Notes about Recipes in this book

• Turkish eggs

  • Astrid5555 on December 16, 2022

    I have been wanting to make this for ages and I am so glad I finally did. The brown butter with the Aleppo pepper in combination with the yogurt and eggs is amazing! Added cilantro instead of dill because this is what I had on hand.

  • southerncooker on April 23, 2018

    I was really surprised at how much I loved this. I had tried another recipe once that had Greek yogurt paired with eggs and hated it. I think warming the yogurt made all the difference. Also the browned butter and Aleppo pepper didn't hurt either. Served with toasted sourdough bread for dipping in the browned butter, yogurt, and egg yolk.

  • KarinaFrancis on January 06, 2021

    I’ve had this bookmarked for ages, glad I finally made it. It was a bit of a palaver (lots of pots, pans and bowls) but the flavour is delicious. A weekend treat

  • VineTomato on December 15, 2017

    Poached eggs are not for me. Despite buying fresh eggs, the rigmarole of putting them in the fridge, straining them, adding lemon juice - they were still not lovely and round. Ugh. Just puts me off. This dish also creates a myriad of washing up - three pots and two bowls. It also did not taste all that wonderful - however I used Urfa flakes instead of aleppo - so perhaps got the desired colour but not the flavour. Agree with Foodycat - hot smoked paprika would make a world of difference. Next time I will boil or fry my egg - this dish is going to become important when I start the blood sugar diet in January (fun times).

  • Foodycat on October 13, 2017

    I can't poach an egg to save my life so I used boiled. I have made several versions of this dish - this is a good one, although I prefer the versions that add a bit of hot smoked paprika to the butter.

  • Ro_ on December 05, 2020

    I didn't have the famous Aleppo pepper, so used a mix of regular chilli flakes and a dash of smoked paprika. I think one egg for the amount of yoghurt is slightly stingy, two would be better. I don't usually poach eggs: Nigella's method here worked pretty well but wash quite faffy - I'd skip the sieving next time, but use the rest of the poaching ideas. Overall a nice verison of turkish eggs.

  • stepharama1 on January 13, 2022

    I couldn't bear the thought of dirtying additional dishes for poaching the eggs so I used fried eggs instead. It still tasted wonderful! The mix of the garlic, spiced oil and pepper really makes this dish.

  • kkmatti on November 16, 2021

    I’ve made this several times and it’s now a personal favorite. I like to serve mine on cooked tomatoes or cooked spinach. Everyone I’ve made this for asks for the recipe.

• Waffles

  • ChelseaP on July 07, 2022

    Nice basic waffle recipe.

  • Beth891 on August 03, 2024

    I didn't make any changes but made 2/3 quantities. It made 8 waffles using my large electric waffle iron. My plastic ladle full was the perfect amount for each waffle. 3/4 heat was pretty good but I'd probably try a slightly lower temp next time to make them even crisper but the tip about using the oven was a great one. The waffles were light and tasty and only a little more effort than pancakes so definitely worth making again!

• Egg tortilla pie

  • LJStubbs on April 21, 2018

    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/egg_tortilla_pie_60712

  • Foodycat on June 25, 2018

    I got distracted by the doorbell so this was a bit over done but SO tasty. This is definitely going to be a home-alone favourite.

  • Nancy402 on September 23, 2018

    Clever recipe. Made mine vegetarian with a thin layer of ripe sliced tomatoes, and two handfuls of baby arugula instead of the ham. Added another egg so it would easily serve two. Very tasty and simple.

  • southerncooker on April 14, 2018

    I loved this. The crispy edges of the tortilla were perfect for dipping into the runny yolk. Loved the addition of hot sauce to the top before baking.

• Golden egg curry

  • LJStubbs on April 21, 2018

    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/golden_egg_curry_00708

• Tomato and fried bread hash

  • southerncooker on April 14, 2018

    This was delicious served with scrambled eggs.

  • Ro_ on December 06, 2020

    A nice, slightly different, breakfast dish. I used quite a bit less oil than the 100 ml suggested and it was fine. I also topped with a fried egg to make it a bit more filling. I'd make this again if I had old bread to use up and tomatoes.

• Chilli cheese garlic bread

  • Foodycat on October 13, 2017

    So good!

  • Ro_ on May 15, 2020

    This was really good! I had quite a large loaf so I should have scaled up the ingredients for the butter. Actually the garlic still came through pretty strongly, it was just the mozzarella/butter that was a bit lacking so maybe next time I'd just add more of those and keep the garlic the same.

• Toasted Brie, Parma ham and fig sandwich

  • Ro_ on November 18, 2020

    Really wanted to make this sandwich but couldn't get fresh figs, so I bought a nice fig compote instead. It was delicious, the flavours all worked together very well. I'm not totally sold on the method of melting the butter and oil in the pan rather than just directly buttering the outside of the sandwich though.

  • Frogcake on May 18, 2018

    The “good white bread” for me is my day-old home loaf. Oh my, this is so good. Not too often though! This is my favourite grilled cheese sandwich - no question about it. I make it extra savoury with a light spread of mayo-full fat inside and out.

  • VineTomato on November 17, 2017

    I have not bought the book yet but watching the show on BBC. This just looked totally delicious on the show and I follow Nigella on Twitter so have seen all the comments about this toasty - mostly people who can’t find figs and are looking for or have made replacements! Hubby managed to get figs, although he tells me they had to go look in the back for them. Very tasty but the amount of butter and oil required in the pan is a bit off putting. I will make again traditional toasty style which will still not be healthy but healthier! I’m kind of glad I didn’t really like this - just not worth the calories.

  • JJ2018 on September 25, 2019

    This was really nice and super easy. Would make again. The fig was a nice twist

• Catalan toasts

  • Foodycat on June 09, 2018

    I couldn't get big ripe tomatoes so I used cherry tomatoes, which had the flavour but didn't fall to smush the way it should, and I didn't de-seed. So delicious though.

