Simple can equal spectacular
Makes serving up a feast look easy.
Sam Mannering
Here are two simple ideas that make it look like you’ve gone to rather a lot of effort. A galette is a sort of cheat’s tart. Not the sort of thing to be described out of context. You can add whatever sort of fruit you like; apples, pears, peaches, berries and so on.
I’m a fiend for nectarines; they’re absolutely superb at this time of year. There is nothing wrong with good store-bought puff pastry – Paneton is my go-to. I like to use one of my big cast iron pans for this; makes it much easier to get out of the oven. Served, as pictured, with a big dollop of icecream on top makes for a pretty good time.
We seem to have a bit of a thing against mussels in this country. I have no idea why. I know we’ve all had a moment where we’ve bitten into one and it’s gone crunch thanks to a wee crab hiding inside; but as far as I’m concerned, the pros far outweigh the cons.
Mussels are a cheap and delicious source of protein that we have in enormous abundance here in New Zealand. Indeed, use whatever shellfish you can get your hands on; pipis, tuatuas, clams, scallops are all good. Just make sure you don’t overcook them.
Sometimes I like to use smoked mussels instead; look out for The Smokehouse from Mapua; delicious and widely available in decent supermarkets throughout the country.
Spaghetti with mussels, chilli, lemon, parsley and breadcrumbs
1kg mussels A few slices of day-old ciabatta or similar, torn into smallish pieces
Half a red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped olive oil Salt and pepper 400g dried spaghetti or similar 1 teaspoon butter 1 shallot, finely sliced 150ml dry white wine 250ml cream 1 lemon Handful of parsley, roughly chopped De-beard, wash and rinse the mussels. Get a lidded pot big enough for the mussels, half fill it with water and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, pop the lid on and steam for about 5-8 minutes until the shells have opened. Drain and allow to cool before removing the mussel meat, discarding the shells and tough tongues. Chop up slightly and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In a baking tray, combine the torn up bread, half the chopped garlic and the chilli along with about a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Toss well and bake in the oven until the bread is golden brown and crisp. Remove and set aside to cool.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a steady boil. Season generously with salt, drop in the pasta and cook until al-dente. Drain and rinse.
In a large frying pan over a moderate heat, add a little oil and butter, let it bubble up and follow with the sliced shallot and the remaining chopped garlic. Cook gently for several minutes until the shallot is soft and translucent. Bring up the heat a little and add the cooked mussel meat, followed by the wine. Let it bubble up and reduce down a bit, then add the cream and allow it to do the same. Once the liquid has reduced by about a quarter, taste and season accordingly, then add the cooked pasta, toss and warm through.
To serve, scatter the breadcrumb and chilli mixture over the top of the warm pasta, followed by some lemon zest and a squeeze of juice, and finally, the chopped parsley.
Nectarine and strawberry galette
3 nectarines, stones removed and sliced
Large handful of strawberries, ends removed and quartered Zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons demerara or raw sugar 2 tablespoons melted butter Puff pastry Preheat the oven to 180C.
In the meantime, combine the sliced nectarines, strawberries, lemon zest and juice and a tablespoon of the sugar and leave to sit for a few minutes.
Get a large oven-proof pan, baking dish or similar and brush with some of the melted butter. Line with puff pastry, ensuring that there is at least an inch or two of overlap over the edges. Spoon in the sliced fruit, reserving the leftover liquid. Pleat and fold the edges of the pastry back over the top of the fruit and brush with the remaining melted butter. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top and pop in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
Sam Mannering is a chef and regular contributor to Sunday Magazine.