Theo's Family Kitchen E-Book

Theo A. Michaels

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 178

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Over 70 recipes for feel-good family food from a busy chef, TV personality and father of three. This invaluable cookbook from popular chef, columnist, TV personality and father of three Theo Michaels holds the answer to the challenges of feeding a family with easy and fun recipes for every day. In your average week you'll encounter ravenous kids desperate for an almost instant after-school snack, you'll often need to rustle up tempting and filling platefuls of something fast, take more time to prepare something special for a sit-down meal at the weekend and occasionally cook for extended family and friends. Among these ingenious recipes there's easy comfort food for those days when the world has conspired against you, dishes that the kids can get involved in preparing, tray-bakes and one-pots (especially useful if the dishwasher has broken), fun Friday fake-away ideas that are kinder to your household budget than ordering in, and a few special occasion treats. You'll find ideas here to suit the fussiest of eaters, veggies and carnivores alike, things to please a sweet tooth, and new ways to put a spin on store-cupboard standbys and get the most out of forgotten food lurking in the freezer. Complete with tips and tricks from a busy working chef, this is the ultimate feel-good family cookbook.

Leseprobe

THEO’S

FAMILY

KITCHEN

THEO’S

FAMILY

KITCHEN

75 RECIPES FOR FAST, FEEL GOOD FOOD AT HOME

THEO A. MICHAELS

photography by Mowie Kay

DEDICATION

To my wife Anna and kids Eva, Lex and Luca – you are my world. x

Senior Designer Megan Smith

Creative Director Leslie Harrington

Editorial Director Julia Charles

Production Manager Gordana Simakovic

Food Stylist Libby Silbermann

Prop Stylist Hannah Wilkinson

Indexer Hilary Bird

Published in 2023

by Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields

London WC1R 4BW

and

341 E 116th St

New York NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

Text copyright © Theo A. Michaels 2023

Design and photographs copyright © Ryland Peters & Small 2023

ISBN: 978-1-78879-558-6

E-ISBN: 978-1-78879-573-9

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed and bound in China.

CIP data from the Library of Congress has been applied for. A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

NOTES

• Both British (metric) and American (imperial plus US cups) measurements are included in these recipes; however, it is important to work with one set of measurements and not alternate between the two within a recipe.

• Spoon measurements are level – a tablespoon is 15 ml and a teaspoon 5 ml.

• Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.

• Herbs used in the recipes are fresh unless specified as dry.

• When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using. If you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water before using.

• Always sterilize jars to be used for storing homemade preserves and sauces before use.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT…

Mastering the basics, from poached eggs to roast chicken

WEEKNIGHT HEROES

Quick, easy & tasty family meals

RELAXED WEEKENDS

Recipes for when you have more time

FAMILY FAKEAWAYS

Homemade takeaway classics

SALADS & SIDES

Great tasting salads & side dishes

SWEET THINGS

Tempting treats & desserts

INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Theo’s Family Kitchen. I’ve wanted to write this book for a while – not only to provide a manual on creating delicious homecooked family meals but also to create the sort of book I could pass on to my own kids and know they’ll be armed with not only a collection of tasty and reliable recipes but also a blueprint for learning some basic cooking skills. That is why the first section on How to Cook the Perfect… was so important to me to include – the recipes and techniques you will find here are the building blocks of most of the dishes we make at home. From what you can do with eggs, how to make a white sauce, serve perfect potato and rice sides and roast an amazing chicken. And much more besides…. like how to cook a proper basic tomato sauce and what to then add to instantly take it from the Mediterranean to Mexico, or India or elsewhere – simple tweaks that create a labyrinth of taste opportunities, demonstrating that once you’ve mastered the basics you can do anything!

But there’s more… our family life is hectic; three kids running about, a dog (that barks at air) chasing after them, my wife and I juggling the demands of work and home (all the while moonlighting as a kids’ taxi service – unpaid might I add!). But amid the chaos of our everyday home life, meals are the eye of the storm; when we all come together to eat and enjoy each other’s company and experience a moment of calm. Sorry, who am I kidding? Our dinnertimes are hardly calm, but we’re together! Feeding my family unprocessed, homecooked meals when we do stop to eat is important to me and I want to pass on my knowledge so you can do the same.