  • southerncooker on April 23, 2018

    Simple but oh so delicious. I used toasted sourdough bread and very ripe Roma tomatoes. Will definitely be making these again.

• Parmesan French toast

  • southerncooker on June 06, 2018

    I though this made a nice snack.

  • Foodycat on June 09, 2018

    Best textured French toast I have ever made - nice golden outside, soft but not soggy in the middle. I was a bit disappointed in the flavour though. With all the ingredients I was expecting something quite punchy, more like a rarebit, but it was just mildly savoury. We had some chorizo and cherry tomatoes, baked together until the juices flowed, on the side.

  • VineTomato on December 28, 2017

    Total disaster. The cheesy bit and egg stuck to the bottom of the pan. Could only rescue one piece (the rest went in the bin) and I don’t think it is worth the effort or the calories. If you do make it, don’t forgo the spring onion and parsley topping that was the best bit!

  • misskatyenglish on February 15, 2021

    Lovely easy variation on French toast. Delicious. We make it every few weeks for Sunday breakfast!

• Beef and aubergine fatteh

  • cewuk on December 31, 2019

    Outstanding. Worked well without pomegranate. Try with lamb mince next time?

  • KarinaFrancis on March 26, 2021

    This was a big hit in our house, especially surprising because the silver fox really doesn’t like eggplant. Loved every part - the beef mix, the yogurt topping and all the garnishes. Can’t wait to make it again

  • VineTomato on October 10, 2018

    I approached this with low expectations, as I’ve experienced a few disasters from this cookbook. However. Divine. So, so good! I was concerned that the meat was a little dry but aubergine are lovely pockets of juicy flavor. When can I make this again, and how can I make a veggie version from Mr VT? The pitta chips are too good.

  • Kirstin_the_Kiwi on July 04, 2018

    Served this as a main for 3 people - just the right amount.

  • Foodycat on November 21, 2017

    I doubled the amount of Aleppo pepper because I wanted a bit of kick and it was just right for us. Really simple, really tasty.

  • lou_weez on October 17, 2017

    I made the mince mixture the day before, so all I had to do when I got home from work was crisp up the pita bread and gently reheat the yoghurt topping. Made for an awesome midweek meal.

  • anya_sf on July 20, 2021

    The pita chips browned before they crisped, but turned out fine (had to use 2 pans). The aleppo pepper did not make it too spicy for my son. Family liked this a lot. I was lazy and put everything straight on a sheet pan of pita chips. Next time I will use more mint.

  • LJStubbs on April 21, 2018

    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/beef_and_aubergine_46108

• Spelt spaghetti with spicy sesame mushrooms

  • Kinhawaii on August 19, 2019

    Would make again, although used regular spaghetti & a mix of mushrooms, really liked lemon in the Asian style sauce.

  • Dutchmary on January 14, 2020

    I agree, you should use more soy sauce. I use a mix of Japanese Soy sauce and Ketjap manis, which is sweet and Indonesian.

  • southerncooker on April 23, 2018

    I couldn't find spelt spaghetti so substituted whole wheat. Good but better with just a little more soy. Might have been because I used low sodium soy sauce.

  • Astrid5555 on March 12, 2019

    Like southercooker I used whole wheat spaghetti instead of the spelt spaghetti and added a little bit more soy sauce. Perfect weeknight dinner, done in 20 minutes, very good!

• Gemelli with anchovies, tomatoes and mascarpone

  • Astrid5555 on October 13, 2017

    As promised quick and easy. While husband and I really enjoyed this dish, the kids did not like it at all because of the very strong anchovy taste.

  • southerncooker on June 30, 2018

    This serves two so I made it for mine and son's supper. We enjoyed it but decided not enough to make again.

  • VineTomato on December 04, 2017

    Delicious and simple - what more could you ask for in a Sunday evening dinner. Noting Astrid5555’s comment below I think you could make an as delicious version of this using a mix of roasted and sunblush or dried tomatoes. I was already thinking about this as Mr VT hates anchovies - he was even complaining as I cooked up the sauce.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on May 06, 2019

    Super delicious! Perfect for a weeknight. Taste from anchovies, not very much tomato taste, but just enough.

  • Lepa on April 18, 2018

    This was okay but the sauce didn't have enough tomato flavor. I might try this again with canned, diced tomatoes to make more sauce.

  • Kinhawaii on August 19, 2019

    Have made this several times with leftover mascarpone, halve the anchovies so it’s more in the background & double the tomatoes, sometimes using diced roma tomatoes, different pasta shapes. Love this creamy quick sauce!

  • LJStubbs on April 21, 2018

    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/gemelli_with_anchovies_80715

  • Ro_ on October 08, 2019

    I really liked this pasta dish, but surprisingly my partner liked it even more and he's not really a fish fan. Great balance of flavours, I added a little lemon juice to serve as well. Substituted dry vermouth for dry white wine as that's what I had. Agree with other comments that it may be ever nicer made with sunblushed tomatoes. I'll probably be repeating this, so will try that idea out.

  • ChelseaP on May 22, 2021

    We really liked this. Was looking for a quick dinner and this hit the spot.

• Capellini with scallops

  • Frogcake on May 05, 2018

    This was ok as written. I jazzed it up with one more garlic clove, a slug more of vermouth, and a touch of cream. Also added about one quarter cup of shredded cheddar to the bottom of the pasta bowl (this became melty with the sauced hot pasta), and sprinkled a tablespoon of homemade toasted rye breadcrumbs. Would repeat with changes. Could also use shrimp in place of scallops.

• Radiatori with sausage and saffron

  • Jesmondgirl on April 08, 2020

    Very tasty - the sausage meat melted into the tomatoey sauce. Couldn’t get Italian sausages but still tasty.

