Innehållsförteckning för April 2024 från Olive Magazine

This month, in keeping with our magnificent cover star lasagne, we’re eating green. This issue is packed with recipe ideas for using the greens that come through in spring, from herb-infused biryani traybakes (p14) and all-the-greens pad thai (p26) to spinach buckwheat pancakes (p30) and three inventive ways to use wild garlic (p38). It’s also time to eat asparagus – while it’s in season here, make the absolute most of it with our asparagus and chive tart (p28), and Gurdeep’s emmer-based risotto (p68). If you haven’t tried emmer, do – it has fantastic texture. Travel-wise, we’re visiting Margate (p84) and the Cotswolds (p64), eating our way around Turkey (p74) and Colombia (p78), and visiting outstanding Italian restaurants, from Lancashire and Liverpool, to Hove and Edinburgh (p58). We’ve picked our favourite…

Hariyali chicken biryani traybake SERVES 4 | PREP 25 MINS PLUS MARINATING | COOK 1 HR 15 MINS EASY | GF 1 large chicken or 8 bone-in thighs MARINADE 50g coriander50g mint leaves30g tarragon leaves (optional)30g basil leaves8 garlic cloves, peeled thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped3 green finger chillies75g greek yogurt1 tbsp ground cumin1 tbsp ground coriander1 tsp garam masala1 lemon, juiced2 medium onions, thinly sliced RICE 300g basmati rice 7 green cardamom pods1 cinnamon stick few strands of saffron1/4 tsp ground turmericcoriander, chopped, to garnishpomegranate seeds, to garnishpoppadomsgreek yogurt swirled with limepickle, to serve A whole roast chicken always indicates celebration: it’s a bold statement and everyone thinks you’ve gone to so much effort. This is a brilliant prep-ahead dish, with luxurious flavours and minimal washing-up.…

Easter chocolate and olive oil celebration cake SERVES 10-12 | PREP 30 MINS PLUS COOLING | COOK 30 MINS | EASY 175ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for the tins2 eggs175ml soured cream½ tsp instant coffee granules, used to make 170ml coffee, slightly cooled250g plain flour90g cocoa powder2 tsp bicarbonate of soda1 tsp baking powder125g caster sugar125g light brown soft sugar ICING 250g salted butter, softened100g soured cream, at room temperature550g icing sugar, sifted70g hazelnut chocolate spread (we used Bonne Maman) chocolate Matchmakers and mini chocolate eggs, to decorate 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line two deep 20cm cake tins. In a jug, whisk together the eggs, soured cream and coffee until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, bicarb, baking powder…

SERVES 6 | PREP 30 MINS COOK 5-8 HRS | EASY 2 tbsp vegetable oil1½kg bone-in leg of lamb300ml madeira wine2 red onions, ends trimmed, quartered1 garlic bulb, halved2 celery sticks, roughly chopped300ml chicken stock small bunch of thyme2 bay leaves100g pitted soft prunes2 tbsp cornflour50g pomegranate seeds, to serve handful of mint or parsley, chopped, to serve 1 Turn the slow cooker to high or low, depending on how long you want the lamb to cook for. 2 Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Rub 1 tbsp of oil all over the lamb and season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear the lamb in the pan until evenly browned, then put in the slow cooker. 3 Deglaze the pan with a splash…

HOME BAR HACKS Alcohol-free brunch ideas Brunch gatherings can focus on buck’s fizz, prosecco and bloody marys, but if you’re not drinking the offering can be limited. If you want something that’s easy to put together but a bit more vibrant than a glass of juice, try an espresso tonic – add a shot of espresso to an ice-filled glass of tonic water. Or opt for an apple spritz, a 50/50 mixture of apple juice and sparkling water (you could also use white grape juice) and twist a sliver of lemon zest over the top to express the oils – serve in a chilled coupe for extra elegance. If you want something even more refreshing, coconut water is a great choice. Use it in a smoothie with pineapple juice, lime…

1 FRUIT MARKETS Paloquemao fruit and vegetable market in Bogotá is an absolute must-visit for a taste of local Colombian commerce and culture. It’s brimming with vibrantly coloured fruit and veg of all shapes and sizes; try everything that you haven’t seen before and look out for maracuya (passion fruit), sapote and soursop. 2 SPECIALTY COFFEE SHOPS AND CAFÉS The past few years have been good for speciality coffee shops in Bogotá, with cafés popping up across the city. Most of these sell coffee sourced directly from growers and roasted in-house, so you won’t find many huge brands here – only local ones with a personal touch. We recommend giving Colo Coffee and Casa Café Cultor a go. 3 CARNAVAL DE BARRANQUILLA Carnaval de Barranquilla (Barranquilla’s Carnival) is one of…

wellness WHY DO WE NEED PROTEIN? Protein is an essential nutrient you can find in every single cell of the human body. It plays vital roles in growth, development and repair. While many of us may associate protein with boosting our energy and supporting muscle growth, the building blocks – amino acids – which make up protein, actually help to produce key neurotransmitters or brain chemicals that are critical for supporting a balanced mood and preventing conditions such as depression and anxiety. HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED? For most people, a daily amount of around 0.8-1g of protein per 1kg of body weight is recommended. After exercise, protein is particularly important since muscles need it to recover and grow. A 15-25g portion of protein is recommended within 30 minutes…

