Expand Donal Skehan’s Mushroom and Cauliflower Ragu Lasagne Serves: 8-10 Prep: 20 minutes, plus chilling Cook: 25 minutes A sharp, sweet key lime pie piled high with whipped cream will forever be one of my hero desserts. It’s a show-stopping crowd-pleaser that always has people asking for seconds. A […]
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Serves: 8-10 Prep: 20 minutes, plus chilling Cook: 25 minutes A sharp, sweet key lime pie piled high with whipped cream will forever be one of my hero desserts. It’s a show-stopping crowd-pleaser that always has people asking for seconds. A wonderful make-ahead dessert that can be revealed to great fanfare at the end of any feast.
Key Lime Pretzel Pie
Ingredients
For the pretzel crust
250g digestive biscuits (graham crackers), finely crushed
25g salted pretzels, finely crushed
1 tbsp caster sugar
50g butter, melted
For the filling
About 5-6 limes
4 large free-range egg yolks
½ tsp cream of tartar
396g tin sweetened condensed milk
For the topping
250ml double (heavy) cream
2 tbsp icing (confectioners’) sugar
125g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp dark rum (optional)
For the candied lime zest
140g golden caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for dusting
150ml water
Reserved lime zest strips
Key Lime Pretzel Pie
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/325F/Gas 3 and place a 20cm (8in) fluted flan tin on a baking sheet.
2. Combine the digestives, pretzels, sugar and melted butter in a large bowl until you have a mix that holds together when pressed between your fingers (add a little more melted butter if it’s too dry and sandy).
3. Tip the mixture into the flan tin and press in an even layer across the bottom and up the sides until you have a firm pie crust. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
4. To make the filling, remove the zest from the limes in strips using a zester and set aside for the candied lime zest. Juice the limes into a measuring jug until you have 120ml (½ cup) of juice.
5. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl using a hand-held electric whisk until they are thickened and lighter in colour. Whisk in the cream of tartar and condensed milk on low speed, a little at a time, until combined. Continue to whisk as you pour in the lime juice until incorporated. Pour into the cooled crust.
6. Bake the pie for about 15 minutes, or until the filling has just set around the edges but the centre still has a slight wobble. Remove and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. While the pie cools, prepare the topping. Whip the cream and icing sugar together in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, fold through the yoghurt and rum (if using). Place dollops of the cream on top of the cooled pie and create swirls.
Mushroom & Cauliflower Ragu Lasagne
Donal Skehan's Mushroom and Cauliflower Ragu Lasagne
Serves: 6–8 Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 1½ hours Vegetarian
A rich veggie-based lasagne that yields delicious results. You can pulse the mushrooms and cauli in a food processor to speed up the prepping process.
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
500g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
25g unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 medium cauliflower (about 600g), coarsely grated, leaves roughly chopped
3 sprigs of rosemary
Good pinch of chilli flakes
200ml red or white wine
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
450ml hot vegetable stock
Handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
6-12 fresh lasagne sheets (depending on size)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bitter leaf salad, to serve
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For the béchamel
60g butter
60g plain (all-purpose) flour
600ml whole milk
Good grating of fresh nutmeg
70g Gruyère cheese (or vegetarian alternative), grated
120g Cheddar cheese (or vegetarian alternative), grated
Method
1. Make the ragu: heat the oil in a large pan and add the garlic and mushrooms and cook over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes until golden brown. Tip out of the pan and set aside.
2. Add the butter to the pan and fry the onion and chopped cauliflower leaves until softened, then add the grated cauliflower, rosemary and chilli flakes and return the mushrooms to the pan.
3. Add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes, tomato purée and stock. Season and simmer for 45 minutes until rich and thick. Stir in the parsley.
4. Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Then gradually add the milk until you have a thick, glossy sauce. Season well and add plenty of nutmeg. Stir in almost all the grated cheese, saving some for the top. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas 6.
