum foil. Add the tomato puree, sugar, salt and pepper to the casserole pan, and stir to blend the sauce. Simmer for 10 m.
Unwrap the leg of lamb and serve it with the sauce from the casserole dish drizzled over the top.

*Refrigerate leftover leg of lamb immediately and consume within 3 days.

London smoked eel sandwich

For ➊
1 slice of sourdough bread
butter
30-40 g fillet of smoked eel*
1 heaped ts of horseradish cream
Dijon mustard
¼ small red onion, peeled & thinly sliced
2 tbs white wine vinegar
a good pinch of sugar

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Steep the sliced onion in the pickle and let stand for 1 h.
Warm a grilling pan over a gentle heat. Lay the sour dough on the grill and brown nicely.
Cut the eel fillet into 3 largish pieces.
Butter the toasted side of the sour dough. Cut this in half and spread with Dijon mustard.
Lay on the eel and then the horseradish cream. Lay on the other piece of toast and return to the grill.
Allow the sandwich to brown, then flip and cook similarly on the other side.
Put on a plate and heap the drained pickle alongside.
Serve immediately.

*Replace with smoked trout or mackerel fillet. Or even smoked halibut.

Chilled pea soup with tarragon & radishes

For ➍
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
30 cl (chicken) stock
salt & freshly ground black pepper
600 g shelled peas [unfrozen]
5 cl crème fraiche
1 ts finely grated lemon zest
fresh tarragon
sliced radishes

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent without browning, 3-4 m. Add the broth, ½ ts salt and ½ ts black pepper and simmer 2 m. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
While the stock is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook until peas are tender, 2 to 3 m. Drain and rinse under cold water or shock in ice water to prevent further cooking.
Combine the half of the cooled stock and peas in the bowl of a food processor. Process until very smooth. Add additional stock a little at a time and process to achieve desired consistency. (The soup should be a little thick and not too runny).
Transfer to a bowl, and taste for salt and pepper. Whisk the crème fraiche and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Gently stir into the peas, leaving light traces of the cream visible. 
Carefully divide among 4 serving bowls. Garnish with snipped or whole tarragon leaves and sliced radishes.

Buttered ham, asparagus & parsley

For ➋
75 g unsalted butter
2 x 150 g pieces of ham, cut into 2½ cm thick slices
1 bunch asparagus (about 8-10 spears), woody ends trimmed & peeled
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs sunflower oil
2 free-range eggs
salt & pepper
[3 small Maris Piper potatoes, cut into very thin strips
vegetable oil for deep fat frying]

Add 20-30 cl water to a pan with the butter. Bring up to the boil, drop in the ham and warm through. Once the volume of liquid has reduced by half and has started to emulsify, add the asparagus and carefully remove the ham. Cook the asparagus for 1 m in the emulsified liquor.
Add the chopped parsley at the end. Keep warm.
Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180°C, or heat the oil in a heavy-based pan until a small piece of bread sizzles and goes brown when dropped into the oil.
Cook the potato strips in boiling water until soft. Drain and dry the potatoes. Put the chips into the deep fat fryer and cook until crisp.
Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan and add the oil. Once hot, add the eggs and fry to your liking.
To serve, put the warm ham onto each of 2 serving plates, and pile the asparagus next the ham. Taste the ham cooking sauce and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Spoon the sauce over the ham and asparagus and top with a fried egg and a small pile of chips.

Maze kare (Japanese dry meat curry)

For ➍
250 g ground pork or beef
2.5 cm ginger root, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 small green bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs butter
1-2 tbs curry powder
3 tbs ketchup
1 ts Worcester sauce
30 l chicken broth
700 g steamed sushi rice

Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry ginger, garlic, and onion until transparent on medium heat.
Add meat and fry until color changes.
Add carrot and green bell pepper in the skillet.
Sprinkle curry powder over the ingredients and stir-fry until well mixed.
Pour chicken broth in the skillet and add ketchup and Wrocester sauce.
Simmer on low heat until the liquid is almost gone. Add butter and stir well.
Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper.
Serve dry curry over steamed rice.

