Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking
Try these comforting family recipes from Mary Berry’s new BBC Two series ‘I made this just before Christmas and froze a couple of portions. It behaved beautifully on reheating, retaining its velvety texture and favour.’ ‘If you make this ahead, ensure that it is reheated thoroughly. Take it out of the fridge an hour before, then bring to the boil on the hob. Let it bubble with the lid on for 5 mins, then put in the oven (same temp as Mary says) for 20 mins.’
EASY
SERVES 8 PREP 15 mins COOK 50 mins 1.5kg peeled and deseeded butternut squash, cut into 3cm cubes (see Mary’s tip, right) 1 large onion, roughly chopped 2 medium carrots, peeled and
chopped 1 red pepper, cut into cubes 4 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp clear honey 5cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped 1.5 litres vegetable stock
EASY
SERVES 6 PREP 30 mins plus 1 hr marinating COOK 1 hr
400g baby shallots, peeled 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 small bunch of thyme 4 bay leaves 600ml red wine 6 small skinless and boneless chicken
breasts 2 tbsp olive oil 75g butter 3 tbsp plain four 350g smoked streaky bacon, chopped 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar 400g button mushrooms, halved 1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the squash into a large, resealable freezer bag with the onion, carrots and red pepper. Drizzle with half the oil, season and toss everything together until the vegetables are coated. 2 Tip into a large roasting tin and spread out to form a single layer (use two roasting tins if necessary). Roast in the oven for 40–45 mins until tender and tinged brown. Drizzle over the honey about 5 mins before the end of cooking. 3 Place a large (3.5-4 litres) deep-sided saucepan over a medium heat. Add the remaining oil and, when it is hot, add the ginger and fry for 1 min. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then stir in the roasted vegetables and season. 4 Remove from the heat and, using a hand blender, whizz the mixture until smooth. Check the seasoning, adding more if necessary. Return to the heat to warm through and serve hot with crusty bread. 1 Put the shallots in a large bowl with the garlic and herbs. Pour in the wine and mix together. Add the chicken, season and leave to marinate for a minimum of 1 hr. When you’re ready to cook, heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. 2 Sit a colander over a large saucepan and strain the marinated chicken, reserving the shallots, bay leaves and thyme. Dab the chicken with kitchen paper to dry it. 3 Heat the oil and 50g of the butter in a deep ovenproof frying pan or casserole dish. Add the chicken breasts and fry on each side on a medium-high heat for 5–10 mins until browned all over – you may need to do this in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 4 Meanwhile, set the pan with the wine marinade over a high heat and boil for 5–10 mins so that it reduces to 400ml. Measure the four into a bowl, add 150ml of water and whisk until smooth before stirring in a little of the hot wine, then add this mixture to the rest of the wine in the pan. Keep hot. 5 Add the bacon to the frying pan or casserole and cook over a high heat – in MARY’S FOOLPROOF TIP ‘You can buy ready-prepared butternut squash from supermarkets, which makes this soup even quicker to prepare. If you grow your own, use young butternut squash as they are easier to peel.’ batches, if needed – for about 10 mins until browned, then tip in the reserved shallots and continue to cook for another 10 mins until starting to soften. 6 Add the hot wine sauce and tomato purée with the sugar, reserved bay leaves and thyme. Season and bring to the boil, stir until thickened and add the browned chicken. Bring back to the boil, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven to bake for 20–25 mins or until cooked through. 7 Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a pan and fry the mushrooms over a medium heat for 5–10 mins or until just cooked, then add to the casserole just before serving. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and serve hot with mashed potato and shredded cabbage. Recipes adapted from Mary Berry: Foolproof Cooking (£25, BBC Books). Photographs © Georgia Glynn Smith.