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[Vesper 30,083]

Puttanesca-style salmon traybake

If you make the tomato anchovy oil a day ahead, you can then delight in the fact that a midweek supper can be on the table within 20 minutes. The fuss-free cooking method — all hail the traybake! — plus the dialled-up flavours — all hail puttanesca! — makes such a winning combination.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 200g fine green beans, trimmed
• 6 spring onions, cut widthways into thirds
• 200g mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 salmon fillets, skin on (about 720g)
• Salt and black pepper

For the tomato anchovy oil

• 85ml olive oil
• 8 anchovies, finely chopped
• 2½ tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly bashed in a mortar
• 8 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• 2 preserved lemons, flesh and pips discarded, skin finely chopped
• 2 tsp maple syrup

For the salsa

• 60g pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 60g capers, roughly chopped
• 1 preserved lemon, flesh and pips discarded, skin thinly sliced
• 10g basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 10g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. First make the tomato anchovy oil. Put the oil, anchovies and tomato paste into a small sauté pan and place on a medium heat. Once the mixture starts to simmer, cook for 5 min, stirring from time to time. Add the chilli flakes and coriander seeds and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, preserved lemon and maple syrup. Stir to combine, then set aside to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 220C fan/gas 9. Place the beans, spring onions and tomatoes on a large parchment-lined baking tray. Drizzle over 3 tablespoons of the tomato anchovy oil, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Toss to combine and place in the oven for 12–13 min, until the beans and tomatoes are starting to soften and take on a little colour. Meanwhile, arrange the salmon on a plate and, using a spoon, drizzle the remaining tomato anchovy oil (as well as all the solids) evenly over the fillets. Once the beans and tomatoes have had their time in the oven, nestle the salmon fillets among them and bake for a further 8 min. Set aside for 5 min, out of the oven, to rest.

3. While the salmon is baking, mix all the ingredients for the salsa in a small bowl and season with a good grind of pepper. Spoon half the salsa over the salmon and serve the fish warm (or at room temperature, which works just as well), with the rest of the salsa in a bowl on the side.

 

Chicken with Steph’s spice

Steph was a Jamaican chef Helen worked with many years ago in Melbourne. A lot of time has passed since the recipe for Steph’s roasted jerk-spiced meats was handed on — passed around the kitchen, scribbled down on a scrap of paper — but it’s been with Helen ever since. Recipes, like postcards, flying around the world with the scent of a place on one side, scribbled greetings on the other. We served the chicken with a simple slaw made with half a small cabbage and a quarter of a pineapple, both thinly sliced, some freshly flaked coconut, sliced jalapeño, spring onion, coriander and mint. It’s dressed with olive oil, lime juice and maple syrup.

Serves 4, with rice and salad

Ingredients

• 1 tsp whole allspice berries (aka pimento)
• 2 bay leaves, roughly torn
• 1½ tsp hot chilli powder
• 1½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp mixed spice (the sweet one, like pumpkin spice)
• 25g light soft brown sugar
• 1½ tbsp runny honey
• 1-2 green jalapeño chillies, finely chopped
• 1-2 red Scotch bonnet (habanero) chillies, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1cm dice
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 50ml olive oil
• 1kg chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Salt

Method

1. Put the allspice and bay leaves into a dry pan and toast them for 1–2 min, until the bay leaves have blistered. Using a pestle and mortar, crush to a powder, then tip into a large bowl along with all the remaining ingredients apart from the chicken and vinegar. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, mix well to combine, then add the chicken. Massage well, so that all the thighs are coated, then keep in the fridge, covered, for at least 6 hours (or overnight).

2. Half an hour before you are going to cook the chicken, take it out of the fridge, add the vinegar and toss to combine. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas 6.

3. Spread the chicken out on a large parchment-lined baking tray, skin side up. Bake for about 45 min, rotating the tray halfway through, until crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 min before serving.

 

Cheeseball lemon rice with chilli butter

There’s something really reassuring about a rice traybake. Add the right amount of water, seal the dish well, pop it into the oven, and forget about it. This is as comforting and delicious as you’d expect cheesy, briny, chilli-butter-doused rice to be. It’s the perfect side to something simple like a roast chicken, or else can be eaten as a main with some wilted greens.

The rice wants to be eaten fresh out of the oven but can be taken up to the point just before the hot water and aromatics are added, if you want to get ahead.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 8 cloves
• 6 cardamom pods, bashed
• 1 lemon, skin shaved into strips, then juiced to get 2 tbsp
• 125g ricotta
• 150g feta, crumbled
• 125g hard mozzarella, grated
• 25g parmesan, grated
• 1 egg, beaten
• 400g basmati rice, rinsed and drained well
• 75g pitted green olives, cut in half
• 100g unsalted butter
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• ¾ tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
• ½ tsp sumac
• 5 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal into 1cm pieces
• Salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/gas 7.

2. Pour 750ml of water into a medium saucepan and add the cloves, cardamom pods, lemon strips and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Place on a medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.

3. Put the four cheeses and the egg into a medium bowl and mix well. Using your hands, divide the mixture into 12 portions and roll them roughly into balls, approximately 40g each. They don’t need to be perfect, as they will spread once in the rice.

4. Scatter the rice on the bottom of a high-sided baking tray or dish, 24cm x 32cm (or a 28cm ovenproof sauté pan, for which you have a lid), and scatter over the olives. Pour over the hot water and aromatics. Shake the tray gently to spread the rice evenly, then deposit the cheese balls in the rice. Cover the tray tightly with foil (or lid) to keep the steam in, and bake for 25 min. Remove from the oven and leave to settle, covered, for 10 min.

5. While the rice is resting, melt the butter in a medium saucepan on a medium heat. Add the chilli flakes, Aleppo flakes and sumac and cook for 2–3 min. Add the spring onions and cook for a further 20 seconds. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and set aside.