This curry contains less liquid than basic Japanese curry and is called dry curry in Japan. It's similar to Keema curry. Dry curry is often served on steamed rice.
Curry (karē) is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is commonly served in three main forms: curry rice (karē raisu), karē udon (thick noodles) and karē-pan (bread). Curry rice is most commonly referred to simply as 'curry' (karē).
A wide variety of vegetables and meats are used to make Japanese curry. The basic vegetables are onions, carrots, and potatoes. For the meat, beef, pork, chicken and sometimes duck are the most popular, in order of decreasing popularity. Katsu-karē is a breaded deep-fried pork cutlet with curry sauce.
Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1869–1913) by the British, at a time when India was under the administration of the British. The dish became popular and available for purchase in supermarkets and restaurants in the late 1960s. It has been adapted since its introduction to Japan, and is so widely consumed that it can be called a national dish.
It was originally considered to be Western cuisine. This Western-style curry currently co-exists alongside Indian-style curry, which has become popular since the increase in Indian restaurants in the 1990s. A third style that combines these two, original curry (orijinaru karē?), is also available. Western-style curry draws its influence from stews mixed with curry powder, which were popular amongst the British Navy.
In the Kansai region, beef curry is most common, while in the Kantō region pork curry is most popular. This contrasts with South Asian curries where, due to the strong influence of Hinduism and Islam, vegetarian, chicken and lamb curries are most common.

Mussels & cider

For ➋
glug of olive oil
a medium-sized onion, peeled and chopped
a fresh bay leaf
½ ts whole black peppercorns, roughly crushed
2 cloves of garlic, whole, unpeeled
500 g of mussels
25 cl medium or dry cider
crusty bread, to serve

Heat the oil in a large, flat pan and fry the onion with the bay leaf, crushed peppercorns and garlic. Thoroughly wash the mussels, discarding any that are heavy, broken or that remain open when tapped.
Add the cider to the pan and bring it to a gentle boil. Add the mussels, cover the pan tightly with a lid and steam for 2-3 m, or until the mussel shells start to open. (Discard any mussels whose shells remain closed.)
Serve in bowls with bread to mop up the lovely broth.

Roasted Brussels sprouts with chorizo

For ➏
olive oil
200 g chorizo
6 cloves garlic
1 tbs sherry vinegar
800 g Brussels sprouts
sea salt

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and place them into a pan of salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes to soften. After 1-2 m drain the sprouts and refresh them by running them under cold water. Put to the side.
Take a sharp knife and run it down the length of the chorizo gently so as to just cut the skin. Peel back the skin until it is all removed. Cut the chorizo into thin slices on an angle to get a large surface area, this will help the chorizo to crisp up when frying. Place about 2 ts of olive oil into a large frying pan on a low to medium heat and add the chorizo slices.
Take 6 cloves of garlic and using the flat of your knife crush them slightly. Keep moving your chorizo around in the pan to ensure the pieces get cooked evenly. Add your garlic cloves to the pan and toss all the ingredients together. Leave to cook until the garlic becomes crispy. Add the sherry vinegar into the pan followed by the Brussels sprouts. Give your ingredients a good mix in the pan to ensure everything gets well combined. Lastly season with a pinch of sea salt and then leave to cook for a few m moving the ingredients around the whole time.
Once your sprouts are beginning to get cooked remove the pan from the heat and place the ingredients into a baking dish. Place the dish in the oven for 15 m until the sprouts are just cooked through but still have a bit of crunch.
Serve.

Read the Asian inspired roasted Brussels sprouts recipe.
Read the tip on cooking sprouts.

Lime marmalade

For ➑-➓ jars*
18 large Persian limes (-/+ 1.5 kg), peeled, zest cut into thin strips 5 cm long (or a mix of limes & lemons)
1.8 l water
3 kg sugar

Cut the peeled limes in half and squeeze the juice. Set the juice aside.

