Suppers that keep it simple – and stylish – for every day of the week

At 76, TV chef Rick Stein says ‘the older you get, the more you realise, that the simpler recipes are often the best ones’. That’s the inspiration behind his new book, Simple Suppers, writes Lauren Taylor

The recipes in the book use no more than 10 ingredients and often feature pre-prepared or shop-bought items to make it even easier (James Murphy/PA)

“Salty cheese, fruit and mint with a bit of honey in there, too, is the sort of salad that makes me long to be back in Sydney,” says Rick Stein.

“I remember a lunch at the house of a famous, now sadly departed, art dealer named Ray Hughes. The table was literally one long line of large platters of salads like this one, with acres of prosciutto, melon, basil everywhere, halloumi, pomegranates, prawns and oysters, all partnered with sensational Chardonnays. It was one of those lunches you never want to end.”

Roasted nectarine salad with feta and mint

Try this tasty Australian-inspired warm salad (James Murphy/PA)

Serves: 4 as a side or 2 as a light supper

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp runny honey

6 nectarines, stoned and halved

2 red onions, cut into wedges

80g pea shoots or lamb’s lettuce

150g feta, cubed or crumbled

A few mint sprigs, leaves only, roughly torn

30g almonds, roughly chopped

For the vinaigrette:

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp runny honey

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C.

2. Mix the olive oil and honey in a roasting tin, add the nectarines and red onions, then toss to coat. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until tender, then leave to cool to room temperature.

3. Mix the vinaigrette ingredients in a jug and season with saltand pepper.

4. Scatter the pea shoots or lamb’s lettuce over a serving dish and arrange the red onions and nectarines on top. Pour over any roasting juices. Add the feta, scatter over the mint and almonds, then dress with the vinaigrette at the table.

Puff pastry topped fish pie

This easy recipe misses some of the traditional steps – without losing the taste (James Murphy/PA)

“I love a fish pie, but I do realise that there are a lot of processes involved,” says Stein, “although the great thing is that when you come to serving there’s nothing to do except take it out of the oven.

“I’ve made this recipe as simple as possible by not having a proper béchamel sauce or mashed potato, as you would for a traditional fish pie.”

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

600ml whole milk

500g whiting, coley or pollock

300g undyed smoked haddock

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp cornflour

85g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Splash of white wine

Large handful of parsley, chopped

150g peeled prawns, fresh or frozen and defrosted

320g ready-rolled puff pastry

Milk or egg yolk, to glaze

Salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C.

2. Heat the milk in a wide pan, add the fish and poach for 3–5 minutes.

3. Take the pan off the heat, then lift the fish out with a slotted spoon, leaving the milk in the pan. When the fish is cool enough to handle, peel off any skin and gently break the flesh into large chunks. Allow the milk to cool a little.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolks and cornflour to form a paste. Gradually whisk in about a ladleful of the poaching milk. Place the pan of milk over a low heat and whisk in the egg yolk mixture, then stir over a medium heat until you have a thickened creamy sauce. Stir in the grated cheese, wine and parsley, then taste and season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the fish, sauce and prawns to an ovenproof dish, about 20 x 30cm in size, and gently combine. Top with the pastry and brush with milk or egg yolk. Slash the pastry a couple of times to allow steam to escape and bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is golden and risen. Serve with peas, broccoli or green leafy vegetables.

Last-minute cheat’s tiramisu

You can’t go wrong with this quick and easy dessert (James Murphy/PA)

“Obviously there is nothing that can beat a proper tiramisu, but this is so quick and so lovely and it really does take just minutes to make,” says Stein.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

150ml whipping or double cream

250g mascarpone, at room temperature

40g icing sugar, sifted

50ml Baileys or Marsala

150ml espresso coffee, cooled

8-12 sponge fingers or 4 trifle sponges

Cocoa powder, for dusting or a chocolate flake, crumbled

Method:

1. Lightly whip the cream in a bowl until it’s only just starting to thicken.

2. Whisk the mascarpone with the Baileys or Marsala to soften, add the icing sugar, then fold into the cream.

3. Pour the coffee into a separate bowl. Dip the sponges into the coffee and then divide half of them between 4 glasses or small bowls.

4. Add half the cream mixture, again dividing it between the bowls, then repeat the layers of sponge and cream. Dust generously with cocoa powder or crumbled chocolate.

5. Refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately if making at the last minute.

‘Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers’ (BBC Books, £28).