Spring Windows
A couple of things and a recipe for Pastís d'en Miquel
We’ve started to leave the big windows open, but haven’t begun to filter out the noise, so hear snatches of conversation, laughter, screeching. In the early evening, the passers-by are holding shopping bags or takeaway boxes and thinking about dinner. This morning the lady opposite planted seeds in sawn-in-half milk cartons on her windowsill.
I had three English asparagus for lunch, with tomatoes and an omelette – everything from Kent. The asparagus was thick, with a snap to the teeth. I have reordered the pantry and the kitchen shelves and found a jar big enough for – almost the whole – kilo of sumac a friend brought me from Beirut. Though it is now warm, the cat has shown no inclination to go outside, preferring to sleep on whichever chair I have just vacated.
Lunch was with Faye Wei Wei, who is illustrating To Entertain. The book is coming out in July. I was a cruel taskmaster, putting things in front of her to draw and telling her to get back to work when she strayed. By the end of the day she complained that her right hand hurt, so I let her use a paintbrush. We learnt that it’s very hard to draw sliced roast beef without colour and that she is brilliant at king prawns. As a reward I made cottage pie, her favourite food, the recipe for which I’ll share when it's not so hot.
One thing I will say, however, is that cottage pie is made with beef and shepherd’s pie is made with mutton or lamb. Those who insist the pies are interchangeable (like Jane Grigson) are plain wrong. After all, what does a shepherd do?
In the next few weeks I’ll be sending out the dates of the pop-ups and readings happening across the world, in cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, New York and Melbourne.
Pastís d'en Miquel
Za’atar House Cake with Poached Pear, Sage Custard
To Entertain (get used to seeing the name) has a whole section on House Cake – its simplicity and flexibility. I shan’t reproduce it here, nor the detailed instructions but – as a taster – have written down a recipe for this adaptation.
The night before you want to eat your cake, make a thick sage custard. Infuse 600ml of cream by heating it in a bain-marie (or, if like me you don’t have one, a metal bowl over a saucepan) for one hour along with a bunch of sage. Do not let the bowl touch the hot water! Set aside and place another bowl atop the saucepan, this one larger, and whisk together two egg yolks, two whole eggs and 150g caster sugar. The brighter the yolks, the brighter the custard. While continuing to whisk (you can ask someone to help) pour the still-warm sage cream into the custard, until everything is combined. Leave over the water – again, don’t let the bowl touch! – for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool and then refrigerate overnight. In the morning it will be as thick as clotted cream.
Poach four pears in a poaching liquor of your choice – wine, sugar, water, spices. Remove the pears, set aside, and reduce the liquid to a syrup. When the pears are cool, core and chop them into rough shapes.
Now make the House Cake. Melt 240g butter until liquid. In a large bowl, cream four eggs with 240g brown sugar, then add 120g self-raising flour, and 120g melted butter and repeat, running the mixer all the while. Add two tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt, 2 tbsp of za’atar and a glug of brandy, combine. Line a cake tin with baking paper and add your mixture, into which you’ll put ⅔ of the pear. Bake for twenty minutes at 180c or until a skewer comes out clean.
Use a skewer or a knife to jab little holes in the cake, then cover with the pear syrup and leave to cool. When it’s cool, use a spatula to spread a thick layer of custard atop – you probably won’t need all of it – decorate with the remaining pear and sprinkle with za’atar.