The Cook's Book of Ingredients

RHUBARB in moist kitchen paper inside a plastic RHUBARB | 449 bag so they do not dry out. Rhubarb grows wild along parts of the 3 EAT Some types of rhubarb are “Cherry Red” Volga River, where it is native. Today stringy and need to be thinly peeled. Also known as “Cherry” and cultivated it is cultivated outside in cool Fresh: In moderation (because of the in California, this variety has long, thin temperate climates around the world oxalic acid that renders iron unusable stalks that are bright cherry-red. It has and in hothouses, where it is forced in the body if eaten in quantity), fresh a tart flavour and tender texture, and for year-round production. Different rhubarb stalks have an irresistible grows vigorously. varieties offer a range of sizes and sweet-sour flavour. Cooked: Stew, colours, but all have rhubarb’s tangy bake, or roast. Apart from its many flavour, caused mostly by oxalic acid in sweet uses, (in pies, creamy desserts, the long leaf stalks, which are the only and jams), rhubarb makes a fine sauce edible part of the plant (the green to accompany oily fish or pork. leaves are poisonous). FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Strawberries, 1 BUY The best seasonal rhubarb citrus fruits, plums, cinnamon, brown shows up early in mid-spring, and there sugar, ginger. may be a second crop in July. Look for CLASSIC RECIPES Strawberry- stalks that are glossy and firm, and rhubarb pie; rhubarb crumble; inspect both cut ends for freshness of khoresh; rhubarb fool; rabarberkage. the cuts. Hothouse rhubarb is generally sweeter and more highly coloured than outdoor-grown stalks. 2 STORE Rhubarb stalks will keep well in the fridge for a week, wrapped PHYSALLIS Light, papery husks enclose the small, Also known as Cape gooseberries, the round, golden- shiny, golden-orange fruits are encased orange fruits. in a papery, gauze-like husk that looks a bit like an inflated Chinese lantern. The green leaves of They are juicy, with tiny seeds, and have the rhubarb plant a lively sweet-tart taste. The size of a are poisonous. cherry, they are grown commercially in both temperate and tropical regions of South Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and India. 1 BUY The fruit should look firm and waxy with no bruising. Ripe fruit will have straw-coloured husks. The berries should have a mild, sweet scent. 2 STORE Inside their husks, the berries will keep in a cool place for a week or two. Wash before use. Open-freeze without the husks. 3 EAT Fresh: Eat raw at room temperature. Dip in chocolate or fondant for petit fours. Cooked: Poach for desserts, sauces, and ice cream. Add to cakes and tarts. Preserved: Use for preserves. Bottle in syrup. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS White fish; scallops; yogurt; exotic fruit; nuts; tarragon; chocolate; orange liqueur. CLASSIC RECIPES Physallis jam; petit fours. “Canada Red” This variety produces long, meaty stalks that show a fine balance of sweetness and sourness.

450 | FRUIT | CITRUS FRUITS ORANGE Bitter oranges Sour and full of seeds, Unlike sweet oranges, bitter varieties bitter oranges are The senior member of the citrus family such as the Seville are unpleasant to best used for preserves is the orange, which is commercially eat raw. However, they are the classic and cooking. grown in Mediterranean and marmalade orange because of their subtropical regions worldwide, acidity, thick peel, and numerous seeds The Jaffa is a good especially in Spain, the US, Brazil, that help the preserve to set. The Seville winter orange with China, and Mexico. There are many has a very short, early season. varieties of orange: size and thickness bright orange- of skin can vary; taste can range Valencia coloured flesh. from sharp to sweet; flavour The world’s leading commercial intensity can differ; and they may or variety, this has a long growing may not contain seeds. The tough, season, easy-to-peel, thin skin, bitter peel of all oranges is highly and a refreshing sharp–sweet scented and contains aromatic essential flavour. It is first class for both oils. Another type of orange is the eating and juicing. mandarin, which is a name generally applied to all small, orange-coloured Jaffa citrus fruit with loose skin and fibrous The nearly seedless Jaffa has pale, strands of orange pith. Mandarins are thick skin that is easily removed. The smaller and flatter than oranges, flesh is sweet, crisp, and juicy with an generally less acid in flavour, and easily intense orange flavour. It is excellent separated into segments. Within the to eat and to use for candied peel mandarin family is a group known as dipped in chocolate. tangerines, although exact terminology can be bewildering. In the UK a tangerine tends to be a particular small, tangy fruit with seeds and a pebbly skin. In the US, however, the term tangerine is often used more generally instead of mandarin to refer to small citrus fruits, including satsumas and clementines (featured on page 451). 1 BUY Winter oranges are generally better than summer fruit for juice and flavour. Look for skins that are bright, taut, and glossy. Fruit should feel heavy for its size, and should smell aromatic. Avoid any oranges that look dry or mouldy, or have brown marks. Unwaxed fruit is the best choice if you want to use the peel or zest. 2 STORE Keep in a cool place, or uncovered in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks; use before the skins shrivel. Smaller oranges will not keep as long as large ones. For longer storage, you can freeze peeled segments and slices, or whole Seville oranges. 3 EAT Fresh: Peel and segment or slice flesh to add to sweet and savoury salads and compotes. Squeeze the juice for drinks, jellies, and sorbets. Cooked: Poach the fruit whole (peeled). Use the grated zest and juice to flavour casseroles, sauces, cakes, and biscuits. Preserved: Make marmalade. Bottle in syrup or alcohol. Candy, or dry the peel. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Beef, duck, gammon, scallops, tomatoes, beetroot, black olives, nuts, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, chocolate, soy sauce, Marsala. CLASSIC RECIPES Marmalade; sauce bigarade; sauce maltaise; caramelized oranges; crêpes Suzette; pastel de naranja y almendra; canard à l’orange; fennel and orange salad. The rough, thin skin is flushed with red, hinting at the fabulous colour of the flesh beneath.

O R A NGE | C LE M E NT I NE | S ATS UMA | 4 5 1 Navel orange This has a distinctive CLEMENTINE At Christmas time, clementines Second only to the Valencia bulge at the apex end are often sold with the stalks in commercial importance, that contains a baby Cultivated in Mediterranean and and leaves attached. the deliciously sweet Navel orange fruit or “navel”. sub-tropical regions around the world, is seedless with a thick skin. These including Spain, Morocco, Mexico, and 3 EAT Fresh: Peel and eat as a snack oranges are at their best in winter CLASSIC RECIPE Australia, clementines are among the or dessert, or add to salads. Use the and excellent for eating, juicing, smallest of the mandarin citrus family. zest and juice in sorbets, sauces, salsas, and cooking. MARMALADE They look like bright orange golf balls, desserts, and cocktails. Cooked: Lightly with thin, shiny skin, a delicate sauté or grill segments for a side dish, The juicy flesh of the Bitter oranges such as Seville are membrane, and hardly any seeds. The or bake whole in cakes. Preserved: Valencia is mostly essential for a proper marmalade. juice has a sweet, elusive fragrance Bottle segments in syrup or alcohol, seed free. with a tangy edge. or use in marmalade. MAKES ABOUT 4.5KG (10LB) 1 BUY Available during the winter, FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Shellfish, pork, Blood oranges 1.5kg (3lb 3oz) Seville oranges, scrubbed choose fruit that is firm and heavy for chicken, duck, salad leaves, spinach, These small oranges have richly juice of 2 lemons its size, without soft spots or wrinkled carrot, peppers, coriander leaf, hued flesh that yields dazzling 3kg (61⁄2lb) granulated sugar, warmed skin. Clementines in good condition almonds, meringues, chocolate, ruby-coloured juice – essential in a very low oven should smell fresh and fragrant. Grand Marnier. for sauce maltaise and sorbets. 2 STORE Keep in a cool place, or 1 Thinly peel the oranges, without uncovered in the fridge, for up to CLASSIC RECIPE taking any of the white pith beneath. a week; use before the skins shrivel. Shred the peel finely or more coarsely, Or freeze in segments. Three-fruit marmalade. as preferred; reserve the peel. 3 EAT Fresh: Peel for a snack or add to salads. Juice for smoothies and 2 Halve the oranges and squeeze the sorbets. Cooked: Lightly sauté or grill juice. Set aside. Also reserve the seeds. segments as a side dish. Preserved: Use in marmalade. Bottle whole in 3 Chop the white pith roughly and syrup or liqueur. Crystallize tie in a muslin bag with the seeds. Put segments as sweetmeats. this into a preserving pan with the FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Shellfish, shredded peel. pork, chicken, duck, spinach, carrots, peppers, salad leaves, 4 Strain the orange and lemon juices almonds, coriander leaf, chocolate, into the pan. Add 3.4 litres (6 pints) meringues, Grand Marnier. water. Slowly bring to the boil over CLASSIC RECIPES Three-fruit a low heat, then simmer uncovered marmalade; clementine sorbet. for about 2 hours, or until the peel is soft and the liquid has reduced SATSUMA by about half. Satsumas are part of the extensive 5 Remove the muslin bag. Add the family of mandarin oranges. Originally warmed sugar to the pan and stir developed in Japan several centuries until it has dissolved. Increase the ago, they are typically slightly flat in heat and boil the marmalade rapidly shape with an easy-peel, smooth, thick for 15–20 minutes, or until setting skin; delicate, sweet flavour; and few point is reached. seeds. Like other citrus fruits, they are widely grown in Mediterranean and 6 Skim off any scum from the surface sub-tropical regions worldwide, with and leave to stand, off the heat, for China the largest producer. 10–20 minutes. Stir the marmalade 1 BUY Widely available in the winter once, then ladle into warmed months, when they are generally sterilized jars, cover, and seal. better for juice and flavour. The skin should be bright and glossy. Fruit should feel heavy for their size, and smell aromatic. Avoid any that look dry, damaged, or mouldy. 2 STORE Keep in a cool place for a week, or uncovered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; use before the skins shrivel. Both the juice and segments can be frozen. The loose skin makes satsumas easy to peel, so they are a good snack for children.

452 | FRUIT | CITRUS FRUITS GRAPEFRUIT 3 EAT Fresh: Halve or segment to eat alone or in salads. Squeeze the juice Cultivated in Mediterranean and for drinks and sorbet. Cooked: Grill sub-tropical regions of countries such halves. Add the juice to sauces. Preserved: as the US, South Africa, and Israel, this Use in marmalade. Candy the peel. fruit is so-called because of the way it FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Chicken, grows on its evergreen tree in clusters gammon, smoked meats, prawns, like outsize yellow grapes. Grapefruit avocado, spinach, lemon, mint, has a squat, round shape with skin that ginger, nutmeg, coconut, honey, differs in thickness according to variety, brown sugar, cherry brandy. and bitter pith and membrane. The juicy flesh ranges from pale yellow to CLASSIC RECIPE pink or deep red; rosier-hued varieties tend to taste sweeter. Grapefruit marmalade. 1 BUY The season typically runs from late autumn to spring. Choose fruit White grapefruit with a good aroma whose skin is White-grapefruit varieties such as Marsh smooth and free from marks or are notable for tender and generally blemishes, and that feels firm and extremely juicy, pale yellow flesh. The fruit heavy, with no soft spots. A spongy, tends to have thin, pale yellow skin, a narrow soft skin can indicate a lack of juice and layer of pith, and few seeds. It makes flesh. A greenish tinge, however, does excellent grapefruit marmalade. not mean the fruit is unripe. 2 STORE In common with all citrus Pink grapefruit fruits, grapefruit ripens on the tree and Pink-grapefruit varieties such as does not continue to develop after the popular Pink Marsh tend picking. It can be kept for a few days to be smaller than white at room temperature or for up to grapefruit, and often have a 2 weeks, uncovered, in the fridge. longer shelf life. Add them The juice and segments can be frozen. to a fruit compote or a savoury salad TWO WAYS OF PREPARING GRAPEFRUIT Take segments from whole, peeled fruit, or cut the fruit in half and loosen the segments for easy removal to eat. 1 23 1 With a sharp knife, cut a small slice of peel from The pale, coral-coloured the top and base of the grapefruit. 2 Hold the fruit flesh has no seeds and is upright on the flat base and slice off the peel from full of sweet juice. the sides, cutting straight down and around the contour of the fruit, and taking off as much white pith as possible. 3 To remove each segment, cut down one side close to the dividing membrane. Then cut on the other side of the segment to free it from the other membrane. 1 Red grapefruit The smooth, thin skin The brightly coloured flesh of has a reddish tinge. 2 varieties such as Ruby Red and Rio Red is juicy, tart–sweet, and 1 Cut the grapefruit across in half. 2 Using a small, almost seedless. Use in compotes curved, serrated knife (a grapefruit knife) or paring and salads and for juice. knife, cut around the outside of the flesh in each half to separate it from the pith. To loosen each segment cut close along the membranes on either side.

LEMON 3 EAT Fresh: Squeeze the juice Amalfi LEMON | 453 for dressings, marinades, and drinks. Also known as the Sorrento lemon, this fruit Brightly coloured lemons flourish in Cooked: Add the juice to tarts, pies, of exceptional aroma and flavour is protected CLASSIC RECIPE frost-free Mediterranean-climate soups, savouries, and emulsion sauces. under European legislation. The knobbly skin is regions such as in southern California, Grate the zest for baking and desserts. highly scented and the flesh sweet–tangy. It LEMON SORBET Sicily, Greece, and Spain. The size and Add pith-free peel to casseroles. yields the best juice for limoncello. shape of the fruit varies, as does the Preserved: Chop for marmalade Lemon sorbet is an international skin, which can be thick or thin, and preserves. Pickle whole or classic; light and refreshing at the smooth or knobbly. Smooth-skinned sectioned fruit. Candy peel. end of a meal or between courses. lemons tend to have more juice; the thick skin of other varieties is best FLAVOUR PAIRINGS MAKES ABOUT 750ML or zesting, candying, and preserving. Sour lemon juice enhances the Chicken, veal, fish, shellfish, (11⁄4 PINTS) flavours of other foods and also acts eggs, butter, artichokes, garlic, as a preservative olives, cream, sage, tarragon, 6 large lemons, preferably unwaxed 1 BUY At their best in winter, lemons coriander seeds, capers, should be glossy, strongly coloured, and olive oil, gin. 250g (9oz) sugar firm and feel heavy for their size. Avoid CLASSIC RECIPES Lemon shrivelled fruit or any with patches of sorbet; avgolemono; 1 large egg white mould. Buy unwaxed fruit if you are lemonade; tarte au citron; intending to zest or use the peel. scaloppine with lemon; 1 Use a vegetable peeler to remove the 2 STORE Whole fruit can be kept lemon meringue pie; peel thinly in strips from 3 of the in the fridge for 2 weeks; use at room citrons givrés. lemons. Make sure you don’t take any temperature for maximum juice. Wrap white pith or the sorbet will be bitter. cut pieces in cling film, refrigerate, and use as soon as possible. Lemons can be 2 Put the sugar, strips of lemon peel, frozen whole or in slices and segments; and 250ml (8fl oz) water in a pan and freeze juice in ice-cube trays. bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes to make a syrup. Remove from the heat Eureka The oval citron looks and leave to cool. This widely grown smooth-skinned, misshapen because it is “oblong” lemon, with a small 3 Squeeze the juice from all of the nipple at one end, is juicy with rather lumpy. lemons and pour into a measuring a full flavour, which makes jug. Add enough water to make the it a good all-rounder. juice up to 400ml (14fl oz). Mix with the syrup. Cover and chill overnight. Citron pulp is dry and Citron seedy and usually Available in early autumn, the 4 Strain the mixture into an ice-cream Citron has little juice, but the maker and follow the instructions for discarded along with peel is valued for its fragrance in freezing. When the sorbet mixture the thick layer of pickles, preserves, confectionery, starts to look icy, lightly beat the egg white pith. and oriental teas. white just to loosen it and add to the mixture. When the sorbet is firm, Meyer transfer to the freezer for storage. A Californian lemon–mandarin cross, the Meyer is low enough in acidity to 5 If not using an ice-cream maker, eat raw, so the delicious juice needs pour the mixture into a container, little or no sweetening. cover, and still-freeze for 1–2 hours, or until about 2.5cm (1in) of the mixture is frozen around the sides. Whisk to break up the ice particles, then cover and return to the freezer. After about 30 minutes, whisk again until smooth, then fold in the egg white. Continue freezing until firm. 6 Half an hour before serving, transfer the sorbet to the fridge to allow it to soften slightly. Femminello The most important lemon “family” in Italy, these are typically “oblong” in shape with finely pitted skin and plenty of juice. Use for all aspects of cooking and juicing.

