Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (35 page)

3
. Meanwhile, heat a grillproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little oil and, when hot, pour in the beaten eggs, seasoning them well first. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the underside of the egg is beginning to set but the top remains runny.

4
. Sprinkle the oregano over the omelette, then pour the tomato and prawn mix over the top, making sure the prawns are in an even layer. Crumble over the feta cheese, season and add a drizzle of oil.

5
. Place the omelette under the hot grill and grill for 2–3 minutes until the egg is just cooked through. Remove and serve.

SPICED LENTIL SOUP

SERVES 4

With a good chicken stock at its base, you don’t need many ingredients to create a delicious soup. Red lentils, onion, garlic, tomato purée and a few spices are all it takes to create this stunning winter warmer.

1
. Rinse the lentils under cold running water in a colander, drain well and set aside.

2
. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 4–6 minutes until lightly golden. Stir in the ground spices and tomato purée and cook for another 2 minutes.

3
. Add the lentils and pour in the stock to cover. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the lentils are very soft. (You may need to top up with a little more water towards the end of cooking if the soup seems too thick.) Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4
. Ladle half of the soup into a blender and whiz to a purée, then pour back into the pan. The soup should be somewhat chunky. Adjust the consistency again if necessary, adding a little boiling water to thin it down.

5
. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and top with a spoonful of yoghurt and a few coriander leaves.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF HERBS

Fresh herbs are a great way to add maximum flavour on a budget. Make them last longer by standing the stems in a glass of water. They’ll keep this way for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

ROASTED RED ONION
VINAIGRETTE WITH GREEN
BEAN SALAD

SERVES 4–6

A lovely salad that works any time of the year alongside grilled meat or fish. By roasting the onions first, you add another layer of flavour to the dressing, which would go equally well with potatoes or cauliflower. If you dress the vegetables while they are still warm, they’ll take on more flavour still.

1
. First make the vinaigrette. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 9.

2
. Place the onions in a roasting tray with a little olive oil, the thyme, garlic and a little salt and roast for 25–30 minutes until the onions are completely cooked and have a nice roasted flavour.

3
. Remove the onions from the tray and chop into rough dice (you want the dressing to have a rustic texture).

4
. Mix the onions with the 150ml extra virgin olive oil and the sherry vinegar and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

5
. To make the salad, blanch the beans by plunging them in boiling salted water for 1½ minutes until their rawness has been removed but they are still crunchy. Refresh immediately in cold water, then remove and put onto kitchen paper to absorb the moisture. Cut each bean into bite-sized pieces.

6
. Put the chopped beans into a large bowl, stir in the red onion dressing and toss with the parsley and mint. Serve immediately in chilled salad bowls.

FRITTO MISTO WITH
GARLIC AND SAFFRON
MAYONNAISE

SERVES 4

Battered and fried seafood dipped into garlicky mayonnaise is one of my favourite summer holiday dishes. But if you find the idea of preparing all that seafood too intimidating, it’s a recipe that works just as well with vegetables.

1
. First make the mayonnaise. Soak the saffron in 1 tablespoon of boiling water for 30 seconds. Beat the egg yolks with the mustard, garlic, lemon juice and saffron plus a little of its water in a bowl (or blend in a food processor). Add the oils gradually in a slow, steady stream. Season with salt and pepper, adding a little more lemon juice if you like a sharp flavour. Set aside.

2
. Heat a deep-fat fryer to 170°C, or fill a large saucepan a third full of oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped in the hot oil sizzles and turns golden in 30 seconds. (Alternatively, shallow-fry with less oil, turning frequently.)

3
. Put the flour for the batter into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the olive oil, then make a well in the middle and slowly whisk in the egg, milk and 150ml water. Whisk for 2–3 minutes until smooth.

4
. Dust the prepared vegetables in seasoned flour, shaking off any excess before dipping them into the batter. Fry in batches in the hot oil for about 2–3 minutes each or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, and repeat with the remaining vegetables. Finally, dip the sage leaves in the batter, shake off any excess and fry for 20–30 seconds until crisp.

5
. Serve the battered vegetables and leaves warm with the mayonnaise on the side for dipping.

HOW TO CHOP GARLIC

Garlic is brilliantly versatile and can be used in many different ways. The smaller you cut it, the more potent but shorter-lived its flavour, so leave it whole or thickly sliced if you want a mellow backnote, but crush it for more oomph. The best way to chop it finely, as required above, is to cut it as you would an onion (
see here
).

ASPARAGUS WITH
LEMON AND TARRAGON
HOLLANDAISE

SERVES 4

We’re all becoming more health conscious, and making hollandaise with olive oil instead of butter results in an equally rich sauce. You can flavour the hollandaise with any citrus fruit – grapefruit or orange, for example – but with asparagus I always like to keep it simple, with lemon and a sprinkling of tarragon.

1
. First make the hollandaise sauce. Using a large balloon whisk, beat the egg yolks with a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Beat vigorously for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. (To make sure the sauce doesn’t overheat, take it on and off the heat while you whisk, scraping around the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula.) The aim is to achieve a golden, airy sauce that forms ribbons on the surface when the whisk is lifted.

2
. Warm the olive oil in a small pan, then set aside. Off the heat, gradually add a little of the warmed olive oil at a time to the egg mix, then return the bowl over a gentle heat to cook a little more. Remove from the heat again and whisk in another dash of warm oil. Repeat until all the oil is incorporated and the sauce has a thick, mayonnaise-like consistency.

3
. Whisk in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, plus 2–3 tablespoons of warm water to give the mixture a pouring consistency, then add the chopped tarragon.

4
. Blanch the asparagus by plunging it into boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes until its rawness has been removed but it is still crunchy. Drain well and serve with the hollandaise.

HOW TO USE UP LEFTOVER CITRUS FRUIT

Cut the fruit into wedges and freeze until needed. They’re ideal for cooling drinks without watering them down as ice does, and also add flavour.