Contents

Cover

About the Book

About the Authors

Title Page

Introduction

The Ducksoup Larder

Green sauce

Tahini yoghurt

Garlic yoghurt

Dukkah

Za’atar

Ricotta, salted anchovy & toasted buckwheat

Ricotta on toast with clementine marmalade

Fresh pasta

Classic mayonnaise

Harissa mayo

Saffron mayo

Aïoli

Almond aïoli

Quick Things

Shaved Fennel, Broad Beans, Peas, Dill & Salted Ricotta

Cured Salmon, Buttermilk, Shaved Radish & Dill

Chopped Raw Hanger Steak & Toasted Sourdough

Salt Cod, Tomato & Olive Oil

Shaved Courgettes, Pecorino, Lemon & Capers

Black Figs, Labneh, Pistachio & Sumac

Smoked Cod’s Roe, Spring Onion, Marjoram & Olive Oil

Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Peas & Dandelion Leaves

Salt Cod, Blood Orange, Fennel & Chilli

Prosciutto, Walnuts & Honey

Flat White Peach, Goats’ Curd & Purple Basil

Radicchio, Blood Orange, Salted Ricotta & Pistachios

Roast Artichokes, Prosciutto & Marjoram

Taramasalata, Cucumber & Nigella Seeds

Mozzarella, Black Figs, Prosciutto & Hazelnuts

Shaved Squash, Feta, Cumin & Mint

Smoked Duck, Black Figs, Ricotta & Hazelnuts

Chopped Raw Hanger Steak, Pickled Radish & Salted Ricotta

From the Stove

Mozzarella, Borlotti & Wild Garlic Green Sauce

Squid & Padrón Peppers

Lamb Chops, Cumin & Garlic Yoghurt

Razor Clams, Wild Garlic & Lemon

Blistered Tomatoes, Ricotta & Marjoram

Asparagus & Bottarga/Berkswell

Squid, Olive Oil, Chilli & Basil

Pan-roasted Pears, Speck, Gorgonzola & Walnuts

Angel Hair Pasta, Sage, Rosemary & Parmesan

Pan-roasted Carrots, Goats’ Milk Yoghurt & Za’atar

Grilled Prawns, Lemon, Salt & Chilli

Charred Fennel, Peas, Prosciutto & Pecorino

Asparagus, Peas, Nasturtium Leaves & a Soft-boiled Egg

Wild Mushrooms, Egg Yolk & Parmesan

Bresaola, Ricotta & Chanterelles

Charred Aubergines, Garlic Yoghurt, Toasted Cumin Seeds & Mint

Braised Onions, Goats’ Curd, Mint & Sourdough

Courgettes, Broad Beans, Peas, Tahini Yoghurt, Pomegranate & Dill

Sweetbreads, Peas, Pancetta & Girolles

A Little More Time

Orzo Pasta, Spicy Tomato Sauce & Feta

Chargrilled Poussin & Green Sauce

Chargrilled Quail, Mograbiah & Preserved Lemon

Chargrilled Quail, Labneh, Shaved Kohlrabi, Pomegranate & Dill

Warm Castelluccio Lentils, Purple Sprouting Broccoli & Tahini Yoghurt

Ditalini, Ricotta, Swiss Chard & Lemon

Summer Courgettes, Orecchiette, Parmesan & Oregano

Dorset Crab, Tomatoes, Monk’s Beard & Caper Mayonnaise

Turmeric Chickpeas, Kale, Garlic Yoghurt & Burnt Lemon

Roast Aubergines, Lentils, Soft-boiled Egg, Garlic Yoghurt & Dukkah

Seasonal Greens, Tahini Yoghurt, Freekeh & Burnt Lemon

Spring Vegetable Fritters, Cucumber Yoghurt & Curry Leaves

Pappa al Pomodoro & Ricotta

Charred Fennel, Mussels, Cockles & Fregola

Crab Fettuccine, Tomatoes & Bush Basil

Cavolo Nero & Pappardelle

Squid Ink Risotto, Lemon & Chilli

Radicchio, Gorgonzola & Hazelnut Risotto

Milk Risotto & San Daniele

Autumn Squash, Garden Watercress, Sheep’s Curd & Walnuts