454 | FRUIT | CITRUS FRUITS LIME 3 EAT Fresh: Squeeze the juice for OTHER CITRUS Murcott dressings, marinades, drinks, and Sometimes called a honey tangerine, the Limes flourish in hot, wet tropical cocktails. Cooked: Use the juice and The extensive citrus family takes in all Murcott is a variety of tangor, which is a regions worldwide. Normally round, zest in desserts, pies, and baked goods. fruit with segments of flesh made up mandarin–orange hybrid. The abundant juice with thin, smooth, bright green or Preserved: Make into pickles, chutneys, of small sacs of juice; a layer of white yielded is seriously sweet, which makes it a yellowish-green skin, limes have a jams, jellies, and marmalade. Dry for pith; and a scented, oily, and bitter skin luxurious drink for breakfast. distinctive tangy juice that varies in its Middle Eastern dishes. that can be used for zest. Like the degree of sourness. Two of the most FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Poultry, fish, more familiar members of the family, widely known types are the Tahiti or shellfish, tomatoes, avocado, lemon, such as orange and lemon, other citrus Persian lime and the sharper Mexican mango, papaya, melon, spices, chilli, vary in degree of acidity or sweetness or Key lime. Like that of lemons, the Tabasco, rum, tequila, mint. and in seed content. The hybrids and juice of limes has a flavour-enhancing CLASSIC RECIPES Ceviche; Key new varieties developed expand the and preservative effect on other food. lime pie; lime pickle; margaritas. range and quality of citrus-fruit choice. 1 BUY Look for glossy, firm, plump 1 BUY The main citrus season, with fruit year-round. Avoid limes with Tahiti lime tropical exceptions, generally runs brown patches or that look very Also called the Persian lime, this from late autumn to spring. All citrus yellowish. Choose fruits that feel heavy is large, green, and seedless. The fruit should have a good aroma and for their size as this indicates juice pale, fine-grained pulp has a sharp feel firm and heavy; the skin should be content. The skin is thinner than flavour. It’s a great choice for smooth and free from blemishes, lemons, so handle the fruit carefully. zesting, salsas, and marinades. marks, and soft spots. Spongy skin can 2 STORE Limes can be kept whole indicate a lack of juice and flesh. A for 2 weeks in the fridge, but bring to greenish tinge, however, does not room temperature before use. Once necessarily mean the fruit is unripe. cut, wrap in cling film, refrigerate, and 2 STORE All citrus fruits ripen on use the next day. Freeze whole fruit the tree and do not continue to or slices and segments; freeze juice develop after picking. Keep for a few in ice-cube trays. days at room temperature or store for 2 weeks, uncovered, in the fridge. The lightly pitted, Both the juice and segments can acid-green skin is shiny be frozen. and vibrant. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Shellfish, smoked fish, poultry, ham, pork, chicory, frisée, celery, spinach, plain chocolate, cloves, cardamom. Looking like stubby Minneola fingers, these may be The juicy, seedless flesh of this mandarin–grapefruit hybrid has green when ripe an intense, sharp flavour, or purple. making the fruit refreshing to eat as a snack and also to use in salads and desserts. Finger lime This Australian citrus fruit is not a true lime but provides similar pleasantly sour juice. When lightly crushed, the tiny juice sacs pop open to give a refreshing burst of juice. Wonderful squeezed on to oysters or fish. Honey pomelo A seedless Chinese citrus variety, this is mild and succulent with pale flesh and a honeyed fragrance. The goose-pimpled skin can be candied or added to marmalade.

The glossy, smooth skin OTHER CITRUS | 455 is so thin and fragile that the fruit needs to be CLASSIC RECIPE clipped off rather than SPICED KUMQUATS pulled from the tree. You can serve this modern classic Ugli™ either with creamy desserts or with A Jamaican cross between savoury meats such as duck, pork, a tangerine, Seville orange, or gammon. The compote keeps well and grapefruit, the Ugli™ for several weeks in the fridge. has greenish skin that is thick and knobbly, but easy SERVES 4–6 to peel. Its pale flesh is 450g (1lb) kumquats refreshingly sweet. Eat fresh, 125g (41⁄2oz) sugar use the juice for salad 1 small cinnamon stick dressings, and candy the peel. 4 cloves 2 cardamom pods The bright orange 1 star anise Minneola has 1 Cut the kumquats in half and a distinctive bulge at discard the seeds. the stalk end. 2 Place in a saucepan with the sugar, spices, and 150ml (5fl oz) water. The flesh has a Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat sweetness and and simmer very gently, uncovered, aroma that gives for 20–30 minutes, or until tender. the fruit its name. 3 Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then chill. If wished, remove the spices before serving. The thin skin of the kumquat is soft and pulpy and completely edible. Kumquat Although not a true citrus, the kumquat is used in similar ways in the kitchen. The cute little bitter sweet fruit contains a burst of juice in the skin, but the pulp has a mouth-puckering sourness by contrast. Eat fresh or use for preserves. Red pomelo Sometimes called the shaddock, this is the ancestor of the grapefruit, with a thick, spongy skin and bright red pulp. Sweeter and less acidic than grapefruit, it is delicious in salads and salsas, but make sure to remove all the pith and membrane.



Choose heavy watermelons that resonate when tapped, for maximum sweetness, freshness, and ripeness.

458 | FRUITS | SWEET MELON Crenshaw An exceptionally large summer SWEET MELON melon, this has a pointed stem end, smooth, lightly ribbed skin, and Sweet or dessert melons are cultivated seductively spicy, salmon-pink flesh. in hot, sunny regions around the world. Eat as a dessert on its own or with The top melon-producing countries vanilla ice cream. are China, Turkey, Iran, and the US. Melons vary in both colour and shape, and range in size from single portions to those large enough to feed a crowd. The two main types are summer melons, which include those with a raised cross-hatched pattern or netting on the rind, and winter melons, which have a smooth or finely ridged yellow rind and pale flesh. In all sweet melons, the juicy flesh encloses a central cavity filled with pointed seeds. 1 BUY Press the end opposite the stem: if the melon is ripe, this should yield readily. The melon should also feel heavy for its size and give off a pleasant aroma through the skin. If it smells too musky it may be over-ripe. The rind should be thick and unblemished. 2 STORE If you need to ripen a melon further, keep it at room temperature. Ripe melons are best kept in a cool, airy place, but can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in cling film, for up to a week. Open-freeze balls or cubes, or freeze in syrup. 3 EAT Fresh: Remove seeds and eat halved, or in balls, chunks, or wedges. Note that chilling most melons makes them more refreshing but diminishes the flavour. Add to fruit salads, salsas, sorbets, fools, and chilled soups. Cooked: Briefly sauté in savoury dishes. Preserved: Make into jam. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Poultry, smoked or cured meats, seafood, cheese, tropical fruit, raspberries, cucumber, coconut milk, ginger, pepper, mint. CLASSIC RECIPES Melon and prosciutto; chilled melon soup. Ambrosia The Ambrosia is a highly perfumed, hybrid muskmelon with pale, netted skin and a relatively small seed cavity. Serve it fresh or in a fruit salad. The peach-coloured Canary flesh of the Ambrosia This is a large winter melon with is extremely sweet. a slightly corrugated, bright yellow rind and refreshing, crisp, green-white flesh. The aroma is strong and pleasing. Serve it on its own or as part of a festive fruit platter.

The vivid orange SWEET MELON | 459 flesh is juicy, sweet, CLASSIC RECIPE and fragrant. MELON AND PROSCIUTTO Charentais The green ribs on the netted rind of this round For this popular Italian summer summer melon make it look as if it comes appetizer, use a perfectly ripe melon ready sectioned. With its tender, apricot-orange and paper-thin slices of ham. flesh and its heady and delicious fragrance, this SERVES 4 is a gorgeous dessert melon. 1 medium-sized ripe, sweet melon 100g (31⁄2oz) prosciutto, such as Parma Galia ham, cut into thin slices A honeydew-cantaloupe cross, 1 Cut the melon into four sections the Galia is small and spherical and remove the seeds. Use a sharp with a raised pattern of fine knife to slice the flesh from the rind. netting. The creamy, light green 2 Wrap the prosciutto around the flesh is spicy-sweet with a lovely melon, or serve the two ingredients aroma. Eat as a dessert. alongside each other on individual plates. The melon should be served The seed cavity is at room temperature. large compared with the amount of seeds The soft, juicy flesh it contains. is at its best when eaten chilled. The rind typically shows the lacy pattern of the netting. Muskmelon Also known in the US as cantaloupe and netted melon, this summer melon has a rind covered with a pattern of raised netting. The pale orange flesh is sweet and juicy. Serve for a breakfast treat.

460 | FRUIT | SWEET MELON The pale, juicy flesh WATERMELON surrounds a cavity filled SWEET MELON (CONTINUED) with large, oval seeds. Watermelons are grown in both tropical and subtropical regions. The Honeydew The juicy, sweet flesh main producing countries are China, The best known winter melon, of the ogen melon has Turkey, Iran, the US, and Brazil. The Honeydew has a smooth, pale a green tint. fruit can be either round or elongated; yellow or yellow-green rind and some have dark green skin, others have ivory-coloured flesh. It is the Ogen pale green skin streaked with darker classic choice for The ogen has a yellow-green, green. The sweet, melting, thirst- melon-boat starters. lightly netted skin with striped quenching flesh is usually deep pink-red sections. Sweet and aromatic, but can also be yellow or white. It is Piel de Sapo has a it can be enjoyed on its own the only melon to have seeds scattered distinctive oval shape or paired with cured meats. throughout the flesh, although seedless varieties are now common. like a rugby ball. 1 BUY Watermelons should be firm and evenly coloured, and feel heavy. They should not sound empty when tapped, but give a ringing sound. The side where the melon has rested on the ground should be yellowish, not white or green. If buying wedges, avoid any with faded flesh or white streaks. 2 STORE Wrap slices and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Uncut watermelon can be stored in a cool place for up to 2 weeks. 3 EAT Fresh: Serve chilled in wedges. Add to a fruit platter. Cube for salads. Preserved: Pickle chunks or the rind. Make into jam. Roast and salt the seeds. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Chicken, shrimp, crab, feta cheese, beetroot, melon, apple, berries, lime, chillies, ginger, mint. CLASSIC RECIPES Watermelon salsa; watermelon rind pickles; Greek watermelon and feta salad; watermelon granita. Piel de Sapo This popular Spanish variety has a thick, rough-ridged, dark green skin and crisp, pale, refreshing flesh. Eat it on its own or serve with smoked ham.

WATERMELON | 4 6 1 Sugar Baby This small “icebox” variety of watermelon has a round shape, dark green skin, and super-sweet red flesh. It makes a fabulous sorbet. The vivid, juicy flesh is scattered with black seeds. Charleston Gray Large, commercially popular, oval fruit with a light greenish-grey skin and crisp red flesh. Excellent for all purposes.

462 | FRUIT | TROPICAL FRUIT KIWI FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Steak, chicken, Zespri Gold guinea fowl, squid, salmon, swordfish, A New Zealand original, the Although Chinese in origin, it was chillies, oranges, strawberries, smooth bronze skin covers New Zealand that put kiwi fruit on tropical fruit. succulent golden flesh with a the commercial map. They are now CLASSIC RECIPES Fruit central ring of tiny seeds. The grown in other temperate countries salad; kiwi salsa. taste is deliciously exotic. such as Italy, Australia, California, and Chile. Sometimes called Chinese Fuzzy Hayward The thin, rough, and gooseberries, the fruit is small and A popular variety shaped like a hairy skin of Fuzzy egg-shaped, with a fuzzy, dull brown flattened barrel. The black seeds Hayward is inedible. skin. When peeled, the flesh make a striking starburst pattern underneath is brilliant translucent around the white core. Eat fresh green, tangy, and succulent, with a or use in salads and salsas. halo of minute black seeds around the central core. 1 BUY Kiwi fruit are at their best in the winter months; choose firm, plump, unwrinkled, and unblemished fruits that give slightly when squeezed. 2 STORE To ripen, store kiwi fruit at room temperature for a few days or put in a paper bag. Keep ripe fruit in an open bag in the fridge for about 10 days. Freeze peeled fruit in sugar syrup. 3 EAT Raw: Halve and spoon out for a snack at room temperature. Peel and slice for fruit salads or to decorate cakes, pavlovas, and pastries. Use as a garnish for meat and fish. Dice for use in salsas. Purée for smoothies, coulis, sorbets, and marinades. Cooked: Not suitable. Preserved: Peel and chop for use in preserves. SAPODILLA The sapodilla is found in the wild from FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Chicken, fish, southern Mexico to Nicaragua, but is cream, tropical fruit, berries, lemon, now cultivated in other areas, including lime, coconut, rum. Southeast Asia. The egg-shaped fruit CLASSIC RECIPES Exotic fruit salad; have rough, russet skin and translucent sapodilla ice cream. flesh with a smooth, creamy texture and luscious, fruity taste. Avoid eating the shiny black seeds, as they have a hooked end that is dangerous to swallow. 1 BUY At its peak in November, the fruit must be perfectly ripe: when unripe it is hard, grainy, and astringent. It should be slightly firm when lightly pressed, but not totally soft. Unripe fruit has a greenish tinge. Avoid any that are over-ripe, as the flavour will have deteriorated. 2 STORE If the unpeeled skin does not smell fragrant and is still hard, leave it at room temperature to ripen for up to a week. Ripe fruit can be kept in the fridge for a few days. Freeze whole fruit, then half thaw and serve like sorbet. 3 EAT Fresh: Slice down or across, peel and cut in wedges or scoop out with a spoon, either chilled or at room temperature. Remove the pips. Eat as a snack or dessert. Purée and mix with mayonnaise or vinaigrette. Mash and use in custards, creams, mousses, and milk shakes. Cooked: Unsuitable for cooking. Preserved: Use the pulp for jam or Remove the shiny, boil down for syrup. hooked, black seeds before eating.

MANGO | 463 MANGO 2 STORE If unripe, ripen in a warm FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Chicken, SIMPLE CLASSICS place or in a paper bag. Once ripe, smoked meats, fish, shellfish, green Mangoes have been cultivated in India store in the fridge, but try and eat as salads, lime, lemon, exotic fruit, MANGO CHUTNEY since ancient times, and are now grown soon as possible. Open-freeze slices or vanilla ice cream, sweet sticky rice, in other tropical regions such as China, freeze in syrup. Freeze purée. chillies, rum. British empire-builders picked up a Mexico, and Brazil. The colour ranges 3 EAT Fresh: Eat at room CLASSIC RECIPES Mango salsa; taste for this Indian chutney and from mottled green to yellow and red, temperature, peeled and stoned. Slice mango sorbet; mango chutney. brought the recipe back home with and the size and shape varies as well. or chop for salads and cakes. Purée for them. It is usually served with curry, Generally they have a slight ridge on juices, smoothies, and sorbets. Purée Alphonso but it also goes well with cheese. one side and a “beak” at one end. The or chop for salsas, sauces, mousses, and The dark green “king of Traditional chutney is made with flesh is generally neon-orange and creams. Cooked: Heat destroys the mangoes” has a brief summer unripe green mangoes, but these can surrounds a large, hairy, flat stone. flavour, so only warm gently at the season. The buttery flesh has a be hard to find, so this recipe uses 1 BUY Colour is not a good indication most. Preserved: Slice and bottle in saffron hue, the aroma is heady, firm, semi-ripe mangoes instead, of ripeness. Choose fruit that gives syrup. Cut into strips for drying (see and the sweetness is enhanced which results in a fairly sweet slightly all over when gently squeezed dried fruit). Use unripe green by a dash of tartness. Eat as chutney with a light colour. mangoes in Indian pickles and an exquisite dessert. and has a perfumed aroma at the chutney. Dried mango powder MAKES ABOUT 2.5 KG (51/2LB) stem end. Avoid mushy is also used as an Indian spice. CHUTNEY looking fruit with blemishes, black Ataulfo 400g (14oz) caster sugar spots, or wrinkles. Sometimes called Champagne 500ml (16fl oz) cider vinegar Kent mango, this popular Mexican A popular cultivated summer variety is golden 2kg (4½lb) semi-ripe mangoes, peeled large oval variety yellow with a slightly oblong and cubed originating in Florida, shape. The silky flesh is Kent mangoes have thin deep yellow and has a 100g (3½oz) root ginger, peeled and greenish-yellow skin with a rich spicy-sweet flavour. finely grated red blush. The flesh is soft It makes a delectable with a rich, sweet flavour. fruit salad. 100g (3½oz) red chillies, seeded and Good for a succulent snack. finely shredded 50g (1¾oz) raisins 2 tsp salt 1 Put the sugar and vinegar in a preserving pan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. 2 Add the mango, ginger, chillies, raisins, and salt. 3 Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring frequently. 4 Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick. 5 Cool and pour into sterilised jars. Seal and store in a cool dark place. The chutney will keep for up to a year. The medium-sized fruit have a medium-thick yellow to orange- coloured skin. Kensington Pride The most widely grown variety in Australia, the fruit has deep-orange, soft, and juicy flesh under yellow skin with an orange-red blush. Eat fresh or use for salads and salsas.

