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00:01Cook, Eat, Repeat is frankly the story of my life.
00:06Food is more than just sustenance.
00:09It brings such joy,
00:11and it has the power to make a real difference every single day.
00:15The recipes in Cook, Eat, Repeat are ones I return to again and again.
00:21So gorgeous.
00:25They're all part of the rhythms and rituals of my kitchen.
00:30Food to brighten up even the darkest day.
00:34And luxuriate in my favourite ingredients.
00:37This is bowl food at its best.
00:42In dishes that just say, home to me.
00:48We all know that cooking can be a balm in troubled times.
00:52But more, I believe that the kitchen can be both a sanctuary and a pleasure palace.
00:58And that's something I am more than happy to celebrate repeatedly.
01:02MUSIC PLAYS
01:06MUSIC PLAYS
01:34A recipe is a curious entity, because it has to be anchored in practice.
01:40MUSIC FADES
01:44MUSIC FADES
01:45MUSIC FADES
01:48MUSIC FADES
02:08I just showed up to you from a tweet I saw, by the political journalist Ash Jakkar.
02:12And she mentioned a recipe that came from her home.
02:15And she described it as a nostalgia in a dish,
02:19and the equivalent of a tea-dipped madeleine to Proust.
02:22and what really captivated me was that every ingredient was familiar, the method was familiar
02:31and yet what it created was entirely new to me and it spoke of real lives and real food
02:39and I really raced, as much as I can ever race, into the kitchen to cook it and I haven't
02:45stopped.
02:52I start this recipe with the onions in my right hand and I end with the onions on my left.
03:07I suppose that's the thing, so much in cooking begins with the frying of onions.
03:15It's one of the essential rhythms of the kitchen because cooking isn't a big performance.
03:22It is simply a series of small repeated tasks that weave their way through the days.
03:35And if you're wondering why the onions are looking quite so yellow,
03:39it's because I'm frying them in cold-pressed rapeseed oil, which has a wonderfully mustardy flavour.
03:49So I'm going to leave them softly sizzling while I go in search of heat in the form of this
03:56red chilli.
03:58If you want to deseed it, you may. I'm just slicing. I want all the fire.
04:05So my chillies need to be added to these soft sweet onions in the pan.
04:11And I know this might seem an odd way of conveying them, but it's because I'm frightened of taking my
04:17lenses out later.
04:22Beautiful.
04:26Ginger is essential here. It has a particular peppery, almost pungent warmth.
04:34I'm going to grate quite a lot of it in.
04:42Oh, and garlic, of course. Another form of heat. So familiar, so necessary.
04:57But my heat-seeking mission is not over. I want the gold fire of English mustard.
05:04And actually, it provides more than heat. It seems to dance on the edge of bitterness.
05:19Now I'm off to the green corner, first for spinach. And this just needs to wilt in a pan.
05:26Then lime. Sourness is essential in cooking. It brings brightness and lets the deeper flavours rumble through.
05:38And salt, of course.
05:46What I'm making is a borta. And it's a bit impudent of me to be telling you what a borta
05:52is,
05:53since I've only recently been introduced to this wonderful thing.
05:57But essentially, it's a dish from the Indian subcontinent.
06:01And its chief and defining feature is that it contains a mashed component.
06:08And I have just such a component in the oven, ready to be mashed.
06:14For this is a fish finger borta.
06:18Now I've had these fish fingers in the oven for longer than it says on the packet.
06:23Because I want to get them really crisp on the outside.
06:28I'm going to start my mashing.
06:32Oh, it's a promising sound, isn't it?
06:42And I can add to my sour, hot tangle of gingery onions and mash again.
06:58Whatever you do, don't go for those luxy, chunky fish fingers.
07:03Because then you'll have too much of the fish and not enough of the breadcrumbs.
07:06And I want a lot of the breadcrumbs.
07:14This is fish fingers as you've never eaten them before.
07:18And I say that as someone who adores a fish finger sandwich.
07:32Can't wait to dive in.
07:37Soft, crunchy, spicy.
07:44I want to give it a good carpeting of coriander.
07:52And this is something I brought to the party.
07:55Pink pickled onions.
07:58I've just been steeping some half moons of red onion in vinegar for a while.
08:07And this is everything I want out of supper every day, any day.
08:22And I'm going in.
08:24Oh, if I could build my whole world around you, darling.
08:29First I'd put heaven by your side.
08:33Pretty flowers would grow wherever you want, honey.
08:37And over your head would be the bluest sky.
08:41Then I'd take every drop of rain.
08:45And watch all your trouble.
08:47Just stepping in here fills me with deep joy and a calm contentment.
08:51But right now I'm after the bracing comfort of chillies.
08:55And in particular, this Korean gojujang paste.
