Jamie’s Meat-Free Meals episode 5 – Asparagus, Sweet Leek Carbonara, Roasted Cauliflower.
Jamie makes asparagus quiche and a pasta carbonara with a luxurious veggie twist. And following a trip round Jerusalem, he puts together a show-stopping cauliflower roast.
Jamie’s Meat-Free Meals episode 5 recipes:
Asparagus quiche & soup
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Tip the flours into a bowl with a good pinch of sea salt, then chop and rub in the butter. Make a well in the middle, crack in one of the eggs, add 2 tablespoons of cold water, then mix, pat and bring together. Place between two large sheets of greaseproof paper, flatten to 1.5cm thick and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry between the sheets of greaseproof, then line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin with the pastry, easing and pushing it carefully into the sides and letting the pastry scruffily hang right over the sides (this will stop it shrinking). Prick the base all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden, then trim off the excess pastry (sometimes I don’t bother as people seem to love the crispy bits).
- Halve the asparagus spears, saving the tips for the quiche. Chop and place the rest in a large pan over a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Peel, roughly chop and add the potatoes and onions and strip in half the thyme leaves, and cook for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden, stirring regularly. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Whiz with a stick blender until smooth, pass through a sieve, then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- While the soup is on the go, beat the remaining eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper and the ricotta, then grate in the Cheddar and pick in the remaining thyme leaves. Chop and add the reserved asparagus tips, then stir into the egg mixture and tip into the tart case. Bake for 40 minutes, or until beautifully golden. I like to serve the quiche and soup together – it’s a wonderful meal.
Sweet leek carbonara
Method
- Trim, wash and finely slice the leeks. Peel and finely slice the garlic and pick the thyme leaves, then place in a large casserole pan on a medium heat with the butter and 1 tablespoon of oil. Once sizzling, stir in the leeks and 400ml of water, then cover and simmer gently over a low heat for 40 minutes, or until sweet and soft, stirring occasionally. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- When the leeks are almost done, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water. Toss the drained pasta into the leek pan, then remove from the heat and wait 2 minutes for the pan to cool slightly while you finely grate the cheese and beat it with the egg (if the pan’s too hot, it’ll scramble; get it right and it’ll be smooth, silky and deliciously elegant).
- Loosen the egg mixture with a splash of reserved cooking water, then pour over the pasta, tossing vigorously (the egg will cook in the residual heat). Season to absolute perfection, going a little OTT on the pepper. Adjust the consistency with extra cooking water, if needed, and finish with a little stroke of cheese.
Greek-inspired cauliflower stew – Jamie’s Meat-Free Meals episode 5
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Use a speed-peeler to strip the lemon zest into a large casserole pan on a medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons of oil and the garlic bulb. Peel and quarter the onions and separate into petals, destone the olives, and slice the potatoes 1cm-thick. Add to the pan, pick in the oregano leaves and cook for 5 minutes, or until just starting to soften and colour. Quarter and add the tomatoes, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Pour 500ml of water into the pan and bring to the boil, stirring well and scraping up any sticky bits from the bottom. Discard just the tatty outer leaves from the cauliflower, then cut a cross into the stalk and push it right down to the bottom of the pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, cover, then place in the oven for 1 hour, or until golden and caramelised, basting occasionally and removing the lid halfway through.
- Remove the cauliflower to a serving platter and pick out the garlic bulb, then place the pan back over a medium heat on the hob, stir in the peas or broad beans, and simmer for 5 minutes. Carefully squeeze all the garlic out of the skins and stir back into the pan. Taste and tweak the seasoning, if needed, then pour over the cauliflower and finish with a good squeeze of lemon juice.