6. Uncover the rice and spoon the chilli butter all over just before serving.

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4 Recipes From One Of London’s Buzziest Restaurants

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Irish chef Max Rocha opened Café Cecilia in east London in 2021. Named after Rocha’s grandmother, the café serves dishes inspired by the food he grew up with in Ireland and everything he learnt during stints at legendary restaurants like the River Café, Spring and St John Bread & Wine. Now, Max has compiled some of his most popular recipes into the Café Cecilia Cookbook. To mark its release today, he’s shared some of his favourites…

 

https://slman.com/life/food-drink/recipes/4-recipes-from-one-of-londons-buzziest-restaurants

 

 

Potato Rosti, Anchovy & Egg

 

 

Ingredients

150g of butter

2 large Maris Piper potatoes (about 500g in total), peeled & grated (don’t place in water)

10g of plain flour

50g of sage, finely chopped

4 eggs

30ml of sunflower oil

Salt & pepper

To serve

12 good-quality salted anchovies

 

Method

Step 1

Start by clarifying the butter. Melt the butter in a heavy pan over a low heat, then use a spoon to skim off the foam as it rises to the surface. Carefully pour the yellow liquid underneath into a bowl, leaving any milky solids in the pan.

Step 2

Put the grated potatoes into a clean dish cloth, then twist and squeeze until the excess liquid is removed. Tip into a bowl, add the flour, sage and eggs, then season with salt and pepper and mix.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan/Gas Mark 4.

Step 4

Heat a quarter of the clarified butter in a cast iron frying pan over low- medium heat and when it’s hot, add a quarter of the rosti mix. Pat the mixture down with a flat spatula, then cook for 3 minutes without moving it. When you have a nice golden colour underneath, carefully turn the rosti over using the spatula and repeat on the other side. Once a good golden-brown colour, the rosti should be cooked. Transfer to a large ovenproof plate and repeat with the remaining mixture and clarified butter.

Step 5

When all the rostis are cooked, place them in the oven to warm while you fry the eggs to your liking. In the restaurant we cook them sunny side up, so heat a little sunflower oil in the frying pan, crack the eggs into it and cook for 3 minutes, or until the white is completely set.

Step 6

Place 1 warm rosti on each of 4 plates, then top each one with a fried egg and 3 anchovies. Finish with a grinding of black pepper.

 

Poached Trout With Courgette Fritti 

Serves

2

 

Ingredients

2 × 180g boneless trout fillets

500ml of fish stock, at room temperature

Neutral-flavoured oil, for deep-frying

2 romanesco (or regular green) courgettes

1 quantity of fritti batter

Salt

For the fritti batter

2 egg whites

200g of plain flour

30ml of olive oil

300ml of cold sparkling water

To serve

2 tbsp of lemon mayonnaise or aioli

 

Method

Step 1

Prepare the batter just before you want to coat your ingredients. In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites with a hand-held electric mixer (beater) until they form soft peaks. Put the flour and oil into a large bowl, then slowly whisk in the sparkling (seltzer) water with a balloon whisk until it reaches a double (heavy) cream consistency, then fold in the egg whites just before coating your ingredients. The batter will keep in the fridge for 5 hours but not with egg whites. So if you don’t want to use it straight away, don’t add the whites and just add them before using it.

Step 2

Put the trout fillets into a pan with the stock, then bring to a simmer and cook for about 9 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the flesh flakes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep, heavy pan to 180°C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.

Step 4

When the trout is nearly cooked, cut the courgettes into matchsticks to resemble thin fries (think McDonald’s). Put the sticks into a bowl and coat with the batter.

Step 5

Working in batches, carefully lower the sticks into the hot oil one at a time and deep-fry for about 3 minutes until golden (after 2 minutes, use a pair of tongs to move the fritti around so they don’t stick together). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining courgette sticks, then sprinkle with salt.

Step 6

Remove and discard the skin from the trout fillets, then place on 2 plates, add a tablespoon of lemon mayonnaise or aioli to each and serve with the courgette fritti on the side.

 

Deep-Fried Bread & Butter Pudding With Cold Custard

Serves

5

 

Ingredients

6 plain brioche buns, halved

4 eggs

370ml of milk

180g of caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

370ml of single cream

Sunflower oil, for deep-frying

1 quantity of custard, chilled, to serve

For the custard:

330ml of milk

330ml of double cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways & seeds scraped

160g of egg yolks (9-10 eggs)

170g of caster sugar

 

Method

Step 1

To make the custard, pour the milk and cream into a pan, then add the vanilla bean and seeds and heat to just before boiling. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and set another heatproof bowl or container on top. Put the egg yolks and sugar into a heatproof bowl and whisk together until combined. Slowly pour a large ladleful of the warm mixture over the egg yolks and sugar, whisking constantly so it does not curdle, then return the mixture to the pan and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring slowly with a rubber spatula, until it reaches 83°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat, then immediately pass through a chinois sieve into the bowl set over the ice bath and leave to cool. When cool, cover and place in the fridge until you need to use it. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Step 2

Line the bottom and sides of a 900g loaf pan with baking paper, then lay the bun halves on top of each other in the pan.

Step 3

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar and cream, then pour over the bread so everything is submerged. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.

Step 4

The next day, preheat the oven to 180°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Remove the cling film and bake the pudding for 45 minutes, then leave to cool. When cool, cover with another piece of baking paper and cut a piece of cardboard to put on top of the pudding in the pan. Add something heavy on top, like a food can, to press the pudding and chill in the fridge overnight.

Step 5

The next day, turn the pudding out onto a clean work counter and cut into 5 thick slices. Put enough sugar into a shallow bowl for coating the slices after they have been deep-fried.

Step 6

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep, heavy pan to 180°C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Carefully lower 2 slices of pudding at a time into the hot oil and deep-fry for 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on the outside and warm on the inside. Remove with a fish slice and drain on a plate lined with paper towels for a few seconds, then coat the slices in sugar on all sides.

Step 7

To serve, pour the cold custard into 5 serving bowls, then top with the warm bread and butter pudding.

 

Poached Pear & Chocolate Sauce 

Poached Pear & Chocolate Sauce 

Serves

2

 

Ingredients

Peel of 1 orange, cut into strips

Peel of 1 lemon, cut into strips

1 sprig of rosemary

1 cinnamon stick

200g of caster sugar

2 conference pears, left whole with stalks left intact, and peeled

For the chocolate sauce:

35g of unsweetened cocoa powder

55g of caster sugar

10g of butter

 

Method

Step 1

Put the citrus peel, rosemary, cinnamon stick and sugar into a pan, cover with water and bring just to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes to let the flavours infuse. Add the pears and simmer for 20-30 minutes until soft but still holding their shape.