464 | FRUIT | TROPICAL FRUITS PINEAPPLE 1 BUY Pineapples are only harvested If you can easily pull out when ripe (when buying whole fruit, one of the inner leaves, Pineapples are cultivated in tropical neither the skin colour nor the size and sub-tropical climates such as is any indication of ripeness). For the pineapple is ripe and Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil, and optimum flavour, choose fruit that ready for eating. Costa Rica. The rough, knobbly skin smells sweet and feels solid and firm, of the fruit is divided into dozens of with a crown of stiff, glossy leaves. Pineapple lozenges, which makes it resemble Avoid fruit that looks dull or bruised, Varieties of pineapple differ slightly an enlarged pine cone topped with with withered leaves. in size, shape, and colour – some a grey-green plume of spiky leaves. 2 STORE Eat as soon as possible. have a golden shell when ripe, The firm, rich yellow to pale cream Do not keep whole fruit in the fridge; others are dark green or reddish – flesh is juicy and sweet with an however, peeled, sliced, or cubed as well as in their degree of astringent finish. pineapple can be refrigerated, in an sweetness. All can be eaten fresh airtight container or wrapped in cling or used in salads and desserts. PREPARING PINEAPPLE film, for up to 3 days. Pineapple slices and chunks freeze well. Baby pineapple When slicing off the skin, cut thickly so you 3 EAT Fresh: Peel and slice or cube These are miniature versions take the brown “eyes” too. Any remaining for fruit salads, salsas, pastries, and of the larger fruit but with eyes can be nicked out with a knife point. desserts. Juice for marinades, drinks, a rounder shape, brighter colour, and smoothies. Cooked: Sauté slices; and an edible, tender, and sweet 1 4 fry as fritters; or grill on skewers. Bake inner core. Ideal for two, so save 2 3 in cakes. Preserved: Use in jam, pickles, for a special dessert or breakfast. chutneys, and preserves. Dry slices 1 Top and tail the pineapple. Stand it upright on or crystallize. Bottle in syrup. Mexican papaya its base, and slice off the skin all around the fruit, FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Pork, ham, This jumbo-sized fruit has cutting from the top down and following the contour chicken, duck, fish, shellfish, cottage yellow, orange, or pink flesh that of the pineapple. 2 Cut lengthways in half and then cheese, coconut, ginger, allspice, is firm and juicy if not quite as intense into quarters. 3 Slice away the fibrous core from the cinnamon, black pepper, Cointreau, in flavour as Hawaiian papaya, the type centre of each quarter. 4 Slice across the quarters. rum, kirsch. common in supermarkets. Eat fresh or CLASSIC RECIPES Sweet and sour use for sauces and smoothies. PAPAYA pork; Hawaiian prawn salad; pineapple upside-down cake; ambrosia; pineapple The crunchy seeds in Also called pawpaw, the papaya grows cheesecake. the cavity of the fruit in tropical or sub-tropical regions such are edible although as Hawaii and South Africa. It can vary Cooked: When unripe, steam as a usually not eaten. in size, shape, and colour, but typically vegetable, dice for soup, or stuff and is an elongated pear shape with thin, bake as a savoury dish. Preserved: Hawaiian papaya shiny, yellow-green skin and vivid pink Bottle in syrup; make preserves and A smooth-skinned variety with a shallow seed or orange flesh that is musky-sweet pickles; dry; or candy/crystallize. cavity, Sunrise has very sweet flesh. It is part of and succulent. The fruit and its leaves a group of papayas called “solo”, because they contain an enzyme called papain that FLAVOUR PAIRINGS are a suitable size for one person. is used as a meat tenderizer. 1 BUY Papaya are in season all year Meat, smoked meats, round. Choose a papaya that feels avocado, chillies, lime, heavy for its size, and has smooth skin lemon, other tropical with no pitting or cracking. Ripe fruit fruits, coconut, ginger. will have a sweet aroma and be soft enough to hold an impression when CLASSIC RECIPES gently squeezed (but handle carefully to avoid bruising). Thai green papaya 2 STORE Keep slightly unripe fruit salad; papaya salsa. at room temperature until soft and yellow. If ripe, store in a closed paper bag in the fridge. Papaya flesh can be frozen in sugar syrup. 3 EAT Fresh: Use in salads, desserts, and salsas. Press for juice.

P I NE A P P LE | P OMEG RANATE | 4 6 5 POMEGRANATE FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Prawns, lamb, chicken, duck, pheasant, aubergines, Native to Iran, pomegranates are grown figs, almonds, pistachios, couscous, rice, in Mediterranean-type climates around orange-flower water. the world. Inside the leathery, burnished CLASSIC RECIPES Faisinjan; Persian skin, with its calyx end strikingly shaped chicken and rice; pomegranate soup; like a crown, the fruit is composed of pomegranate molasses; pomegranate cavities filled with many kernels (called jelly; grenadine. arils). Unless the variety is seedless, each kernel consists of a small, crunchy or PREPARING POMEGRANATE softish seed covered with brilliant By scoring the skin and then breaking the ruby-red or white jelly. The jelly has fruit apart, the kernels will not be punctured a delicate sweetly tart flavour and a juicy and leak their sweetly tart juice. texture. The suede-like pith lining the skin and the dividing membrane 2 are very bitter. 1 1 BUY Pomegranates are in season from late autumn to the winter months. 3 Select by weight, not colour, choosing glossy fruit that feels heavy for its size. 1 Cut off the top of the pomegranate. 2 Score the Avoid any that look dry or damaged. skin into quarters, then break the fruit apart with 2 STORE Whole fruit can be kept in your hands. 3 Use your fingers or a spoon to remove the fridge for a few weeks. Scooped-out the kernels from the surrounding membrane. pulp can be refrigerated for a few days, or frozen to be used for juice. 3 EAT Fresh: Use in salads, salsas, dressings, and cold and iced desserts. Press for juice. Cooked: Add juice or pulp to desserts, as well as soups, stews, and sauces. Preserved: Make molasses, syrup, and cordials. Wonderful A leading Californian variety with a signature crimson colour, this has abundant juice, a sweet flavour, and glowing red arils. It is a top choice for both eating and juicing. Bedana This medium–large Indian fruit has light-coloured arils. As they are very sweet, juicy, and seedless, Bedana pomegranates are excellent for eating fresh.

466 | FRUIT | TROPICAL FRUITS PASSION FRUIT Dents on the skin BANANA are a sign the fruit The passion fruit, also known as is ready to eat. Thousands of different varieties of granadilla, is cultivated in temperate bananas are grown in the tropics. to sub-tropical areas such as in Brazil, Purple passion fruit Fruit from the large plantations in Ecuador, Kenya, and Australia. There Typically the size of a lime. Smooth Central America tends to bland, mealy are two main types: purple and yellow. purple passion fruit are unripe. Once uniformity, whereas varieties from The purple varieties can be either wrinkled, the round, purple-brown places such as the Canary Islands are round or slightly oval, and the fruit contains masses of scented, juicy smaller, sweeter, and more curved. dimpled, leathery skin cracks like capsules with tiny, crunchy seeds. Eat As the banana ripens, the leathery, parchment when the fruit is ripe fresh or use as a fragrant flavouring. easy-to-peel skin turns from green to (except in the case of the purple yellow. Cooking bananas or plantains Panama fruit, pictured below right). Sweet granadilla are larger and flatter, with firm flesh Inside the membranous lining are This member of the passion-fruit that is always eaten cooked. gelatinous, yellow-grey arils shaped like family has a brittle orange rind 1 BUY Buy according to requirements tiny tear-drops filled with crunchy and long stem. The sweet, and personal preference at different seeds. The juice is a heavenly taste of delicate flavour of the grey, stages of ripeness, from quite green the tropics. Yellow varieties, which are jelly-like pulp and black seeds to blackish-yellow. Brown speckles grown in hotter regions such as Hawaii makes them a pleasure indicate softness; when dark all over, and Fiji, tend to be larger than purple to eat fresh. the banana is generally too ripe to types, with thick, smooth skin. eat but it can still be used for cooking. 1 BUY Select fruit that is heavy for As plantains ripen, their flesh becomes its size, and avoid any that is overly darker and sweeter, and the skin hard. Purple passion fruit should turn develops black spots. brown, brittle, and dented as it ripens, 2 STORE Ripen bananas at room and smell fragrant. If very heavily temperature. Do not store in the wrinkled, however, it may have dried fridge or freezer. Keep plantains in out. Yellow passion fruit is ripe when a cool larder for up to a week. the skin just starts to wrinkle. 3 EAT Fresh: Peel and slice bananas 2 STORE Passion fruit can be ripened for fruit and savoury salads; purée for at room temperature. Store ripe fruit smoothies. Cooked: Bake or fry whole, in an open paper bag in the fridge. or slice for fritters; purée or chop for Whole fruit can be frozen in a plastic cakes and breads. Boil hard green bag, or the pulp in ice-cube trays. plantains; fry and grill those that are 3 EAT Fresh: Halve and spoon out yellow semi-ripe; and mash, curry, or the pulp for fruit salads and deep-fry ripe black fruit. Preserved: desserts. Sieve the pulp to Use bananas in jam and chutney, or yield juice for dressings, dry banana slices. ices, mousses, drinks, and FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Chicken, trout, smoothies. Cooked: Use cream, yogurt, custard, orange, lime, the juice for soufflés coconut, walnuts, chocolate, coffee, and sauces. Preserved: ginger, brown sugar, liqueurs, rum. Make the juice into CLASSIC RECIPES Banana bread; a fruit curd or jelly, banana split; chicken Maryland; banana or syrup. ice cream; bananes flambées; banoffee pie; arroz a la cubana; plátanos fritos. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Tuna, venison, game birds, cream, yogurt, custard, oranges, kiwi fruit, strawberries, bananas, peaches, brown sugar, rum. CLASSIC RECIPES Passion fruit soufflé; Pavlova. PREPARING PASSION FRUIT Panama The skin is smooth but This large variety of purple passion blemishes easily unless Everything inside a passion fruit is edible – fruit is an exception to the rule, in all the fragrant, juicy pulp and the tiny, that it is sweet before the smooth, handled with care. crunchy seeds. dark red shell wrinkles. It lends itself equally to desserts or snacks. 1 2 The jelly-like arils packed inside the fruit 1 With a sharp knife, cut the fruit in half, cutting are sweet and juicy. across the centre. 2 Using a small spoon, scrape all around the edge of each half to release the pulp from the membrane. Scoop out the pulp.

BANANA | 467 Select fruit of Yellow banana CLASSIC RECIPE even size and The standard supermarket bunch colour with a few has large, curved yellow fruit that is BANANA BREAD dark spots, which thick skinned and robust, making it indicate ripeness. easy to ship. The creamy-white flesh A very popular tea-time loaf with is consistently sweet, if somewhat Anglo-Jamaican roots, this is moist The small size gives floury. These are good all-rounders and keeps well. Serve it sliced, with these fruit their other for both eating and baking. or without butter. name of baby bananas. MAKES 1 LOAF Plantain 125g (41⁄2oz) unsalted butter, The leading commercial at room temperature variety of plantain, 125g (41⁄2oz) light brown soft sugar Maricongo, is large and angled, and the green skin 1 large egg turns yellow with dark splotches to brownish-black 1 tsp pure vanilla extract as it ripens. Use as you would a potato. 250g (9oz) plain flour Red banana 1 tbsp baking powder Sweeter, shorter, and plumper 1⁄2 tsp salt than the average banana, 1⁄2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg this delicate type has claret-coloured skin and 500g (1lb 2oz) ripe bananas, mashed 100g (31⁄2oz) raisins, tossed in 1 tsp flour creamy purple-pink flesh. 4 tbsp chopped walnuts 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/ Gas 4). Butter a 1-litre (13⁄4-pint) capacity loaf tin. 2 Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat into the mixture. 3 Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg into another bowl. Add this in batches to the creamed mixture alternately with batches of mashed banana, beating well by hand after each addition. When thoroughly blended, mix in the floured raisins and the walnuts. 4 Turn the mixture into the loaf tin. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Lady Finger Tiny bananas with creamy flesh and a very sweet flavour, these make perfect mini-snacks or can be used whole for fritters. The leathery skin of the plantain must be peeled off or cut away before the fruit is cooked.

468 | FRUIT | TROPICAL FRUITS PERSIMMON 2 STORE Ripen in a paper bag. Both the skin and Ripe fruit can be kept in the fridge seeds of the Sharon This eye-catching fruit is cultivated for a short time, but eat as soon as in Mediterranean and sub-tropical possible. Or freeze whole or as purée. Fruit are edible. climates. There are two types: the 3 EAT Fresh: Cut off the top and Japanese or oriental persimmon (kaki) spoon out the pulp, or add to fruit Sharon Fruit and the smaller American persimmon, salads. Blend for smoothies. Use in Sliced and eaten when firm like an which is grown in gardens. The many sauces and cold and iced desserts. apple, this Israeli variety has a sweet, varieties of Japanese persimmon offer Cooked: Poach unripe fruit. Add to date-like texture, and is ideal for a range of shapes, sizes, and colours, cakes, breads, and muffins. Preserved: avocado and fruit salads. but many look like large, waxy, amber Dry; or purée for preserves. tomatoes. The silky-smooth flesh is FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Ham, pork, usually bright orange. When ripe most game, lime, clotted cream, yogurt, varieties have a sweet, honeyed taste. fromage frais, walnuts, ginger, 1 BUY In season in late autumn and cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, honey. winter, choose fruit with rich colour, CLASSIC RECIPES Persimmon glossy skin, and no blemishes. They pudding; persimmon ice cream. should look swollen, as if just about to burst. The leaves should be intact. Fuyu is a flat, squat variety with firm flesh. Fuyu Rojo Brillante Although seemingly unripe, when pale This large Spanish persimmon has an and hard this variety is actually ready oblong shape and highly coloured skin. to eat. Its sweetness and “crunchy” When ripe it is meltingly soft. Serve texture make it particularly good fresh or use in desserts. for salads. Fully ripe fruit are very Hachiya soft and pulpy, so A large, heart-shaped handle with care. fruit with a papery, pale-green calyx, Hachiya must be almost mushy before it can be eaten. It is then deliciously sweet, and excellent for puddings.

ACKEE | PEPINO | RED MOMBIN | 469 ACKEE be found in the summer months; PEPINO kept unwrapped in the bottom of the otherwise buy canned ackee. fridge for up to a week, or cubed and Ackee or akee is native to West 2 STORE Follow the instructions on Sometimes called a “tree melon” frozen in sugar syrup. Africa, but has been adopted as the label. or “melon pear”, this beautiful 3 EAT Fresh: Peel and slice to eat Jamaica’s national fruit. The pear- 3 EAT Cooked: Boil and purée heart-shaped fruit is native to alone or add to fruit salads. Dice for shaped fruits are picked when they for patties. Use in soups and stews. temperate Andean areas and cultivated salsas and cake fillings. Cooked: Poach are fully ripe: bright red and split Fry in oil. in Chile, New Zealand, and Australia. slices for desserts. Preserved: Bottle open in a “yawn” or “smile” to reveal FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Bacon, salt The pale yellow flesh is aromatic and in syrup or make into chutney. their creamy-yellow pulp or curd and pork, salt cod, butter, chillies, peppers, mildly sweet with a slight tartness. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Prosciutto, large black seeds. Only the ripe curd garlic, tomatoes, curry spices. Some varieties have abundant seeds, prawns, scallops, vanilla ice cream, can be eaten; under-ripe curd and CLASSIC RECIPES Ackee and saltfish; while others are seedless. other tropical fruits, honey. other parts are toxic. Although ackee patties. 1 BUY Select pepino with a deep CLASSIC RECIPES Exotic fruit salad; slightly sweet, ackee curd is most yellow or gold base colour as this Spanish gazpacho. commonly treated as a vegetable As ackee ripens it turns from indicates the fruit is fully ripe; avoid any because it picks up the taste of other green to greenish-yellow to with greenish undertones. The fruit ingredients in a dish. red and then splits open should be firm yet still somewhat pliant 1 BUY Outside Jamaica, fresh, along the seams. when gently squeezed by hand (they vac-packed ackee can sometimes are delicate and have to be handled and transported with care). 2 STORE Ripen at room temperature for a few days if necessary. If ripe, pepino can be Pepino typically has shiny gold skin streaked with violet. RED MOMBIN Red mombins are the size of large olives, with The red mombin – or Spanish plum or jocote, among many of its colloquial a big, fibrous seed names – is native to tropical North and in the centre. South America, but it also grows in the Philippines, where it is known as siniguelas. The flesh of the deep red to yellow, oval fruits is juicy and fragrant with a spicy, sweetly tart flavour. 1 BUY Choose hard, under-ripe, greenish fruit for chutney; otherwise look for well-coloured, glossy, soft fruit. 2 STORE Red mombin is fragile and needs to be handled carefully. Ripen at room temperature; keep ripe fruit in a paper bag in the bottom of the fridge. They are not suitable for freezing. 3 EAT Fresh: When ripe, eat out of hand. Purée for sorbets and ice cream. Press the juice for cocktails. Salt under-ripe fruit for snacks, or make into a tart green salsa. Cooked: Simmer in curries and stews. Poach for desserts. Preserved: Make conserves, chutney, and pickles; use in syrups and cordials; dry; bottle in syrup. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Chillies, raisins, ginger, cinnamon, curry spices, brown sugar, rose water, rum.

