3 hours ago
11
It’s too hot to turn on the oven or stove. What can I make for dinner that’s still substantial?
Mark, via email
This sounds like a job for Lucy Carr-Ellison, of Tart London, who is fully functioning in a no-oven household. “We moved in last year and there’s an Aga, which was amazing in winter, but we can’t have it on in summer,” she says, so toast toppers have become a crucial category of cooking: “Try rubbing toasts with garlic, adding a bit of olive oil, some grated tomatoes, lots of salt and tinned anchovies.”
Otherwise, Mark could do away with the toaster and get some focaccia, suggests Jamie Pickles, chef/co-owner of Stow and The Trof, both in Manchester: “Mix picked brown crab meat with mayo, lemon juice and mustard, and spread that over the bread.” Next, combine the picked white meat with chopped chives and coriander, lemon juice, creme fraiche and black pepper. “Mix through some tinned sweetcorn, spread that over the brown crab mayo and finish with watercress.”
A kettle won’t add heat to your home, either. “I make a lot of rice noodle bowls,” says Alexandra Dudley, author of Cooking Made Simple, who keeps them in the fridge as the temperatures rise. “Soak the noodles in hot water while you make a dressing of peanut butter, miso, tahini, sesame oil, garlic and lime juice or rice-wine vinegar, then mix the two with cooked prawns from the supermarket and some smashed cucumbers.” Cool and crunchy cukes are also a go-to round at Pickles’, where they’re marinated for a “big punch of flavour” and served with salmon and rice: “Roughly chop a cucumber, throw it in a tub and add soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, fish sauce and chilli crisp,” he says. “Put on the lid, seal, shake and put in the fridge to do its thing.” Some smoked salmon would be just the ticket alongside: pile it into bowls with cooked rice (“jasmine, ideally”), then finish with sesame seeds, chopped coriander, a touch of lime, plus the cucumbers, of course.
When it’s all too hot to handle, it’s worth widening the parameters of pesto. “Switch out pine nuts for more affordable walnuts, and the same goes for the cheese,” says Pickles, who uses any firm cheese that takes his fancy. Blend the two with fresh herbs (“basil or flat-leaf parsley”), olive oil, a bit of garlic and lemon juice, plus ice to emulsify. Then get some courgettes: “Slice into strips using a peeler, dress with the pesto, then leave the courgettes to soak up all of that flavour.” Finish with torn mozzarella, freshly ground black pepper and pickled raisins – “they’ll bring a pop of life”.
If all else fails, the assembly dinner is a classic move. “Learn to love your deli section,” campaigns Dudley, who more often than not has jars of artichokes, capers, olives and peppers to hand, ready to chop and chuck into a bowl with cooked lentils (“tinned or from a pouch”). Crumble over feta and there’s nothing better on a summer’s night. Or any night, really.
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