Great recipes, perfected
Welcome. I’m very excited about my latest recipe collection. All of the recipes are brand new – some are my tried-and-tested favourites given a refreshing twist; others contain a selection of new ingredients for the whole family to enjoy, quick suppers for you to rustle up after work, and impressive dishes for when you’re entertaining. I’m sure you’ll find much to tempt you.
One of the most exciting things about the book is that it’s given me the opportunity to crystallise the knowledge and experience I’ve gained over so many years of cooking for my own family and friends, and to pass them on in a way I hope you’ll find useful.
For each recipe, I identify the ‘key to perfection’ – that is, the crucial part that you need to get right to guarantee excellent results… Imagine I’m in the kitchen, cooking alongside you. I might just gently say in your ear, ‘Ah, watch out for this bit’ or ‘Keep an eye on that’.
The more you cook these recipes and master the keys to perfection, the more they will become second nature. And who knows, perhaps you will then become the one whispering gentle advice into the ear of a less experienced cook. Wishing you happy cooking.
Mary Berry Cooks The Perfect Step By Step, with photography by William Reavell and Stuart West, is published by DK, priced £25.
Gorgeous Ginger and Chocolate Cake
Serves 10
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160/350F/gas mark 4. Grease the sandwich tins and line the bottom of each with baking parchment. Put the cocoa powder into a large, heatproof bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons of boiling water, then add the milk. Mix to make a smooth paste (see right, Smooth mixture).
Add the remaining cake ingredients and combine using an electric hand whisk for 1-2 minutes only (or 3 minutes with a wooden spoon); do not over-mix, or the cake may not rise.
Divide the cake mixture equally between the prepared tins and level the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes shrink away from the side of the tin and spring back when lightly pressed in the centre. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes in their tins, then turn them out and peel off the paper. Turn the cakes the right way up and leave to cool on a wire rack.
To make the filling and topping sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. Add the butter, stem ginger syrup and milk, and beat together using an electric hand whisk (or wooden spoon) until well blended. Transfer one of the cakes to a serving plate and spread half the icing over the top. Place the second cake over the filling and cover the top with the remaining icing (see right, Evenly iced cakes). Use a palette knife to draw large ‘S’ shapes to give a swirl effect, then decorate the edge with the shredded stem ginger.
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Smooth mixture Cocoa powder can be lumpy, so mix it to a smooth paste with boiling water, then milk, before adding the remaining ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to break up any lumps.
Evenly iced cakes Make sure the butter for the icing is at room temperature, so it will spread easily. Use equal amounts of icing between the layers and on top of the cake, and cover right to the edges.
Buying and using cocoa powder This cake looks and tastes very chocolatey, but it doesn’t actually contain any chocolate – it’s made with cocoa powder. Buy a good-quality cocoa powder, preferably an organic one. This will be darker than the less expensive varieties, and will ensure that your cake has a deep, rich chocolate colour and flavour.
Banana loaf with honey icing
Serves 12
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease the loaf tin and line with baking parchment (see right, Line the loaf tin).
Mash the bananas (see right, Optimum flavour and texture). Put the butter, muscovado sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and milk in a large bowl and beat using an electric hand whisk for 1 minute (or 2 minutes with a wooden spoon) until blended. Add the banana and beat for 30 seconds or until mixed in. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spoon mixture into prepared tin. Level the top.
Bake for about 1 hour or until well risen and golden brown. Check after 45 minutes. If the top is browning too much, lay a piece of foil over it. To see if the loaf is done, insert a fine skewer in the middle; it should come out clean.
Leave the loaf to cool in the tin for a few minutes. Run a palette knife around the edge of the tin, turn out the loaf, peel off the lining paper, and finish cooling on a wire rack. When the loaf is cold, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the honey and ½ teaspoon of cold water to make a runny icing. Drizzle over the cake and lay pecan halves down the middle.
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Line the loaf tin To prevent the loaf from sticking, grease and line the tin: sit the tin on baking parchment and draw around the base, then cut just inside the lines. Lay the paper in the bottom of the tin. You don’t need to line the sides.
Optimum flavour and texture Use very ripe bananas and mash them with a fork until broken down and pulpy. Check you have about 200g of mashed banana. Too little will result in lack of flavour; too much and the cake may have a heavy texture.