Trendspotting OMAKASE Omakase, which roughly means ‘I’ll leave it up to you’ as an instruction to the chef, was on a roll in 2023, and in 2024 that roll is still accelerating. You get a tasting menu of many courses, often featuring sushi and sashimi along with delicate soups, hot dishes, grilled dishes and perfect little desserts, usually in a very intimate setting at a counter in front of the chef. Taku in Mayfair has 16 seats, little sibling Iné (inebytaku.com) has eight and Notting Hill’s Juno is a teeny six seats. Omakase is also used to describe a curated selection, like the omakase snacks mix of Japanese-style crackers from Sous Chef. Something for every budget. Find our pick of Japanese restaurants at Olivemagazine.com. BUDGET VS BLOWOUT Buy the best,…

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 1 Ricotta gnocchi with wild garlic and walnut pesto This is a simple pesto that really lets the wild garlic sing, and these gnocchi are a speedier version of their potato cousin. SERVES 2 | PREP 25 MINS | COOK 12 MINS | EASY | V 220g plain flour25g pecorino (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus extra to serve1 lemon, zested250g ricotta, drained1 egg yolk25g unsalted butter PESTO 75g wild garlic, washed35g basil, torn60g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped100ml good-quality extra-virgin olive oil30g pecorino (or vegetarian alternative), grated 1 Put the wild garlic, basil and walnuts in a food processor, and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, pour in the olive oil and blend until smooth and vibrant green. Season well, then stir in the pecorino…

The Ducksoup team’s newest restaurant (founders Tom Hill and Clare Lattin pictured, right) is Camille in London’s Borough Market. Small, perfectly formed and with a cosy vibe, this is a venue in the French tradition using British produce to great effect. There’s an à la carte menu as well as a specials board but, as the ingredients are very seasonal, this will change often. Expect gutsy flavours including plenty of offal, such as boudin noir, egg yolk and horseradish; trotter and parsley terrine; and ox tongue with black trompettes. There are snails in butter served with bream, and a cassoulet with langoustine as well as the onglet with Café de Paris butter featured here. There’s a selection of wines by the glass along with bottles from small independent wine-makers with,…

Kar-Shing ‘KS’ Tong works in the City by day but spends his free time exploring and eating wherever his palate takes him. From street food to Michelin-starred restaurants, nothing is off the table, and he shares it all on Instagram @ks_ate_here. Our pro says I’m always sceptical of an ‘international’ menu – but when it works it can be a beautiful thing, taking diners on a global culinary journey. Thankfully, Tashas falls into this category. For Tashas Battersea, the team has curated a menu of dishes using locally sourced ingredients that take inspiration from founder Natasha Sideris’s travels, and include a number of Tashas’ best-loved dishes, including the Texas Salad (corn, feta, cherry tomatoes, olives, basil and rocket with a light basil pesto, lemon dressing), which I found a bit…

Urban wineries England is now firmly established as a wine country to be reckoned with. While most of the limelight is on its sparkling wines, its still wines are improving and the most exciting are coming from urban wineries. As their name suggests, urban wineries are not set in rolling countryside surrounded by their own vineyards but are found in quirky urban spaces and run by creative people who lack the funds and/or the inclination to set themselves up for large production in state-of-the-art rural estates. London Cru was the UK’s first urban winery, established in an old Victorian gin distillery in west London in 2013 by maverick wine merchant Cliff Roberson. He began by importing grapes from France and Italy but now, like most other English urban wineries, only…

BOLTHOLE KEEP AN EYE ON @Olivemagazine ON INSTAGRAM FOR A VIDEO TOUR OF NO 42 GUESTHOUSE What makes it unique Margate’s recent reinvention has seen it become a popular destination for food lovers, with the opening of several independent restaurants such as Angela’s, Sète and Sargasso. Now this seaside hotel, part of the small Guesthouse group, also in Bath, York and Brighton, provides another reason to visit the Kent coastal resort – its Pearly Cow restaurant and rooftop terrace providing magnificent views across the channel. On the menu Pearly Cow focusses on seafood platters, fish and grills. Whitstable oysters and salt cod tacos make a good sharing starter, salt-aged steaks are prepared in the open kitchen, with whipped bone marrow butter and beef fat chips – this is the kind…

FOODS CONTAINING GLUTEN If someone is trying to cut out gluten, they should be avoiding anything that contains wheat, barley, rye and oats (unless those oats are specifically stated as being gluten-free). For coeliacs in particular, whose immune system will attack itself if they consume even a trace of gluten, they need to watch out for ‘may contain’ warnings. Unless you can question the manufacturer directly about how something is made, a product could be made on the same line as something containing gluten. Common sources of gluten are foods like bread, biscuits, cakes, pasta, flour and beer. There are also some sneakier sources of gluten that people might not be aware of. Soy sauce is one, but tamari is a fantastic substitute for that. You can even find small…