• Meatballs with orzo

  • DinahDough on March 20, 2021

    As other people have said, you do need to be careful with the orzo sticking, it helps to stir it frequently especially when you first add it. I didn't use the full amount of liquid stated, I started with about half and added more when needed and it gave a nice, thick sauce with plenty of flavour. I found the orzo needed about half an hour to cook properly.

  • AndieEats on April 19, 2021

    Though I admittedly made some changes to fit, it was a perfectly serviceable, rather low effort weeknight meal. Used some freezer meatballs left from a previous meal, two cans of diced tomatoes plus a little extra leftover pasta sauce from the weekend, an extra pinch of red chile flakes, a couple other dried seasonings, and one diced up zucchini. Still used the full amount of water, and added that gradually as the pasta cooked. It had a tendency to stick to the bottom, especially at the beginning. Needed to fiddle with the heat a bit, as it took longer than the 15 minutes, and keep stirring every couple minutes.

  • Ro_ on December 03, 2020

    I agree with the other comments insofar as, a) it's not hugely exciting in terms of the overall taste, and b) the orzo sticks to the bottom massively so needs a lot of scraping and stirring. It also needs a lot of seasoning to bring it to life. However, I really enjoyed the textures of this dish - the slippery orzo in the sauce - and for a one pot, weeknight dinner I might make it again.

  • Foodycat on June 12, 2018

    As the other note said, this is not particularly exciting comfort food. Even though I did use 275g orzo, it was very soupy at the end, and although I stirred frequently it stuck to the bottom like glue.

  • southerncooker on April 20, 2020

    Trying to follow a recipe during covid can be interesting. I did an online pick up order from Walmart with Orzo and Italian parsley on it. Picked up order and told out of parsley so they omitted it. No orzo so they subsituted ditilini. I forged ahead with the recipe using ditilini and dried parsley. I was a little disappointed since I didn't have orzo but it turned out pretty good. I liked that once you mix and roll the meatballs everything ends up in one pot. You cook the meatballs in the sauce.

  • Jane on October 28, 2017

    This isn’t anything very exciting but it’s a perfectly OK weeknight dinner. It’s comfort food - pasta, tomato sauce and meatballs. I found the sauce was too liquid at the end - very soupy. Admittedly my orzo packet was 250g rather than 275g but it still was way off. I’d add just 750ml of water and add more if needed.

• Mung bean dal with mint and coriander raita

  • Ro_ on December 03, 2020

    The dal and the raita are a flavour combination made in heaven - neither would be as good on its own as it is with the other. Love that this is a cheap, quick, easy vegetarian meal to make on a weeknight, and I will repeat. It went really well with teh turmeric rice on the next page.

• Turmeric rice with cardamom and cumin

  • Ro_ on December 03, 2020

    Delicious rice recipe, which went with the dal on the previous page very well. I don't think you need to do the tea towel stage, this is something I've come across in Nigella's rice/grain recipes before, and I never think it's as improving as she makes out.

  • e_ballad on February 07, 2020

    An easy side dish. Would probably work well in a rice cooker.

• Carrots and fennel with harissa

  • Nomola on January 01, 2018

    Love this - really easy and have done at least 5 times

• Roast red chicory

  • Foodycat on November 29, 2017

    I used radicchio instead of red chicory - makes a nice bitter accompaniment.

• Butternut and sweet potato curry

  • Foodycat on March 05, 2019

    I should have followed Lepa's note and served some lime pickle on the side. It needed more acidity (maybe some tamarind) and a bit more spice - maybe some fennel seed and black pepper - to round it out. It was good but I wouldn't make it as written again.

  • Lepa on May 10, 2018

    This was good- but not great. It needs something else to accompany it to make a whole meal. I made rice and also an Indian chickpea dish. We ate it with yogurt and Indian pickles. I would cook it longer without the lid next time, as the sauce was too watery at the end and probably would have been better if it had reduced a bit more.

  • LJStubbs on April 21, 2018

    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/butternut_and_sweet_04563

• Garlic and Parmesan mash

  • LJStubbs on April 21, 2018

    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/garlic_and_parmesan_mash_80742

  • Ro_ on November 23, 2020

    I made these fresh and then finished them off with 20m in the oven with the gratin topping. I thought the dish was very tasty, but I was surprised that the garlic and parmesan were actually very subtle, especially the garlic. I'm not sure that I'd have detected these as components in the mash, but the overall effect did give a depth of flavour which I enjoyed.

  • southerncooker on June 06, 2018

    While these were good I've never used potato water in my mashed potatoes only milk or cream. The potato water didn't lend any flavor and I enjoy milk or cream more. I had to add more butter and parmesan. I'm hoping to try leftovers in the waffles.

  • angrygreycat on January 02, 2019

    Made this for dinner tonight. They were okay, seemed a little dry - I opted for the casserole method for making ahead from the recipe. Simple but I have other potato recipes that are better.

• Potato waffles from leftover garlic and Parmesan mash

  • southerncooker on June 07, 2018

    I used the leftover garlic and Parmesan mashed potatoes as suggested. I liked them better than the original potatoes. The bites of bacon with the waffle was delicious. Ketchup was also good on them. I'm sure I just made someone cringe. These waffles remind me a bit of the mashed potato cakes I've eaten and made all my life. I do like my families version better but these were still good.

• Red cabbage with cranberries

  • VineTomato on December 28, 2017

    I reduced the amount as it was only two of us - however about 40 min into the cooking it burnt to the bottom of my le creuset pan!!!! I made sure to keep plenty liquid so advise others to watch this like a hawk. We managed to rescue some of it for dinner and it was pretty good. I left out the cloves and cinnamon for Mr VT’s sake and it was still very tasty.

  • Victoria_from_London on January 12, 2020

    I didn't have enough dried cranberries so replaced with golden raisins (sultanas) which made it a bit bland I think - pomegranate molasses gave it some nice fruity bite and I'd use that again.