Loaf tin sizes and capacity 900g loaf tins can vary in size and be thinner, fatter, or deeper than the one I have used for this recipe. Provided your tin has the same volume capacity (1.2 litres), you will have the right amount of mixture for the loaf. However, if the dimensions are different you may have to adjust the cooking time. If your tin is shallower but longer than the one I’ve recommended, the loaf may bake a bit more quickly. If it is shorter and deeper, it may take longer.
Fish Pie with Crushed Potato topping
Serves 6
Ingredients
Method
Grease the baking dish with butter. Melt 50g of the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and fry for 3 minutes or until softened but not browned. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually pour in the hot milk. Return to a medium heat and stir until boiling, thickened, and smooth. Stir in the dill, lemon rind, and some salt and pepper. Add the hake and salmon to the sauce. Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes, stirring gently twice, just to start cooking the fish (see right, Make a smooth, creamy filling).
Pour the fish mixture into the buttered baking dish and set aside to cool (see right, Let the filling cool down). You can prepare up to this point 1 day ahead and refrigerate overnight.
Melt the remaining butter in a large, non-stick, deepsided frying pan or sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for 1½-2 minutes or until it wilts. Drain thoroughly in a colander, pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon to extract excess moisture. Roughly chop and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/400F/gas mark 6.
Meanwhile, make the topping: put the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return potatoes to the pan and, using a fork, break the potatoes down into rough, chunky pieces (see right, Make a crispy topping). Stir in the olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Scatter the spinach on top of the cooled fish mixture, then spoon the potatoes over the spinach layer (see right, Carefully add the topping). Drizzle over the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pie is bubbling at the edges and the topping is golden and crispy.
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Make a smooth, creamy filling The leek should look wilted before you stir in the flour. However, you don’t need to cook it completely, as it will finish cooking in the sauce. Stir the flour constantly for 1-2 minutes, making sure it is combined thoroughly with the butter. Don’t let the butter or flour brown. You’re aiming for a pale gold paste, or ‘roux’.
I like to add hot milk when making a white sauce, as I find it blends into the roux more easily than cold milk and helps prevent the sauce from turning lumpy. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer, then remove it from the heat. If you keep it simmering for too long, it will start to reduce in the pan. Add gradually to the roux, stirring continuously.
After adding the dill, rind and seasoning, add the fish to the sauce. Don’t stir too much, or the fish may start to break up; you want to keep it in chunky pieces. Just give a couple of gentle turns using a wooden spoon so the fish is well coated with white sauce.
Let the filling cool down Let the fish and sauce cool in the baking dish. This will provide a firmer base for when you spoon the potatoes over the top, so they won’t sink in. Spoon the spinach over the sauce before adding the topping. The spinach must be well drained so the sauce doesn’t get watery.
Make a crispy topping Put the whole potatoes in a pan of cold water (if very large, cut them in half) and start the timing once the water comes to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and let the water simmer gently. They will take about 15 minutes to cook. To test if the potatoes are done, insert the tip of a sharp knife; it should go in easily. To crush the potatoes, use a fork to break each one into chunky pieces. You don’t want to break them down too much, and they don’t need to be uniform in size. By crushing them the oil will be absorbed into the potato pieces, which will improve their flavour and make them golden when baked.
Carefully add the topping Spoon the potatoes quite loosely over the top of the filling, rather than packing them down, so the broken edges can become crisp.
Buying and using hake Hake is a member of the cod family and has a delicate flavour. Although it has a soft and flaky texture, it’s still dense enough not to break up in a fish pie. As when buying any fish, try to choose hake that has been responsibly sourced. Look out for the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) eco-label, which means the fish has come from a sustainable fishery.
One of the most exciting things about the book is that it’s given me the opportunity to crystallise the knowledge and experience I’ve gained over so many years of cooking for my own family and friends, and to pass them on in a way I hope you’ll find useful.
For each recipe, I identify the ‘key to perfection’ – that is, the crucial part that you need to get right to guarantee excellent results… Imagine I’m in the kitchen, cooking alongside you. I might just gently say in your ear, ‘Ah, watch out for this bit’ or ‘Keep an eye on that’.
