20 best recipes under £10 for four people: part 1
Feed at least four with these delicious cheap eats, from Fuchsia Dunlop's Chinese dumplings to James Ferguson's slow-roast chicken leg
Chinese jiaozi dumplings with a Sichuanese sauce.
Fuchsia Dunlop's Chinese jiaozi dumplings with a Sichuanese sauceBoiled jiaozi with a pork and cabbage stuffing are a favourite food in northern China, where they are often prepared at home for the Lunar New Year. In this recipe, they are served with an irresistible Sichuanese "garlic paste" sauce laced with homemade chilli oil.
Total cost: £8.61
Start the Sichuanese sauce by making chilli oil. Place the ground chillies in a saucepan on a heatproof surface. Heat the groundnut oil in a wok or pan over a high heat, stirring fairly constantly, until smoking. Use a ladle to drip a little oil onto the chillies: if it produces a vigorous sizzle, the oil is hot enough, so you can pour the rest over the chillies and stir it in. Set aside to cool.
To make the dough, place the flour on a work surface or in a mixing bowl and make a well at the centre. Gradually add the water, stirring it in with your hand. Add just enough water to allow you to bind the flour into a stiff but pliable dough. Knead for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Then cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for at least half an hour.
For the stuffing, finely chop the Chinese cabbage and place in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and scrunch it into the cabbage with your fingers. Set aside for at least half an hour, and then squeeze out as much water as possible.
Crush the ginger with the flat of a cleaver blade or a rolling pin. Place it in a small bowl with just enough cold water to cover. Place the minced pork in a mixing bowl. Beat the egg and add to the pork. Strain 2 tablespoons of the ginger water into the meat. Add ¾ teaspoon of salt and a sprinkling of ground pepper. Mix well, stirring in one direction. Gradually add the stock and keep stirring in one direction until incorporated. You could add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil here, although this is optional – not essential.
Finish making the sauce. Place the light soy sauce and sugar in a bowl and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Add about 6 tbsp chilli oil with the ground chilli sediment, to taste. Crush the garlic and add to the sauce; mix well. Spoon some sauce into each of 4 dipping dishes.
To make the wrappers, flour a work surface. Break off a fist-sized piece of dough and roll into a sausage shape about 2cm in diameter. Cut or break off 2cm pieces (about 15g each). Place each piece cut-side up on the work surface and flatten with the centre of your hand into a fat disc. Then roll each disc into a thin circle of dough about 7cm in diameter. Repeat with the rest of the dough, dusting the wrappers so they don't stick together.
Fill a pasta pan with water and bring to the boil.
Mix the cabbage into the pork stuffing. Then place a dumpling wrapper in one hand and use a table knife to place about a tablespoon of stuffing (15g) in its centre. Fold opposite edges of the wrapper together and press or pleat the edges to make a semi-circular dumpling. (For guidance, search YouTube for "how to wrap jiaozi dumplings".) Set aside on a lightly floured surface and repeat until you have made all the dumplings.
When the water is boiling, give it a stir and then drop in about 10 dumplings. When the water has returned to the boil, add about a coffee-cupful of cold water to calm it down. Repeat another time. When the water has returned to the boil for the third time, the dumplings should be cooked through and floating (if in doubt, cut one open to make sure). Remove with a slotted spoon.
Repeat with the rest of the dumplings. Serve with the chilli sauce for dipping.
Fuchsia Dunlop is a food writer
James Ferguson's slow-roast chicken leg, lemon potatoes and skordalia.
Slow-roast chicken leg, lemon potatoes and skordalia. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
Total cost: £7.35
Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Cut the potatoes into wedges. In a big bowl, combine the chicken, potatoes, lemons (juice squeezed in and the shells chucked in), oregano, smoked paprika, 50ml olive oil, 2 garlic cloves finely chopped, salt and pepper. Mix everything vigorously and place in a roasting tin (lined with baking paper, if you prefer) where everything fits comfortably in a single layer. Scatter over the tomato, then place in the oven. After 20 minutes give everything a nice shuffle around and turn the oven down to 170C/gas 3. Every 15 minutes or so give everything a turn. When all is nice, sticky and golden, it's ready (approximately 45 more minutes).
