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Prep: 20 min  |  Cook: 15 min  |  Serves: 4

Katsu is Japanese comfort food at its best: a thin, juicy cutlet in a shatteringly crisp crust.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, halved horizontally and pounded to 1.5 cm
• Salt and pepper
• 60 g plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 120 g panko breadcrumbs
• Neutral oil for shallow frying
• Shredded cabbage, lemon wedges and steamed rice to serve

Tonkatsu sauce

• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp sugar

Method

1. Whisk the sauce ingredients together until smooth and set aside.
2. Season the chicken on both sides. Dredge in flour, dip in egg, then press firmly into panko.
3. Heat 1 cm of oil in a wide skillet to 170 °C.
4. Fry the cutlets 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden and cooked through (74 °C).
5. Drain on a rack, rest 3 minutes, then slice into strips.
6. Serve over shredded cabbage with rice, sauce and lemon.

Tips

Resting on a wire rack rather than paper towels keeps the underside crisp.

Prep: 15 min  |  Cook: 40 min  |  Serves: 6 as tapas

Found in every bar in Spain, tortilla is humble food done right. Slowly poaching the potatoes in olive oil is what gives it its tender texture.

Ingredients

• 700 g waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 250 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 6 large eggs
• 1.5 tsp fine sea salt

Method

1. Heat the oil in a 24 cm non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add potatoes and onion with a pinch of salt.
2. Cook gently for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until the potatoes are soft but not browned.
3. Drain the vegetables in a sieve over a bowl, saving the oil.
4. Beat the eggs with the salt, then fold in the warm potatoes and onions. Let sit 10 minutes.
5. Heat 1 tbsp of the reserved oil in the pan over medium heat. Pour in the mixture and cook 4-5 minutes until the edges set.
6. Place a large plate over the pan, flip confidently, slide the tortilla back in and cook 3 more minutes for a juicy center.
7. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Tips

For a runnier center, cook the second side only 2 minutes. Serve with aioli or crusty bread.

Prep: 5 min  |  Cook: 15 min  |  Serves: 2

Three ingredients, one technique. The trick to a creamy, clump-free cacio e pepe is temperature control and using the pasta water wisely.

Ingredients

• 200 g spaghetti or tonnarelli
• 100 g finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra to serve
• 2 tsp whole black peppercorns, freshly cracked
• Salt for the pasta water (use less than usual, the cheese is salty)

Method

1. Bring 1.5 litres of water to a boil and add a small pinch of salt. Cook the spaghetti 1 minute short of the package time.
2. Meanwhile, toast the pepper in a wide, dry pan over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Ladle 150 ml of pasta water into the pepper and let it simmer.
4. Put the cheese in a bowl and stir in 4 tbsp of warm pasta water to make a smooth paste.
5. Transfer the pasta into the pepper pan with tongs and toss over low heat, adding a splash of water as needed.
6. Remove from the heat, add the cheese paste and toss vigorously until glossy and creamy. Serve at once with extra pecorino and pepper.

Tips

Grate the cheese very finely and never add it over direct heat, or it will seize into clumps.

Prep: 25 min  |  Cook: 1 hr 45 min  |  Serves: 6

Kjötsúpa is the soup Icelanders make when the weather turns. Bone-in lamb gives it body, and the vegetables are cut generously so every spoonful is hearty.

Ingredients

• 1 kg bone-in lamb shoulder or neck, cut into large pieces
• 2.5 litres cold water
• 1 tbsp sea salt, plus more to taste
• 80 g pearl or short-grain rice
• 1 small rutabaga (swede), cubed
• 3 carrots, thickly sliced
• 4 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp dried soup herbs (thyme, parsley, oregano mix)
• Black pepper

Method

1. Place the lamb in a large pot with the cold water and bring slowly to a simmer. Skim off the foam as it rises.
2. Add salt and simmer gently for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
3. Add the rice, rutabaga, carrots and onion. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and leek and cook a further 20 minutes until all vegetables are soft.
5. Stir in the dried herbs, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Serve the meat in the bowl with the broth, or remove the bones first if you prefer.

Tips

The soup tastes even better the next day. Reheat gently and add a splash of water if the rice has thickened it.