Recipe: Charred squid with a new take on Greek salad

Charred squid with greek salad

Well how about that then? The birthplace of moussaka and mythology has managed to avoid its own ‘Grexit’ (what a horrid term?) and remains, for now, part of the Eurozone. But while I’m hardly an expert in the intricacies of the relationship between the IMF, Brussels, Angela Merkel and our Hellenic friends, I feel like this dish is a suitable way of celebrating the agreement, even if it may be a tad premature to pop the corks just yet.
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In review: Berber & Q

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As should be apparent from a quick glance into my archives, I’m really quite keen on small plates and caring-sharing setups over the dinner table. A reflection of how our attention spans have narrowed to that of a gnat, even the way we consume food hasn’t escaped the 140-character-style morsels. It seems like a restaurant can’t open (in London anyway) without it investing heavily in side plates, tiny crockpots and mini rustic boards. Despite the slightly sneery way some regard the ‘trend’, nevertheless it’s a very sociable way to eat.
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Recipe: Harissa chicken with soft herbs and shaved raw asparagus salad

Harissa chicken with soft herb and shaved asparagus salad

OK, I get it. Salads can be dead boring. But this bright and satisfying dish certainly isn’t any ordinary chicken salad. Weirdly I’m really into finely slicing and shaving raw vegetables at the moment – the crunch of the asparagus and sugar snaps here is a great contrast to the supple chicken, but you could also add something like fennel if you wanted extra freshness. Similarly, if chicken’s not your thing, prawns or a griddled fish fillet will work equally well with the harissa, a spicy North African chilli paste.

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Recipe: Garam masala cod with charred green vegetables, watercress and a killer curry sauce

Garam masala cod with charred green vegetables, watercress and a killer curry sauce

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll have seen I dabble in a bit of cooking. A few brave souls have asked me for recipes to some of the dishes I rustle up so here’s the first. Enjoy.

This is one of those cracking low fat, low carb recipes for when you’ve got tickling for a takeaway but want something a little healthier. OK, so it won’t quite hit the same spot as a ghee-laden, mega-madras complete with pillowy naans bigger than your face, but it also won’t leave you groaning on the sofa, calculating how many burpees it’ll take to burn that bad-boy off.

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In review: José Pizarro, Broadgate Circle

Jose Pizarro - a view down the bar
The City is strange place. What is a bustling hub alive with endeavour, exaggeration and excess on work days becomes an eerily deserted collection of marbled squares and pitch black chain pubs at the weekend, as if traders are Cinderella-esque characters who leg it, afraid they’ll turn into gourds come 5pm on a Friday.

It was wandering through one such abandoned expanse of polished mineral, en route to the gym, that me and the other half first laid eyes upon Broadgate Circus, a rounded hollow barely a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street station. The jazzy decals in the windows bore evidence of the impending opening of José Pizarro’s latest venture, a prospect that, to us, was rather exciting.

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From Lardo to FOMO: the paralysis of choice

Lardo - small plates, Italian tapas, whatever, it all tastes great

The stickers in the window say it all. Harden’s. Good Food Guide. Time Out. Square Meal. Michelin recommended. Toptable Diner’s Choice. A food hygiene rating of 5. Even a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence (read into that what you will). Lardo in Hackney has the lot.

This may sound like one of the most sarcastic introductions to an article ever but is in fact a simultaneous ode to and lament of small plates, tapas or cicchetti.
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