The more you cook these recipes and master the keys to perfection, the more they will become second nature. And who knows, perhaps you will then become the one whispering gentle advice into the ear of a less experienced cook. Wishing you happy cooking.
Mary Berry Cooks The Perfect Step By Step, with photography by William Reavell and Stuart West, is published by DK, priced £25.
Gorgeous Ginger and Chocolate Cake
Serves 10 Ingredients
- 200g butter (room temperature) or baking spread (at least 70% fat), plus extra for greasing
- 50g cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp full-fat or semi-skimmed milk
- 3 eggs
- 175g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 250g caster sugar
- 2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped
- 225g icing sugar
- 115g butter (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp stem ginger syrup
- 1 tbsp full-fat or semi-skimmed milk
- 2 pieces of stem ginger, finely shredded
- Two loose-bottomed, round sandwich tins, 20cm diameter and 4.5cm deep
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160/350F/gas mark 4. Grease the sandwich tins and line the bottom of each with baking parchment. Put the cocoa powder into a large, heatproof bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons of boiling water, then add the milk. Mix to make a smooth paste (see right, Smooth mixture).
Add the remaining cake ingredients and combine using an electric hand whisk for 1-2 minutes only (or 3 minutes with a wooden spoon); do not over-mix, or the cake may not rise.
Divide the cake mixture equally between the prepared tins and level the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes shrink away from the side of the tin and spring back when lightly pressed in the centre. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes in their tins, then turn them out and peel off the paper. Turn the cakes the right way up and leave to cool on a wire rack.
To make the filling and topping sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. Add the butter, stem ginger syrup and milk, and beat together using an electric hand whisk (or wooden spoon) until well blended. Transfer one of the cakes to a serving plate and spread half the icing over the top. Place the second cake over the filling and cover the top with the remaining icing (see right, Evenly iced cakes). Use a palette knife to draw large ‘S’ shapes to give a swirl effect, then decorate the edge with the shredded stem ginger.
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Smooth mixture Cocoa powder can be lumpy, so mix it to a smooth paste with boiling water, then milk, before adding the remaining ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to break up any lumps.
Evenly iced cakes Make sure the butter for the icing is at room temperature, so it will spread easily. Use equal amounts of icing between the layers and on top of the cake, and cover right to the edges.
Buying and using cocoa powder This cake looks and tastes very chocolatey, but it doesn’t actually contain any chocolate – it’s made with cocoa powder. Buy a good-quality cocoa powder, preferably an organic one. This will be darker than the less expensive varieties, and will ensure that your cake has a deep, rich chocolate colour and flavour.
Banana loaf with honey icing
Serves 12 Ingredients
- 115g butter (room temperature) or baking spread (at least 70% fat), plus extra for greasing
- 2 very ripe bananas, about 200g total peeled weight
- 150g light muscovado sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp full-fat or semi-skimmed milk
- 75g pecans, chopped
- 25g icing sugar
- 2 tsp clear honey
- 10-12 pecan halves, about 20g
- 900g loaf tin, about 21.5cm x 11cm and 6cm deep, 1.2 litres capacity
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease the loaf tin and line with baking parchment (see right, Line the loaf tin).
Mash the bananas (see right, Optimum flavour and texture). Put the butter, muscovado sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and milk in a large bowl and beat using an electric hand whisk for 1 minute (or 2 minutes with a wooden spoon) until blended. Add the banana and beat for 30 seconds or until mixed in. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spoon mixture into prepared tin. Level the top.
Bake for about 1 hour or until well risen and golden brown. Check after 45 minutes. If the top is browning too much, lay a piece of foil over it. To see if the loaf is done, insert a fine skewer in the middle; it should come out clean.
Leave the loaf to cool in the tin for a few minutes. Run a palette knife around the edge of the tin, turn out the loaf, peel off the lining paper, and finish cooling on a wire rack. When the loaf is cold, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the honey and ½ teaspoon of cold water to make a runny icing. Drizzle over the cake and lay pecan halves down the middle.
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Line the loaf tin To prevent the loaf from sticking, grease and line the tin: sit the tin on baking parchment and draw around the base, then cut just inside the lines. Lay the paper in the bottom of the tin. You don’t need to line the sides.
