Recipes have always been the heart and soul of OFM. Be they exciting ideas from the country's brigade of talented chefs or everyday recipes suitable for the working week. Over the years there have been favourites, recipes that have particularly delighted everyone. We have collected 20 of those favourite recipes for you, running over four days this week.
This collection contains recipes from Angela Hartnett, Allegra McEvedy, Giorgio Locatelli, Pierre Koffmann, Margot Henderson, Jill Dupleix and Raymond Blanc. There are my roast tomatoes with crumbs and thyme, Russell Norman's broad bean, mint and ricotta bruschette, Fuchsia Dunlop's fragrant sea bream, and a beet bourguignon from The Green Kitchen. There are ideas for meat and fish, vegetables and pasta. And as no OFM would be complete without a bit of baking, we have included Claudia Roden's tarta de Santiago and Nigella's snow-flecked chocolate brownies.
This special collection comes in celebration of 10 years of the OFM annual awards. This is your chance to honour all of those unsung heroes of the food world, the artisans, chefs, cooks, shops, restaurants and food people who could receive one of our coveted awards. So get voting for your favourites now. You can vote online here.
Nigel Slater
Orecchiette with turnip tops and chilli: Giorgio Locatelli
Orecchiette come from Puglia. The joke is that everyone there has big, bent thumbs from pressing them into the ear shapes that give these their name.
Serves 4
turnip tops or broccoli 3 small bunches
extra-virgin olive oil 5 tbsp
garlic cloves 2, thinly sliced
red chillies 2 medium, deseeded, thinly sliced
dried orecchiette 400g
anchovy fillets 2 (optional)
salt and pepper
Take the leaves and florets of the turnip tops or broccoli from their stalks and blanch them in boiling salted water for about a minute. Drain and squeeze to remove the excess water. Chop very finely. Warm half the olive oil in a large sauté pan, add the garlic and chilli, and gently cook without allowing them to colour. Then add the turnip tops or broccoli and toss around. Add another tablespoon of olive oil.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil, salt it, put in the orecchiette and cook for about a minute less than the time given on the packet, until al dente. Ladle a little of the pasta cooking water into the other pan. Then turn down the heat and, if you're using them, add the anchovies. Let them dissolve, without frying them, stirring all the time. Taste and season if necessary.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the sauce. Toss around for 2-3 minutes so that the turnip tops cook a little more and begin to cling to the pasta. Add the rest of the oil, and toss well to coat and serve.
From Made in Italy by Giorgio Locatelli (4th Estate, £26). To order a copy for £19 with free UK p&p go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop
Courgette, feta, pea and mint flatbreads: Allegra McEvedy at Leon
More of a lunch, or even a packed lunch, than a supper. Easy cooking and even easier eating.
Makes 2 filling wraps
courgette 1
extra-virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
salt and pepper
cloves garlic 3, chopped
fresh peas (shelled weight) 130g, but frozen are fine
feta cheese 80g
Greek yoghurt 80g
lemon 1, very finely grated zest and a squeeze of juice
spring onion 1, sliced
flatbreads 2, the smaller size, white or wholemeal
cos lettuce leaf 1 big, or a couple of baby gem leaves
mint leaves a handful, washed
red chilli, chopped quantity is a personal matter
Get your griddle pan good and hot (or you can do it under the grill – timings should be just a little bit longer though).
Top and tail the courgette, slice it in half lengthways then cut each half into three very long triangular-shaped batons (elongated Toblerones … or something like that). Gently give them a roll in half the olive oil, seasoning and the chopped garlic.
Lay them on the griddle, loosely cover with a piece of foil and cook for 4 minutes before turning them over and doing the same on the other side (you only need to cook them on the two cut sides – no need to griddle the skin side, which tends to burn more easily).
If you have fresh peas, fill a small pan with salted water and bring to a rolling boil – 4 minutes is plenty – then drain. Now, whether using fresh or frozen, run a masher over the peas a few times to break them up a bit. Stir in the rest of the oil with some seasoning.
