RESTAURANT NATHAN OUTLAW
Nathan Outlaw (Bloomsbury Absolute, £45) There’s something slightly annoying about Restaurant Nathan Outlaw (the book). Beneath the pleasantly tactile rubberised scales of its cover lurks a heap of promo material for Restaurant Nathan Outlaw (the restaurant). There are rave reviews of it from the great and the good (Jamie, Mitch, Rick, Tom), as well as profiles of suppliers (of everything from crabs to crockery). But all this can be forgiven, really, seeing as the recipes (once you get to them) are so bloody good. Inspired by Nathan’s two-Michelinstar fish restaurant – the only one in the country – the 80 seasonal dishes he presents may be ambitious and fine-dining pretty, but they’re not unachievable. Monkfish is served with ceps and oxtail sauce; smoked mackerel fritters come with gooseberry pickle; turbot is paired with Champagne and caviar; and Dover sole buddies up with clams, parsley and garlic. Fresh ingredients, of course, are emphasised here, as is their seasonality. Tips to take the mystery out of fish are welcomely abundant too – I now know that delicate lemon sole is best grilled skin-on to protect it, for instance. MATT BIELBY
THE DOCTOR’S KITCHEN: EAT TO BEAT ILLNESS
Rupy Aujla (Harper Thorsons, £16.99) This is the second book from NHS GP, lecturer and bestselling author Dr Rupy Aujla, and it’s out to champion the healthgiving power of food. This isn’t airy-fairy stuff, either – Rupy uses both medical studies and anecdotal information collected from his patients to inform his writing, meaning there’s real weight behind his principles, which involve eating mostly plants with a variety of colour and lots of fibre. Tips for eating to support different elements of health – from your immune system to skin and even mood – precede the 80 globally inspired recipes. Dishes span breakfasts, small plates, mains and puds, with some handy ‘rapid’ recipes thrown in for good measure. Expect to see lots of veg (obvs), pulses and spices here, in recipes such as Sri Lankan cashew curry, aubergine and walnut ragu, scallops with asparagus, peas and tarragon butter (an in-season winner), speedy gazpacho (which we have our eye on for summer) and glazed peaches with thyme. JESSICA CARTER
CHICKEN, CINNAMON AND SWEET TOMATO ORZO (KOTOPOULO KRITHARAKI) From Taverna by Georgina Hayden (Square Peg, £25); photos by Kristin Perers There are so many versions of kritharaki (orzo) in Greek and Cypriot cooking – it is a huge staple for us, and almost always cooked with tomato. This chicken dish is the sort of family one-pot recipe all households should have up their sleeve. I’d put a bet on it being a winner with all ages. SERVES 4-6 1ltr chicken stock 2 onions 2 garlic cloves olive oil 1 cinnamon stick 1 tbsp tomato purée 5 ripe tomatoes 400g orzo 6 chicken thighs, on the bone and skin on ½ tsp ground allspice 250g cherry tomatoes on the vine 6 sprigs fresh oregano 75g halloumi (or salted anari or ricotta) 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ gas mark 6. Heat the chicken stock. Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Pour 3 tbsp of
019
CRUMBSMAG.COM
olive oil into a wide casserole pan and add the chopped veg. Place on a medium-low heat and sauté for 10 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the cinnamon stick and tomato purée to the pan and stir for a minute. Coarsely grate in the large tomatoes, give everything a stir, then stir in the orzo and hot stock. 2 Toss the chicken thighs with the allspice and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top of the orzo, skin side up, and dot around the vines of tomatoes and sprigs of oregano. Drizzle everything with olive oil and place in the oven for around 30 minutes. 3 Towards the end of this cooking time, boil a kettle. When 30 minutes is up, remove the casserole pan from the oven. Carefully pour 150ml of boiling water all around the orzo (not over the chicken skin) and return to the oven. Cook for a further 25 minutes, or until the chicken skin is crisp and golden and the meat is tender. 4 Remove from the oven, leave it to rest for 5 minutes, then serve, grating over the cheese.