Optimum flavour and texture Use very ripe bananas and mash them with a fork until broken down and pulpy. Check you have about 200g of mashed banana. Too little will result in lack of flavour; too much and the cake may have a heavy texture.
Loaf tin sizes and capacity 900g loaf tins can vary in size and be thinner, fatter, or deeper than the one I have used for this recipe. Provided your tin has the same volume capacity (1.2 litres), you will have the right amount of mixture for the loaf. However, if the dimensions are different you may have to adjust the cooking time. If your tin is shallower but longer than the one I’ve recommended, the loaf may bake a bit more quickly. If it is shorter and deeper, it may take longer.
Fish Pie with Crushed Potato topping
Serves 6 Ingredients
- 75g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 large leek, trimmed and cut into 5mm thick slices
- 50g plain flour
- 600ml hot, full-fat milk
- 1½ tbsp chopped fresh dill
- finely grated rind of ½ lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 400g hake fillet, skinned and cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 400g salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 200g fresh spinach
- 800g new potatoes, such as Charlotte, scrubbed
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tsp for drizzling
- 1.7-2 litre baking dish, about 25cm x 18cm and 7.5cm deep
Method
Grease the baking dish with butter. Melt 50g of the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and fry for 3 minutes or until softened but not browned. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually pour in the hot milk. Return to a medium heat and stir until boiling, thickened, and smooth. Stir in the dill, lemon rind, and some salt and pepper. Add the hake and salmon to the sauce. Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes, stirring gently twice, just to start cooking the fish (see right, Make a smooth, creamy filling).
Pour the fish mixture into the buttered baking dish and set aside to cool (see right, Let the filling cool down). You can prepare up to this point 1 day ahead and refrigerate overnight.
Melt the remaining butter in a large, non-stick, deepsided frying pan or sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for 1½-2 minutes or until it wilts. Drain thoroughly in a colander, pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon to extract excess moisture. Roughly chop and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/400F/gas mark 6.
Meanwhile, make the topping: put the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return potatoes to the pan and, using a fork, break the potatoes down into rough, chunky pieces (see right, Make a crispy topping). Stir in the olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Scatter the spinach on top of the cooled fish mixture, then spoon the potatoes over the spinach layer (see right, Carefully add the topping). Drizzle over the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pie is bubbling at the edges and the topping is golden and crispy.
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Make a smooth, creamy filling The leek should look wilted before you stir in the flour. However, you don’t need to cook it completely, as it will finish cooking in the sauce. Stir the flour constantly for 1-2 minutes, making sure it is combined thoroughly with the butter. Don’t let the butter or flour brown. You’re aiming for a pale gold paste, or ‘roux’.
I like to add hot milk when making a white sauce, as I find it blends into the roux more easily than cold milk and helps prevent the sauce from turning lumpy. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer, then remove it from the heat. If you keep it simmering for too long, it will start to reduce in the pan. Add gradually to the roux, stirring continuously.
After adding the dill, rind and seasoning, add the fish to the sauce. Don’t stir too much, or the fish may start to break up; you want to keep it in chunky pieces. Just give a couple of gentle turns using a wooden spoon so the fish is well coated with white sauce.
Let the filling cool down Let the fish and sauce cool in the baking dish. This will provide a firmer base for when you spoon the potatoes over the top, so they won’t sink in. Spoon the spinach over the sauce before adding the topping. The spinach must be well drained so the sauce doesn’t get watery.
Make a crispy topping Put the whole potatoes in a pan of cold water (if very large, cut them in half) and start the timing once the water comes to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and let the water simmer gently. They will take about 15 minutes to cook. To test if the potatoes are done, insert the tip of a sharp knife; it should go in easily. To crush the potatoes, use a fork to break each one into chunky pieces. You don’t want to break them down too much, and they don’t need to be uniform in size. By crushing them the oil will be absorbed into the potato pieces, which will improve their flavour and make them golden when baked.
Carefully add the topping Spoon the potatoes quite loosely over the top of the filling, rather than packing them down, so the broken edges can become crisp.
Buying and using hake Hake is a member of the cod family and has a delicate flavour. Although it has a soft and flaky texture, it’s still dense enough not to break up in a fish pie. As when buying any fish, try to choose hake that has been responsibly sourced. Look out for the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) eco-label, which means the fish has come from a sustainable fishery.