‘Always Add Lemon’ cookbook: Recipes from ribollita to greens and onion galette

Ribollita with borlotti beans and cavolo nero

Ribollita is a hearty Tuscan soup that is typically thickened with bread. When we talk about peasant food, to me, this is the epitome of cooking with economy and grace. A little stale bread, some beans, some greens and the result is so much better than you can imagine. The trick is to cut your mirepoix very finely and sauté it for an extended period (in this case about 30 minutes) to caramelise and sweeten, and create a deep, rich base on which to build your flavours. The other important trick is a lot of really delicious new-season olive oil, like, a lot. It makes all the difference.

Serves 4

160 g (51⁄2 oz) dried sourdough, crusts removed, bread cut into large chunks

100 ml (31⁄2 fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil 

A pinch of dried chilli flakes

20 g (3⁄4 oz) minced garlic

100 g (31⁄2 oz) finely diced onion

100 g (31⁄2 oz) finely diced carrot

60 g (2 oz) finely diced celery

50 g (13⁄4 oz) pancetta

1 tsp chopped rosemary leaves 

4 g (1⁄8 oz) sage leaves

1.5 litres (51 fl oz/6 cups) rich chicken stock

220 g (8 oz) cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), stalks removed, leaves washed and cut in ribbons

Borlotti beans

250 g (9 oz) fresh borlotti beans (from approx. 500 g/1 lb 2 oz beans in the pod)

2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil 

1⁄2 onion

1⁄2 large carrot

1 celery stalk

1 bay leaf

1 rosemary sprig 

1 tablespoon salt

To garnish

freshly grated parmesan 

new-season olive oil

Pod your borlotti beans and place them in a stockpot with the remaining ingredients and enough water to cover the beans by 2–3 cm (3⁄4–11⁄4 in). Leave the vegetables whole so you can easily fish them out afterwards. Simmer until the beans are completely soft, but not falling apart. This should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how dry they are.

For the sourdough, either leave your bread out overnight to dry, or dry it out in a low oven (100C/210F). The bread doesn’t have to be completely dry, just a bit drier than fresh to absorb more liquid and combine with the soup.

Set a large stockpot over a low heat. Add the olive oil, chilli flakes, garlic, onion, carrot, celery, pancetta and rosemary. Add a good pinch of salt at this stage, too. Sauté very slowly for 30 minutes, giving it a stir every few minutes. Just before the 30 minutes are up, add the sage and let that sizzle for a minute or two. Next, add the beans with half the cooking liquid and the stock. Check for seasoning, adding more salt if needed, and bring to a simmer. Next, add the bread and the cavolo nero. Allow this to simmer very gently over a low heat for 20–30 minutes to thicken, adding more cooking water to loosen if needed. Serve hot with parmesan, a good drizzle of green, new-season olive oil and black pepper.

Greens and onion galette with crème fraîche and Comté

I am a sucker for a savoury galette. I also love greens and always have too many in my fridge. I realise that topping a buttery crust with loads of greens doesn’t make this a health food, but I can pretend can’t I? I do, however, know that even if we are talking about a pie, if you’re able to get loads of nutrient-dense greens into it and make it into something delicious that you can share with friends and family then it is still waaaaaay better for you than anything processed. I like to imagine children would really enjoy this because it also almost looks like pizza, and I know from having a niece and nephew that getting greens into them is a tough one. I’ve not made it for them, but I think they would lap it up.

If you’re making it for adults, serve alongside a shaved radish, fennel and black olive salad with some lemon and olive oil and it’s a perfect vegetarian lunch or dinner.

Serves 6–8

1 quantity flaky dough

flour, for dusting

Filling

400–500g (14 oz–1 lb 2 oz) mixed green leaves with thick stems removed (any combination of spinach, silverbeet/Swiss chard, beetroot/beet tops, sorrel, kale, etc.), roughly chopped

2 tbsps olive oil

170g (6 oz) onion, sliced

2 tsps salt

20g (3⁄4 oz) flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, chopped

15g (1⁄2 oz) grated parmesan

1⁄8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

100ml (31⁄2 fl oz) crème fraîche

50g (13⁄4 oz) grated Comté cheese

Egg wash

1 egg

splash of milk or cream

You will need a baking stone for making galettes at home. They are readily available from kitchen supply stores, and I think they’re essential for achieving a crispy base on galettes and pizzas.

First, make a flaky pastry dough. Refrigerate to rest for at least 30 minutes while you gather the rest of the ingredients. You can also make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. You’ll just need to thaw it in the fridge overnight.

For the filling, wash and drain all your greens but keep them damp. There’s no need to excessively dry them, as some moisture helps with the cooking process. To a large frying pan, add the olive oil, onion and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Place over a medium heat and sweat until the onion is soft and just lightly golden.

