‘Keeping It Simple’ cookbook: Recipes from scallops and brussels salad to tomato poached cod

From one-pot dishes to quick mid-week dinners, this book is all about whipping up good food without fuss

Tomato poached cod with fresh herbs

Back when my sister lived in Paris, I scanned through the Rose Bakery cookbook in her apartment when visiting, which was full of high-quality, minimal and delicious recipes. A variation of their poached cod in tomato water was one I made over and over again, for both myself and guests, even when serving hot foods wasn’t necessarily appropriate. I made this for one of my best friends, Matty, in my tiny NYC apartment when we were in our early twenties, in the height of summer – my sad little air-conditioning unit was not much help. His response, in between wiping the sweat off his brow was, “this is really good, though it does feel hard to eat a hot dish in the summer”. Fair. This is all to say that this recipe is really easy, good for you, and can slip into your weeknight rotation when you want to look fancy and feel good with minimal effort (aka my goal in life).

Serves 4

Prep 5 minutes
Total 25 minutes

2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried dried red chilli flakes or more, as desired
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes and their liquid
250ml low-salt vegetable stock (broth) or water
4 x 150g cod fillets
30g parsley or basil leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped or torn, for sprinkling
Toasted crusty bread, for serving

Heat the oil in a wide, shallow frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and salt, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Pour in the tomatoes and stock and raise the heat to achieve an active boil. Adjust it to maintain an active simmer, stirring occasionally, and season with salt and pepper. Let it cook for about 10 minutes so that the tomatoes lose their tinned taste and the liquid reduces slightly.

Season the fish with salt and pepper and add to the sauce, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle active simmer. Cook until the fish is opaque and easily flakes when touched, about 5 minutes, spooning the sauce over the fillets. If they are not fully submerged then turn them over halfway. (Thick fillets will take a little longer.) Toast the bread.

Divide the fish between serving bowls and spoon the tomato sauce over. Finish with pepper and parsley and serve with the bread for dipping.

Note: salting the cod generously on all sides, then setting aside while you prep the other ingredients allows it to keep its shape during the cooking process. Rinse the salt off with cold water and pat dry, then salt and pepper it before adding the sauce.

It’s helpful to get similar-sized fillets so that they cook evenly. Stir in ½-1 tbsp harissa with shallots when adding garlic to add more heat to the dish.

(Patricia Niven)

Wakey, wakey, cheesy eggs and bakey

Since I was four, my family has been going to the same place in Maine, USA, every summer. It’s a time to unwind, be in nature and go off the grid. My dad orders the same breakfast every day of the trip, and, inevitably, mid-way through the week, the server says, “The usual for you?” He orders two eggs “over easy”, bacon and a side of pancakes. No toast.

This recipe is inspired by that meal, but with my own twist. It’s an easy one for when you can’t be bothered to think too much – and a way to cook bacon evenly without any mess. The tomatoes cook in the rendered bacon fat, infusing them with a delicious salty flavour. Scoop them up with toast or place on the eggs.

Serves 4 for dinner

Prep 10 minutes
Total 30 minutes

225g bacon
150g baby plum (grape) tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for greasing
8 eggs
1/2 tsp dried red chilli flakes, or more as desired
75g drained and lightly salted ricotta, crumbled feta or grated parmesan
Toast, for serving
1 ripe avocado, halved, destoned, peeled and sliced, for serving
Juice of 1 lime
Rocket for serving (optional)
Hot sauce, for serving

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Place the bacon in the middle of a baking tray (sheet pan), spread the tomatoes around, topping them with a pinch of salt and pepper, then place 4 lightly oiled ramekins on the outer edges of the baking tray. The tomatoes will cook in the rendered bacon fat, so no need for oil.

Crack 2 eggs inside each ramekin and season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes, if desired, and top with your choice of cheese.

Carefully place in the oven, and cook until the bacon is crispy and the egg whites are set and yolks are runny, about 18-20 minutes, turning the tray around in the oven halfway through to ensure even cooking. If the bacon is cooked before the eggs, then remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Meanwhile, set the table, climb into comfy clothes and make some toast, if you want to dip it into the eggs (you should). Near the finish time, slice the avocado, top it with salt and a squeeze of lime juice and divide it between the plates with the rocket and toast.

Carefully remove the baking tray from the oven, place the ramekins on plates (they are hot, so watch out) and divvy up the bacon and tomatoes, garnishing the eggs with rocket, if desired, and serving with avocado, hot sauce and toast.

Note: to check if the eggs are done, gently jiggle the ramekin: the yolks should move a little and bounce back, while the whites will be steady. The sides of the eggs will be bubbling and firm (they cook the quickest) and will start to brown when it’s close to time. If they are still super jiggly, then give it another 30 seconds and check again. Add chopped spinach, mushrooms or other veg to the bottom of the ramekin (no more than 4 tbsp) and layer the eggs on top.

Scallops and brussels sprout salad with vegan caesar dressing

This vegan dressing is a slight variation on the one from Haven’s Kitchen, a fabulous cooking school, event space and cafe of sorts in Chelsea, NYC. I first heard about it when my sister worked there, which is how I became obsessed with its well-curated goods in the cafe portion and the impeccable taste of its owner (who is lovely). Definitely check it out when you’re in town, and tell them I say hi. Why serve a vegan dressing with a protein? In my experience, a lot of home cooks don’t want to make a dressing with anchovies and raw eggs (yes, that’s in a caesar, in case you didn’t know). Plus, it feels a little lighter, and I’m into that.

Serves 4

Prep 10 minutes
Total 20 minutes

1 garlic clove, grated or mashed with the back of a knife until it’s paste-like
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp dijon mustard
Juice of 2 lemons
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
900g shredded brussels sprouts
60g shop-bought croutons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
12 large scallops, muscles removed
15g fresh parsley leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped
30g toasted pumpkin seeds

In the bottom of a large serving bowl, combine the garlic, miso paste, mustard and juice of 1 lemon. Slowly pour in the extra-virgin olive oil, whisking at intervals to combine it with the ingredients. Make sure to mash and break up the miso paste, and continue until it reaches a smoothish consistency. (It’s not going to be perfect as we’re doing it by hand, but you could use a hand-held blender if you'd like.) Add water or more lemon juice to thin out until you achieve your desired consistency and taste. Mix in the Brussels sprouts and croutons until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a 30 cm (12 in) frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat, add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and heat until lightly smoking. Season the scallops with salt and pepper on both sides, then add to the pan, making sure they are not touching each other (work in batches if you need to). Cook until about halfway up the scallop is opaque and more of a creamy white colour than a murky white, about 3 minutes. The scallops should easily release from the frying pan without resistance (keep cooking if not) and have a nice browned crust on the bottom. Flip, cooking for 1 more minute for medium-rare, then remove from the stove to allow the residual heat of the pan to finish cooking them. (If you want them fully cooked through, then leave on the heat for 1–2 minutes more.)

Squeeze the remaining lemon juice on them, then divide the salad between plates, top with scallops, parsley and pumpkin seeds.

Note: If you can purchase shredded Brussels sprouts, then do that as a time-saver. Otherwise, use a mandolin or trim them and use a knife to cut into strips. Prawns (shrimp) or chicken work here as well. Swap sprouts for asparagus in the spring or a mix of kale and Romaine.

From ‘Keeping It Simple’ by Yasmin Fahr, Hardie Grant Books, RRP £16.99, photography by Patricia Niven