Café Kitchen

Š Ryland Peters & Small 2014

CAFÉ KITCHEN

Š Ryland Peters & Small 2014

CONTENTS 6

Introduction

8

Breakfast & Brunch

48

Small Bites

70

Salads & Soups

96

Larger Plates

130

Cakes & Bakes

158

Index

160

Acknowledgments

© Ryland Peters & Small 2014 Corn fritters are a menu staple in nearly every café in Australia and New Zealand. No two recipes are ever the same as everyone has their (strong!) opinion on what makes the perfect fritter.

CORN FRITTERS WITH ROAST TOMATOES & SMASHED AVOCADOS 150 g/2 cups (about 1 medium) grated courgette/zucchini sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season 1 400 g/2 ⁄2 cups cherry vine tomatoes olive oil, to drizzle 4 eggs 1 180 g/1 ⁄3 cups selfraising/rising flour 3 50 g/1 ⁄4 oz. Parmesan, grated 1 100 ml/scant ⁄2 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon paprika 1 ⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon chopped coriander/cilantro fresh corn kernels cut from 2–3 cobs sunflower oil, for frying SMASHED AVOCADOS 3 avocados freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes and the grated zest of 1 1 ⁄4 red onion, finely diced 1 teaspoon hot sauce TO SERVE fresh spinach

crème fraîche SERVES 6

Put the grated courgette/zucchini

Add enough sunflower oil

into a colander set over a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1⁄2

to thinly cover the bottom of a

teaspoon of salt and leave for

Ladle generous spoonfuls of batter

30 minutes–1 hour so they release

into the pan and cook for about

their moisture. Squeeze the grated

4 minutes on each side, until golden

courgette/zucchini with your hands

brown. Transfer to a clean baking

to get rid of as much moisture as

sheet and put in the still-warm oven

possible and set aside.

for 4–5 minutes to ensure they are

For the roast tomatoes, preheat

heavy-bottomed frying pan/skillet.

cooked through. Cook the remaining

the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.

batter in the same way, adding a

Place the tomatoes on a baking

little more oil to the pan each time,

sheet, drizzle with olive oil and

if required.

season with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, roughly

Roast in the preheated oven for

mash the avocados with a fork,

15–20 minutes, or until the skins

leaving them fairly chunky. Stir in

begin to split.

the lime juice and zest, onion and

Reduce the oven temperature

hot sauce. Season generously with

to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3 and prepare

salt and serve with the fritters,

the fritter batter. In a large, clean,

roast tomatoes, a handful of fresh

dry mixing bowl, lightly whisk the

spinach and a dollop of

eggs. Add in the flour, grated

crème fraîche.

Parmesan, buttermilk, paprika, cayenne pepper, 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper and chopped coriander/cilantro.

Stir in the squeezed courgette/zucchini and corn kernels, ensuring the vegetables are evenly coated in batter.

CAFÉ CULTURE ‘Once you find a café you love you go again

In the 17th century after the Great Fire

and again because it makes the city feel

of London destroyed the Royal Exchange

smaller; to feel the warmth of people who

building, coffee houses became de facto

recognize you, know your name and know

trading houses and community hubs. People

what coffee you drink.’

from all walks of life would sit at communal

ALBERTO, LANTANA REGULAR

tables and talk, sharing ideas and engaging in political and intellectual debate. Coffee

Not everyone is lucky enough to have

houses were an integral part of both working

a fantastic local café on their doorstep.

and social life.

Somewhere welcoming that smells of freshly

I see this coffee house culture first hand

ground coffee and delicious food being

at our cafés with our eclectic customer

prepared, where the staff greet you by name,

base. Whether it’s friends catching up, local

and the personality and passion of the owner

workers holding meetings, freelancers with

is stamped on every lampshade, piece of

laptops sharing a table with other freelancers

crockery and each item on the menu.

using the café as a temporary office space,

When I first moved to London, I was

couples enjoying a leisurely brunch together,

struck by how few good independent cafés

people reading the newspaper in the

there were and instead, how corporate,

sunshine, or strangers chatting to each

homogenous chain cafés and coffee shops

other as they wait for a coffee to take away.

dominated the high street. Customers would

There’s a relaxed but vibrant community

bustle in and out, head down, absorbed in

atmosphere and a sense that people are

their own world, eager to get their coffee

coming here for something more than just

as quickly as possible and be on their way.

the food and coffee.

This has changed dramatically in the last

When you find a good café it becomes

ten years, as more and more unique, quirky

an extension of your home and, in the words

cafés have emerged – a testament to

of one of our regulars, the city becomes a

London’s coffee house history.

little smaller.

78 SALADS & SOUPS

Š Ryland Peters & Small 2014

This is such a pretty salad with the different layers yielding many different flavours, colours and textures. It is also delicious with prawns/shrimp. Use peeled green ones with the tail on and grill them the same way as the squid.

GRILLED SQUID SALAD WITH HERB LIME DRESSING 2 red (bell) peppers 3 800 g/1 ⁄4 lbs. cleaned squid 2 heads of chicory, leaves removed and cut in half lengthways 1 30 g/ ⁄2 cup baby spinach leaves 1 40 g/ ⁄4 cup edamame or broad beans (fresh or frozen), blanched 1 10 g/scant ⁄4 cup coriander/cilantro

DRESSING freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes 30 ml/2 tablespoons olive oil 20 g/2 tablespoons palm sugar 1 garlic clove, grated 1 30 g/ ⁄2 cup finely chopped coriander/ cilantro 1 15 g/ ⁄4 cup finely chopped basil 30 ml/2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 long fresh red chilli/ chile, deseeded and finely chopped freshly ground black pepper, to season

a baking sheet, lined with foil SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

Begin by roasting the red peppers. Place on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn and roast for a further 20 minutes until the peppers collapse and the skin is charred and soft.

Transfer to a small mixing bowl, cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and set aside. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and seeds, and slice.

To make the herb lime dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl using a whisk. It is important to make the dressing by hand rather than using a blender as you want the dressing to have texture.

To prepare the squid, cut off but reserve the tentacles and cut down the ‘seam’ of the squid so it opens out flat. Score the inside with a crosshatch pattern, then slice lengthways into 2-cm/ 3 ⁄4-inch wide strips. Cut the tentacles in half and add to the squid strips.

Preheat a grill pan/skillet over a medium–high heat. Sear the squid and the tentacles for 1–2 minutes until curled up and slightly charred.

Remove the pan from the heat and dress with 2 tablespoons of the herb lime dressing.

Layer the chicory, spinach, sliced roast peppers and edamame on a platter. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, and gently mix through.

Place the grilled squid on top and garnish with the coriander/cilantro. Serve immediately.

106 LARGER PLATES

Š Ryland Peters & Small 2014

FOOD & DRINK

a stunning selection of relaxed and delicious café-inspired recipes for breakfast, brunch, lunch and coffee at any time of day.

www.rylandpeters.com UK £16.99 / US $24.95 / Priced higher in Canada Printed in China