Cooking

Slow-roasted Pork Belly & Pickled Rhubarb

Ham Hock, Broth, Butter Beans & Mustard Greens

Gnudi 3 Ways

1. Gnudi, Prosciutto & Parmesan

2. Gnudi & Wild Rabbit Ragu

3. Gnudi, Watercress & Goats’ Curd

Fritto Misto & Saffron Mayo

Chargrilled Lamb Leg 3 Ways

1. Chargrilled Lamb Leg, Labneh, Broad Beans & Za’atar

2. Chargrilled Lamb Leg, Labneh & Poached Apricots

3. Chargrilled Lamb Leg, Labneh & Pomegranate

Vitello Tonnato

Braised Oxtail & Wet Polenta

Roast Hake, Fennel, Orange & Almond Aïoli

Roast Gurnard, Mussels, Charred Sourdough & Saffron Aïoli

Roast Poussin in Milk, Shallots & Sage

Crispy Lamb, Labneh, Mint, Red Onion & Pomegranate

Slow Roast Pork Belly, Kale & Arrocina Beans

Baked Lamb Kibbeh, Cucumber & Mint Yoghurt

Wild Boar Ragu

Salted Ox Cheek, Cucumber, Peas & Horseradish

Pot-roast Game Birds in Red Wine

Lamb Riblets & Za’atar

Spiced Lamb, Chickpeas & Labneh

Roast Beef, Beetroot, Braised Lentils & Horseradish

Lamb Cooked in Milk & Wild Garlic

Duck Liver, Pancetta & Rosemary Ragu

Braised Rabbit Legs, White Wine, Tomatoes & Courgettes

Pudding

Poached Rhubarb, Crème Fraîche Ice Cream & Hazelnut Crumb

Milk Pudding & Red Wine Poached Pears

Apple, Prune & Hazelnut Galette

Black Figs & Toasted Sesame Ice Cream

Bergamot Milk Pudding & Earl Grey Tea-soaked Prunes

Orange Blossom & Milk Pudding, Pistachios & Honeycomb

Peaches, Raspberries & Crème Fraîche

Rice Pudding & Rose Water Jelly

Almond & Strawberry Tart

Dark Chocolate Mousse, Sour Cherries & Pistachios

Walnut, Rum & Honey Tart

Brillat-Savarin Cheesecake 3 Ways

1. Strawberries & Almonds

2. Blackberries & Hazelnuts

3. Blood Orange Curd

Roast Pears, Mascarpone Cream & Walnut Brittle

Rhubarb Jelly, Ginger Ice Cream & Pistachios

Poached Peaches, Sauternes & Mascarpone

Preserving

Pickling

Basic vegetable pickle

Pickled Fruits

Pickled rhubarb

Watermelon radish

Wood ear mushrooms

Ferments

Kohlrabi kimchi

Sauerkraut

Salt Cured Cod

Lime pickle

Preserved lemons

Cured salmon

Apricot shrub

Spiced sparkling quince shrub

Raspberry drinking vinegar soda

Rhubarb shrub and drinking vinegar

Green gooseberry Pisco Sour

Lebanese White Coffee

Kombucha

Toolkit

Acknowledgements

Index

Copyright

About the Book

In the heart of London’s Soho is Ducksoup, a tiny neighbourhood restaurant where you can eat simple plates of exactly what you might want at any time of day.

This book is packed with delicious favourites from the menu whose influences include the warm blue skies of Italy, spices and flower blossom of the Middle East, and the smoky earthiness of Scandinavia. These recipes have a common thread: simple details – a squeeze of burnt lemon, a toasting of nuts, or a spoonful of piquant green sauce – which elevate flash-in-the-pan plates and slowly-stirred pots alike into something special. This pared-back approach to food is simple and achievable, and will transform your everyday cooking.

