Š Ryland Peters & Small 2014
CAFÉ KITCHEN
Š Ryland Peters & Small 2014
CONTENTS 6
Introduction
8
Breakfast & Brunch
48
Small Bites
70
Salads & Soups
96
Larger Plates
130
Cakes & Bakes
158
Index
160
Acknowledgments
© Ryland Peters & Small 2014 Corn fritters are a menu staple in nearly every café in Australia and New Zealand. No two recipes are ever the same as everyone has their (strong!) opinion on what makes the perfect fritter.
CORN FRITTERS WITH ROAST TOMATOES & SMASHED AVOCADOS 150 g/2 cups (about 1 medium) grated courgette/zucchini sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season 1 400 g/2 ⁄2 cups cherry vine tomatoes olive oil, to drizzle 4 eggs 1 180 g/1 ⁄3 cups selfraising/rising flour 3 50 g/1 ⁄4 oz. Parmesan, grated 1 100 ml/scant ⁄2 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon paprika 1 ⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon chopped coriander/cilantro fresh corn kernels cut from 2–3 cobs sunflower oil, for frying SMASHED AVOCADOS 3 avocados freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes and the grated zest of 1 1 ⁄4 red onion, finely diced 1 teaspoon hot sauce TO SERVE fresh spinach
crème fraîche SERVES 6
Put the grated courgette/zucchini
Add enough sunflower oil
into a colander set over a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1⁄2
to thinly cover the bottom of a
teaspoon of salt and leave for
Ladle generous spoonfuls of batter
30 minutes–1 hour so they release
into the pan and cook for about
their moisture. Squeeze the grated
4 minutes on each side, until golden
courgette/zucchini with your hands
brown. Transfer to a clean baking
to get rid of as much moisture as
sheet and put in the still-warm oven
possible and set aside.
for 4–5 minutes to ensure they are
For the roast tomatoes, preheat
heavy-bottomed frying pan/skillet.
cooked through. Cook the remaining
the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
batter in the same way, adding a
Place the tomatoes on a baking
little more oil to the pan each time,
sheet, drizzle with olive oil and
if required.
season with salt and pepper.
Just before serving, roughly
Roast in the preheated oven for
mash the avocados with a fork,
15–20 minutes, or until the skins
leaving them fairly chunky. Stir in
begin to split.
the lime juice and zest, onion and
Reduce the oven temperature
hot sauce. Season generously with
to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3 and prepare
salt and serve with the fritters,
the fritter batter. In a large, clean,
roast tomatoes, a handful of fresh
dry mixing bowl, lightly whisk the
spinach and a dollop of
eggs. Add in the flour, grated
crème fraîche.
Parmesan, buttermilk, paprika, cayenne pepper, 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper and chopped coriander/cilantro. Stir in the squeezed courgette/zucchini and corn kernels, ensuring the vegetables are evenly coated in batter.
CAFÉ CULTURE ‘Once you find a café you love you go again
In the 17th century after the Great Fire
and again because it makes the city feel
of London destroyed the Royal Exchange
smaller; to feel the warmth of people who
building, coffee houses became de facto
recognize you, know your name and know
trading houses and community hubs. People
what coffee you drink.’
from all walks of life would sit at communal
ALBERTO, LANTANA REGULAR
tables and talk, sharing ideas and engaging in political and intellectual debate. Coffee
Not everyone is lucky enough to have
houses were an integral part of both working
a fantastic local café on their doorstep.
and social life.
Somewhere welcoming that smells of freshly
I see this coffee house culture first hand
ground coffee and delicious food being
at our cafés with our eclectic customer
prepared, where the staff greet you by name,
base. Whether it’s friends catching up, local
and the personality and passion of the owner
workers holding meetings, freelancers with
is stamped on every lampshade, piece of
laptops sharing a table with other freelancers
crockery and each item on the menu.
using the café as a temporary office space,
When I first moved to London, I was
couples enjoying a leisurely brunch together,
struck by how few good independent cafés
people reading the newspaper in the
there were and instead, how corporate,
sunshine, or strangers chatting to each
homogenous chain cafés and coffee shops
other as they wait for a coffee to take away.
dominated the high street. Customers would
There’s a relaxed but vibrant community
bustle in and out, head down, absorbed in
atmosphere and a sense that people are
their own world, eager to get their coffee
coming here for something more than just
as quickly as possible and be on their way.
the food and coffee.
This has changed dramatically in the last
When you find a good café it becomes
ten years, as more and more unique, quirky
an extension of your home and, in the words
cafés have emerged – a testament to
of one of our regulars, the city becomes a
London’s coffee house history.
little smaller.
78 SALADS & SOUPS
Š Ryland Peters & Small 2014
This is such a pretty salad with the different layers yielding many different flavours, colours and textures. It is also delicious with prawns/shrimp. Use peeled green ones with the tail on and grill them the same way as the squid.
GRILLED SQUID SALAD WITH HERB LIME DRESSING 2 red (bell) peppers 3 800 g/1 ⁄4 lbs. cleaned squid 2 heads of chicory, leaves removed and cut in half lengthways 1 30 g/ ⁄2 cup baby spinach leaves 1 40 g/ ⁄4 cup edamame or broad beans (fresh or frozen), blanched 1 10 g/scant ⁄4 cup coriander/cilantro
DRESSING freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes 30 ml/2 tablespoons olive oil 20 g/2 tablespoons palm sugar 1 garlic clove, grated 1 30 g/ ⁄2 cup finely chopped coriander/ cilantro 1 15 g/ ⁄4 cup finely chopped basil 30 ml/2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 long fresh red chilli/ chile, deseeded and finely chopped freshly ground black pepper, to season
a baking sheet, lined with foil SERVES 4
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6. Begin by roasting the red peppers. Place on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn and roast for a further 20 minutes until the peppers collapse and the skin is charred and soft. Transfer to a small mixing bowl, cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and set aside. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and seeds, and slice. To make the herb lime dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl using a whisk. It is important to make the dressing by hand rather than using a blender as you want the dressing to have texture. To prepare the squid, cut off but reserve the tentacles and cut down the ‘seam’ of the squid so it opens out flat. Score the inside with a crosshatch pattern, then slice lengthways into 2-cm/ 3 ⁄4-inch wide strips. Cut the tentacles in half and add to the squid strips. Preheat a grill pan/skillet over a medium–high heat. Sear the squid and the tentacles for 1–2 minutes until curled up and slightly charred. Remove the pan from the heat and dress with 2 tablespoons of the herb lime dressing. Layer the chicory, spinach, sliced roast peppers and edamame on a platter. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, and gently mix through. Place the grilled squid on top and garnish with the coriander/cilantro. Serve immediately.
106 LARGER PLATES
Š Ryland Peters & Small 2014
FOOD & DRINK
a stunning selection of relaxed and delicious café-inspired recipes for breakfast, brunch, lunch and coffee at any time of day.
www.rylandpeters.com UK £16.99 / US $24.95 / Priced higher in Canada Printed in China