Spicy and Cool Nigel Slater's Simple Cooking

I'm Nigel Slater.

I don't think cooking needs to be complicated.

Sometimes the simplest combinations

will produce the most stunning results.

And that's what this series is all about.

Think surf and turf, soft and crisp, sweet and sour.

It's light and it's fresh, it's hot and it's cold

and there's all sorts of things going on, all of which I love.

I'll be reinventing old favourites

and trying something completely new.

And that's when it's sensational, when it really, really works.

Once you understand the reasons certain combinations work so well,

I hope I'll inspire you to be creative too.

It's truly, truly gorgeous.

Today is all about spicy and cool.

A great curry can be given a cooling note with something creamy

but I want to see how spices can work in some unexpected dishes,

like puddings, and how a refreshing salad can cool down some fiery meat.

And I want to see how other cooks

make fabulous and simple food combinations too.

Oh, my goodness.

Whenever I think of spices, particularly the really hot ones,

I think of curry. I do like my curries hot.

Best of all, I like them when that heat is tempered with something cooling.

This chicken and chilli dish is a really special supper.

It takes a bit more time than just phoning for a takeaway

but it's a glorious treat and hard to get wrong.

It's much easier than you'd think to make curry from scratch.

I start by making a spice paste.

I'm using lemongrass and ginger for a touch of heat.

The real heat comes from chillies.

I tend to leave the seeds in when I'm making curry.

It'll mean more spice, more heat.

If you take them out, you'll get a milder effect.

I always like some garlic in my curries.

The great thing about recipes like this,

is that once you've made one, they become your own

and you decide whether you want it gingery, or lemony,

hotter, cooler...whatever.

It's suddenly your recipe.

I almost always put coriander in a curry.

You can use mint, too.

And I want a citrus flavour in there too.

And for me, that means lime.

The lime zest goes into the spice paste.

Then I use the juice in small amounts

to adjust the flavour at the end.

There might seem like a lot of ingredients

but whizzing it up is just a matter of seconds.

Put in a little bit of seasoning.

Some fish sauce and a little bit of dark soy.

Finally the spice paste needs something cooling and sweet.

I'm going to use fresh tomatoes.

A good, hot curry always works when you've something fruity in there.

Today I've got some chicken thighs in fridge.

I'm going to brown them in a shallow pan in a little sunflower oil.

I want to get the outside a little bit crisp.

Once the chicken's browned,

I don't need all the fat that's left in the pan.

But I'll leave a little to fry the spice paste.

This'll take the raw edge from the garlic and ginger.

And straightaway I can almost smell the heat.

What I want is something to temper that heat, to soften it.

Because the heart and soul of this recipe is south-east Asian,

I'm using their cooling ingredient, which is coconut milk.

I want this to bubble gently for 15 to 20 minutes

until the chicken is cooked through.

There's a moment when I really love a curry.

It's when you get something refreshing and fruity involved.

What happens is you get a mouthful of real searing heat

and then you get this cooling fresh fruit.

It's just wonderful.

And a squeeze of lime juice will make the sauce sing.

It just needs one last little thing.

That's a handful of cooling, green coriander.

This is a one-pot wonder.

Cook and serve straight from the pan.

Add some rice or naan, if you like,

to mop up that spicy fragrant sauce.

The chilli flavour is there and the heat,

but it just works beautifully with that coconut milk.

It really works.

I've used chicken but you could make a curry like this

with any of your favourite vegetables, fish or meat.

Just make the dish your own.

Spicy and cool is a favourite combination around the world.

It's why spicy meat is so wonderful served with a trickle of yoghurt

or goulash works with a sauce rich with paprika and cream.

Brilliant!

I want to bring this closer to home

and try the contrasting partnership in something slightly sinful.

The more healthy our main course is,

the more I feel the need for a slightly naughty pudding.

Those wonderful nursery puddings that I miss so much.

And nothing more so than a good, old rice pudding.

Homemade is miles better than the canned stuff

and it's such a simple pudding.

If you've never made it before give it a try!

You won't regret it.

I make it the way my mum made it with a little bit of milk and water.

I think it makes for a lighter pudding

but you can use just milk if you prefer.