About the Authors

Clare Lattin started her career in book publishing over 20 years ago with Hodder Headline; she then travelled the world for 18 months working in restaurants. On returning to the UK she fell back into publishing, latterly at Quadrille where she worked for 10 years as head of publicity, overseeing all their major cookery books. During this period that her passion for the food scene became obsessive and it was here that she met the characters who put her on the path to opening her own restaurant. Clare also is the co-founder of Eightyfour, a small PR agency specialising in restaurant and food brands. Most recently, she has launched a ceramic range called ‘vessel and time’.

Tom Hill’s love of cooking began as a child in the kitchen with his mother. Today, as a professional chef, he is executive chef of Ducksoup and co-proprietor of Rawduck. Tom has worked with a number of leading lights in the restaurant industry. He has managed the kitchens for Mitch Tonks of Fish Works, Mark Hix of Hix Restaurants and Ed Wilson of Terroir (now chef-proprietor of Brawn).

Introduction

My friend Georgia Bateman and I were having lunch at Ducksoup recently and she kept making those noises you make when something is just so tasty. She didn’t say much throughout lunch because she was so busy wolfing it down. When she’d finished she looked at me and said, ‘God, I just love food that makes me make those noises.’ For me that sums up what we do at Ducksoup: we make food that makes you make those noises – they are the sound of deliciousness.

Cooking can be so many different things, but for us it’s about using just a few simple seasonal ingredients and turning them into something more than the sum of their parts. The Japanese have an expression called kokumi – a compound of the words for ‘rich’ and ‘taste’. But it’s as much a feeling as it is a taste, and it’s often described as a sense of ‘thickness’ or ‘mouthfeel’. Kokumi is not an independent taste like umami but it does imply taste enhancement and is associated with food that is truly delicious. And I suppose it was all of those things that Georgia was experiencing when she was making those sounds. We’re not in any way Japanese at Ducksoup, but we are trying to achieve something along the lines of what kokumi means.

Opening a restaurant was never part of life’s plan but, when I reflect, I realise that it was my calling. I am obsessive about good food, wine and the experiences I have around them. I love to cook and, like anyone who enjoys cooking, it’s the process that gets me, like directing your own little theatre production. I also love the security it offers you and those around you: that all is well with the world. The satisfaction of giving a little piece of yourself through your food is a very rewarding experience. I don’t think there are many things that can come close to sharing a good meal with people you care about.

And that’s how it is at Ducksoup, the restaurant I opened with friends in Soho back in September 2011. It’s a tiny place with a menu that changes weekly, closely following the seasons. We all feel very connected to our customers, as though they’re our extended family, and we feel a similar satisfaction from feeding them as we do our own friends and family.

Our approach to cooking is about ingredients (or essentially flavour) and simplicity. It’s about knowing when ingredients are at their best, and understanding how the use of their flavours or textures is going to transform something from standard to outstanding in the simplest way possible. Some pasta in the larder, sage or rosemary growing at the back door, some Parmesan and good olive oil and in a matter of minutes you’ve got something deeply satisfying and delicious on your plate. Minimal ingredients, little cooking and maximum flavour: it’s a method we like to follow as much as we can.

Every Friday at the restaurant, Tom and I sit down together and talk about food. Not in any specific way – we just share our thoughts about ingredients, what’s in season and what we’re in the mood to eat, and ideas often grow out of that. It’s important for us that what we cook is based around our own stories and experiences, because it means that so much more soul and understanding go into the dish. The simplicity of how we cook means the dishes often evoke something familiar and innate in both ourselves and our customers. This is because much of our food is inspired by a dish we cook at home, something we’ve had while travelling or even something we’ve imagined eating.

Once you’ve cooked a few recipes from this book, you’ll quickly become familiar with how we cook using our ‘larder’ essentials: the things we come back to time and time again. We like to think of them as our natural flavour enhancers. A squeeze of burnt lemon, a sprinkling of fried curry leaves, a handful of toasted nuts – these simple things have the power to transform a dish.

Keeping things really simple means that we often describe our menu as being ‘clean’. We want our food to taste of itself, so we do little to it. We don’t wrap it up in butter or sauces but just add a gentle seasoning or an ingredient that will help it become a better version of itself. We try to think of each little ensemble as a group of people all going out together; we think of how they might get along, who might be the leader, who might be the enabler – that sort of thing. Of course, the ideal situation is when each ingredient supports and nurtures the others, so that they become more bold and confident in flavour.