08:59This is fabulous stuff.
09:01A brick red chilli paste, which is made with fermented soybeans and glutinous rice too.
09:06And what this delivers is such complexity of flavour.
09:10I mean, obviously heat, but also a sort of salty sweetness and such depth.
09:16It's a real friend in the kitchen.
09:19I add it to so many things.
09:22I mean, meat sauces, marinades, mayonnaise.
09:26And this is just the M's.
09:27But what I want it for now are my wide noodles with lamb shank in aromatic broth.
09:33And this is such a special recipe for me.
09:36A true lockdown life enhancer.
09:39And whenever I eat it, which is often, I am instantly invigorated.
09:43And at the same time suffused with shoulder-lowering serenity.
09:52I'll get to the wide noodles later.
09:55But for now, I'm concentrating on the lamb shank and the aromatic broth.
09:59And actually, the gojujang does most of the work.
10:02So I've got a litre of cold water there.
10:06And I want a tablespoon of gojujang.
10:10I mean, a little goes a long way, so this is hot.
10:17Stir it in to help it on its way.
10:23And in goes the lamb shank.
10:26And now for the veg, no peeling required.
10:29One carrot.
10:31And some coins of fresh ginger.
10:34Plus a couple of banana shallots, halved.
10:37And two bruised cloves of garlic.
10:42Then star anise.
10:44And allspice berries with their sweet, musky pepperiness.
10:50And a particular favourite, cumin seeds.
10:54As with all broths, you need to salt vigorously.
10:59Enough water to cover and heat until it comes to the boil.
11:06Then clamp on the lid and cook in a 150 centigrade oven.
11:11That's 130 with a fan on.
11:14For two and a half hours.
11:19I take the tender meat off the bone and strain the broth over it before letting it cool.
11:28And to allow the flavours to deepen and mellow, I leave to chill in the fridge overnight.
11:42The fabulously fiery colour of this broth is an absolutely fair indication of the warmth it bestows.
11:52Now, I am a great believer in fat.
11:56But what I want from this is piercing clarity.
12:00So I'm just removing those orange shards of fat.
12:12That was strangely satisfying.
12:15And now, the lamb.
12:20I'm going to shred it just a bit.
12:22I don't want it to go stringy.
12:23But I want to be able to have it in spoon-sized pieces.
12:33And now for the broth.
12:41Look at that.
12:42It's got the slight quiver of jelly in it.
12:51I don't want to lose any of this precious liquid.
12:55So I'm going to heat it with the lid on.
12:58And very, very gently.
13:03I can forget about that now.
13:05Because I have wide noodles to cook.
13:08And although I do want one day to make those wonderful sort of cat's cradle of bian-bang noodles.
13:15Right now, I am very happy with pappadelli.
13:26In with the aromatic broth, I want not only the softness of the lamb, the robust tangle of the pasta,
13:33but the crunchy leafiness of cabbage.
13:38I want nice chunky strips.
13:42And I just cook the cabbage in the pasta pan when the pappadelli are almost ready.
13:49A little stir.
13:52A little stir.
14:19Lamb.
14:21Ready for succulent spoonfuls.
14:34And, of course, my aromatic broth.
14:40I love the quiet ceremony of assembling this that's not quite it I am a complete
14:50condiment queen and what I need on this well on many things is Chinese crispy
15:00chili it makes everything sing this is bowl food at its best I'm ready for total immersion now
15:24you've given me a true love and every day I thank you love for feeling that's so new
15:34so inviting it so exciting whenever you're near I hear a symphony
16:00there are times when only chocolate will do but as someone who can very happily get through a 250
16:09gram bar a night I feel emphatic that if you're gonna cook with chocolate rather than just eat
16:16it straight you really have to bring something extra to it and I'm thrilled to say that I've
16:22got a luscious pudding for you that does just that there is more to overripe bananas than banana bread
16:38and these specimens are destined for my chocolate tahini pudding cake to be eaten warm and squidgy and
16:47dollops with cream they really are on their last legs excellent I'll explain later right so these bananas
17:10need mashing
17:18won't take long
17:23right so they're ready for some oil 60 mils this is vegetable oil
17:32in it goes followed swiftly by 50 grams of tahini which very conveniently fits into this little American
17:43quarter cup measure and won't stick because of the oil
17:50and what tahini brings is not just that sublime sesame smokiness but also a luscious texture
18:03also using this little measure 50 grams of full fat Greek yogurt and I need a teaspoon of vanilla
18:11sugar now sugars 50 grams of caster sugar and 50 grams too of soft dark brown sugar with all its
18:20gorgeous
18:21treatiness one large egg and beat till smooth
18:29so now I'm going to get my dry ingredients organized chiefly of course flour but not great
18:37dull I need 60 grams of flour this is plain flour but you can use gluten free as well
18:45half a teaspoon of bicarb