• Brussels sprouts with preserved lemons and pomegranate

  • Ro_ on December 09, 2020

    A lovely brussels sprouts dish, unusual and tasty - it also looks beautiful and as such would be lovely on a Christmas table with the green and red. I made quite a small quantity just for two people, and don't think I added enough pomegranate, don't skimp on this as it provides much needed sweetness against the bitterness of the sprouts and the acid saltiness of the preserved lemon. The sprouts got lovely and tender, I thought I'd miss them being crispy (hideous memories of boiled sprouts from childhood) but I didn't.

  • mjes on September 26, 2021

    Brussel sprouts seasoned with leek, garlic, preserved lemon, and cinnamon are not the bland, boiled brussel sprouts of the 50's. Add parsley and pomegranite seeds and you have a colorful, appealing, and satisfying side dish.

  • Dee2381 on July 07, 2018

    I love preserved lemons. A lot of Moroccan dishes call for them. I would try this recipe first.

• Garlicky roast potatoes with oregano and feta

  • KarinaFrancis on March 29, 2021

    Yum! I’m always up for potatoes and these had a delicious twist. Will absolutely make again

• Moroccan vegetable pot

  • tarae1204 on August 13, 2021

    Surprisingly easy as you chop the vegetables large, and the stew requires just the minimum of spices to produce big flavor. Good with brown rice and yogurt.

• Couscous with pine nuts and dill

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on May 26, 2019

    Delicious and very easy.

• Sweet potato tacos with avocado and coriander sauce and a tomato and pear relish

  • lilham on May 09, 2022

    Very easy to put together and so delicious. The sweet potatoes were so good roasted with the paprika and cumin paste. To make it more filling, I added crumbled feta cheese as part of the spread to fill the tacos.

• Quinoa salad with walnuts, radishes and pomegranate

  • Jane on June 07, 2018

    A nice summer salad. It's quite lemony (mine may have been extra-juicy) so add lemon juice gradually if you don't like that in a salad. The crunch of the walnuts and the fruity pops of the pomegranate seeds make it interesting, so don't skip those.

• Chopped salad

  • Frogcake on July 28, 2018

    We loved the pomegranate seeds on this. An otherwise standard salad.

• Beetroot and goat's cheese salad with a passionfruit dressing

  • Frogcake on July 28, 2018

    Roasted beets and goat cheese is one of my favourite combinations. Also loved the dressing here. Note to self: this is a simple version of a lovely beet salad in “West” where beets are salt-roasted, served with a sherry vinegrette and candied walnuts.

• Bashed cucumber and radish salad

  • Silverscreensuppers on June 26, 2018

    I agree with southerncooker - this is yummy. Eaten during a heatwave in London and I loved it.

  • Ro_ on September 15, 2020

    Nice, but there are other Asian cucumber salad recipes I prefer.

  • southerncooker on April 23, 2018

    Delicious and refreshing.

  • Foodycat on July 26, 2018

    Very good - my cucumbers were unbashable though, they just broke (I have made this sort of salad before and not had the problem so it was just this cuke).

  • Fivespice on September 03, 2018

    Used small crunchy cucumers. Used furikake seasoning (contains sesame seeds) Also used walnut oil as didn’t have sesame and cider vinegar as didn’t have rice (realise these are not really substiutes). Thought this was really good and went particularly well with smoked salmon.

  • angrygreycat on July 08, 2019

    This was a nice combination with the cucumber and radish. I still think I prefer another cucumber salad I make, but I'd make this one for a change of pace.

• Subverting the spiralizer

  • etcjm on June 03, 2020

    Thought this would be a great idea. My moderately sized potatoes spiralized OK, but when cooked I couldn't get the balance between uncooked and burnt. Then doing sweet potatoes the same way, I took them out earlier, they seem soft initially but do crisp up - maybe the key is taking them out before they look remotely golden and allowing them to crisp as they cool. Season well. Next time I will try the medium cutter and this might give me a little leeway between tasty and black! The sweet potatoes were great. I do think though that this was incredible messy, between preparing, frying and eating. I had grease everywhere.

• Coriander and jalapeño salsa

  • ChelseaP on July 08, 2022

    Excellent with tortilla chips.

• Red-hot roast salsa

  • Ro_ on December 13, 2020

    I used 650g of only partially peeled tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper and one and a half red chillis. The result was still pretty hot, certainly at the limit for what my partner can handle ;-) The method and flavour were really good, instead of using a stick blender I stuck it all in the nutribullet and just blitzed for about two to three seconds.

  • averythingcooks on November 21, 2020

    This is a really nice salsa and different from the “raw” versions I usually make. I cut this in 1/2 using 4 plum tomatoes (which I peeled after the roasting step). I know from experience that the whole cayenne peppers stashed in my freezer are hot! A 1/2 recipe called for 1 oz of peppers and 1 large one actually weighed 0.2 oz......there was no way I was using 3 or 4 more. I stuck with 1 & after pulling the stem as instructed, I also squeezed out some of the seeds. I have lots of hot sauces I could have used to heat it up at the end if necessary but we think this has the perfect amount of heat and a lovely smoky taste.

  • Frogcake on July 28, 2018

    A tasty salsa. Reduce the number of hot peppers a bit and add a half cup of heavy cream - now you have an amazing pasta sauce!

• Hake with bacon, peas and cider

  • Foodycat on October 13, 2017

    Very simple mid-week meal.

  • Jane on October 26, 2017

    I didn't like this. One issue that isn't the recipe's fault is that I couldn't get dry cider and the medium-dry added an unpleasant sweetness. But apart from that it didn't wow me. There was a lot of watery cider liquid which ended up being left in the pan otherwise I would have been serving soup. Not a repeat for me.

