Nigel Slater’s vegetable rice recipe

The recipe

Rinse 200g of brown basmati rice in warm water and drain. Put the rice into a small, deep saucepan, pour in enough water to cover by a couple of centimetres, then add 8 whole black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves and a couple of cloves. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat so the water simmers and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Leave to cook for about 10 minutes, till the water has evaporated and small holes have appeared on the surface of the rice. Set aside, covered with the lid, for 5 minutes.

Slice 2 large leeks into pieces about the size of a wine cork, then wash them thoroughly under cold water. Melt 40g of butter over a moderate heat, add the leeks and 4 tbsp of water and cook over a lowish heat for 10 minutes, taking care they soften but do not colour.

Peel and very thinly slice a large clove of smoked garlic. Wash and finely shred a large handful of kale. In a frying pan, sizzle the kale in a little butter, add the sliced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until bright and tender.

Boil 2 eggs till they are as you like them, then carefully remove their shells. Check the rice, then run a fork through it to separate the grains and stir in 1 tsp of garam masala. Toss together the rice, kale, garlic, leeks and their butter, then divide between 2 plates. Top with the peeled eggs. Serves 2.
The trick

Rinsing the rice 2 or 3 times or until the water runs clear will prevent the grains from sticking together. To keep the leeks from browning, add a disc of greaseproof paper on top of the leeks, butter and water, then cover with a lid, so they steam rather than fry.
The twist

You could comfortably use this recipe for leftovers, such as roast meat, torn into large shreds, or pieces of cooked salmon or smoked mackerel. You could also warm crème fraîche in a saucepan, then spoon it over the hot, spiced rice as you eat.

Nigel Slater’s chipolata and cranberry batter pudding recipe

The recipe

Make a batter by beating together 2 large eggs and 300ml of full fat milk. Beat in a little salt and 125g of plain flour. Don’t worry about any small lumps. Pull the leaves from 5 sprigs of thyme and stir them into the batter then leave it to rest for 20 minutes. Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 8. Evenly brown 350g of cocktail chipolatas in a little oil or bacon fat. When they are done, add 2 tbsp of marmalade and 100g of fresh or frozen cranberries to the pan and toss the sausages in it to coat them evenly. Pour the fat, together with 3 tbsp of groundnut oil or dripping into a 22cm round metal dish or similar baking tin, add the marmalade-coated sausages and place in the oven to get hot. When the oil and sausages are really hot, add the batter and return to the oven immediately. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the batter is golden and puffed around the edges. Serve immediately. Enough for 2.

The trick

Like its sister recipe the Yorkshire pudding, this one needs really hot fat if it is to achieve any sort of lightness. Let the oil and sausages get as hot as you dare, the oil may shimmer, even smoke a little, before you add the batter in one swoosh. If a thin layer of batter firms up immediately on contact with the hot fat, then the pudding should rise well.

The twist

Pieces of pancetta or smoked bacon are good here, as is black pudding, either instead of or in addition to the sausages. If cranberries are unavailable, try small cubes of sharp apple instead.

Green winter salad recipes

Crisp, green and light, this leaf salad could be served after the pie below. I have kept it raw and simple, but you could also add salted almonds, a little goat’s or sheep’s cheese, or maybe some crisply fried bacon or pancetta.

Serves 4-6
brussels sprouts 200g
watercress 100g
little gem lettuce 1
young kale 2 large handfuls
young chard leaves a small bunch
avocado 1
sprouted seeds such as radish, beetroot or amaranth a handful

For the dressing
natural yogurt 6 tbsp
olive oil 6 tbsp
basil leaves 10g

Trim the base of each brussels sprout, remove the leaves layer by layer as far as you can. Cut the hearts in half and put them and the leaves in a large bowl.

Wash the watercress, remove the toughest stems and add the leaves and thin stalks to the sprouts. Halve the little gem lettuce lengthways, then trim the stalk and separate the leaves. Finely shred the kale leaves. Toss together the brussels sprouts, watercress, lettuce and kale and the young chard leaves.

Make the dressing: mix the natural yogurt and olive oil together with a small whisk or fork, then add the basil leaves, finely shredded, and season with salt and ground black pepper. Halve, stone and peel the avocado then cut the flesh into thick slices.

Transfer the leaves to a salad bowl, tuck the slices of avocado gently among the leaves, add any sprouting seeds you may like, then trickle over the dressing and toss gently before serving.