470 | FRUIT | TROPICAL FRUITS DRAGON FRUIT to eat, the fruit should yield slightly when gently squeezed. The cacti that bear this small fruit, also 2 STORE Keep in the bottom of the known as pitaya, are native to Central fridge, but eat as soon as possible after America, but the fruit is cultivated also purchase. It is not suitable for freezing. in the West Indies, Southeast Asia, and 3 EAT Dragon fruit should not be other tropical regions. Dragon fruit cooked. Fresh: For the best flavour, has a striking appearance with its fleshy eat chilled. Halve and scoop out scales and skin colour, which may be the flesh. Add to fruit salads. a fluorescent shocking pink or golden Press the juice for drinks, yellow. The spongy, juicy flesh, which cocktails, and sorbets. ranges from deep pink to pearl white, is studded with tiny black seeds, and FLAVOUR PAIRINGS tastes mild and slightly sweet. 1 BUY Dragon fruit is generally Other tropical fruits, available in autumn. If ripe and ready lime, lemon, coconut, sugar, ginger. The small edible seeds are pleasantly crunchy. Pink dragon fruit RAMBUTAN The thick scales give this fruit the look of a crimson A close relative of the lychee, the artichoke. Its flesh, which rambutan is cultivated throughout can be pink or white, Southeast Asia as well as tropical is sweet and refreshing. Honduras and Australia. As with Enjoy fresh or juiced. the lychee, the shell of the rambutan is brittle and the white flesh covers Yellow dragon fruit under-ripe; brownish fruit will taste for juice, smoothies, cocktails, and a smooth, dark stone. The taste is Looking like mini-pineapple unpleasant). Avoid any fruits that look dressings. Cooked: Poach for desserts. similarly aromatic and sweet, although crossed with banana, this type shrivelled. Buy in small amounts as the Use to finish sweet-and-sour and with a slight sharpness. of dragon fruit tastes similar fruits can soon dry out. stir-fried dishes. Preserved: Dry whole. 1 BUY Choose fruit with lively, curly to the pink variety, whether 2 STORE Keep in an open paper bag Bottle the stoned pulp in syrup. Add “hairs”. Do not buy if they look flat, eaten fresh or juiced. in the lower part of the fridge, but eat to jams and jellies. tired, and brown. The fruit is fragile, as soon as possible after purchase. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Pork, so handle with care. LYCHEE AND LONGAN Unpeeled fruit can be frozen. duck, seafood, vanilla ice cream, 2 STORE Rambutans can be kept in 3 EAT Fresh: Shell and eat as a snack. chillies, avocado, other tropical the lower part of the fridge for several Lychees, or litchis, and longans are Use for salads or ice cream. Purée flesh fruits, raspberries, coconut, days in an open paper bag, but should closely related tropical fruits native ginger, rose water. be eaten as soon as possible after to China and Southeast Asia. The purchase. Freeze unpeeled. heart-shaped lychee is slightly larger 3 EAT Fresh: Eat as a snack, or use than the longan. Both have similar juicy, in fruit salads. Purée flesh for drinks, sweet, translucent flesh, with the smoothies, and ice cream. Cooked: lychee’s more richly flavoured. Poach for desserts. Preserved: Bottle 1 BUY The fruits are at their best in in syrup. Add to jams and jellies. summer. Choose lychees with a good FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Pork, duck, red or pink colour (greenish fruit are cream, chillies, avocado, other tropical fruits, coconut, vanilla, ginger. Lychee Inside the brittle, scaly, red shell is The “hairs” on the fruit pearly white pulp enclosing a large, should be lively and shiny brown seed. The pulp has curly, not flat, tired, a delicate, sweet, clean flavour or brown. that works well in both sweet and savoury dishes. Longan This has a rough brown shell and juicy flesh surrounding a large seed that is jet black with a white eye-shaped mark.

F E I J OA | G UAVA | S TA R F RU I T | 4 7 1 FEIJOA 3 EAT Fresh: Halve and scoop out GUAVA smoothies, pancake fillings, sorbets, the flesh to eat as it is, or add to fruit and ice cream. Cooked: Poach or bake Although sometimes known as the salads and salsas. Cooked: Use the pulp The guava thrives in tropical and for desserts, compotes, and savoury pineapple guava, the feijoa is in fact for crumbles, pancake fillings, and pies. sub-tropical conditions. There are dishes. Use in pies. Preserved: Make unrelated to these fruits. Native to Poach for compotes. Purée for sauces. many varieties, but the most common jelly, jam, or “butter”. Bottle in syrup. South America it is cultivated in warm, Preserved: Make into jelly, chutney, or is pear shaped with thin, yellow-green FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Pork, pheasant, temperate regions. The knobbly, relish; bottle in syrup. skin and juicy, tartly sweet flesh. At the duck, seafood, chicken, cream cheese, lime-green, barrel-shaped fruit looks FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Roast meat, outside edge, the flesh tends to be apple, pear, lime, chillies, other tropical like a tiny, plump avocado. Inside the prosciutto, cream, chillies, salad greens, somewhat granular; the sweetest, fruits, lemon, coconut, ginger, honey. thin, leathery skin, the sweetly tart, lime, other tropical fruits, honey, mint, softest pulp is at the core amid the CLASSIC RECIPES Guava and apple grainy flesh surrounds a jelly-like pulp ginger, hazelnuts. array of small, hard but edible seeds. pie; guava jelly; guava butter. packed with tiny, slippery, edible seeds. CLASSIC RECIPES Feijoa jelly; feijoa 1 BUY Choose unblemished fruit. 1 BUY A ripe feijoa will give slightly pancakes; feijoa salsa. When ripe, a guava will have an intense to the touch and its perfumed aroma floral fragrance; it will be firm but will will be heady. give slightly when squeezed gently 2 STORE Handle carefully, as feijoa (handle with care as the fruit bruises are prone to bruising. Ripen in a paper easily). Under-ripe fruit is popular in bag at room temperature. If ripe, they Asian countries for salads and snacks. can be kept in the fridge for a few days. 2 STORE Ripen in a warm room until Puréed fruit can be frozen. the fragrance develops. Ripe guavas can be kept in an open paper bag in the fridge for a few days. Freeze peeled fruit in syrup. 3 EAT Fresh: Add to sweet and savoury salads. Purée for sauces, When ripe, the jellied inner section of the feijoa is clear, not white. STAR FRUIT syrup for sauces. In Asia, unripe fruit is The juicy flesh of used as a vegetable. Preserved: Make the guava is a vivid Also called carambola, the pretty star into jam, chutney, and pickle. Slice and salmon-pink. fruit is widely grown in tropical and preserve in sugar as sweetmeats. sub-tropical regions. The cylindrical, FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Poultry, prawns, yellow-green fruit has thick, waxy skin avocado, red peppers, other tropical with five sharp ribs that look like raised fruits, lime, coconut, lemongrass, fins. The crisp, juicy flesh is citrus-like, nutmeg, vanilla, honey, rum, salt. differing in sweetness according to variety and how ripe the fruit is. The star fruit is so-called 1 BUY Select shiny, even coloured, because when cut across a firm fruit without blemishes. Star fruit is green when unripe, turning to pale section or slice is yellow and then rich gold as it ripens. decoratively star-shaped. When ripe the aroma should be fruity. Once soft, it will quickly lose flavour. Buy unripe green fruit, which will be more acidic, for cooking as a vegetable. 2 STORE Keep at room temperature until the fragrance develops. Ripe fruit can be kept in a closed paper bag in the fridge for a few days. Or freeze. 3 EAT Trim off any traces of brown along the top of the ridges as this will taste bitter. Fresh: Include in fruit salads. Use as a garnish. Extract the juice for drinks. Cooked: Poach or purée for cakes and desserts. Use the

472 | FRUIT | TROPICAL FRUITS TAMARILLO FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Roast meats, DURIAN Cooked: Add to cakes. Cook the chicken, fish, cream, kiwi fruit, oranges, unripe fruit as a vegetable. Preserved: The tamarillo or tree tomato is grown brown sugar, curry spices. About the size of a football, the durian Use in jam. Sugar and salt for snacks in many tropical and subtropical is famous for its delicious flavour and and sweetmeats. Roast the seeds. countries, particularly New Zealand. CLASSIC RECIPES nauseating, pervasive aroma. The Preserve as paste to flavour desserts. The small, egg-shaped fruit have woody shell is hard and spiky, and FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Milk, cream, pointed ends and a thin green stem. Tamarillo ice cream; the pulp is divided into segments coconut, tropical fruit, curry spices, The milder, yellow variety is suitable tamarillo chutney. containing sweet, rich, yellow-white chillies, glutinous rice. for preserving. The attractive flushed flesh with the texture of creamy CLASSIC RECIPES Durian jam; durian flesh has swirls of dark edible seeds, The tough, bitter skin of custard. The few seeds are the size of ice cream. and a tangy, sweet–sour taste. the tamarillo is inedible. chestnuts. The main export countries 1 BUY Available in the autumn, select This dark red variety is are Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The thorny shell must fruit that are heavy for their size, richly best eaten fresh. 1 BUY Eat very fresh in their summer be cracked open to coloured, and slightly soft to the touch. season. Avoid split or damaged fruit, as reveal the creamy pulp. Unripe fruit will have a greenish tinge. it means the fruit is over-ripe; the smell When ripe, they should smell like a will also be overpowering. When ripe, mix of tomatoes and apricots. Only the fruit will be a dull yellow-green, eat when fully ripe. and the flesh yellow-white. 2 STORE Ripen at room 2 STORE Store for as short a time as temperature until fragrant. Store possible, and keep separate from other ripe fruit in a plastic bag in the foods. Freeze slightly over-ripe flesh in fridge for up to a week. plastic bags. Dry-freeze peeled fruit. 3 EAT Fresh: Split open the shell 3 EAT Fresh: Cut in half, and scoop out the pulp surrounding sprinkle with sugar, refrigerate the seeds. Purée for shakes overnight, and scoop out the and smoothies. chilled pulp the next day. Add to ice cream. Cooked: Peel and stew for savoury sauces and relishes. Bake or grill for desserts and compotes. Preserved: Use for chutney and preserves. CHERIMOYA Libby A popular variety with a conical shape Closely related to the custard apple and indented skin that looks like and the soursop, the cherimoya has beaten metal. The sweet, strong green smooth skin with a pattern of flavour makes it superb to eat fresh. grooved indentations like enlarged fingerprints. They are large, juicy, and Custard apple scented, with slightly grainy flesh, a Closely related to the cherimoya, these are heart-shaped with mellow, sweet–sour flavour, and dark, thick, overlapping raised green petals, rather like a large pine bean-like seeds, and are commercially cone. Brown patches develop as the fruit ripens. The grown in subtropical regions such as custard-like flesh contains shiny black seeds. Enjoy fresh Brazil, California, Australia, and Spain. or use in pies, pancakes, stir-fries, and savoury sauces. 1 BUY Usually available in the winter months; choose fruits without dark spots. They should be slightly firm. If they feel very soft, they will be over-ripe and have a poor texture. 2 STORE Handle carefully as the fruit is fragile. Ripen at room temperature in a paper bag. Wrap ripe fruit in clingfilm and store in the fridge for a few days. Freeze purée. 3 EAT Fresh: Scoop out the flesh. Add to fruit salads, ices, and desserts. Blend for drinks. Cooked: Pulp or purée for savoury dishes and stir-fries. Preserved: Use in jam and preserves. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Pork, chicken, citrus, yogurt, cinnamon, ginger. CLASSIC RECIPES Cherimoya sorbet; cherimoya sauce. Fino de Jete Campa A variety widely grown in Spain and New Zealand, it has very white flesh but is somewhat lacking in perfume. Use in sorbets and smoothies.

MAMMEE APPLE | MANGOSTEEN | 473 MAMMEE APPLE MANGOSTEEN The small, purple fruit has a prominent calyx Native to the Caribbean, the tree Inside the thick shell of the purple fruit, that remains attached (sometimes known as mamey or the pith contains juicy, perfumed arils to the stalk. mamey apple, but not the same as the of sweet flesh. It is grown commercially mamey sapote) was introduced into The flesh is apricot- in Thailand, Vietnam, Central West Africa, Southeast Asia, Hawaii, coloured with a pleasing America, and Australia. and Florida. The round, orange-size fragrance. The large pit 1 BUY In its summer fruit has brown russeted skin. season, look for fruit with 1 BUY When unripe, the fruit is should be discarded. a deep colour. To test if hard and heavy, but the flesh slightly the fruit is ripe, squeeze softens when fully ripe. Look for gently. The fruit is also evenly coloured fruit. available canned. 2 STORE Ripen hard fruit at room 2 STORE Store at temperature. Refrigerate ripe fruit for room temperature until a day or two. Freeze the pulp. ripe, then refrigerate. 3 EAT Fresh: Halve and seed and eat 3 EAT Fresh: Cut off the raw. Peel, chunk, and add to salads. top and serve in the half Purée for ice cream. Juice for drinks. shell. Remove white flesh Cooked: Peel and stew for desserts, from the pith and eat raw. sauces, pies, and compotes. Preserved: Juice for drinks or sorbet. Make into jam and preserves. Make Cooked: Unsuitable. Preserved: into wine. Distill the flowers for liqueur. Add unripe fruit to preserves. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Milk, cream, FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Tropical fruit, yogurt, tropical fruit, lime, lemon. coconut, strawberries, lemon grass. CLASSIC RECIPES Fruit salad; jam; CLASSIC RECIPES Exotic fruit salad; mammee apple pie. mangosteen sorbet. GUANABANA/SOURSOP smoothies. Add the pulp to fruit salad, and highly aromatic. The pulp in the ACHACHA and purée for ice cream and creamy centre is softer and contains numerous At its best, this large, pear-shaped fruit desserts. Cooked: Immature flat oval seeds running in rows along Related to the mangosteen, achacha is soft and abundantly juicy, but it can guanabana can be roasted and the length of the fruit. means “honey kiss”. Originating in the be quite acid, which gives the fruit its fried as vegetables. 1 BUY The fruit should look glossy tropical Amazon basin, they are now alternative name of soursop. It is Preserved: Guanabana is and smooth when ripe. under commercial cultivation in North cultivated in tropical regions such as frequently found canned. 2 STORE The summer fruit will Queensland, Australia. The fruit look the West Indies, Central America, remain in good condition for several like tiny orange golf balls. Inside, the India, and Southeast Asia. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS months if kept dry and out of the sun. pure white flesh is refreshingly juicy, 1 BUY Look for green or yellow- 3 EAT Fresh: Peel and eat as a with a good sweet-tangy balance. green fruit. If yellow, they are over-ripe. Tropical fruit, cream, dessert. Add to a fruit salad. Cooked: Discard the central seed. Avoid any with black blotches. condensed milk, Chop the immature fruit as a vegetable 1 BUY The Australian season runs Guanabana is frequently found canned. cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg. for soups and stews. Preserved: Make from December to February. Look 2 STORE Keep in the fridge but use CLASSIC RECIPES Soursop into jam or chutney. for firm, brightly coloured fruit with ripe fruit as soon as possible, as they ice cream; soursop custard; no blemishes. rapidly ferment and become inedible. soursop juice. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Lime, 2 STORE Once harvested, the fruit Freeze sweetened purée. coconut, cinnamon, star does not ripen further, so will keep 3 EAT Fresh: Juice for drinks and The thin, leathery skin is anise, ginger, mint. well in a cool place without dotted with soft spines. refrigeration. Freeze whole. MUSK CUCUMBER The seeds in the fibrous CLASSIC RECIPES 3 EAT Fresh: Pinch and pop open white flesh are toxic. the skin and eat the flesh as a snack Also known as cassabanana, this is Exotic fruit salad; musk or dessert. Add to fruit salads. Use widely grown in tropical Cuba, Puerto perennial vines produce large, oval- cucumber jam. the pulp in sauces, ices, sorbets, Rico, and Mexico. The herbaceous shaped fruit. The thick, hard shell and dressings. varies in colour from orange-red to Cooked: Not suitable. violet-black. The refreshing, yellow- Preserved: The washed skins can be used to make a refreshing drink. orange flesh is firm, sweet, FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Yogurt, lime, berries, pistachios, honey, mint, rosewater, rum. CLASSIC RECIPES Exotic fruit salad; achacha frozen yogurt. Inside the orange fruit, the white flesh is juicy and sorbet-like. The torpedo-shaped fruit can grow to the size of a loofah.

