12 minute read
RECIPES
ABSOLUTELY eats out…
LELE’S
A vegan cafe in Clapton with a TV presence
By pearl boyd
Italian-born Valentina Fois, founder of Lele’s in Hackney is one of the 12 contestants on Gordon Ramsay’s new programme Future Food Stars. She is one of the competing to win a £150,000 investment from Ramsay himself.
As well as running a hugely successful vegan cafe, Valentina and her team at Lele’s o er an online shop selling all sorts of crazy popular treats including red velvet donuts, afternoon tea,
Bakewell tarts, brownies, banana bread, hampers and award-winning vegan mixes. With all products hand-made by Valentina and her team in East London, Lele’s is committed to being cruelty-free and environmentally sustainable with recyclable packaging.
Valentina’s path has been a colourful and creative one. The Italian-born vegan chef first moved to London in 2009 and worked in fashion, branding and art before taking the plunge and setting up her own business.
We took delivery of a Valentina’s cakes – afternoon tea boxes can be delivered all over London – and ours was impressive to say the least. So much so that I had to double check that everything was actually vegan. Baking without eggs or butter isn’t always successful and it’s easy to end up with a dry or crumbly cake. Our selection included some excellent chocolate chip cookies that had us ba ed by their extreme butteryness and excellent texture, as well as various brownies, including one with an excellent salted caramel topping which we couldn’t believe lacked butter or cream. A coconut millionaire’s shortbread tasted like a Bounty from heaven, and Valentina’s flair for presentation is clear: all cakes are topped with pretty pansies or delicate gold leaf, or sliced strawberry. Lemon and poppyseed cakes are iced and sprinked with poppyseed and pansies; chocolate cupcakes are topped with gold-sprayed berries.
It’s not every vegan bake and cookie that takes moist and buttery, but at Lele’s they all do.
FOOD
Vegan treats
DECOR
Wholesome, simple and dog-friendly
PRICE
Slap-up afternoon tea from £35
VERDICT
Vegan has never been so much fun
LELE’S
50 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0RN leleslondon.com
Hasselback Butternut Squash
With shallot confit walnut tarator
Serves 4
Hasselback is a technique for cooking potatoes originating from Hasselbacken, a restaurant in Stockholm where the dish is alleged to have been first served. The potatoes are sliced at intervals but kept connected at the base, and then roasted in clarified butter until crispy on the outside but so and tender within. This brilliant technique works on a number of different vegetables, including swede and sweet potato, but this is a favourite.
INGREDIENTS
Walnut Tarator • 80g (2¾oz) walnuts, toasted • 1 shallot, finely chopped • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped • 120g (4½oz) Greek yoghurt • ½ bunch of coriander, shredded • 20g (¾oz) sumac • Juice of ½ lemon • Flaked sea salt and ground black pepper Butternut Squash • 1 butternut squash, cut in half lengthways • 80g (2¾oz) unsalted butter • 120ml (4fl oz) olive oil • Rosemary and thyme sprigs • 4 Confit Shallots • 2 tbsp toasted jasmine rice, coarsely ground • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted • Few tarragon sprigs
METHOD
Walnut Tarator 1 Remove the skin from the walnuts by rubbing them briskly, then chop to a medium crumb, retaining some texture. 2 Combine the chopped walnuts with the rest of the ingredients for the tarator, fold through and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper. Butternut Squash 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F)/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6. 2 Make incisions into each butternut squash half, at intervals of roughly 2mm (1/16in), about two-thirds of the way into the flesh and along its entire length. 3 Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, rosemary and thyme sprigs, and cook for a few minutes to infuse. 4 Dip and roll each squash half in the butter to generously coat. Lay the squash halves alongside the other in a cast-iron pan or roasting pan, season generously with salt and black pepper, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, basting regularly with the excess butter mix. The squash should caramelize as it roasts and become soft and unctuous. 5 Once cooked all the way through and meltingly soft, transfer the squash to a plate and garnish with a dollop of walnut tarator, some confit shallots and sprinkle with ground toasted rice and toasted pumpkin seeds. Finish the dish with some picked tarragon leaves.
Cucumber Salad
With pomegranate mint
Serves 4
Everybody needs a quick and easy cucumber salad to balance a barbecue menu. This pairs well with just about any protein fresh off the grill, especially fish such as salmon or trout, but also chicken.
INGREDIENTS
• 5 Lebanese or baby cucumbers, cut to 3mm (1/8in) rounds • ½ tbsp coarse salt, plus extra for seasoning • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced • 50g (1¾oz) fine bulgur • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 80ml (2½fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish • 100g (3½oz) natural yoghurt or Greek yoghurt • 1 tsp dried mint • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses • 40g (1½oz) pomegranate seeds • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced • Small handful of picked mint leaves • 1 tbsp chopped dill • ½ tsp sumac • Flaked sea salt and ground black pepper
METHOD
1 Toss the sliced cucumber with the salt and set aside in a colander over the sink for 20–30 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, soak the sliced red onion in cold water for 20–30 minutes to remove some of its pungency. 3 Soak the bulgur in enough water just to cover for 5–10 minutes, drain, tip into a dry tea towel and wring dry. Transfer to a bowl and dress the bulgur with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and half the olive oil, then season to taste with salt and black pepper. 4 Combine the yoghurt, the rest of the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the dried mint in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and black pepper. 5 Dress the cucumber in the yoghurt dressing and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 6 Spread the dressed cucumber across a large serving plate or platter, drizzle with pomegranate molasses then top with bulgur, pomegranate seeds, drained red onion and sliced chilli. Garnish the salad with picked mint leaves and chopped dill, and finish with a dusting of sumac and drizzle of olive oil.