I want to try and infuse spices.

Maybe with some sticky fruits in it from the cupboard.

By adding a little bit of something spicy,

some preserved ginger,

it might bring a whole new feel to what is a well-known pud.

It always reminds me of Christmas, preserved ginger.

It's actually there all year

and it's got a certain heat to it.

It's got a very sweet, gentle warmth.

And...it's really rather beautiful.

It's one of those ingredients that's a pleasure to chop.

I've chosen ginger, but I could have chosen other spices, too.

Ground cardamom is always lovely with rice.

As is a bit of nutmeg.

The more the rice and milk starts to come to the boil,

you need to turn the heat as low as it can go,

so there's just a little bit of movement in the milk.

It'll be about 15 minutes.

As well as the spicy ginger, I want some fruit in the pudding.

You could add currents or any of your favourite dried fruits

but I'm using glace fruit pieces which are really juicy.

The colours are very beautiful.

Almost like stained glass windows.

I'm also going to add some fresh orange and lemon zest.

So, after about 15 minutes, give it a quick stir.

It's starting to thicken.

Now's the time to add some sugar.

How much is up to you,

but I reckon a couple of tablespoons is about right.

Then, the fruits.

Spicy ginger, the cut peel and the grated zest.

So, I'm just going to leave that, with the heat off and the lid on,

so the rice, milk and the sweet, spicy things get to know one another.

A little taste now isn't just a cook's perk,

it's my chance to see if I need to adjust the flavours.

It does need a little more sugar.

Just a little bit.

I'm going to put a little bit of cream in, as well.

Sometimes I like to put rice pudding in the fridge overnight

to thicken and chill.

But it's delicious served warm, straight from the pan.

I want to add a little bit of crunch to it

in the form of some crisp peel.

Just something to contrast all that creamy softness.

It's not essential but it does look pretty.

This is calming and tender as any nursery pudding should be

but then there's that little bite of ginger,

that little bit of heat in amongst all the cool.

It looks amazing and tastes even better

but takes hardly any effort to cook.

And adding the spicy stem ginger takes it into a league of its own.

I've always thought that spices

are the most romantic ingredients in the kitchen.

It's something about the exotic places they come from.

I've come to the port of Bristol,

a place that's been importing spices since the Middle Ages

to meet a man who's mad about ships and spices.

When I was 18 I sailed across the Atlantic to Grenada.

I just didn't realise there was this world of spices in Grenada.

And so I was really interested in spices from that moment.

I really got into pepper and fancied myself as a pepper connoisseur.

Tom Allcot is passionate about pepper

and he's going to cook me a dish

to showcase an ingredient so often taken for granted.

It's the most important spice, the king of spices.

It's the most important spice,

that can be had at every meal and you've had it since childhood.

I think people have forgotten it.

What I'd like to do is put it back on its throne, as the king of spices

because it really is quite special. The most interesting spice here,

without a doubt, is this one, long pepper.

Right up until the late 17th, 18th century,

this was the only pepper imported.

The reason I'm cooking with this,

is there's much more cinnamon and nutmeg flavour already in there

so you don't need to overdo it with the other spices.

Tom's a keen sailor and his best mate, John, is the skipper

and builder of this beautiful boat.

I'm fascinated by Tom's knowledge of spices

and can't wait to find out what he's going to cook for me.

The main sheet off, Tom. Try again. OK.

All I know is it's pepper with soft fruits.

How do you use pepper with soft fruit?

Pepper goes well with strawberries, that's a traditional thing.

It's worth exploring all the different types of soft fruit

that you can have it with.

A raspberry sorbet or strawberry ice-cream or peaches.

It's just really nice.

I'm intrigued, but not completely convinced.

You can put quite a lot of pepper in there.

On its own it's quite strong, but if you mix it with cream,

the cream will coat your palate and take the edge off the pungency.

You know, be bold and just experience the full flavour of it.

Little, green cardamoms, crack them open.

I have to say, my favourite spice.

You get this wonderful aroma.

So you've got classic black peppercorns,

Tom's special long pepper, and cardamom.

I'm going to put some of the vanilla in,

it's quite expensive but it's worth it.

