Mary Berry wants us to love to cook: three recipes from her new book 

Easy dishes that everyone can make at home 

Mary Berry's new book has over 100 easy to follow recipes.

She's been concocting recipes and writing cookbooks for over six decades, but her latest book Love to Cook might be her best one yet. Featuring 120 recipes designed to bring joy to your dinner table, this is one of those books guaranteed to be covered in kitchen splatters. 

Rather special chicken and herb casserole

recipe by:Mary Berry

An all-in-one dish to cook and serve. Sage was often used as a dried herb in recipes but now it is readily available fresh and is simple to grow. It comes with either green or purple leaves – they both taste the same.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 250g (9oz) dry cured bacon, snipped into small pieces

• 2 large onions, chopped

• 8 skinless chicken thighs, bone in

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil

• 30g plain flour

• 150ml hot chicken stock

• 150ml dry white wine

• 2 large sprigs of thyme

• Small bunch of sage, 6 leaves removed for garnish

• 2 bay leaves

• 200g (7oz) small chestnut mushrooms, quartered

• 100g (4oz) full-fat creme fraiche

• A knob of butter

• Small bunch of parsley, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3.

2. Place the bacon in a large non-stick ovenproof frying pan or flameproof casserole and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes to render out the fat. Add the onions and continue to fry until the bacon is brown at the edges. Transfer the bacon and onions to a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Lightly season the chicken. Place the oil in the unwashed dish, add the chicken and brown over a high heat, turning once. Transfer to the plate with the bacon and onions.

4. Scatter the flour into the dish (adding a little more oil, if needed) and stir to combine. Gradually incorporate the hot stock, whisking, and allow to thicken. Pour in the wine and return the bacon, onions and chicken to the pan. Stir well, add the thyme sprigs, sage sprigs and bay leaves. The sauce will be quite thick at this stage. Bring to the boil, season well with salt and black pepper and cover. Transfer to the oven for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the dish from the oven and add the mushrooms and creme fraiche. Stir well and return to the oven for a further 15–20 minutes, until the chicken is tender.

6. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Add the whole sage leaves and fry until crisp.

7. Remove the bay leaves, thyme and sage sprigs from the casserole and discard (some leaves will have fallen off to flavour the casserole). Stir in the parsley and serve with the crisp sage leaves on top.
   
   Mary’s tips
   Can be made up to a day ahead. Add the crème fraîche and mushrooms when reheating.
   Freezes well.
   
   From Love to Cook by Mary Berry published by BBC Books

Sticky soy and ginger pork fillet

recipe by:Mary Berry

Roasting a whole fillet is so quick to do and this delicious marinade makes it easy and full of flavour. There is enough marinade here for a sauce, too. Make sure you heat it well before pouring over the cooked pork.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 60 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 large pork fillet (600g/1lb 6oz)

• 4 spring onions, finely shredded into long, thin strips

• 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander

• For the marinade:

• 4cm (1½in) fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

• 3 tbsp honey

Method

1. To make the marinade, measure all the ingredients into a dish and mix well.

2. Trim any sinew from the fillet and discard. Sit the fillet in the marinade, season with salt and black pepper and turn to coat until all the fillet is covered. Leave to marinate for a few hours in the fridge.

3. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7 and line a small roasting tin with non-stick baking paper.

4. Removed the fillet from the marinade (reserving the marinade to use later) and sit it in the roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

5. Remove the fillet from the roasting tin and set aside on a board to rest. Cover with foil and leave for 5 minutes before carving.

6. Place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and place over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

7. Carve the pork into slices and arrange on a platter. Pour the hot marinade over the top and scatter with the spring onions, red chilli and coriander. Serve with rice or noodles.
   
   Mary’s tips
   Can be marinated up to 8 hours ahead. If serving cold can be roasted up to 4 hours ahead.
   Freezes well raw in the marinade.
   
   From Love to Cook by Mary Berry published by BBC Books

Chocolate profiteroles

recipe by:Mary Berry

Oh-so delicious and impressive, too. Choux pastry is not difficult to make if the recipe is followed carefully

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• For the profiteroles:

• 150ml water

• 75g  plain flour, sifted

• 2 eggs, beaten, plus 1 extra egg, beaten

• 200ml pouring double cream

• For the chocolate sauce:

• 75ml double cream

• 75g Bournville dark chocolate, broken into pieces

• 50g butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7 and line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

2. Place the butter and water in a small saucepan over a high heat and cook until the water is boiling and the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and immediately shoot in the flour, all at once. Quickly beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and makes a smooth, thick dough. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, beating after each addition, until the egg is incorporated and the dough is thick and smooth.

3. Spoon 12 domes of pastry on to the baking sheet. Brush with the extra beaten egg and bake for 10 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas 5 and bake for another 20 minutes.Remove the buns from the oven and turn the oven off. Slice each bun in half and put the buns cut side up back on to the baking sheet. Return to the oven for 15–20 minutes to dry out.

4. Meanwhile, to make the chocolate sauce, pour the cream into a pan and heat until hot. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside in a cool place to thicken up.

5. Once the buns have dried out and are crisp, dip one half into the chocolate sauce and place on a wire rack to set. Repeat with 11 bun tops.

6. Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Place a generous dollop of whipped cream on to the remaining bun halves, then sandwich a chocolate half on top. Repeat to make 12.
   
   Mary’s tips 
   Can be made and assembled up to 4 hours ahead. Unfilled buns can be made up to a day ahead.
   Not for freezing.
   
   From Love to Cook by Mary Berry published by BBC Books