BANK HOLIDAY COOKING

Spend the long weekend in the kitchen with our spring recipes, including a fab fish supper and roast lamb, plus a chocolatey bake

‘This pâté has all the creamy, rich flavour of a smoked salmon bagel with soft cheese and capers. Paired with golden, butter-laden tear-and-share brioche, this makes for a tasty and indulgent spring lunch.’

SERVES 4-6 PREP 1 hr plus at least 3 hrs 20 mins proving, chilling and cooling COOK 30 mins

MORE EFFORT

200g smoked salmon

200g full-fat soft cheese

½ tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp capers, drained small handful of dill, chopped,

plus extra to serve

1 small lemon, zested and juiced olive oil, for drizzling

For the brioche buns

450g strong white bread flour,

plus extra for dusting

½ small bunch of chives,

finely chopped

1 ½ tsp fine sea salt

30g caster sugar

7g sachet fast-action dried yeast 100ml whole milk

4 large eggs, at room temperature 190g unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened, plus extra for the bowl

1 To make the buns, put the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the chives and salt on one side of the bowl, and the sugar and yeast to the other. Mix each side into the flour with your hands, then mix everything together using the dough hook. Tip the milk into a small pan and warm over a low heat until warm to the touch, but not hot. Slowly mix into the dry ingredients until combined. Lightly beat 3 of the eggs. With the motor on medium speed, slowly add the beaten egg and mix for 10 mins, then add the butter, one or two cubes at a time, until combined – this will take another 5-8 mins. Scrape the sides of the bowl down. The dough will be very soft at this stage.

2 Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover with a clean tea towel, and leave to prove for 1 hr 30 mins2 hrs until doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, chill for 1 hr.

3 Put the salmon, soft cheese and mustard in a food processor and pulse several times until the salmon is coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in half the capers, the dill and the lemon zest and juice. Season, then chill until needed.

4 Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide into 18 equalsized balls (weigh for accuracy, if you like). Butter the outside of a 12cm ovenproof bowl. Place the bowl in the middle of the baking sheet and arrange the dough balls around it, leaving a 2cm space between each for spreading. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove for 30-35 mins until doubled in size.

5 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Beat the remaining egg, then lightly brush it over the dough balls. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and risen. Leave to cool on the sheet for 20 mins, then carefully remove the bowl (you may need to run a knife around it to release it). Spoon the pâté into a small bowl, place it in the gap in the middle of the buns, then top with extra dill, a grinding of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. To serve, tear the buns from the ring and spread with the pâté.

GOOD TO KNOW folate

PER SERVING (6) 748 kcals • fat 43g • saturates 24g • carbs 64g • sugars 7g • fibre 3g • protein 25g • salt 2.8g

Esther Clark

‘This traybake meal delivers big flavours, but it’s still easy to cook. How you serve it is up to you and the occasion – it’s just as good scooped straight from the dish in the middle of the table as it is smartly plated up. Until the moment the fish goes into the pan, it is vegetarian, so if you’re cooking for veggies as well, scoop some of the cauliflower and chickpeas into a separate small pan to roast alongside the fish.’

SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins

COOK 40 mins EASY

1 large cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp sunflower oil

4 garlic cloves large piece of ginger, peeled

1 red chilli, sliced

1 tbsp curry powder of your choice

(we used madras)

2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained,

rinsed and patted dry

100g butter, softened 500-600g chunky white fish (such as cod, hake or pollock), cut into 4 equal chunks

400g spinach handful of coriander, leaves picked

and roughly chopped large pinch of garam masala

1 Heat the oven to 220/200C/gas 7. Toss the cauliflower in a large, shallow roasting tin with the cumin seeds, turmeric, some seasoning and half the oil until the cauliflower is coated and bright yellow. Roast for 15 mins, tossing a few times, until starting to char.

2 Meanwhile, peel the garlic, then put in a small food processor with the ginger, half the red chilli, the curry powder and some seasoning. Blitz to a paste. Stir the chickpeas, half the spice paste and most of the remaining oil through the cauliflower. Roast for 20 mins more, stirring once or twice.

3 While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, mix the softened butter with the rest of the spice paste, and spread half all over the fish. When the cauliflower and chickpeas are ready, remove the pan from the oven and make four gaps in the mixture. Nestle the fish in the gaps, and dot all but 1 tbsp of the remaining spiced butter over the veg. Roast for 10-15 mins more.

4 Heat the remaining oil in a large pan over a high heat until very hot, then cook the spinach for 3-4 mins until wilted. Add the reserved 1 tbsp spiced butter and continue to cook for 1-2 mins more. Set aside until the fish is just cooked through, then sprinkle the coriander, garam masala and remaining red chilli over the traybake. Serve the traybake in the middle of the table with the spinach in a bowl alongside for everyone to help themselves.

GOOD TO KNOW calcium • folate • fibre • vit c • iron • 3 of 5-a-day • gluten freePER SERVING 581 kcals • fat 32g • saturates 14g • carbs 27g • sugars 5g • fibre 11g • protein 41g • salt 0.8g

Barney Desmazery