Scrape the pulp and seeds from the lime halves. Place in a cheesecloth bag. Place the cheesecloth bag, zest, juice and water in a large saucepan, then cover them and soak overnight, or for about 8 h.**

Bring the water mixture to a boil*** and cook about 2 h, until the peels are soft. Remove the cheesecloth bag. Add the sugar to the pan and stir to dissolve. Boil, stirring often****, until a cooking thermometer reaches 180°C.

Ladle slightly cooled marmalade into clean jars*****, leaving 0.5 cm of headspace. Cap and seal. Process for 10 m in a boiling-water-bath canner.

*Or for ➌-➍ jars: 6 large limes, 40 cl water, 750 g sugar, (a pinch of salt).
**Necessary to soften the zest.
***Limes can be reluctant to set. Add a small quantity of bicarbonate of soda to the mix before cooking: (less than levelled) 1 ts per 1 kg lime or lemons, or ½ ts for a 50/50 mix with orange or mandarine.
****Avoid stirring for 20 m after sugar is disolved for a clearer marmalade. Stirring might avoid burning though.
*****Sterilise the jars by placing them in the microwave on high for 6 m or about 12 m into the rolling boil. The jars should be hot when pouring the jam in, otherwise they will crack. Sterilise the lids by placing them in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 m.
******Use microwave for small quantities: 1 large piece of citrus fruit or 2 small ones (orange, lemon, tangerine, lime, etc). Wash it well and cut into chunks, skin and all. Remove all seeds and coarsly chop. Measure fruit and add equal amount of sugar to 2 l Pyrex measuring cup or similar size bowl. Stir to blend. Cook on 100% power for 8 m, stirring occasionally. Cook until thickened. Pour into jam jar, cover and refrigerate.

Lime marmalade was popularized by Rose & Co., a company that started preserving lime juice imported from the West Indies (Dominica) in 1867, to make alcohol free lime juice cordial, a concentrated drink to prevent scurvy, mainly in the British Navy. The peel and flesh that was left over from making the lime juice was soon used to make lime marmalade, as already practiced by West Indian cooks. The now world-famous Rose's lime marmalade was introduced as a luxury alternative to traditonal orange marmalade.

Shark & sea spinach salad

For ➍
4 shark steaks*
mixed lettuce**
6 cherry tomatoes**
sea spinach***
1 garlic clove
salt & pepper
oil

Cut the shark's steaks into cubes. Roast them with a little bit of oil and crushed garlic. Let it cook at least for 5 m until brown.

In a wok, cook the sea spinach with a tiny bit of water until soft and tender, no longer than 4 m. They should result crispy.

Alternatively, slice a shallot, sauté it in some butter, add the blanched sea spinach. Do not brown.

Prepare the salad with the cherry tomatoes. Add oil and a pinch of salt**.

Lay the salad on a plate, add the shark on top. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Spread the sea spinach beside.

*Use monkfish instead. Or white fish fillets. Don't cube them.
**Use only sea spinach instead. Double the quantity.
***The fish and spinach version will also work with regular spinach. Or use samphire.

Read more sea vegetables recipes.

Zuppa Inglese (Italian trifle)

For ➍-➏
200 g Savoiardi or ladyfingers biscuits
75 cl milk
50 g flour
100 g sugar
30 g bitter cocoa powder
4 egg yolks
10 cl of rum
10 cl Alkermes or other aromatic liqueur, for example Strega or Amaretto (or use a self-made quick coffee liquor)
whipped cream & maraschino cherries for decoration

Have ready a deep, smooth-sided mold, lined with aluminum foil or oiled paper.

Put all but 10 cl of the milk in a pot. Heat over a very gentle flame.

Beat the yolks in a deep bowl with 75 g sugar, then sift in the flour, beating steadily.

Put the remaining sugar in another pot,d mix the cocoa into it, stir 2 tbs of cold milk into the mixture. Heat it over a low flame, avoiding lumps.

