A follow-up to her first cookbook, Miss Polly’s Kitchen, Seriously Delicious continues the theme of food that can be eaten every day, yet is still impressive enough to serve up when entertaining.
"I feel as though I have taken a slightly more self-centred approach in that it’s food that I really would just love to eat, irrespective of current trends or what others are expecting."
The author of the popular Instagram account "Miss Polly’s Kitchen" hopes readers find her new book more experimental but still in keeping with the bold, fresh flavours she has become known for.
"I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from the restaurants I’ve visited both here and abroad, trying new flavour combinations and putting my own twist on them to create fresh and timeless recipes.
"You will still see a nod to some of the ‘classics’ but they’re a bit more jazzed up and less recognisable thanks to interesting flavours and vibrant combinations."
She begins each section of the book with summery recipes, moving into more comforting, winter-inspired dishes.
While she admits some of her recipes have long ingredient lists, she stands by them not being overly complicated or technical.
Markus says she has also tried to make things go further using dried herbs and spices to add flavour in an economical way alongside fresh herbs.
Not being a formally trained cook, she is happy to take shortcuts here and there for the sake of making life easier.
"Even though I love cooking, I don’t necessarily want to spend hours in the kitchen labouring over a dish. As such, these recipes can be as quick as you’d like them to be — or you can slow things down, unwind and take your time."
The Book
Images and text from Seriously Delicious by Polly Markus, photography by Josh Griggs, published by Allen & Unwin NZ, RRP $49.99.
Coffee creme brulee
A not-so-classic but seriously delicious twist on one of my favourite desserts. I think serving creme brulee tells your guests just how much you love them.
When I’m designing a menu for a dinner party, this is a great go-to given it can be prepped the day before, leaving only one step to do before serving.
Serves 6
Ingredients
400ml cream
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 tsp cinnamon
100ml hot strong espresso
6 egg yolks
60g caster sugar (plus extra for topping)
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C fan bake.
Ready a medium saucepan on a low/medium heat. Add the cream, vanilla and cinnamon and whisk together. When the cream is hot and bubbles start to form around the edges, turn off the heat. Be careful not to boil. Add the espresso. Stir well. Strain through a sieve into a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric beater until thick and pale.
Pour the coffee cream into the whisked egg, straining it through a sieve for a second time. Whisk until well combined.
Place six ½-cup ovenproof ramekins into a deep baking tray. Strain the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Create a water bath by carefully pouring hot water into the baking dish around the ramekins, until the water is halfway up them. Bake for 45 minutes or until just set (they will still jiggle slightly in the centre).
Remove the ramekins from the tray. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Loosely cover each ramekin and refrigerate for 6 hours or ideally overnight.
Just before serving, dust the tops with caster sugar. Using a blow torch, carefully heat the sugar until it starts to bubble and caramelise to a light brown colour.
Prawn, harissa and tomato pasta
The fact that I always have a bag of frozen prawns in my freezer, and dried pasta and canned tomatoes in the pantry, makes this meal perfect for when I think I have no food in the house. But voila, in fact I have an exquisite meal in minutes.
It’s a great recipe for entertaining, as pasta often is. The subtle hint of harissa isn’t a traditional Italian flavour but somehow it works beautifully. My recommendation is to use Sabato harissa paste.
Serves 4
Ingredients
50g butter
6 large garlic cloves sliced
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp harissa paste
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
400g can cherry tomatoes
400g dried linguini
24 large raw prawns shells off, tails on
150g ½ feta crumbled
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
¼ cup roasted pistachios roughly chopped
Method
Ready a large saucepan of salted boiling water on a high heat.
Ready a deep pan on a low/medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, lemon juice, harissa paste, tomato paste, sugar and chilli flakes. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the canned cherry tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions.
When there is 5 minutes of cook time left on the pasta, reheat the sauce on a medium heat. Add the prawns. Simmer for 45 minutes, turning the prawns halfway (if you are using small prawns, cut this time in half).
Drain the cooked pasta, reserving ½ cup pasta water. Working quickly, add the cooked pasta, feta and parsley to the sauce. Toss gently, adding the reserved pasta water if required to loosen. Garnish with the pistachios to serve.
Tasty lamb meatballs with jammy harissa tomatoes
I have no time for boring meatballs, and these are anything but. The harissa tomatoes are just delightful too. You can roll the meatballs in advance as well as make the tomato sauce and then reheat it before serving. I like to add a dollop of Greek yoghurt on the side.
If you want to make this gluten-free, change the couscous to quinoa. I suggest doubling the meatballs for an easy freezer meal. You’ll thank me later.
Serves 4
Ingredients
800g lamb mince
100g ½ feta crumbled
1 egg
3 garlic cloves minced
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp cinnamon
½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley (plus extra leaves for garnish)
3 cups rocket leaves
½ cup pickled red onion
Jammy Harissa Tomatoes
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2 Tbsp harissa paste
400g can cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp sugar
500g cherry tomatoes halved
¼ cup lemon juice
Buttery Couscous
1½ cups couscous
50g ¾ butter
1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Method
To make the meatballs, mix the mince, feta, egg, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Roll into 20 balls. Set aside.
To make the jammy harissa tomatoes, ready a large pan on a low/medium heat. Add the oil, garlic and harissa and fry for 2 minutes. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Add the canned tomatoes and sugar. Turn the heat up to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and lemon juice and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
To make the buttery couscous, cook the couscous as per the packet instructions. Once cooked, fold in the butter and parsley. Set aside.
Ready a second large pan on a medium/high heat. Add a generous splash of oil. Fry the meatballs for 34 minutes on each side until browned all over and cooked through. Set aside.
To serve, place the couscous on a serving platter. Add the rocket. Top with the meatballs and pour the tomato sauce over them. Top with pickled onion and extra parsley.
