Si King is continuing on the food legacy of the Hairy Bikers, since the passing of his cooking partner, Dave Myers, in February.
Inspired by their journey together as the Hairy Bikers – their cookbook debut was way back in 2004 – King has finished off a new book, called The Hairy Bikers: Our Family Favourites.
Not only is it a love letter to his best friend, Myers, and the time they spent together, but it’s a celebration of everything the cooking duo have become well-loved for: comforting recipes that are delicious and easy to follow.
The two started writing this book before Myers passed away, and King has finished it in his memory. “Dave and I came together over our love of food,” King writes in the introduction.
“We were already keen cooks when we met, but having been lucky enough to travel five times around the world and having had the chance to savour some of the most wonderful culinary experiences that our beautiful planet has to offer, we became so much more knowledgeable and experienced in the kitchen. And the most important thing for us was to share that knowledge that we gained through our books.”
From hearty brunches to speedy suppers and weekend indulgences, the book has it all – and here are three recipes to give you a taste of what family favourites really means to the Hairy Bikers.
1. Full English Breakfast Pie
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 x 500g block of all-butter puff pastry
- plain flour, for dusting
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 100g bacon lardons
- 6 eggs
- 3 sausages, skinned
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce or brown sauce
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- dash of Worcestershire sauce
- 50g Cheddar, grated
- salt and black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat up.
2. Cut the block of puff pastry into two pieces – one-third and two-thirds. Roll the larger piece out on a floured surface and use it to line a round pie dish – about three centimetres deep and 20 centimetres in diameter.
3. Mix the onion and bacon together and sprinkle them over the pastry. Crack four of the eggs and add them to the pie. Pierce the yolks with a knife tip and swirl them very slightly – you don’t want the yolks and whites to combine, but the yolks do need to be broken up a bit. Season with a little salt and black pepper.
4. Beat the remaining two eggs in a bowl. Reserve two tablespoons for brushing the pie and pour the rest of the beaten egg into the pie.
5. Pinch off small balls, about the size of a large teaspoonful, from the sausages. Drop these into the eggs, spacing them as evenly as you can. Follow with the cherry tomatoes, making sure they are cut side up, and sprinkle over the oregano.
6. Mix the tomato sauce or brown sauce with the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Drizzle the mixture over the pie, then sprinkle over the cheese.
7. Brush the pastry edges with the beaten egg. Roll out the remaining piece of pastry and use it to cover the pie. Crimp the edges together and brush the pie with more beaten egg. Cut two slits in the top of the pie.
8. Place on the heated baking tray and bake for 25–30 minutes until slightly puffed up, crisp and golden. Best served at room temperature.
2. Creamy Mushroom Pasta Bake
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 300g short-form pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 400g mixed mushrooms, such as button and chestnut, thickly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- leaves from a large thyme sprig
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon porcini powder (optional)
- 100ml white wine
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 100g baby leaf spinach
- 50g Parmesan, finely grated
- 200g Taleggio cheese
- truffle oil (optional)
- salt and black pepper
Method
1. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water. Set aside 200 millilitres of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the onion. Fry until translucent and lightly coloured, then add the mushrooms. Fry them over a high heat until browned – if they give out any liquid, continue to cook until they are dry.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the thyme leaves, lemon zest and porcini powder, if using. Season with salt and black pepper and stir to combine.
4. Pour in the white wine. Bring to the boil and let it reduce down, then stir in the mascarpone. When it has melted into a sauce, add the reserved cooking water, a little at a time, until you have a sauce the consistency of single cream. Add the spinach, pushing it into the sauce until it has completely wilted down, then add half the Parmesan and the pasta. Stir again to combine.
5. Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish. Cut the Taleggio into slices and arrange them over the pasta. Top with the rest of the Parmesan.
6. Bake in the oven until the cheese has started to bubble and brown around the edges. For an extra touch of luxury, add a drizzle of truffle oil, if you have some, before serving.
3. Chocolate and Peanut Butter Puddings
Makes: 6
Ingredients
- melted butter, for brushing
- 175g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 150g butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 3 eggs and 3 egg yolks
- 85g caster sugar
- 50g plain flour
- 6 teaspoons peanut butter, preferably salted
- 3 teaspoons raspberry jam
- Cream to serve
Method
1. Brush six small pudding basins with melted butter.
2. Put the chocolate, butter and milk into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Allow the chocolate and butter to melt, stirring regularly until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and a generous pinch of salt, then remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.
3. Put the eggs, egg yolks and caster sugar into a large bowl. Beat with electric beaters or in a stand mixer until the mixture is very aerated and mousse-like – you should be able trail a ribbon of the mixture across the top without it immediately vanishing.
4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl around the sides of the egg mixture and sprinkle the flour over the top. Mix everything together gently – try to avoid knocking all the air out. The mixture will turn the colour of milk chocolate.
5. Divide half the mixture between the pudding basins – you should have about two tablespoons per basin. Put teaspoons of the peanut butter and half teaspoons of the jam in the centre of each basin, pushing it into the chocolate mixture a little so it isn’t too raised, then top each basin with the remaining mixture.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C. Place the puddings on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, until they have risen and set. The puddings might be slightly crisp around the edges and when you gently press them, they will feel firm and springy. They may have dipped slightly in the middle – this is fine as long as they are well set.
7. Leave the puddings to stand for a minute before running a palette knife around the sides and turning them out. Serve with cream.
The Hairy Bikers: Our Family Favourites by The Hairy Bikers is published by Seven Dials. Photography by Andrew Hayes-Watkins. Available now.
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– With Prudence Wade