• Salt and vinegar potatoes

  • PennyG on August 05, 2024

    This was delicious! I also found they needed extra time in the oven to brown. Good technique; can definitely vary the flavors (flavored salts & vinegars).

  • southerncooker on April 26, 2018

    I made a recipe and a half of this and the three of us devoured them. Delicious. Great side to go with fish.

  • averythingcooks on September 10, 2021

    I made these with fingerlings from the garden and did do the steam/smash steps ahead of time (which does not seem to affect the final product), These are crispy little guys with a good punch of flavour from the cider vinegar but our consensus was that we liked Alison Roman's version (Nothing Fancy) better than this one.

  • embk27 on October 13, 2018

    These are delicious - I found they needed 45 minutes to be properly browned.

  • Ro_ on February 22, 2020

    I bought potatoes that could be microwaved in the bag, so did that to replace the initial steam then transferred to the oven and followed the instructions for the rest. I didn't crush them much, but they still came out nicely. I went quite gentle on the cider vinegar, next time I'd add more.

• Roast loin of salmon with Aleppo pepper and fennel seeds

  • mlbatt on June 08, 2019

    So simple, yet dinner-party delicious!

  • Nancy402 on June 24, 2018

    A simple but delicious recipe. The Aleppo pepper and the fennel work suprisingly well together. More than the sum of its parts.

• Chicken and pea traybake

  • Foodycat on October 13, 2017

    Incredibly quick to prepare and really delicious. I used dried dill instead of fresh.

  • KarinaFrancis on October 22, 2018

    I really enjoyed this and it was very simple to put together. Like the previous comments, the peas are surprisingly delicious. I used a shallow tray which helped the chicken brown, and produced enough juice to keep the peas moist. There was a fair bit of juice in the pan at the end and I thought to hive that off separately to the rest of the leftovers. I used it the next night as part of the liquid to cook some rice that I sauteed in a little of the chicken fat and chopped leftover leeks. I stirred in the remaining peas at the end, it was delicious! The silver fox rated it higher than the original dish and said I should make it again just for the transformed leftovers.

  • HilaryLittle on January 10, 2018

    Fantastic recipe, so simple to prepare and delicious to eat. Perfect recipe for a beginner. Regular on our menu now!

  • embk27 on October 13, 2018

    Great recipe - I would definitely add more liquid half way through as some of the peas had hardened at the end. I replaced the vermouth with white wine.

  • EmmaJaneDay on February 09, 2018

    I agree with the others, this was easy and delicious. I only cooked 6 thighs, as my chickens must have had thunder thighs, whereas Ms Lawson’s are obviously petite! Didn’t put as much salt in the peas as directed, as didn’t have enough flakes, so used table salt. Still, thought it might be a bit salty, but it wasn’t. I could eat peas this was every day.

  • chaffinski on August 24, 2024

    Easy and tasty. Impressive crispy skin for a tray bake.

  • CarolC13 on December 22, 2017

    Yum yum yum! This is fabulous and really easy. I’ve made this a couple of times and it comes out just like the picture. You don’t have to use dill (parsley would work), and while the vermouth is better, if you run out (oops...!), white wine works fine. I topped up the liquid a but when stirring in the middle.

  • ebalk02 on May 18, 2023

    Had to hurry this along at a higher temp for a shorter time which worked fine, but the leeks were a little underdone (totally my fault). Flavors are gentle but good. I would try this again at the appropriate temperature and time. Beware peas rolling away everywhere.

  • TLouise on January 18, 2021

    Quick, easy and tasty. Served with simple roast potatoes. Enjoyed by the whole family. I would make again but would reduce the amount of oil used.

• Chicken with red grapes and Marsala

  • Allie80 on April 20, 2019

    We gave this a 9/10: * Clear, easy to follow instructions * End result not too dissimilar to the photo in the book * Short ingredient list, mostly standard store cupboard items with only Marsala being more unusual * Short prep and cooking time – about 35 minutes from start to finish * Tasty dish, lots of flavour for very little process

  • KarinaFrancis on November 13, 2018

    This was a divisive dish in our household, I really liked it, the silver fox not so much. I used thighs instead of breasts, which of course took longer to cook and the grapes burst. This wasn't necessarily bad but I used almost black grapes which gave the sauce a funny reddish colour, like uncooked out wine. I'm not painting the best picture, but do try it, I enjoyed eating it.

• Lime and coriander chicken

  • Jane on January 09, 2019

    Very quick and easy dinner. The chicken had good flavor from the lime juice marinade and the lime cilantro topping. I served it with salad, mashed avocado and tomato salsa. Fresh and healthy meal.

  • PiaOC on January 26, 2018

    Used chicken tenderloins and barbecued instead of panfrying. Tasty and tender.

  • e_ballad on October 01, 2018

    Delicious. Ready within half an hour, with a lot of flavour for extremely little effort. Will be on high rotation.

• Spatchcock chicken with miso and sesame seeds

  • Ro_ on January 01, 2021

    I could only get red miso, just I used three teaspoons instead of four and added some mirin for sweetness. I was worried that the chicken would come out really salty, but in fact not at all - it was tender, the flavours were perfectly balanced and generally delicious. I served with sushi rice as suggested, and a cucumber salad (from a Ken Hom recipe). Definitely one to repeat!

  • KarinaFrancis on April 05, 2020

    Delicious, savoury and simple. I’m a big fan of spatchcocking chicken and the marinade gave it a delicious flavour and lovely burnished skin.

  • FatsyRoller on February 06, 2023

    Really good. Followed as written except for the sesame seeds on top (didn't have any). Will make again for sure.

• Indian-spiced chicken and potato traybake

  • lilham on November 19, 2017

    The smell from the oven was heavenly while this was cooking. Unfortunately, it didn’t taste half as nice as it smelt. They tasted just ok, nothing special. Won’t repeat again.