Step 2

Just before serving, make the chocolate sauce. Put the cocoa powder, sugar and 110ml of water into a pan and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until combined. Remove the pan from the heat, then whisk in the butter until incorporated and the sauce is glossy.

Step 3

To serve, cut across the bottom of each pear to create a flat edge so they can stand upright. Divide the warm chocolate sauce between 2 plates, then place the pears on top and serve immediately.

 

Café Cecilia Cookbook

https://www.waterstones.com/book/caf-cecilia-cookbook/max-rocha/diana-henry/9781838668600

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Fairies dance as autumn arrives in Sweden

Rosersberg, north of Stockholm.

Low-lying mist like in the picture, of the kind that usually appears on late summer or grey autumn days, is called älvdans in Swedish: fairy dance.

Today we know that this kind of mist is caused by moist air condensing and forming droplets that float, typically over meadows or still water.

But in times gone by, people in Scandinavia believed the cause was fairies gathering to dance and casting their spells.

Edited September 27, 2024 by Vesper

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UK’s worst night out? Costly, crime-ridden London

Club owners, tourists and students complain of an ‘early city’ where bars close long before the night is over

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/arts/article/london-worst-night-out-uk-cost-of-living-crime-alcohol-0gdkw2c0b

A rainy night in Soho. London has fewer venues open past 2am than any other major city surveyed

GUILHEM BAKER FOR THE TIMES

It is 1am on Thursday night in Soho, central London, and the cacophony of music and drunken chatter from the clubs has already died down. Bar managers are shuttering doors as men sitting in pink, fluffy rickshaws wait for the final revellers to start making their way home.

“In New York right now, I could find an open bar in a second,” says George Johnson, 30, who works in the live music business. “London’s an early city now. Everything is shut by 1am.”

London was once a world-class nightlife destination but it now has fewer venues open past 2am than any other major British city.

The Times analysed the closing times of hundreds of pubs, nightclubs and bars in the 12 biggest British cities. London ranked the lowest, with less than 6 per cent of venues open after 2am on Friday and Saturday.

 

Even on Friday and Saturday nights, less than a quarter of London’s venues open past midnight. In Edinburgh, on the other hand, 44 per cent of venues close after midnight at the weekends, with more than 8 per cent open post-2am.

London is one of eight cities in which less than 10 per cent of late-night venues are open past 2am, joining smaller cities such as Sheffield, Bristol and Brighton.

The capital has long lost its reputation for being a 24-hour city. Data collated by the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) found that between March 2020 and December 2023 more than 3,000 night economy businesses closed in Greater London — the steepest fall for any English region.

While London’s “night tsar”, Amy Lamé, did facilitate the reopening of techno club Fabric, she has repeatedly come under fire for the lack of perceived action in preventing other venue closures, despite her hefty annual salary and regular overseas trips.

Michael Kill, chief executive of the NTIA, said people are simply not staying out as late as they used to, primarily because they have “less disposable income, and concerns about infrastructure and the ability to get home after midnight”.

In Manchester, the birthplace of Oasis and The Stone Roses, nightlife is thriving compared with London, with 14.5 per cent and 15.8 per cent of bars and clubs open after 2am on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Sacha Lord, the city’s night-time economy adviser, said new transport and infrastructure developments mean the city “feels very buoyant at the moment”.

In 2018, he asked the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham: “How can we call Manchester a 24-hour party city when we do not have 24-hour transport?” Two of the city’s busiest bus routes now run all night, which, along with the May opening of the Co-op Live music arena — with 23,500 seats, the biggest in Europe — has led to renewed confidence in Manchester’s nightlife.

But Lord acknowledged that bars were struggling with “midweek footfall dying away” because of the soaring cost of living.

“Students, rather than paying £3 to get in on a Tuesday night and then stay there until 2 or 3am at the bar, are going to Sainsbury’s and buying a bottle of vodka and having a house party instead,” he said.

Lord is expected to take up an independent national night-time adviser position, in addition to his current role, to feed into policy for the sector across the UK.

Jeremy Joseph, 57, owned three venues in London and one in Manchester before pressures on the industry forced him to close down his London nightclub G-A-Y Late and franchise his Manchester club.

“Spend per head has dropped dramatically,” he explained. “Venues are now competing against supermarkets, because they’re cheaper.”

Joseph’s remaining establishments — G-A-Y Bar and Heaven — are serving the same number of customers as ever, he says, but he now opens on Wednesdays to try to make up for the decreased spending.

Rob Huysinga, 29, the founder of Bubba Oasis, which operates bars in Islington and Clapham, has said sales “start to drop off” from 2am.

He plans to open two more bars next year, but said he’s adapting to become less “reliant on the late-night economy”. About 75 per cent of his venues’ revenue comes from alcohol sales but he is focusing more on bolstering other revenue streams, such as selling coffee and fresh juice, and offering yoga events, hot-desk working space and alcohol-free DJ nights.

“We are going towards a world that is more health-conscious and this will ultimately impact the late-night economy,” Huysinga said.

Gino Knarren, 28, and Ailish Mathee, 21, who were on holiday in Edinburgh from the Netherlands, outside Cabaret Voltaire on Blair Street

EUAN CHERRY FOR THE TIMES

Combined with higher rent and energy costs, low customer spending spells trouble for London’s once-vibrant nightlife scene. Kill said: “The reality is, it is 30 per cent to 40 per cent more expensive to operate compared to pre-Covid.”

A producer at Powerhauss Cabaret who uses the stage name Shard O’Nay was partying at Louche Soho on Thursday. She said she had seen first-hand how many venues were “closing” and “cancelling gigs”.

“People cannot afford to go on nights out because they have to plan their meals and other financial needs,” the 26-year-old said. “Whereas a night out was a staple of the weekend before, now it’s such a luxury.”

Shard O’Nay, 26, centre, is a producer at Powerhauss Cabaret

GUILHEM BAKER FOR THE TIMES

In Edinburgh, a cheap night out is easier to come by. Just before midnight on a Friday, a queue of punters snaked out the entrance of the Why Not club. Inside, the venue offered shots of tequila for £1.75 as part of its Filthy Fridays promotion — a magnet for local students.

