Treat Dad this Father’s Day with these fantastic recipe suggestions by Le Creuset.
Chunky Tomato and Lime Broth with Poached Fish
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
Olive oil, to drizzle
3 shallots or baby red onions, peeled and quartered
5ml chilli paste
70g tomato paste
10 – 15g smoked paprika
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 x 400g tinned cherry tomatoes
1 Litre chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
6 x 100g hake (skin off) or other suitable white fish
Juice and zest of 2 limes, plus extra to serve
Fresh coriander, to serve
Charred tortilla wraps
Method
Heat a Le Creuset 28cm Signature Round Casserole over a medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil and sauté the shallots until golden. Add the chilli paste, tomato paste and paprika and sauté until fragrant. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste.
Season the hake portions and gently drop into the simmering broth. Cook for 5 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Turn off the heat, season to taste and finish off the broth with the juice and zest of the limes. Serve immediately, ladled into Le Creuset Cereal Bowls with charred tortilla wraps and coriander.
Creamy Courgette Soup
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
15ml olive oil
600g courgettes, chopped
350g Gournay cheese (soft cream cheese flavoured with garlic and herbs)
500ml chicken stock
¼ ciabatta loaf, torn into small chunks
4 garlic cloves, skin-on and roughly crushed
15ml olive oil
Salt and pepper, to season
Method
In a Le Creuset 3-ply Stainless Steel 18cm Saucepan, sauté the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the courgettes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese and allow to melt. When the cream cheese has melted, pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a handheld blender or liquidiser, puree the soup to a smooth, creamy consistency. Heat a Le Creuset grill pan and grill the courgette ribbons. Set aside.
To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large bowl, toss the ciabatta pieces in garlic, olive oil, and seasoning. Spread them onto a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy and golden. Allow to cool.
Place the creamy soup into bowls and top generously with grilled courgettes ribbons and crispy croutons.
Classic Omelette
Serves: 1
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
3 free-range eggs
Sea salt and pepper, to season
Olive oil
Optional, to serve
3 baby Bocconcini balls (small mozzarella cheese balls)
Sundried tomatoes
Fresh basil
Method
In a bowl, beat the eggs and add salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a Le Creuset 24cm Toughened Non-Stick Shallow Frying Pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil, before wiping out the excess oil with kitchen paper. Once the pan is warm, add the egg mixture.
The egg should immediately start to set in the base of the pan. Using a spatula, drag the edges of the raw omelette towards the centre of the pan and repeat in random spots to create folds in the omelette base.
At this point, turn off the heat and allow the residual heat to finish the cooking. Fold the omelette in half, and using a spatula, serve immediately, topped with torn Bocconcini, sundried tomatoes, and fresh basil.
Grilled Fish Stuffed with Lemon, Capers and Herbs
Serves: 4-6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
3 small red mullets or a similar sustainable fish to your region, scaled and gutted
1 lemon, sliced
2 limes, sliced
50g capers plus 10ml caper brine
ó head garlic, broken into cloves
5g smoked paprika
3g chilli flakes
15g thyme
15g rosemary
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the fish marinade and stuffing, place the sliced lemon and limes in a bowl. Add the capers, brine, garlic, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix and set aside.
Place the fish in a large tray or baking dish in a single row and stuff each cavity with half of the citrus stuffing marinade. Heat the Le Creuset 30cm Signature Rectangular Grill on medium to high heat. Drizzle with olive oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side in batches so as to not overcrowd the grill and avoid any sticking.
Turn over carefully so as not to damage the fish skin. Place the remaining marinade over the fish.
Set the oven to grill (180°C) and place the rack on the second-highest shelf. Place the fish under the grill for 10 minutes, keeping a close eye, so it doesn’t catch; this allows the fish to cook through and develop extra flavour.
Serve immediately and season well with salt and a little extra olive oil.
Lemon-Thyme Polenta and Olive Oil Cake
Serves: 8 – 12
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake
120g caster sugar
120g light brown sugar
200ml olive oil
Zest of 2 lemons
5g picked thyme
260g almond flour
130g polenta
10g baking powder
4 free-range eggs
For the candied lemons
2 lemons
125g granulated sugar
250ml water
1 sprig thyme
For the syrup for the cake
100g sugar
60ml water
Zest of 2 lemons
60ml lemon juice
2 sprigs thyme
Method
To make the candied lemons
Slice the lemons thinly. Plunge into boiling water for 1 minute to remove bitterness from the skin. Add the sugar and water into a heavy-bottomed pan. Dissolve, stirring frequently. When the sugar is completely dissolved, bring it to a steady boil. Boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Add the lemon and cook for 10 minutes or until translucent/glassy in appearance. Remove the lemon from the syrup with a slotted spoon and spread it into a single layer on a silicone-lined baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 100°C (90°C fan-assisted). Dry out the lemon for 30 minutes.
For the cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-assisted).
Grease a Le Creuset 26cm Heritage Rectangular Dish and set it aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the sugars, olive oil, lemon zest and thyme and beat until emulsified, about 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture with the eggs, alternating, beating until just combined, and continue until all the ingredients are used. Spoon the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top (the batter should be thick). Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
To make the syrup for the cake
Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice, zest, and thyme. Dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Pour over the hot syrup and immediately decorate with the candied lemons and thyme sprigs. Serve warm with double-thick plain yoghurt and the reserved syrup from
the candied lemons.
