Making the Most of It Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day

I'm Nigel Slater.

I'm someone who cooks by instinct and impulse.

I tend not to follow recipes,

I just make things up

depending on what I fancy at the time and whatever ingredients I have to hand.

I'd no idea how that was going to turn out.

Do you know, I'm really quite pleased with that.

It's exactly the same when I shop.

I usually just buy whatever catches my eye and work out what I'm going to cook as the week unfolds.

I like to vary my shopping week by week and come up with great ideas,

and with a bit of creative thinking you really can cook delicious food every day of the week.

I'm going to show you how I make the most of my weekly shop,

to give you ideas how to not waste a bit of yours.

This week, I'll be making the most of the ingredients that arrive in abundance,

like blackberries, figs and tomatoes, and finding clever ways to put them to delicious use.

Sometimes my favourite meal is the one I make just before I go shopping.

And one particular dish, a frittata, is a delicious way of clearing the fridge.

It's so easy to waste things when you've only got a little bit left.

But if you use them like this, then you get a chance to use them up.

So, I've got four eggs, a little bit of salt and pepper.

And then a light whisk with a fork.

It's just a question of breaking up the egg yolks and the whites, you don't actually have to beat it.

In fact, it's better if you don't.

So I've got a pan on the heat, a little bit of butter just a thin slice.

And melt that.

And, you know, I've got spinach, but it can be any leaf,

anything that will just cook lightly and then go in with the eggs is fine.

And you don't really need to cook this, just soften it, just let the leaves wilt.

You still want the colours to be bright and vivid.

You know, it's barely a minute's cooking time.

There we are, done.

If you've got some herbs, thyme, rosemary or basil, they'll work nicely with the eggs.

And put some more butter in the pan.

And now for the main event.

Put the spinach in with the eggs.

You know, you could put a little bit of cooked bacon in here, or some ham maybe that's left and needs using.

I've even put a cold sausage in there before now, chopped up.

So, as soon as the butter starts to sizzle very lightly, pour in the eggs.

Now, because this is thicker than an omelette, you don't want to cook it on too high a heat.

Keep the heat moderate to fairly low.

One must-have topping for a frittata is cheese.

I've spent quite a lot on this, but it really needs to be used today.

Pretty much any kind will work on a frittata.

But this goat's cheese is going to feel like a luxury.

If I'd got any other sort of cheese, I would probably have cut it into small cubes, maybe grate it.

But these will actually work really well left as rounds.

Every now and again, just take a peep underneath to see what's happening.

You want it to be a little bit golden, not too brown,

and it needs to come away from the pan quite easily.

Looks like it's ready to go under the grill.

A frittata is such a brilliant dish.

The eggs will bind just about anything together,

and you'll have something filling and full of flavour in a matter of minutes.

So when it's all puffed and golden, still almost a little bit liquid, slide it onto a plate.

I think that's a very good way of using up a bit of spinach and a little bit of cheese.

This flash-in-the-pan solution is a great start to the weekend.

Sometimes, for whatever reason, there's a glut in the shops

or some special offers that are too good to miss.

When that happens, I tend to buy now and think later.

When they're in season, I often go and pick a big bag of blackberries,

but these ones, on the turn, and on offer, have given me a fantastic idea.

I'm done.

Lovely.

When you're needing inspiration for what to do with an abundance of seasonal foods,

having a great relationship with your shopkeeper can be really useful.

I love your little tips on the blackboard, the recipes.

Well, we often get a lot of people coming in and not really knowing what to do,

they kind of get stuck in their old ways and so we kind of try and help out a little bit, really.

So...and fruit's brilliant at this time of year.

That's a really, really nice idea.

-Lovely. Thank you very much.

-There we go. Thank you.

-See you later.

-Bye.

This week, along with some of the regulars,

I've got a plentiful supply of some delicious ripe ingredients.

And I'm going to find some unusual ways to make the most of them.

I don't usually think about my Sunday roast the night before,

but those blackberries need to be used soon.

And since I have the perfect plan,

it's worth putting a bit of time in now for what will be an amazing Sunday lunch.

