Spice Up Your Life Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers

I'm Nigel Slater.

I adore making simple, tasty food.

It has to be exciting too.

For me, the real buzz of cooking comes with spicing up

my week night suppers to transform the everyday

into something really special.

My secret weapon for adding a sparkle to any meal is spice.

Spices aren't just about heat, they're about adventures in cooking.

It's about learning about new flavours

and treating them more than just bringers of heat.

This week, I'm going to show you how to unlock the secrets of using

the right spices and seasonings to create five lip-smacking dishes.

Whether you like it hot, or just fancy a little kick,

I promise these delicious ideas will keep everybody happy.

Oh, that's so good. It's so good.

My first experience

of any spicy food

was my brother giving me the hottest curry on the menu,

and I was only about 11 and hated it.

In fact, I think I cried.

Had he introduced it more subtly,

had he found a way of making me become accustomed

to having spices, I wouldn't have spent years avoiding them.

So for the first supper of the week, I'm going to use

one of my favourite spices to make a warming sausage & mash.

Even if you're not a big fan of spicy food,

I promise you'll love this one.

After trickling with vegetable oil,

pop the sausages into the oven, just to brown a little.

Then I want to make a sweet and spicy glaze.

This isn't about chilli,

it isn't about anything

searingly hot, it's about a sort of aromatic heat, it's about mustard.

I think there's a mustard for everyone.

There's those really hot ones that make your eyes water,

the smooth, very mild mustards

and then there's the crunchy ones with all the seeds in them.

I like to blend a couple.

Half of the grainy, hot stuff

and half of something a bit smoother and milder.

But it's up to you.

Of course I could put in a little dab of really hot English mustard,

but this is a good way to start kids on spicy food.

It's a family supper, but it's also something that is really good for

those occasions when you've got to cook for an awful lot of people.

Bonfire night or something like that.

A good helping of honey and a squeeze of lemon

just balances the heat in the mustard.

It's not quite sweet enough, so, just a little bit more honey.

And just because I have some around, fresh thyme

will finish off my glaze nicely.

When the sausages have just started to go golden,

give them a good coating in the glaze.

Then, cook for another 20 minutes

or until the sauce becomes really sticky.

I've got to have mash of some sort with my sausages

and I love those big mounds of potato, you know,

the creamy fluffy ones, but I like other mashes too.

There's one version I think goes particularly well with anything spicy.

Carrots love spice, they're great in a curry, they love chilli.

And that's really why I've chosen them to go with the sausages because

I think that the mustard and the lemon will be really good with these.

I'll put the lid on, let those have a good old steam

for about ten, 15 minutes.

Everyone has their own perfect mash.

For me, a smattering of fresh herbs and a cheeky sliver of butter

makes the difference between a good mash and a great one.

These really earthy carrots, and then with them, sweet sticky sausages.

You know mustard may not be the hottest way to spice up your life...

but it doesn't mean it isn't one of the most exciting.

The sweetness from the honey,

that tempers the heat,

and then you get that lemon juice hit,

and then the wonderful crushed carrots.

Such a good way to introduce spice into someone's life.

Make this sausage glaze as fierce as you like.

The trick is to play around with different mustards

until you get just the hit you're in the mood for.

I do love veg, but I'm the first to admit

that some need a helping hand to make them sing.

That's where spices really come into their own.

Especially if they're cooked on a sizzling grill.

I can think of no better vegetable

to use with spices than the aubergine.

Its flesh is so spongy that it just soaks up

any flavours that you put with it.

Some of my favourite spices for the aubergine

are those with a lovely bright, clean heat.

I'm in the mood for a really vibrant marinade

made from a few of the Asian classics.

Just whizz a couple of sticks of lemongrass with a chilli,

some garlic

and the zest and juice of a lime.

A dash of fish sauce and coconut milk bring it all together.

Give the aubergines a good soaking and leave as long as you can.

I'm just going to pop them on the bars of the grill.

There's something about the aubergine when its cooked over a grill,

especially when it's got some spices with it.

It's almost as if it was made to be cooked over charcoal.

And these need quite a long cooking, over a lowish heat.