Spicy Persian Prawn Pilaf
Serves: 4 – 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
500g large black tiger prawns, deveined and shells removed
1 brown onion, peeled, sliced
50g butter
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
5ml smoked paprika
5ml cumin, ground
5ml cinnamon, ground
5ml coriander, ground
3ml turmeric
500g basmati rice
1 Litre chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to season
30ml olive oil
1 lemon
200g bella rosa tomatoes
To serve
50g toasted almonds
Pomegranate rubies
Fresh coriander
Method
Add a drizzle of olive oil to a Le Creuset saucepan and place over a medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent and lightly golden.
Add the butter, garlic, and spices and fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and toss to coat in the spices and onions for 3 minutes. Next, add the stock and stir. Reduce the heat to medium and place the lid on the pot. Allow to cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and gently fluff up the rice with a wooden spoon. Season well with salt and black pepper. To cook the prawns, heat a large Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick 28cm Sauteuse with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the prawns and season with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
In the same pan with a little more olive oil, blister the tomatoes until the skin just bursts and is slightly golden. Once the prawns are pink, they are cooked.
Add the toasted almonds and pomegranate rubies to the rice and top with the prawns, fresh coriander, along with the blistered tomatoes.
Steamed Sunset Broccoli Salad
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Store-bought chilli infused oil, to drizzle
¼ red cabbage, shredded
1-2 fresh chillies, chopped (optional)
Crispy onions or salted peanuts, to sprinkle
Fresh lemon wedges, to squeeze
Method
Steam the broccoli florets in a Le Creuset 3-ply Stainless Steel 24cm Multi-Steamer for 3-5 minutes until the broccoli is vibrant green in colour and still has some crunch. Plunge the broccoli into ice water to stop the cooking process and keep it crunchy. Drain and shake off any excess water.
Pan-fry the garlic cloves until crispy in chilli oil, toss immediately with the shredded cabbage, steamed broccoli, and season to taste. Sprinkle over fresh chilli, crispy onions, or peanuts, and serve with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Sundried Tomato Couscous with Chicken Espetadas
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
10ml olive oil
3 shallots or small red onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1x 400g tin of whole cherry tomatoes
250ml vegetable stock
250g couscous
200g sundried tomatoes, sliced, oil strained and reserved
20g parsley
2 – 4 store-bought chicken espetadas, oven roasted
Pita breads or flat breads, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to grill, 220°C.
Heat the olive oil in a Le Creuset 30cm Signature Shallow Casserole over a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and fry until translucent. Add the tin of tomatoes and stir to combine. Once combined, allow to reduce slightly and for the tomatoes to cook through. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat, add the couscous and cover with the lid.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Stir through the sundried tomatoes and the oil from the tomatoes. Top with the parsley.
Place the espetadas under the grill and cook for 20-25 minutes. Serve the espetadas with the warm couscous. Serve with warmed pita breads or flat breads.
Tagine-Style Pulled Lamb Shanks with Cucumber Yoghurt
Serves: 4 – 6
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 4 hours
Ingredients
Olive oil
4 small free-range lamb shanks, trimmed
Salt and pepper
20g store-bought Moroccan or tagine seasoning mix
4 baby onions, peeled and halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cinnamon quill
3ml dried chilli
50g tomato paste
1x 400g tin of whole tomatoes
500ml beef stock
Flatbreads or pita breads, toasted to serve
Fresh herbs like mint, basil, and parsley, to serve
Zesty cucumber yoghurt, to serve
Method
Heat a Le Creuset 24cm Signature Round Casserole with a good splash of olive oil. Meanwhile, season the shanks. Once the casserole is hot enough, sear off the lamb shanks in batches until evenly golden. Place in a large dish and sprinkle with the Moroccan seasoning and a little extra olive oil, then toss to coat.
Preheat the oven to 160°C. In the same casserole, drizzle a little more olive oil. On a medium heat, sauté the onion halves until golden, and add the garlic, cinnamon, and chilli. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook out for 2 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a
simmer: add the seasoned lamb shanks to the liquid making sure they are submerged.
Put the lid on the casserole and place it in the oven for 3-4 hours until the meat falls off the bone, checking that they are submerged throughout the cooking process to avoid the meat becoming tough or dried out. You can, at this stage, serve the shanks as they are on the bone or remove them to allow them to rest for 30 minutes before pulling them apart with forks and placing them back in the sauce. Check the sauce for seasoning, as it will have gained flavour in the cooking process. Adjust if necessary. Serve with flatbreads, fresh herbs, and zesty cucumber yoghurt.
The Ultimate Risotto
Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
90g butter
45ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
250g arborio rice
150ml white wine
2-3 litres chicken or mushroom stock
100g butter
150g parmesan cheese
600-800g mixed exotic mushrooms
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Sage to garnish
Method
Add the butter to a Le Creuset 30cm Signature Shallow Casserole or 24cm Signature Round Casserole. Once it starts to foam, add the olive oil, and sauté the onions and garlic with thyme. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the rice and toast for about 5 minutes to release the starch.
Deglaze with white wine and reduce until fully evaporated before adding the stock. Add warm stock ladle by ladle, stirring continuously over medium heat during the entire cooking time. Repeat until the stock is almost finished. Taste the rice grains to check if they are almost al dente.
Remove it from the heat before the risotto is ready, as it will continue to cook in the casserole. Finish off by adding butter and Parmesan. Without stirring, place the lid on the casserole and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes to melt in. While you do this, panfry the mushrooms in a Toughened Non-Stick pan until golden brown, in olive oil.
Quickly remove the lid, rapidly stir the risotto to emulsify using a spatula, and then season to taste. It should be smooth and velvety but not too thick. If it is thick, simply add a little more stock as needed and serve immediately with buttery pan-fried wild mushrooms and sage.
