Mary’s fuss-free classics
After the phenomenal success of her television series The Great British Bake Off, Mary Berry has become Britain’s baking first lady, the undisputed Queen of cakes. But her new collection of recipes is all about making fuss-free, delicious food for friends and family, whether it’s a hearty Sunday roast for all and sundry, or an afternoon tea with Auntie.
When entertaining loved ones, the key is to spend as little time as possible away from them, sweating alone over a hot kitchen stove. Consequently, Mary’s latest dishes contain plenty of elements that can be prepared in advance, cutting down on all that disruptive, lastminute hassle.
In fact, Mary’s own self-confessed mantra is ‘prepare at all times’. And she’s right. Follow that advice, and these recipes, and you can’t go wrong.
Mary Berry Cooks, by Mary Berry, with photography by Georgia Glynn Smith (BBC Books, £20).
Mary Berry Cooks is on BBC Two on Monday at 8pm.
You will need
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
Sprinkle the sugar over the base of the tin in an even layer. Arrange the plums on top of the sugar, cut-side down. Roll out the marzipan to a round slightly smaller than the tin and place on top of the plums.
Roll out the pastry just a little bit bigger so that it is the width of the cake tin. Place the cake tin on top of the pastry. Using the tin as a guide, cut around the tin to make a circle, then lay the pastry over the plums and tuck the edges of the pastry down around the fruit. Make a small cross in the top of the pastry to let the steam escape during baking.
Bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden and the plums are tender. Loosen the edges of the tarte then turn out on to a plate and serve with lots of cream, ice cream or crème fraîche.
For the tomato sauce
For the cheese sauce
You will need
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the squash and onions in a roasting tin, mix with the oil, season then roast for about 30 mins until tender. (When you pierce the squash with a knife it should go through easily – you don’t want it to be mushy.) Add the mushrooms for the last 10 mins.
Put the washed spinach in a colander in the sink, and pour over a kettle of boiling water until the spinach has wilted. Allow to drain, then press out as much of the water as you can.
For the tomato sauce, mix the passata with the pesto.
Immerse the lasagne sheets in boiling water for 5 mins until softened.
For the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a small pan, then beat in the flour. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, stirring all the time, until the sauce thickens. Add the mustard and about three quarters of the cheese and continue to stir gently until the cheese has melted. Season well.
To assemble the lasagne, put a third of the roasted vegetables into the bottom of your ovenproof dish, followed by a layer of spinach, then a third of the tomato sauce and a third of the cheese sauce. Lay lasagne sheets on top of this. Top with half of the remaining vegetables, tomato sauce and cheese sauce. Add the last lasagne sheets and top with the remaining vegetables, tomato sauce and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.
Bake for 30-40 mins or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling on top.
Prepare ahead You can make the components of this – the vegetables and sauces – one day ahead, or make the whole dish one day ahead and chill in the fridge either uncooked or cooked. If cooked, reheat the dish covered in foil so that the top doesn’t burn.
Freeze This is best frozen when cooked. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating for 30-40 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Add at least 15-20 mins to this time if reheating from frozen.
Serves 6
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place the potatoes in a large roasting tin with 2 tbsp of the oil. Toss well to coat them. Add the onion, garlic, bacon and chicken pieces and toss together. Add the lemons to the roasting tin. Season everything well and sprinkle with the paprika. Roast for 40 mins.
In a bowl toss the courgettes in the remaining tbsp of oil and season with salt and pepper, then poke them in among the chicken and scatter the olives over the top. Return to the oven for a further 20 mins, until the chicken and vegetables are golden brown and tender.
Mary’s wise words Don’t overcrowd the roasting tin, you need everything to be in a single layer or it will not cook evenly – divide between 2 tins if necessary. Preserved lemons can usually be bought in jars in the speciality section of the supermarket. Traditionally from Morocco, the lemons are preserved in salt water and are beautifully soft and citrusy. Use them to flavour tagines and chicken or pork dishes. They will keep in the jar in the fridge for 1 month, or you can freeze them in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.
When entertaining loved ones, the key is to spend as little time as possible away from them, sweating alone over a hot kitchen stove. Consequently, Mary’s latest dishes contain plenty of elements that can be prepared in advance, cutting down on all that disruptive, lastminute hassle.
In fact, Mary’s own self-confessed mantra is ‘prepare at all times’. And she’s right. Follow that advice, and these recipes, and you can’t go wrong.