  • sarahj22 on November 06, 2024

    My sister made this for me and it was beautiful - a lovely dish. She skipped the pickled onions and served with pitta bread, yogurt and salad leaves. I'm hoping it's as good when I cook it myself.

  • Foodycat on October 30, 2017

    Absolutely delicious. The chicken was done before the potatoes were as I like them, so I pulled the chicken out to rest for a couple of minutes while the potatoes finished up.

  • TracyKirk on January 31, 2018

    My daughter is very, very fussy and she loved it! She prefers white meat so I used chicken thighs and then added chicken breasts half way through cooking.

• Chicken barley

  • tui on July 20, 2018

    I was looking for a recipe for an inexpensive but tasty chicken stew to serve to homeless people and found this. Perfect! I multiplied the quantities by ten (approximately) and had enough for fifty people. It was a little soupy and next time I would use a bit more barley and a little less stock, but it was great. Thank you, Nigella.

• Chicken fricassée with Marsala, chestnuts and thyme

  • Astrid5555 on March 13, 2019

    Nigella’s comment about this dish sums it up perfectly. “While this is one of my absolute favourite things to eat, I admit it has a face only a mother could love.” Perfect for younger son’s request for rice with sauce, weeknight dinner-friendly and a definite keeper.

  • Foodycat on November 29, 2017

    Not a pretty dish - and it has that sort of old-school gloopiness from the flour-thickened sauce, so it really does need the suggested rice with it. Excellent flavour though, and really quick to put together.

  • e_ballad on March 05, 2018

    A definite “comfort” dish. What it loses in looks, it makes up for in taste! It does require 30 mins stoveside-attendance for constant stirring. I would strongly recommend some steamed veg as a side dish as it is very... brown.

• Roast duck with orange, soy and ginger

  • Nomola on January 01, 2018

    Made this last night - steamed the duck the day before - absolutely delicious, but (and it could have been that my ducks were smaller - hadn’t checked the size - very stupidly) would say doesn’t need cooking for as long. Served with wraps and salad. Steaming the duck stopped it from drying out ... lovely

  • Ro_ on March 09, 2021

    I made this with one 1.5kg duck and reduced the cooking times slightly in accordance. I loved the overall flavours of the duck and the accompanying sauce (I thought the latter might be overpowering but not at all in fact) but it did end up getting overcooked ever so slightly, and starting to dry out on the breast. Interesting to read the other comment here along the same lines. I'd make this again, but reduce cooking time even further. I served with rice and stir-fried broccoli.

• Slow-roast 5-spice lamb with Chinese pancakes

  • Ro_ on December 06, 2020

    Loved this recipe. Very simple to do - and would have been even quicker if I'd bought pancakes rather than making my own from a Ken Hom recipe. I ate some of these with the traditional pancakes, and some with the suggested lettuce wraps, which were also very nice. My partner loved this dish - I think I'll be making it again.

• Herbed leg of lamb

  • Ro_ on January 18, 2021

    Really good

• Lamb kofta with garlic sauce

  • Foodycat on June 04, 2018

    I felt like there was a bit of a gap in the seasoning - it needed a bit more allspice or a little cinnamon or something. But very simple to prepare and very delicious. And garlicky.

  • isdyda on March 08, 2022

    Would be better if you could have the whole recipe

  • Hilaryjh on October 15, 2018

    Delicious - definitely will be having again.

  • etcjm on May 23, 2020

    Very good. Thank you for the recommendation of adding 'something else' from the other notes, I added half teaspoon of paprika. I think this helped as the yoghurt sauce is so strong. Used 3 garlic cloves in the sauce, which I think was sufficient. In my opinion this is not a meal for 4 or 5, more like 3 or 4 at a push with other things. It only made 9 and 2 two each for 4 of us, with one to fight over didn't work for my greedy lot. Served with chilli halloumi and red pepper hummus as well the salad additions. Altogether a tasty meal, I'll just use more meat next time! Fair to say the vampires didn't stand a chance - if you love garlic you'll like this meal. We had a lot of sauce leftover so I might reduce next time.

  • Lsblackburn1 on September 02, 2018

    Nice basic and easy kofta recipe. I divided the meat among 5 skewers and did them on the grill. Really liked the yogurt sauce for this!

• Chilli mint lamb cutlets with a preserved lemon and mint sauce

  • Foodycat on June 09, 2018

    I got some heavily discounted organic lamb racks, so I used those instead of individual cutlets, and I cooked them on a charcoal bbq, 20 minutes direct heat, 10 minutes indirect (we like lamb medium to well done). Even though I'd marinated the meat for a couple of hours beforehand, I don't think any of the flavour came through. And the dressing ended up as a thick paste rather than anything I could dollop around. But saying that, the preserved lemon and mint dressing was absolutely delicious with the tender lamb. I wouldn't bother with the marinade next time, I'd just add a bit of chilli to the dressing.

  • Ro_ on November 25, 2019

    I only discovered halfway through making this that my mint plant had died, so I had to use some dried mint and fresh parsley to bulk out the sauce. Nonetheless I thought this was a very nice recipe, just need to be careful with the balance of flavours since the preserved lemons are very potent. I used lamb leg chops instead of cutlets.

• Bulgar wheat with flaked almonds and nigella seeds

  • Ro_ on November 25, 2019

    Very nice and pretty easy. I'm not exactly sure what the last 15 minutes with the tea towel achieves, to me the bulgar already seemed cooked and sufficiently dried out after the initial simmer/steam. But the flavours were all delicious, while remaining fairly subtle. I made this to serve with the chlli and mint lamb cutlets on p172 and it worked really well.

