- by Sarah Rigg
It’s the busiest day in the culinary calendar - when millions of people pour into pubs and restaurants to celebrate Mothering Sunday.
But we wondered what Britain’s top TV chefs would be cooking up for their own mums and wives on this special day of the year?
Stir it up magazine chatted to Hairy Biker Si King, Ready Steady Cook and Saturday Kitchen stars Chris and James Tanner and top chef Antony Worral Thompson.
Here they share their mothering Sunday secrets with us...
Si’s Turbot with a verde gremolada and truffled fettucine for mum Stella
(Serves 4)
4 pieces of trimmed pave of Turbot, about 150g each.
Use Hake or other firm white fish if you can’t get Turbot.
The Gremolada
20 salted capers (wash off the excess salt)
20g chopped flat leaved parsley
5g chopped tarragon
5g chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
3 desert spoons olive oil
30g dried white bread crumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon.
1 tbs olive oil
knob of butter
4 further small knobs of butter
300g uncooked weight fettuccine
4 tbs extra small petit pois
2 tbs crème fraiche
2 tbs olive oil
season to taste
2 tsp truffle paste or truffle oil to taste
A lovely fresh starter, the classic salsa Verde is made into a crust with breadcrumbs to make a gremolada, it brings the fish to life on a bed of fine truffled fettuccine that is irresistible.
First make the Gremolada, place the capers, parsley, tarragon, mint, salt and pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and zest into a food processor and blitz to a fine paste. Add the breadcrumbs and give it a quick pulse to combine.
Warm the oil and melt the butter in the type of frying pan that you can put under a hot grill. Score the fish on the skin side to stop the fish curling up when it is cooking. Put the fish in the oil skin side down and cook for three minutes, spoon the oil and butter onto the top of the fish.
Spread the Gremolada evenly and carefully onto the top of the fish.
Dot each with a small knob of butter.
Place the pan of fish under a hot grill, until the Gremolada begins to colour and the fish is cooked, this takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile in a pan of salted boiling water cook the fettuccine as per the instructions on the packet.
Drain the pasta and stir through the Crème fraiche, olive oil, petit pois and the truffle paste or oil. Season to taste.
Divide the pasta between four plates and top each serving with a piece of fish. Dress with some of the cooking juices of the fish.
Antony Worrall Thompson’s sweetcorn pancakes with poached free range eggs and hollandaise sauce for wife Jay
Sweetcorn pancakes
Ingredients
110g/4oz sweetcorn, drained
1 egg, whisked
2 tsp cornflour
55g/2oz self-raising flour
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the sweetcorn, egg, cornflour, flour and seasoning into a food processor and blend together to combine.
2. Gently melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan.
3. Spoon the mixture into the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, tossing to turn.
4. Repeat with the remaining batter mix to make 4-6 pancakes.
Hollandaise sauce
6 peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 egg yolks
8 oz butter
to taste cayenne pepper
to taste salt
Simmer the peppercorns and the vinegar in a small saucepan until the volume is reduced by one third. Add a tablespoon of water and allow to cool.
Whisk in the egg yolks, return to a gentle heat and cook, whisking continuously, to a sabayon (in other words: until it has cooked to a thickened consistency, like cream, which will show the mark of the whisk). Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Whisk in the warm melted butter until thoroughly combined. Correct the seasoning, strain and serve.
Chris and James Tanner and Lamb 6 hour slow braised lamb shoulder and champ potato for mum Beverley
Lamb shoulder
Serves x2
1 x 2.2k shoulder of lamb,
10 x sprigs of thyme,
1 x bulb of peeled garlic
Salt/ pepper
8 x banana shallots peeled
250 ml x red wine
60g x cold butter
Oil and season the meat and put in tray with the shallots. Roast in hot oven for 30 minutes at 180c. Remove from oven and drain off any fat, then turn down heat to 120c.
Add the garlic and 8 thyme sprigs. Cover with foil and cook for 4 ½ hours.
Next pour over red wine and cook for a further hour.
Remove from oven and carefully put lamb, garlic and shallots in serving dish. Be careful as it should be just falling off the bone.
Heat the cooking juices and skim off any fat then whisk in cold butter , chop the remaining two thyme sprigs and stir in. Pour over lamb and serve with champ mash.
Champ mash
Serves x2
3 x large king Edward potatoes
Salt
300ml x milk
3 x sliced spring onions
60 g x butter
1 x large egg yolk
Peel and chop the potatoes, boil in salted water until just soft.
Cut the tops off the spring onion and put in milk with the butter. Heat gently on stove top. Drain and discard the spring onion tops.
Drain potatoes and mash or rice. Slowly mix in the milk mixture. Finally beat in the egg yolk.
Slice the onion bottoms and mix in. Serve with lamb shoulder.
