Diana Henry - How to Eat a Peach
I bought my first Diana Henry cook book, ‘Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons’, nearly 16 years ago. It was the title that invited me to pick it up and so I got my first taste of Middle Eastern and North African food and flavours. Many amazing books later, she has surpassed herself and produced an engrossing collection of stories, introducing menus from distant travels, with dishes and recipes that evoke moments in time and the cooks and restaurants that have inspired her. She in turn has inspired me over the years which is why I would like to introduce you to her latest offering, ‘How to Eat a Peach’.
As a food writer, cook and journalist, her influence runs deep through the cooking community, both in the UK and internationally, so I think it’s important to have at least one of her books on your kitchen shelf. Then you can dip in from time to time and produce some amazing dishes to share with your friends.
Today I’m cooking Arroz Negro with Romesco sauce, using cuttlefish instead of squid. It’s a powerful combination, rich, sweet and savoury, with a beautiful colour combination of jet black and burnt umber. As with all rice dishes, decent home made stock is one of the keys to success, I have a freezer full of different batches, it’s so important I might have to run courses.
Cooking the dish is a breeze really, it’s all in the prep, so it’s a really great dish to serve to a group of friends, particularly sharing style. Then guests can just help themselves to as much or as little as they want. I served it centre table in the sautee pan it was cooked in, finished with a parsley and lemon gremolata, with the Romesco in a small bowl to be passed round. The combination of these two dishes on the plate, and on the tongue is worth writing a book about. A classic example of one plus one adding up to five. Unctuous, velvety, black rice with the varying textures of cuttlefish, body and tentacles dancing with the sweet orange sauce.
My guests, Jeannie and Yuzuru, founders of iconic fashion brand ‘Culture Shock’ in the early eighties and over from Japan, where they know a thing or two about seafood, put away three helpings, helped down by a fine white wine. They were very impressed and immediately introduced me to Akemi Yokoyama, a Japanese chef, culinary instructor, presenter and food writer trained in the prestigious Tsuji Culinary Academy in Osaka, Japan. We’re meeting up in August to discuss her guest chef appearance here at Bread and Flowers HQ this Autumn.
So I need to say a big thank you to Diana for bringing us all together on a beautiful day in June. Sharing is a joy and the outcomes are rewarding in many and various ways.
Serves 6
For the Romesco sauce
• 3 small red peppers, deseeded
• 2 medium tomatoes, halved
Recipe ideal
for sharing
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• regular olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper
• 40g blanched hazelnuts
• 40g blanched almonds
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons sherry vinegar for the rice and squid
• 900g squid, cleaned weight
• 4 tablespoons regular olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 450g (1lb) Calasparra rice
• 8 squid ink sachets
• 1.8 litres hot fish stock
• 10g flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Juice of ½ to1 lemon, to taste
Romesco sauce
Place the peppers and tomatoes into a small roasting tin. Tuck the
garlic in under them (the cloves can burn, so it’s best if they’re
protected by the vegetables) and pour regular olive oil over everything.
Season and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are
soft and slightly caramelised. Leave to cool. Squeeze the soft pulp
from the garlic cloves and discard their skins.
Toast both types of nut in a dry frying pan until they’re golden,
but be careful not to burn them – you need to toss them frequently.
Leave to cool.
Put the nuts into a food processor and blitz. Add the other ingredients
and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you need
to. You may want to add a little water, or more extra virgin olive oil,
if it seems too thick. Cover and set aside.
Arroz negro
Remove the wings from the squid. Cut the bodies open down one
side, then cut them into slices about 5mm (¼in) thick. Slice any
large tentacles in half.
Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of the regular olive oil in a heavy-based
sauté pan. Once hot, quickly sauté the squid for about 30 seconds,
then lift it out and set aside.
Add more regular olive oil to the pan if you need it and sauté the
onion gently until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes
and cook for a couple of minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook
until you have a soft, thick mixture. It will take about 10 minutes.
Tip in the rice. Squeeze the squid ink into the stock and add this to
the pan with the squid. Season lightly and stir in the parsley. Bring
to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Leave the rice to cook for about 25 minutes, by which time the stock
should have been fully absorbed. Keep an eye on the mixture and
add a little water if it’s in danger of becoming completely dry. Don’t
stir it, except when checking what’s going on at the base of the pan.
Add some lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Serve with the
Romesco sauce