Without good ingredients it’s not easy to achieve the above. Using seasonal produce or ingredients that have been lovingly produced or grown means that they will be full of flavour; when you have these, you’re halfway there. We use a lot of vegetables in our cooking – this isn’t because we’re catering for vegetarians, it’s just simply how things have developed over time. The flavour pairings we use in these dishes are so delicious that we haven’t felt the need to use as much meat. However, don’t be alarmed if you like meat; there are plenty of recipes in this book that use it.

I suppose we have quite a magpie approach to cooking and draw on a palette of ingredients inspired by our travels – whether Italian, Middle Eastern, Spanish or Nordic. We use the best ingredients from different places and because our style of cooking is so free, these recipes are very easily recreated at home.

We like to think of our menus as a journal of what we want to eat. In short, it’s simple, humble cooking, using minimal ingredients and lively flavour pairings. This book is a snapshot of those dishes, the ones we think work well for the home cook. And we hope that you’ll love using these recipes.

Hungry Beginnings

I was a child with an insatiable appetite. It was the ’70s, and good food was a luxury, olive oil was something sold in a tiny bottle at the local chemist and avocados were the height of sophistication. We had them once in a while and, like everyone back then, my mother would keep the stones in glasses of water on the windowsills, in the hope that they would become more plentiful.

I was always hungry and would eat dried spaghetti, tear off corners of uncooked jelly or scour the cupboards for escapee currants. When it came to pudding I was so scared that my brother and sister would get more than me, that my mother would have to get the scales out and weigh each portion. I’d oversee the procedure and choose the one weighing the most – but even then I didn’t trust the scales and ended up choosing by sight. I used to demolish jars of Greek olives at three years old, and loved my father’s coq au vin and my mother’s curry. When I look back, perhaps it’s no surprise that I have found myself in the world of food and restaurants.

I began my career in publishing, which is how I met Mark Hix. We had a shared passion in food and restaurants and it was his dream to open a restaurant of his own. In 2005 the Hix Oyster & Chop House became a reality and I was able to experience the inner workings of a restaurant first hand – the passion and dedication required was addictive. It was there that I met Tom Hill and Rory McCoy (who I would later end up in business with at Ducksoup) and, later, Julian Biggs. Both Mark and Julian taught me so much through their approach to simple seasonal cooking. When Tom finally joined Ducksoup it was clear that he also shared the same vision. It is a wonderful thing to share a similar approach to food and cooking.

Travels

I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some wonderful places but it was while visiting the Middle East with Julian that my eyes were really opened to the many ingredients and flavours that we now use in the restaurant today.

Back in 2009 the inner city of Damascus, nestled behind decaying walls, held a subtle magic. The tiny hole-in-the-wall-type spaces with ingenious ways of cramming in as many people as possible, the tables that folded down, or up, the plastic crates of juice bottles piled from floor to ceiling that doubled up as seats – all took a hold over me.

The presence of food vendors as a necessity – rather than food as part of entertainment as it so often is back home – really appealed to me. I loved the simple, down-to-earth places that served good food in a straightforward, easy environment. Practicality and well-prepared food were the only two things at work, and nothing else mattered.

This felt like a big contrast to London, where even just a few years ago, eating out still involved so much ceremony or occasion. Restaurants would put so much effort into making things pristine and perfect, which often rendered them bland and characterless. The option of dining out alone seemed more difficult then too. Having to wait two weeks for a friend to become available, so that you could go and try a new restaurant was frustrating. Things are very different now in London, of course. The London food scene has since become much more diverse across the whole spectrum, from fine dining to street food. But back then Damascus felt like a whole other world. When I came home I craved a more accessible way of eating out without the formality. I love eating alone in restaurants and ordering exactly what I want. I wanted to create a place where you could eat straightforwardly good food and be home at a reasonable hour, watered and fed without drama or fuss.