They've just started to brown round the outside

and what will happen is that they will have soaked up

all of the coconut cream and the chillies and the lemongrass.

It's very silky,

and it's quite spicy.

I could have put a little bit more chilli in there, it would have been fine.

But it's got this incredible smokiness to it,

and they're so juicy too.

That is really good.

You'll love the fresh, smoky flavours you get with this dish.

It's such a delicious way to wake up the senses.

I think we've all got one ingredient that we get really passionate about,

something that we love in all its forms. And some people get very,

very excited about chillies and I can understand it...

up to a point.

What we've got here is a packet

of naga chillies which are, obviously, from Southern Spain

and they should be phenomenally, painfully hot.

So, here we go.

Oh, it's not something I would recommend

to anybody else really but,

it's like having a mouthful of fire.

You don't know where to put your tongue.

Oh, and I've started shaking with the heat.

Oh!

There's not much else you can say other than, "Help", really.

Ben Calder is one of 20,000 self-confessed chilli heads

visiting the country's biggest chilli festival in Sussex.

Oh.

He's been growing the fruit professionally

for the last three years and is passionate

that there's more to chilli than just heat.

The chilli heads are really into chillies.

One of the things people like to do is experience the

hottest things they possibly can, but it's all about beating that,

that perception that there are just,

they're only red and green and they're only hot.

You can have interesting little ones like this which almost look like holly berries,

it's a type called nosegay just there which ripens up to a dark red colour.

Tiny little ones like this Chinese ornamental here

as you can see's got tiny little chillies on.

This is one called the purira, lovely crisp sort of grapefruity

flavour to them, about like a six, seven out of ten on the heat scale.

They're such pretty plants to grow, the flavours are phenomenal.

You know, they don't all have to be red hot.

You've got lovely mild ones like the anchos,

and the pasilla bajio from Mexico.

You've got the warmish ones like the jalapenos and then you've got the really hot ones

which tend to be the Jamaican type like the Scotch bonnets

and the naga which I tried earlier on.

Another thing that's becoming popular is smoked chillies

because of the flavours.

It gives an entire new different element to all the fruit.

I'm a huge fan of cooking with fresh chillies, they bring an

instant excitement to any supper without even trying.

The subtler notes of chillies can actually get a bit lost.

If you stick them in a stir fry,

or a casserole or a marinade or a stew,

the really interesting flavours can just actually disappear.

To really appreciate it, it's quite good to have them in a very pure sense.

In other words, not to mix them with lots of other ingredients.

I'm going cook a simple dish of 'chilli feta'.

This is such a tasty way to inject

a bit of spice into your midweek supper.

A lot of the real heat of the chilli, is in the seeds.

So if you want something that is a little bit cooler,

and you want to really taste the flavour of the chilli,

then it's not a bad idea to get rid of the seeds.

Now I'm going to cook these quite gently

over a fairly low heat, in a little bit of olive oil.

Now chillies have a lot of friends, there's so many

ingredients that work well with them, but none better than spring onion.

Lots of herbs work well with chillies too.

Fresh thyme is one of my favourites.

Now what I've got in that pan

is quite spicy. I want to eat it with something really cool.

That's where feta

comes in. The lovely milky cool white cheese, a little bit salty.

Chillies and salt are so happy together.

I can literally slide him in there.

Now the other herb that chillies love is coriander.

I think of coriander as being a very cooling herb,

that's why it works so well with something very hot.

Now I don't want the feta to cook, I just want it to warm through.

This will just take a few minutes.

All I would have with that is some great bread.

So the cheese has just started to soften,

the chillies are just tender.

Oh, that's so good.

It is so good!

It's salty and it's hot and it's cool, all at the same time

and then you've got this lovely soft bread.

And yes, the chillies are hot, but they're tempered by the cool cheese.

There's all sorts of flavours going on.

If you really want to taste the flavour of chillies,

then give this a go.

It's such a simple, but impressive quick supper

or even great as a starter.

Delicious.

Growing's really addictive, sort of gets under your skin.

I started out with a few mustard seeds sprinkled on blotting paper

and the next thing I know I've dug up a lawn and planted vegetables.

One tiny little success and you want more and more space in which to grow.