For the skordalia, soak the stale bread in water for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the water and place the bread in a food processor. Add the rest of the garlic, the vinegar and seasoning. Blend to a paste, then add the remaining 200ml olive oil in a steady stream. If it is too thick add a spoonful of water.
Serve on a platter or in the roasting tin, so everyone can dig in, with the skordalia on the side.
James Ferguson is a former head chef at Rochelle Canteen in LondonAsma Khan's saag chingri
Saag chingri. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
The combination of prawns and spinach is a Bengali favourite. It is a great dish to treat yourself and your friends – a dish with an expensive ingredient, combined with spinach to make it economical.
Total cost: £9.99.
Wash the prawns, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Rub the prawns with turmeric and chilli powder and set aside.
Peel and thinly slice the onions into half-moon rings. Crush 6 garlic cloves into a paste, then make a paste with the fresh ginger (you'll need 2 tablespoons). Set aside 1 chilli to serve and chop the remaining chillies into thick slices.
Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan on high heat, add the prawns and stir-fry quickly to seal. Transfer the prawns to a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and fry till the edges brown, then add the garlic and ginger pastes and chopped chillies. Fry till the oil separates from the onion mixture. Add the frozen spinach and salt and cook till the water released from the spinach has evaporated. Add the prawns to the spinach mixture and cook for a few more minutes. Check the seasoning, adding more salt if required. Garnish the saag chingri with the sliced reserved chilli then serve, with naan, if you like.
Asma Khan is chef-patron of Darjeeling Express in LondonJordan Bourke's kimchi, egg, avocado and feta on sourdough
Kimchi, egg, avocado and feta on sourdough. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
This is one of the dishes I make when I am trying to convince a sceptic that kimchi is one of the best ingredients in the world. The frying mellows out the sharper, more acidic notes, adding a slightly charred caramelised flavour sure to win over any kimchi-phobe. It always works. This can be eaten at any time of the day: it has all the components of a sublime weekend brunch, but is just as delicious at dinnertime.
Total cost: £9.89
Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over a high heat. When very hot, add in the kimchi and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until beginning to caramelise. Turn down the heat a little, add in the honey and sesame oil and fry for another minute. Remove from the heat; set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in another pan over a high heat. When hot, fry the eggs for 3-4 minutes until the whites are crispy around the edge and the yolks are still a little runny.
Toast the sourdough, then scrape the garlic over the top of each piece. Season with a small pinch of salt and drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil.
Spoon the kimchi over the toast, top with the fried egg, avocado and feta. Season with a little pepper and serve immediately.
Jordan Bourke is a food writerPeter Gordon's Thai-style pumpkin, potato, coconut gratin with salad
Thai-style pumpkin, potato, coconut gratin with salad. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
Bake the gratin in a 30cm square (or equivalent) ovenproof dish that can be placed under the grill.
Total cost: £9.67
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Place the pumpkin seeds and coriander seeds with ½ teaspoon of oil in the gratin dish and bake until golden, about 8 minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove from oven. Increase the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the remaining oil until beginning to caramelise, stirring frequently. Add the curry paste and turmeric (if using) and cook for a minute, stirring gently. Add the coconut milk, then fill the tin up with warm water and add to the curry with the flaky salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer 5 minutes.
Pick the coriander leaves and reserve, then cut the stalks (and root if using) into 5mm lengths.
Toss the pumpkin and potato with the toasted seeds and coriander stalks and roots. Add half the coconut sauce and gently mix together. Tip into your gratin dish, levelling the top, and pour on the remaining coconut sauce. Lay baking parchment on top, pressing it down, and bake for 35 minutes.
