Entertaining Home Cooking Made Easy

I'm Lorraine Pascale and this is all about home cooking.

Comfort recipes you can cook on crisp autumn days

and chilly winter evenings when you just crave food that nurtures.

And I have loads of ideas, for when you have time and when you haven't.

New twists on favourites,

cosy classics and fresh ideas.

And inspiration from all over the globe, brought right back home.

And, of course, I'll be showing you my know-how tricks and cheats.

This is relaxed and easy autumn home cooking,

one of life's great pleasures, and it feels good.

When it starts getting cold outside,

other than going to work, I just don't feel like going out.

I just want to be snuggled on the sofa, watching television,

eating delicious food with family and friends.

And I'm not one for big, posh dinner parties,

so for me, it's got to be food that everyone loves,

that looks good and tastes great.

For a hearty snack everyone will go crazy for,

classic home-made herbed baked scotch eggs.

They're so easy and always seem to be a real winner.

And then to go with cosy drinks, the simplest canape ever -

stylish goat's cheese truffles,

and there's not even any cooking involved -

which is great, now and again.

Then what I find knocks people's socks off,

a mini version of the classic dinner party favourite -

beef Wellingtons with morel mushrooms, sherry and thyme.

Perfect for this time of year.

Now, if you ever get nervous cooking for guests

then that dish will make things a lot easier.

To fill the house with a wafting smell of baking bread,

and please your guests,

do no more than this - bake 21st-century bread.

It's so quick and easy. It's one of my basic recipes.

And then when it's cold outside, and you want something warming,

hearty and casual,

the answer is paella.

This one-pan Spanish classic, with its robust flavours

and vibrant autumnal colours, tastes as good as it looks.

Last, but definitely not least,

my big fat tipsy trifle.

A dinner party centrepiece, flambeed.

A different take on a classic dessert, and great fun to make.

So, e-mail your friends - staying in has just become the new going out.

I've got this kind of strange routine,

and that's whenever I go on a long car journey,

I'll stop at a petrol station about halfway

and I buy myself, of all things, a Scotch egg.

It's become a bit of an obsession, really, and I love them so much

that I've started to make home-made ones and give them to friends

for when they come round.

All it takes is a few bowls, bit of a production line

and it's really quite simple.

I've got sausages, four hard-boiled eggs,

some flour with a bit of mustard and salt and pepper,

two more eggs, just lightly beaten,

and then I need

a few more breadcrumbs...

..and some nutmeg.

A pinch, like that.

I love nutmeg.

And a bit of thyme.

Fresh thyme is best but dried thyme works just as well.

Strip off the leaves.

And then salt and pepper.

And pepper.

Right, I'm all set.

So, I've got these sausages here, lovely herby sausages,

and I've removed the casing, just with a pair of scissors.

I need about one and a half of these.

You just need to squish them down

on the clingfilm like that. Get it really, really thin as you can.

It helps wrap the sausage meat around the egg.

Get it nice and flat.

And then I've got an egg here, hard-boiled egg.

I only boiled it for five minutes - less than I normally would.

Because it's going to cook for more in the oven,

I didn't want to overcook it.

Then you get that nasty black ring around the yolk.

The seasoning there. And dip the egg in the flour.

This just makes the sausage meat stick more readily onto the egg,

and adds a bit of flavour.

Pop that in the middle there

and then just draw up the sides

of the clingfilm around the egg.

There'll be holes and gaps but we can patch that up later.

You make a little sack like that, sort of squeezing it all up.

And then just turn it round and round like that.

It just gives you a head start

in getting the sausage meat around the egg.

Undo it.

There. So, we've got a bit of excess,

so I can just pinch that off, and then roll it roughly in the hands.

This is a very tactile dish.

OK? Happy with that.

And then just dip it in the egg, round and round.

This will help the breadcrumbs to stick.

Messy fingers!

And then into the breadcrumbs. Just toss it around, get it all covered.

Sort of squeeze it a little bit so they stay on.

And that's it.

Scotch egg.

And it's exactly the same with the other three.

I'll spritz them with oil and then put them in the oven at 200 degrees.

Wow! These look great.

They've been cooking for about 25 minutes.

Now, let me take one of these...

and cut it open.

Ohh, look at that!

Now...

these are great for sharing,

with family or with friends.

Or not!

Delicious home-made Scotch eggs,

and not a motorway in sight.