5. Spoon one-third of the ragu into a large ovenproof dish, then top with 2-3 lasagne sheets and one-third of the béchamel. Repeat twice more, ending with a layer of béchamel and the last of the grated cheese.
6. Bake for 40 minutes until golden and bubbling, then serve with a bitter leaf salad.
Spiced Salmon with Pineapple Salsa & Caramelised Onion Rice
Spiced Salmon with Pineapple Salsa & Caramelised Onion Rice
Serves: 8 Prep: 10 minutes, plus marinating Cook: 45 minutes
A spicy fishy feast for the whole family. This recipe feeds a crowd but you can scale it down if you like by using individual salmon fillets.
Ingredients
1kg side of salmon
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
For the salsa
1 medium pineapple, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp olive oil
Good handful of roughly chopped coriander (cilantro)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the caramelised onion rice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
500g basmati rice, rinsed
1 tsp dried thyme
A good handful of coriander, roughly chopped
Method
1. Put the salmon into a large dish. Mix the maple syrup and spices together, then spread evenly all over the salmon. Leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. Combine all the salsa ingredients except for the coriander in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
3. For the rice, heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions over a medium heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring until caramelised and sticky. Stir in the rice and then pour over 1 litre (4 cups) of water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff up with a fork and stir in the herbs.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Line the grill tray with foil and grease well, then place the salmon, skin-side up, on the tray. Grill for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crispy, then flip over and grill for 5 minutes until just cooked and golden brown.
5. Stir the coriander through the salsa. Serve the salmon with the salsa and caramelised onion rice.
Crispy Chicken Parmesan with Hidden Veg Tomato Sauce
Crispy Chicken Parmesan with Hidden Veg Tomato Sauce
Serves: 4 (with double sauce so freeze half) Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 55 minutes
This sauce is so simple to make that making double is no effort at all. Pop half in the freezer so you have it on standby, either to make the dish again or just to fold through pasta with grated Parmesan.
Ingredients
2 large free-range chicken breasts
1 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, seasoned
1 large free-range egg, beaten
50g fine dry breadcrumbs (use panko for best results)
3 heaped tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated
150ml sunflower oil
75g mozzarella, grated
Cooked spaghetti, to serve
For the hidden veg tomato sauce
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 large leek, sliced
2 courgettes (zucchini), sliced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
300g vine tomatoes, halved
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 whole bulb garlic, cloves separated
½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
½ tsp dried oregano
400g tin plum tomatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. First make the sauce. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas 6. In a large roasting tray, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, garlic cloves, chilli flakes and oregano. Season well and roast for 40 minutes, tossing once, until tender and golden.
2. While the veg roasts, place the chicken breasts between two pieces of baking parchment and bash with a rolling pin until they are about 1cm (½in) thick. Put the seasoned flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan into three separate dishes.
3. Remove the roasted veg from the oven and then increase the temperature to the highest it will go. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skin and tip the veg into a food processor, add the tinned tomatoes and a tin full of water and blitz until smooth.
4. Heat the sunflower oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan (skillet) over a high heat. Dip the chicken in the flour then the egg and then the cheesy crumbs and fry the chicken in the oil for 2 minutes either side until golden brown (they will continue to cook in the oven). Remove and transfer to a plate and wipe out any remaining oil from the pan.
5. Pour half of the blitzed sauce into the pan and bubble over a medium heat for 10 minutes until it has reduced slightly. Nestle the fried chicken into the sauce and scatter with the grated mozzarella.
6. Transfer to the oven for 4-5 minutes until the mozzarella is melted, then serve with freshly cooked spaghetti.
Everyday Cook: Vibrant Recipes, Simple Methods, Delicious Dishes by Donal Skehan
Everyday Cook: Vibrant Recipes, Simple Methods, Delicious Dishes by Donal Skehan is out Thursday, October 7 (Hodder, £25.00) Photography by Donal Skehan © Hodder & Stoughton Publishers Ltd