Take the parchment off, turn the grill on then cook until the top become golden and slightly crisp.
Grate the lime zest and toss with the salad leaves and the lime juice.
Serve the gratin scattered with the coriander leaves, with the salad on the side.
Peter Gordon is executive chef and co-owner of The Providores, Marylebone, London
Blanche Vaughan's spinach, marjoram and ricotta sformata
Sformata is an Italian dish, similar to a souffle or rather like a baked flan but without the pastry shell – the word sformata means misshapen. Leafy greens like spinach or chard have a real affinity with the soft, fragrant taste of marjoram or oregano.
Total cost: £9.04
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Butter an oval 30×20cm ovenproof baking dish and dust all over with a tablespoon of the grated parmesan.
Melt the teaspoon of butter in a large, lidded pan and throw in the spinach with just the water clinging to its leaves. Season with salt and pepper, stir briefly then put on a lid so it steams and wilts, this should take about 2 minutes.
Tip the cooked spinach into a sieve and squeeze any excess moisture out, before chopping roughly.
In a bowl, whisk the ricotta to break up any lumps, add the eggs and continue whisking so that bubbles form. Stir in the creme fraiche, a few gratings of nutmeg, the marjoram and remaining parmesan. Finally stir in the chopped spinach and pour into the prepared dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the top is slightly risen and browned and the centre of the sformata feels slightly firm to the touch.
From Egg by Blanche Vaughan (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £22). To order a copy for £18.04, go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846Felicity Cloake's baked lamb and cannellini beans with white wine, garlic and herbs
Baked lamb and cannellini beans with white wine, garlic and herbs. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
Well marbled and robustly flavoured, cheaper cuts of lamb are made for slow cooking. This hearty bean dish spiked with Mediterranean sunshine is just the thing to warm up a winter evening, whether you're in Provence or Preston. You'll need to soak the beans overnight.
Total cost: £9.03
Soak the beans overnight, then drain and put into a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, skimming the top if necessary, then simmer for about 40 minutes, until just tender.
After the beans have been cooking for 30 minutes, heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Pour the oil into a large ovenproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the lamb well, then brown well on all sides in batches. Set aside.
Add the garlic to the pan, cut-side down, and cook briefly until beginning to colour. Stir in the thyme and the drained beans until coated with oil. Squeeze over the lemon then add the halves to the beans with the wine and stock.
Bring to a simmer, add the lamb, tucking it into the beans slightly, then cover and bake for about an hour and a half, until the lamb is tender and the beans cooked through; the liquid should have reduced to a broth. Season and serve with steamed cabbage.
Felicity Cloake is a food writerSimon Hopkinson's thyme, onion and gruyère tart
Thyme, onion and gruyère tart. Photograph: Jason Lowe
Total cost: £9.68
To make the pastry, in a food processor, briefly process the butter, flour and salt together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Tip into a large bowl and gently mix in the water with cool hands or a table knife, until well amalgamated. Knead the dough lightly, then put into a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling.
For the filling, melt the butter in a wide, shallow pan. Tip in the onions and very gently sweat over a moderate heat for 40 minutes, or as long as 1 hour, until pale golden and completely soft. Cool.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4, and place a flat baking sheet inside to heat.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface as thinly as you dare, then use to line a 20cm tart tin, 3cm deep. Prick the base with a fork. Line the pastry case with foil and dried beans, slide onto the hot baking sheet and bake "blind" for about 15–20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 10 minutes or so, until it is golden, crisp and well cooked through, particularly the base.
Mix the egg, yolks, cream, mustard and thyme. Carefully mix in the onions, season and pile into the pastry case. Sprinkle over the gruyère and generously grate over some nutmeg. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the filling is a rich golden colour and just firm to the touch. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before eating.