Gently stir the remaining cold milk into the egg mixture. Stirring constantly, add the hot milk to the cream. When the cream is well mixed, gently pour it back into the pot. Return it to the slow burner. Heat, stirring, until it barely reaches a boil, and cook for 2 m, stirring gently. Remove the pot from the fire, pour half the cream into a bowl, and gently stir the chocolate into the remaining half to obtain both pastry cream and chocolate cream.

Mix the rum and liquor with 5 cl of water in a bowl, brush the Savoiardi lightly with the mixture, and use them to line the pudding mold.

Pour the pastry cream over the Savoiardi. Cover it with a layer of brushed Savoiardi, and finish with the chocolate cream, followed by a final layer of brushed Savoiardi. Cover the pudding with aluminum foil and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 12 h.

Remove the foil, cover the mold with a serving dish and upend it, so the pudding comes to rest upon the serving dish. Remove the aluminum or oiled paper of the mold.

Serve it either chilled, or partially frozen. Decorate with dollops of whipped cream, and maraschino cherries cut in half.

'Zuppa Inglese' (meaning: English soup) is a close variant of an English trifle, especially common in Tuscany, because the English tourists who lived in the region a century ago often asked for it. Recipes first appeared in the towns of the Emilia-Romagna region, in the late 19th century. Some date it back to the 16th century kitchens of the Ferrara Dukes of Este, who asked their cooks to recreate English trifle.

Cucumber mayonnaise

For ➍
1 medium cucumber
salt
6 heaped tbs good mayonnaise
½ ts smooth Dijon mustard
2 spring onions
1 ts capers
3 sprigs of mint
splash of tarragon vinegar

Peel the cucumber, removing only the tough outer part of the peel, leaving the outside still bright green.

Slice thickly down its length and then cut each slice into small dice. Put in a colander in the sink and scatter salt over. Leave for 30 m.

Put the mayonnaise in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the mustard and a grinding of sea salt and black pepper.

Discard the tough parts and the roots from the spring onions, then slice the rest into fine rings. Add to the mayonnaise with the capers and the roughly chopped leaves from the sprigs of mint.

Stir the cucumber into the mayonnaise. Add a ts or 2 of tarragon vinegar.

Serve as a dressing for smoked fish or as a sandwich* filling.

*Use the best white bread. Discard the crusts. Cut into attractive shapes like wedges or batons.

Boulestin's cod brétonne (cod toast)

For ➍
750 g white fish fillet*
1 tbs minced shallot
25 cl white wine & water**
1 tbs olive oil
50 g soft butter
50 g flour
1 tbs chopped parsley
salt & pepper
4 toasts, buttered

Mix butter and flour into a beurre manié. Cut into small chunks and set aside.

Bring water and wine to a boil. Put fish, shallot, salt & pepper in. Cook on high heat for 5 m, stirring with a wooden spoon to flake the fish.

(Be sure to have the liquid evaporated.)

Off heat, add the beurre manié.

Return to heat for 2 m.

Add parsley.

Pile onto 4 buttered warm toasts***.

Serve with a glass of Muscadet white wine.****

*The original 1920's recipe used rinsed salt cod. All firm white fish will do.
**Use cider instead. Start with a smaller amount, so the liquid evaporates within 5 m.
***Add a little anchovy paste on the bread before putting the fish on.
****Serve with potatoes or rice instead.
*****Use ¼ of quantities to make an individual quick toast.
*****Serve with sliced coeur de boeuf  tomatoes for a full lunch.

French writer Marcel Boulestin turned restaurateur in 1911 when he opened a classy French restaurant in London's Covent Garden. In the interbellum, he became one of the first media celebrity chefs, appearing in a, still experimental, BBC television broadcast in 1937. He wrote for Vogue and published several best selling cook books with free adaptations of French recipes, which were served in his art deco revamped restaurant. His influence was still felt in the 1970's when Georgina Horley quoted this recipe in her popular Good food on budget.