I love coming across new vegetables such as the rosetta sprouts I found at my local market recently. They are much more open and flower-like than normal sprouts – they look a bit like mini savoy cabbages – but are more tender and cook in half the time; ask your greengrocer to get you some.
Right now, our native fruits are getting a bit thin on the ground, with apples and pears starting to go floury, so I’m turning to citrus for my fruit fixes. Mexico-lover that I am, I adore limes, especially in a classic curd. It has a similar zing to lemon curd, but with more floral tones, which are highlighted by the addition of orange-blossom water. That will liven up your winter pudding repertoire no end.
Rosetta sprouts, anchovy, chilli and pine nut pasta
This gutsy combination of anchovy, chilli and rosemary is mellowed by white wine and mascarpone. If you can’t get rosettas, use regular sprouts, or shred a small savoy or some sprout tops. Serves two as a main meal.
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
3 anchovy fillets in olive oil
1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
¼ tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
½ garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
200g rosetta sprouts, topped, cut in half and washed in cold water
70ml white wine
30g mascarpone
50g parmesan, plus extra to serve
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
35g pine nuts
200g fusilli
Heat the oil in a frying pan, gently saute the anchovies, rosemary and chilli for three minutes, then add the garlic and, a minute later, the sprouts. Stir for a minute or two, to coat in the flavoured oil, then turn up the heat and add the wine. When it has almost evaporated, stir in the mascarpone, parmesan and lemon zest, season to taste and take off the heat.
In another pan, gently fry the pine nuts in a little olive oil for 30 seconds, until just golden.
Bring a big pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the fusilli until al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of the water, then add the pasta to the sprout pan. Turn on the heat, toss and add a small ladle of reserved water: the pasta will absorb it quickly. Once the mix is hot, add the pine nuts, a generous grating of parmesan and some black pepper, and toss again; if the pasta looks a little dry, add a splash more of the reserved water. Serve at once in warmed bowls.
Orange blossom and yoghurt sundaes with lime curd and baby meringues
This is lightened by yoghurt, which cuts through the sweetness of the meringues and softens the citrussy curd. If you’re pushed for time, buy in six meringue nests. Serves six.
300ml double cream
250g Greek yoghurt, left in a sieve for 20 minutes, to remove excess liquid
1 small handful flaked almonds, toasted
For the meringues
5 medium egg whites
350g unrefined caster sugar
For the lime curd
5 medium egg yolks
1 medium egg
Finely grated zest of 4 limes
130ml lime juice (ie, from 5-6 limes)
1 tsp orange-blossom water
150g caster sugar
225g unsalted butter, diced
For the meringues, cover a baking tray with foil and heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Gently heat the egg whites and 350g sugar in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Tip into a large bowl and, with an electric whisk, whisk until thick and fluffy. Spoon tablespoons of the meringue mix on to the prepared baking tray, bake for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave to carry on cooking in the shut oven for two to three hours, until completely cool.
For the curd, set a large sieve over a mixing bowl in preparation for when the curd is ready. In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, lime zest and juice, orange-blossom water and sugar. Put the pan on a low-ish heat and add the diced butter, stirring to melt it, and scraping the bottom of the pan to stop any curd sticking. Once the butter has melted, carry on stirring until the mixture coats the back of a spoon – it will look noticeably thicker and almost jellied. Pour straight into the sieve to strain out the zest, then leave to cool a little. Store, covered, in the fridge, until needed. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for at least a week if stored in a sterilised jar.
To assemble the pudding, softly whip the cream until it starts to thicken. Pour in the remaining 50g sugar and whisk by hand until the cream is not quite holding its shape – if you overwhip it, the cream will turn grainy. Fold in the yoghurt, which will thicken the cream even more.
Put a spoonful of curd into the bottom of a clear glass, followed first by some scrunched-up meringue and then by a few tablespoons of the cream. Repeat this layering until the glass is full, then top with flaked almonds. Repeat in five more glasses, and serve at once.
And for the rest of the week…
I’ve been making the most of rosetta sprouts while they’re in season, eating them in stir-fries, sauteeing them with lardons and red onions to top quick puff-pastry pizzas or tarts, and steaming them as a vegetable side. Treat normal sprouts the same way, too. Use leftover mascarpone in a very fast, lipsmacking pudding: top cooking apples with dollops of mascarpone and a scattering of muscovado sugar, then bake until the fruit is soft and the sugar caramelised. The lime curd recipe makes more than you need: it’s gorgeous on crumpets or scones with clotted cream (or mascarpone), or put some on your breakfast yoghurt, and top with toasted nuts and seeds.