Many of my previous cookbooks delve into the food associated with my Greek Cypriot heritage, celebrate village-style food from across the various Mediterranean countries, or are about creating grand sharing feasts, but this is a collection of our family recipes gathered in one place for you to prepare for your own family. These are the actual dishes we cook at home; inspired by cuisines from all over the world but with a common thread of being accessible, delicious and easy to recreate. We kick off with Weeknight Heroes – this is your go-to chapter for getting through the week with mouth-watering recipes that are quick and easy solutions for the time-starved. Relaxed Weekends follows and provides you with a delectable selection of recipes for when you’ve got more time to spend in the kitchen and may also be feeding a few extra mouths. Try my slow-cooked porchetta or my insanely good cool-box sous vide rack of lamb. Next, Family Fakeaways is full of sure-fire hits for when you want to recreate the fun of your favourite take-outs at home; from an Indian-inspired curry feast or Chinese-style noodle bolws to classic Friday-night fish and chips and gyro-style kebabs. The Salads & Sides chapter offers new and fresh ideas for tasty accompaniments to slip into any meal (or on occasion just enjoy on their own!). Finally, I couldn’t resist including a selection of indulgent desserts for when you want to treat yourselves (and may I say, my lemon and thyme meringue pie is one of our all-time favourites – it never has a chance to cool down when it comes out of the oven as we eat it IMMEDIATELY!).

Food is one of the most important things that brings people together. When we share a meal, we’re not just eating; we’re also creating memories, building relationships and celebrating life. That’s why I’m so passionate about this book and sharing our recipes with you. As with all my previous books, I want this to be a guide, not a set of rigid instructions and I hope that these recipes will become a part of your family’s weekly routine. I hope that you’ll gather around the table with your loved ones, make some noise, have a heated debate, and enjoy these meals together – creating your own memories and traditions as you cook from Theo’s Family Kitchen.

HOW TO COOK THE

PERFECT…

EGGS

Here’s a quick guide on getting the most out of your morning (or brunch, or supper) eggs. The following methods were tested using UK medium/US large eggs, each weighing about 65 g/2¼ oz. Regardless of how you are cooking your eggs, the general rule is the fresher the better. Buy the best quality you can afford (but always free-range) or find friends with chickens – you’ll never get nicer eggs than ones freshly laid next door! Always store eggs at room temperature rather than in the fridge.

It’s always fun to follow new recipes, but every busy family cook will benefit from having a good repertoire of solid kitchen skills up their sleeve. If you can master the everyday stuff, by which I mean rustling up breakfast eggs, cooking veg well, making perfect potato and rice sides, knowing how to whip up a tasty sauce, roasting a chicken and making a decent shortcrust pastry, you are already ahead of the game!

TOP TIPS FOR BOILED EGGS

» A grey ring around the yolk of your boiled egg may be unsightly but it is perfectly harmless. To avoid it, don’t overcook eggs; even if you want them hard boiled/hard cooked, 12 minutes is long enough!

» For ease of peeling, it’s best to cool your boiled eggs as soon as they finish cooking; keep them submerged in cold water and peel them before they fully cool down.

» Store boiled eggs in your fridge; unpeeled they can last a few days, once peeled they should be eaten within 48 hours.

BOILED EGGS

Boiling an egg is not an exact science! There are lots of variables, ranging from how large your eggs are to what the ambient temperature is that will affect the outcome. The following guidelines should, however, get you as close to perfection as possible.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil. Lower the eggs into the water, they should be at least 2 cm/1 in. under the surface of the water. Once they are submerged, maintain the heat until the water comes back up to a rolling boil (about 20–30 seconds), then reduce the heat to low so it’s just keeping the water warm with no bubbles.

Now set your timer as follows, depending on what result you are hoping for:

» 4–5 minutes for soft boiled runny eggs, perfect for dipping toast ‘soldiers’ into

» 6–8 minutes for semi-hard, fudgy yolk, ideal for salads

» 10 minutes for just under hard boiled, a whisper of softness, ideal for making egg mayonnaise

» 12 minutes for hard boiled, best for slicing

Remove the eggs from the pan, run them under cold water and peel. They will continue to cook in their shells so peel hard boiled eggs quickly and serve runny eggs straight away.

POACHED EGGS

Ah, seemingly so easy but actually so hard to master! I’ve given you my rigorously tested methods here.

TOP TIPS FOR POACHED EGGS

» Using fresh eggs makes a difference as the whites are firmer.

» Cracking the eggs into a fine sieve/strainer to remove watery white leaves you with better formed poached eggs.

» Don’t boil the poaching water; it will break the eggs up.

» A little drop of vinegar in the water helps and the taste isn’t noticeable.

STOVETOP METHOD

Fill a saucepan with water to a depth of at least 10 cm/4 in. and add 1 teaspoon white vinegar. Bring to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer with bubbles barely forming.