A little bit of sugar, just to add a bit of flavour.

I'm looking at your collection of mills

and I've seen you use a pestle and mortar.

I'm very fond of my peppermill.

I love it deeply. Are you saying that I shouldn't be using it?

Peppermills are great, and they're convenient,

and pepper's obviously used in the kitchen and on the table.

It needs to be in two places at once.

The pestle and mortar goes in the kitchen and the mill on the table.

Just keep refilling it regularly.

It's a bit rough and ready here. That's how you eat at sea.

What fruit would you like, raspberries, peach, nectarine?

-Raspberries?

-Love them.

What I'll do is top it off

because it's always nice to have some icing on soft fruit.

It's easy to put too much on. Go for it!

Why am I slightly scared?

Oh, my goodness.

It's really nice, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-I could easily eat too much.

What's so interesting about this, for me,

is the way you don't get everything all at once.

You get something at first

and then gradually, slowly, as you've eaten it

you get more and more different bits, different flavours,

different hits, actually.

The pungency comes in later.

Then the crunchy sugar, the long pepper, the nutmeg, cinnamon...

It's not overpowering, is it?

I mean, in the cream, it could be a lot stronger.

It's not at all what I was expecting.

I was expecting something I couldn't cope with.

It's like a little bit of an adventure, actually.

Somehow, slightly appropriate on this journey.

I've been cooking all my life

but I'm still learning about new flavours.

It's so important to keep an open mind.

Why not check out the website for more inspiration?

I really like coming out of doors.

What I love about it is the smell of the food as much as the taste.

When all the flavourings that I've put with it,

catch slightly on the grill

you get that smoky, aromatic smell.

The principle on this particular contrast being so simple,

there's little point getting complicated with the recipe.

Hence, my barbequed lamb steaks and refreshing pomegranate salad.

For this dish I'm going to be making a marinade to coat the lamb,

starting with a clove of garlic.

That thing of something very garlicky

being cooked over hot coals.

It's one of those smells that just brings you to the table.

And everybody else, usually, as well!

A pinch of salt helps to mash the garlic to a paste.

Already that smells wonderful.

Crush black peppercorns into crunchy lumps and add coriander seeds

for a citrus back-note that works so well with smoky flavours.

There's nothing at all sophisticated about barbeque cooking.

I don't think there should be either.

I'll get a blast of heat from some smoked paprika

and, finally, a splash of olive oil

will help the spices stick to the lamb.

I'll just spread the spice paste

over the meat on both sides.

Leave the spicy steaks to marinade

for as long as you can

to really let the flavours soak in.

To stand up to the fiery flavours of the meat,

I need a really refreshing contrast.

A crunchy salad will work perfectly.

So whereas this is all toasty, it's crusted, spicy, it's dark,

there's that flavour of smoke running through it,

this has to be very light, very refreshing, very cool.

Chunks of cool cucumber to start,

and then add pomegranate seeds.

Although the seeds have a pleasing bitterness to them,

and the juice is quite sour,

the white pith isn't very nice.

So check there's none in the salad.

Finally some mint,

the most cooling of the herbs.

So the lamb's nice and toasty.

Then, always with grilled food,

coarse flakes of salt.

Big flavours for outdoors.

The lamb's really hot, mouth-poppingly hot.

Then you get this super-cool salad

with pomegranate and cucumber.

The whole thing works together on a plate.

Really very good.

I've transformed a barbeque dish into a very special supper indeed.

I could have cooked this under a blistering grill,

or on a really hot griddle.

But there's something very alluring about cooking in the garden.

I'm in Bristol with sailor and pepper fan, Tom,

on-board his friend John's boat.

A little more forward.

I'm cooking hot and spicy prawns,

served with salad.

Really easy to make at home,

but slightly more tricky in this tiny galley kitchen.

How much cooking do you do down here?

Actually, I'm not a great cook. It's alight now.

Tom, have you shared any of these meals?

I have eaten a few of John's meals,

but to be fair, all we had was a packet of crisps the other day.

There's nothing wrong with a packet of crisps!

What you did for me was very subtle,

was extraordinarily subtle.

What I'm doing for you is almost the opposite.

You know when you just need something spicy?

