Angela Hartnett’s simple, showstopping dishes take the stress out of weekend entertaining – giving you time to unwind with your guests.
Griddled monkfish tails with harissa marinade
This came about by clearing the fridge and using up the last of the jar of harissa. Perfect to cook on a smoking-hot griddle pan or barbecue.
Roasted pork belly
This is a recipe inspired by Valentine Warner, a very good chef and food writer and a friend who I adore. It’s my go-to way of making pork belly, which is such a pleasingly cheap cut of meat and wonderfully easy to cook; you just need to get your oven temperatures right.
Crab salad
This salad could be either a great starter or a fantastic main event with bowls of fries. You could replace the baby gem with chicory or kohlrabi, or a mix of the three.
Barbecued rib-eye steak with tomato salad
This is a dish I’ve used at all our street parties. It’s an easy barbecue recipe and an all-time favourite. Rib-eye is my favourite cut of steak, partly because of the ratio of fat to meat. Cooked like this it will give a medium or medium-rare steak – perfect for me – without turning out tough. You could also use sirloin or rump, or a T-bone if you want a thinner slice.
Neil’s Sunday chicken
For a while at home, my husband Neil and I found ourselves having roast chicken every Sunday. But our roast chicken is delicious and this is a wonderfully simple way to cook it. It’s also a great way to use up any vegetables in the fridge.
Puttanesca
The beauty of this sauce is that you can adapt it to make it work for you – splash in some red wine for added finesse, or make it spicier with added peperoncino, richer with more black olives, or more acid with added capers (more is always more in this case).
Asparagus risotto
The secret to success is lots of Parmesan and lots of black pepper. Use any leftover risotto for arancini – cook the risotto again until thick and gelatinous, then roll it into balls, coat it in breadcrumbs and deep-fry until golden.
Strawberry ice cream
This recipe is a great way to use up a glut of strawberries and is so delicious.
Buy the book
Our recipes are taken from The Weekend Cook by Angela Hartnett, to be published by Bloomsbury on 26 May, price £26. To order a copy for £22.10 with free UK delivery until 29 May, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