So, when you've got friends coming round,

home-made canapes is a really nice idea. The good thing about these is

you can make them a little ahead of time, pop them in the fridge

and then pull them out about 30 minutes before the guests arrive,

so they're not too cold.

You just need 300g of goat's cheese, and it gets seasoned

with some salt and black pepper, and mix through.

Then it's broken into about 20 bite-sized pieces.

These are rolled into smooth little balls, about an inch in diameter,

which get coated all over with honey, loosened with a bit of water.

Now you can coat all the truffles in one thing,

like these chopped chives.

But I like to mix it up. Sesame seeds taste great.

And for a third coating, pink peppercorns.

Looks great next to the green of the chives

and I like the sweet heat of the spice.

I love recipes like this, that are foolproof and a bit show-offy,

and easy to make.

And here's another one.

The in-laws are coming over tomorrow and I'm a little bit nervous,

and I was thinking of the best thing I could make to eat.

It needs to be relatively stress-free but still quite showy,

so I thought it has to be my mini beef Wellingtons

with morel mushrooms and sherry.

Delicious.

So, what I've got here are four beef fillets.

I like to make my beef Wellingtons individual ones,

rather than the long ones. They're a bit more modern.

So, these are going to cook again in the oven,

and so the reason I'm cooking them first is to get that lovely colour,

which adds so much more flavour.

There you are -

that lovely golden-brown colour, just what you're looking for.

They just release from the pan really easily.

OK, I'm happy with those. Just pop them onto the plate.

Because they're going to get a longer cooking when they go back in the oven with the pastry on.

Now I'll get on with my shallots.

Beautiful sweet shallots.

I just want these to cook down for about three to four minutes

and whilst those are cooking, let's get on with my mushrooms.

I want to chop these up really finely,

so I just start by slicing them.

I really love chestnut mushrooms.

I find they have a much more nutty flavour

than your normal button mushrooms.

And then just roughly chop them across.

Very roughly.

That's fine. OK.

Then I put them into this mix...

..with a little bit more butter, just to add a bit more flavour.

That should do it.

And now, the morels.

Now, I LOVE morel mushrooms.

They have the most wonderful, wonderful smell,

and they taste out-of-this-world.

With these, you buy them dry from the supermarket.

You just need to soak them in water for about half an hour.

It gets them nice and rehydrated,

and there's that lovely liquid left over

that you can put in stocks or soups. It is divine.

And these don't need to go in for as long as the chestnut mushrooms.

I love these things.

Really roughly chop them up.

I'll just add the morels to that.

And then a good glug of sherry.

Just pour that in, about a glassful.

You don't have to be exact.

And then whack up the heat.

You want that to bubble away until the liquid's all but disappeared.

The smells are amazing.

And whilst that's reducing, I'm going to get on with my thyme.

I want to add about a handful of these to the mushroom mix.

Just put that into the mix with those lovely mushrooms.

Great. Pastry.

I took a big block of puff pastry and then rolled it

into a really big square,

and then just cut it into four smaller squares,

and then just popped it back in the fridge so it was easy to handle.

So, these just get a blob of this mushroom mix.

One blob in the centre.

There.

And then the beef.

So, just put one down in the centre like that.

It's a really easy dish.

And that juice that's come out of the beef...

..can get poured in for the sauce later.

Delicious!

OK, so they all need a little bit of egg wash, just so that

when I wrap the pastry around the beef, the pastry will stick nicely.

All the way round.

And then I've just got to wrap it up like a parcel.

So, I just fold the corner to the centre, like that.

And then flip it the right way up,

and then shape it into a rough oval-circle shape.

I'll just do the next ones.

Keep folding all the corners to the centre and gathering everything up.

Round and round like that, to make a very rough circle shape.

That's me done for now.

So, the in-laws are almost here.

I've just got a couple more things to do.

Slash the tops so they don't puff up too much in the oven,

and it lets the steam come out.

Just three in the top is fine.

A bit of egg wash for that glaze when it comes out of the oven.

It's just some lightly beaten egg.

Here you go. Get it round the sides as well.

And then these go into the oven for about 14 minutes at 200 degrees.

And meanwhile, I'm going to make a sauce.

Now, this sauce is one of the simplest sauces I know how to make

but it's so, so tasty.

All it is, is the remainder of the mushroom mix, a splash of sherry -

just let it bubble away for about ten seconds -

and then double cream.

It's going to be SO good!

