Bubble and Squeak

Mark Diacono · Vegetables: Easy and Inventive Vegetarian Suppers

Inspired by South East Asian salads, this Sweetcorn Rojak salad is a texture-packed salad perfect for summer al fresco feasts.

Mark Diacono · Vegetables: Easy and Inventive Vegetarian Suppers

Serve this fresh, zesty pasta salad as a side at summer barbecues and weekend feasts, and save the leftovers for lunches throughout the week.

Mark Diacono · Sour

I once accidentally walked 30 miles of the South Downs Way in a day, carrying two rucksacks (thanks to my companion’s just-tweaked back), a misread bus timetable and the need to reach civilization before dark. A friend lived a few hundred yards from the end of the path in Winchester, and as dusk descended, he opened the door to us and wordlessly showed me to his fridge where four stone-cold beers impersonated Battersea Power Station. I drank two without pause as they wept condensation on my grateful hands. They remain my benchmark of ultimate refreshment; this ceviche is the only thing that runs it close. To my mind, ceviche needs at least two citrus at play. I’ve used lemon here as lime would drive a bus through the grapefruit; orange would work differently, but equally well. I prefer the passion fruit seeds left in here – crunch is deeply important to me, but by all means remove them if you wish/are mad. Diced mango works beautifully in place of the pomegranate seeds too. For US cu

Mark Diacono · Herb

If you are unsure of the value in layering herbs (and flavours in general) in your cooking, try this wonderfully autumnal braise. While you cook it, put on The Beatles’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’: that first chord — a glorious, unnecessary CLANG before the verse kicks in — is a piece of heaven. The magic in this recipe and that clang belongs to the different layers that come together to create the whole. The bay and sage added early, half the persillade added late on, and the rest added to serve all build a glorious wave of flavour on the tongue. You could add all the herbs at once, as John, Paul and George might’ve played the same chord, but — as with George’s 12-string F (with a G on the top and bottom and a C on the A string), D sus4 on John’s 6-string, and Paul’s genius D on the bass — it just isn’t anything like the same. A little liquid acidity just before serving draws the flavours more clearly into view: the excellent wares of Orkney Craft Vinegar and Cult Vinegar are great places to