Edinburgh University students Erica Knox and Agnetha Kempe, both 18, said they would be there until closing at 3am.

“I love going out in Edinburgh,” Knox said. “It’s quite civilised. You see the police driving around everywhere so you feel quite safe, and everything being open late gives the city a good vibe.”

In London, crime has become a major problem for business-owners and customers alike. Kill said the risk of “sexual harassment and petty theft”, particularly in crowded areas such as Soho, deterred people as there was “no CCTV” and “not enough police on the street to ensure these things are not happening”.

Two visitors to Soho on Thursday night, 18-year-old students Lauren Gold and Frankie Smith, said they preferred house parties, as the streets felt dangerous and Ubers were increasingly “expensive and hard to come by”.

Edinburgh University students Erica Knox and Agnetha Kempe, both 18, planned to stay out drinking until 3am

EUAN CHERRY FOR THE TIMES

The crime levels also frightened them, they said, as a group of men with hoods and masks covering their faces rode past on e-bikes. Down the road, a toothless man was spitting at passers-by and threatening them with a wine glass full of urine.

“This strange vibe puts off girls as unless you’re going out in a group, you don’t feel as comfortable or safe,” Gold said.

Milad, 27, works in a 24-hour off-licence in the heart of Soho. He estimated that between five and ten people came into the shop every day asking employees to call 999 or pull CCTV footage because their phone had been stolen.

The level of crime in London is frightening, said 18-year-old friends Lauren Gold, left, and Frankie Smith, right

GUILHEM BAKER FOR THE TIMES

Westminster’s entire CCTV system was scrapped by the council in 2016. Since taking control of the borough in 2022, Labour has installed 100 public-realm CCTV cameras to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

Joseph employs 35 security personnel across his venues on a Saturday. Despite paying the late-night levy, which requires premises serving alcohol after midnight to contribute money for policing, he said it can take 40 minutes to get through on 999 on a Saturday night.

Rowdy behaviour also upsets local residents. Venues are already required to prevent public nuisance, including excessive noise, outside venues under the 2003 Licensing Act. But a small number of resident complaints can lead to costly licence reviews.

The Compton Arms, famed as a favourite of George Orwell, almost closed after resident complaints prompted Islington council to review its licence and enforce a noise abatement notice. Some venues report spending thousands on legal fees to fight these licensing reviews.

Milad, 27, works at a 24-hour convenience store. He said as many as ten customers a day complain of having had their phone stolen

GUILHEM BAKER FOR THE TIMES

 

Ben Rosen, 19, and Lilli, 21, at Jazz After Dark, which employed Amy Winehouse before she shot to fame

GUILHEM BAKER FOR THE TIMES

Joseph’s solution was to purchase the two flats adjacent to Heaven. “The law favours residents,” he said. “Heaven has been there for 45 years, yet somebody could move into the area and affect our business.”

Huysinga said: “On the face of it, it seems really fun operating party spots, but there is a lot the outside world doesn’t see.”

Lilli, a 21-year-old Leeds University graduate, prays that Soho’s nightlife will weather the storm, and partying until the sun rises will not become a thing of the past. “If pubs and nice bars stayed open later, I’d be there,” she said.

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Delicious soup recipes for autumn — butternut squash, chicken noodle and more

 

Try these easy and tasty ways to zhuzh up the ultimate comfort food

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/soup-recipes-butternut-squash-lentil-chicken-noodle-parsnip-px8pqcqh7

Whipping up soup is one of the things to look forward to as the season changes. It’s a bowl of nourishment, a quick and easy supper or a comfort when you’re feeling poorly. Nigella Lawson agrees, saying: “Soup is universal and also preciously intimate: to offer a bowl or mug of soup to someone is an act of cosiness and connection.” That’s why she is supporting a new book called Soup for Good, a collection of delicious recipes from a food-focused social enterprise called Cook for Good, established by Karen Mattison and Robinne Collie, and based on the Priory Green housing estate in King’s Cross, London. The organisation started by offering free cooking classes, training and community meals, and before long established a weekly soup café.

The Soup for Good community recipes are easy to make but definitely represent an upgrade if you usually make tomato or leek and potato. They are zhuzhed up with ingredients such as aromatic lentils, curried parsnip and Thai chicken. Their tip for a really good soup is to always start with the backbone: a good stock. Homemade versions are even better (recipe below) — they’re free of sugar and yeast, and will allow you to control the levels of salt. Lawson says: “For me, soup sums up all that I love about cooking: it’s adaptable, resourceful in its ability to turn bits and pieces into a meal that’s sustaining, comforting and uplifting, and the possibilities and variety are boundless.”

Try to use a wide pot or casserole dish and to caramelise your vegetables before adding the stock, which will maximise the flavour. Cream in soup might not be to your taste but a bit of healthy fat helps to achieve the smooth texture. Cooking your vegetables initially with butter or adding a dollop of yoghurt at the end will help. The best thing about soup is that you can make a tasty meal without blowing the budget: a £15 stick blender will be your best friend.

 

Cauliflower and coconut soup

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 750g cauliflower
• 100g butter or coconut oil
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 1 × 400g tin coconut milk
• 150g double cream or coconut cream
• Salt and pepper

For the garnish

• 50g butter or coconut oil
• 125g cauliflower (florets only)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp nigella seeds
• 50g flaked or desiccated coconut

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Remove all the outer leaves from the cauliflower (you don’t need the leaves for the soup but they are delicious steamed or roasted with garlic and oil). Cut the florets and stalk into 3-4 cm pieces.
2. Set a large saucepan or shallow casserole pan on a medium heat. Add 75g of butter, followed by the onion and garlic, and sauté for about 8 min until soft but not coloured. Next, add the cauliflower pieces, vegetable stock and coconut milk. Stir and bring to the boil and then simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 min.
3. Take the soup off the heat and add the remaining butter or coconut oil and the cream. Stir well and then blend until really smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. To make the garnish, chop the remaining cauliflower into small 1-2cm pieces. Place 50g of butter into a frying pan on a high heat. When frothy, add the cauliflower pieces, cumin seeds, nigella seeds and coconut. Cook until golden brown and aromatic.
5. To serve, heat the soup until piping hot. Decant into bowls and sprinkle with the cauliflower, coconut and seeds, and drizzle over any remaining butter from the pan.

