Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (4 page)

PASTA WITH TOMATOES,
ANCHOVY AND CHILLIES

SERVES 4

Pasta and tomato sauce has become a midweek standby in every home. In this classic Italian dish, we are taking that basic sauce to another level by adding a few store cupboard staples – chilli, anchovies, olives and capers. Ready in the time it takes for the pasta to cook, and utterly delicious.

1
. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, according to packet instructions.

2
. Meanwhile, heat a wide high-sided frying pan or sauté pan over a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Fry the garlic, chilli and anchovies for 1–2 minutes until the garlic is aromatic and the anchovy is beginning to melt into the oil.

3
. Add the olives, capers and tomatoes to the pan and stir over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes until the tomatoes have collapsed and everything is well combined.

4
. Drain the pasta and toss in the pan with the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary (you probably won’t need any salt because of the saltiness of the anchovies, olives and capers).

5
. Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and garnished with basil leaves.

HOW TO COOK PASTA

Always use well-salted water to cook pasta because it is impossible to season later. The Italians always use 10g (2 teaspoons) salt for every litre of water. Adding olive oil to the cooking water is helpful, but if you really want to ensure that your pasta doesn’t stick as it cooks, use plenty of water and twist the pan from side to side a few times to get the pasta swirling around just after you’ve put it in.

BACON, PEA AND GOAT’S
CHEESE FRITTATA

SERVES 4–6

Don’t limit yourself to cheese or ham when filling an omelette. This open Italian version is a meal in itself, and because it is finished under the grill, doesn’t involve any awkward folding or flipping. Check that one of your goat’s cheeses is firm enough to grate finely – if not, firm it up in the freezer first.

1
. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

2
. Heat a glug of oil in a 27cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan and fry the bacon for 2–3 minutes. Add the red pepper and continue to cook for another few minutes until the bacon is golden brown and crisp. Add the spring onions and sweat for 4–5 minutes until everything is tender. Stir in the peas and heat through. Sprinkle in the basil, roughly mixing it through the vegetables. Cut one of the goat’s cheeses into chunks and scatter on top.

3
. Heat the grill on its highest setting.

4
. Put the beaten eggs in a bowl, add the Parmesan and season generously with pepper. Pour into the pan over the vegetables and gently shake over a medium heat. As the omelette begins to set at the bottom, grate the remaining goat’s cheese on top and season with pepper.

5
. Place the pan under the hot grill in the hot oven for 4–5 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.

6
. Slide the frittata out of the pan and cut into wedges to serve.

TOMATO RISOTTO

SERVES 4 AS A STARTER OR 2 AS A MAIN COURSE

The secret to making a good risotto is to add your hot stock very gradually, stirring to make sure it has all been absorbed before adding the next ladleful. This way you can control the consistency better and ensure the rice still has a slight bite to it – al dente, as the Italians call it – when you take it off the heat. This classic risotto just needs a garnish of rocket or baby spinach. For a British twist, use spelt barley instead of rice – it has a lovely nutty flavour.

1
. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the rice and stir well to coat the grains in the oil. Bring the stock to the boil and add 1 ladleful of it at a time to the rice, stirring well after each addition, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked, but still al dente. (This will take about 15–18 minutes.)

2
. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small saucepan, add the tomatoes and gently cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Pass through a mouli or coarse sieve; alternatively, mash with a potato masher.

3
. When the rice is cooked, fold in the mascarpone, Parmesan and the tomato mixture, adjust the seasoning and serve.

HOW TO SERVE RISOTTO AS A CAKE

To remove the need for last-minute stirring, you can serve risotto as a cake. Make the risotto in advance, taking it slightly beyond the al dente stage (about 20 minutes), then add the mascarpone, Parmesan and tomato. Spread the mixture out in a square tin lined with greaseproof paper, cover and chill for 2–4 hours. When ready to serve, heat 50g butter in a large frying pan. Cut the risotto cake into 4 squares and quickly pan-fry for about 3 minutes on each side until golden, taking care when you flip them over. Serve immediately.

STUFFED ROAST CHICKEN

SERVES 4–6

This is a very simple twist guaranteed to impress. The chorizo, bean and tomato stuffing helps the bird to cook evenly and perfumes the meat as it cooks. Serve it alongside the chicken with some steamed greens or a mixed leaf salad.

1
. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

2
. First make the stuffing. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan, add the chorizo and fry for about 3 minutes until turning golden. Add the onion and cook for a minute or two until softened, then add the garlic. Cook for a further couple of minutes before adding the leaves from 3 thyme sprigs. Stir in the cannellini beans, seasoning well. Cook for a minute or two to warm through. Add the tomatoes and a couple of tablespoons of the oil they are stored in. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat.

3
. Now prepare the chicken. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, then fill with the chorizo stuffing and place a whole lemon at the cavity opening, tucking any excess skin over it. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle over the paprika and season with salt and pepper. Rub into the chicken skin.

4
. Pour the wine and about 200ml of water into a roasting tray and season. Add the chicken and the remaining sprigs of thyme, then cover with foil and roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven.

5
. After 1 hour, remove the foil from the chicken, baste with the roasting juices and turn the oven up to 200°C/Gas 6. Roast for another 25–30 minutes until the skin is golden brown and the juices from the thigh run clear. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before serving.

6
. Remove the lemon from the chicken cavity, and squeeze the juice into the pan juices. Whisk together to create a light gravy – if you prefer a thicker gravy, reduce over a high heat.

HOW TO KEEP CHICKEN MOIST WHILE ROASTING

Roasting chicken under a tent of foil with stock and water is a lovely way to keep it moist during the first part of cooking. Once it has steamed for an hour, you simply remove the foil for the final 30 minutes to brown the breasts. The resulting chicken will be much plumper and fuller than if you had roasted it all the way.

MISO SALMON

SERVES 4

Miso is a salty paste made from fermented rice or soya beans and is traditional in Japanese cooking. It gives a rich and sumptuous flavour to this spicy broth. Poaching is a lovely, delicate way of cooking salmon. Keep the skin on to stop it from breaking up as the stock gently simmers.

1
. Place the miso paste in a pan and whisk in the stock. Taste and add a little salt if necessary. Bring to a simmer (don’t boil too rapidly, or it may separate), then add the lime leaves, chillies and ginger.

2
. Cut the salmon in half widthways, then add to the stock, skin side down, and gently simmer for 8–10 minutes, basting the salmon in the liquid until cooked through.

3
. Separate the pak choi leaves from the stems. Chop the stems into bite-sized pieces and shred the leaves. Slice the broccoli into bite-sized pieces.

4
. Carefully transfer the salmon to a plate with a fish slice and pour a small ladleful of broth over it. Bring the stock remaining in the pan back to the boil.

5
. Put the broccoli into the broth to cook, and after 30 seconds add the pak choi stems. Cook for a further 1–2 minutes, then add the shredded pak choi leaves. Cook for about 1 minute until wilted. Meanwhile, flake the cooked salmon into large chunks, discarding the skin.

6
. Just before serving, add half the mushrooms to the broth. Rub your serving bowls with a little toasted sesame oil, then divide the remaining mushrooms between them. Add some flaked salmon and vegetables to each bowl, then spoon over some broth. Serve immediately, garnished with coriander if liked.

HOW TO COOK FIBROUS GREENS

With vegetables such as pak choi and kale, which have quite fibrous stalks, it is often best to remove the leaves and add them a few minutes later, or else they will be overcooked by the time the stalks are tender.