Add the parsley and sizzle for 1 minute, then add all the greens and remaining salt. Put a lid on the pan to speed up the wilting process. Once everything has started to cook, remove the lid and continue cooking until the greens are fairly soft, about 10 minutes. You can add your greens in batches if they don’t all fit in the pan at once. Drain the greens over a colander to remove any excess liquid. Allow to cool completely, then mix in the grated parmesan and nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 230C (445F). Place your baking stone on the middle rack of the oven.

Remove your dough from the fridge and place on a well-floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with some more flour and roll it out as evenly as you can in all directions until it is 2–3mm (1⁄4 in) thick. Don’t worry if the edges aren’t smooth, and if you get a crack just patch it up. Once it’s rolled out, try to slide a piece of baking paper under the dough. This will make it easier to move around and to place on the stone. Make the egg wash by beating the egg with the splash of milk.

To assemble, dust the base of the dough with a good pinch of flour, then spread your cooled greens on top, leaving a 3cm (11⁄4 in) edge. Fold the edges of the galette up in as rustic or pretty a shape as you’d like, leaving the middle of the filling exposed. Brush the folded edge with egg wash, then use the baking paper to pick up the galette and place it on the pre-heated baking stone. If you have a fan-forced oven, turn on the fan, otherwise just add 5–10 minutes on to the baking time. Bake first for 15 minutes, then turn it around to ensure it bakes evenly on all sides. After another 15 minutes, slide the galette off the baking stone and onto an upturned baking tray.

Drizzle the crème fraîche onto the greens (not on the crust). It doesn’t have to be perfectly covered or even as it will melt. Also add your Comté on top of the crème fraîche. Slide the galette back onto the baking stone and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Once everything is golden and beautiful and your cheese is just starting to brown, remove the galette from the oven and pull it onto a cooling rack using the baking paper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Braised chicken legs and wings with almonds, olives, raisins and preserved lemon

Serves 4

4 whole chicken legs or chicken Marylands (leg quarters)

8–12 chicken wings (wing tip separated and reserved for stock, wing split at the joint)

2 tbsps olive oil, plus extra if needed

1 preserved lemon, rinsed

1 bunch spring onions (scallions), green parts cut off and reserved, white parts quartered 

10 garlic cloves

2 tbsps plain (all-purpose) flour

100ml (31⁄2 fl oz) white wine

800ml (27 fl oz) chicken stock

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp sherry vinegar 

2 bay leaves

15 whole pitted green olives  

30g (1oz) sultanas or raisins  

30g (1oz) toasted almonds

A chicken wing is one of my favourite things in the world. If I cook a whole chicken, I always save the two chicken wings for myself. Maybe because I grew up on American-style barbecue, or hot sauce–slathered chicken wings, but I really think they are one of the most underrated cuts out there. They stay juicy no matter what you do to them, the ratio of meat to skin (the best part!) is excellent and, typically, they are cheap as chips. Sure, there isn’t a lot of meat on them and they really can only be eaten with your hands, but to balance out those factors, I suggest braising them with chicken leg pieces so that you get a bit of extra meatiness.

This combination of raisins, olives and almonds may suggest a more Middle Eastern–style flavour profile, but altogether, those components really just make this dish a bit sweet, salty and savoury. Serve it on top of some polenta or with some steamed couscous and you have a delicious, comforting meal.

Season your chicken legs and wings with salt and pepper and leave to sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wide ovenproof sauté pan over a medium–high heat and brown the chicken pieces all over. Do not move them around or flip them too much while browning. If all the wing pieces don’t fit at the same time, you can do this in two batches, just add a bit more olive oil if needed.

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).

To prepare the preserved lemon, cut the flesh out of the lemon and discard. Finely slice the pith and skin and set aside.

Remove the chicken from the pan and immediately add the quartered onion and garlic cloves. Allow those to soften and begin to colour for about 10 minutes over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir to moisten it with the oil and cook it out. Next, add the white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring up to a simmer. Once simmering, add the honey, vinegar, bay leaves, preserved lemon, olives and sultanas and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side down. Bring the whole lot to a simmer, then place a lid on the pan, slightly ajar, or a piece of baking paper (cartouche). 

Alternatively, transfer everything to a baking dish and cover with aluminium foil. Place in the oven, then drop the temperature to 180C (350F). Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is tender. Flip the chicken over onto the skin side, remove the lid or cartouche and cook for another 20 minutes, so that the liquid can reduce a bit further. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside, semi covered, for about 20 minutes. Roughly crush the almonds in a mortar and pestle so they remain fairly chunky, then sprinkle on top of the chicken. Serve immediately or cool and reheat when ready.

‘Always Add Lemon’ by Danielle Alvarez, (Hardie Grant, £26.61). Photography: © Benito Martin and Jess Johnson