Crack an egg into a small fine sieve/strainer just long enough for any watery white to pass through, then carefully pour the egg into a cup or ramekin. Whisk the bubbling water in the pan in a circular motion to create a vortex and then gently tip the egg into the centre of it. Don’t touch! Leave the egg to cook for 3 minutes and then scoop out with a slotted spoon. (If you prefer your eggs not runny, leave to cook for 30 seconds longer.) Dab the spoon onto a paper towel with the egg still in it to remove some of the excess water, and serve.

MICROWAVE METHOD

Fill a cup halfway with hot water and crack an egg into it (no need to sieve/strain for this one). Place into a microwave, uncovered, set to 800 watts and microwave for 40 seconds. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and serve. If you want the yolk firmer, pop it back into the microwave, 5 seconds at a time, until you are happy with it.

POACHING MULTIPLE EGGS?

To cook a batch of poached eggs you can either cook them individually using the stovetop method (see left) for 2½ minutes each, then dunk briefly into iced water and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to serve, re-poach in hot water for 30 seconds to warm. (This is how we do it in our professional catering kitchen.)

Alternatively you can use a large high-sided frying pan/skillet, again following the stovetop method (left) but once the eggs are prepped and the water has just stopped boiling, keep the water still, pour the eggs into the pan and cook for 3 minutes. They rarely come out as neat as when cooked in a vortex, but you can trim the whites to neaten them up.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

Where would we be without scrambled eggs? They take seconds to cook and once you’ve added some toast and the odd extra ingredient you have an instant and nutritious meal, any time of day.

2 eggs, lightly whisked

a knob/pat of butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

SERVES 1

Get your frying pan/skillet really hot, add the butter and as soon as it melts pour in your whisked eggs – they should bubble immediately. Using the side of a fork or spatula, quickly drag the mixture back and forth around the pan, continually moving the eggs while they cook. After 1 minute, when the eggs have just firmed up, remove the eggs from the pan and serve. The eggs will continue to cook when removed from the pan so you want to remove them as soon as they have solidified to avoid overcooking. Season well and serve.

TOP TIPS FOR SCRAMBLED EGGS

» Use a really hot frying pan/skillet and drag the eggs around the pan as opposed to stirring them which creates little lumps.

» Don’t overcook your scrambled eggs – you’ll get watery liquid appearing in the pan and that’s the eggs expelling their moisture. What’s left is rubbery and can be a bit unpleasant to eat.

» You can add a splash of milk or cream to the whisked eggs to increase their volume and make them, well, creamier. My dad’s secret ingredient is mayonnaise. He stirs in a tablespoon of it just before removing the eggs from the pan – he says once you do that, you’ll never eat them any other way!

OMELETTE/OMELET

Omelettes/omelets are great any time of the day and hugely versatile. Fill them with whatever you want – from grated cheese, to vegetables, ham or smoked fish etc. I’ve given you a recipe for a plain two-egg omelette here so you can add your choice of filling.

2 eggs, lightly beaten

a knob/pat of butter

a sprinkle of chopped chives (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

SERVES 1

Add the butter to the pan/skillet and once it has melted pour in the beaten eggs, tilting the pan so the eggs spread evenly across the base. Using a spatula or side of a fork, gently drag some of the eggs from the edge of the pan towards the middle, then tilt the pan so the raw eggs spill into the empty space. Continue until the surface has started to solidify but is not fully cooked. This only takes a couple of minutes. Drop your filling (if using) in a straight line down the middle of the eggs, then run the spatula or side of a fork around the edge of the pan to ensure the eggs are not sticking. Carefully fold over both sides of the eggs to create a large cigar-shaped omelette. Roll it out of the pan onto your serving plate seam-side down, season well, sprinkle with chives (if using) and serve.

TOP TIPS FOR OMELETTES/OMELETS

» It’s best to use a frying pan/skillet with sloping sides rather than a straight-sided one.

» Sauté or steam any vegetable filling first, and set aside until you are ready to use it – the eggs will take a fraction of the time your filling does.

» I find an omelette is good served with something sharp – hot sauce or a tangy fresh tomato salsa.

RICE

There are of course hundreds of varieties of rice, all with their very own distinct personalities. I’m going to focus here on the most common ones most people have lurking in their cupboards and that I tend to use most often (see opposite). For me the two most frequently used methods of cooking rice is the absorption method (where rice is cooked and absorbs all the liquid with no need to drain) or cooking in lots of water like pasta and draining the rice at the end. Many people say some types of rice benefit from being rinsed first to remove excess starch, but just between me and you, since this is MY family cookbook I’m going to be honest; I rarely rinse my rice when cooking at home.

