Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Olive Magazine

And relax… it’s Easter. No fuss, no formal family obligations or must-stick-to traditions – in my house, anyway. That said, stocking up on chocolate, eggs and lamb is a given – all of which you’ll find in the following pages, all with a playful twist. This month’s effortless menu features retro classic dressed (devilled) eggs (p15); there’s an alternative Easter lunch suggestion of Senegalese-inspired lamb with mustard dip (p22), and three ways with chocolate, far more inventive than your average brownie (p38). Any wine expert who describes themselves as a lazy drinker is a friend of mine: Kate Hawkings’ new series of straight-talking wine columns can be consumed in five minutes and offer brilliant tips to maximise the enjoyment of whatever’s in your glass. Is decanting worth the faff? She…

In season this month cauliflowerlambmorelsnew potatoespeasradishesrocketspring onions Pea, coconut and lime ice cream MAKES 600G | PREP 15 MINS PLUS CHURNING AND FREEZING | COOK 5 MINS | EASY | 200g fresh garden peas (you can also use frozen)400ml tin coconut milk200g caster sugar2 tbsp coconut milk powder zest of 1 lime and juice of ½1 tbsp vodka 1 Bring a pan of water to the boil. Simmer the peas for 2 mins 30 seconds before draining and immediately refreshing in cold water. Transfer to a bowl of iced water until needed. 2 Put the coconut milk, sugar and coconut milk powder in a pan over a medium heat. Stir together and simmer gently for 2-3 mins or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to…

Chipotle steak with griddled spring onions Spicy, sour, crunchy and fiery, with the sweetness of fresh corn – this salad has it all. SERVES 4 | PREP 16 MINS | COOK 12 MINS | EASY vegetable or rapeseed oil, for cooking2 tsp chipotle paste2 corn on the cobs6 spring onions, trimmed and sliced on an angle into 4cm pieces225g sirloin or rump steak (about 3cm thick), fat trimmed handful of tortilla chips 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted in a dry pan DRESSING 1 tsp chipotle paste3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil1 lime, juiced1 shallot, very finely diced2 tsp runny honey1 tsp sherry vinegar11/2 tsp ground cumin SALAD 1 head of Cos lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces large handful of lamb’s lettuce8 radishes, finely sliced large handful…

ZERO-WASTE HEROES KILO ZIRO, BIRMINGHAM With its zero-waste refillables store Clean Kilo now in Moseley, owners Jeanette Wong and Tom Pell have turned the original Digbeth site into a hip bar where biodynamic wines are served on tap from reusable stainless steel kegs, alongside carbon-negative gin and seasonal ‘waste-not’ cocktails made with rescued surplus fruits. Each weekend, Kilo’s meat-free afternoon tea showcases the work of local producers, including Artisan Epicurean and Sunshine Bakehouse. The menu aims to strike a neat sweet-savoury balance. Before your brownie bites, chocolate and sultana tiffin or victoria sponge cake, expect goodies such as filled piadina, vegan sausage rolls and goat’s cheese, shallot marmalade and pistachio tarts. £26pp, kilozirobar.com A VISUAL FEAST COLONNADES, SIGNET LIBRARY, EDINBURGH The ornate creations served within the Colonnades are as dazzling…

Cognac BUDGET VS BLOWOUT Pierre Ferrand Ten Générations (£36.96/50cl, masterofmalt.com) An easy-drinking cognac, fresh yet full-bodied with honeyed apple and pear notes, floral blossom, pepper and oakiness. Try using instead of whisky in an old fashioned cocktail. Frapin 1993 (£160/70cl, The Whisky Exchange) Wonderfully layered and complex, this single-cask cognac – aged for more than two decades – is a proper treat to sip, full of orchard and tropical fruit, nuttiness and spice. THIS MONTH WE’RE DRINKING... The Dyfi Distillery Navigation Gin (£47.95/50cl, dyfidistillery.com) Navy-strength gins (any gin at 57% ABV or more) tend to be full-on with lots of flavour, so they’re great for cocktails where you want the spirit itself to shine (and remember, they’re very alcoholic so a little goes a long way). Made using foraged coastal…

