Food & Drink
Kicking off 2021 with yet another lockdown isn’t all bad, it’s a great excuse to try some warm, filling favourites from Honeycomb & Co
Delicious and comforting recipes from Edinburgh cafe Honeycomb & Co, plus Rose Murray Brown chooses the best wines of New York
Perhaps one of the few upsides of the current lockdown is that we’re giving ourselves permission for a treat or two this month, rather than the traditional abstinence that January brings.
It’s still a time for comfort food, but with fresh flavours and seasonal ingredients in the starring roles. This was the thinking behind our launch of Honeycomb & Co At Home – a weekly menu of relaxed, fussfree dishes to simply heat, serve and enjoy at home. Not fine dining but home cooking, designed to make weekends feel a little more special, without adding any stress or creating a kitchen full of pans to wash.
Honeycomb & Co is temporarily closed, but is usually open daily for brunch, lunch, coffee and cakes. Honeycomb & Co, 1 Merchiston Place, Edinburgh EH10 4NP 0131-228 4641, honeycombandco.com
Cumin-roasted aubergine with tahini ricotta, preserved lemon and walnuts
Once roasted, the aubergine becomes silky inside, with a soft, melting texture. Creamy ricotta and tahini contrast with the sharp preserved lemon and a final sprinkle of candied walnuts adds texture and flavour. It’s a real winner as a vegetarian main, or serve alongside simply grilled fish or lamb.
Serves two as a main course or four as a starter
2 large aubergines
50ml olive oil
20g ground cumin
10g salt
150g ricotta
50g tahini salt & pepper
50g walnut halves
100g caster sugar
½ preserved lemon skin, fine sliced
1 Pre-heat fan oven to 180C. Prepare the ricotta by combining with tahini, and season to taste. Set aside.
2 Put the sugar in a small, heavybased pan and place over a medium heat Once you have a rich brown caramel, add the walnuts, mix quickly then pour onto a parchmentlined tray. Allow to cool completely.
3 Prick the aubergines with a small knife. Place in a mixing bowl with oil, cumin, salt and pepper and mix well. 4 Roast for 30-40 minutes until completely softened. Remove from oven, place on chopping board and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Slice each aubergine lengthways.
5 Place skin-side down on a dinner plate, spoon tahini and ricotta mixture over the aubergine and sprinkle with lemon. Use the handle of a kitchen knife to break up the candied walnuts, sprinkle and serve.
Roast spatchcock chicken, fennel and clementine
This recipe brings bright seasonal flavours to a family favourite. Spatchcocking the chicken helps it cook evenly and the citrus, fennel and thyme will fill your kitchen with the most incredible aromas as it roasts. Serves four
1 whole free range chicken, approx 1.8kg
3 clementines or satsumas, halved 2 large fennel bulbs, cut into quarters
50g soft brown sugar
20g salt
10g cracked black pepper
10 sprigs of thyme 1 Preheat oven to 180C. Place chicken breast-side down, legs towards you.
2 Using a large kitchen knife or sturdy scissors, cut up along each side of the backbone to remove it.
3 Place chicken in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix. Place the chicken in the centre of a large roasting tray, pulling the legs and wings out to splay the bird. Flatten the breastbone with the heel of your hand so the meat is all one thickness. Add the rest of the ingredients, arranging the clementines and fennel around the chicken.
4 Place in the oven and cook for approximately 1.5 hours, covered with foil for the first 40 minutes. Cook until juices run clear – this will take more or less time depending on the size of the chicken and the size of your roasting tin.
5 Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Place the chicken and fennel on a platter to serve, spooning over the cooking juices and squeezing the roasted clementines over before serving.
Apple and pear crumble with homemade custard
Once you’ve made your own vanillaflecked custard, you’ll never buy a supermarket pot or packet again. Take it slowly and heat gently for the perfect accompaniment to a homemade fruit crumble. Subtle spices and balanced sweet and sharp flavours are the key to this classic – try it with bright pink forced rhubarb for a seasonal treat.
Serves four
350g Bramley apples 350g Conference pears 175g caster sugar ½ lemon
½ orange pinch ground ginger 100g plain flour 50g butter
50g light brown sugar 250g double cream 250g milk
6 egg yolks
1 vanilla pod
1 Preheat oven to 180C. Peel and core apples and pears, then roughly chop. Place into a saucepan, add lemon and orange zest and juice, 50g caster sugar and ginger. On a low heat stew fruit until just cooked. Taste to check sugar levels – you may need a touch more. Spoon into a 7in ovenproof dish and leave to cool slightly.
2 Put flour, light brown sugar and butter into a bowl and work with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs – all ingredients incorporated with no large lumps of butter remaining. Place on top of cooked apple and pear, distributing evenly. Bake for around 30 minutes until golden.
3 For the custard, heat double cream, milk and vanilla in pan and bring to the boil. Whisk egg yolks and remaining caster sugar until light and fluffy. Pour the milk mix slowly on top of the eggs, continuing to whisk. Place into a clean pan and heat gently to thicken. When ready it will coat the back of a spoon – be careful not to overheat or it will turn into scrambled egg!