When Rachel and Paul took on this beautiful allotment

in Liverpool three years ago, they got the gardening bug too, big time.

And the allotment actually changed both our lives,

because we both used to work away with bands on tour.

We were both tour crew.

And then we got the allotment and gradually realised that we

couldn't bear to be away from it, it just made us so happy.

So we both quit our jobs on the road and now we're here.

-Why not?

-Yeah.

-Why not?

They may have given up the rock and roll lifestyle, but it looks like Rachel and Paul

have found plenty of ways to keep life just as exciting here.

Now this is very cool.

Will you come and do this in my garden, please?

I like your disco ball!

-Every greenhouse should have one!

-Every greenhouse needs one.

Now you've got some very beautiful leaves here, look at those.

That's red kale, which I thought was really exotic until I realised

-that most people have got it on their allotment.

-But it's SO beautiful.

That's what I call chard. Could there ever be a more beautiful vegetable in the whole world?

I might borrow him for a bit of cooking later.

-That's a good rosemary bush.

-Yeah.

It feels oily.

Like stroking a goat, very oily.

-Just smell that!

-It's really sticky.

I'm seriously envious. And there's more.

Look at this. I'd never go home if I had this.

We don't!

-Oh, I'd like to borrow that cooker for a...

-Yep.

-..little while if I may.

-Of course.

-Can we do some picking?

-Yep.

-Would you mind if I pick quite a few of them?

-No, please help yourself.

Just one sprig of rosemary.

You have a very lovely spot.

Thank you.

-What are you cooking for us today?

-And I just love your tomatoes.

They're just, you know, they're so great.

And I'm thinking because it's not a particularly hot day,

something soupy.

Just chop them up.

This is the first time I've cooked in a shed.

-Is it?

-I've done many things in a shed, the first time I've ever actually cooked in a shed!

A bit of olive oil in there...

and I'll put in your beautiful tomatoes and courgettes.

Luscious!

I'm going to put a little bit of rosemary in here.

-Smells gorgeous.

-I know, it's just these veggies, you know.

I mean, it is a luxury, but it shouldn't be,

of picking something,

taking it six feet

and cooking it.

We'll just leave that be.

Let it do its own thing.

And I can't not include some of that stunning, crunchy chard.

I think he's done.

So, let's get this outside.

I want something that is going to soak up

all the juice from those vegetables.

-It's like the colours of your garden, isn't it?

-It's gorgeous.

That chard really does give a lovely crunch to it, doesn't it?

I keep coming across little pieces of it, now and again.

Do you like the wet bread?

I do. I'd never have thought of doing it like that. I'd always dip the bread in, but it's lovely.

I'm enjoying all of it.

Fresh air, fresh veg...

heaven!

If this has inspired you to grow your own

or you'd like some exclusive recipes and tips, then check out:

There's not many spices that we use in puddings and desserts.

There's about three or four that get used regularly.

So there's cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

But there's others too, there's other countries that use spices

for sweet dishes that we don't. Scandinavia uses a lot of cardamom.

Cardamom works very well with citrus fruits.

Oranges, lemons, grapefruits...love it.

I'm in the mood to make a really refreshing, spiced jelly.

This is one grown-up wobble!

A good jelly, to me, quivers on the spoon,

it doesn't stand up...proud.

It certainly shouldn't stand in the shape of a rabbit or whatever mould you've poured it into.

Stock up on plenty of oranges and grapefruits for this jelly.

I use a dozen to make sure there's enough to go round.

If I've eaten a spicy main course,

I want a dessert that has some sharpness to it.

So I'm going to stick a bit of lemon in here as well.

You could use bought juice for this, but dropping in some fresh peel

gives the jelly a really rich flavour and colour.

I only want to use one spice so I'm going for one of the more aromatic ones -

cardamom.

So I keep these fairly whole.

And I'm not crushing the spice,

I'm simply cracking the pod open to get at the little black seeds inside.

I don't want this to taste like a curry.

And to make that jelly set, I need some gelatine.

I use sheet gelatine rather than the powdered stuff.

Personally, I think sheets allow you to control the wobble better.

All they need is a little softening for a few minutes in cold water.