474 | FRUIT | DRIED AND CANDIED FRUITS DRIED AND CANDIED FRUITS Drying is one of the oldest methods of savoury dishes, in stuffings, cakes, Chopped mixed peel preserving food. When applied to fruit, breads, biscuits, and pies. Use candied is sweet and aromatic. the process intensifies the taste of the peel in cakes and puddings or eat glacé natural sugar, especially if the fruit is fruits as after-dinner sweetmeats. sun-dried. Candied fruits are preserved Glacé cherries are used in cakes and in sugar syrup. When the fruit has an as a decoration for desserts. extra coating of granular sugar it is FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Poultry, pork, called crystallized or glacé. lamb, fresh citrus, yogurt, custard, oats, 1 BUY Look for plump, unblemished, honey, seeds, spices, liqueurs. supple dried fruit; avoid any that CLASSIC RECIPES Prune and appears hard and leathery. Dried fruit Armagnac tart; Christmas pudding; is sometimes treated with sulphur mince pies; birnenbrot; far Breton; dioxide to help preserve it further, or Dundee cake; lamb tagine with apricot may contain extra sugar, oil, flavourings, and prunes; cock-a-leekie soup. and additives. This will be indicated on the label. When buying candied fruit Dried cherry Candied citrus peel make sure it looks soft and moist. Sour cherries have a marvellous tart A mix of orange, lemon, and citron 2 STORE Once a packet or pot is but fruity flavour that makes them makes the best candied peel. Available open, place it in an airtight container irresistible for snacking. Use sweet diced or in strips, use it in cakes, and store in a dry, cool place: dried cherries in puddings and pies, but go biscuits, and Christmas pudding. fruit for up to 6 months, and candied easy on the sugar. fruit for up to a year. EAT Some dried fruit may need to be soaked in water or other liquid before use, while others are ready to eat. Enjoy dried fruit as a snack or add to cereal. Use in cooking both sweet and Dried blueberry Nutritious, sweetly tart blueberries are slightly chewy when dried. Use in cereals, cakes, muffins, trail mix, and salads for added flavour and colour. Dried cranberry Dried banana When dried, cranberries are sweeter than Creamy-gold chips, often coated with sugar fresh but still have a slightly sour taste. Fruity or honey, are delightfully crisp. The longer and chewy, they are versatile and can be brown and sticky slices are good to use added to cakes, biscuits, muffins, desserts, in tea breads, soufflés, stews, and winter muesli, or savoury stuffings. fruit salads. Add crunchy slices to muesli, or eat as a snack.

DRIED AND CANDIED FRUITS | 475 Add dried coconut shavings to cereals and muesli. Dried mango Dried coconut The orange-hued slices, strips, and “cheeks” Available both sweetened and unsweetened, have a vibrant flavour and chewy texture. coconut shavings (chips) and shredded Use in cakes, teabreads, chutney, and jam. (desiccated) coconut should look fresh and white. Use them in baking, cooking, or anything that requires a taste of coconut. Dried apple Tender, with a sharply sweet flavour, apple rings and wedges work well in compotes and casseroles, particularly those made with pork. Add dried apple chips to muesli. Unsulphured dried Dried apricot apricots are darker in Neon orange-gold, soft, and supple, ready-to-eat dried apricots can be used colour, with a more in compotes, or with ham, chicken, intense flavour. duck, and rice dishes. They do not require soaking before use. The best come from Turkey. Use in stews and casseroles as well as sweet dishes. Dried fig Purple Mission figs have an intense, sweet flavour. Stuff them for sweetmeats or use in baking, puddings, and compotes, and with poultry and game. Calimyrna, made from the Californian version of the Smyrna fig, are golden, plump, and full of fibre – a great choice for baking and cooking.

476 FRUIT | DRIED AND CANDIED FRUITS DRIED AND CANDIED FRUITS (CONTINUED) Dried peach Dried strawberry Use the large, sweet, wrinkled, Add these sweet little berries and chewy halves whole or to cereals, muffins, cakes, chopped in compotes, and snack bars. desserts, cakes, and casseroles. Soak in wine or Dried papaya orange juice for extra flavour. The pretty pink strips or cubes are usually sugared; sugar-free dried Dried pears are usually fruit is chewier but has a more intense sold in halves. taste. Dried papaya makes a good addition to cakes and muffins. Raisins may be brown, black, or white, depending on the variety of grape that is dried. Raisin Use raisins in rice and couscous dishes, salads, cakes, puddings, and chutney. Dried, seedless red Flame grapes are very sweet and a good snack choice. The larger black Monukka raisins have great depth of flavour. Dried pear Prune Delicately sweet, with a slightly chewy Wrinkled, black, ready-to-eat texture, they can be eaten as a snack, prunes (which are dried plums) and make a delicious addition to compotes, are soft and tender; others may desserts, cakes, and casseroles. Purée for need to be soaked before use. sauces to go with pork and venison. Agen prunes are among the finest. Add prunes to savoury dishes, desserts, and compotes.

DRIED AND CANDIED FRUITS | 477 Add diced, dried papaya to Dried goji berry CLASSIC RECIPE a home-made snack mix. These deeply red Himalayan berries are reputedly very healthy. Tasting like a sweet PRUNE AND Candied citron peel cross between a cranberry and cherry, they ARMAGNAC TART The thick, aromatic peel of this are a good addition to muesli or granola, citrus fruit is moist and sticky. Use snack mix, and yogurt. Sweet Agen prunes and rich vanilla it in cakes, marmalades, and jam. custard are elegantly presented in Dried pineapple rings this delicious French tart. Dried currant sometimes have added Seedless Zante (Black Corinth) colour and sweetening. SERVES 6 currants are small and dark, with a slightly sharp taste. They are an Dried pineapple 200g (7oz) Agen prunes essential component of Christmas The pale yellow dried fruit, which cakes and puddings. comes in chunks, rings, or dice, 6–7 tbsp Armagnac or brandy has a sweet, fragrant flavour that is wonderful in cakes and desserts. 300ml (10fl oz) double cream 25g (scant 1oz) caster sugar 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways 2 large egg yolks For the pastry 175g (6oz) plain flour 10g (1⁄4oz) icing sugar pinch of salt 75g (21⁄2oz) unsalted butter, softened 1 large egg yolk 1 Just cover the prunes in Armagnac and leave to soak for several hours. 2 To make the pastry, sift the flour, icing sugar, and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips. Bind to a dough with the egg yolk and 1–2 tbsp cold water. Wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. 3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/ Gas 4) with a baking sheet inside. Roll out the pastry and use to line a greased 23cm (9in) loose-bottomed, fluted flan tin. Prick the base with a fork, line with greaseproof paper, and fill with baking beans. 4 Set the tin on the hot baking sheet and bake blind for 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and coloured. Remove from the oven, keeping the tin on the baking sheet, and lift out the lining paper and beans. Set aside. 5 Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod and add the pod too. Bring to the boil, then simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, until reduced by one-third. Leave to cool a little, then discard the vanilla pod and whisk in the egg yolks. Pour the custard into a jug. 6 Dot the drained prunes over the bottom of the pastry case. Pour in the custard. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the custard is golden brown and puffy, but still looks a little wobbly. 7 Remove from the oven and set the tin on a wire rack to cool. Serve the tart at room temperature.



GRAINS, RICE, PASTA & NOODLES BARLEY | RYE | QUINOA WHEAT | WILD RICE FRESH PASTA | DRIED PASTA | COUSCOUS RICE NOODLES WHEAT NOODLES

4 8 0 | G R A I N S , R I C E , PA S TA , & N O O D L E S GRAIN, RICE, PASTA, AND NOODLE ESSENTIALS Grains, rice, pasta, and noodles are the energy-giving, starchy, STORE staple foods that have made the world go round for thousands of years. Whether whole grains or further processed products, such Check the packets for any specific storage instructions and sell-by dates, as rice sticks, couscous, and flour, these foods are a valuable but generally all grains, rice, dried pasta and noodles should be stored source of nutritious fibre and complex carbohydrates. They are in airtight containers in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Stored in inexpensive, abundant, and, compared to fresh ingredients, have this way all these dried goods can be kept for a long storage life that makes them a most practical foundation up to a year without any deterioration to their condition. for everyday meals. Even a small selection in the cupboard (ideally kept in airtight containers) will allow you to produce recipes from STORING FRESH PASTA AND NOODLES cuisines the world over – and that is by no means restricted to Ideally, fresh pasta and noodles should be eaten on the day they savoury dishes. are made or purchased. If they must be stored, they can be kept in the refrigerator for 2–3 days in a sealed container. They can also be BUY frozen in a sealed container for up to 1 month. Grains It is hard to determine the quality of grains Pasta by sight, but check the packet for the sell-by date Dried pasta, such as tagliatelle, is before buying. ideal to keep in the storecupboard Rice Buy packets of grains that complement the style as a basis for quick, easy, filling of dish you are cooking, such as basmati to accompany dishes with a simple sauce. curries, jasmine for Thai dishes, Arborio or Carnaroli for risottos, or paella rice for Spanish paella dishes. Choose packets that are in date and contain unbroken grains. Pasta Decide whether or not you wish to cook fresh or dried pasta and if you prefer a flavoured or wheat-free variety. Pasta comes in myriad shapes; some are better suited to meat, tomato, or cream sauces or bakes. Choose the pasta shape that is most appropriate for the dish you are cooking. Noodles Again, noodles are available in many forms for a variety of dishes. Buy noodles that are unbroken and are suitable for the dish you are cooking. Rice Keep different varieties of rice in the cupbard to form the basis of meals such as paella and risotto, and as a ready accompaniment to stews and curries. Rice mixtures Rice is the ideal accompaniment to many cooked dishes, but it can also be used very successfully as a dish in its own right. Mix grains to add texture and flavour, such as the nutty wild rice here combined with long-grain rice.

G R A I N , R I C E , PA S TA , & N O O D L E E S S E N T I A L S | 4 8 1 PREPARE bread, tipo 00 for pasta, self-raising and plain for cakes, biscuits, pastry, and sauces, and those that offer nutritional benefits, including wholemeal, rye, Flour is a versatile powder made from ground grains. A wide variety of amaranth, and barley, or gluten-free types such as quinoa and buckwheat dishes can be made using flour as its main ingredient, from cakes, biscuits, for those with intolerances. pastry, and pancakes to pasta, bread, and pizza dough. There are many varieties available that are intended for specific use, such as strong flour for MAKE PIZZA DOUGH Making pizza at home is satisfying and surprisingly straightforward. The trick to achieving a finish as good as that of your local pizza parlour is to preheat the baking trays before placing the bases on them and making sure the oven is as hot as possible. Ingredients 1 Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in 2 Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured work 3 Return the dough to the bowl, then cover 500g (1lb 2oz) Tipo 00 or strong bread flour, the salt and yeast. Make a well in the centre surface, then knead it using the heel of your it with a clean tea towel or cling film and and pour in the warm water, then the olive oil, hand for about 10 minutes, or until it becomes set aside in a warm place until the dough plus extra for dusting stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate the soft, smooth, and pliable. has doubled in size – this should take a pinch of salt liquid and form a soft dough. Alternatively, use 30–45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your 1 x 7g sachet easy blend dried yeast a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. preferred toppings. 360ml (12 fl oz) warm water 60ml (2 fl oz) olive oil MAKE PASTA Fresh pasta – a simple combination of flour, eggs, and salt – is very easy to make at home. You can use a rolling pin to stretch the pasta, but a hand- cranked pasta machine will make light work of producing long, thin sheets of dough, while also giving it a professional finish. Ingredients 1 Pile the flour onto a clean work surface and 2 Once the flour has all been incorporated, 3 Roll out pieces of dough to ovals about 2.5cm 400g (14oz) tipo 00 flour, plus extra make a well in the centre. Sprinkle with salt clean the work surface and dust it with flour. (1in) thick. Set the machine to its widest setting then break in the eggs. Using a fork, or your Knead the dough using the heel of your hand and crank a piece of dough through several for dusting fingers, gradually incorporate the flour into the for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is times until smooth. Adjust to the next setting large pinch of salt egg, bringing the flour in from the sides of the smooth and elastic. Leave the dough to rest for and repeat two or three times. Continue to do 4 large eggs pile a little at a time to form a dough. around 30 minutes before continuing. this on each setting until the pasta is the desired thickness, then cut into shapes. MAKE BREAD DOUGH cover with a cloth to keep the other hand gently but firmly SHAPE After the initial rise, The way in which you combine the dough moist. Leave it for 10 press down and away to seal and you need to divide the dough the ingredients of your dough minutes before starting to knead. stretch it. into smaller pieces according to is imperative to the success of Repeat the folding, pressing, what you want to use it for – be your bread, so use these tips to KNEAD The key to kneading is and rotating 10–12 times, it small loaves or rolls. perfect your technique. to concentrate on mixing the stopping before the dough sticks Weigh your dough and divide Mix the ingredients dough evenly. to the surface. Place the dough it up accurately into pieces. thoroughly, as quickly as Before starting to knead, in the oiled bowl, seam-side Larger loaves take longer to bake possible, to make a soft, sticky wash and dry a glass bowl, then down, cover with a cloth, and than smaller loaves, so taking this dough. Dig right down to the rub the inside and your hands leave to rest for 10 minutes. extra precaution will ensure bottom of the bowl and squeeze with a little oil. Set aside. Repeat the kneading even baking. the dough through your fingers Uncover the dough, put it on a procedure twice at 10-minute Lightly flour your work to make sure all the flour is lightly floured work surface and intervals. Each kneading will surface before shaping. This will mixed with the liquid. fold it in half towards you. require less oil. The dough will slightly dry the outside of the Scrape any dough from your With one hand, hold the fold change from its lumpen start to dough to encourage a good fingers back into the bowl, then in place, while with the heel of a silken and elastic finish. crust to form during baking.

