Fireworks, countdowns and hugging strangers were fun for a while, but the forced revelry of New Year’s Eve just isn’t for me these days. Instead, I prefer a celebration at a lower decibel. This trio of dishes is gently spiced to bring warmth and cheer, and everything apart from the scallops can be prepared in advance to make sure you won’t be faffing in the kitchen come midnight.
Scallops with lime pickle beurre blanc and samphire
The lime pickle brings a brightness to this otherwise classic decadent dish.
Prep 20 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4
200g samphire
12 sustainably-sourced scallops
Sea salt and black pepper
A drizzle of olive oil
A knob of butter
A squeeze of lemon juice
For the lime pickle beurre blanc
60ml dry white wine
5 peppercorns
60ml lime juice
2 tbsp lime pickle, very finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and very finely chopped
1 tbsp double cream
225g butter, diced
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the samphire, simmer for two minutes, then drain and refresh in ice-cold water.
For the beurre blanc, simmer the wine, pepper, lime juice, lime pickle and shallot in a small saucepan on a medium heat, until the liquid has reduced by half. Strain and discard the solids, return the liquid to the pan, add the cream and bring to a simmer. Season to taste, turn down the heat to low and gradually whisk in the butter.
Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper, then season generously on both sides. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan for 30 seconds. Lay in the scallops, cook on one side for two minutes, until golden and caramelised, then flip and add the knob of butter. After a minute, add a squeeze of lemon and the samphire, cook for a further 30 seconds, take off the heat and leave to finish cooking in the pan for a minute. Divide the scallops and samphire between four plates, spoon over the beurre blanc and serve.
Winter greens saag paneer filo pie
Spicy, iron-rich greens and three types of cheese encased in crisp filo pastry – if pies are the woolly jumpers of food, this one is surely the cosiest of them all.
Prep 25 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 4-6
1kg mixed greens – spinach, kale, cavolo nero, chard
1 heaped tbsp ghee
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, peeled and very finely chopped
3 fat garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 finger chillies, very finely chopped
½ tsp ground turmeric
225g paneer, cut into cubes
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 large egg, beaten
100g ricotta
75g feta, crumbled
Zest of 1 lemon and the juice of ½ lemon
For the pie crust
1 x 270g packet filo pastry
75g ghee, melted
1 tsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
Bring a large pan of water to a boil, blanch the greens for two minutes, until wilted, then drain and plunge into iced water. Drain again, squeeze out as much water as you can, then roughly chop the greens and set aside.
Put the ghee in a large pan on a medium heat, add the cumin and, once it’s sizzling, add the onion and cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, until caramelised. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook for three minutes, until fragrant. Add the turmeric, greens and paneer, and season to taste. Mix well, cook for six to eight minutes, then take off the heat and leave to cool. Once cooled, stir in the egg, ricotta, feta, and the lemon zest and juice until well combined.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, and grease a 30cm loose-bottomed cake tin with ghee. Unroll the filo pastry, peel off one sheet and cover the rest with a slightly damp tea towel. Brush the filo sheet generously with ghee, then lay it lengthways in the tin, so one long edge is in the centre of the tin and the rest draped over one side. Brush a second sheet of filo with ghee, then lay it next to the first sheet, partially overlapping at the centre and a little further around the tin, again with an overhang. Repeat with the remaining filo and more ghee, until the tin is fully lined with pastry.
Spoon in the filling, then fold over the overhanging sheets so the top of the pie is covered. Brush with ghee, sprinkle over the sesame and nigella seeds, then bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove, leave to cool slightly in the tin, then turn out and serve.
Honey and saffron poached quince with pistachio semifreddo
This is such an elegant dessert and a true frozen asset: it requires no ice-cream maker or churning.
Prep 30 min
Cook 2 hr +
Freeze 8 hr +
Serves 8
For the quince
150g honey
100g caster sugar
Thinly peeled rind and juice of 1 lemon
A fat pinch of saffron strands
A few drops orange blossom water (optional)
2 quinces, peeled and halved – peel and trimmings reserved
For the semifreddo
100g pistachios
3 tbsp pistachio butter – I use the Borna brand from Ocado
4 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
75g caster sugar
30g honey
40g liquid glucose
500ml double cream
For the quince, combine the honey, sugar, lemon rind, saffron and orange blossom water, if using, with 375ml water in a large saucepan, then cook on a medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Off the heat, add the halved quinces and all their peelings and trimmings, cover with baking paper and a plate, cover with a lid and cook until the quince is tender and pale pink – this will take a good two to two and a half hours.
Once tender – it should still have a bit of bite – lift out the quince with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, cut it into wedges, remove the cores and put the fruit in a bowl. Strain the liquid into a clean saucepan, simmer on a medium-high heat until reduced by half, then pour over the quince.
To make the semifreddo, line a 2lb loaf tin with enough clingfilm to overhang on all sides, add half the pistachios and put in the freezer.
Combine the pistachio butter, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey and glucose in a heatproof bowl, then whisk over a pan of simmering water for five to six minutes, until thickened. Transfer to an electric mixer and whisk until cool.
In another bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold into the egg mix with the remaining pistachios. Spoon the semifreddo mix into the cold tin, smooth the surface and tap on the counter to get rid of air bubbles, and freeze for at least eight hours, or overnight.
To serve, turn out the semifreddo and carefully peel off the clingfilm. Slice and serve with the quince and syrup.