Just before it actually boils, I'm going to switch off the heat

and leave the spices to give up some of their flavour to the juice.

I want to make something pretty to sit on top of my jelly.

A few slivers of crunchy, golden orange peel

is a really fun way to impress.

Just caramelise them in boiling water with a little sugar.

I need to watch this a bit, because just as the sugar

and the water are boiling down, then the phone rings and you've got black smoke everywhere.

Suddenly there's a smell of toffee.

It goes almost honey-coloured and at that point...

that's when I whip it off the heat.

Now the gelatine has just gone into...

a slightly wibbly wobbly mass,

but...this is just how it should be,

because when this goes into the warm juice

it just completely disappears.

Let the gelatine dissolve, before getting rid of the zest and any cardamom bits.

After a few hours of setting,

my jelly should be the perfect consistency.

I've always adored jelly.

I was always the first to get to it at kids' parties.

I like my jelly wobbly.

So put the spoon in, it'll only just stay on the spoon.

It's instantly refreshing.

It's so bright tasting,

and on the back, you can just get this very mild sweet spice.

It's far too good for kids.

The trick here is to leave the cardamom spices in the warm juice

long enough to flavour the jelly.

Serve this after a fabulous fiery curry

and there'll be childish grins all round.

As tempting as it is to buy the ready-made spice mixes,

I like to buy my spices separately.

That way I can control the heat whether I'm in the mood

for a really searing supper

or something a bit more mellow.

When I was younger, I used to think that curries were all about heat.

It didn't occur to me there was another side to them.

The side of...fragrance and aroma.

For Friday's supper, I'm going to explore some of the gentler,

sweeter spices to make a delicious, warming korma.

The classic start to a korma is a base of aromatics,

so a couple of onions, grated ginger, and garlic.

Garlic isn't really about heat.

It can appear hot, but if you leave it, in thin slices,

and cook it quite slowly...

then you get something altogether softer and more gentle.

Now to that I can add pretty much any spice I fancy.

I'm using some cardamom pods in here.

Slip the little black seeds out of the green pods.

Now just give this a bit of a bash.

I'm going to put in some ground cumin.

I guess a good teaspoon of it, maybe a bit more.

Little bit of cinnamon.

Notice I'm using the sweeter spices in this.

Those that are more fragrant.

Definitely some chilli, I want some heat in there.

Depends how hot your chilli powder is.

Then a little of this beautiful turmeric.

But it'll stain everything in sight,

including your fingernails.

Bay leaves and a cinnamon stick

will add a bit of depth to the sweet spices.

Any of the spices in a curry need to be roasted off

with the onions so you don't get a raw spice flavour,

you get a mellowness from the cooked spice.

Whilst that's all happily sizzling away,

I'm thinking about the main ingredient.

And I could use lamb, I could use chicken, I could use aubergines.

But I'm going to use mushrooms.

These mushrooms need to cook with the onions and the spices so that they soak all the flavours up.

That just needs a little bit of time to itself.

To complement those lovely warm spices,

I'm making a classic Korma sauce.

A good glug of water goes in ahead of a handful of crunchy hazelnuts.

I love finding the odd nugget of sweetness,

so a sprinkling of sultanas.

Lastly, fresh spinach will add a real silkiness.

To bring it all together, a voluptuous mix

of creme fraiche and yoghurt.

Sometimes you stir a curry and you get enough heat to make your eyes water. This isn't like that at all.

What seemed like something complicated is actually a simple supper.

This looks like it's taken me hours,

that I've used every saucepan in the kitchen.

But I haven't.

There is some heat there, but not much.

It's all about the aroma and it's very, very fragrant.

It's delicate...

and soft and gentle...

and very, very delicious.

Chuck any meat or veg into this creamy korma sauce

to make your perfect Friday night curry.

And if you fancy a bigger hit, just up the chilli powder.

I've cooked a week's worth of meals

where spices have taken centre stage in lots of different ways.

Five truly tasty suppers that will give you the confidence

to spice up your life in the kitchen, depending on your taste and mood.

Next time, I'll be giving you more inspiration to transform

your everyday suppers, with delicious ideas for your ingredients

that may have seen better days, but are far too good to waste.

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