Nigel Slater's midweek dinnerVegan food and drinkNigel Slater’s recipe for allotment sauté
A late-summer veggie treat, crispy, succulent, tasty and adaptableScrub 400g of small potatoes then bring them to the boil in a deep saucepan of lightly salted water. Let them cook for about 15-20 minutes till tender. Drain them and cut each potato in half lengthways.
Cut 500g of marrow into thick slices, about 2cm in width, then into small pieces. Warm a thin layer of olive oil in a shallow pan over a moderate heat then fry the marrow for about 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, cut side down, and continue cooking until the marrow is soft and golden and potatoes are colouring on their cut sides. Turn the marrow over.
Finely chop 6 thin spring onions and a medium-sized red chilli, scatter them over the potatoes and marrow and continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Finely grate a small lemon into a small bowl. Roughly chop a handful each of parsley leaves and basil, then 6 or so mint leaves. Mix the herbs with the grated lemon zest.
As the marrow and potatoes become tender, their surface golden, scatter them with the lemon and herbs. Divide between 2 shallow dishes and serve. Enough for 2.
This is very much a blueprint for whatever is in season and needs using up. Introduce courgettes in the place of marrow, and young carrots instead of the new potatoes.
Include beans, lightly steamed, in with the herbs and lemon. Scatter peas in among the potatoes.
Basil and mint are just one suggestion. Use whichever herbs you have to hand but make the mix predominantly parsley. Tougher-leaved varieties such as thyme are best added before the softer leaves such as dill or fennel fronds.
Follow Nigel on Instagram @NigelSlater
Explore more on these topics- Vegan food and drink
- Nigel Slater's midweek dinner
- Vegetables
- Veganism
- Vegetarianism
- Vegetarian food and drink
- Food
- recipes
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaJ6fpLFwfo9ramirlaV8cYGOp6CgnZxiwK2t056pZqWZmcSmscpmm6Kmnpq%2Fbq3LqKumnZ6perSt1K2c