Nigella Express Is Here!

Nigella Lawson’s long awaited new book has been published in the UK – Nigella Express. As a huge Nigella fan I’m so pleased to have a new book, and this one is easily as good as her others. It’s done on a different theme, being mostly fast cooking or fast action in the kitchen followed by a non-hands on spell in the oven for example. Most recipes have pictures too, so it’s very bright and colourful.

When Feast (her last book) was published it didn’t leave my cooking pile for about a year (the pile I cook from as opposed to read), and I’m expecting this new one to be no different! For this reason I’m not going to post all the recipes, as really I’m not sure how I’d stand posting half a book (indeed maybe more..) on my blog. So what I’ve decided to do is post recipes that are already out there either in magazines or online.

I think this book will fit in with my lifestyle well, because often I want something for my supper that tastes like I’ve had an afternoon in the kitchen, when in reality I can only get to cook that way once or maybe twice a week. I’m definitely not too busy too cook; but I don’t have the time to have a leisurely potter round the kitchen everyday, and really who does?

I’ve cooked three recipes from Nigella Express so far Caramel Croissant Pudding, Mustard Pork Chops with Gnocchi and Cherry Cheesecake.

1. The caramel croissant pudding was easy (as long as you are comfortable with making a caramel) and delivered in the comfort stakes with the lovely flavours of caramel and bourbon in this spin on a regular bread pudding. Nigella said it would serve 2 as supper in its entirety, but my portion was about a sixth, which was enough to feel that I’d had something very yummy for pudding. Everyone else liked it too.

2. The next one I might not have made haad I not seen Nigella cook it on the first eposide of her TV series to accompany the book. It’s pork chops flash fried then the pan deglazed with cider and mustard and cream is added to for the sauce. I tossed in optional gnocchi as after it had floated to the top of the water it had cooked in. I didn’t add any vegetables, but next time will just do a pan of green (French) beans as well, as I did miss a bit of veg! The taste was easily the best sauce of this kind that I’ve tried – and I’ve tried a few. The gnocchi was also the best tasting gnocchi I’ve ever made at home, the little potato dumpling were delicious in the creamy-cider- mustard sauce, how they love that cream! It’s a revelation to realise that once you’ve done this recipe you are just 15 minutes away from a really delicious comforting supper that tastes like you’ve slaved over a hot stove for ages!

3. Finally to the cheesecake, I would admit straight off that I prefer uncooked cheesecake to cooked, it’s not that there is anything wrong with a cooked one, and I do do one cooked cheesecake that is really fabulous, but it is often a bit more dense than I want it to be. This one is a processor base, then a whisked topping with cream folder through it, left in the fridge to set, and finally spread some Dalfour black cherry fruit as the topping just before serving. It wasn’t too sweet, and I liked it, in all it’s retro beauty. In the book Nigella has it pictured on one of her LK black cake stands and very pretty it looks too. Me? I’m a pink girl!……………More Nigella Express coming soon!

Caramel Croissant Pudding

From Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

Serves 2 greedy people
2 stale croissants
100g caster sugar
2 x 15ml tbsp water
125ml double cream
125ml full-fat milk
2 x 15ml tbsp bourbon
2 eggs, beaten
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
2 Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish; I use a cast iron oval one with a capacity of about 500ml.
3 Put the caster sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the hob over a medium to high heat.
4 Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away, without stirring, until it all turns a deep amber colour; this will take 3 to 5 minutes. Keep looking but don’t be too timid.
5 Turn the heat down to low and add the cream – ignoring all spluttering – and, whisking away, the milk and bourbon. Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over a low heat. Take off the heat and, still whisking, add the beaten eggs. Pour the caramel bourbon custard over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes if the croissants are very stale.
6 Place in the oven for 20 minutes and prepare to swoon.