From The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkinson (Quadrille, £9.99). To order a copy for £8.49, go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99Nigel Slater's rib and rhubarb broth
Rib and rhubarb broth. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin
Total cost: £7.70
In a large, deep pan, brown 500g small pork ribs on both sides in a little oil. When they are nicely coloured, pour a litre of chicken stock over them, add 2 star anise, 8 peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves and bring to the boil. Lower the heat so the liquor continues cooking at a low simmer and leave for a good 50 minutes to an hour, keeping an eye on the liquid so it doesn't boil away; you want to end up with a rich, quite concentrated broth. Check the seasoning.
Remove the ribs from the liquid, pull the meat from the bones and cut it into chunks (sometimes I leave them whole). Roughly chop 2 spring onions and drop them, together with the meat, into the hot broth. Pour into bowls. Thinly slice a small stick of slice the rhubarb (you may not need all of it) into long matchsticks and add a few pieces to each bowl. Serve immediately, just as the rhubarb starts to soften.
From Eat by Nigel Slater (Fourth Estate, £26). To order a copy for £21.32, visit guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99
Olia Hercules's whole roasted spiced cauliflower
Whole roasted spiced cauliflower. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
A simple and tasty dish which, depending on the size of your household, could last you a couple of days. If you don't finish it on the day of cooking it is great chopped and mixed into an omelette or stirred through a tomatoey curry sauce. I find that it pleases both anise flavour lovers and those who think they hate it. If fennel is not your thing, you can always vary the spices: use cumin instead of caraway and double up on coriander. It is a good recipe for using up your spices, which can bring the cost down!
Total cost: £7.95
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.
If your cauliflower leaves look fresh keep them on – they will catch the yogurt marinade, and they taste great. Use half a tablespoon of oil to grease the bottom and sides of a large cast-iron casserole pot. Then pop your cauliflower in pretty side up. You should be able to close the lid. (If you don't have a cast-iron casserole pot, you can improvise with a deep baking dish or a deep roasting tray and some foil.)
Combine all the spices with a pinch of salt and either bash using a pestle and mortar or blitz in a blender. If the spices don't grind into a powder, it is not a problem.
Mix the spices and remaining oil through the yogurt. Taste for salt, add more if you think it needs it.
Pour the yoghurt mixture over the cauliflower, gently tease it down the sides. Put the lid on and put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, it should have a deep golden crust. Leave for another 10 minutes if it's looking pale.
Meanwhile, put the rice into a pot and cover with 560ml water. Bruise the turmeric roots and pop it in with the pieces of lemon peel. Season the rice and cook as per packet instructions.
When the cauliflower is deep golden and ready, take it out and serve with the turmeric rice.
Olia Hercules is a chef and food writerMeera Sodha's Sri Lankan dal with coconut and lime kale
This classic and soothing creamy red lentil Sri Lankan dal is offset by spiky "mallum", or shredded greens cooked with onions, coconut and fresh lime. In Sri Lanka all sorts of nutritious greens are used to make mallum, from chrysanthemum leaves to turnip tops. I use iron-rich kale here because it works harmoniously with the coconut and lime, but feel free to play around with spinach, cabbage or whatever greens are in season.
Total cost: £8.34
Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear, then cover in water and leave to one side. Bash the cardamom pods with a pestle and mortar until cracked.
Put 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a deep lidded saucepan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are browning and soft, stirring frequently, then add the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Stir-fry for another couple of minutes, then remove a third of the mixture and leave it to one side.
Drain the lentils and add to the pan, along with the turmeric and 1 litre of hot water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are soft and creamy. In the meantime, wash the kale and chop the leaves into 5cm strips, discarding the thicker stems. When the lentils are ready, add the coconut milk and 1½ teaspoons of salt, cook for another 5 minutes, then take off the heat. Cover to keep warm.
Put a tablespoon of vegetable oil into a lidded frying pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, put the reserved onion mixture into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the kale and desiccated coconut. Stir-fry for a minute, then add 50ml of water and put the lid on. Leave to steam for 4 minutes, then add the lime juice and ½ teaspoon of salt and stir. Put the lid back on and steam for another 2 minutes, or until the kale is soft and tender.