18:54quarter of a teaspoon of fine sea salt
18:59and I promised you chocolate and here it is in its first manifestation
19:0725 grams of cocoa
19:12just want to fork everything together before I add the contents of this bowl to this beautiful buff colored batter
19:20which will of course suddenly become a wonderful deep reddy brown
19:50I'm going to fold in the last bit by hand
19:59and I have more chocolate to add in the form of 100 grams of dark chocolate chips
20:20right this just needs to go into my little oven dish
20:27and by the time this has had 40 minutes in a moderate oven by which I mean 180 Celsius or
20:34160 if you've got the fan on
20:36it'll be set on top sumptuously tender underneath and with a warm molten centre
20:49look at that little beauty
20:51and underneath that soft crust you can see in the cracks there it's dark and pudding and melting
21:02and I, now I'm not going in, I've burnt my mouth on this so often that I'm going to let
21:10it stand there
21:10while I get on with the tahini cream
21:13I've got 125 mils of double cream
21:16and to that I'm adding two teaspoons of tahini
21:24I took the cream out of the fridge some time ago because I find that helps it thick and fast
21:30although tahini often makes it thick and faster anyway so it should be just a few little stirs
21:42and it is exactly the right texture
21:46mmm
21:47well I can hold myself away from it no longer
21:58oh yeah
22:09the dollop or two of this softly whipped tahini cream
22:16a real treat
22:18fake molasses
22:19like sticky toffee pudding
22:21in a bottle
22:24so
22:25gorgeous
22:30this needs to be eaten in calm and appreciative silence
22:33morning
22:34this needs to be eaten on the side
22:34this needs to be eaten on the side
22:34this needs to be eaten on the side
23:00and I think that is very good
23:01because I want to park your Facebook
23:01all of my friends
23:01I hope you're a little bit
23:02I hope you're the most confident
23:03and I'm so excited
23:03I saved earlier they're to be transformed into my banana skin and cauliflower curry I start by
23:12making the paste first a couple of banana shallots and four fat cloves of garlic some fresh ginger
23:27and the stalks from a small bunch of coriander I shall use the leaves later for fire a fresh red
23:38chili
23:41then the warmth of cinnamon and turmeric
23:49and then blitz patiently until it obligingly transforms into a vibrantly colored mush and
23:59then fry it fragrantly it's a bit like cooking a room or in the
24:16sense that when the paste has fried for a bit it sort of clumps together it's a bit condensed
24:22it's lost its bright hue but I'm going to bring a little pink to its cheeks some tomato puree
24:39and on top of the curry paste and add some coconut milk not light I beg you
24:52I mean the garlic and the ginger and the small amount of chili
24:55so wonderful with the sweetness of coconut milk
25:05need some lemon juice just to add a bit of edge
25:13some salt never knowingly undersalted
25:20just a little bit of sugar which seems to bring the flavors out just as the salt and lemon do
25:27they're all there striving in their own perfect way for balance
25:33I want this just to bubble away and thicken a bit but in a wide pan like this it won't
25:38take very long
25:42I can't tell you how happy I was when I discovered that you could eat banana skins
25:49now I admit not totally visually appealing
25:55but there's something always so gratifying about using up every last scrap
26:03and all I do to get the banana skins ready for cooking is cover them in boiling water add a
26:09bit
26:10of turmeric a bit of salt and leave the water to cool I can't say that you can detect any
26:16pronounced
26:16banana flavor it's really about the texture and these just go so velvety and just swell and soften
26:26with the flavor of the curry sauce I mean you can cut them whichever way you like this is something
26:32I do enjoy doing so you get your fork you hold it and you sort of press along
26:40and you get these look long snaky bits it actually does look rather spooky when it's in the curry
26:47I feel like I'm eating gagh which is a Klingon delicacy anyway they can go in those little tassels
27:02you see once the bits of banana peel are cooked they do look like aubergine skins and in fact
27:10when I've given this to people to eat they have assumed even after they've eaten that that was aubergine
27:20cooking with leftovers is always inspiring I think and this takes it to another level but
27:27I have more prosaic leftovers a fridge forage yielded some cold cooked cauliflower I use the leaves if
27:36they're tender too and these just need to be heated up warmed through
27:49right
27:54I've thought ahead essential for cooking and eating and I have some warmed naan right into my bowl
28:07I call this a curry but you mustn't think I mean a hot curry it's mellow and it's aromatic but
28:13if you
28:13want a hot curry you can add as many chillies as you want
28:27a perfect stove side supper this is what cooking is all about
28:42you
28:47you
28:48you
28:48you