Yahoo Movies Harissa lamb, seafood noodles and warm chicken salad: Jane Baxter’s 15-minute savoury recipes
Harissa lamb chops with spiced aubergine and yoghurt
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 2 generously (or 4 light meals)
4 lamb chops, no more than 2cm thick
2 tbsp rose harissa
4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large aubergine
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 pinch chilli flakes
400g passata
1 big pinch ground allspice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
150ml Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Rub the harissa into the chops, then coat them in the panko and season. Heat half the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan, fry the chops for two minutes on each side, then transfer to the hot oven for five minutes, remove and set aside to rest.
As soon as the lamb is in the pan, cut the aubergine into 1-2cm chunks. Set a large frying pan over a high heat, add the rest of the oil, then fry the aubergine for five minutes, until browned all over. Grate in the garlic, add the chilli flakes and fry, stirring, for a minute. Add the passata, allspice and cayenne, season and cook for another five minutes, until the sauce has reduced and the aubergine is cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and keep warm.
Season the yoghurt and stir in the chopped mint. Spoon the spiced aubergine on to plates, top with the chops and serve with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
Asian seafood with rice noodles
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 2 generously (or 4 light meals)
110g rice vermicelli
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper
3 red chillies
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander roots (or stalks)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp soft brown sugar
75ml chicken stock
200g monkfish
100g cleaned squid
500g cleaned mussels
200g raw peeled prawns
1 handful basil leaves, ideally holy or Thai (regular basil will do at a pinch)
Chopped coriander, to garnish
Soak the noodles in just-boiled water for 10 minutes while you get on with everything else.
Put the pepper, chillies, garlic and coriander root in a small food processor and blitz to a rough paste. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, fry the paste for a minute or two, until lightly coloured, then stir in the oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar.
Cut the monkfish into 2cm chunks and slice the squid tubes into rings. Add all the fish and shellfish to the pan, pour in the stock and rice noodles, and stir until everything is well coated. Cover, turn up the heat and leave to cook for two to three minutes, until the mussels open up in the steam (discard any that do not).
Fold through the basil leaves, sprinkle with coriander and serve.
Warm chicken and bread salad
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 2 generously (or 4 light meals)
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
½ ciabatta
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed
2 tbsp currants
3 tbsp pine nuts
150g mixed lettuce leaves – frisee and radicchio, for preference
2 tbsp moscatel vinegar
1 tbsp each chopped tarragon and chopped chives
Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Put a tablespoon of the oil in an ovenproof frying pan set over a medium-high heat, season the chicken on both sides, then lay the thighs skin side down in the hot pan and fry for a couple of minutes, until the skin releases its fat and is slightly browned. Turn over the thighs and transfer the pan to the hot oven for about 10 minutes.
Rip the bread into 2-3cm chunks, scatter over a baking tray and put in the oven for five minutes, or until lightly toasted.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the garlic and spring onions, and put the currants in a small bowl and cover with hot water. In a small pan, heat the rest of the oil, gently fry the garlic, spring onions and pine nuts for a minute or two, taking care not to let the garlic brown, then set aside.
Remove the chicken from the oven, pour the fat from the pan into a large bowl, whisk in the vinegar and herbs, and season generously. Thinly slice the chicken and add to the bowl, followed by the toasted bread, drained currants, salad leaves and the garlic, spring onion and pine nut mix. Fold to combine, then serve.
• Jane Baxter is chef/co-owner of Wild Artichokes in Kingsbridge, Devon.
