Recipes

Nigella Lawson

This is for those times you urgently need a brownie, but don

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Bites

This recipe, for want of a better word, comes from a rhinestone gem of a cookbook Are You Hungry Tonight?, a collection of Elvis Presley

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Bites

I found this salad in a lovely little book —

Nigella Lawson

There is something about this easy and quick dish of eggs that just hits the spot when you

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

The traditional sauce for Christmas pudding is a "hard sauce", that

Nigella Lawson

This recipe for an easy, throw-it-all-together weekday supper or bolstering weekend breakfast comes from my long-time kitchen companion, Hettie Potter, and very grateful I am, too. Think of this as a pie that uses flour tortillas in place of pastry and, although I have given precise measures for what to chuck in, consider them guidance only. The same goes for the ingredients themselves: replace the ham with sliced leftover sausages or leave it out altogether, and use any cheese you like. All that really matters is that you can form a pie: whatever size tortillas you use, they have to be able to line your dish, and come at least 2cm / ¾ inch up the sides.

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Summer

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson · How To Be A Domestic Goddess

This recipe (which started off as Boxing Day Pie) comes from Beryl Scoffield, the mother of one of my oldest friends, and a woman with a reputation for her pies. It’s wonderfully old-fashioned and comforting. It is undeniably good over the holidays when you easily use chopped slices of your Christmas ham, but I have since come to the conclusion that it’s at its best in the summer months, when a slice of cold pie is a deeply appealing proposition (and very much worth bearing in mind for picnics). But having said that, I love it all year round. And I must tell you that it makes for a pretty unsurpassed breakfast! I leave the pie unglazed, which gives it a plain, pale crust, but if you wish it to have a more burnished, golden appearance, keep a little of the beaten eggs back (a tablespoon should do) and mix with a little full fat milk then gently brush this glaze over the top of the pie before it goes in the oven.

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

It wasn’t until my first visit to the States, in my early 20s, that I first ate meatloaf. It took me many years to get over it. But a couple of decades or so later, I ate this meatloaf, cooked for me by agent and friend, the late, great Ed Victor according to his mother’s recipe, and it was love. I knew I had to have the recipe. And although I did get my hands on it and, indeed, it appeared in my 2010 book, Kitchen, it is only now that it has found its way to nigella.com. It is a bit of a process to make, I don’t deny, but it is so worth it. Make it on a day when you’re not racing against the clock, and you can potter about in the kitchen, actually enjoying every step. It’s not as if it’s difficult to make, but it is time-consuming. And while this makes a large meatloaf which can happily feed 8-10, I make it even when there are just the three of us at home to eat it, as leftover meatloaf — cold, not reheated — makes for some of the best sandwiches in the world. In an ideal world, it should come with mash for its first time out, and you may well consider gravy essential. I don’t, and am perfectly content just to have the juices that drip from the meatloaf as it cooks; use a high-sided baking tin and you will end up with more of these gorgeous pan drippings. These may be too fatty for some tastes, so feel free to remove some of the fat from the pan, and then heat what remains with a splosh of red vermouth and some beef stock. If you want a thicker gravy, just stir a little flour into the pan juices before adding any liquid.

Nigella Lawson · How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Nigella Lawson

I couldn’t have Christmas without these, or at least, not happily. Rituals are essential to give us meaning, a sense of ceremony, and making these peppery, gingerbready edible decorations is how I have always marked with my children that Christmas has begun. If you can’t find Instant Royal Icing, you can make your own by mixing 2 tablespoons of egg white powder (meringue powder in the States) with 500g (3½ cups) of icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar) and 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of warm water. Or you can use 1 large egg white with the same amount of icing sugar and a teaspoon or two of water. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the icing has thickened and forms soft peaks.

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Bites

This is just what you want for a Sunday lunch, cosy and comforting and indulgent. You might need a brisk walk afterwards!

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson · How To Be A Domestic Goddess

You just will not get the marzipan to ooze into the cake batter if it starts off fridge-cold. In dire straits, I have cubed it and given it a quick whirl in the microwave. And if you wanted to replace the vanilla extract with the zest of an orange, I wouldn

Nigella Lawson

I just throw everything into a pan, let the heat from the stove send buttery rum and citrus juices permeating into the currants, sultanas and raisins, add flour and eggs, a can of chestnut purée to give grainy, Christmassy depth, bung the lot into a cake tin and let this stand in a low oven to produce a cake that is as dense, aromatic and fruity as you could hope for. The input from you is mimimal. Culinary self esteem — and Christmas spirit — never came at so low an emotional cost. You can decorate as you wish, but here I have tried to get a bit artistic and have used my Smooth Hatbox Icing, cutting out snowflakes with my cookie cutters.

Nigella Lawson · Nigella Summer

Nigella Lawson · How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Yes, these are cute; yes, they are kitsch, but I love them all the same. I used to make them with my children when they were little. For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.