VIDEO EXTRA Get a 360 tour and see more of the action at The Sun Inn at olivemagazine.com and on our socials. Smoked cod’s roe dip with spring vegetables, soft-boiled eggs and flatbreads The Sun Inn serves this dip with a drizzle of herb oil to finish. You can also use plain olive oil, too. SERVES 6-8 | PREP 15 MINS | COOK 5 MINS | EASY | GF 30g fresh white breadcrumbs175ml milk250g smoked cod’s roe, outer skin removed35ml lemon juice, plus an extra squeeze20g dijon mustard½ garlic clove250ml sunflower oilpinch of smoked paprika3 eggs (at room temperature)mixed seasonal vegetables (ideally radishes, carrots, baby fennel, Little Gem wedges)flatbreads, cut into pieces, to serve 1 Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and pour over 50ml of milk, leaving it to…

Natural beauty Flowers are a simple way to add an effortless flourish to dishes, and, as well as adding colour and texture, they can also add flavour. Roses, violas and chamomile are an obvious choice, as are herb flowers such as thyme, rosemary and lavender. Pinks (dianthus) are slightly spicy, bergamot is citrus-peppery and the bright blue of borage is mildly cucumber, used here by Crispin restaurant in Spitalfields. @crispin_e1 BUDGET VS BLOWOUT Buy the best, whatever your budget – this month, bean to cup coffee machines BREVILLE BARISTA MAX – CURRYS £349 A sleek and robust, compact model which needs minimal set up. It offers multi-grind settings and produces a rich espresso with a great crema. DE’LONGHI LA SPECIALISTA MAESTRO – AMAZON £899 De’Longhi is known for adapting the…

The dip is served warm and is the sort of savoury thing you crave alongside a drink before dinner. Based on an Italian bagna cauda, this version has a coarser texture and uses olive oil, not butter, and lots of parsley. You can choose to serve it with whatever raw vegetables you fancy, but radishes, carrots and fennel are my favourite. Anchovy and walnut dip with crudités SERVES 2 | PREP 15 MINS | COOK 10 MINS | EASY | GF mixture of crunchy raw vegetables, such as radishes, radicchio, endive, carrots and fennel100g walnut halves 50g tin of anchovies in olive oil (6-8 fillets)3 garlic cloves, finely grated1/4 tsp dried chilli flakesfinely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon 100ml extra-virgin olive oil 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf…

SERVES 2-3 | PREP 10 MINS COOK 20 MINS | EASY | GF 2 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil1 onion, finely chopped300g cooked floury potatoes, chopped into 2cm cubes200g corned beef, roughly chopped handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped fried or poached eggs, to servebrown sauce, to serve 1 Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 8-10 mins or until tender but not taking on any colour. 2 Turn up the heat a little and add another tbsp of oil. Add the potatoes and corned beef, and fry for 6-8 mins, pressing down with a spatula to get lots of crispy bits of potato, until piping hot. 3 Scatter with the parsley, top…

Our pro says With its neighbouring open kitchens and central rows of XXL tables and bench-seating, Exhibition may look like a food hall. It simmers with the excitement of such spaces, too; energy flowing symbiotically between the restaurant and bar – even on the weekday afternoons when I’ve visited. But this open-plan endeavour within the Grade II-listed St George’s House (the aesthetic modish post-industrial, edged with Scandi glamour) is a very different experience. You are greeted on arrival. You order from super-friendly, efficient staff. The food is more evolved. Baratxuri’s Basque live-fire menu is founded on exceptional produce, exacting execution and chef-owner Joe Botham’s deep research in Bilbao and beyond. His tortilla filled with rich mayonnaise-bound crab; salt cod served over smoking embers with koskera-style salsa verde; or baby squid,…

Decanting wine is a brilliant hack to bring out the best of almost every bottle you drink, particularly if you’re a red wine drinker. It simply means pouring wine from the bottle into another vessel. It’s mostly done to expose the wine to oxygen – volatile aroma compounds that may have unpleasant aromas quickly evaporate, leaving room for the more fruity, floral and spicy aromatics to fully express themselves, opening up the wine and softening any harsh tannins. I’m a lazy drinker, accustomed to pouring wine straight from bottle to glass, but recently I’ve made a point of tasting almost every bottle I’ve opened both non-decanted and decanted side by side. The difference can be astounding, especially with beefy, tannic reds. Apart from fresh young whites, which can lose their…

There are moments at the tail-end of winter when flashes of spring start to make an appearance – from the occasional freakishly mild day, to the first shoots of crocuses and daffodils. These tendrils of springtime get me so excited for the season, and its ingredients. I’m talking about spears of asparagus, broad beans bouncing out of their pods, and still-muddy spring onions. This is all produce that, now it’s April, is on the agenda, and will be dominating my cooking. Asparagus season is such a special thing for British cooks, being so short-lived – it runs from St George’s Day on 23 April through to Summer Solstice on 21 June – and I see it as a time to go all-out for the love of our green, sturdy-stemmed friends.…

