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    A Table for One
    A Table for One
    A Table for One
    Ebook283 pages1 hour

    A Table for One

    By Paul Hayes

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    About this ebook

    Be inspired by a fresh approach to cooking for one with this beautiful and engaging book, packed with more than 100 easy recipes, gorgeous photography and practical advice. From almost-instant dinners to help you through the working week to clever get-ahead time savers and delicious desserts, the emphasis is on great food with a minimum of fuss for maximum results. With metric and US measures.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPaul Hayes
    Release dateJun 9, 2013
    ISBN9780987560605
    A Table for One
    Author

    Paul Hayes

    Paul Hayes is a writer based in Melbourne, Australia. "Melbourne is one of the world's great food destinations – and one of it's best kept secrets," Paul says. "It is a city that truly loves its food. "The quality of produce here is spectacular, so the standard, even at an ordinary neighbourhood cafe, is very high. It's no surprise that Melbourne produces so many world-class chefs, or that chefs move here from around the world to open great restaurants. "For the home cook, access to perfect ingredients and endless inspiration is sheer heaven." The idea behind Paul's book, 'A Table for One', is simple. "It's the food I cook for myself," he explains. "I think our view of food is either too focused on trying to make restaurant food at home or being competitive or impressive. Real food, whether for one person or more, should be great but without fuss." Paul's writing has appeared in Vogue, GQ, The Australian Financial Review, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

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      Book preview

      A Table for One - Paul Hayes

      CONTENTS

      Introduction

      REAL-DEAL DINNERS

      SMALL WONDERS

      MAKE IT EASY

      BRIGHT SIDES

      CREATURE COMFORTS

      WEEKEND WINNERS

      JUST DESSERTS

      D.I.Y. EXTRAS

      Notes

      Copyright

      INTRODUCTION

      Cooking for one person has a terrible reputation. If there’s an opinion about it, I’ve heard it: it’s too much trouble, a waste of time, effort or money. There’s the implication that cooking for yourself is either self-indulgent or, worse, just sad.

      All of these ideas point towards the same awful conclusion: feeding yourself when no one else is around is nothing more than a necessary evil and should be regarded as a strictly functional, joyless pursuit, like doing the ironing or sorting the recyclables.

      Obviously, my point of view is very different. I want to celebrate the real sense of pleasure to be found in making – and eating – great food just for yourself.

      More people than ever are living in what the census-takers call single occupancy households, a number that is growing rapidly in cities all over the world – and we all have to eat. I’m aware that dinner from any number of world cuisines could arrive at my door with just a phone call, and that the shelves of supermarkets are lined with entire meals that require no more of my attention than a spin in the microwave.

      But throwing money at a problem to make it go away isn’t a real solution. Besides, it is possible to create delicious, substantial food for yourself quickly and without fuss, and not just by reheating something made in a factory.

      There are other benefits, too. After a day parked in front of a computer or in back-to-back meetings, the pleasures of the kitchen are very welcome. The simple act of making something to eat reconnects you to all of your senses, to your body and, by extension, the seasons and the world around you.

      Of course there are times, usually during the working week, when the thought of coming home and making dinner from scratch can seem daunting. I have learned, however, that the moment the process begins – slicing a spring onion, putting water on to boil, washing some vegetables – it signals a line between the working day and a place that’s about comfort, relaxation and independence.

      Some food requires no cooking at all – you just assemble a group of great ingredients. Sometimes the cooking is minimal and fast. Grilling a piece of fish and throwing together a salad with a zippy dressing takes no time and is always good. Sometimes it’s a quick snack or something speedy before heading out the door again.

      At other times the siren call of comfort food needs to be answered, or there’s time for a mellow, slow-cooked dinner. Some nights I need the therapeutic zone-out of stirring a risotto or hand-rolling a batch of bite-sized meatballs, soon followed by the extreme comfort of eating them.

      Because your freezer is really a time machine, it can be used to great effect if you cook what I call twofer dinners: half now, half another time.

      The point is that the solo cook is able to manage the way they cook according to time, taste, mood and interest like no one else.

      As this book demonstrates, the food I make isn’t in any way haute cuisine; indeed, I prefer simple, fresh ingredients and easy techniques without any fancy equipment – perfect even if you think you can’t cook.

      When I have a friend over for dinner, I simply double the quantities of food I cook for myself rather than attempt something packed with foodie fashionability and exotic flash.

      More often than not I’ll make something to nibble on while we have drinks at the kitchen counter, giving me time to potter and prepare something more substantial while we chat. If a friend knows how to use a knife or a spoon – and most, I’m pleased to report, can manage one or the other or even both – they will always find themselves chopping or mixing something. The food, and its preparation, is always secondary to the real glue of social eating: conversation.

