For Marie, for every day

Text copyright © 2009 by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Photography copyright © 2009 by Simon Wheeler
Additional photography copyright © 2009 by Marie Derôme
(pages 25, 330–31, 354)
Illustrations copyright © 2009 by Mariko Jesse

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the
Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered
trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Originally published in slightly different form in Great Britain by

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, in 2009

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh.
River Cottage every day / Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ; photography
by Simon Wheeler.
p. cm.
Includes index.
Summary: “A collection of more than 180 appealing everyday recipes from
the bestselling author of the River Cottage series”—Provided by publisher.
1. Cooking (Natural foods) 2. Cooking, English. 3. River Cottage
(Television program) I. Title.
TX741.F426 2011
641.5’636—dc22
2010046949

ISBN 978-1-60774-098-8

Printed in China

Project editor: Janet Illsley

Copy editor: Jane Middleton
Cover design: Chloe Rawlins
Interior design: Lawrence Morton
Photography: Simon Wheeler
Illustrations: Mariko Jesse (www.marikojesse.com)

The text of this book is set in Avant Garde Gothic and Serifa

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First U. S. Edition

Fear_9781607740988_3p_001_r1.indd 4 12/22/10 10:46 AM

 M a k i ng br ea k fast

Baked breakfast cheesecake

I know the idea of cheesecake for breakfast sounds odd, but this
simple recipe is a great way to start the day, especially if you serve
it with some fresh berries or a fruit compote. It is incredibly easy to
throw together since there’s no crust, and you can get it on the table
in little more than half an hour.
Besides making a luxurious weekend breakfast or brunch, it is also a
delicious dessert. Until recently, I thickened the cheese mixture with
a little semolina or flour, but I tried using oatmeal instead and the
result was so successful that I now usually do it this way.
If using salted goat cheese, don’t add salt to the recipe.

Serves 10 Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

21 ounces ricotta cheese Generously butter a 9-inch springform cake pan.
or cream cheese, or soft,
very mild goat cheese Beat the cheese with a wooden spoon until smooth, then add the
(preferably unsalted) melted butter, oatmeal, semolina, or flour, salt, sugar, eggs, and
5 tablespoons unsalted orange zest and juice, and mix well (feel free to whiz the ingredients
butter, melted and
cooled slightly in a food processor). Fold in the raisins, if using.
3 tablespoons quick
oats, fine semolina, or Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about
whole-wheat pastry flour 25 minutes, until just set, with a slight wobble in the center.
A good pinch of sea salt
1/ 2 cup superfine sugar
Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with some fresh fruit or
2 eggs, lightly beaten fruit compote, and, if you like, yogurt or sour cream.
Finely grated zest of
2 small oranges, plus
1 tablespoon juice
3 tablespoons raisins
(optional)

To serve:
Fresh fruit or fruit
compote (see pages
339–44)
Yogurt or sour cream
(optional)

44
 t h r i f t y M EAT

Slow-roast shoulder of lamb with merguez spices

Lamb shoulder is an underrated cut.
Treated to a very long, slow roast with
pungent spices, it offers meltingly soft,
flavorful meat that you can pull off
the bone easily – as well as a pool of
rich juices. This recipe works best with
larger, more mature lambs. You can also
rub the spice paste on the inside of a
boned lamb shoulder, then roll and tie
it. Give it an initial 30 minutes at a high
temperature (as below), then roast at
325°F for 2 1/ 2 hours.

Serves 6 to 10, depending Preheat the oven to 425°F.

on the size of the roast
If you have time, toast the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, cinnamon,
For the spice paste: and peppercorns in a dry frying pan over medium heat for a minute
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
or so, until fragrant (this boosts the flavor but isn’t essential). Crush
1 teaspoon coriander
seeds to a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle, then combine with the
1 teaspoon fennel seeds cayenne or chile powder, paprika, garlic, rosemary, salt, and olive oil.
1
/2 cinnamon stick,
broken up
Lightly score the skin of the meat with a sharp knife, making shallow
1 teaspoon black slashes about 1/8 inch deep and 3/4 inch apart. Rub half the spice
peppercorns paste all over the lamb shoulder, underneath as well as on top, and
A pinch of cayenne especially into the cuts. Put into a large roasting pan and place in
pepper or chile powder
2 teaspoons sweet the oven. Roast for 30 minutes.
smoked paprika
Remove from the oven and rub the remaining spice paste over the
2 garlic cloves, finely
chopped meat using the back of a wooden spoon. Pour a glass of water into
Leaves from 2 large the pan (not over the meat), cover with foil, and return to the oven.
rosemary sprigs, finely
chopped Reduce the heat to 250°F and cook for 6 hours, or until the meat is
2 teaspoons sea salt very tender and falling off the bone. You can add another glass of
2 tablespoons olive oil water halfway through, to keep the pan juices from scorching.
1 shoulder of mature Transfer the lamb to a warm serving plate. Skim the excess fat off the
lamb, on the bone juices in the pan. Tear the meat into thick shreds and serve with the
juices spooned over. Simple accompaniments are all you need: boiled
new potatoes (in summer) or some roasted squash (in winter) and
a dish of shredded cabbage, greens, or kale would be ideal.

242
 v egeta bl es ga lor e

Six roasted vegetables

Roasted vegetables – root vegetables and winter squashes in particular –
are rarely less than delicious. The roasting process intensifies flavor, brings
out sweetness, and adds a rich, caramelized exterior. It’s forgiving to the
cook (you can be relaxed about timings, and serve your vegetables hot,
warm, or cold) and versatile too. The following recipes make fantastic
accompaniments but can also be the main focus of a meal, with just a little
something else on the side. Leftover roasted roots can be tossed into salads
or puréed in soups, or just nibbled cold as an extra something in your lunch
box. So you can see why this is a method I return to time and again.

Roast squash with chile, garlic, and rosemary

Butternut squash is delicious roasted in this way, but do try some alternative
squashes and pumpkins if you get the chance. Sugar pie pumpkins are outstanding,
as are acorn squash.
This makes an excellent side dish for sausages, chops, roast chicken, or robust fish.
Since it is creamy and starchy, I tend to serve roast squash instead of, rather than
as well as, any kind of spuds. On the other hand, dished up with steamed rice and
some sautéed greens or a green salad, this makes a lovely vegetarian main course.

Serves 4 Preheat the oven to 375°F.

1 large butternut Slice the squash into quarters and seed it, scooping out the seeds
squash, about 2 pounds, with a spoon. I leave the skin on most squashes when I’m roasting
or the equivalent weight
of acorn or other squash them, but you can peel it off if you prefer. Cut the squash into
or pumpkin wedges or chunks and put them in a small roasting pan. Add the
6 to 8 fat garlic cloves,
skin on, lightly squashed garlic and rosemary, the chopped chile, and lots of salt and pepper.
A few sprigs of rosemary Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and toss together. Roast in
1 fairly hot red chile, the oven for 40 to 55 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the
seeded and finely
chopped squash is completely soft and starting to caramelize.
Sea salt and freshly Meanwhile, if using nuts, toast them in a dry frying pan over
ground black pepper
medium heat for a few minutes, until golden brown, then scatter
4 to 5 tablespoons
canola or olive oil over the roasted squash. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and
1
/3 cup pine nuts or another good drizzle of oil, then serve.
walnuts (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon

312