ABSORPTION METHOD

This easy method is ideal for any long grain white rice varieties, including basmati. It works to a ratio of 2:1, water to rice. This very handily means that whatever you use to measure out your rice can be used to measure your water; just use the same vessel to measure twice the amount! (See Top Tip on portion size, right). Make sure you are using a lidded saucepan or pot large enough to contain the rice once it cooks and expands.

320 g/400 ml/1⅔ cups white long grain rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

800 ml/3⅓ cups water

a pinch of salt

SERVES 4

Add the rice to a saucepan with the oil, stirring and cooking it gently for 1 minute. Add the water, bring to a boil, stir once, cover, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 12 minutes. Do not be tempted to lift the lid or stir the rice during cooking.

Remove the lid, lightly fluff with a fork (never a spoon) and rest for a couple of minutes to release the steam before serving.

BOILING IN WATER METHOD

Fill a large saucepan or pot with water, salt generously and bring to the boil. Add your rice (ensuring there is at least 3 times the volume of water to rice), reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook until the rice is al dente (soft on the outside with a little chew left on the inside); cooking times vary between 12–20 minutes depending on the rice. Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat, drain the rice in a sieve/strainer, then drop the rice back into the empty pan and cover with the lid until you are ready to use.

TOP TIPS FOR RICE

» Allow about 80 g/scant ½ cup uncooked rice per person. Quite conveniently; 320 g of rice (sufficient to serve 4 people) is about 400 ml/1⅔ US cups which is the same volume as a large mug or coffee cup – that’s what I use at home to measure everything.

» You can vary the flavour and colour of your rice by adding a chicken or vegetable stock/bouillon cube to the water first, or spices such as ground turmeric (which gives it a lovely yellow colour), star anise, paprika etc.

» You can start by sautéing onions and garlic in your pan first then add the dry rice, or as in my recipe for Cuban-style Brisket (see page 98), I use the cooking juices of the meat instead of water to impart maximum flavour.

The rice I have in my cupboards:

WHITE LONG GRAIN WHITE RICE (INCLUDING BASMATI)

This, the most commonly used type of rice, is three or four times as long as it is wide and makes a good every day all-rounder and accompaniment to other dishes. It cooks in 10–12 minutes using the absorption method (see left).

BROWN LONG GRAIN BROWN (INCLUDING BLACK RICE)

As these rices are wholegrain and have their outmost layer of bran intact they can take up anything from 25–40 minutes to cook (check the package instructions). I cook them in about four times their volume of water on a low simmer with the lid on (topping up the water during cooking if needed) and then drain in a sieve/strainer. They have a lovely chewy texture and are deeper in flavour than white long grain rice varieties – they look fantastic when mixed with other rice or in salads.

WHITE SHORT GRAIN RICE (INCLUDING ARBORIO, PAELLA AND PUDDING RICE)

These rices have rounder, short grains and a high starch content which is released when they are cooked and stirred. This creates a ‘creamy’ finish, making it the preferred rice variety for risotto; it is also excellent to use in a paella. I always have a bag of it in my kitchen storecupboard. It can be cooked using the absorption method (see left) but needs to be left to cook for 20 minutes. If you are making a risotto or just generally cooking it uncovered on the hob/stove-top, you’ll need to add more water to the pan and it will take around 30 minutes.

WILD RICE

Wild rice is actually not a rice at all, but an aquatic grass and is quite expensive, which is why it tends to be mixed in with long grain white rice. This gives it a gentler flavour too, but if you are using it on its own it can be cooked as brown long grain rice (see left).

POTATOES

Potatoes; how amazing are they? They can be cooked in so many different ways; sometimes as the star of the show, other times the best supporting act around. I’ve concentrated on everyday side dish potatoes here, and shared my tried-and-tested, favourite recipes with you that my family go to again and again.

PERFECT MASH

We all love a good mashed potato, so here’s a basic recipe with a few tips and then some variations for you to enjoy. The garlic isn’t classic, but I always include it (it’s very subtle), but leave it out if you prefer. I’ve listed some variations (see right) and however you make your mash, it always needs to be seasoned generously with salt and pepper.

1 kg/2¼ lb. floury potatoes (see Top Tips, right), peeled, cut into 5-cm/2-in. chunks

2 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole, stalk end trimmed off (optional)

45 ml/3 tablespoons whole/full-fat milk, warmed

50 g/3½ tablespoons butter, plus extra to serve

sea salt and ground white pepper, to season

SERVES 4