      I hope you’ll find some inspiration in these pages to help you make your life both easier and more pleasurable, and that these recipes will find a place at your own table for one.

      Measurements are given in both metric and imperial units. For more information, please see the notes section.

      Salt always means sea salt flakes. If using granulated table salt, use half as much by volume.

      Pepper always means freshly ground black pepper.

      Olive oil always means ordinary olive oil, not extra-virgin olive oil, unless specified. For more information on oils, please see the notes section.

      REAL-DEAL DINNERS

      These are my weeknight winners. With backbones of fresh and store-cupboard ingredients, they are easy to shop for, easy to make and very, very easy to eat. During the working week, when the prospect of making dinner can seem like a challenge, this collection of recipes will get you through.

      Fusilli with artichokes, peas and mint

      Lamb with port and redcurrant

      Salad of roasted vegetables

      Tarragon chicken

      Radicchio and beetroot salad

      Ocean trout with wasabi mayo

      Pesto

      Coconut and saffron mussels

      Chicken laksa

      Easy cheesy spinach lasagne

      Daeji bulgogi

      A steak, a lettuce, a lemon

      FUSILLI WITH ARTICHOKES, PEAS AND MINT

      Fusilli with artichokes, peas and mint

      Here’s an easy, cool option for a hot summer’s day, or any day when you want fresh flavour, fast – and by fast I mean it’s ready to eat only seconds after the pasta is cooked. It’s perfect just as it is here or chilled as a pasta salad, making it a great portable lunch to take to work.

      I don’t often sing the praises of vegetables which haven’t fallen fresh off the back of a farmer’s truck, still quivering with dew and dirt, but in two cases here they are doing you great favours, and not just in convenience.

      As wonderful as fresh artichokes can be, they are a real fiddle to prepare properly. If you’re in the mood for all that business, be my guest, but otherwise, save yourself a ton of trouble and use artichoke hearts, marinated in olive oil, ready to eat from a jar or the deli.

      Frozen peas are a must. Fresh peas seem to have the shortest shelf life of any vegetable and start to go starchy from the moment they’re picked. By the time they get to market and I get them home, they’re always a disappointment. Unless you have peas growing outside your kitchen door – and the patience to shell them, too – the frozen variety is always the smart way to go.

      125g (5 oz) fusilli (or other short, curly pasta)

      75g (3 oz) frozen peas

      75g (3 oz) ricotta

      150g (6 oz) marinated artichoke hearts

      handful of fresh mint leaves

      1 tablespoon of the artichoke’s oil

      salt and pepper

      Cook the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water for the time recommended on the packet.

      Three minutes before the pasta is done add the peas to the same pot – then they will both be ready together. Drain in a colander.

      Slice the artichokes thickly – do not discard the oil – and place them in a roomy bowl. Add the mint, roughly chopped if the leaves are large, and crumble in the ricotta.

      Tip the drained pasta and peas in with the other ingredients, add a tablespoon of the oil from the artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a quick toss and you’re done.

      LAMB WITH PORT AND REDCURRANT

      Lamb with port and redcurrant

      Simple, delicious, elegant and fast: this is hard to beat, any day of the week.

      This technique of searing on the stovetop and finishing for a short time in a hot oven (no plastic handles, please) keeps the meat tender and works with all sorts of cuts: backstrap, round or topside steaks and cutlets. You make the sauce in the same pan while the meat rests, so washing up is easy.

      Baby spinach or soft, buttery lettuce leaves, simply dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, seasoned with salt and pepper, are the perfect accompaniment.

      a lamb backstrap

      1 teaspoon olive oil

      1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly

      2 tablespoons port

      ½ teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped (or dried)

      salt and pepper

      Set your oven to 220°C (425°F).

      Heat a small ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Brush the lamb lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lamb needs salt, so don’t be timid.

      Sear the lamb on both sides for 2 minutes, just until nicely browned.

      Take the pan off the heat and pop it straight into the hot oven for 6 minutes to finish off the meat. Remove and let the lamb rest on a plate, tented loosely with foil.

      Meanwhile, put the pan back onto low heat – not forgetting that its handle will still be hot – and pour in the port. Stir in the redcurrant jelly and rosemary, letting the sauce bubble down for a couple of minutes until reduced and nicely thickened.

      Unwrap the lamb, slice it and pour over the sauce.

      SALAD OF ROASTED VEGETABLES

      Salad of roasted vegetables

      This is more of

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