To serve, ladle the dal into bowls and divide the kale over the top. Serve with rice and yogurt.
Adapted from Fresh India: 130 Quick, Easy and Delicious Vegetarian Recipes for Every Day by Meera Sodha (Penguin, £20). To order a copy for £21.32, go to guardianbookshop.com. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99
Uyen Luu's hot and sticky sweet ginger chicken
Hot and sticky sweet ginger chicken. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
My favourite midweek meal takes minutes to prepare. Ginger and chillies are great whatever season but when it's cold, they're extra comforting, whether for midweek dinners or in a weekend feast.
Total cost: £9.40
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Peel and finely chop the ginger and half the red onion (reserve the other half). Mix with 1 tablespoon of chillies, or to taste, and 6 tablespoons of soy sauce then use to coat the chicken. Place on a baking tray and roast for 40 minutes, basting halfway through.
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to packet instructions and wash the sliced cavolo nero.
Ten minutes before the chicken has finished, melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a saucepan then add the honey and 2 tablespoons of soy. Reduce for a few minutes. Take out the chicken and pour the honey sauce over the chicken evenly and cook for a further 5 minutes to brown. Remove the chicken from the oven, then leave it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Finely slice the reserved half-onion and sweat in 1 heaped teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of dried chillies, or to taste. Add the cavolo nero and fry for a couple of minutes, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with the chicken and rice.
Uyen Luu is a food writerJosé Pizarro's lentils and goat's cheese with caramelised walnuts
Lentils and goat's cheese with caramelised walnuts. Photograph: Laura Edwards
Kepa is an enthusiastic chap in his early twenties, producing the most amazing goat's cheese. I met him at his farm in Amorebieta-Etxano. This is a really nice, simple salad I made using Kepa's fantastic cheese. The caramelised walnuts are great as an aperitif with your beer – just add some flakes of salt and they are ready.
Total cost: £8.88
Heat a little oil in a deep pan and gently fry the onion, carrot and celery for 15 minutes until really tender. Add the garlic and fry for a minute more, then add the bay leaf, oregano and lentils. Pour in the stock and add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30–35 minutes until the lentils are starting to break down and make a lovely thick sauce.
Meanwhile, put the sugar in a pan with 2 tablespoons of water and dissolve over a low heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 4-5 minutes until you have a golden caramel, then add the walnuts and mix together. Tip the walnuts onto a baking sheet lined with greased baking paper and leave to cool.
Spoon the lentils into four warmed bowls, add a scoop of goat's cheese to each bowl, then top with the caramelised walnuts.
From Basque by José Pizarro (Hardie Grant Books, £25). To order a copy for £20.50, go to guardianbookshop.com. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99
Jane Baxter's mussel, spinach and pea pasta
Mussel, spinach and pea pasta. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
Total cost: £9.86
Serves 4 olive oil 3 tbsp spinach 400g mussels 1kg garlic 3 cloves, crushed cooking white wine 100ml red chillies 2, finely chopped garlic 2 cloves, crushed frozen peas 300g conchiglie pasta 400g parsley 1 tbsp, chopped extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the spinach, season and stir quickly until it has all wilted. Tip into a colander and set aside.Clean the mussels, discarding any that are broken or open. Return the pan to the heat and leave for a minute until very hot. Tip in the mussels with 1 garlic clove and the wine. Stir quickly, then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Leave for a minute then give the pan a shake. After another minute, check the mussels – most should be open or starting to open. Give the pan a stir and tip out into a colander over a bowl to catch the juices. Leave to cool slightly.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan, then add the chilli and remaining garlic. Cook for a minute without browning before adding the mussel liquor. Bring it up to the boil and reduce the liquid to half its original volume.
