Become Nairn’s teacher’s pet

By Sam Wylie-Harris

Published:

Potato and Watercress Soup

Cook School’s Steak with Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar and Rocket

BUDDING chefs and foodies don’t have to go back to school to learn the basics of how to cook a delicious meal. In his latest book, TV celebrity chef Nick Nairn makes it look as easy as “ABC”, or in his words, “PTH”.

“Our philosophy for creating great food is based on three fundamental elements: produce, technique and harmony, or as we refer to them, PTH,” he says.

“Whether you’re making a five-course gourmet meal or a cheese sandwich, these are the areas you need to focus on, as each will dramatically affect the outcome of your cooking.”

Successful restaurateur Nairn, who is entirely self-taught, gives us a masterclass in everything from choosing which meat, fish and veg to put in our shopping basket to the best knives and pans needed to get the job done – as well as simple tips for things such as poaching eggs, jointing a chicken and making custard.

Students who are higher up the grade can skip a few pages and progress to filleting flat fish, preparing lobster and shucking king scallops.

“Buying whole fish and filleting them yourself is the best way to ensure quality and freshness, so don’t be afraid to give it a go,” encourages the Scot, who runs the acclaimed Nick Nairn Cookery School on the shores of the Lake of Menteith, about half-an-hour from Stirling.

All the recipes in the book (more than 120) have been tried and tested by the thousands of customers who have visited Nairn’s school since it opened in 2000. We’ve selected the following menu in the hope that you, too, can become top of the class.

Serves 4

“Add some raw spinach before liquidising for a really intense colour,” says John Webber, head tutor at the school.

30g (1oz) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 medium floury potatoes – about 200g (7oz) – peeled and cut into 5cm dice

1 litre (1

275g (10oz) watercress

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Creme fraiche and chopped fresh chives, to serve

Heat a medium saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. When melted and foaming, add the onion and sweat for 4-5 minutes over a low heat so that it cooks, but doesn’t colour. Add the garlic and sweat for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper.

The soup can be prepared to this stage, cooled and stored in the fridge for up to three days – or frozen if more convenient.

Wash the watercress really well in cold water and pick over to remove any discoloured leaves. Stalks are fine, but do remove any extra thick ones.

Add all the watercress in one go and boil for two minutes: this will set the colour and bring out the fresh, zingy flavour. Pour the soup into a blender and liquidise until smooth, passing it through a sieve for a smooth texture or through a chinois (a fine-mesh conical strainer) for a super-silky texture.

Serve immediately with a dollop of creme fraiche, chopped chives and extra freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 2

“A good vinegar is essential for a recipe as simple as this. When we cook this in a class, our Forum Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar jumps off the shop shelves,” says Alan Mathieson, senior tutor.

Mise en place – bring the meat to room temperature before guests arrive. For dinner parties, cook the steaks while preparing the starter. Set aside the frying pan and rest the steaks while you eat the starter. Reheat the pan and deglaze it prior to serving.

2 x 225g (8oz) rib-eye steaks

2 tblspn sunflower oil

20g (

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 tspn chopped fresh thyme

4 tblspn good-quality Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar

2 tblspn beef stock

2 tblspn olive oil

2 handfuls rocket

Parmesan cheese, freshly shaved

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a large, heavy frying pan on a high heat. Season the steaks well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the sunflower oil to the hot pan. When it starts to smoke, lay the steaks in the pan and don’t move them. It’s important to leave the steaks to create a good-coloured crust on the outside, so resist the temptation to move them around. After 2-3 minutes, little spots of blood will start to appear on the top of the steaks; they’re now ready to turn. Turn and cook again for another 2-3 minutes.

Turn the heat down, add the butter, crushed garlic and thyme, and baste the steaks. If your steaks have a particularly fatty edge, hold each steak on its side with kitchen tongs, press the fatty edge into the pan and allow to colour.

Remove the steaks from the pan and place on a warm metal tray in a warm place to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the vinegar and place the pan over a medium heat, deglaze the pan and reduce the vinegar by half. Add the stock (water or chicken stock will work just as well here) and again reduce by half. Add the olive oil, give a stir and remove from the heat. The vinaigrette will separate, but that’s fine.

Meanwhile, place the rocket into a bowl and toss with some of the warm vinaigrette. Place each steak on a warmed plate, pour the rest of the vinaigrette over them and top with the salad and some freshly shaved Parmesan. Serve with cream dauphinoise potatoes or chips. Pour a glass of gutsy, fruity red wine and enjoy.

Serves 6-8

Mise en place – assemble the pudding and leave to soak for up to 4 hours. Put in the oven when serving your starter. Although best served just after cooking, it can be cooked in advance, then warmed through or served at room temperature. If doing this, reduce cooking time by 5-7 minutes.

100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, softened

500g (1lb 2oz) Italian panettone, cut into 3cm (1¼in) thick slices

500ml (18fl oz) full-cream milk

500ml (18fl oz) double cream

1 vanilla pod

Finely grated zest of ½ medium orange

4 free-range eggs

4 free-range egg yolks

180g (6½oz) caster sugar

Small pinch of salt

Icing sugar, for dusting

Pouring cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Generously butter an ovenproof serving dish of about 4-5cm (1½-2in) depth and 1.5-litre (2½pt) capacity.

Lightly butter the slices of panettone and lay them in the serving dish, slightly overlapping in a single layer. Do not be tempted to add a second layer (a common mistake) as the slices will expand in cooking and too much dough will make the pudding heavy.

To start the custard base, put the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Split the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds and add these to the milk pan with the orange zest. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks with the sugar and a small pinch of salt until pale. Pour on the hot milk and cream, mixing well. Strain the cream mix over and around the panettone and allow to stand for three-four hours.

Place the dish in a roasting tin and carefully pour in hot water so that it half fills the tin and comes part way up the outside of the dish. Dust the top of the pudding with icing sugar and bake for about 45 minutes.

The exact time will depend on the type of oven used and the warmth of the custard when the pudding goes into the oven. When cooked, it will have a slight crust on top, but will still be slightly wobbly inside.

Remove the pudding from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Spoon portions of the pudding on to a warmed plate, dust with a little more icing sugar and serve with pouring cream.