4 8 2 | G R A I N S , R I C E , PA S TA , & N O O D L E S WHOLEMEAL BREAD MAKE WHITE BREAD Try Ingredients this recipe at least twice: once you 15g (½oz) fresh yeast (dissolved in get into the habit of baking bread at home you’ll find it fits easily into 300ml (10 fl oz) lukewarm water), or your lifestyle and the inferior 1 x 7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast flavour of shop-bought loaves 225g (8oz) strong white flour, plus extra, simply doesn’t compare. for dusting Ingredients 1 Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. 2 Turn the dough out onto a lightly dusted 225g (8oz) strong wholemeal flour 500g (1lb 2oz) strong white flour, plus extra Pour the yeast liquid (or dry yeast) into the work surface. Knead until the dough is smooth 2 tsp fine sea salt bowl and stir. Work the mixture into a dough and firm, not sticky. Return the dough to the oil, for greasing for dusting with your hands, kneading until it comes bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave 2 tsp fine sea salt cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. in a warm place. Use the same method given 15g (½oz) fresh yeast (dissolved in 300ml for white bread, opposite. (10 fl oz) lukewarm water), or 1 x 7g sachet The two types of flour easy-blend dried yeast used in this recipe give the oil, for greasing bread a lighter, moister texture than regular wholemeal bread. If you prefer a denser, heavier wholemeal loaf, use 500g (1lb 2oz) wholemeal flour and omit the strong white flour. 3 Once the dough has doubled in size – this 4 Cut the dough in half and use your hands 5 Bake in the centre of a 220°C (425°F, should take about 1–2 hours – remove from to shape each piece into a rounded rectangle. Gas 7) oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat the bowl and return to a lightly dusted work Grease a loaf tin and ease both pieces of to 190°C (375°F, Gas 5) and bake for a surface. Punch the dough down and knead dough into it side by side. Cover with a tea further 30 minutes. For doneness, tap the base well to knock the air out of the risen dough. towel and leave to rise for about 30 minutes. with your knuckle. The loaf should sound hollow. COOKING COOK RICE BY ABSORPTION This technique, The success, or otherwise, of grain, rice, pasta, and noodle dishes popular in Asia, is best suited to is all in the cooking. These are ingredients that most home cooks use white rice. Measure the liquid time and time again, but even with so much practice, many people still accurately – it should be 1.25 find they can get the method or timing wrong and end up with over- or times the volume of rice – and under-cooked food. With a bit of know-how, however, you can soon choose a heavy-based saucepan start to make these staples stars. with a tight-fitting lid. Remember that it should be large enough to COOK RICE This open-pan boiling technique uses five or six times allow the rice to treble in volume as much water as rice and results in light, distinct grains. It works well during cooking. for long-grain white rice and is the preferred method for all wholegrain varieties, the only difference being that you add wholegrain rices to cold Ingredients 1 Put the rice in a large saucepan, pour in the water and, once at a boil, cook for 18–25 minutes, depending on the 500g (1lb 2oz) long-grain white rice cold water or stock, and bring to the boil over individual variety. 625ml (21fl oz) water or stock a moderate heat. Stir the rice once only, then simmer, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes, until all Ingredients the liquid has been absorbed. 500g (1lb 2oz) long-grain rice 3 litres (5¼ pints) water 1 Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling 2 Drain the rice in a colander, cover with a 2 Remove the pan from the heat, lay a clean, 3 Remove the pan from the heat once more boil. Add the rice and, once it has returned to clean tea towel, and leave to steam dry for folded tea towel over the rim and top with a and leave the rice undisturbed for 5 minutes a simmer, cook for 12–15 minutes, or until the 10 minutes. Fluff up the grains with a fork tight-fitting lid. Return the pan to a very low before removing the lid and tea towel. It is now rice is tender but still has some “bite”. before serving. heat and leave the rice for 10 minutes. ready to serve.

G R A I N , R I C E , PA S TA , & N O O D L E E S S E N T I A L S | 4 8 3 COOK PASTA AL DENTE Al dente, which translates from the Italian as “to the tooth”, describes the consistency of perfectly cooked pasta – cooked through, but still slightly firm when you bite into it. Overcooked pasta will be sloppy and waterlogged, so take care to check the pasta towards the end of the recommended cooking time. 1 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil 2 Boil, uncovered, following the recommended 3 Drain the pasta through a colander, shake and gently pour in the pasta. cook time on the packet, or until al dente the colander so that the pasta does not stick when tasted. together, and serve immediately. MAKE SOFT POLENTA Polenta is a staple food of Northern Italy and has not always been made with corn meal, though it is usually today. It is very similar to the grits dishes of America, mamaliga of Romania, and mealie-pap of South Africa, all of which are also derived from corn. Instant or precooked polenta is a quick-cooking alternative to traditional stoneground corn meal though it fails to match the latter’s superior flavour and texture. It is common, though not essential, to stir flavourings such as butter, black pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese, or cubed semi-soft cheeses such as Fontina, into a creamy batch of soft polenta before serving. Ingredients 1 Bring the water to a simmer in a heavy- 2 Turn the heat down (the polenta will still 1.2 litres (2 pints) water based saucepan, adding the salt. Once bubble) and cook, stirring frequently, for 35-40 1 tsp coarse sea salt bubbling, gradually sprinkle in the polenta while minutes, or until the mixture is thick, creamy, 175g (6oz) stone-ground polenta (corn meal) stirring the mixture continuously with a whisk. and comes away from the sides of the pan. COOK COUSCOUS 1 Boil the water in a kettle. Put the couscous in 2 Recover with cling film and leave to stand for Steam couscous by placing it in a bowl, Couscous is a mixture of fine and a large heatproof bowl and pour the water over a further 5 minutes. Add the olive oil or butter sprinkling it with water, and leaving it for 5 coarse semolina. It is traditionally it. Cover with cling film and leave to stand for 5 and salt and pepper and fluff up the grains to minutes. Then transfer to a muslin-lined steamed using a laborious rubbing minutes. Then fluff up the grains with a fork. coat and separate. Serve immediately. steamer and steam for 15–20 minutes. technique to keep the grains separate, but with modern manufacturing techniques comes easier and quicker ways of preparing it. Couscous is normally enriched with oil or butter and seasoning before serving. Ingredients 400ml (14fl oz) water 300g (10oz) instant couscous 1 tbsp olive oil or 50g (1⅓oz) butter, diced 1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper BOIL NOODLES Noodles made from wheat and buckwheat need to be boiled before use whereas most rice noodles and those based on starches such as mung bean or sweet potato flour need only to be soaked in warm or just-boiled water. If you are using very wide dried rice noodles, boil them briefly until tender. Fresh rice noodles don’t need cooking, only reheating. Once prepared, all noodles need to be kept moist if you don’t intend to serve them immediately, otherwise they will harden or set together. 1 In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the 2 Drain the noodles in a sieve and refresh noodles for 2–6 minutes, referring to the them under the cold tap before draining packet instructions for your variety. They are thoroughly. Toss the noodles gently with oil to ready as soon as they are soft and pliable. stop them sticking and serve immediately.

484 | GRAINS BARLEY when boiled in stock; cooking them in water provides a hearty base for Versatile barley grows in hot and cold salads, while cooking in milk is a fine climates and is grown extensively in alternative to hot oat cereals and North America, Europe, and Russia. rice puddings. One of the oldest-known staple foods, FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Apples, beef, it looks similar to wheat but tends to beer, blackberries, cabbage, carrots, be plumper and sweeter tasting. Barley celery, duck, lamb, lemon, mushrooms, is a good source of fibre and selenium. onions, parsley, thyme. Its modest gluten content means it is CLASSIC RECIPES Barley bread; often overlooked as a source of bread orzotto (Italian barley risotto); flour; however, its rich, honeyed Scotch broth; iced barley tea; flavour readily compensates for this. lemon barley water. Pot barley has only the indigestible part of the husk removed, so retains its Cracked grit bran layer; semi-pearled barley This is made from grains of pot or semi-pearled removes some of this layer; pearl barley that have been chopped into two or three barley has most or all of the bran layer pieces, exposing the starchy endosperm and removed by polishing. making them stickier when boiled. Cracked 1 BUY Packets vary in the amount of barley cooks quicker than whole grains, without bran retained, which affects the fibre sacrificing the fibre content, and makes a content and cooking time, so try to delicious wholegrain porridge. Barley grits are look at the grains before you buy. grains that have been crushed and ground and 2 STORE Barley is particularly prone sometimes pre-toasted. to infestation and is best stored in airtight containers in a cool, dark, Unlike other grains, dry place, or in the refrigerator. the bran layer is 3 EAT A handful of pot or pearled retained on pot barley. barley adds substance, texture, and sweetness to soups and stews. The grains make a chewy pilaf or side dish Pot barley Sometimes called Scotch or whole barley, these grains have a rugged, pleasantly chewy texture and a good balance of sweetness and toastiness. Boiling can take as long as 11⁄4 hours, which makes pot barley best for slow-cooked stews and soups. Beremeal Pearl barley A smoky-flavoured speciality of the Scottish Highlands and Two main types are available. White, powdery-looking grains are fully Islands, this flour is stoneground from grains dried in a kiln pearled with a sweet, bland flavour and take just 20–25 minutes to cook. fired by their own husks. Traditionally used in bannocks, In contrast, beige pearled barley retains some of its nutty-tasting bran a quick scone-like bread, it also works well in crackers. around the endosperm and can require 10–15 minutes more simmering. Its strong taste can be tempered with wheat or oat flour.

AMARANTH | QUINOA | 485 AMARANTH mixes, doughs, and used as crumb Whole coatings. Or stir them into cinnamon- The diminutive size of these woodsy-tasting seeds The amaranth plant produces edible scented rice pudding about 15 minutes makes it difficult to see their flying-saucer shape. leafy greens similar to spinach, as well before the end of cooking. Amaranth When boiled, the tiny equatorial ring uncurls, helping as tiny, gluten-free seeds, and grows flour can be added to pastry, batter, create a sticky, spongy mass; brief toasting helps the easily in challenging climates where and dough mixes, but for a puffy grains stay more distinct. Baking the whole seeds in better-known grains, such as rice and or light texture, combine it with dough mixtures gives a pleasing gritty texture. wheat, struggle. It is highly nutritious a gluten-containing flour such as and an excellent source of vegetable wheat, rye, or barley. protein, fibre, iron, and calcium. India, FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Beans, cheese, China, the USA, and Bolivia are all chicken, chilli, chocolate, coconut, corn, common sources of amaranth. courgette, honey, milk, squash, tomato. 1 BUY If buying amaranth flour, CLASSIC RECIPES Flatbreads/tortillas; choose a store with a high turnover mole; atole (gruel); alegria (candy). of stock, as it turns bitter within a few months of grinding. Flour 2 STORE Decant amaranth grains and Lends a malty, herbaceous flour into airtight containers and store flavour to baked goods in a cool, dark, dry place, or in the and hot drinks. The grain refrigerator. The shelf life will vary is usually grown to according to the time of processing, organic standards then so observe the use-by dates on the stoneground to retain its packet; the flour will turn bitter over high fibre content. time. For longer storage, amaranth flour can be kept, tightly sealed, for up to 6 months in the freezer. 3 EAT For a simple, starchy base to stews, boil whole amaranth grains in three times their volume of salted water for 20–25 minutes. Alternatively, cook for a further 5 minutes for a porridge consistency and stir in chopped fresh or dried fruit. The popped grains can be added to cereal QUINOA 2 STORE The seeds can be stored Flour in an airtight container in a cool, dark A nutritious addition to all sweet and savoury Pronounced “keen-wah”, this place for more than a year, while the baked goods, but as it is gluten free it needs astringent-tasting native of South flour should be kept in the fridge or to be combined with a raising agent such as America is not a member of the cereal freezer and used within 4 months. baking powder. Mix with wheat flour to help grass family but a herb seed of the 3 EAT Quinoa has a pearlescent, give it a sweeter flavour. broad-leaved goosefoot family. The springy texture and a grassy, slightly plant’s leaves can also be eaten, bitter flavour. It is a good alternative prepared like spinach. Quinoa’s to rice, and is quicker to cook. comparatively high protein and fat FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Apple, beef, contents make it a sustaining choice for black beans, chicken, chilli, coriander, meals; it is also rich in calcium and iron. corn, grapes, nuts, orange, prawns, Commercially grown in countries including squash, sweet potato. the USA, Bolivia, Peru, China, and the UK, CLASSIC RECIPES Pilafs; porridge; quinoa can also thrive in inhospitable salads; soup; vegetable stews. climates. Various colours, including gold, black, and red, are available. When cooked, the 1 BUY It is not possible to gauge by grains’ equatorial bands sight, but packs of quinoa are cleaned uncurl, giving each bead to varying degrees. Modern processors are quite effective at removing the a little crunchy tail. bitter-tasting saponin dust that naturally coats the seeds, but always rinse them thoroughly before cooking. Whole Flakes These quick- Providing it is well rinsed, quinoa has a neutral The seeds are steamed and rolled into cooking flakes are flavour that welcomes the flavours with which it flakes for faster cooking. They can be ideal for making is combined. If not, it can taste bitter, due to worked into multigrain doughs and speedy porridge. residual dust from the seeds’ natural saponin batters, or used as a coating in place coating, which is removed during processing. of breadcrumbs when frying. A good alternative to rice, or excellent added to stuffings and in salads.

486 | GRAINS CLASSIC RECIPE BUCKWHEAT in the fridge (up to 3 months) or CLASSIC RECIPE freezer (up to 6 months), providing it BUCKWHEAT A favourite of cold-climate Eastern is well sealed to keep moisture out. BLINIS GALETTES European, Russian, and Japanese 3 EAT The grains are easily toasted in cuisines, hearty buckwheat is native to a little fat before adding stock or water These little yeasted pancakes are Popular in Brittany, in northwest Manchuria and Siberia. Today it is and boiling to make a simple pilaf-style delicious served with smoked fish, France, where the local cuisine is grown in areas as disparate as China, side dish that can be flavoured with soured cream, or crème fraîche, and defined by rich, rustic flavors. Canada, and Australia. The seeds are herbs and other ingredients. Left to go a sprinkling of chives or dill. distinctively brown and triangular and, cold, that mixture is also a fine base for SERVES 4 despite the name, are not part of the a salad. For a wintry risotto, add a few MAKES 25 wheat family: instead the plant is tablespoons of buckwheat to the rice 75g (2½oz) buckwheat flour related to rhubarb and sorrel. as you cook it. A portion of buckwheat 750ml (11⁄4 pints) milk 1 BUY Look for pale-coloured, flour is a good addition to pancake 75g (2½oz) plain flour speckled flour: a dark grey-brown batters and pasta doughs, lending 1 tbsp dried yeast colour can indicate old age rather than a tangy flavour to common wheat. 2 eggs, beaten a high fibre content. Buckwheat can be Buckwheat crêpes made exclusively 125g (41⁄2oz) buckwheat flour found in a wide range of gluten-free from buckwheat flour have a stronger 250ml (8fl oz) milk convenience foods, including pasta and flavour and brittle texture. 125g (41⁄2oz) strong white flour breakfast cereals. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Bacon, chicken, 2 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for frying 2 STORE Whether sold in cellophane cream, cucumber, curd cheese, egg, 3 eggs, separated or paper bags, buckwheat is best fish, ginger, mushrooms, onions, parsley, 2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced transferred to a robust, airtight rice, soy sauce. 1 tsp caster sugar container for storage in a dry, dark CLASSIC RECIPES Blinis; Breton 200g (7oz) smoked ham, chopped cupboard. Observe the use-by date crêpes or galettes; soba noodles; kasha; 1 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for frying on the packet as its shelf life is pierogi; polenta. 1 tsp thyme leaves determined by the time of processing. 1 In either a small saucepan or It is worth keeping buckwheat flour Kasha a microwaveable jug, heat half the 115g (4oz) Brie, cut into small pieces Kashka groats are sometimes milk until warm. Add the yeast and Buckwheat flour labelled \"roasted buckwheat\" whisk to combine. 100ml (3½fl oz) crème fraîche In Japan buckwheat flour is made on the packet. Add a couple of into a savoury porridge that is tablespoons to a wintry risotto 2 Mix together half of each flour in 1 Sift the flours into a large mixing served with a soy-based sauce. along with the rice for a deeper, a mixing bowl and make a well in the bowl, make a well in the centre and For baked goods, it works well more complex flavour. centre. Add the egg yolks, sugar, and add the eggs. Gradually beat the eggs mixed with wheat or maize flour a pinch of salt, then pour in the warm into the flour using a wooden spoon, in a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4. yeasty milk and mix to a batter. Cover then add the milk and 100ml (31/2fl oz) and set aside in a warm place for water to make a smooth batter. Cover Freshly ground buckwheat flour about 1 hour or until the mixture has and leave to stand for 2 hours. has a talcum-powder-like quality doubled in volume. that becomes darker, earthier, and 2 Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the 3 Beat the remaining flours, milk, onions and fry gently until softened. stronger as the product ages. and the melted butter into the batter Add the ham and thyme, then remove then cover and leave to rise again, for the pan from the heat and set aside. a minimum of 1 hour, but preferably overnight. When you are ready to 3 Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/ cook the pancakes, in a clean bowl, Gas 2). Heat a crêpe pan and grease it whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and lightly. Spoon in 2 tbsp of the batter fold them into the risen batter. and swirl the pan so it coats the base. Cook for about 1 minute, or until 4 Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan lightly browned underneath, then flip or griddle over a medium heat. When over and cook for a further minute, thoroughly hot, grease lightly with or until browned on the other side. butter and pour spoonfuls of batter Make 7 more crêpes in this way, into the pan or griddle, making blinis re-greasing the pan as necessary. about 5–8cm (2–3in) diameter. Cook until small bubbles pop open on the 4 Stir the Brie and crème fraîche into surface, then flip and cook on the the filling mixture in the other pan other side until golden brown. Keep and divide the mix among the the blinis warm in a low oven while pancakes. Roll or fold up the filled you cook the remaining batter. pancakes and place them on a baking sheet. Heat the pancakes or galettes through in the oven for 10 minutes before serving. . These brown, preroasted groats do not need toasting to enhance their meaty flavour before boiling. Whole Greeny-brown raw buckwheat groats are considered whole grains even though their inedible, dark brown seed coat (hull) has been removed. If you want to sprout buckwheat, buy the dark brown seeds specified as suitable for sprouting. Use the woodsy tasting grains in pilaf-style accompaniments and stuffings.