What is effortless? Easy on the eye and simple to make, thanks to shop-bought ingredients and no fiddly techniques. These recipes can be made ahead or require 30 minutes or fewer of prep – they’re go-to ideas for entertaining special guests. Devilled eggs by another name – there are three different toppings here but the possibilities are endless Dressed eggs MAKES 18 HALVES (3 EACH) | PREP 30 MINS | COOK 10 MINS | EASY Bring a pan of water to a simmer, carefully lower in 9 room-temperature eggs and simmer for 10 mins, then transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water to quickly cool. Peel the eggs, then halve them. Scoop the yolks out into a bowl. Mash with 4 tbsp of mayonnaise, 2 tbsp of full-fat greek yogurt,…

Whether you’re a fan of light, sweet and vanilla-forward milk chocolate, or earthy and complex dark, a single square or even an entire block can elevate a dish, from meaty stews to a decadent tray of brownies. These recipes will have you looking at everyone’s favourite sweet treat in an entirely new way. 1 Mole bavette steak SERVES 4-6 | PREP 5 MINS PLUS MARINATING AND RESTING | COOK 15 MINS | EASY | LC GF 2 whole dried ancho chillies 3 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar 5 tsp cocoa powder2 tsp ground cinnamon 4 tsp smoked sea salt flakes1kg bavette steak2 tsp vegetable oil1 red onion, thinly sliced2 limes, juiced handful of coriander, finely chopped 1 Remove the stalks from the chillies, then blitz them…

With a view that looks out over the transformed Battersea Power Station, Joia, with its floor-to-ceiling windows pouring light onto the warm pastel interiors, literally shines – which is apt, given that its name means ‘jewel’ in Portuguese. Perched at the top of Art’otel, Joia is London’s first offering from Michelin-starred Henrique Sá Pessoa, with the main restaurant, a vermouth and wine bar, and an additional rooftop bar spread over three floors. The menu, simply created using the best ingredients available, includes dishes such as bulhão pato mussels, suquet – a monkfish and red prawn stew – and hand-dived scallops with black aïoli sabayon. joiabattersea.co.uk Bacalhau a bras SERVES 2 | PREP 30 MINS PLUS 10 HRS SOAKING COOK 3 HRS 40 MINS | MORE EFFORT | GF 100g salt…

Calabrian chilli pulled pork SERVES 4 | PREP 20 MINS PLUS MARINATING AND RESTING | COOK 3 HRS 40 MINS | EASY | GF 1.2-1.4kg pork shoulder, bone removed2 tbsp Calabrian chilli paste (crema di peperoncino)1 tbsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp smoked sea salt3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar 4 garlic cloves, peeled2 tbsp cider vinegar 5 anchovies, drained300ml cider or apple juicebrioche buns and salad, to serve (optional) 1 Carefully remove the outer rind of the pork shoulder leaving a good layer of fat for flavour, then score the top with a sharp knife in a cross-hatch. Next, carefully cut the pork horizontally through the middle – your butcher can do this step for you, if you prefer. 2 Add the chilli paste, fennel seeds, salt, sugar, garlic cloves,…

Eating and drinking are two of the main principles which shape Greek culture. Alcohol and food go hand in hand, and the whole concept of eating is connected to sharing and social exchange. Greek cuisine is defined by this culture’s long history, its geographic location, its landscape and the local produce. As a country prominently located on the south-east edge of Europe but also on the crossroads between three continents – Europe, Asia and Africa – the Greeks have been involved in a priceless cultural exchange between numerous great civilisations including the Egyptians, the Persians, the Romans and, later, the Venetians and the Ottomans. Greek cuisine is humble and is founded on the country’s rich biodiversity and the plant-based ingredients that actually shape it – namely the olive oil and…

I am a food writer, cookbook author and TV presenter, and I live in London with my husband, Ben, my seven- and six-year-old sons, and four-month-old daughter. We moved into the house at the end of last year. As with all of our previous kitchens, this one has become the heart of the household – I work from it and my kids do their homework, play and do arts and crafts in it. It has a rectangular shape, with half the space used as a dining area with a conservatory-style glass-panelled roof – gorgeous for light – and the other side the cooking area. There is a little bar area that I love to work from, with a hatch to the dining side of the kitchen. It’s very family-style, with…