TERIYAKI-GLAZED SIRLOIN

For the teriyaki glaze

500ml beef stock

1 star anise

1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

4 tbsp dark brown sugar

5 tbsp mirin

5 tbsp sake

5 tbsp dark soy sauce

500g sirloin, in one piece

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp sea salt

2 spring onions, very thinly sliced

4 tsp sesame seeds l Preheat the oven to 200°C. Pour the stock into a pan and add the star anise and Sichuan peppercorns. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 20–30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced considerably. You should end up with about 50–100ml concentrated beef stock. Strain and discard the spices. l Mix the stock with the remaining glaze ingredients and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes and then remove from the heat. l Place a griddle or frying pan over a high heat until it is smoking hot. Meanwhile rub the sirloin with the vegetable oil and season with sea salt. When the pan is really hot, place the beef, fat side down, in the pan and leave for 2–3 minutes. Turn and sear for 2 minutes on all other sides. l Place the beef in a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 12–15 minutes, then remove and allow to rest. After 15 minutes, add the resting juices to the teriyaki glaze. l Slice the beef into thin slices, arrange on a plate and pour over the teriyaki glaze. Scatter over the sliced spring onions and sesame seeds and serve.

DHRUV BAKER was the winner of MasterChef 2010. See Dhruv in the La Española Chefs Theatre each day of the festival.

SPICE: Layers of Flavour

by Dhruv Baker, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £25

Lemon and blackberry layer cake

Serves 12

For the cake

200g caster sugar

3 eggs

200g self-raising flour

225g sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

150ml milk

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

½ tsp fine sea salt

For the compote

200g blackberries, fresh or frozen (defrosted if frozen)

50g caster sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp arrowroot powder

For the buttercream

225g butter, softened

375g icing sugar, sifted

2 tbsp milk

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon l Heat the oven to 180°C. Brush two 20cm loosebottomed cake tins with oil and line with parchment. l To make the sponge, place the sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk until they are light in colour and frothy. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir until combined and pour into the cake tins. l Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and the sponge is just coming away from the edge of the tins. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then run a palette knife around the inside edge of the tins. Carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. l To make the blackberry compote, put the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over a low–medium heat for 10 minutes or until the blackberries have broken down. Push through a sieve and return to a clean saucepan. Mix the arrowroot with 1 teaspoon water to form a paste. Stir into the purée and cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time until just simmering. Set aside to cool – it will thicken slightly as it cools. l Place the ingredients for the buttercream in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Set your mixer to a low speed and gradually increase it until you have a smooth, creamy buttercream. l To assemble, place one cake upside down and spread it with some buttercream. Turn the other cake upside down and spread a generous layer of blackberry compote. Sandwich together. Spread a thick layer of buttercream on the top and sides of the cake, smoothing the edges with a palette knife (for a super smooth finish, dip the knife into hot water before you spread). Finish by swirling some compote through the buttercream on the top of the cake.

Flexible replacements

Gluten-free: swap the flour for a gluten-free flour blend and add an additional 50ml milk to the cake batter.

JO PRATT is an awardwinning writer, cook, food stylist and presenter. See Jo in the La Española Chefs Theatre on Monday 29 May at 12.30pm

Dairy-free: use a non-dairy milk in the cake such as soya, almond or my favourite, fresh coconut milk. For the lemon buttercream, swap butter for a plant-based alternative (preferably a firm, not spreadable, one).

Steamed Shoulder Of Lamb

Serves 5-6

5-6 portions

5 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into wide strips (about 10cm) by butcher

2 tbsp crushed red chilli

2 tbsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp salt

2 ½ tbsp cumin

3 tbspt coriander

2 tsp garam masala

Handful crushed garlic paste

Handful crushed ginger paste

125ml lemon juice

Vegetable oil to cover meat for marinating l Mix all spices, oil and lemon juice in large bowl to evenly marinade – this can be made extra hot with fresh green chilli. l Mix meat in well to completely coat with marinade. Put in fridge and marinate for at least 3 days. Marination and cooking times are for shoulder cut into strips, so using larger pieces will probably require more time for both processes to achieve a succulent steamed shoulder. l Put in pot with oil and marinade over medium heat and turn over frequently for about 20 minutes as meat must not brown. Once marinade starts bubbling, seal pot with a paste of flour and water. Steam for 3 hours until meat is soft and falls off the bone. l Serve with tandoori roti.

JIWAN LAI is the executive chef of Babur. See Jiwan in the La Española Chefs Theatre on Sunday 28th at 5pm

SYON PARK 27-29 MAY, 2023