I take huge pleasure in cooking when the nights draw in and the temperature cools, not least because now is when a flurry of ingredients come into their own. Bitter leaves such as chicory and treviso, bulging pomegranates full of jewel-like seeds, and game galore: no wonder full-bodied food seems the order of the winter day. The warming flavours of the Middle East seem particularly suited to poultry and game, and today’s gloriously scented rice dish is an absolute winner. And just because it’s richly flavoured doesn’t mean a dish needs to be heavy: today’s salad is delicate, crisp and delicious, as well as a riot of textures and colours.
Seven-spice quail with Persian rice, pomegranate and crisp onions
You can also try using chicken, partridge, guinea fowl or pheasant, depending on your mood and their availability (note that the birds need marinating first), but it’s the insanely delicious golden onions that are the crowning glory here. Serves four.
4 quail
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with a little salt
1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
The seven spices
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cloves
1 tbsp allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
For the onions
150ml vegetable oil
2 white onions, peeled and finely sliced
For the rice
180g basmati rice, soaked for 1 hour
60g butter
A few pinches saffron threads, soaked in 1 tbsp boiling water
To serve
Greek-style yoghurt
Seeds from ½ pomegranate
1 big handful coriander leaves
Cut out the quails’ backbones with a pair of sharp kitchen scissors and flatten them across the breast with the palm of your hand. Warm the seven spices in a pan, then put them in a mortar with the garlic, thyme and salt, and bash to a paste. Stir in three tablespoons of oil and the pomegranate molasses, rub all over the quail and marinate for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
Warm the vegetable oil in a medium pan on a medium heat and stir in the onions. Leave to cook, stirring often, for 30-40 minutes, until evenly golden and crisp, taking care that they don’t burn. Transfer the onions to a plate lined with kitchen towel, to drain.
Bring a deep pan of salted water to a boil and cook the rice for about five minutes until al dente. Drain, then briefly rinse in water. Wipe out the pan, then melt the butter in it, and pour into a cup. Return the drained rice to the pan, stir in half the melted butter, then smooth the top of the rice. Pour over the remaining butter and saffron, cover with a clean tea towel, put on the lid and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked, with a golden crust on the bottom.
Set the grill to its highest setting, season the quail with salt, drizzle over the remaining olive oil and grill breast-side up for four minutes, until golden. Turn and grill for a minute or two more, until cooked through.
To serve, put some rice (including those lovely crisp bits at the bottom) on each plate, top with a quail, a generous spoonful of crisp onions, a dollop of yoghurt, and a scattering of pomegranate seeds and coriander.
Bagna cauda salad
This light, incredibly delicious winter salad takes inspiration for its dressing from the classic Piedmontese anchovy and garlic sauce. It is an explosion of colours on the plate. Serves four.
½ head romanesco broccoli or cauliflower
3 heads chicory (preferably red)
4 celery sticks
4 carrots
5 radishes
2 shallots, peeled and very finely sliced
1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
For the dressing
50g walnuts, optional
8-10 anchovy fillets, drained
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 generous pinch sugar
1 generous squeeze lemon juice
75ml extra-virgin olive oil
Gently toast the walnuts (if using) in a dry frying pan on a medium-low heat for five to 10 minutes, tossing every minute or so. Break the romanesco or cauliflower into florets and steam for five minutes, to take the edge off the crunch. Cut the chicory in half lengthways, then into thin, wispy slices. Cut the celery very thinly on a long, bias-cut angle. Peel the carrots, then shave into wafer-thin slithers. Finely slice the radishes. Plunge all the raw veg into a bowl of iced water, to chill and crisp up.
Now for the dressing. With a pestle and mortar, mash the nuts, anchovies and garlic to a smooth paste. Add the sugar, lemon juice and oil, and gently mash to form an emulsion. (Don’t worry if it splits.) Season to taste – remember, the anchovies are already quite salty.
When you’re ready to eat, drain the vegetables and dry them thoroughly. Put in a big bowl, and toss the dressing through the salad. Check for seasoning – it may need a little more salt and pepper now that all the vegetables are in – then scatter with the parsley and serve.
And for the rest of the week…
It is well worth doubling up on the seven-spice mix and using the excess for scattering on anything from shepherd’s pie or meatballs to a rich tomato sauce with baked eggs and tahini. Make double the anchovy sauce, too – it doesn’t keep all that long, but it’s irresistible on a simple salad of baby gems and boiled eggs, or drizzled over a homemade puff pastry pizza topped with roast red pepper, to balance the flavours.