Take the mussels out the shells. Add the peas to the reduced liquid and cook gently for 2 minutes. Chop the spinach and stir into the peas. Blend half the pea-spinach mix until smooth and return to the pan. Stir well, adding the mussels.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain well and add to the green mussel sauce with the parsley. Toss to combine, season well and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Jane Baxter is a chef-food writer
Giorgio Locatelli's spaghetti cacio e pepe
Spaghetti cacio e pepe. Photograph: Lisa Linder
This is the classic store-cupboard-and-fridge pasta that every Italian teenager knows; the one you make almost on autopilot when you come home after a night out with your friends, and go straight to the cupboard or the fridge, desperate for some carbohydrates. But spaghetti is not just a convenient, quick and easy dish; it can also be seductively brilliant, a perfect example of how a dish can be so much more than a sum of its parts.
If you have some pecorino in your fridge, then the late-night spaghetti to make is cacio e pepe, literally cheese and pepper. First of all the age of the pecorino is very important. You need a very young one. A bit like some people, mature cheeses will have been on their own for a long time, developing their characters so they don't necessarily welcome new flavours, whereas a young pecorino is still impressionable and likes to mix and melt. Pecorino comes from all over Italy, but pecorino romano is the best one to use for this, as it is less strong and salty than the Sicilian or Sardinian pecorinos. If possible use a microplane to grate it, which is much better than a regular standing grater – though if you only have one of these go for the smallest side. Don't push the cheese, just caress it against the microplane or grater so that it falls like snow, as if you press and condense it, it will become grainy.
Because pepper is the only other ingredient, it also becomes very important. It isn't there just for heat, but for real flavour, too. When I was cooking at Le Laurent restaurant in Paris, I first came across single-estate peppercorns, which were unusual and expensive at that time and came in little jars especially for a complicated carpaccio of scallops and black truffle. Peppercorns are grown on a vine. When they are picked young they are green and when they are allowed to mature on the vine and then sun-dried they become black. White peppercorns are black ones which are soaked to remove the outer dark casing.
Usually when you buy black peppercorns they are a generic mix of different varieties of peppercorns from various countries, but if you use a single variety from a particular region from India to Indonesia or Malaysia, it can make a great difference, and you can discover amazing aromas and flavours from citrus to nutmeg when you crush them. I prefer not to do this in a mill, but with a meat hammer, the end of a rolling pin, or the back of big knife, so that the peppercorns crack into irregular pieces, and I do this just before I use them, so that the aroma and flavour is really fresh.
Some people will swear that to make a good cacio e pepe you need to toast the peppercorns a little in the dry pan over a low heat like an Indian spice. I am not convinced of that. Yes, the peppercorns will release some beautiful oil and aroma, but that is exactly the problem, I don't want these to be released yet, I want them stay in there and then release into the oil and water. But maybe I am wrong. It is a matter of opinion, so you choose. Personally I just warm the crushed pepper in a little olive oil and then add a ladleful of the cooking water from the pasta and stir it around so that the water becomes quite "scummy", which is what you want, before you add the drained spaghetti.
Total cost: £5.10
Grate around 5 tablespoons of young pecorino romano, or more to taste.
Start boiling your water for the pasta. Because this contains only cheese and pepper, the water becomes an important ingredient that binds these ingredients to the pasta, therefore you want as much starch from the pasta in it as possible. So only use 3 litres of water for 500g of pasta. This also means using less salt (a teaspoon) and stirring the pasta around in the water becomes pivotal, so that it doesn't stick to itself. So give it your full attention: it is only for 5-6 minutes, until al dente.
Once the spaghetti is in, crush around 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns in a sauté pan using a steak hammer or the end of a rolling pin – it is easier to do this in the pan than on your work surface, otherwise the peppercorns will fly everywhere – add a little olive oil, stir in a ladleful of the cooking water from the pasta and bubble up.
Drain your spaghetti (reserving the cooking water), add it to the sauté pan along with the cheese and toss everything together well – the spaghetti will carry on cooking a little more, and so will release more starch into the pan.