Pesto greens and three-cheese lasagne SERVES 6-8 | PREP 25 MINS COOK 55 MINS | EASY 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the baking dish3 leeks, washed and chopped (including green parts)3 garlic cloves, crushed25g basil, chopped500g baby or young leaf spinach, chopped2 x 250g tubs of ricotta250g tub of mascarpone50ml vegetable stock or water 50g parmesan, grated, plus 25g for the top150g fresh green pesto20 fresh lasagne sheets 1 Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the leeks until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the basil and spinach for 10 mins until wilted and any water has evaporated. 2 Beat together the ricotta, mascarpone, stock and 50g parmesan. Season well, then keep aside 8 tbsp for the top of…

In season this month: asparagus • Jersey Royal potatoes • spinach • spring onions All-the-greens pad thai These simple noodles are another delicious way to pack more vegetables into your day. Whatever veg you choose, just make sure you’ve got about 200g per person. SERVES 4 | PREP 10 MINS | COOK 15 MINS | EASY | V 200g dried pad thai noodles2 tbsp sesame oil800g fresh green vegetables, such as pak choi, spring onions, asparagus spears or long-stemmed broccoli150g bean sprouts2 unwaxed limes, zested and juiced SAUCE 3 tbsp fish sauce or vegan fish sauce1 tbsp soy sauce2 tbsp brown sugar1 tbsp tamarind paste 100ml vegetable stock, hot pinch of dried chilli flakes TO SERVE vegetable oil, for frying4 eggshandful of salted peanuts, roughly choppedcoriander leaves (optional)dried chilli flakes…

Griddled lamb cutlets with coriander pesto This recipe was inspired by a fantastic Indian restaurant where it was served as a starter. This one has all the flavour but without the heat. If you like the sound of the spicy version, though, sprinkle ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper onto the lamb cutlets before cooking and add one or two jalapeños to the pesto before blending. SERVES 4 | PREP 15 MINS | COOK 10 MINS | EASY | GF 12 lamb cutlets olive oil, for frying½ tsp salt½ tsp ground black pepper2 tsp dried oregano2 tsp paprika1 tsp garlic powder steamed new potatoes and peas, to serve CORIANDER PESTO 50g coriander, leaves picked and longer stalks removed1-2 jalapeños, sliced2 garlic cloves, peeled½ lime, zested and juiced3 tbsp pine nuts30g parmesan,…

Watercress and asparagus emmer risotto SERVES 4 | PREP 10 MINS PLUS COOLING COOK 40 MINS | EASY | V 200g asparagus200g watercress1.25 litres vegetable stock, hot250ml dry white wine50g butter1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing1 large onion, finely diced2 celery stalks, finely diced1 large carrot, finely diced4 fat garlic cloves, crushed2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed325g emmer75g pecorino (or vegetarian alternative), grated1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 Trim the asparagus spears, and put the woody ends in a pan with the watercress and stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 mins or until the stems are tender. Cool for 10 mins, then blend until smooth. Pour back into the pan and add the wine. 2 Melt 30g of the butter in a large, deep pan along…

My homeland Türkiye is a melting pot of diverse flavours with thousands of years of culinary heritage. Surrounded by the Aegean, Black Sea and the Mediterranean, it has varying climates, fertile soil and many ethnic communities that contributed to regional cuisines. Bountiful, seasonal produce is consumed throughout the country and excess produce is pickled and turned into paste to be used out of season. The Marmara region carries the legacy of the Ottoman palace kitchens and its ethnic communities. Meze, vegetables cooked in olive oil, pickles and a variety of desserts are a legacy from the Ottoman period. You can also find fine examples of regional flavours in Istanbul, as the city is made up of migrants from across the region. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Greek, Armenian and Kurdish residents of…

kitchen style KEEP AN EYE ON @Olivemagazine ON INSTAGRAM FOR A VIDEO TOUR I’m the owner of Lilac Restaurant & Wine Bar in Lyme Regis, Dorset – I run the business and work as a chef. My passion is working with wild ingredients, and I forage for my menus. This summer, I’ll be doing a run of wild food tasting menus in our newly renovated outside space called The Garden Table. I also host a podcast that is centred on wild foods and the things that connect us all – it’s called If a Tree Falls. I live just outside Lyme Regis, in the countryside, along with my dog Louis and cat Peddy Pops. My kitchen is small, functional and accessible. When I moved into my rented cottage, the ground…

Easter blondies Chopped mini eggs make the perfect topping for these gooey, sweet blondies – because you can never have too much chocolate at Easter MAKES 16 | PREP 5 MINS PLUS COOLING COOK 50 MINS | EASY 200g unsalted butter, diced, plus extra for the tin200g white chocolate, roughly chopped400g light brown soft sugar4 eggs150g plain flour150g mini chocolate eggs, chopped 1 Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 2 and butter and line a 20cm square brownie tin. Put the butter and white chocolate into a pan, and gently melt until combined. 2 Pour the melted chocolate into a bowl and add the sugar, then whisk together until the sugar has dissolved. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, whisking well in between each addition, and add a…