Aromatic lentil soup

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 2 mild red chillies
• 1 tomato
• 200g red lentils
• 2 garlic cloves
• A small thumb of ginger
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Baharat or Lebanese 7-spice
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 × 400ml tin coconut milk
• 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Finely chop the onion. Deseed and finely chop the chillies. Dice the tomato into small cubes. Wash and drain the lentils. Peel and finely grate the garlic and the ginger to make a paste.
2. Set a large saucepan or shallow casserole pan on a medium heat. Coat with a thin layer of the oil. Add the mustard seeds and fry for 2 min until they start to pop. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, Baharat/7-spice and turmeric. Sauté until the onion begins to turn light brown. Add in the diced tomato and sauté until they soften. Add the lentils, coconut milk, vegetable stock and a good pinch of salt, and simmer over a medium heat for 20-25 min until thickened and the lentils are cooked. Add the juice from the lemon, starting with the juice of half and then adding more to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. To serve, either blend the soup or leave it as it is for more texture. Garnish with your choice of tasty toppings.

Curried parsnip soup

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 apples (Gala is our favourite variety)
• 750g parsnips
• A small thumb of ginger (approx. 5 cm)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 × 400ml tin coconut milk
• ½ lime
• 20g fresh coriander
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Peel and roughly chop the parsnips. Peel and finely grate the ginger.
2. Put a large saucepan or shallow casserole pan over a medium heat. Add the oil along with the onion. Sauté for 3-4 min, stirring constantly, until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, ground coriander, turmeric and apple. Lower the heat and sauté for a further 5-6 min until golden and fragrant.
3. Add the parsnips, vegetable stock and a good pinch of salt. Stir well. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer on a low heat until the parsnips are very tender, about 15 min.
4. Blend the mixture until very smooth. Juice the lime and add the lime juice along with the coconut milk. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Finely chop the coriander and use it to garnish the soup.

 

Thai chicken noodle soup

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 carrots
• 1 red pepper
• 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 150g rice noodles
• ½ lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 500ml coconut milk
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 20g fresh coriander
• ¾ tsp chilli flakes
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Peel and cut the carrots into 1cm cubes. Halve the red pepper, remove the stem and seeds, and cut into 1 cm cubes. Cut the chicken breasts into 1 cm cubes. Break up the rice noodles. Juice the lime.
2. Set a large saucepan or shallow casserole pan on a medium heat. Add the oil, followed by the onion, carrot and red pepper, and sauté for 3-4 min, stirring constantly. Add the chicken and mix well. Add the garlic and curry paste. Cook until the chicken is just cooked, about 3-4 min. Mix in the stock and coconut milk. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bring the soup to the boil and let it cook for a further 5 min.
3. Finely chop the coriander and set aside for garnish. Add the broken noodles to the soup and bring back to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 min. Test for the balance of flavours and add chilli flakes and lime juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the soup warm. Finish with the chopped coriander.

 

Roasted butternut squash

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 large carrot
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for roasting
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for sautéing
• 1 leek
• 1.25 litres vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C/gas 5. Wash, halve and deseed the butternut squash. There’s no need to peel it! Cut into 3cm chunks. Wash and roughly chop the carrot. Put the butternut squash and carrot cubes in a large bowl and mix well with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil for roasting. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Arrange the butternut squash and carrot on the baking tray in an even single layer. Cook in the oven until tender, about 20 min.
2. Peel and dice the onion. Set a large saucepan or shallow casserole pan over a medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil along with the diced onion. Gently cook — you’re not wanting colour but just a slow cook so keep the heat low — and stir regularly.
3. Wash the leek and thinly slice. Add to the pan to sauté along with the onion. Once tender, add the roasted butternut squash and carrot. Pour in the stock and mix well. Bring the pan to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 25 min.
4. When the vegetables are soft, blend the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot.

Emergency chicken noodle soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 carrots
• 1 celery stick
• 350g cooked chicken (we recommend thigh meat)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.75 litres chicken stock
• 250g medium egg noodles
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Peel and cut the carrots into 1 cm cubes. Cut the celery into 1 cm cubes. Slice the cooked chicken into 2 cm pieces.
2. Place a large saucepan or shallow casserole pan on a medium heat and add the butter and oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and sauté for 5 min or until starting to soften. Stir in the garlic and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further minute.
3. Add the stock to the pan. Bring to the boil and then stir in the chicken. Bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 2 min. Add the noodles to the pan and cook until they are al dente, about 3 min. Remove the bay leaf and season to taste.

Soup for Good is published by Cook for Good. £25 (amazon.co.uk)

 

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What does the Swedish food agency think we should be eating more or less of?

https://www.thelocal.se/20240930/what-does-the-swedish-food-agency-think-we-should-be-eating-more-or-less-of/

Sweden’s food agency is due to present new dietary guidelines at the beginning of next year, but it has already published a sneak peek. What does it want us to change about our diets?

What should we be eating more of?

Similarly to its current recommendations, the agency wants Swedes to eat at least 500 grams of vegetables, fruits and berries a day – more if possible – with a large proportion of this consisting of fibrous vegetables, like root vegetables, cabbage and alliums. 

It describes this as “five fist-sized portions”, which could, for example, include adding grated carrot or lentils into a bolognese sauce, or adding berries to your morning yoghurt. Frozen fruit and vegetables can also be included in this total.

Adults currently eat around 270 grams of vegetables, fruits and berries a day, dropping to 200 grams for children, so the recommendations are almost double current consumption.

This doesn’t include potatoes, although the agency describes potatoes as “good food”. Legumes, like lentils and beans aren’t included in this 500 gram total either: the advice there is to eat them “often, preferably every day”.

Swedes in general do not consume many legumes at all – the median consumption for adults is estimated to be 0 grams, rising to 5 grams for children, and only 25 percent of Swedes eat more than 15 grams of legumes a day.