In a bowl mush the feta into the yoghurt. Stir in the peas, lemon zest, spring onion and some seasoning. If your flatbread is not the freshest, soften it in the oven for a minute or two, then lay on the lettuce, then the feta mix, grilled courgette, mint leaves, lemon juice and a bit of chopped chilli. Try to roll it up good and tight – it makes a difference to the pleasure of the eating.
Beet Bourgignon: The Green Kitchen
Julia Child's classic recipe for boeuf bourguignon is made with beef and bacon, but we decided to turn beef into beet. Gluten free and vegan.
Serves 4
extra-virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
brown onion 1, chopped
garlic cloves 4, finely chopped
small beetroot 8, peeled and quartered
carrots 6, sliced into large pieces
bay leaves 3
thyme 2 sprigs
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
tomato purée 2 tbsp
red wine (use vegan wine if you like) 250ml
vegetable stock 500ml
puy lentils 400g
portobello mushrooms 2-3, sliced
crimini mushrooms 10
pearl onions 10, peeled
arrowroot 2 tsp, dissolved in 2 tbsp water
thyme a few sprigs, to garnish
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Toss the beetroot, carrots, bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper into the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tomato purée, red wine and stock and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the lentils under running water. Bring 1 litre of water and the lentils to the boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. When almost cooked, add a pinch of salt. Drain off any excess water, cover and set aside.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large frying pan, lower the heat and sear the mushrooms and pearl onions, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden. Season to taste and set aside.
Taste the stew and add more wine, stock or herbs if you like. Add the arrowroot mixture. Stir gently until thickened and clear. Add the mushrooms and onions and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, spoon the stew and lentils into four bowls, and sprinkle with the fresh thyme.
From The Green Kitchen by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl (Hardie Grant, £25). To order a copy for £17 with free UK p&p go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop
Roast tomatoes with crumbs and thyme: Nigel Slater
I love the idea that you can season a dish of vegetables then leave it in the oven to get on with things by itself.
Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main
tomatoes 6 large, but not beefsteak
thyme a few bushy sprigs
olive oil
garlic 2 cloves
anchovy fillets 6 (optional)
fresh white breadcrumbs 80g
Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Slice the tomatoes in half and lay them cut-side up in a shallow baking dish or roasting tin. Remove the thyme leaves from their stems and put them in a small mixing bowl with 80ml of olive oil. Peel and finely crush the garlic cloves and stir into the olive oil with a generous grinding of sea salt and black pepper.
If you're using them, roughly chop the anchovy fillets. Stir the fresh breadcrumbs into the oil with the anchovy fillets. Spoon over the tomatoes and bake for 40 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender and the crumbs lightly crisp.
Broad bean, mint and ricotta bruschette: Russell Norman at Polpo
For 2 bruschette
podded broad beans 1 good handful
extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp, plus more for the bread
lemon 1, zest and a little juice
mint leaves 10, roughly chopped
flaky sea salt and black pepper
sourdough or soda bread 2 thick slices
garlic clove ½
fresh ricotta 3 tbsp
Place the broad beans into boiling water for 5 minutes, remove and plunge into cold water, then drain and skin them. Put the beans in a small bowl and dress them in the olive oil, the lemon zest, a little lemon juice and most of the chopped mint. Season with salt and pepper.
Toast or grill the slices of sourdough or soda bread so that they are crunchy on the outside but still have a bit of give when squeezed. Rub one side of each slice a few times with the cut side of the garlic clove so that it melts into the bread's hot surface. Drizzle with olive oil.
Season the fresh ricotta with flaky sea salt and black pepper to taste, then spread on to the hot, garlicky sourdough or soda bread. Top with the broad beans and garnish with the remaining chopped mint.
From Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts) by Russell Norman (Bloomsbury, £25). To order a copy for £17 with free UK p&p go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop
