Tamal Ray’s clementine and lemon syrup cake recipe

I see this sort of cake as the antidote to those towering sponge-beasts, slathered in buttercream, that you see in bakery windows. This is delicate and moist, showing off its caramelised fruits with pride. The bulgur wheat is an ingredient you may not have baked with before; I tend to use it instead of polenta, as it provides texture but also a pleasing, nutty flavour that complements the citrus.
Clementine and lemon syrup cake

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 8

100g double cream
50g fine bulgur wheat
6 clementines, washed and dried
2 lemons
150g unsalted butter, plus extra, melted, for greasing
60g sugar
125g caster sugar, plus 100g for the syrup and 60g for scattering
2 large eggs
150g ground almonds
1½ tsp baking powder

If you’re short on time, you can skip the poaching of the citrus rounds and just lay them straight into the tin with the sugar. The extra poaching, however, ensures that they will perfectly tender.

Pour the cream into a bowl and warm in a microwave (about 30-40 seconds). Stir in the bulgur wheat, then cover with a plate and leave for a few minutes. Start by givingGive the clementines and lemons a good wash, scrubbing them under warm water. Pat dry, then zest one of the clementines and one of the lemons. Set the zest aside in a small bowl.

With a sharp knife, slice the remaining clementines and lemon as thinly as you can: you will only be able to get about three slices from each clementine; save the rest for juicing later. I find they start to fall apart after you’ve got about three slices from one, so once you’re finding it difficult to slice evenly, set the remainder of the clementine aside and move on to another. Put the slices in a small saucepan and pour in enough hot water to just cover them (roughly 100-150ml). Put a lid on the pan and set it to simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, by which point the peel should be soft and translucent, but still holding their shape.

Heat the oven to 150C (140C fan)/325F/gas 3 and line the base of a 20cm cake tin with greaseproof paper, then brush the base and sides with melted butter. Scatter with 30g sugar, then carefully remove the slices of peel from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and arrange over the base. Scatter over another 30g sugar.

To make the cake batter, beat together the butter and caster sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Stir in the eggs, cream, citrus zest, bulgur wheat, ground almonds and baking powder. Carefully spread the batter into the cake tin, taking care not to disturb your tessellation of citrus. Bake for 30-35 minutes – a skewer poked into the centre should emerge clean with no batter on.

Meanwhile, prepare the citrus syrup: add the juice from the remaining fruit to the saucepan of poaching water, along with 100g sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until reduced and thickened slightly.

Once the cake is ready, poke holes all over with a skewer and pour over three-quarters of the syrup. Leave to absorb the syrup, then and it from the sides of the tin by running a knife along its edge. Put a large plate over the cake then, holding the plate tightly to the top of the tin, flip the whole thing over on to a plate. Remove the cake tin and brush the revealed citrus top with the rest of the syrup.

Joe Wright’s recipe for mackerel with aubergine, fennel and orange salad

Salted, charred mackerel skin reminds me of childhood family holidays in Portugal – every restaurant had the amazing smell of barbecuing fish. This quick, tasty recipe can also be easily be cooked using a griddle pan, or under a hot grill, if you prefer. The aubergine has a delicious smoky flavour and soaks up all the juices, which cut right through the oiliness of fish.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

1 aubergine
2 fennel bulbs
½ garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for cooking
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp capers
1 orange
2 whole mackerel, gutted

For the yoghurt:
200g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp sumac
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
Pinch of salt

Slice the aubergine into 1cm discs and cut the fennel lengthways in 1cm slices (keeping the root attached to hold it together).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, parsley and capers. Cut the skin and white pith away from the orange, slice into rounds and add to the bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the yoghurt.

Drizzle a little olive oil and salt and pepper over the aubergine and fennel slices, place on the hot barbecue, pan or grill and cook for two to three minutes each side, until tender and lightly charred. Add to the large mixing bowl and toss in the dressing.

Dry the mackerel skin using paper towels (this will help prevent it sticking to the grill), drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with plenty of sea salt. Grill for about five minutes each side, until just cooked through.

Once cooked, place the fish in the middle of the plates, spoon out the aubergine, fennel and orange salad and pour over any remaining dressing. Serve with a dollop of the sumac yoghurt.

Joe Wright is the chef and owner of Joseph Benjamin and Porta in Chester.

The Guardian and Observer aim to publish recipes for sustainable fish. For ratings in your region, check: UK; Australia; US.

Jack Monroe’s lentil, bean and kale salad recipe

Move over kale pesto, there’s a new kid in town. It is worth making plenty of this great little salad as the leftovers are perfect for taking to work to scoff at your desk – it is best at room temperature, so it doesn’t matter if you forget to take it out of your bag or fridge space is at a premium. Warm the dressing before tossing it through the salad to further soften the kale and ensure it clings to the beans. Then eat hot, cold or somewhere in between.

(Serves 4 for lunch)

100g dried brown or green lentils

100g dried black-eyed or haricot beans

8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

A handful of black olives, chopped

A fistful of parsley, torn

80g kale, chopped

For the dressing:

1 fat clove of garlic, minced

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

130ml olive oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Soak the lentils and beans for at least eight hours, and preferably overnight.

Meanwhile, make your dressing – a good steeping in oil and acid will calm the chilli and garlic and meld the flavours. Put the garlic and chilli into a lidded jar and pour over the oil and some of the lemon zest and juice. Screw on the lid tightly and shake vigorously to emulsify. Unscrew, taste and adjust with more lemon, if needed.

When you’re ready to make the salad, thoroughly rinse the lentils and beans and put them in a pan of unsalted cold water. Bring to the boil, scrape off any scum and boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse.

Meanwhile, warm the dressing in a small saucepan over a low heat.

Toss the other salad ingredients together with the pulses – there is no need to cook the kale. Add the dressing to taste and serve.