The Sunday Times Magazine - UK (2021-12-12)

The Sunday Times Magazine • 47

The Dish

Roast squash

soup

This makes an appetising starter

or a simple, wholesome lunch.

Coating the tofu in cornflour and

frying in oil gives a lovely contrast

between the crunchy outside and

soft centre.

SERVES

6 people

INGREDIENTS

For the soup

800g butternut squash, peeled and

and cut into small cubes

Olive oil

700ml vegetable stock

140ml almond milk

1¼ tsp garlic powder

40ml gluten-free soy sauce

60ml mirin

1 tsp ground nutmeg

For the garnish

100g firm plain tofu, cut into small

cubes and patted dry

1 tbsp cornflour

A pinch of onion powder

3 tbsp vegetable oil

A small handful of sage leaves

Thinly sliced radish, nigella or

sesame seeds and finely chopped

coriander (optional)

01 Heat the oven to 180C (200C

non-fan). Place the squash on a

baking tray, drizzle with olive oil

and bake for 30 min. Remove from

the oven and set aside a small

portion for the garnish.

02 In a large saucepan blend the

remaining squash with the rest of

the soup ingredients using a stick

blender until smooth. Set aside,

ready to be reheated.

03 To make the garnish, coat

the tofu with cornflour and

onion powder. Put 2 tablespoons

of the oil in a large sauté pan and

set over a medium to high heat.

Once hot, add the tofu and fry

for 4-5 min, turning throughout

so that all the sides are golden

brown. Remove from the pan

and set aside.

Lemon tart

The sharpness of the lemon curd

is just what’s needed to perk up the

appetite after a rich main course.

SERVES

8 people

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry

190g gluten-free flour

95g vegan butter

75g coconut sugar, plus 1 tbsp to serve

25g ground almonds

A pinch of salt

A pinch of xanthan gum

25g apple sauce

For the lemon curd

400g coconut cream

400ml fresh orange juice ( from

about 6 oranges)

250ml fresh lemon juice ( from

about 5 lemons)

285ml agave syrup

2½ tsp vanilla extract

80g cornflour

01 Mix all the pastry ingredients in

a food processor until a soft dough

forms. Roll it out to 3mm thick,

then gently lay it in a 28cm tart

dish lined with buttered baking

paper. Ensure the pastry edge rises

to at least 3cm high, then put in

the freezer for at least 2 hours.

02 Heat the oven to 140C (160C

non-fan). Put the curd ingredients

in a heavy-based saucepan over a

medium heat and whisk until the

mixture thickens like custard, but

do not boil. Remove from the heat

and pour in to the frozen pastry

case. Trim any excess pastry above

the curd, then bake for 25 min. Let

it cool completely and store in the

fridge for at least 4 hours before

serving. To serve, sprinkle with a

little more sugar and pop under the

grill for 1 min to caramelise the top.

Serve with blackcurrant sorbet n

04 Heat the remaining oil in a

small saucepan over a medium to

high heat and add the sage leaves.

Fry for 2-3 min until crisp. Remove

from the pan and set aside.

05 Reheat the soup, then pour it

into warmed bowls. Spoon the

reserved butternut squash, tofu

and sage leaves on top, along

with the sliced radish, seeds and

chopped coriander (if using),

then serve.

2

3

Lemon tart