So, this will be ready in about two minutes,

and I'm going to serve it with a green salad - watercress,

bit of sherry vinegar, and some extra virgin olive oil.

Then I pour the sauce into the jug and I'm done.

OK, all done.

DOORBELL RINGS

And now time for a stress-free evening.

Hopefully.

Mm! So good!

I wouldn't say I'm particularly Mrs Green Fingers,

but I am passionate about growing my own herbs.

Whether it's everyday cooking, or entertaining,

I just seem to use so many of them in my dishes,

and this is what I'm growing at the moment.

Bay and rosemary.

Admittedly, I do sometimes use dried bay leaves,

but with rosemary, it's always fresh.

Then there's sage, which goes beautifully with pork.

And thyme, good for those hearty beef and lamb dishes.

And parsley, mint, chives and basil,

which I grow outside until the weather gets too cold,

and then they grow quite happily in the kitchen.

And my newest recruit, although not a herb but tasty all the same -

chilli.

But right now, I need some chives.

When I've got friends coming round and I've made a nice meal,

I sometimes like to serve it with this bread.

It's my 21st-century bread

and it's filled with cheese, ham and chives.

It's ready from start to finish in under an hour.

OK, flour first. Self-raising flour - 425g.

Then a teaspoon of baking powder.

Half a teaspoon of salt.

And 150g of grated, mature cheddar.

Then the ham. Six slices of honey roast ham,

rolled and snipped into little bits.

Then chives - half a bunch, snipped again, right into the bowl.

Then a few twists of pepper,

a teaspoon of paprika

and a teaspoon of mustard powder.

Now 200ml of water.

Then stir it with a spoon and squidge it together

and form it into a ball.

Then the dough gets tipped onto the counter.

Then shape it into a ball.

I like to do this by bringing the edges of the dough

right into the middle.

Then I flatten it a bit, so it cooks more quickly,

pop it onto a baking tray, then with a really sharp knife,

make three slashes in the top of the loaf.

Sprinkle on another ten grams of grated cheddar,

then whack it in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes at 200 degrees.

There's just nothing like the smell of freshly-baked bread

to make your home feel really cosy.

OVEN BEEPS

When it's golden-brown and smells cooked, it's ready,

and I think the best way to serve this is still hot from the oven,

slathered in butter.

OK, home cooking.

When the nights are drawing in and I've got friends round,

I like to cook them something spicy and warming,

and because I'm a huge fan of Spanish food,

the ingredient I find myself using time and time again is chorizo.

Wow, this is so exciting.

Here in Barcelona they are crazy about sausages. Well, pork, really.

Just have a look at this selection!

And, of course, my favourite sausage - the chorizo.

Think I'll have that one right there.

-Gracias.

-Thank you.

Now, for me, chorizo is a crucial ingredient in paella,

and when it's cold outside and you want a big dish of something hearty,

Spanish food is the way to go.

Now, I just LOVE paella -

the flavours, the colours,

and, on the odd occasion that friends do come round,

I like to just plonk it in the centre of the table, where everyone can help themselves.

OK. I've got two chicken breasts here.

Just season with a bit of salt and pepper.

OK, now, that oil is nice and hot,

so I'll just put the chicken in.

That's what you want to hear - that sizzle.

What I want is these to be nice and brown all over.

And now the chorizo. Roughly 100g.

And this adds real smokiness to the dish.

Throw that in.

As the chorizo's cooking, I'm just getting these wonderful flavours.

It's just beautiful.

OK, now the garlic.

Finely chopped. That only needs about a minute - it burns so easily.

OK.

And then paprika.

Now, a pinch adds lots of colour and loads of flavour.

I'm just going to let the pan cool down a little bit.

And now I'm going to add some sherry.

Seriously good stuff.

Right, this might flame up but it might not.

No, we got lucky that time. About 150ml of sherry.

I'll whack up the heat and let that bubble away,

just to drive off that strong alcoholic taste.

And I'll go and get the rice.

Right. Now, I need 300g of arborio rice,

and I don't think I've got enough, so I'm going to top it up with basmati.

I did this before and it tasted great.

So, this goes straight in with the chicken.

There - like that.

And then a little bit of basmati.

Sprinkle that on.

Just roughly 100g.

And then stock.

It's so important to use a really good chicken stock.

Just pour that in there. You need about 400ml.

Then whack up the heat, and as soon as it's boiling,

turn it down and let it simmer for about 30 minutes,

and then halfway through, I'm going to put a lid on top.