Damascus opened my eyes to some of the most exotic ingredients, sounds and smells – of intoxicating spices and gardens billowing with the scents of rose and orange blossom. I remember buying a bottle of pure orange blossom oil from the market. It leaked into my bag on my way home and for months after returning I wafted the scent of orange blossom wherever I went to the point of embarrassment – it was that potent.

These flavours are all present in our cooking at Ducksoup. We often use za’atar, a blend of oregano, sesame seeds and sumac, to add a zesty bite to salads and vegetables. We enhance drinks and desserts with orange blossom and rose water. Tahini yoghurt is by far one of our biggest ‘go-to’ dressings, added with a sprinkling of dukkah (a mix of spices, herbs and nuts) to complete any number of dishes.

Beirut was another Middle Eastern destination that felt exciting, exotic, edgy and perhaps slightly forbidden after its troubles. I’d read about an emerging food scene and was keen to experience it, so my good friend Anissa Helou, who was born in Beirut, took me to a café owned by Kamal Mouzawak, who was working with local farmers to present their food in a more interesting way. It was a colourful and lively place with no designated table plan – you just pitched up, took your food, sat down and ate and chatted with whoever you found yourself next to: a truly democratic and convivial way to dine. I flashed back to London thinking of those restaurants that lined up row upon row of tables for two and my heart sank.

Beirut is full of hidden gems and one of the most curious cities I’ve visited. The people are immensely hospitable and passionate about their heritage. Anissa took us to a local restaurant in the Armenian quarter, where we ate a dish of lots of tiny birds. It reminded me of the time when Mark and I cooked tiny birds for Christmas lunch. We all put napkins over our heads as we sucked out the brains. This culinary tradition comes from France, where the feasting on songbirds was long considered the pinnacle of gastronomic delight. Some say the napkin helps the diner savour the aroma; others say that it is intended to conceal your greed from God. Neither the aroma nor the eye of God seemed to bother the Armenians; they were happy to pick, chew and suck for all to see. When in Beirut… But the contrast between the traditional French formality and a more informal approach lingered in my mind long after I got back.

Another amazingly passionate person was Naylor Audi, who is renowned for having the best ice cream shop in central Beirut, with a wild menagerie of flavours and textures full of mastic (the gum that gives Middle Eastern ice cream its unique chew). Naylor introduced me to freekeh, which is wheat that is harvested while still green and then carefully burned to give it a subtle and delicious smokiness. We now use this as one of our ‘go-to’ grains, and it’s gaining popularity today for its high nutritional content.

From Beirut we went on to Lebanon’s second city, Tripoli, taken by Cherine Yazbeck, author of The Rural Taste of Lebanon. Tripoli was an eye-opener; the entire city seemed to epitomise the democracy of eating. Here were a bunch of people cooking whatever it is that they specialise in and serving it in completely unpretentious surroundings. I was becoming more and more obsessed with the idea of serving good food in an accessible environment without fuss or ceremony.

Ducksoup takes so many of its features, both slight and bold, from our travels past and present. We love Nordic cuisine for its clean but strong flavours that speak directly of blue open skies, and crisp cold days. The sunbaked ingredients of Italy inspire our menu endlessly, and the aromatic warm spices of Middle Eastern cooking fill us with a longing to revisit the vibrancy of these places. When we plan our menus it always becomes a conversation about dishes we have loved eating or would love to eat. The food cultures and ingredients of far-off lands inspire us in so many ways. And, as someone obsessed by food, I decide most of my trips around how the food experience of the city or country will further influence or inspire what we do.

Other quirks, such as our handwritten shared menu, also come from such trips. Always keep your eyes and ears to the ground because there is inspiration to be had in every moment. The shared menu came about after a trip to Uruguay, in a town called La Barra, a cool hipped-out beach town. Six of us went into a restaurant to eat lunch. When we asked for the menu, the waiter took out from his back pocket a neatly folded piece of paper. As he unfolded this tiny postcard-sized piece of paper, we could see a perfect scrawl of writing, and as he handed it over to just one of us we realised this was the menu. We were expected to share and hand it back in as good condition as we’d been given it. It was a bit impractical but what I realised is that it made everyone talk about the menu. Often when each person at the table is presented with their own menu, silence falls as everyone disappears into their own menu-reading world. I love to talk about food, and so I really enjoyed the effect this little menu had on everyone and we adopted it at Ducksoup. Some people don’t get it, and that is fine, but sometimes it’s lovely to see three or four people holding a candle over the menu and discussing in detail what they are going to order.

