Jamie’s Meat-Free Meals episode 7: Onion Tart, Pumpkin Rice & Butter Bean Stew.
Jamie makes a simple but showstopping sticky onion tart; a creamy coconut pumpkin rice, with a spicy butter bean stew; and turbo-charged aubergines with epic Indian spices.
Jamie’s Meat-Free Meals episode 7 recipes:
Sticky onion tart
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Peel the onions and halve across the middle. Place the butter in a 26cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat. Strip in the thyme leaves and add the bay, shake the pan around and get it bubbling, then add the sugar, vinegar and 100ml of water. Place the onion halves in the pan, cut side down. Peel and halve the garlic cloves and place in the gaps, then season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Cover, turn the heat down to low and leave to steam for 10 minutes to soften the onions slightly, then remove the lid and cook until – very importantly! – the liquid starts to caramelise, gently shaking the pan occasionally to stop it from sticking.
- Place the pastry over the onions, using a wooden spoon to push it right into the edges of the pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed up (it will look quite dark, but don’t worry!). Using oven gloves to protect your hands, pop a large plate over the pan and confidently but very carefully turn out.
Pumpkin rice
Method
- Peel and deseed the pumpkin, then chop into 2cm chunks. Pour 800ml of boiling salted water into a large pan over a medium-high heat, add the coconut cream and leave to melt, then add the pumpkin and allspice berries. Trim the spring onions and bash with your fist, then halve and drop into the pan with half the thyme sprigs and the whole Scotch bonnets (no holes or bruises please). Roughly chop the cabbage, discarding the core, then add to the pan with ½ a teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then rinse and stir in the rice. Pop the lid back on, turn the heat down to low and cook for 12 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Turn the heat off and leave to steam.
- Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the garlic and peel and roughly chop the onion, then place in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil and cook for 5 minutes. Halve the tomatoes, then remove the chillies from the rice, carefully deseed, slice, and add half to the pan (feel free to add more later, to taste, and remember to clean your knife, board and hands thoroughly after). Pick in the remaining thyme leaves, then trim and halve the okra and add to the pan. Cover and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, then tip in the beans (juices and all) to warm through for a few minutes. Fork up the rice, breaking up the pumpkin, and serve with the beans, seasoning everything to perfection
Stuffed curried aubergines
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Peel the onion, garlic and ginger, place in a food processor with the coriander stalks and chillies (deseed if you like), and whiz to a fine paste. Put the spices and curry leaves into a 25cm x 35cm roasting tray on a low heat with 2 tablespoons of oil and fry for 1 minute, or until smelling fantastic, stirring constantly. Tip in the paste and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Stir in the peanut butter, mango chutney and tamarind paste, season with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then scrape into a bowl, adding a splash of water to loosen to a paste, if needed.
- Leaving them intact at the stalk, cut the aubergines into quarters lengthways, rub and stuff them generously with all the paste, then arrange them in the tray (if using regular aubergines, simply trim then cut into 1cm-thick rounds and sandwich the paste between them). Place the tray on a medium heat and fry for 5 minutes, turning halfway. Add the coconut milk, roughly chop and sprinkle over the tomatoes, season well with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Cover with tin foil and roast for 40 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, removing the foil halfway. Season to perfection and scatter over the coriander leaves.