The Joyful Home Cook - Rosie Birkett

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little from the home cook, other than a quick pan-fry. This leaves you free to lavish the broccoli with a bit of attention, and really, it’s never felt sexier than it does here, cloaked in this creamy, yet deeply umami béchamel made with anchovies, garlic and chilli. Rosemary adds an aromatic edge, while sourdough breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds provide an irresistible crunch and tang. Once you’ve made and tasted this gratin, I’m convinced you’ll want to use it as a side dish for all manner of things, as it’s also superb with meat such as rare roast beef, or salt marsh lamb, and you could even make it into a meal in itself served with a little pasta or warmed white beans.

      2 small-medium red mullet, cleaned, scaled and gutted

      2 tbsp olive oil

      thumb-sized strip of lemon zest, pith removed

      leaves from 1 sprig of thyme

       For the gratin

      1 large head of broccoli, broken into florets, leaves set to one side, stalk trimmed and thinly sliced

      2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing

      grated zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon

      1 red jalapeño chilli, deseeded and half sliced, half diced

      5 good-quality anchovy fillets in oil, chopped

      1 garlic clove, crushed

      2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped

      2 tbsp plain flour

      glass of white wine

      300ml whole milk

      75ml double cream

      6 tbsp anchovy breadcrumbs (see here)

      2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      1 Take the mullet out of the fridge, put it on a plate, season with a little salt and leave to reach room temperature.

      2 Bring a large saucepan of well salted water to a rolling boil. Add the sliced broccoli stalk and boil for a couple of minutes, then add the florets and boil for another 3 minutes, until tender, adding the leaves for 30 seconds before you drain. Drain the broccoli and toss it into an oiled roasting tray. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and scatter over the sliced chilli.

      3 Return the pan to the hob and heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Slide in the anchovies, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary and diced chilli and fry for a few minutes, until the anchovies have melted into the oil.

      4 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

      5 Tip the flour into the oil and stir quickly to form a paste or roux, let it cook for a minute or two, until it smells nutty, then add the white wine and cook, stirring, until smooth. Now, slowly add the milk, whisking continuously, and cook for 5–8 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, breaking up any lumps with the whisk. Add the cream and whisk to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Scatter over the anchovy breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave to rest while you cook your mullet.

      6 Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the lemon zest and thyme leaves, stirring for a few seconds. Slide in the fish and pan-fry, basting them with the warm oil, for about 2 minutes on each side, until the flesh is opaque and cooked through. Serve with the gratin.

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      Sri Lankan-style beetroot curry

      Serves 4

       The beetroot curry from the second night of our Sri Lankan honeymoon has been obsessively recreated in our kitchen ever since. Deep purple, rich with coconut and the earthy, fragrant, smoky flavours of Sri Lankan curry powder, roasted to bring out extra flavour in the spices, it’s a favourite meal for when vegetarian and vegan friends are round. Sri Lankan curries centre around seasonal vegetables cooked with black mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves, roasted curry powder and, crucially, fresh coconut: its luscious oil, reviving water and rich, luxurious cream, which are all added at different stages. A tin of good-quality coconut milk and dried curry leaves make perfectly reasonable substitutes for fresh, but it is worthwhile making the roasted curry powder (see here). This dish is adaptable to almost any vegetable glut– swap beetroot for cauliflower, parsnip or courgette, even runner beans in summer. Serve with black or basmati rice, Tomato, Coconut and Spinach Dahl (see here) and Coconut Sambol (see here).

      400g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks

      1 tsp fenugreek seeds

      1 tsp red chilli powder

      2 tsp sea salt

      2 tbsp coconut oil

      1 tsp black mustard seeds

      handful of fresh curry leaves (or 2 tsp dried curry leaves)

      ½ red or white onion, thinly sliced

      1 garlic clove, crushed

      ⅔ green chilli, thinly sliced

      1 tomato, finely chopped

      1 tbsp Roasted Curry Powder (see here)

      200ml coconut milk

      cooked black or basmati rice, to serve

      1 Put the beetroot in a bowl with the fenugreek, chilli powder and 1 teaspoon of the salt and mix by hand.

      2 Heat a non-stick frying pan or wok (with a lid to hand) over a medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil and black mustard seeds and fry until they start to sizzle and spit, then add the curry leaves, swirling them around the pan with a wooden spoon to infuse the oil. Now, slide in the onion, garlic, green chilli and the remaining salt. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the onion is starting to colour, then add the beetroot and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring to combine it with the contents of the pan.

      3 Add the tomato and roasted curry powder and fry for a couple of minutes, until the tomato is starting to break down and release its juice, then add the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Cover and cook, stirring every now and then, for 10–15 minutes, until the beetroot is tender and cooked through and the curry is glossy and reduced. Remove from the heat and serve with rice and yoghurt flatbreads (see here), spinach dahl and coconut sambol on the opposite page.

      Tomato, coconut and spinach dahl

      Serves 4

       Frugal, nourishing and brilliantly flavourful, this dahl uses two kinds of lentil for added texture, and is vegan, so everyone can enjoy it. Before I started making my own, I always imagined dahl took hours and hours to cook, but if you soak the lentils ahead, it’s actually so quick to make. It’s perfect with beetroot curry (opposite) but is also great with a fried egg, roasted cauliflower or broccoli, some fried smoked tofu or aubergine on top.

      100g split red lentils

      50g split yellow or green lentils

      1 tsp salt, plus a pinch

      1 tbsp ground turmeric

      1 tbsp coconut oil

      1 tsp black mustard seeds

      handful of fresh curry leaves (or 2 tsp dried curry leaves)

      ½ red onion, diced

      ½ tsp cumin seeds

      1 garlic clove, crushed

      2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

      5 tbsp creamy coconut milk (fresh or tinned)

      2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      1 Soak

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