Dukka Crumbed Poached Eggs with Puy Lentils and Harissa Roast Tomatoes

This one may not be much of a looker but it is one of my most successful Sunday suppers - a warming, spiced, filling bowl of yumminess. And, since almost everything is improved immeasurably by the addition of a poached egg - with the glossy, yellow yolk spilling over - the deal was sealed and I had to share.

This is adapted from Diana Henry's marvellous latest book A change of appetite: where healthy meets delicious. The recipe will leave you with extra dukka, but it keeps well. Dukka is my new favourite thing, an aromatic mixture of ground nuts and spices, which I have been sprinkling on all sorts of concoctions and found it works particularly well with roast butternut squash. In fact, all the recipe components make a great basis for various combinations - try the lentils with feta and Swiss chard or roasted tomatoes with polenta. Lentils can be awfully boring, if not done well, but puy have the best flavour, so this is a good recipe to have up your sleeve.

Serves 6 as a light main course

For the dukka:

75g hazelnuts
50g sesame seeds
1tbsp sunflower or pumpkin seeds
3 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp ground peppercorns
1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1tsp ground paprika (not smoked)
2 tsps sea salt flakes

For the lentils:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large or 1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 celery stick, very finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
250g puy lentils
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp of sherry vinegar
3 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2tbsp coriander leaves (optional)

For the tomatoes and eggs:

12 large plum tomatoes, halved
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp harissa (optional)
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
salt and pepper
6 large eggs

Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until roasted. Then toast the sesame seeds and then the sunflower seeds. Crush with the hazelnuts in a mortar or pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground. Toast and grind the coriander seeds, then the peppercorns and finally the cumin. Combine with the nuts, seeds, paprika and salt. Store in a jar or airtight container.

Preheat oven to 190C. Lay out the tomatoes and coat in a mixture of olive oil and harissa. Sprinkle with sugar and season. Roast for 45 minutes, or until caramelised and slightly shrunken.

Meanwhile cook the lentils. Heat the oil in a saucepan and soften the onion, celery and garlic. Add the lentils, thyme and bay leaf. Pour on 700ml/1 pint water, season and bring to the boil. Simmer gently, uncovered until the lentils are tender for 15-25 minutes depending on their age (interestingly). They can quickly become mushy so keep an eye on them. They should absorb the liquid, but if they haven't, drain, then remove the thyme and bay leaf. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and coriander. Taste for seasoning.

Once the lentils and tomatoes are ready, crack the eggs into a pan of simmering water until the whites are set and the yolks are runny. Place on top of the lentils and tomatoes and sprinkle with dukka. Serve immediately.

Lemon and Rose Geranium Drizzle Cake

I first tasted sweet geranium whilst at Ballymaloe, where they tended to use it in fruity compotes, but hadn't come across it since, until, upon unearthing an overgrown pot of the stuff in the garden, I have been enthusiastically throwing it into everything. 

Geranium is usually found in cosmetics, and much like rose and lavender, can give its subject a distinctly soapy flavour. Used with care it lends a subtle lemony perfume to a good pud, and particularly complements this buttery, lemon drizzle cake.

This went down a storm - the six of us scoffed it in a record time of 20 minutes. One person, who will remain nameless, had five helpings. And, as a bonus, it is also gluten free.

Lemon and Rose Geranium Drizzle Cake

Serves 6-8

270g unsalted butter
270g caster sugar
270g ground almonds
130g polenta (quick cook)
4 eggs
2tsp baking powder
zest and juice of 3 lemons
4 tbsp caster sugar
large handful of sweet or rose geranium leaves & extra for decoration

Crystallised Geranium leaves:

Brush some clean geranium leaves with egg white, sprinkle with caster sugar and leave to dry. 

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix the almonds, polenta and baking powder together in a separate bowl.

Slowly beat in the egg, interchanging it with spoonfuls of the almond mixture to avoid curdling.

Stir in the lemon zest. Spoon into the prepared cake tin. Bake for an hour or so. To see if it is cooked, touch the top and it should spring back and not make a bubbling sound.

For the syrup:

Mix the lemon juice with the sugar, may need more sugar depending on the tartness of your lemons, so adjust to taste. Simmer in a pan for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved and it has a syrupy consistency. Stir in the generous handful of geranium leaves and leave to infuse. 

When the cake is ready, drain the syrup. Pierce the top of a cake with a skewer, and pour over the syrup. Leave the cake to cool, turn out of the tin and decorate with edible flower petals and crystallised geranium leaves.

Warm Salmon Salad with Baby Leeks and Capers

As a die-hard and unashamed fan of shabby chic, yummy mummy favourite, Skye Gyngell’s Petersham Nurseries, is a regular haunt of mine for weekend pottering.

The restaurant is more of a location for a special occasion but they also have a little café with salads, cake and tea - so, with this offering in mind, for lunch on Saturday we made this delicious light salad.

Warm Salmon Salad with Baby Leeks and Capers

Serves 8 

For the dressing, use the recipe here (makes extra)

800g baby leeks

600g baby new potatoes

2 tbsp groundnut oil (or other flavourless oil)

5 fillets of salmon (200g each)

8 eggs 

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

3tbsp capers (rinsed and patted dry)

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 200C & bring 2 pans of salted water to the boil

Cook new potatoes in boiling salted water until tender and keep warm.

Brush a baking sheet with groundnut oil, lay the salmon on top and cook for 10-12 minutes.

Trim leeks at base and top, cook in boiling water for 3-4 mins (retain water in pan). Drain and pat dry. Season well, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, lay in a shallow serving dish, toss with the new potatoes.

Boil eggs for 7 minutes in the leek water, when cool enough to handle, peel and slice in half.

Break up the salmon fillets into big chunks and discard the skin, lay on top of the leeks and potatoes, sprinkle over capers and parsley and drizzle over some dressing. Serve immediately.