The agency hopes that these recommendations will lead to Swedes eating 50 percent more legumes, vegetables, root vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries in 2035.

As far as grains, like wheat, oats and rye, are concerned, Swedes are most likely to consume these as bread, with adults eating around 80 grams of bread a day while children eat around 100 grams.

Bread is also the leading source of wholegrains for most Swedes, representing 50 percent of adults’ wholegrain intake, dropping to 30 percent for children.

Other common sources of wholegrains are porridge, cereal, rice and other grains.

Currently, adults only eat around 40 grams of wholegrain foods per day, while children eat around 27 grams. The agency wants to see consumption double between 2021 and 2035.

The food agency wants Swedes to eat fish and other seafood two to three times a week. This doesn’t just include fresh fish, but also food like prawns, crayfish and mussels, as well as preserved fish products such as herring or tinned fish. 

Currently, only 40 percent of adults and 10 percent of children eat enough fish and seafood to meet the Nordic Nutritional Guidelines’ 300 gram-per-week target.

The average consumption for adults is around 220 grams a week, while children eat around 130 grams.

The agency hopes to see this figure increase by 20 percent by 2035.

What does it want us to cut down on?

The agency wants Swedes to eat less high-energy, unhealthy foods, like sweets, chocolate, cakes and, most of all, sugary drinks. It wants to see current consumption halved by 2035.

“If you eat well otherwise, then it’s not dangerous to eat food like this occasionally,” it says, while recommending that you think more carefully about when and where you eat this type of food.

This includes, for example, choosing healthier alternatives if you order take out, which contain more vegetables, wholegrains, fish, beans or lentils, and drinking water instead of sugary drinks.

Adults currently eat around 100 grams of sweets, like ice cream, cakes, desserts and drinks, a day, while children eat roughly double this, 220 grams a day.

“This number is however likely to be higher in reality, as respondents are likely to underreport their consumption of foods considered to be unhealthy,” the agency says.

Swedes’ meat consumption is also under fire, with the agency recommending just 350 grams of red meat and processed meats a week, down from its previous 500 gram recommendation.

The agency estimates that adults currently eat around 511 grams of red meat a week, and it wants to see this cut by 30 percent by 2035.

Women are currently the group most likely to eat less than the new guidelines per week, with 37 percent estimated to eat 350 grams of red meat or less.

The agency estimates that only 15 percent of men, 17 percent of girls and 4 percent of boys eat enough to meet the new guidelines.

“Boys in upper secondary school eat the most meat and processed meats, while women eat the least,” the agency says.

Finally, the agency also wants Swedes to cut down on salt – 20 percent less by 2035. Currently, adults eat anywhere between 8 and 11 grams of salt a day, while children eat around 8.

Most of that comes from meat and sausages (both fresh sausages as well as products like salami, which are preserved), as well as bread. For children and young people, pasta and pizza are common sources of salt.

Under new recommendations, salt should be limited to 6 grams a day at most, preferably iodised. The agency estimates that over three quarters of the population currently eats more than this.

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When did Swedes get so crazy about cinnamon?

https://www.thelocal.se/20240930/when-did-swedes-get-so-crazy-about-cinnamon

It's not just kanelbullar, Swedes put great spoonfuls of cinnamon in their porridge, in apple crumbles, in glögg wine, and even use it to jazz up their matjessill herring. What's the history of Swedes' love affair with the spice?

It certainly doesn't go back as far as the Vikings.

While they ate a lot of porridge and would have had a soupy stew constantly on the go on the fire, all the evidence suggests these lacked salt, sugar and certainly cinnamon or other spices.

"We have no evidence of spices being imported to anywhere in Scandinavia at that time. There's no written evidence and there's no physical evidence [from archeological digs]," Daniel Serra, a culinary historian, told The Local.

"They find herbs. They find juniper berries, mustard seeds, definitely. But there's no evidence of exotic spices." 

Serra is sceptical of suggestions that the Swedes who travelled to Constantinople to serve as mercenaries in the Varangian Guard would have brought spices back with them on their return. 

"You would need an audience that knows what it is," he says. "You would be spending all your savings on bringing home these spices that nobody would understand, whereas if you bring home silk fabric, gold or silver, people will know what it's about." 

Spices like cinnamon and cumin were, however, certainly available during the Viking period in the bigger cities of Germany and northern France, but they appear to have stopped there. 

"One of the earliest evidence for spices is the description of a market in Mainz by an Arab cumin merchant, who finds spices, but then he goes on to Hedeby, which is in the south of Denmark, and says only that the food is terrible. So I think there was a clear demarcation line." 

Cinnamon comes to Sweden  

The earliest written evidence of cinnamon being used in Sweden appears in a recipe for the mulled beer Saint Bridget of Sweden, known as heliga Birgitta, served to guests at the funeral of her father in 1328, when half a kilogram of the expensive spice was used. 

"There are two main reasons for serving cinnamon here," Serra says of the use of cinnamon in the funeral beer. "It's to show your status, because it was an expensive import, to show that you're part of the continental European food culture, and it also has medical properties."

Bridget of Sweden's father, Birger Persson, was governor of Uppland and one of the richest men in Sweden. "Next to the king, he was the most potent, powerful man in Sweden at the time. So when he dies, she has to do something extraordinary." 

But cinnamon had probably begun to become available to the elites in Sweden fifty or a hundred years before this. It is included as an ingredient in several recipes in Libellus de arte coquinaria, The Little Book of Culinary Arts, a cookbook attributed to the Danish cleric Henrik Harpestræng, the Canon of Roskilde Cathedral, who died in 1244. 

"What he includes in the cookbook is a cameline sauce, which is based on vinegar and cinnamon with some herbs to it. I think there's mint and parsley," Serra says. "You would have had small morsels of meat and dipped your food into the sauce. There's also one where you make a bread pudding with saffron and some cinnamon sprinkled on top of that, but as a sort of savory side dish." 

The Salsor Dominorum sauce in the book, used for wild game pickling, features a mix of cloves, black pepper, cinnammon, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom: a similar mix to that used nowadays in the pepparkakor biscuits Swedes serve at Christmas. 

