The beloved London restaurant The River Cafe, founded in 1987 by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, built itself as an Italian that stayed true to seasonal produce without getting pretentious about it. It’s an ethos that has stuck with the chefs who have passed through its kitchens over the years,
Spaghetti Lemon
This is the freshest tasting pasta you can cook. The lemon makes it zesty and summery. Roll the lemons on a work counter before cutting them to release the juice. Serves 4.
300g spaghetti
Juice of 3-4 lemons
150ml (2/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
150g (2 ¼ cups) freshly grated parmesan
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls basil, leaves picked and chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
2. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions until cooked but still firm (al dente).
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the olive oil.
4. Stir in the parmesan; as it melts in, the mixture will become thick and creamy.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Drain the spaghetti and return to the pan.
7. Add the sauce to the spaghetti and shake the pan so that each strand of pasta is coated with the cheese mixture.
8. Stir in the chopped basil and the lemon zest.
Spaghetti Alle Vongole
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.It is important to toss the spaghetti well with the clams and the juice so they flavour the pasta. Serves 4.
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 dried red chillies, crumbled
3kg small clams, washed thoroughly
bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (divided)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g spaghetti
1 lemon, quartered
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and fry over a medium heat for 1 minute until just beginning to brown.
3. Add the crumbled chillies, clams and 2 tablespoons of water.
4. Cover and fry over a high heat for about 5 minutes until all the clams open. Discard any that do not open.
5. Add half the parsley to the clams.
6. Season with pepper and some salt if needed; the clams may be salty.
7. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
8. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet (package) instructions. The spaghetti should be cooked until firm but still with a bite (al dente).
9. Drain the spaghetti and add to the clams.
10. Serve with the remaining parsley and the lemon quarters.
Crostata
You can use any jam you like (even ready-made) with this tart, but if making it yourself, it can get extremely hot, so take care. Serves 6.
Raspberry jam
450g (2½ cups) raspberries
225g (1 cup plus 1½ Tbsp) caster sugar
Juice of 1 large lemon
Pastry dough
250g (1 ⅔ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
3½ Tbsp caster sugar
2½ Tbsp polenta
1 tsp salt
170g (¾ cup) butter, cold and diced
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp demerara sugar, for sprinkling
1. To make the raspberry jam, combine all the ingredients in a large frying pan.
2. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir frequently to dissolve the sugar.
3. Increase the heat and boil for 5 minutes.
4. Carefully pour the mixture into a bowl and cool completely.
5. To make the pastry, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, caster sugar, polenta, salt and butter.
6. Beat on a low speed until butter is reduced to pea-sized chunks.
7. Add 4 tablespoons of iced water and mix until combined.
8. Cover the dough with the clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
9. Divide the dough in half. Using a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough on a lightly floured work counter, slightly larger than your tart pan and to a thickness of 3mm.
10. Carefully lay the dough over the tart pan. Set aside.
11. Roll the other piece of dough into a rectangle the width of the tart.
12. Using a pasta cutter, cut 8 strips, about 2.5-cm wide.
13. Create a 4 x 4 lattice on a piece of baking paper.
14. Preheat the oven to 160C.
15. Fill the pastry with raspberry jam.
16. Carefully slide the lattice on top. Using a blunt knife, trim the edges.
17. Brush with the beaten egg.
18. Sprinkle with demerara sugar.
19. Bake for 1 hour until cooked through. Carefully remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Lemon Ice Cream
This is the only ice cream we know that doesn’t have to be churned. Be sure to wash the lemons. Roll the lemons before you squeeze them to get the maximum juice. Serves 6.
Finely grated zest of 1 and juice of 3 lemons
200g (1 cup) caster sugar
½ tsp sea salt
450ml (scant 2 cups) double cream
1. In a bowl, mix the lemon zest and juice, sugar and salt with a spoon.
2. Slowly add in the cream, carefully mixing with the spoon: it will immediately thicken.
3. Put the ice cream mixture in a 1-litre freezer-proof container and freeze for 2 hours to harden.
Recipes extracted from The River Cafe Look Book, published by Phaidon, $45.