Usually, kind of, very late at night.

-Yeah.

-And...it is just some prawns,

and an absolutely standard chilli sauce.

A sweet chilli sauce.

It's that thing of balancing,

or toning down something very hot and very spicy

with something cool.

And...I mean, you used the cream.

But, sometimes, I don't want that,

and I want something like a very cold, very crisp salad leaf,

or something like that. Or some cucumber, something juicy.

The prawns are done as soon as they've turned pink.

-I love your little oven!

-It's great, isn't it?

-It's just great.

So, these aren't going to be long, they're almost ready.

But they taste a lot better in the fresh air.

There's your lettuce, crunchy stuff.

-Some very hot prawns, a bit sizzling, fantastic.

-Is that mint?

-That is mint.

-That's great!

You dream of this at sea.

That's good. Lovely, isn't it?

I'm liking the lettuce.

I'm liking the mint, it really does give it a freshness, doesn't it?

Delicious, really good.

There's only one thing missing from this.

-I wonder what you're going to say!

-It's a bit of long pepper.

-I think that would set it off.

-Why doesn't that surprise me?

Delicious. Thank you.

I love using the really hot spices

to give a dish masses of fiery heat.

But equally, I like using the softer, gentler spices...

to provide something actually more interesting.

There is something very comforting about a warming, rustic meal.

Tonight, I'm going to cook a simple tomato stew,

given life and vigour with warm spices.

Mild, sweet onions are the backbone for this dish.

A couple, roughly chopped, go into a little oil.

And there's always garlic, of course.

We want the onions to cook until they're pale gold

and starting to sweeten.

And that way the dish will have a mellowness,

it won't have that fiery bite

that you get when you stir-fry things.

This is much gentler, it's softer.

It's altogether about the flavours of the spices, not just their heat.

But I do want a little heat in there,

so I'm going to add some fresh chilli.

Just one of these mild, red ones with its fiery seeds removed.

And the recipe will be much...

..gentler if I take those little white seeds away.

Add some cumin seeds, warm and pungent.

A couple of teaspoons.

And brown mustard seeds.

They have a very mellowing effect.

And a little bit of turmeric.

This is what will really add the earthy notes.

There's something very ancient about turmeric.

It has that age-old flavour.

And gives a brilliant colour to your sauce.

And straightaway, I'm smelling chillies and spices.

But there's no real heat there,

it's very different to when you use lots of fresh chillies.

It's softer and warmer.

Now, to that, I'm going to add a can of tomatoes.

And then a little bit of water.

Now, there's so many things that I could use this for.

I could use it with fish or meat.

We're actually going to use this

as a sauce in which to cook tomatoes.

These big vine tomatoes aren't just good in a salad.

They're meaty enough to be the centrepiece of this dish.

What will happen is that the tomatoes will cook

in their own spiced and tomato-scented steam.

After 25 minutes, the tomatoes should be cooked through.

But the dish itself is still a bit of a mystery.

The only real way to see what's going on

is to get a spoon in there and taste it.

You can follow all the recipes in the world,

but the only real way to tell is whether you like it or not.

There's a softness to this, there's a mellowness.

But I feel as if I want it to be slightly richer.

I could add cream, but I think it needs the cooling tang of yoghurt.

Incredibly luscious.

It's much smoother, it's got a softness to it.

There's still spice there,

but that spice has been cooled by the yoghurt.

A wonderful tomato flavour.

And it's got the background of the spices,

and then there's that little nip from the sharp yoghurt.

And it's an altogether very, very successful dish.

I'd be very happy to eat that as my supper.

Ample on its own, this recipe would work well with lamb or fish,

with its warm spices and its hint of yoghurt.

It's simple, versatile and so full of flavour.

Spicy and cool, a simple but brilliant combination,

that can transform both sweet and savoury dishes.

So when you're next cooking a favourite rich and creamy recipe,

why not try adding a hint of something spicy?

Next time, I'll be looking at two perfectly matched textures,

soft and crisp.

It's the secret behind great fishcakes,

why pizza tastes so good,

and why we all love a pie.

Something very soft and fluffy

encased in something crisp and crunchy.

And it's textures that just work.

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