CORN | 487 CORN 2 STORE Dried corn kernels can or cream to give a moist texture; they CLASSIC RECIPE be stored in an airtight container for also dry out quickly, so they are best CORNBREAD Grown and eaten extensively in the several years with no compromise eaten straight after cooking. Americas, corn or maize is also a staple on quality. Hulled and degermed FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Beans, beef, This sweet and buttery tasting food crop of areas as disparate as corn meal, including most polenta bacon, chicken, chilli, cheese, coconut, golden bread is best served Africa, Romania, northern Italy, and brands, can be kept in a cool, dry coriander, lime, milk, mushrooms, pork, warm, fresh out of the oven. Malaysia. There are five main families cupboard for a year or so, preferably pumpkin, rabbit, tomatoes. of corn plant with hundreds of in an airtight container; however, CLASSIC RECIPES Cornbread; SERVES 6 varieties and several colours within stoneground, wholegrain corn meal is corn cakes; polenta; succotash; butter, for greasing each. The term sweet corn is commonly best tightly wrapped and stored in the tamales; tortillas. 200g (7oz) corn meal or polenta (not used to distinguish the vegetable crop freezer for no more than 6 months. instant polenta) from the grain varieties, but it is not 3 EAT Corn tastes light, sweet, and Masa harina 100g (31⁄2oz) plain flour the only type of corn that can be eaten vegetal. Taking advantage of its creamy This Mexican flour is ground from 100g (31⁄2oz) caster sugar fresh. Corn is entirely free of gluten texture, many cultures grind and boil it dried posole or hominy and is used 2 tsp baking powder and rich in essential fatty acids, to a rib-sticking, porridge-like mush for tortillas and tamales. It also 600ml (1 pint) buttermilk complex carbohydrates, vitamin A, that may be served plain alongside makes an excellent cake flour. 2 eggs potassium, and magnesium. barbecued meats, flavoured with herbs 4 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced 1 BUY Choose the right corn for its and cheese, or sweetened to create or chopped intended usage as varieties vary greatly. a comforting pudding. Baked goods made from corn flours/meals tend to need a high proportion of fat, eggs, Yellow polenta is the best known, but white polenta is favoured in and around Venice. Grits 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/ Hard, dried corn kernels that have been crushed then Gas 5) and generously grease a sifted to separate out the floury meal. Stoneground grits 20–25cm- (8–10in-) round baking tin. have the best flavour as they include the nutritious endosperm that commercial steel-roller mills remove to 2 Combine the corn meal or polenta, lengthen the shelf life. Cook grits with liquid to produce flour, sugar, and baking powder in porridge-like mush and flavour with savoury or sweet a mixing bowl and make a well in the ingredients. Quick-cook or instant grits are also available. centre. Pour the buttermilk into a jug then gently whisk in the eggs and Polenta chillies. Pour into the well in the dry Stoneground varieties have a superior flavour and a satisfying, ingredients and stir until the mixture chewy texture, but a lengthy cooking time (30–45 minutes). comes together. Polenta can be boiled to give porridge, or be left to set then cut into slabs and fried or grilled. Use it in baked goods, too, but 3 Pour the batter into the prepared instant or quick-cook varieties have a grittier, crunchy texture that tin and bake at the centre of the oven is less appealing in cakes. Northern Italians traditionally use for 30–40 minutes, or until the polenta bramata – polenta mixed with buckwheat flour. cornbread is firm and golden and a skewer inserted in to the centre comes out clean. Popcorn Posole/pozole Corn meal Available in several different colours, popcorn is Traditional to Mexico, this is flint or field corn that has been Compared to other flour products, corn meal is a special hard variety of corn with a tough hull and soaked and cooked in a calcium-hydroxide solution, making it coarsely ground and can be purchased in white, endosperm. When heat is applied, the moisture inside easier to digest and its nutrients more readily absorbed. Thanks to blue, and yellow varieties. It is used in baked the kernel turns to steam, causing it to explode. the removal of the pointed germ at the bottom of each kernel, goods and also for crumb coatings. the grains splay out when cooked to look like a flower. It is mainly used for soup-stews of the same name.

488 | GRAINS For a deeper taste, toast Flour the grains until fragrant This gluten-free flour does not MILLET produce good yeasted breads, but before adding liquid it works well mixed with other flours. Millet is widely grown in Asia, Africa, to the saucepan. the USA, and Europe, yet it is Use for batters, some cakes, under-appreciated as a culinary crackers, and milk puddings. ingredient and often dismissed as a food of the rural poor. Its light, mild On boiling, these light flavour is versatile, the small, bead-like flakes break down grains are quick to cook, and millet quickly to a light and rehydrates well so that small quantities creamy consistency. readily satisfy the appetite. The hardy plants also mature much faster than Flake other grain crops, offering practical A quick-cooking alternative to whole millet or oat advantages for farmers. flakes for hot cereals, the flakes are also a welcome 2 STORE Millet grains will keep for addition to multigrain doughs and muesli. many years in a dark place without attracting infestation, but the flour Medium oatmeal easily turns bitter so should be stored A favourite choice for porridge in an airtight container and used as and skirlie in Scotland and the quickly as possible. (Grinding your most versatile variety to have own is worth considering.) on hand for baking. It also gives 3 EAT Thanks to its neutral, alkaline a good, even coating to fried fish. flavour, millet is one of the most satisfying alternatives to rice. In the Fine oatmeal recipes of many rural areas it was Use for recipes such as pancakes, a forerunner of cornmeal. pastry, milk puddings, and gravies where FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Beans, chicken, a smooth or floury texture is desired. chilli, coriander, cream, eggs, salmon, sesame, soy sauce, spinach. CLASSIC RECIPES Congee; milk puddings; pilafs; porridge. Whole Boil in water, stock, or other liquid for 10–12 minutes to produce fluffy grains, or longer so that the grains collapse into porridge. A good base for spicy dishes such as curries. OATS AND OATMEAL Oatmeal and rolled oats are best used within 3 months. A beloved grain of cold climates, oats 3 EAT The sweet, creamy flavour are at their most flavourful when of oats makes them ideal for desserts allowed to grow slowly. This allows and baking; toasting and frying them the grain steadily to become plumper, adds a nutty flavour to savoury dishes. optimizing the moisture and fat FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Apricots, content. Oats are high in soluble fibre berries, butter, cabbage, cream, ham, (proven to lower cholesterol levels) herring, lamb, nuts, onion, peaches, as well as insoluble fibre (good for thyme, rye, sausages, syrups. digestive health), and help to regulate CLASSIC RECIPES Flapjacks; fruit blood-sugar levels. They also contain crisps; herring in oatmeal; laverbread; useful levels of B vitamins and calcium. muesli; oatcakes; porridge. 2 STORE Whole oats can be stored in airtight containers in a cool, dark place for up to a year; oat bran (because it does not contain the endosperm) will last even longer. Use in place of barley in meat stews for distinct yet creamy-textured grains. Coarse oatmeal In addition to making a pleasingly chewy porridge, coarse oatmeal is suitable for thickening soups, stews, and minced-meat mixtures. It can also be sprinkled over dishes to be gratinéed, in place of breadcrumbs.

OAT S A ND OATMEAL | 4 8 9 CLASSIC RECIPE OATCAKES These rustic crackers are good with soft cheeses, sardines, peanut butter, or marmalade. Whole oats or oat groats Rolled oats MAKES 12 They can take 11⁄4 hours to cook, so tend to be used in slow A North American invention, whole oats or pieces of oat grain 100g (31⁄2oz) fine oatmeal, plus extra for cooking. They are a delicious addition to meat stews, root are softened by steam-cooking then rolled into flakes. Porridge, dusting vegetables, and greens; the grains maintain their shape yet flapjacks, and muesli are typical uses, and they are 50g (13⁄4oz) coarse oatmeal become tender and creamy. Precooked whole oats can be a popular, flavourful addition to bread doughs, including 1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt baked into coarse-grain bread doughs. Scandinavian crispbreads. 2 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing Cooks to porridge consistency in just On boiling, these flakes 1 First boil some water in a kettle. 5 minute, and has the break down quickly to a Combine the fine and coarse oatmeals health benefits smooth, velvety consistency. with the salt in a large mixing bowl. of whole grains. Dice the butter and work it into the Oat bran dry ingredients. Quick or instant oats A concentrated source of soluble fibre (good for A highly refined version reducing cholesterol levels), oat bran can be 2 Make a well in the centre of the of rolled oats designed used in cereals, muffins, cakes, and bread. mixture and carefully pour in about to produce hot breakfast 1 tablespoon of boiled water. Stir cereal very quickly. until the mixture comes together as a dough, adding further small amounts of hot water as necessary. 3 Dust a work surface lightly with fine oatmeal and roll the dough out to a thickness of 3–5mm (1⁄8–1⁄4in). Leave to rest for 5–10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2) and lightly grease a baking sheet. 4 Using a 7.5cm- (3in-) diameter cutter, cut discs from the dough. Use a palette knife to transfer the discs to the greased baking sheet. Continue to re-roll the scraps and cut out more discs until you have finished all of the dough. 5 Bake the oatcakes in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown. Leave to cool on the baking sheet. The oatcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Pinhead oatmeal Whole kernels cut into a few pieces, exposing the starchy endosperm of the grain. It has a pleasingly coarse texture that is good for rough oatcakes and adds crunchiness to fried fish. It is also a favourite with haggis manufacturers.

490 | GRAINS CLASSIC RECIPE WHEAT 3 EAT Perhaps the most versatile Whole grain, wheat has a mild, sweet flavour Sometimes called wheat berries, whole grains take RYE CRISPBREADS It is more accurate to describe wheat and its high gluten content allows it around 2 hours to reach tenderness in boiling water. as a family of grains rather than a single to be used in a wide range of recipes, They are most suited to slow-cooked dishes and These earthy-tasting crispbreads variety. It is grown throughout the from rustic breads to fine pastries. recipes that require prior cooking, such as salads. have a long life, so they are ideal for world because of the high esteem FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Cheese, having on hand to serve with cheese, in which it is held nutritionally and cream, fruit, garlic, ham, herbs, smoked fish, or butter and jam. culinarily. However, the health benefits honey, mushrooms, poultry, sweet of wheat are dependent on the degree spices, tomatoes. MAKES 2 of processing the grain has had: 100 CLASSIC RECIPES Bread; 150g (5½oz) dark wholemeal rye flour, per cent whole-wheat products are couscous; pancakes; pasta; pastry; plus extra for dusting high in fibre, protein, B vitamins, iron, porridge; minestrone soup; 50g (1¾oz) fine oatmeal and folic acid, whereas highly refined tabbouleh; bran muffins. 1 tsp fine sea salt white flour has had its most nutritious 1 tsp fresh yeast parts, the germ and bran, removed. Whole grains have had 2 STORE Whole grains should be the inedible outer husk 1 In a mixing bowl, combine the stored in an airtight container in a cool, removed, but retain the flour, oatmeal, and salt. Crumble the dark place for no more than 1 year; yeast into a jug and whisk in 175ml cracked wheat can be kept for up to 6 nutritious bran layer. (6fl oz) lukewarm water. Stir the months, rolled flakes for 3 months. liquid into the dry ingredients to Wheatgerm turns rancid quickly so make a smooth but sticky paste. must be stored in the refrigerator and Cover with cling film or a tea towel used within a fortnight. Observe the and set aside to rise in a warm place use-by dates on any packets of flour: for 3 hours. their shelf life varies with the date and 2 Line 3 large baking sheets with method of processing, but usually they baking parchment. Once the dough must be used within 6 months. is puffy, divide it between 2 of the sheets, spreading it out evenly. Dust RYE and there are many Scandinavian, A distinct leathery the surface generously with extra rye German, and Eastern European recipes texture and strong flour, then roll out the dough on the The hardy rye plant grows well in that make use of leftover rye bread, flavour mean rolled sheets to a thickness of 5mm (¼in). damp climates and temperatures close including dumplings, sauces, and soups. rye is best mixed with Cover as before and leave to prove to freezing, so it is a favourite crop of milder, softer grains. for another hour, until the dough Russia, Eastern Europe, the UK, and FLAVOUR PAIRINGS has doubled in height. Scandinavia. It is thought to promote 3 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/ satiety better than many other grains, Cauliflower, cheese, Gas 6). Cut each sheet of dough into thanks to its high fibre content and cinnamon, crab, cream, circles 30cm (12in) in diameter, and water-binding capacity. fennel, ham, honey, oats, cut a central hole of 4cm (1¾in) wide 2 STORE Check the use-by dates orange, prawns, raisins, from each. Peel away the excess carefully, as rye easily becomes musty. sauerkraut, smoked salmon. dough and re-roll the trimmings to Stoneground dark rye flour should be make additional crispbreads in your stored in the fridge or freezer and CLASSIC RECIPES preferred shape, putting them on used within 6 months, or within 2 if the third baking tray. Use the end stored in a cupboard. Factory-milled, Pumpernickel bread; of a wooden spoon handle to make light rye flour can be kept in a cool, dry Dutch honey/breakfast dimples all over the surface of cupboard for a year or so. cake; crispbreads. the crispbreads. 3 EAT Rye has a strident, darkly fruity 4 Bake for 40 minutes, or until the flavour that doesn’t always appeal to Rolled crispbreads are dry and crisp at the the uninitiated. Most commonly it is Whole grains are steamed and, once edges. Remove from the oven and made into breads (and alcohol), softened, rolled into flakes. Add them leave to cool before storing in an to muesli mixtures, bread or cracker airtight container for up to 5 days. doughs, or cook them like porridge oats. Flour Whole rye grains are Whole This has sufficient gluten to make cakes and bread rise but plump, dark, and Whole rye grains need to boil for an hour to reach is often mixed with wheat flour to boost the texture and aromatic berries. tenderness. They can be added to soups and stews, temper its strong, fruity flavour. Dark and light rye flours have used in stuffings or hearty salads, or sprouted and the same cooking qualities but the latter is milder and paler, added to bread doughs. due to the removal of bran and germ during processing.

Farro WHEAT | 4 9 1 An Italian variety of wheat also known as emmer but often CLASSIC RECIPE confused with spelt. It is most commonly sold as semi-pearled TABBOULEH grains but is also available crushed and in various A traditional Lebanese salad that further-processed products, is often served as part of a mezze such as pasta. (appetizer) selection with cabbage, lettuce, or vine leaves as scoops. The elegant, elongated grains are twice as large as common wheat. Bulghur Kamut A processed wheat product This is the brand name of the wheat variety known traditional in the Middle East, as khorasan, which has higher protein and gluten bulghur is made from whole contents than common wheat. Kamut is available as grains that have been steamed, whole grains or processed into various products such hulled, dried, and then crushed. as pasta, couscous, and breakfast cereals. It is available in various textures; the finer the grade, the less Blé or grano Raw wheat grains SERVES 4 cooking required. Pearled durum wheat. French blé has that have simply more of the bran layer removed and been chopped into 25g (scant 1oz) fine bulghur Rolled takes 15–20 minutes to cook; Italian small pieces. Wheat grains that have been steamed grano takes around 35 minutes. The 6 plum tomatoes or roasted until soft then rolled to taste is similar to pasta but the grains Cracked flatten them into flakes. They are have a pleasingly chewy texture as the These cracked grains have their 6 spring onions, finely sliced typically used in multigrain breads, body of the grain remains intact. starchy interior exposed, which biscuits and cookies, muesli, and speeds up the cooking time. 400g (14oz) flat-leaf parsley hot cereals. Freekeh They can be used in pilafs, stews, Young green wheat, harvested stuffings, milk puddings, and hot 75g (2½oz) mint, stalks removed at around 3 months, that has cereals. They are also suitable been roasted to give a smoky, for salads, if cooked first. ½ tsp ground cumin meaty flavour. A traditional product of Middle Eastern and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon North African countries, it is suitable for pilafs and stuffings. juice of 1 large lemon It can also be made from barley. 6 tbsp olive oil, or more to taste white cabbage, lettuce, or fresh vine leaves, to serve salt and black pepper, to season 1 Put the bulghur in a bowl, cover with cold water and agitate gently. Drain well in a fine sieve, then repeat two more times or until the water runs clear. Spread the bulghur over the base of a wide salad bowl and set aside. 2 Finely dice the tomatoes and spread them and their juices over the bulghur. Sprinkle with the spring onions. 3 Trim away the coarse bases of the parsley stalks, leaving about 2–2.5cm (¾–1in) of stalk on each sprig. Slice the leaves and stalks very finely and add to the bulghur. Slice the mint leaves just as thinly and add them to the bowl. Leave the salad to stand for 30 minutes. 4 Sprinkle the spices over the salad, then toss with the lemon juice and oil. Season to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper and serve with the leaves. Spelt This ancient wheat variety has had a recent resurgence in popularity as an alternative to common wheat. It is available as white and wholemeal flours, and also as chewy grains for soups, pilafs, and risotto-style dishes.



