Jon Watts Speedy Comfort – We all tend to be busy folk, and meals – in particular those midweek suppers – can so easily turn into a ready-made supermarket meal, probably loaded with UPFs and all sorts of other ‘nasties’. Well, just this week a fabulous book – Speedy Comforts by Jon Watts – has been published, that will certainly ease those midweek meal dilemmas, as well as giving us more time to enjoy our weekends. Chef Jon Watts has a huge following, thanks to his recipes which cut out unnecessary steps and time for home cooks. In this book he takes his Speedy recipes to the next level with cosy comfort food that takes no time at all.
Speedy Comfort shares over 80 delicious and comforting recipes, from the classics like Mac and Cheese to bold flavours like Popcorn Chicken Katsu. Chapters include Family Feasts; Old School (Nostalgia); Easy Dinners; Weekend Treats; Cosy Traybakes; Healthy Comforts and Puddings. Jon includes fan favourites like One Pan Baked Butter Chicken as well as new treats like Spiced Salmon Traybake. There are also healthy (and still comforting) options like Pad Thai, as well as decadent puds like Baileys and Chocolate Mousse. This book brings us many tasty, filling and super comforting meals, while remaining affordable and fuss-free.
Jon Watts is a professional chef, recipe creator, and influential social media chef. His first book with Bloomsbury, Speedy Weeknight Meals, was a no.1 Sunday Times bestseller on launch. After troubled teenage years and a spell in a young offenders’ institute, he secured a job at one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants before setting up on his own. He’s gained national exposure through his social media profile and TV appearances. Away from cooking, he uses his story to inspire a range of audiences, from businesses to at-risk young people. @jonwatts88
Published at £22 for a lavishly illustrated hardback, by Bloomsbury Publishing, this is also a great book to give to anyone about to head off to university. Here are a couple of recipes to demonstrate Jon’s skill:
Prawn and Courgette Risotto serves: 2. Prep time: 10 mins. Cook time: 20 mins
“Many years ago, in the first restaurant I worked at, occasionally we chefs were allowed to create our own ‘chef’s special’ for the menu. I came up with this recipe, and it was always a winner: Parmesan with prawns works so well. So if you’re one of those people who thinks seafood with cheese is blasphemy, I ask you to try this first! (And if you’re not, don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t have cheese with seafood.)”
500ml vegetable stock
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped 150g risotto rice
150ml white wine
1 large courgette, cut into chunks
½ red chilli, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
150g shelled raw king prawns
40g Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus more to serve
40g butter, chopped
Salt and black pepper
Rocket leaves, to serve (optional)
Pour the vegetable stock into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over a medium heat. Keep it warm on a back burner.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium- high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until it softens.
Add the rice and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. The rice will start to crackle and that’s when it will start to absorb the flavour. Pour in the wine – it should sizzle – then reduce it by half.
Now pour in the hot stock, bit by bit, stirring in between each addition. Stirring the rice will knock out its starch and help to create a creamy risotto.
Once the stock has all been used up and the rice is almost cooked, take it off the heat.
Now, in a separate frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over a medium-high heat. Add the courgette chunks and cook for a few minutes. Add the chilli, garlic and prawns and cook for a couple of minutes more, until the prawns are pink all over with no sign of grey.
Add the prawns and courgette to the rice with the Parmesan and butter, then stir well until you have a creamy risotto. Taste for seasoning, then serve, with some rocket, if you like, and more Parmesan on the side, for sprinkling.
Honey-Harissa Hasselback Halloumi. Serves: 2. Prep time: 5 mins. Cook time: 20 mins
“You’ve heard of Hasselback potatoes, but how about Hasselback halloumi? Cutting slits into its surface opens up the cheese to give you maximum crispiness, as well as maximum flavour.”
5 tablespoons rose harissa paste
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
2 red peppers, cut into chunks
2 courgettes, cut into rounds
400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 × 225g blocks of halloumi cheese
To serve (optional)
Mint leaves Lime wedges
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
Mix the harissa, honey and olive oil in a bowl.
Pop the tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and chickpeas into an ovenproof dish and then spoon in the harissa mix, holding back about 1 tablespoon. Mix well so that all the veg is coated.
Make 6 vertical cuts in each block of halloumi, making sure not to cut all the way through, so each block remains in one piece. Add it to the baking dish, then drizzle over the remaining honey-harissa, encouraging it into the cuts.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the veggies are nicely roasted and the halloumi is crispy on top. Or you can cook this in an air fryer (for timings and temperatures, see the air fryer conversion chart on page 205).
Scatter with mint leaves and serve with lime wedges, if you like.
Banoffee Puds. Serves: 8. Prep time: 20 mins. Cook time: none
Treat your loved ones to these individual banoffee puds, with indulgent layers of digestive biscuits, caramel, bananas, cream and chocolate.
Yes please…
250g digestive biscuits 65g butter, melted
397g can of caramel, such as Carnation
3 bananas, peeled and sliced 300ml double cream
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste 80g milk chocolate
Place the biscuits in a sandwich bag, close the top, then use a rolling pin to smash them into small pieces. Pop the crushed biscuits into a bowl, pour in the melted butter and mix well.
Divide the buttery biscuit crumb between 8 ramekins. Press it down slightly, but not firmly.
Now divide the caramel between each ramekin, then lay the sliced bananas over the top.
Put the cream in a mixing bowl with the vanilla, then whip until it forms soft peaks. (When you lift the whisk, it should leave a peak that flops over.) Divide the whipped cream between the ramekins over the banana, making sure the cream goes right to the edges if you’re making these in advance, to keep the banana layer sealed and fresh underneath.
Grate the chocolate over the top, then enjoy, or pop them in the fridge for up to a day, until you’re ready to serve them. They will firm up in the fridge, but they’re just as delicious either way.
The Seasoned Gastronome