tablespoons Mayonnaise (see recipe, here), slightly chilled
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Maldon or another flaky sea salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped chervil Cayenne or paprika
Extra virgin olive oil (optional) for drizzling
Fill a medium pot at least halfway with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Use a slotted spoon to gently put the eggs in the water, and cook them for 10 minutes (set a timer). Drain the eggs and put them in a big bowl of ice water until they’re fully cool.
Lightly tap each egg against the counter to crack the shell all over, then peel them and pat them dry. Halve them lengthwise with a sharp knife.
Press the yolks through a sieve into a small food processor. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, crème fraîche, and mustard and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Have a taste and season with salt.
For really pretty eggs, feed the mix into an icing bag (alternatively, you can jerry-rig one with a large resealable plastic bag; snip off a corner before piping). Pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes. Put the egg whites on a plate, cover with clingfilm, and put them in the fridge as well.
Pat the whites dry with a tea towel and pipe an equal amount of the yolk mixture into each white. Top each one off with a sprinkle of the chives and chervil and a dusting of cayenne or paprika. If you like, add a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVER ON TOAST
A staple at the Spotted Pig, this creamy, still slightly chunky mash of lovely, iron-y livers on toast makes a fine snack, but it’s substantial enough to hold you over while you wait for a friend or a table. Just the thing, too, with a glass of wine. The liver mixture is a touch sweet from the port and the browned garlic and shallots, with a whisper of acidity from the Madeira. Best of all, it takes just a moment to make. Be sure you get a nice colour on the livers when you cook them. (I like them slightly pink on the inside for this dish; anyone who doesn’t can cook them a bit longer.) Be sure to take in the aroma as they cook – toasty browning liver is one of my favourite smells.
makes 4 toasts
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
40g finely chopped shallots
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dry Madeira 2
tablespoons ruby port
225g chicken livers, trimmed and separated into lobes
Maldon or another flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A small handful of small, delicate flat-leaf parsley sprigs
4 thick slices crusty bread, or 2 large slices, cut in half
Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large sauté pan and set it over high heat. When it’s hot, turn the heat down to medium and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until they’re golden brown, about a minute. Add the Madeira and port to the pan and give it a good shake, then scrape the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.
Rinse the pan and wipe it out well with kitchen paper, then set it over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil just begins to smoke, pat the livers dry and add them to the pan. Cook until the undersides are golden brown, 1½ minutes or so. Carefully turn them over and sprinkle on about 1 teaspoon salt, then give the pan a little shake. Cook the livers just until they feel bouncy, like little balloons, about 30 seconds more. You want them slightly pink inside, not rare.
Turn off the heat and add the shallot mixture, liquid and all, to the pan. Shake the pan, stirring and scraping it with a spoon to loosen the crispy brown bits on the bottom, then scrape the contents of the pan into a bowl. Let it all cool for a few minutes.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the liver mixture and sprinkle in about a teaspoon of salt and a couple of twists of black pepper. Use a large spoon to chop, stir, and mash the livers until some of the mash is creamy and some is still a little chunky. Coarsely chop the parsley, add it to the liver mixture, and give it all a good stir. Let it cool to room temperature.
Toast or grill the bread until crispy but still a bit soft in the middle. Drizzle the toasts with a little olive oil, spread on a generous amount of the liver mixture, and serve straight away.
OLIVES WITH TOMATOES AND PRESERVED LEMON
I love thinking up new ways to serve Castelvetrano olives, rather than just plunking the bright-green, fleshy orbs on a plate. Like turning them into this colourful snack, where you get to experience their distinctive flavour in a refreshing tomato sauce with the zing of preserved lemon.
serves 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
½ small preserved lemon, pith and flesh discarded, rind thinly sliced
Small pinch of saffron threads
One 400g tin peeled whole tomatoes, drained, trimmed, and puréed
1 large Dutch or other spicy long red chilli
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground (see Spices, here)
225g drained Castelvetrano olives
Small pinch of Maldon or another flaky sea salt
Heat the oil in a small pot that has a lid over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until light golden brown and toasty, about 1 minute. Add the preserved lemon rind and saffron and stir well, then add the tomatoes, turn the heat down to low, and cover the pot. Cook for 10 minutes or so, to let the flavours meld.
Meanwhile, turn a gas burner to medium-high and use tongs to roast the chilli directly over the burner, turning often, until it’s blistered all over with just a few black spots, about 2 minutes. Scrape off the skin with a knife, then cut off the stem, scrape out and discard the seeds, and roughly chop the chilli.
Add the chilli, cumin, olives, and salt to the pot (leave it uncovered), adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook, stirring often, until the tomato starts clinging to the olives, about 10 minutes. Scrape it all into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Serve, or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let it come to room temperature, and stir well before serving.