We’re often asked about our record player and vinyl, and I have Beirut to thank for this too. We went to a tiny bar in the Gemmayzeh district with this guy sitting in the little window playing his decks and we vowed it would be a big part of what we were going to do. Just two hours before we were due to open, Rory (who I opened the restaurant with) forced me to go to Richer Sounds and get the record player I had promised we would have. ‘Clare, I won’t open this place until there is a record on,’ he said. I think he had brought in Tumbleweed Connection by Elton John that morning and really wanted to play it! On our opening night, my friend Sue Webster donated 10 records, which she called ‘essentials’: Heroes by David Bowie, Sweet Dreams by the Eurhythmics, Dig Lazarus Dig by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Kick Inside by Kate Bush, Lust for Life by Iggy Pop, Planet Caravan by Black Sabbath, Shipbuilding by Robert Wyatt, Breaking Glass by Hazel O’Conner, Three Imaginary Boys by the Cure, and The Specials by The Specials.

Today we have over 250 records, which is mostly thanks to Rory and his obsessiveness in searching out interesting albums. Having vinyl means that you do feel the ebb and flow of the music and the restaurant, rather than just having a never-ending playlist. And of course it means that you can play to the room, and to the exact moment of what you feel is needed. We have a lot of fun playing to different situations, such as Friday night Nirvana to late-night lovers at the bar who need to gently be reminded that it’s time to go.

Something that is really important to us at Ducksoup is natural and biodynamic wine. Wine that tastes so juicy and so full of life is an obvious fit for the food that we love.

France has always been a good place to drink natural wine and find out about different producers. Tom, Rory and I will sometimes go on day trips to Paris. We get the 7.10 from St Pancras which gets us in to Paris in time for a slow walk over to the Canal district, where we order something in Chez Prune and wait until 12.30, when we go for lunch at Le Verre Volé, one of our favourite restaurant in Paris. Here we order a sparkling wine – whatever they recommend as there is no wine list. You just ask what’s open today or describe something you might want to drink and they talk you through a few options. I love that.

At Ducksoup we try to break through the formal and traditional way that people order wine. We have a short list of 10 wines available by the glass, which we change all the time, almost as often as our menu. We care as much about our wines as we do about our food and want customers to have new experiences. Because our wines are listed on blackboards rather than individual wines lists, most of them are sold through verbal communication. It’s a relationship that customers and our staff have built up over time and it really enhances everyone’s experience as it’s a much more satisfying and engaging way to work.

All of these experiences have gone into creating Ducksoup, but what makes the restaurant what it is today are the personalities and passion of those who work there, creating wonderful food, selling great wine and keeping it full of life and personality. We started out simply wanting to make good food that spoke directly about what it was: clean flavours, simple pairings and inspiring ingredients, along with wine that shared the vibrancy of the food, served up in an environment that was straightforward and convivial. Today it is Rory McCoy and Tom Hill (both now partners in the business), Pete Dorman, Orlaith McKeever (now General Manager at Rawduck, our restaurant in Hackney), and Angel Bautista who keep Ducksoup the place that it was always meant to be, making it better every day.

And So to Cooking

There are seven chapters in this book. We begin with The Ducksoup Larder, which sets out our go-to ingredients. Getting acquainted with the ingredients that are fundamental to our cooking is the best place to start. The ideas in this chapter are simple but will transform your everyday cooking. Quick Things speaks for itself: the recipes are based around just a few ingredients that can be quickly assembled, which are either raw, salted or cured. The recipes in From the Stove use ingredients that can be quickly assembled. Recipes in A Little More Time do require this, but are dishes that can easily be enjoyed through the week. In Cooking we slow the pace down a little, with recipes that are happy with a slow afternoon ‘non-attention seeking’ simmer. Puddings has simple recipes that require the quick assembly of a handful of quality ingredients, as well as some that require a little more time. Finally, Preserving has recipes for pickling, salting, curing and drinks including a few ferments from our kitchen at Rawduck.