Add a little more of the cooking water as necessary so that it combines with the melting cheese to give a creamy consistency.
From Made at Home by Giorgio Locatelli (Fourth Estate, £26). To order a copy for £22.10, go to guardianbookshop.com. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99
Jeremy Lee's Venetian-style liver and onions with grilled polenta
Venetian-style liver and onions with grilled polenta. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
Calf's liver was a great luxury when I was very young. The livers of pigs and lambs seemed to have a most profound presence. The offal available in recent times seems brighter and fresher and of good quality, which makes liver a splendid choice for fine repast.
Grilled slices of cooked polenta are a pleasing accompaniment (as too, for that matter, is mash). This polenta needs to be made in advance and then set on a plate or a tray. It is then cut and grilled until beautifully crusted.
hould you wish to get ahead of time, happily, the onions also can be cooked very well in advance and left to one side.
Total cost: £9.82
You'll need to make the polenta in advance so it has time to set in the fridge. Pour the water into a large stainless steel pan. Bring this water to the boil and then add the polenta in a steady, slow stream, whisking all the while. Whisk thoroughly until no clods or lumps remain. Lower the heat of the polenta and continue cooking gently for 45-50 minutes, stirring regularly if not continuously, to ensure it does not misbehave.
To check doneness, taste with care. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour the cooked polenta onto a plate or tray and let set and cool. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until set, and you are nearly ready to eat with the liver.
Clear the decks before beginning this next bloody business. If you haven't bought the liver in slices, peel away the thin membrane that covers the liver. With a keen blade, cut the liver into three or four pieces. Cut these pieces into the thinnest slices, removing as many of the larger pipes and tubes revealed through slicing. Place the slices of liver on a dish and refrigerate.
Have a jolly good clean-up. Having restored your benches, so to speak, peel the onions and thinly, 2mm or so thick. In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter and add the onions. Lower the heat and cook the onions, lid atop, for 30 or 40 minutes until they are fully softened, cooked thoroughly and turned golden. Should any excess oniony goodness persist, up the heat and boil this away until only a mere drop remains.
Now is the time to return to your polenta. Cut into squares or triangles or rectangles as you wish and then place on a hot grill and let cook undisturbed until a show of colour at the edges alerts you to the polenta being done. Carefully lift up the polenta and flip onto its other side and cook until crusted also. Lift the pieces onto a dish and keep warm to serve with the liver.
Heat a wide frying pan. Pour the olive oil over the pieces of liver, season generously with salt and pepper. Tear the sage leaves and rub all this together evenly. Get a serving dish warm and ready.
Tip the liver into the pan. Shake slightly to ensure the bottom of the pan is covered. Spoon over the onions. Let the whole lot cook undisturbed for a minute, then stir with enthusiasm. Let it sit for 15 seconds, then stir again when all is cooked and there be some colour to the liver. Served pink is best, so tip the cooked panful onto the warmed dish waiting by your side and serve swiftly.
Jeremy Lee is executive chef at Quo Vadis in Soho, London
Trine Hahnemann's fishcakes and vegetables
Fishcakes and vegetables. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
Fish cakes is a favourite everyday dinner at my house, I always make them with fresh herbs such as parsley, tarragon or dill – this recipe is with parsley. They are also really good the day after, cold with a salad or on rye bread.
Total cost: £9.69
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Cut the potatoes into big chunks, peel the beetroot and cut into chunks, and place it all in an ovenproof dish. Mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and half the lemon cut into small wedges. (Save the other half lemon for later.) Mix well. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, opening the oven now and then to mix the vegetables around.
Finely chop the fish fillets, onions and parsley together with a very sharp knife, or use a food processor to mince them all together. Place the chopped fish mixture in a bowl. Gently fold in the beaten eggs and ground nutmeg, then add the flour, then a pinch of salt and pepper, and gently fold again to combine. Season with salt and pepper again, if you think necessary.