• Slow roast pork shoulder with caramelised garlic and ginger

  • Ro_ on December 14, 2020

    No pork shoulder available, but I used a bone-in "palette de porc" and just went with it. Kind of cut around the bone as best I could to create a flap to put the marinade in. The smells coming off this as it cooked in the oven were absolutely divine. I think for me just the last blast at a high heat (to crisp up the skin) took it slightly too far as it started to get a bit blackened and dried out quite a bit. This could have been because of the cut I used, and the fact that it was a smaller piece of meat than the recipe indicated. I'd maybe make this again, but without trying to make crackling at the end.

  • Astrid5555 on March 17, 2019

    Luckily I wanted to serve this dish for dinner, because, as always, I forgot to read through the recipe beforehand, which asks you to roast the garlic for the caramelised garlic part before the actual roast goes into the oven for 6 hours. Nevertheless, not much hands on time is needed, which makes this a nice no-stress weekend supper. We liked the subtle Asian undertones from the ginger and soy sauce. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s tacos with today’s leftovers. Highly recommended!

• Pork with prunes, olives and capers

  • jdstone on June 30, 2022

    Really handy recipe for entertaining. Low effort, big flavour.

• Pork steaks with Port and figs

  • Pamsy on October 13, 2024

    This has potential if next time I use fresh figs (as written it reminded us that we're not overly keen on dried figs). The port sauce was excellent, sweet and sticky, probably used double the amount of port specified. Quick and easy to prepare and cook. Good for entertaining.

  • Frogcake on May 06, 2018

    I’m very fond of this “pig and fig” recipe. Very easy to make and very tasty. Will repeat.

• Queen of puddings

  • LJStubbs on April 21, 2018

    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/queen_of_puddings_33046

  • KarinaFrancis on August 30, 2020

    Proper nursery dessert at its best! A delicious layer of bread and butter pudding, a layer of jam (apricot was what I had) with a pillowy merengue topping - heaven. Very happy that I have enough brioche crumbs stashed in the freezer to make this again.

• Apple gingerjack

  • ChelseaP on May 21, 2021

    Nigella never disappoints. Absolutely delicious and warming pudding.

• White chocolate cheesecake

  • ChelseaP on July 07, 2022

    Everyone loved this cheesecake!

  • KarinaFrancis on August 06, 2023

    A lovely soft set cheesecake. Loved the ginger nut base, even though they give the processor a hard time. The whole family loved it, I thought it needed a bit of tang to offset the sweetness so I topped it with some orange segments

  • Ro_ on December 14, 2020

    I decided to make mini individual servings of cheesecake (see photo). The flavour combinations were good, but I must have got something wrong in the cream/cheese/chocolate mix because it ended up way too soft and not really setting probably. I think this was my error because I was only making a third of the recipe and I should have been more precise when working out the equivalent measurements.

• Warm blondie pudding

  • angrygreycat on January 06, 2019

    I made this for a Sunday dinner dessert to serve as an option to Sticky Toffee Pudding. My daughter liked this quite a bit, but she is a big nut fan. I found that the nuts, it is made with almond flour and has chopped walnuts in it, overwhelmed any other flavor and that is all that I could taste. I couldn't taste the white chocolate at all. Perhaps it was the quality of my chocolate? Not sure if I will make again.

  • ebalk02 on November 10, 2021

    Made a few additions to this recipe: added salt and vanilla to the batter, then added flaky salt and a bit of turbinado sugar on top before bakng. Update: definitely add salt to this recipe. It's a really lovely and comforting (and rich!) dessert that's complemented well with the creme fraiche and raspberries.

• Sticky toffee pudding

  • aisy on June 04, 2021

    This is my go-to sticky toffee pudding recipe. Easy and delicious!

  • angrygreycat on January 06, 2019

    Made this for Sunday dinner dessert today - it was soooo good. Gingery, sweet with a bite from the molasses. On top of that super easy to make, I made this and the Warm Blondie pudding in less than an hour, cleaned up and had them ready to serve. Definitely will make again.

• Butterscotch pots

  • Foodycat on June 10, 2018

    Disaster. I've made this kind of pudding many times with no problems at all but this time the cream split at the very last minute leaving a heavy, grainy mess swimming in a lake of melted butter.

• No-churn bourbon salted caramel ice cream

  • Foodycat on June 03, 2018

    I've made a couple of Nigella's no-churn ice cream recipes. For some reason (I assume the caramel) this one doesn't whip to soft peaks the way the others do, so you don't really get much air in it. Which I didn't mind (richly creamy velvet is a good thing in my book) but a friend found to be an unpleasantly slimy mouthfeel. The flavour is wonderful (I used a teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt, and 3 tbs of rye instead of bourbon).

• Emergency brownies

  • Foodycat on April 15, 2021

    I used salted peanuts instead of walnuts, reducing the salt added to just a pinch. and added about a teaspoon of instant coffee granules because I didn't have enough cocoa powder. Really good, really quick. A very good use for one of the foil cartons from the last time we got food delivered!

  • CindyinOttawa on May 27, 2018

    I used disposable aluminum pans...the ones I usually use to catch drippings from my bbq - a great fit. These were quick, easy and delish...I like mine gooey, so always tough to watch they don't overbake and get cakey. On her show, I love how Nigella takes a giant bite out of these. I did too.

  • southerncooker on April 14, 2018

    I wish I'd had some of the disposable pans in the size she says to use for this. Since I didn't I used a ramekin, but it would have worked better in the pans suggested. Despite that it was still delicious. Perfect size for 2 large or 4 small brownies.

  • Ro_ on March 14, 2020

    I only realised afterwards that I used cacao powder instead of cocoa powder, so these came out reeeeally richly chocolatey (and much darker than in the picture in the book) but they were still good. The bitterness of the chocolate was helped by the fact that instead of 50g walnuts and 50g chocolate chips, I used 100g white chocolate chips. I didn't have a disposable aluminium tray so used a pyrex dish, which seemed to turn out fine. All in all: great to have a brownie recipe for two people and I'd make again.

  • ChelseaP on May 22, 2021

    What a great idea! These hit the spot.