A portrait of Bridget of Sweden by Hermann Rode, taken from Svenska folket genom tiderna. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

From rich merchants to ordinary people

It was not until well into the 13th century, when the Hanseatic League began to increase trade with Sweden, that the spice began to be used more widely, although it remained a luxury. 

"In the Renaissance, you have a rising middle class who want to show off that they are part of the elite, so you start getting these cookbooks and you also have luxury laws around Europe, which say 'if you are a peasant or you are a merchant, you can't have these spices'," Serra says. 

The use of spices like cinnamon then slowly spread from the very wealthy to become something ordinary people would use to mark big celebrations. "It trickles down to become festive food, for Christmas or for festive occasions." 

Spices only began to come to Sweden in large quantites with the advent of the East India trade in the 18th century. The Swedish East India Company, founded in Gothenburg in 1731, brought spices and also sugar to Sweden in large quantities for the first time. 

Cakes and kanelbullar 

Cinnamon was initially used in savoury dishes. It was only when sugar began to be produced at plantations in the US and Caribbean and imported to Europe in large quantities that cinnamon began to be used in cakes and desserts, and it wasn't until sugarbeet began to be planted in Sweden the late 19th century that sugar became a commodity available to almost everyone. 

"The first recipe we have for a sweet cinnamon dish in Sweden is from mid-16th century, and it is written by one of the last Catholic bishops of Sweden," Serra told us. "It's for a tart or cake including eggs, sugar, cream, cinnamon and ginger, which he said was made in Sweden for noble women when they were feeling unwell." 

The bishop was in exile, and the recipe, Serra says, was part of a book aimed at showing the Catholic world why Sweden was special and so encouraging them to intervene and return it to Catholic rule.

It wasn't until the middle of the 19th century that cafés serving Viennese-style patisserie started to become established in Sweden. The kanelbulle, or cinnamon roll, appears to have arrived or originated in Sweden on the west coast, in and around Gothenburg. 

According to the website Högtider och traditioner, the earliest recorded written mention of kanelbullar comes in 1857, when there's an advertisement for "saffron and cinnamon rolls" in the local newspaper in Åmål, on the west coast of Lake Vänern. In 1868, there's a similar announcement in the Göteborgs-Posten newspaper. 

The now ubiquitous bun does not appear to have arrived in Stockholm until decades later, with the first mentions in Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet not coming until 1925. 

The real explosion, however, came when rationing was lifted at the end of the Second World War. The first edition of Vår Kokbok, Sweden's classic collection of home recipes, contained a recipe for kanelbullar, helping to turn them into the Swedish staple they are today. 

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8 minutes ago, Vesper said:

the earliest recorded written mention of kanelbullar comes in 1857, when there's an advertisement for "saffron and cinnamon rolls" in the local newspaper in Åmål

The 1998 movie Fucking Åmål (known in the English-speaking world as Show Me Love), directed by Lukas Moodysson, is set in Åmål. The movie depicts the town as extremely boring and it was largely filmed in the nearby town of Trollhättan. The film created controversy in the town of Åmål. Local politicians campaigned to get the title of the film changed.^[4] The local complaints had no effect on the content or release of the film and since the release of the film the town of Åmål has even tried to embrace the publicity generated. In the early 2000s the town founded the pop music festival "Fucking Åmål Festival".

Edited October 1, 2024 by Vesper

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

Mehmet Ozil -his eyes are offside 🤣

[Vesper 30,083]

The great baked bean taste test. Who sells the best — and the worst?

The store cupboard essential is trending with foodies. Anne Shooter gives her verdict on the highstreet offerings

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/what-are-the-best-baked-beans-the-supermarket-brands-rated-cn3bqzmp7

Bakedbeans are the ultimate British store cupboard staple, equally at home alongside sausages, on a slice of buttered toast or as an integral part of a full English. Not so long ago there was, essentially, only one brand to buy — we all sang along in the television ad breaks that “beanz meanz Heinz”, as indeed it did back then. These days, however, there are countless varieties, from the supermarket own-brand versions to organic ones, and now the trendy Bold Bean Co has brought out fancy baked beans in a jar.

The consumer experts Which? recently conducted a taste test of budget baked beans and found Aldi’s to be the best, beating Heinz and potentially saving you £100 a year if you eat two cans a week (slightly excessive, surely?).

The truth is that even at the Heinz price of £1.40 a can — compared with about 40p for a cheaper brand — half a tin of baked beans on toast or a baked potato is an incredibly reasonable lunch, whether topped with a handful of grated cheddar or not (yes please).

Also, asconvenience foods go, they’re actually not too bad. Half a can of standard baked beans generally has about 185 calories, 8g of fibre — which we should all be eating more of — and less than 10g of sugar, which counts as low. The salt is about 1g, which is considered medium, so be aware of what you eat them with (hmm, maybe hold that cheddar), and there are some thickeners to the sauce, such as modified maize starch, which is considered a UPF and is not ideal. Cornflour, which you do find in some brands, is better.

We conducted our own taste test, including some of the smarter and organic brands — this is The Times, after all — and here’s what we thought.

The nutritional details are for half a can — about 200g — which is considered a serving size, or 200g from a jar.

• Baked bean recipes for an easy midweek meal

Baked beans ranked: from best to worst

Waitrose Duchy Organic Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce, £1

182 calories per half can, 9.7g protein, 9.2g sugar, 1.1g salt, 7.8g fibre
Cute little beans in a rather runny sauce that thickened on cooking. They have a lovely mouthfeel and taste very precise, as if someone has been terribly careful with the recipe and made sure every element works, which it does. These are excellent.
★★★★★

The Greek Kitchen Gigantes Baked Giant Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce, £3.50, Ocado

266 calories per 200g, 10.8g protein, 3.2g sugar, 2.16g salt, 11.2g fibre
These are not something to have on toast so much as to have with grilled lamb chops or as part of a mezze. They really do taste like a holiday in Greece thanks to the herbs and gorgeous mouthfeel from the extra virgin olive oil. A really lovely product, although the level of dried dill is not for the faint-hearted.
★★★★☆

Asda Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce, 42p

187 calories per half can, 10g protein, 8.6g sugar, 0.96g salt, 9.4g fibre
These are a glow-in-the-dark shade of orange but surprisingly tasty and quite delicious. The beans are fairly large and the sauce is of a good consistency — and there’s lots of it. The short list of ingredients includes paprika and paprika extra, which accounts for the colour. Would buy again.
★★★★☆

