Nigel Slater’s Dish of the Day episode 2: Nigel finds ways to get the very most out of the ingredients from the weekly shop – from getting the most out of a cut of ribs to using every last peeling of his butternut squash. Including butternut squash soup with crisps, rib ragout and cherry chocolate iced rice.
Nigel Slater shows how, with a bit of culinary creativity, he turns the contents of his weekly shop into seven delicious dishes – one for every day of the week. Nigel Slater OBE is an English food writer, journalist and broadcaster. He has written a column for The Observer Magazine for over a decade and is the principal writer for the Observer Food Monthly supplement. Prior to this, Slater was a food writer for Marie Claire for five years.
Nigel Slater’s Dish of the Day episode 2
Butternut squash soup with peel crisps
Nothing gets wasted in Nigel Slater’s butternut squash soup: the crisps that go with this easy soup are made with rosemary-speckled squash peelings.
Method:
- Peel the butternut squash and reserve the long strips of skin.
- Discard the butternut squash pulp and chop the remaining butternut squash into chunks.
- Heat the olive oil in a large casserole, add the onion and butternut squash and plenty of butter (to taste) and cook untill brown and caramelised.
- Pour over the stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly and then blend using a food processor or hand-blender to the desired consistency.
- Add hot smoked paprika and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- For the crisps, preheat the oven to 140C/275F/ Gas 1.
- Place the reserved butternut peelings in a roasting tray and top with the olive oil, sherry vinegar, chopped rosemary and put in the oven to cook for 20 minutes on a low heat to crisp up.
- Remove the crisps from the oven and place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve the soup with the skin crisps.
Cheese scone – Nigel Slater’s Dish of the Day episode 2
Yes that’s cheese scone, not just puny cheese scones. One great big mound of cheesiness to be broken into smaller pieces after it’s cooked. Who can resist?
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
- Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles coarse, fresh breadcrumbs.
- Pour in the milk and mix with a wooden spoon to create a soft dough.
- Add the crumbled cheese and ensure it is evenly distributed by gently kneading the dough with your hands.
- Shape the dough into a rough round and place on a baking tray dusted with flour.
- Press down on the top of the ball to flatten it slightly, then brush it with a little milk to glaze.
- Grate some extra cheese over the top, then score a deep cross into the dough with a sharp knife to allow it to break into individual pieces when cooked.
- Bake in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, or until the cheese topping looks golden-brown and crisp.
- Serve warm with your favourite chutney or pickle.
Rib ragù
Pappardelle pasta is the perfect foil for a rich ragù – made here with slow-cooked pork ribs.
Method:
- Heat half of the oil in a large pan. Cut the ribs into thirds with a sharp knife and add them to the pan.
- When the ribs are brown, remove them from the pan, add the rest of the oil and soften the carrots, celery and onion.
- When the vegetables are softened, return the ribs to the pan and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for three hours.
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions in a pan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain well.
- When the three hours have elapsed, pick out the rib bones and discard. Serve with the cooked pasta.