  • JJ2018 on May 29, 2019

    Realty enjoyed these. Super quick to make and the perfect brownie to serve In a sundae with ice cream. I left out walnuts so threw in a handful of mini marshmallows instead which added to the chew and used a mix of dark and white chocolate chips.

• Lemon tendercake with blueberry compote

  • chaffinski on July 23, 2024

    Delicious, would be great with orange instead of lemon and blackberries instead of blueberries for autumn too.

  • Lovestocook on January 20, 2018

    Loved the flavour of this cake and it makes a great dairy free option. Surprisingly light given the batter contains coconut milk and oil. The compote and coconut yogurt topping go very well with it and are worth making.

• Victoria sponge with cardamom, marmalade and crème fraîche

  • Lepa on March 24, 2019

    My husband made this for my birthday. The combination of flavors was really nice.

• Ginger and walnut carrot cake

  • VineTomato on December 28, 2017

    Simple to make, delicious and moist. I was hoping that the ginger would come through more strongly in the icing but that just comes down to personal taste.

  • southerncooker on April 20, 2018

    This cake is a little drier and less sweet than the usual carrot cake. I really enjoyed it with coffee though. I also enjoyed the three types of ginger going on and the little bit of heat from them. It has ground and crystallized in the batter, ginger juice in the icing, and an extra sprinkle of crystallized on top. Getting the ginger juice was a breeze since she talks you thru it. I especially enjoyed how she showed you in her show - the video link has the full recipe. I didn't have the cup and a fourth of chopped walnuts called for so I used about a half cup in the batter and a quarter cup sprinkled on top. It seemed like plenty to me.

  • aliradloff on December 27, 2018

    This cake is one of my absolute favourites, and I have baked a lot of cakes! I usually use melted butter rather than oil, and have used gluten free flour to make a very successful gluten free version. All of my family and friends love the gingery flavours and it never lasts long.

  • jackiecat on December 28, 2018

    recipe online https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/ginger_and_walnut_carrot_68622

  • ChelseaP on May 22, 2021

    This is one of the best carrot cakes I've ever had. Have made it many times now because we love it that much. The ginger in the cake, icing and on top makes it extra special. If you love ginger you'll love this cake.

  • s.shadan on October 24, 2023

    The best carrot cake ever. I was worried about the over-powering taste of ginger, which I don't like, but there was no reason to worry,

• Raspberry-flecked sour cream cake

  • Breebs on February 10, 2020

    Simple and not overly sweet. I would suggest a little salt to the batter to make the berry flavor come though better, and I ended up adding a drop of food coloring to the glaze because mine was not as snowy white as the cookbook picture.

  • Ro_ on October 31, 2020

    I made this in a silicon loaf mould. I enjoyed the simple flavour of the cake, but I found that the two tbsp of freeze-dried raspberries in the batter got pretty lost, I didn't taste all that much raspberry. My icing was a fail because I was too impatient with it so it ended up as more of a drizzle. Overall I quite liked this cake, but a family member who is a huge raspberry fan was disappointed as it doesn't taste all that raspberry-y.

  • Kinhawaii on August 19, 2019

    Didn’t like this although I did try baking it in a 6 cup bundt pan- but it looked like a loaf or pound cake with a nice split so wasn’t flat, & my new freeze dried raspberries didn’t taste great so used freeze dried strawberries I had leftover from Ottolenghi’s mini strawberry cakes. Didn’t have enough berry flavor but besides that the texture & moistness wasn’t great compared to other sour cream cakes I have made before. Ottolenghi’s mini strawberry cake, although I thought my icing was not the best color, was much better in taste & texture.

• Sunken chocolate Amaretto cake with crumbled amaretti cream

  • Kinhawaii on August 19, 2019

    Others enjoyed this more than I did- thought it very light & liked the Amaretto- I didn’t make the cream. I prefer other similar chocolate cakes.

  • etcjm on October 12, 2020

    Cooked this as an alternative to doing the chocolate cloud cake (again). Really enjoyed it - don't put more than the required amaretto in as it would overpower. It needs the cream and the crunch of the biscuits otherwise it is very light. It isn't a keeper, the texture has changed by day 3 and isn't as nice. I will only make when I know we have people coming next time.

• Double chocolate and pumpkin seed cookies

  • Idubinsky on March 04, 2022

    These are exceptional and very easy to put together. They are also a very good base for all sorts of things not just pumpkin seeds. I've added sunflower seeds, dried apricot slivers, dried cherries, pistachios, in various combinations. I always roast the seeds or nuts slightly before incorporating.

• Forgotten cookies

  • LJStubbs on April 21, 2018

    https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/forgotten_cookies_60368

  • Foodycat on September 28, 2020

    They taste nice but really didn't work for me - they puffed up quite quickly, but then collapsed to an extremely fragile, gooey mess. I think you need a really good seal on the oven door to make it work! I think next time I would bake them in a very low oven instead.

  • AlineLorieri on May 16, 2021

    We made these for Christmas and they turned out beautiful and delicious. I am not the fan of pistachio, but it was a great addition. Would certainly make it again!

• Negroni sbagliato

  • Foodycat on June 15, 2018

    Campari is divisive, so I admire that Nigella is confident enough in her friends to make a jug using a whole 750ml bottle of prosecco. I used a 250ml bottle and scaled the recipe down for two. It's nicer than a regular negroni, to my mind, which I find too brutally alcoholic, but I'd still want to know where people stood on Campari before I served it.

  • Jane on March 01, 2019

    I think this might become my new favorite party drink. You have to like slightly bitter drinks, which luckily most of my friends do. Negroni (Campari & vermouth) mixed with a bottle of prosecco so good for serving a crowd (we used up 3 bottles of prosecco at my Oscars party). I used Carpano Antica Formula vermouth. With a slice of blood orange it was also a very pretty drink.

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