Mary Berry Cooks, by Mary Berry, with photography by Georgia Glynn Smith (BBC Books, £20).
Mary Berry Cooks is on BBC Two on Monday at 8pm.
Plum and marzipan tarte tatin (pictured top)
Serves 8- 75g light muscovado sugar
- about 7-9 large firm plums, roughly 500g in total, halved, stones removed
- 100g marzipan
- 1 x 320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
You will need
- A 23cm round, fixed-base cake tin, at least 5cm deep.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
Sprinkle the sugar over the base of the tin in an even layer. Arrange the plums on top of the sugar, cut-side down. Roll out the marzipan to a round slightly smaller than the tin and place on top of the plums.
Roll out the pastry just a little bit bigger so that it is the width of the cake tin. Place the cake tin on top of the pastry. Using the tin as a guide, cut around the tin to make a circle, then lay the pastry over the plums and tuck the edges of the pastry down around the fruit. Make a small cross in the top of the pastry to let the steam escape during baking.
Bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden and the plums are tender. Loosen the edges of the tarte then turn out on to a plate and serve with lots of cream, ice cream or crème fraîche.
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagne
Serves 6- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 3-4cm chunks
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 250g button chestnut mushrooms, sliced thickly
- 250g spinach, washed
- about 6 large dried lasagne sheets
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the tomato sauce
- 400ml tomato passata
- 3 tbsp red pesto
For the cheese sauce
- 75g butter
- 75g plain flour
- 600ml hot milk
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 200g Gruyère cheese, grated
You will need
- A shallow 2-litre baking dish
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the squash and onions in a roasting tin, mix with the oil, season then roast for about 30 mins until tender. (When you pierce the squash with a knife it should go through easily – you don’t want it to be mushy.) Add the mushrooms for the last 10 mins.
Put the washed spinach in a colander in the sink, and pour over a kettle of boiling water until the spinach has wilted. Allow to drain, then press out as much of the water as you can.
For the tomato sauce, mix the passata with the pesto.
Immerse the lasagne sheets in boiling water for 5 mins until softened.
For the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a small pan, then beat in the flour. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, stirring all the time, until the sauce thickens. Add the mustard and about three quarters of the cheese and continue to stir gently until the cheese has melted. Season well.
To assemble the lasagne, put a third of the roasted vegetables into the bottom of your ovenproof dish, followed by a layer of spinach, then a third of the tomato sauce and a third of the cheese sauce. Lay lasagne sheets on top of this. Top with half of the remaining vegetables, tomato sauce and cheese sauce. Add the last lasagne sheets and top with the remaining vegetables, tomato sauce and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.
Bake for 30-40 mins or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling on top.
Prepare ahead You can make the components of this – the vegetables and sauces – one day ahead, or make the whole dish one day ahead and chill in the fridge either uncooked or cooked. If cooked, reheat the dish covered in foil so that the top doesn’t burn.
Freeze This is best frozen when cooked. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating for 30-40 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Add at least 15-20 mins to this time if reheating from frozen.
Mediterranean all-in-one chicken
Serves 6 - 1kg main crop potatoes, peeled and cut into 5cm chunks
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, cut into wedges
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, snipped into 1cm pieces
- 6 chicken thighs
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 5 preserved lemons, cut into quarters
- 1½ tsp paprika
- 3 courgettes, thickly sliced
- 1 x 200g can anchovy-stuffed green olives, drained
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place the potatoes in a large roasting tin with 2 tbsp of the oil. Toss well to coat them. Add the onion, garlic, bacon and chicken pieces and toss together. Add the lemons to the roasting tin. Season everything well and sprinkle with the paprika. Roast for 40 mins.
In a bowl toss the courgettes in the remaining tbsp of oil and season with salt and pepper, then poke them in among the chicken and scatter the olives over the top. Return to the oven for a further 20 mins, until the chicken and vegetables are golden brown and tender.
Mary’s wise words Don’t overcrowd the roasting tin, you need everything to be in a single layer or it will not cook evenly – divide between 2 tins if necessary. Preserved lemons can usually be bought in jars in the speciality section of the supermarket. Traditionally from Morocco, the lemons are preserved in salt water and are beautifully soft and citrusy. Use them to flavour tagines and chicken or pork dishes. They will keep in the jar in the fridge for 1 month, or you can freeze them in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.