The idea behind this is that I've got sharp but sweet blackberries

and I'm going to cook them with a lovely piece of juicy fatty pork.

Now, I can do this with a fork.

but sometimes you just want to get your hands in there.

And sometimes I like making a mess. The truth is you'll make a better job of it with your hands.

You're going to crush all the berries,

not to a jam, you actually want to feel there are a few whole berries in there.

But you want to get all of that juice, because it's the juice that is going to marinade with the pork.

I just want to make sure the juices from the fruit

can find their way into my handsome piece of pork shoulder.

Pork is one those quite rich meats with quite a bit of fat, so the idea of having fruit with it,

something a little bit sweet, a little bit sharp, will help to cut through the fattiness.

I'm going to leave this glorious looking thing in the fridge overnight,

let the blackberries work their magic and then see what's happened in the morning.

Just going to take out the piece of meat, put it into the roasting tin.

And then all the blackberries and their juice need to go in with the pork.

And then that simply goes in the oven, quite a low oven, about 160 for a good hour or more.

This is lazy Sunday cooking at its best.

In the roasting tin with the pork, I've got the most incredible juices,

a mixture of the roasting juices from the pork and the blackberries,

so savoury and a little bit sweet.

And I want to harness all that flavour, I don't want to waste a drop of it.

So, just before the pork has had its time basking in the heat,

get some onions on to soften in a little olive oil.

They're going to bulk out a fruity, flavoursome gravy.

So while those soften, I'm going to get the joint out of the oven.

This deep, almost black colour is nothing to be alarmed about.

It's not burnt, it's just an intense blackberry crust.

While the pork rests, I'm going to get to work on my sauce.

I'm going to add a little bit of stock to it.

All these sticky gooey bits on the tin are full of flavour, so just scrape away.

A sprinkle of flour will help make my gravy lusciously thick.

Then just ladle all of these fruit and pork juices in with the onions.

Need some salt and pepper.

It's sweet, it's sharp, it's savoury, it's everything I want it to be.

It's just fabulous.

That wonderful black-and-purple crust on the meat, it's all juicy inside,

then that fruity crackling outside.

A showstopper like this is well worth waiting for.

Pork is a meat that just cries out for some fruity flavours.

Beautiful purpley crust on the outside.

If you can afford to take your time with cooking you'll really enjoy this recipe.

This succulent joint showcases sweet and savoury flavours at their finest.

And I could have made a jar of jam, with those blackberries, and I'm so glad I didn't.

That is the best use for a glut of fruit I've ever seen.

I wanted to make the most of the leftovers from yesterday's roast,

but I wanted something very different.

So I've balanced the sweetness of the blackberries with some sharp sour olives and lots of lemon juice.

It's very, very different.

It's a completely different flavour, and it was made in minutes.

However you cook your pork roast, make sure you buy a joint big enough to feed you on Monday as well.

It's easy to transform the leftovers into an entirely different dish.

If you've got any of its juicy crackling left, by simply frying it,

you can capture a dressing full of amazing flavour all over again.

And adding a squeeze of lemon will give a fresh spark of sharpness.

Slide in a few sliced green olives.

And then simply dress some rocket leaves with the contents of the pan

and carve up whatever slices of pork you can find to serve.

It really is that simple to make the most of the lingering flavours second time around.

Every fruit has its season, and figs really excite me when they arrive in abundance.

They just work brilliantly in both sweet and savoury recipes.

They don't always play ball though, and this week, mine haven't ripened as I'd hoped.

But that's not an excuse to let them go to waste.

What I love about flapjacks is that you've almost always got the ingredients in the cupboard.

There's nearly always sugar, butter, oats and a little bit of dried fruit.

I'm using golden caster sugar, I could have used Demerara, and I want 100g of it.

It's the minute it starts to rain or the wind gets up.

It's just that feeling that I want to be baking,

and I want to make all those wonderful baking smells in the kitchen,

when you get butter and flour and sugar and things.

Use 150g of butter.

I'm using maple syrup rather than golden syrup, because I love the flavour it gives.

But also because it happens to be what I've got in the cupboard.