Take advantage of the wide variety of artisan breads that use different grains and flours as their base.

494 | GRAINS | GRAINS CLASSIC RECIPE WHEAT (CONTINUED) FLATBREAD A simple, flattened yeast bread that can be cooked in a frying pan. Wholemeal flour Strong flour More nutritious than refined white flour because it contains “Strong” indicates that the flour, whether plain or the grain’s bran and germ. It adds not only a nutty flavour wholemeal, is high in protein and therefore gluten, but also a denser texture to baked goods. When making which makes it ideal for bread making. cakes and biscuits use finely milled wholemeal flour or sift it MAKES 8 to remove any coarse particles before use. 85g (3oz) strong flour, plus extra for dusting Wheat bran Harina especial para freír Milled from the husk of the grain, this ingredient is A flour from southern Spain that is made particularly 7g (¼oz) sachet instant yeast particularly high in fibre and is often recommended for frying. It helps gives a crisp, grease-free finish to as a supplement for digestive health. Stir it into deep-fried fish and seafood. 2 tsp salt breakfast cereals or muffin batters. 275ml (9fl oz) tepid water Self-raising flour This is plain flour that has 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing had raising agents such as sodium bicarbonate and 1 Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in monocalcium phosphate a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add blended into it during the water and oil and stir to a soft manufacture. It is used for dough. Tip out on to a lightly floured baking and recipes that work surface and knead for about require a light texture. 10 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled A good substitute is to bowl, turn to coat the dough with oil, add a little baking powder then cover tightly with cling film. to plain flour. Leave to stand in a warm place for 45 minutes, until doubled. Tipo 00 Pastry flour Also known as farina Although some manufacturers 2 Briefly knead the dough again on 00 and doppio zero, sell cake and pastry flour as one a lightly floured work surface. Cut this Italian flour is and the same, true pastry flour into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each milled from durum produces a stronger dough. It is piece into a 1cm (1⁄2in) round. Use wheat and used for preferred for pastries such as puff a rolling pin to make them a little making fresh pasta, and choux that need to maintain thinner. Place on floured baking gnocchi, and cakes. their structure after baking. sheets, cover with cling film, and set aside for 10 minutes, until puffy. Fine milling gives a talcum-powder-like 3 Heat a large frying pan over consistency to this a medium heat and add the flatbreads, speciality flour. one at a time. Cook for 3 minutes, until the underside is browned. Turn over and cook for 2 minutes to brown the other side. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. Wheatgerm The nutritious heart of the grain, which, once processed, tends to be eaten as a health supplement rather than a food. It can be added to hot and cold cereals, breads, and other baked goods, but benefits from prior toasting to bring out its nutty flavour.

RICE | 495 CLASSIC RECIPE RICE for over two years; fragrant varieties CLASSIC RECIPE become less aromatic, though. SHORTBREAD Although native to Asia, rice is now Ground rice and rice flour can RISOTTO BALLS grown on every continent, and while be stored for over a year in an Rich, buttery Scottish biscuits that the ever increasing variety of packets airtight container. Crispy on the outside but soft and can be enjoyed with tea or alongside on store shelves may seem confusing, it 3 EAT Rice needs to be cooked creamy on the inside, these tasty creamy and fruity desserts. is still tiny compared to the thousands with care as textures vary greatly. rice balls make an unusual side dish, available at local level. Rice has always FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Beans, or they can be eaten hot or cold as MAKES 12 been considered a premium staple cheese, herbs, lentils, milk, onions, a party nibble with a tomato or sweet 250g (9oz) butter, plus extra for greasing food and its production processes – spices, soy sauce, yogurt. chilli dipping sauce. 100g (3½oz) caster sugar, plus extra for in some regions involving extensive CLASSIC RECIPES Biryani, sprinkling irrigation of dry areas or harvesting paella, pilau, rice pudding, SERVES 4–6 300g (10oz) plain flour, sifted, plus extra on steep hillsides – mean it is likely to risotto, sushi. for dusting become more so with the challenges 175g (6oz) risotto rice 50g (1¾oz) rice flour or cornflour, or of climate change; prices have risen Brown short grain a mixture of the two sharply in recent years. varieties are also 1 vegetable stock cube 1 BUY Choose clear packets of available and are ideal 1 Beat together the butter and sugar unbroken grains. In ready-made mixes for long, slow cooking. 60g (2oz) Gruyère cheese, grated until the mixture is pale, light, and containing wild rice, these grains may creamy. Gradually add the flours, be broken or pierced so they cook at a Pearled and polished rice 2 tbsp pesto beating just until the mixture comes similar rate to the other ingredients in grains have a lustrous, together as a dough. the pack. bright white appearance 60g (2oz) dried breadcrumbs 2 Tip the mixture on to a lightly 2 STORE Wholegrain and polished that is particularly admired floured work surface and knead rices will keep in a cool, dry cupboard in the Middle East. oil, for frying lightly to give a smooth ball. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3–5mm Short grain Pearled and polished basil leaves, to garnish (optional) (1⁄8 –¼in) and cut into the desired There are many types of short All white rice has been pearled or polished. shapes. Prick the surface with a fork. grain rice, including varieties of Usually the process involves removing the 1 Place the rice and stock cube in 3 Transfer the biscuits to a greased, risotto, sticky, and pudding rices. fibrous bran and germ layers then brushing a saucepan and pour in 900ml floured baking sheet and chill for They are united by their plump or rubbing the rice and perhaps coating (11⁄2 pints) water. Place over a high 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to middles and starchy textures. it with glucose, mineral oil, or talc. heat, and bring to the boil. Cover 150°C (300°F/Gas 2). and simmer for 15 minutes, or until 4 Bake the shortbread in the bottom WILD RICE they have split lengthways, revealing the rice is just tender. half of the oven for 12–15 minutes, their fluffy white interior. Do not until pale golden. Remove and Despite the name, most wild rice is presoak wild rice in an effort to 2 Drain the rice thoroughly, then sprinkle with the extra sugar. Set aside commercially cultivated, in areas of reduce cooking time. stir in the cheese and pesto, and to cool and firm up for 5 minutes North America including California, FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Asparagus, set aside to cool. before transferring the biscuits to Minnesota and Canada. After bacon, celery, eggs, game, mango, nuts, a wire rack to cool completely. harvesting the long, green seeds of maple syrup, mushrooms, potato, 3 Using dampened hands, divide the this aquatic grass (Zizania aquatica) poultry, pumpkin, salmon, shellfish. rice mixture and roll it into walnut- are cured and parched, which turns CLASSIC RECIPES Pancakes, sized balls. Roll in the breadcrumbs them dark brown or black and popped rice, stuffings. to coat well. intensifies their flavour. 1 BUY Choose clear packets of Wild rice 4 Heat about 1cm (1⁄2in) oil in unbroken grains. In ready-made mixes Although they look elegant, a frying pan. Fry the balls for the grains of wild rice may be broken these long, dark grains are too 5–10 minutes, or until crisp and or pierced so that they cook at a spiky to eat when undercooked. golden on the outside. Drain on similar rate to the other ingredients Boil until the skins split and kitchen paper and serve with basil in the pack. they will have a pleasing leaves (if desired). Alternatively, 2 STORE Wild rice will last up to chewy texture. the balls can be deep-fried for a year in an airtight container kept 2–3 minutes, or until golden. in a cool, dark, dry place. 3 EAT The intense grassy, tea-like flavour of wild rice means a little goes along way. Whole grains take 45-50 minutes to boil and are cooked when

496 | GRAINS CLASSIC RECIPE RICE (CONTINUED) BASIC PILAF A simple, savoury accompaniment to chicken, fish, and vegetable dishes. The secret to fluffy rice is to rinse the grains of excess starch, then boil without stirring, and leave to steam briefly off the heat before serving. Slender grains are about four or five times as long as they are wide. Paella rice White long grain Various Spanish rices can be used to make the classic dish Simple long grain rice is the most versatile variety to have in the paella, including the Denomination of Origin rices from kitchen for side dishes, thanks to an unobtrusive, sweet flavour Calasparra and Valencia. You may find packs labelled that marries well with most cuisines. Bomba, which is the main rice variety. SERVES 4 200g (7oz) long grain rice 25g (scant 1oz) unsalted butter or 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 300ml (10fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock salt and black pepper, to season 1 Put the rice in a sieve and rinse Thai jasmine rice is Red rice under the cold tap until the water available as white or Speciality crops of the French Camargue, Piedmont in Italy, the runs clear. Set aside to drain. brown grains, which Sacramento Valley in the USA, and Bhutan. Only the grain coat is red: have a nutty flavour. the interior is white. Coloured wholegrain and paler semi-pearled 2 Heat the butter or oil in a saucepan varieties are available. It is good for buffet salads and side dishes. over a medium heat and fry the onion Thai jasmine rice and garlic for 5 minutes until soft and A slightly sticky long grain variety also known as Thai translucent. Add the rice and stir well fragrant rice because of its delicious aroma. It is commonly to coat in the fat. Pour in the stock used to accompany Thai and Chinese savoury dishes. and bring to the boil. Nuttier in flavour than 3 Cover the pan and reduce the heat. white rice and the Cook for 10 minutes, then remove the grains won’t stick pan from the heat and leave to sit, together when cooked. without lifting the lid, for 5 minutes. 4 Fluff up the grains of rice using a fork; season to taste. Thai black sticky rice These dark purple grains with a fruity, grassy aroma are most commonly served as a sweet breakfast cereal, a dumpling-like snack or a pudding flavoured with coconut milk and palm sugar. Brown rice The grains cling Wholegrain rice with a nutritious, brown-coloured together readily, so bran coat. Most varieties are available in this it is perfect for eating form, from short grain, Italian, risotto-style rices, to long grain and fragrant ones such as basmati. with chopsticks. The bran coating lengthens the cooking time; it is good for side dishes, salads, pilafs, and stuffings. White sticky rice Also known as glutinous or sweet rice, these tend to be short grain varieties, such as sushi rices. The grains become sticky on cooking so they adhere when lightly pressed together. Thai white sticky rice is best cooked by steaming so that the grains remain distinct; when boiled it becomes mushy.

Rice flour RICE | 497 Bland, gluten-free rice flour can be ground from any rice variety. Most common is glutinous rice flour, used CLASSIC RECIPE in Asia to make dumplings, crêpes, cakes, and sweets, and brown rice flour, which is good for cakes, breads, RICE PUDDING and biscuits/cookies for people on special diets. Enriched with butter, this traditional The crispy texture British milk pudding can be eaten makes it ideal for simply as it is, or with some seasonal use in baking stewed fruit or a dab of jam. children’s sweets. SERVES 4 Puffed rice 600ml (1 pint) full-fat milk Familiar from breakfast cereals, this requires a more 25g (scant 1oz) caster sugar complicated manufacturing process than popcorn. ½ vanilla pod, split lengthways Sweetened short grain rice is cooked under pressure, 15g (½oz) butter, diced, plus extra and the steam that builds inside the grains causes for greasing them to expand. Usually used in sweet snacks, though 60g (2oz) short grain pudding or it also appears in some Asian savoury mixtures. risotto rice freshly grated nutmeg, for sprinkling 1 Preheat the oven to 130°C (250°F/ Gas 1⁄2). In a small saucepan, gently heat the milk, sugar, and vanilla pod, stirring so that the sugar dissolves. 2 Meanwhile, lightly grease a 900ml (11⁄2 pint) ovenproof dish with butter and sprinkle the rice over the base. Pour the hot milk over, removing the vanilla pod. Sprinkle over the nutmeg, then dot with the diced butter. 3 Bake for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so, until the pudding is soft and creamy and has a golden- brown hue. Basmati rice Flaked rice Grown in the Himalayan A popular ingredient for desserts foothills of India and Pakistan, and sweet snacks in Asia, this rice is this long grain rice is matured part-cooked to soften it before being prior to sale to reduce its rolled into flakes. moisture content and enhance its fragrance and flavour. The seed coat removed Recommended for Indian from wholegrain rice and Iranian dishes. during milling is processed into rice Ground rice bran and germ. Slightly grittier than rice flour, ground rice is made from white rice and can be used The coarse texture helps Rice bran and rice germ in baking or for milk puddings. give a crisp finish These health-food products offer vitamins, minerals, essential to pastries and biscuits fatty acids, and fibre. Hardly delicious, rice bran is best added such as shortbread. to breakfast cereals and baked goods, but it might also be stirred into soups and stews to help thicken them. The oil extracted from the rice bran and germ can be used for frying and studies show it is useful in reducing blood cholesterol.

4 9 8 | G R A I N S | PA S TA DRIED PASTA Filini Wiry pasta strands most Fresh is not necessarily best when commonly used to make elegant it comes to pasta: some sauces are soups more substantial. The name better suited to dried pasta shapes means “little cat’s whiskers”, but while and a quality brand will be superior some filini pasta is short cut, it can also to the products of cheap fresh-pasta be kept long. Being so thin, filini is quick makers. Dried durum wheat pasta is a to cook. It is available in dried egg pasta simple mix of flour and water and wholemeal versions as well as fresh. extruded by machine and cut into tiny, short, or long shapes. It tastes nutty Tagliolini compared to dried egg pasta, which is Very thin pasta ribbons that tend to be served with also made with durum wheat and by broths or very liquid sauces. They are available fresh and law must contain 5.5 per cent egg dried and cook quickly. Look out for the green-coloured solids. The egg gives the pasta a richer version, often cooked with plain tagliolini. colour and flavour, but should not by definition be considered superior to Corn pasta plain durum wheat pasta. 1 BUY A rough texture is a positive To cater for special diets, pasta is made from an attribute, indicating that it has been made in small batches, shaped and cut increasing number of non-traditional grains including by bronze dyes, and that sauces will cling well to it. Long dried pasta shapes quinoa, brown rice, and multigrains. Gluten-free corn is such as spaghetti should be slightly flexible when bent. Dried egg pasta one of the most successful of these alternative grains should have an appealing golden colour. 2 STORE Dried pasta can be stored because its neutral flavour and golden colour are easy Fusilli (shown) and in a dry place in an airtight container substitutes for dried durum wheat pasta. spaghetti are easily or sealed pack for at least a year. 3 EAT Boil for slightly less than the available, or you can producer’s recommended cooking time, then drain quickly and finish buy shapes such as cooking in the sauce. Or boil until al dente (tender but with some bite) macaroni and penne. then drain thoroughly, toss with dressing and serve at room Orecchiette temperature as part of a salad. This Puglian speciality can be found sold dried FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Broccoli, or fresh (which is eggless), and is sometimes broths, butter, chicken, chilli, cream, coloured. The bowl shape of orecchiette garlic, eggs, onions, pepper, seafood, (meaning “little ear”) is ideal for vegetables tomatoes, white wine. or chunky sauces as the ingredients sit neatly CLASSIC RECIPES Macaroni cheese; inside. It can also be used for salads. fettuccine alfredo; orecchiette with broccoli. Spaghetti Vermicelli Long, thin, and round, spaghetti (which means “lengths Vermicelli is very fine durum wheat pasta of cord”) is the best-known pasta shape in world, similar to spaghetti in shape but thinner probably because it is one of the oldest and most and quicker to cook (5 to 6 minutes). It has versatile – used with everything from simple garlic, many different regional names in Italy, and the chilli, and olive oil to creamy ham sauces. Spaghetti is same type of pasta is used in other cuisines normally 25cm (10in) long and 1.5mm (1⁄16in) thick, including Greek, Spanish, Mexican, and but can be longer. It is readily available in different Persian. In Naples it is traditionally layered colours and made with alternative flours. with a mixture of shellfish, vegetables, and olives, and baked with a breadcrumb topping, or tossed with a sauce of tuna and anchovies. Cut vermicelli is sold in short pieces ready to add to broth for soup making. Fusilli Pasta spirals of all kinds are enduringly popular. Although fusilli, which hails from Campania, is mass-produced, it was traditionally a fresh, eggless variety made by hand. It is a favourite shape for coloured pasta and multigrain combinations. It works just as well in salads and pasta bakes as it does with chunky vegetable or creamy sauces.