We have also included four short essays on things which, while not essential to your home cooking, characterise life at Ducksoup. These are On Presentation (here), On Charcuterie and Cheese (here), On Natural Wine (here) and On Music (here).

The Basics

It’s always wise to read a recipe in full before you begin cooking, because there may be an element in there that you need to make in advance, such mayonnaise, garlic or tahini yoghurt or, of course, salt cod. Not all of these things take a long time, but it’s best to check which things need to prepared ahead. And you may find yourself making, for example, a batch of salt cod for a dish at the weekend and then having enough left over for another salt cod dish midweek.

There are, of course, rules in cooking but we try not to stick to too many. However, you will see that in almost all of our recipes we encourage you to taste as you go. Taste, taste, taste are our words of wisdom. Because we use so few ingredients and do so little to them, seasoning is very important; the seasoning makes the ingredient come alive. For salads we just use lemon, extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt – we never over-dress.

Don’t be hesitant or scared when it comes to preheating your pan – it’s really important to go all the way here and let the pan start smoking before adding your ingredient. If things are getting a little too hot then tweak down the heat or remove from the heat; as long as you remain in control things won’t get out of hand.

Eating

Most of the recipes in this book can be enjoyed for lunch, a quick supper, dinner or as part of a feast for friends and family. In fact, we’ve put together and photographed a feast for each season, from which you can either take elements or go the whole hog – these are just ideas.

Most recipes don’t require any accompaniments unless we’ve said so. They can simply be enjoyed with chunks of good sourdough bread, to scoop up your labneh or mop up your juices, or simply cooked potatoes or greens. All of our dishes at Ducksoup are designed to be shared; with this book you’ll probably find that you want to cook two or three different dishes to serve together. For this reason we have written most of the recipes to serve two, making it easier for you to adjust the quantities for larger numbers.

We’re dedicated to detail in every way. Even when cooking just for yourself, presentation is something you shouldn’t ignore because it makes the meal all the better for it. If you’re going to make the effort to buy and cook good food, then why not go all the way and use quirky crockery and some napkins, have water or wine on the table (both is best) and use unusual bowls for sauces. Things don’t have to be expensive or posh to create texture – just different. It feels good to tuck into something that looks good.

Happy cooking.

Clare Lattin, London, 2015

Here are the ingredients we come back to time and time again when we want to bring a fuller flavour and texture to simple dishes. These simple larder essentials will transform the way you cook.

The Ducksoup Larder

Recipe List

Green sauce

Tahini yoghurt

Garlic yoghurt

Dukkah

Za’atar

Ricotta, salted anchovy & toasted buckwheat

Ricotta on toast with clementine marmalade

Fresh pasta

Classic mayonnaise

Harissa mayo

Saffron mayo

Aïoli

Almond aïoli

Go-to Ingredients

The mellowed bitter sweetness of a burnt lemon squeezed over salads or meat – no dressing required; the gentle toasting of nuts to release their oils; the vibrant zest from a sprinkling of sumac; and the sweet aromatic crunch of fried curry leaves that will transform everything in its path from good to exceptional.

At Ducksoup there are certain ingredients that we can’t live without. We like to think of these as our natural flavour enhancers – the addition of tahini, the slight sourness of labneh, the garden – fresh piquancy of a green sauce, a sprinkling of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon… And still there is so much more. These are the ingredients we turn to again and again – the ‘go-to’ larder essentials that make our cooking what it is.

Because we value simplicity and always let our main ingredients speak for themselves, these larder essentials are really important. They transform the simplest of dishes into something unique and delicious. So we have fittingly devoted our first chapter to the larder. What you find here will transform the way you cook, giving you a natural feel for the ingredients and flavours that work together, and increase your confidence in the kitchen.