And I want about 175ml of this.

And all of that needs to be bubbled up into a big pan.

And I'm using a coarse rolled oat...

..which means that these are going to be very crumbly biscuits.

They're not going to be like the sort of thing that you buy.

These are very definitely homemade.

And then for some dried fruit, 100g of sultanas and I've got some dried apricots.

Combine all the ingredients into the bubbling buttery mixture.

A few ground almonds will bring everything together into the sticky consistency I'm after.

This is like I want my kitchen to smell every baking day, of hot syrup and butter and sugar.

The mixture then just needs to be spooned into a lined baking tin.

Sometimes, when these come out of the oven, I trickle melted chocolate over the top,

just depends on how I'm feeling.

Now, into that I'm going to put my figs.

Most fruits that refuse to ripen as you want them to, all they need is a little bit of sugar and heat

in order to be absolutely delicious.

And then I'm just going to trickle a little bit more syrup on top.

Going to bake these at 160, probably for about 20, 25 minutes.

When figs are in season, they're cheap to buy.

Whether ripened or not, I just knew this would put them to good use.

Oh, look, look, look, look, it's all crumbly.

That is gorgeous.

It's buttery, and it's crumbly and it's sweet, and then you've got that little slice of fresh fig.

That's a treat in anybody's books.

I've made the best of those figs,

and I've got a delicious batch of colourful delights to see me through the rest of the week.

Chloe the greengrocer is a real champion of seizing the day

with fresh ingredients that fill her shop as they spring into season.

Oh, I love the way you keep your herbs.

Oh, God, you can smell them.

The minute you open the lid, it just wafts up.

That is a perfect way to keep them.

She's so generous sharing her recipe ideas with her customers,

so I'm returning the favour by popping around to cook her a meal,

using a vegetable that can often be a little neglected.

So you've got a nice little pile of good things here.

An abundance of veg.

I suppose this is what you get in the home of somebody who runs a greengrocer's shop.

That is very true, yes, we do end up bringing home quite a bit,

it's just kind of part of the job isn't it, really.

-Can I steal a couple of your courgettes?

-You sure can.

So I can rummage through your cupboards, can't I?

-May I use these?

-Yeah.

-These little pine nuts.

The moment I saw those courgettes,

I just had an idea of something that I think might be a new way of using these.

-There are certain times of the year when it seems neverending courgettes.

-Mm-hm.

I've never actually done this, but I've always wondered whether you could sort of use them as pasta.

I'm not going to peel the courgette.

I'm just going to take strips with a vegetable peeler all the way down the length.

That's a new way of doing it.

These courgettes will soak up a delicious pesto, starting with garlic as the backbone.

Just a single clove of that, if I may.

Do you find that since you've had the greengrocer's that your eating at home as changed?

Definitely. I think veg has become the main part of our meal instead of a side.

I love traditional greengrocer's, fishmonger's, cheesemonger's. I love them,

and to actually see a shop...that's just filled me with inspiration.

I mean, it is a very lovely shop.

Your customers must presumably, as well as getting a bit of advice from you...

I mean, I see all your recipes and things up...do they share tips with you and things?

Yeah, definitely.

People are always willing to share with you what they're doing with their vegetables,

and there's a bit of proudness that goes with a lot of people and their cooking.

-And there is a sense of community in that shop.

-Oh, definitely.

Well, it's been a greengrocer's for 65 years

and a lot of our customers have been there for more than 65 years.

Then come the classic ingredients.

Have you got any herbs in here?

Yeah, I think we've got some nice fresh basil in there.

I was hoping you'd say you'd got some basil.

I'm just going to rough that up a bit.

-Smell that basil!

-Smells really good, doesn't it?

A splash of olive oil.

The pine nuts.

It's looking quite good.

-Hmm, it looks great.

-Smells good.

And a sprinkle of whatever cheese is in the fridge.

Oh, pecorino!

That's quite good looking.

And the lemon will add freshness.

Now for the courgettes.

I'm going to pop all of these ribbons of courgette into there.

On a fairly low heat because I don't actually want them to brown.

I just want them to be very fresh.

OK.

