RECIPES THAT WILL SAVE YOUR DAY

For comfort, for celebrations and for utter escapism, these are the dishes that kept the country’s top chefs and food writers going.

Over the past 12 months, drastic changes have taken place in kitchens across the country. Worktops have doubled up as work stations and dining tables as classrooms, only for everything to be swept aside in the evening for further transformations of a culinary kind to take place; the kitchen has become a social hub (both in real life and via our laptop cameras), and the food we make has become a way to travel a world that is currently out of reach.

It has been no different for the country’s top chefs and food writers, either – as the poignant accounts shared across these pages will attest.

When it came to cooking, “2020 was the year of convenience,” admits cookbook author Sabrina Ghayour. Limited supermarket trips meant she had to think on her feet, resulting in unexpected meals. For Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr, lockdown was about getting back to basics and celebrating the life of his father, Albert Roux, who died in January.

Hélène Darroze, who recently won her third Michelin star, used her time to cook her way back to her favourite family holiday, while chef Sat Bains delved into the archives of his childhood favourite family meals. And for cookbook author Skye McAlpine? It was cake that made life feel better.

Here they each share the recipe that has helped them stay sane during a year of lockdown.

Serves four

INGREDIENTS

4 globe artichokes

Juice of ½ lemon

6 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp flour

4 eggs

4 medium slices smoked salmon, weighing about 150g

1 small truffle, about 30g (optional)

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp cognac

METHOD

► Snap off the artichoke stalks and, using a sharp knife, trim off the leaves until only the neatly shaped hearts are left. Squeeze over a little lemon juice.

► Cook the artichoke hearts in a saucepan of boiling, salted water with three tablespoons of vinegar. They will take 20-35 minutes, depending on their size. Use the point of a knife to test whether the artichokes are done, then leave them to cool in their cooking liquid.

► Bring a shallow saucepan of water to the boil, add the remaining three tablespoons of vinegar and poach the eggs. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of very cold water. Trim the ragged edges from the white and place the eggs on a tea towel.

► Use a plain 8cm pastry cutter to cut a neat circle from each smoked salmon slice. Brush with a little olive oil, if you wish. Decorate with a little truffle sliver (if using) and place in the refrigerator.

► Cut the smoked salmon trimmings into small dice and keep them in a bowl.

► Roughly chop the remaining truffle (if using) and add it to the diced salmon. Stir in the mayonnaise, ketchup and cognac and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep at room temperature.

► Remove the chokes from the artichoke hearts and pat dry with a cloth. Divide the garnish between the four artichoke bottoms, place an egg on each one and top with a round of smoked salmon. Serve on a cold, but not chilled, plate.

► You could add a sprig of chervil for colour instead of the truffle if you prefer.