Now pan number two.

So, I need a good drizzle of olive oil.

Get that nice and hot.

And then spring onions.

About half-centimetre slices.

Pop them in the pan.

I've got these prawns here.

Big shell-on prawns, and I like to keep the head and the tails on.

It makes the dish look so much more authentic.

I've got about ten here.

So, just throw those in.

So, I'm going to cook them for about three minutes,

and what I'm looking for is for them to go from that green

to a wonderful pink colour. Beautiful.

So, about 15 minutes has passed.

I'm going to pop a lid on the paella.

And because I don't have a lid that fits this exactly,

I'm just going to use a baking tray.

Right, now I need 150g of peas.

I'm just looking for the peas to defrost.

Only takes a couple of minutes.

And now more sherry.

I need about 75ml.

And then just let it boil away for one or two minutes,

just to drive off that really strong alcoholic taste.

OK, this should be ready about now.

Beautiful.

Just going to add this to the rice.

Scrape it in.

These colours look so stunning.

Right, now seasoning.

And pepper.

And salt.

All-important salt.

There. Give it a quick stir through.

And some of the rice has just stuck to the bottom, just a little bit.

And that's exactly what you want. It just adds a bit of texture.

And finally, parsley.

Just adds a little bit more colour and extra flavour as well.

Just sprinkle that on the top.

Ahh, that looks gorgeous!

OK.

That's dinner ready.

So, that's canapes, nibbles, mains and bread.

Now it's time for dessert. It's a home cooking classic

but a bit different to what most people are used to.

There's no cooking involved, just culinary engineering,

it's very rewarding, and it's one of those real centrepieces.

Oh, and there's fire involved.

So, trifle.

It's almost like a national treasure,

and it seems that everyone's got their own version,

and I've got mine, but it's a little bit different.

It's still fruity, creamy and spongy,

but it's kind of got a little Italian vibe.

-Hi, how are you?

-Morning. How are you?

-Can I get some amaretti biscuits, please?

-Of course.

Thank you.

And I'd also like some...

amaretto.

Thank you. OK, that's it.

Amaretto and amaretti, and I'm good to go.

So, these are the credentials of my big fat tipsy trifle.

It's easy to make, ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes,

and it's great for serving a crowd.

So, I'm going to start off with the Madeira sponge, shop-bought.

And it just needs to be sliced up. Thin slices.

And I like to use a serrated knife so that it doesn't crumble so much.

That should be all right for the first layer.

So, just take a piece of sponge.

And place it - I'll do it there -

in the bottom of the trifle dish.

Squish it down a bit.

All the way round.

And the beauty of this dish is there's no cooking involved,

so you can whip it up at the last minute.

And I like to use the brown side on the outside,

so it looks the same all the way round.

And then just squash it down flat like that.

And now the amaretto.

So, you can use any alcohol you want, really -

sherry, limoncello, brandy or rum -

but I have chosen this tipple.

And then just soak the sponge, just dab it with a brush, all over.

If you don't want to use alcohol, use some apple or lemon juice.

I do this because it just adds some lovely flavour.

And now strawberries.

I've tried to cut them up so they're all the same height.

You just want to put them with the cut side facing outwards. Like that.

They sit on top of the sponge.

And then just put them all the way around the outside like that.

And they'll just stick to the sponge.

Now, inside there go the amaretti biscuits,

and then just crush them straight in.

Crush them in like that. Spread them out.

Just to give a lovely bit of crunch.

And now the cream.

So, just a dollop in the centre.

I've got about 900ml of cream in here - double cream -

and a little bit of vanilla extract,

and about 100g of icing sugar to sweeten.

Very gently, just let the cream fall in-between the strawberries.

I like to do this quite neatly.

For some reason, I've become quite pedantic about my trifles.

All the way round. As level as possible.

And now my favourite layer - chocolate.

And I've chosen white chocolate but you can use milk chocolate or dark.

All are very good.

OK. That's the first layer,

and I just need to do that two more times.

If you think that looks good, take a look at this.

So, some people like to flambe sambuca or Christmas pudding

but I like to flambe my trifle.

So, I've just got some amaretto here in the ladle

and I'm just passing it over a low flame, just to get warm.

So, when I'm doing this kind of thing,

I've always got a pan lid ready,

just in case I need to put out the flames.

There you are. It's just catching now.

And there.

I love that!

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