That's pretty much done.

A little taste.

Oh, glory!

That's better than I thought it'd be.

Mmm.

Oh, that's good.

-So, there we are.

-That looks great.

Oh, it smells good!

Lovely.

It's great that the pine nuts are still whole, it adds a bit more kind of texture and crunch, doesn't it?

In pesto sauces I think they can be too smooth,

and it just ends up like a basil paste,

whereas if you leave the nuts in, you get that little bit of crunchiness.

Well, I'm pleased with the lemon, it just freshens the whole thing up and with the pepperiness of the basil...

Definitely, it's a great combination.

I'm quite pleased with that.

Any gardener or veg-shop owner will tell you when the courgettes are in season

you can never find enough ways to cook them, and I think this is one of my favourites.

There's a certain time of year, late summer,

when the tomatoes ripen in the garden and their flavour is extraordinary.

They are also in abundance in the shops and great value.

whichever way I get them, I always end up with far too many,

but I'm certainly not going to leave them hanging around.

Peel a cucumber...

..make big slices and scoop out the watery seeds.

Then chop into bite-size chunks.

Follow suit with a peeled avocado.

Then my glut of tomatoes.

Finely chop a red onion...

..and combine everything in a bowl.

Tear in some coriander leaves.

Trickle in some sherry vinegar and olive oil.

And adding a few flakes of smoked trout will liven things up.

I really wanted to celebrate the freshness of the tomato, rather than using my glut for a sauce or a soup.

This really is my favourite way to use up an abundance of them.

It's so good.

I like to keep stocked up with a few trusty tins,

but when there's an offer on at the shops, I can get carried away and buy too many.

I really don't like to leave them gathering dust in the cupboard,

and, come the end of the week, those tins can be just the thing you reach for.

I've got a duck breast. I bought it earlier in the week and haven't got round to using it.

Now, it's really not worth putting the oven on for that,

and I could grill it, but, you know, I think I'm just going to make a little one-pan supper.

That skin will be really delicious when it's crisp.

I'm just going to slash it a little bit, just so that it really crisps up in the pan.

There's so much rich fat in that duck that I don't need to add anything else to the pan.

No olive oil, no butter, because it's all there.

Going to get that pan really quite hot.

All the duck needs is a little bit of salt.

Duck works beautifully with fruit, but I've already had my pork and blackberries,

so instead, I'm going to balance its richness with something that may at first sound bland.

I've got some cannellini beans.

Take a little look at that skin.

You want it to be really golden and already quite crisp before you turn it.

Look at that.

I could rinse these beans, but I'm just going to tip off some of this liquid,

because I want some of that moisture in there.

Add them to the pan and just give them a few minutes to sizzle with the duck.

Whenever I see cannellini beans, I automatically think what herb I'm going to use with them,

and very often it's rosemary.

Already this has got a little bit of an Italian theme going to it,

with the rosemary and the cannellini beans, and I do want a little bit more flavour in there.

I'm going to experiment with some marsala.

This kind of fortified wine works wonders in cooking like this.

And smells of Christmas... straight away.

Not much.

Season the beans. They don't need much salt, but they will appreciate plenty of pepper.

What I'm hoping might happen is that if I crush the beans a little bit, you'll get a mixture of textures,

you'll get whole beans, some broken or crushed beans and then maybe even a sort of bean puree.

It makes it a much more interesting thing to eat.

Set the duck aside to rest.

And when it's had a few minutes, simply slice it up and serve with the beans.

This is just what I needed after a long week.

It's the creamy, almost blandness of the beans and then you've got the back note of rosemary and marsala...

..and it just works so beautifully with the richness of the duck.

It's a balanced dish and it was made, what, 10 minutes.

A comforting can of beans has turned into a real treat,

and the flavour of the crisp duck breast has transformed this dish.

This week, I've gorged guilt-free on some deliciously ripe foods...

..and a humble tin of beans came to my rescue.

Next time, I'll be making a few store-cupboard ingredients the star of the show,

by cooking a few recipes that prove everyday staples can be much more exciting than we think.

Very nice way to use up a pint of milk.

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