Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many

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Oh Telly…well thank you, you certainly know how to make a cook blush. I love telly and think often of Michael Smith, Claudia Roden and Madhur Jaffrey who presented cooking with such ease, charm and style. Should the stars align, perhaps something charming in the loveliest kitchen with the glorious family we made when turning a manuscript into a book? In a large bowl, beat together the whole eggs, then add the egg yolks. Slowly pour the milk on to the eggs, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, keeping any froth to a minimum. Let it stand for while, then pour the warm custard through a fine sieve. Spoon away any foam sitting on the surface. You’ve done some TV (Great British Menu obviously but I also remember a magazine programme on Channel 4 I think to which you contributed recipe demonstrations including what I recall as an historic version of mushrooms on toast – hope I haven’t misremembered that!) but isn’t it high time you had your own series? Could Cooking be the perfect springboard for that?

As anyone who has seen him laugh and charm his way through the room at Quo Vadis would expect, Lee is as generous in prose as he is when talking about the book, heaping praise on the close team who helped bring it all together. Lee and friends shot the photographs for the book at his home, for a true reflection of his cooking – the chocolate tart is a little spilled, the pastry a little blond, the plates and cookware his own. “It’s all very real,” he says. “We’re keen on that.” To make the frangipane, put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat for a minute. Add the egg, beat again for a minute then stir in the ground almonds. A beautifully written instant classic that is every bit as exuberant and delicious as the man himself!’ Nigella Lawson

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Lee made his bones under Simon Hopkinson and Alastair Little, among the architects of the renaissance in modern British cooking. Alongside contemporaries such as Fergus Henderson, of St John, Lee takes as much credit as anyone for the extraordinary flourishing in our national cuisine over the past few decades. Heat a griddle or frying pan over a high heat. Lay the spring onions on the hot pan to blister, turning after 3-4 minutes to blister the other side.

Lay a triangle of chocolate just inside one of the corners of the pastry square. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little cream. Fold the pastry in half diagonally over the chocolate, making a triangular turnover. Repeat with the remaining squares and arrange the turnovers on the prepared baking tray at least 3cm apart.

Founded in 1926, Quo Vadis is named after the Latin phrase Quo vadis? (where are you going?) and has cemented itself as one of Soho’s most beloved culinary institutions. It has had various owners over the years – including a partnership between Marco Pierre White and Damien Hirst from 1996-2007 – but the restaurant is now in the hands of Sam and Eddie Hart, who are behind the immensely successful Barrafina.

Ah, you are too kind. This was a greatly appreciated gong. Oh golly, so many factors contributed to the time taken, not least building the confidence to realise that not all had been written about food as food evolves constantly as does cooking, ingredients and seasons. It took so long finding the path that would include, Mum and Dad, childhood, home, becoming a chef and the extraordinary learning curve required to acquire the knowledge to run a kitchen, write menus and find the produce with which to furnish the kitchen to produce the dishes. The book was not so different. It was also hugely impactful learning that writing a book and running a kitchen were not the easiest of bedfellows, played a considerable role in a lengthy delay. A beautifully written instant classic that is every bit as exuberant and delicious as the man himself!' Nigella Lawson It’s been a great adventure, but I underestimated entirely what it would take,” he admits. The pressures of writing daily menus and working in a busy kitchen meant that structuring a whole book seemed overwhelming. Lee hastens to add that at least it didn’t take 20 years to put together, like Alan Davidson’s Oxford Companion to Food.Turn the pork chop and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the contents of the mortar on to the chop. Discard any excess fat from the pan, pour the red wine vinegar on to the chop, and turn it a few times to make sure it’s evenly coated. Cover and set aside to rest in the pan for at least 3-4 minutes. To make the mincemeat, peel and core the apples, cut them into small randomly shaped pieces and toss in the lemon and orange juice to avoid browning. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Decant into a sealed container and keep until needed. To make the pastry, cut the butter into small pieces and tip into a large bowl with the flour and sugar. Mix together to a fine crumb. Add the egg yolk and a little water. Gently work into a dough. Tip out on to a floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Form into a rough disc, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.