Spring is a jolly season, propelling us out of the winter blues and into longer days and shorter nights. This is why so many festivities occur around this time, from Nowruz in Iran and Passover for Jews to Easter, of course. Interestingly, all three cultures celebrate the egg in some way: a resurrection, a rebirth, an all-round cycle of life. I’m not a religious man, but I can still appreciate this, welcoming the sun and a full circle of the seasons as we feast – saving room, as always, for a chocolate egg for pudding.
Devilled eggs with tangerine rayu
Rayu is a Japanese chilli oil that goes with everything from rice and noodles to dumplings and steamed vegetables. You will have some left over here, but by all means make even more. It will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Thanks to Gabe Pryce and Missy Flynn of Rita’s in London, whose unforgettable hot bean devilled eggs inspired this recipe.
Prep 25 min
Infusion 2 hr
Cook 25 min
Serves 6
6 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
30g good-quality mayonnaise
1½ tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
For the rayu
90ml vegetable oil
3 spring onions, very finely chopped
4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
Salt
1½ tsp aleppo chilli flakes (or ¾ tsp regular chilli flakes)
1½ tbsp red bell pepper flakes
1¾ tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1¼ tbsp black sesame seeds, toasted
2 tangerines – zest finely grated, to get 2½ tsp, and juiced, to get 1 tsp
2½ tbsp soy sauce
For the rayu, put half the oil in a medium saute pan on a medium heat with the spring onions, ginger, garlic and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and aromatic (turn down the heat if it starts to colour too much).
Add the remaining oil, warm through for a minute, then turn off the heat and stir in the remaining rayu ingredients, reserving a quarter-teaspoon of each type of sesame seed for later. Transfer to a clean jar, seal and leave to sit for at least two hours, to deepen in colour.
Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half, carefully remove the yolks so you don’t break up the whites, and put in a medium bowl. Crush with a fork until smooth, then add 100g of the rayu solids – avoid adding any oil as much as possible. Add the mayonnaise, then whip the mixture with a spatula until there are no lumps. Spoon into a piping or sandwich bag.
Arrange the egg white halves cut side up on a platter. Snip a 2cm hole in the corner of the piping bag, then pipe the mayo mixture evenly into the cavity of each half-egg, rounding off the edges with a spoon. Spoon a quarter-teaspoon of rayu over each egg, making sure some of the red oil drizzles over the sides. Drizzle with the vinegar, top with the chives, reserved sesame seeds and a pinch of salt, and serve.
Cinnamon rice with lamb, shredded chicken and garlic yoghurt
Variations on this glorious celebration dish are common across the Middle East. Placed in the centre of the table, you need nothing but a simple chopped salad alongside.
Soak 1 hr
Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 20 min
Serves 8
For the chicken
1 medium whole chicken (1.4kg)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 onion, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
1 garlic head, cut in half widthways
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp olive oil
1½ tbsp lemon juice
1½ tbsp parsley leaves, roughly chopped
For the rice
2 tbsp olive oil
40g unsalted butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
300g minced lamb
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
400g basmati rice, washed, soaked in cold water for at least 1 hour, then drained
For the yoghurt sauce
500g Greek-style yoghurt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
To garnish
50g unsalted butter
30g blanched almonds
30g pine nuts
¾ tsp aleppo chilli (or ½ tsp regular chilli flakes)
1½ tbsp parsley leaves
4 tbsp pomegranate seeds
Put the chicken in a large saucepan for which you have a lid, and add the cinnamon sticks, onion, garlic, two litres of water and two teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil on a medium-high heat, then turn down the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 70 minutes, or until cooked through. Lift out the chicken and, when it’s cool enough to handle, tear into large, bite-size chunks, discarding the skin and bones. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl with the ground cumin and cinnamon, and set aside. Strain the stock through a sieve set over a large bowl, and discard the solids. Measure out 850ml stock into a small saucepan and keep warm (save the rest for another use).
For the rice, put the oil and half the butter in a large saucepan for which you have a tight-fitting lid, and place on a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for about seven minutes, until lightly golden. Add the lamb, garlic and spices, and cook, stirring continuously, for two minutes more, until the lamb is no longer pink. Add the rice, 700ml warm stock, one and three-quarter teaspoons of salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to sit, still covered, for 15 minutes more, then add the remaining butter and set aside.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the toppings. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, garlic, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and the remaining 150ml warm stock.
Put two tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring a few times, for about five minutes, until heated through. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and parsley, and set aside.
For the garnish, melt the butter in a small frying pan on a medium-high heat, then add the almonds and cook, stirring, for three minutes, until lightly coloured. Add the pine nuts, cook for two minutes, until golden, then take off the heat and stir in the chilli.
To serve, spread the rice on a large, round serving platter. Top with the chicken, then pour over the yoghurt sauce. Finish by sprinkling over the nuts and butter, followed by the parsley and pomegranate seeds.
Chocolate, orange and cardamom bread (pictured top)
This sweet, yeasted bread is perfect for brunch, because it’s prepared a day ahead and left to prove overnight. It’s best eaten on the day it is baked, but is also good toasted and spread with butter the day after. There is a fair amount of waiting involved – with the two proofing periods and for the bread to cool down after baking – but it is well worth it.
Prep 30 min
Prove 3 hr + overnight chill
Cook 1 hr 5 min
Serves 10-12
For the dough
250ml whole milk
35g fresh yeast, crumbled (or 21g fast-action dried yeast – ie, 3 sachets)
2 tsp grated orange zest
315g plain flour
315g bread flour
100g caster sugar
2 tsp salt
12 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds finely crushed
3 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
200g unsalted butter, cold, cut into 2cm pieces, plus extra for greasing
175g ready-chopped mixed peel, plus extra for decorating
300g milk chocolate, chopped into 1cm pieces
For the icing
100g icing sugar
1 orange – zest finely grated, to get ½ tsp, and juiced, to get 1½ tbsp
3 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds finely crushed
1 tbsp Iranian pistachios or regular pistachios), roughly chopped, for sprinkling
For the dough, put the first eight ingredients, two whole eggs and the two yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook in place. Mix on low speed until almost combined – about a minute – then turn up the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough is smooth, elastic and comes away from the sides of the bowl – about eight minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the butter a few pieces at a time, until it’s fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and beginning to form a ball around the dough hook, about eight minutes. Add the mixed peel and chocolate, mix for 30 seconds to distribute around the mix, then shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with clingfilm and leave to prove at room temperature for an hour, or until slightly risen. Gently punch down the dough, cover again with clingfilm and refrigerate for two hours to firm up.
Generously butter the base and sides of a 25cm angel food cake tin. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and divide into eight pieces, each weighing about 200g. Shape each piece into a tight ball and arrange them seam side down in the tin (they’ll be very snug). Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the tin from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking, and heat the oven to 190C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Discard the clingfilm from the tin, beat the remaining egg and brush liberally all over the surface of the bread. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 170C (160C fan)/375F/gas 4 and bake for 15 minutes more. Rotate the tin and bake for 30-35 minutes more, or until the bread is a deep golden-brown and springs back to the touch (around 95-100C on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from the oven, leave to rest for five minutes, then carefully turn out on to a wire rack to release the bread – you may need to loosen the sides with a knife first. Turn the bread right side up on the rack and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk all the icing ingredients except the pistachios in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze all over the surface of the bread, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle with the pistachios and about a tablespoon and a half of mixed peel, then leave to cool for at least an hour before serving.