Spinach Borani
With fried chickpeas
Serves 4
Borani is a dish of Persian origin, though there are Turkish variations, usually involving yoghurt as a base or topping. It comes in all different shapes and forms depending • 200g (7oz) spinach • 200g (7oz) natural yoghurt • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1½ tbsp lemon juice • 50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil • 1 tbsp dill • Flaked sea salt and ground black pepper • Pita breads or flatbreads, lightly brushed with oil and warmed in the oven or grill, to serve
METHOD
1 Pour sunflower oil into a heavybased saucepan to a 2cm (¾in) depth. Place the pan over medium-high heat until the oil is 200°C (400°F) when probed with a thermometer. Lower the chickpeas into the hot oil to deep-fry for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove the chickpeas from the oil with a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper, sprinkle with the zaʹatar and turmeric, and season generously with salt and black pepper. 2 Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, drain and refresh in a bowl filled with iced water, or under cold running water. Drain and squeeze dry with your hands to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Finely chop the spinach and add to a bowl. Stir through the yoghurt, garlic and lemon juice. Fold in half the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. 3 Spread the borani around the base of a plate and spoon over the deepfried chickpeas. Garnish with chopped dill and finish with a generous drizzle of the remaining olive oil around the outside. Serve with warmed bread.
on where you are in the world, some with meat, and many using blanched or sautéed vegetables that are subsequently blended or incorporated into the yoghurt. Fried chickpeas are a great topping for many dips and spreads. At our Shawarma Bar, we garnish our hummus with fried chickpeas. If you’d rather not go to the effort of making them, this borani will taste delicious all by itself.
INGREDIENTS
• Sunflower oil, for deep-frying • 100g (3½oz) drained tinned chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry • ½ tbsp za'atar • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
Berber&Q: On Vegetables by Josh Katz Published by Kyle Books
(ORIGINAL SINGER LIVIN' JOY DREAMER )
French FANCY
All the best French supermarket produce is now available in the UK, thanks to Mon Panier Latin
By CASPAR DAVID
Experiencing authentic French food is now possible and at a ordable price in the UK with Mon Panier Latin.
When Severine Itany, a mum with two children, couldn’t fi nd her favourite French foods at her local supermarket, she decided to bring the delicacies of France to the United Kingdom, and fi gured out a way to make it a ordable.
Mon Panier Latin is an online shop where people can fi nd authentic everyday French products and foods that may be di cult or impossible to fi nd in the UK. You can get your delivery next day across the UK, and same day in London. Plus, take advantage of free delivery on purchases over £65.
“Our customers are really at the heart of our project, which is entirely based on satisfying their needs and desires,”
Itany said. “We are not a big machine, but a small start-up at the service of expats. We want to pamper our customers and get them to invest in the brand by choosing the products we sell.”
There are over 2,000 items to choose from. Shoppers can fi nd fresh food, home items and health and beauty items. All of the big French national brands can be found on the website.
“Mon Panier Latin o ers to order daily favourites at an a ordable price without compromising on quality,” Itany said.
If you want to savour French delicacies, Mon Panier Latin is here to make that culinary dream a reality and excite your tastebuds.
MON PANIER LATIN
Find your favourite brands and products when you shop monpanierlatin.com
NOTE PERFECT
Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Cuvée Blanc de Blancs is great with seafood – so here's an accompanying dish for inspiration
Since its founding in 1785, the House of PiperHeidsieck has proven its innovative prowess in selecting and blending wines of exception. As the quintessence of PiperHeidsieck champagnes expression, Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Blanc de Blancs boasts a precise, fresh and mineral profile. The nose expresses fresh notes of yuzu and lime, lightly underlined by touches of white flowers, acacia, almonds and toasted bread with a mineral finish. A perfect wine profile to pair with seafood.
Chef Eric Geo roy, from Piano des Chefs, has created a dish to complement the flavours and aromas of Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Blanc de Blancs: Tartar of John Dory, leche de tigre and fresh herbs.
Tartar of John Dory,
leche de tigre and fresh herbs
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 320g of John Dory fillet cut into 5 mm pieces - 200ml of eggs - 200ml of coconut milk - 1/2 red onions - 1 clove of garlic - 1 stick of lemon grass - 3 limes - 2 tins of fresh coriander - Salt and chilli pepper
METHOD Leche de tigre 1 Quickly blend the coconut milk with the coriander, lemongrass, garlic and onion, a pinch of salt and a pinch of Espelette chilli in a blender. 2 Strain the mixture and add the juice of the three limes. 3 Set aside in a cool place.
Finishing and presentation 1 Season the tartar with olive oil and salt. 2 Place the fish in a soup plate. 3 Pour the leche around and some fresh herbs on top (coriander, oyster leave and vene cress). 4 Add a dash of olive oil and a pinch of fleur de sel. 5 Enjoy without delay.
Visit piper-heidsieck.com to discover more
FASHION
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