Branston Baked Beans in a Rich, Thick, Tomatoey Sauce, £1

175 calories per half can, 9.4g protein, 9.6g sugar, 1.24g salt, 9,4g fibre
You can really taste the little, firm beans here and they are evenly coated in a vibrant sauce that tastes really tomatoey and not fake or gloopy. The vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar are very well balanced — they are actually really good.
★★★★☆

 

Bold Bean Company Baked Beans Rich Tomato, £3.50, Ocado

322 calories per 200g, 9.4g protein, 9.8g sugar, 1.4g salt, 12.4g fibre
These look great — really fat, white beans in a thick sauce with visible pieces of finely chopped onion and a sheen of olive oil. They have a really good, natural, homemade flavour but they are not something any child is going to want with their fish fingers and they could do with a touch more sugar, as the tomatoes are on the acidic side. I’d have mine with some crumbled feta on top and a hunk of crusty bread.
★★★★☆

Biona Organic Baked Beans Classic in Rich Tomato Sauce, £1.40, Ocado and health food shops

186 calories per half can, 9.2g protein, 11.8g sugar, 1.4g salt, 9.6g fibre
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from these. They look like there are too many beans for the sauce, which is thick and rather brown. But they are absolutely delicious. So tasty, they’re almost like a cassoulet and would be great with sausages but would also work on toast. Yes, they are pretty high in sugar, but the flavour is really well balanced.
★★★★☆

• Are you making baked beans wrong? Follow Heinz’s rules or you’re toast

Aldi Bramwells Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce, 41p

187 calories per half can, 9.7g protein, 9.8g sugar, 1.09g salt, 9.6g fibre
I concur with the Which? panel that these are very good. The sauce is thick without being gloopy and the beans are a perfect texture. There is a good tomato flavour but they are slightly on the sweet side for me — they are quite high in sugar compared with some other brands.
★★★★☆

Heinz Beanz in a Rich Tomato Sauce, £1.40

168 calories per half can, 10g protein, 8.9g sugar, 1.3g salt, 8g fibre
These are the standard for me as they are the brand I was brought up with and they remind me of fish finger suppers and Bonfire Night. On a more objective note, they look good with evenly sized small beans and a well-coloured sauce. The sauce is quite thin, although it thickens well after a few minutes bubbling on the hob and is tasty, if a little on the sweet side.
★★★☆☆

Sainsbury’s Baked Beans in Tasty Tomato Sauce, 40p

168 calories per half can, 9.2g protein, 8.5g sugar, 1g salt, 9.9g fibre
These have neat small beans in a very bright sauce, which I thought looked slightly frightening. However, they taste great. They use tomatoes rather than puree, which some other cheaper brands use, and they are not too sweet. They have a good hint of paprika too, which I like. The beans are a little on the firm side, though, and the sauce is rather thin.
★★★☆☆

M&S Organic Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce, £1

166 calories per half can, 9.2g protein, 8.2g sugar, 1g salt, 8.6g fibre
The sauce is on the browner, rather worthy, side but they have a warming, slightly spiced flavour and a glance at the ingredients shows they contain chilli powder, nutmeg, coriander, turmeric and dried garlic. I rather like them but suspect these will not be to everyone’s taste.
★★★☆☆

Co-op Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce, 49p

176 calories per half can, 9.5g protein, 8.3g sugar, 0.95g salt, 8.1g fibre
These look great and the sauce is a good consistency but for me, they taste fake — a bit like someone has added ketchup to their baked beans or like there’s some artificial sweetener involved (this is not on the ingredients, although there are undisclosed “flavourings”). I bet kids would like them, though.
★★★☆☆

Tesco Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce, 43p

174 calories per half can, 9.3g protein, 9.7g sugar, 1g salt, 8.2g fibre
These have lots of deep red, thick sauce coating unevenly sized beans. They have a weak, slightly false, sweet flavour and an aftertaste I am not keen on. The ingredients show they have clove extract, which might be the issue — or it could be too much dried onion powder that’s the problem.
★★☆☆☆

Mr Organic Organic Baked Beans, £1.65, Ocado

198 calories, 12.4g protein, 7.2g sugar, salt 1.38g, 7.2g fibre
I had high hopes for these. They are 60 per cent beans, which is the highest of any of the cans (most are around 50 per cent), with a short list of organic ingredients and the sauce is a good consistency and colour. But they taste nothing short of horrendous with the most overwhelming flavour of something like cloves or allspice, which lingers long after you’ve eaten them. Someone needs to look at the recipe immediately.
☆☆☆☆☆

Lidl Newgate Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce, 41p

184 calories per half can, 10.5g protein, 9.7g sugar, 1.16g salt, 7.2g fibre
Seemed promising with evenly sized beans in a good coating of rich-looking sauce but the flavour is strange, acidic and somehow fakely floral. I spot “basil extract” on the ingredients. Whatever that is, it makes these baked beans taste nothing short of nasty.
☆☆☆☆☆

Edited October 5, 2024 by Vesper

[Vesper 30,083]

Amatriciana

Serves 4
Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 150g guanciale, trimmed and chopped into 1cm lardons, or use bacon
• 50ml white wine
• 500g tomato passata
• 1 small red chilli, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 400g bucatini pasta
• 100g pecorino, grated

Method

1. In a frying pan over a medium heat, sizzle the guanciale or bacon for 8-10 minutes or until crispy. Add the white wine and let it evaporate for 3-4 minutes, then remove the guanciale or bacon from the pan (keeping the pan on the heat) and set aside on a plate.
2. Add the tomato passata and chilli to the empty pan. Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low-medium and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, add the crispy guanciale or bacon back into the pan.
3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over a medium heat. Add the bucatini and cook for 2-3 minutes less than indicated on the packaging until al dente. Drain, reserving a couple of ladlefuls of the pasta water.
4. Add the drained bucatini to your sauce. Toss well for a couple of minutes to combine all the flavours, adding a drop of pasta water if necessary.
5. Turn off the heat, add the cheese and give it a nice stir and serve.