Melt the butter in a big frying pan and add the remaining olive oil. Form the fishcake mixture into tablespoon-sized balls. Place the fishcakes gently in the melted butter and oil over a medium heat, and fry them for about 7-8 minutes on each side. Alternatively, fry until golden brown and place in ovenproof dish and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Rinse the kale and drain well. Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and sauté the kale with the crushed coriander seeds and garlic for 4-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with the fishcakes and roast vegetables.
Trine Hahnemann is a food writer, chef and owner of Hahnemannns Køkken, Copenhagen
Nigel Slater's quick chicken pot pie
Quick chicken pot pie. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin
Sometimes, you just want pie.
Total cost: £8.40
Peel and roughly chop 2 onions.Brown 400g diced chicken in a little oil, remove, then add the chopped onions and 100g quartered mushrooms, letting them brown. Add 3 tablespoons of flour and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, then add 330ml white beer, 300ml chicken or vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Lower the heat, then add 4 tablespoons of chopped tarragon leaves, a grinding of salt and pepper, and simmer for about 10 minutes till thick. Tip into a baking dish and leave to cool for as long as you can.
Put a ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry sheet on a work surface and, using the dish as a template, cut out a disc to fit the top. Lay the pastry disc gently on top of the sauce, then cut three slits with the point of a knife. Decorate with the remaining pastry, cut into leaves or whatever you fancy. Bake at 180C/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes.
From Eat by Nigel Slater (Fourth Estate, £26). To order a copy for £21.32, visit guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99
Fergus Henderson's beef mince on dripping toast
Beef mince on dripping toast. Photograph: Romas Foord for the Observer
Firstly, save your dripping! Dripping toast is one of those treats for the day after, a lovely second wind from the previous day's roast. Mince is a dish discussed as much in Scotland (and indeed in London) as cassoulet is in Castelnaudary. Questions such as should you add peas or carrots can start a gastronomic row of great proportions. I do like a spot of carrot in mine.
Total cost: £9.70
In a large pan, sweat the onion, leek, carrot and garlic in the splash of olive oil until softened. Add the mince, giving it a healthy stir to break up. Add the tinned tomatoes, crushed in your hand – a subliminal gesture. Keep stirring and add the oatmeal, not so much that you end up with porridge.
Stir, add the Worcestershire sauce and – if you have a bottle open – a glug of red wine. As this may take it above the £10 mark, it is delicious but not essential. Pour in three-quarters of the chicken stock and stir again.
Take a view on the liquid content; if it seems a wee bit dry, add the rest of the stock. You are looking for a loose lava consistency. Check for seasoning.
Now allow the mince to simmer gently for 1 and a half hours, if not 2 (if it is drying out, add more stock). Time allows the mince to become itself, as is the case for most of us.
Toast the bread, spread the dripping onto each slice and put under the grill for a moment to make sure it melts completely. Spoon the mince over the toast.
Fergus Henderson is co-founder of St John in Clerkenwell, London
Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's barley risotto with marinated feta
Barley risotto with marinated feta. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin
This vegetarian main course is a dish everybody loves, particularly children. Unlike the proper Italian risotto, ours does not require the exact precision and meticulous preparation, but still tastes sensational.
Total cost: £9.20
Rinse the pearl barley well under cold water and leave to drain.
Melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a very large frying pan and cook the celery, shallot and garlic on a gentle heat for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the barley, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, lemon rind, chilli flakes, tomatoes, stock, passata and half a tablespoon of salt. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the risotto does not catch on the bottom of the pan. When ready, the barley should be tender and most of the liquid absorbed.
Meanwhile, toast the caraway seeds in a dry pan for a couple of minutes. Then lightly crush them so that some whole seeds remain. Add them to the feta with the remaining olive oil and gently mix to combine.
Once the risotto is ready, check the seasoning and then divide it between four shallow bowls. Top with the marinated feta, including the oil, and a sprinkling of oregano leaves.
From Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi (Ebury Press, £27). To order a copy for £22.14, visit guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99