The book encapsulates not just flavoursome recipes, but, with a sentiment shared by Rebecca Udall, the importance of the setting for creating memorable meals, with florals, tableware and much pattern & colour - all showcased with vibrant photography.
Covering everything from pickles and preserves to classic one-pot dishes, sweet bakes and cocktails, the recipes focus on making the most of the simple ingredients to hand.
We have selected three to be enjoyed throughout the season: a starter of baby leeks with beetroot horseradish; spiced butter chicken with mash, a buttery Sunday classic finished with Wojtek's own family spice mix; and, to finish, choux cake with pastry cream and rhubarb – a Karpatka.
Wojtek's Hosting Essentials
Discover the pieces Wojtek has selected for hosting beautifully this season, from vibrant table linens and hand-painted crockery to the finishing touches that bring every table together.
Shop Wojtek's hosting essentials below, or discover the full Autumn Table Edit.
Leeks with Beetroot Horseradish
Serves 4
A well-boiled leek or two was a common element in my grandmother's kitchen, as these were used to add flavour to many a bouillon. My father enjoyed them as a snack with horseradish and a hard-boiled egg, as in this recipe, though I prefer Polish beetroot horseradish for its vibrant colour and extra flavour. This is a perfect starter or light lunch, served as tartines or as a sharing plate.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 8-12 baby leeks, cleaned
- 290g (10¼ oz) Polish beetroot horseradish
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To Serve:
- Toasted bread slices
- 1-2 spring onions, sliced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and halved
Spiced Butter Chicken with Mash
Serves 2
A buttery alternative to your usual roasted chicken legs, featuring Grandma's favourite spice mix, tinted red with sweet paprika. Easy, tasty and rather regal! Potatoes simmered in stock (a cube is fine here) lend a gently infused flavour, and they help mop up that yummy spiced chicken butter. Accompany with your favourite cooked veg, mine being baby carrots.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1/4 of a teaspoon sugar
- 2 chicken legs
- 60g (2¼oz) unsalted butter
- A cooked vegetable, such as baby carrots, to serve
For the Mash:
- 500g (1lb 2oz) all-rounder potatoes
- 1 litre (1 3/4 pints) vegetable or chicken stock
- 30g (1oz) butter
- Fine salt
Method:
For the chicken, put the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic granules and sugar into a dish large enough to hold the chicken legs and mix together well. Coat the chicken pieces on both sides with the spices, cover and leave to marinate at room temperature while you peel the potatoes and cut into evenly sized chunks for the mash.
Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6.
Melt half the butter for the chicken in a frying pan, add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, and cook over a medium–high heat for 10–15 minutes until browned. Turn and cook the other side for 3–5 minutes just to colour.
Transfer the chicken, skin-side up, to a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid and pour in the pan juices. Add the remaining butter. Cover with the lid and roast for 20–30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer.
Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a saucepan, pour over the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender.
Drain the potatoes, reserving a few spoonfuls of stock. Mash well and stir in the butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, adding some of the reserved stock if the potatoes are very thick.
Divide the mash between 2 plates and arrange a chicken leg on top of each. Drizzle over the chicken cooking juices and serve accompanied by your cooked vegetable of choice.
Choux Cake with Pastry Cream & Rhubarb Karpatka
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 500ml (18fl oz) whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod, split
- 5 egg yolks
- 100g (3 1/2 oz) Caster sugar
- 60g (2 1/4 oz) Cornflour
- 175-190g (6-7oz) Unsalted butter, softened
- 220g (7 3/4oz) rhubarb, preferably forced pink, cut into pieces
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- Finely grated zest and juice of ½ orange
- 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) water
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 200g (7oz) plain four, plus extra for dusting if needed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 200ml (7fl oz) water
- 130g (4 1/2oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 4 eggs icing sugar, for dusting
Method:
For the pastry cream, heat the milk with the vanilla pod in a saucepan until scalding (just before boiling). Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a heatproof bowl until well blended.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the warm milk, then reheat until scalding.
Pour half the hot vanilla milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly, then pour the hot egg mixture into the pan of remaining hot milk, scraping well to ensure all of it transfers. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles, then continue cooking and whisking for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to a shallow dish or large, wide mixing bowl, then dot the surface with 25–40g (1–1 1/2oz) of the butter. Cover the surface with damp nonstick baking paper to prevent a skin from forming, then leave to cool to room temperature.
Cut the remaining 150g (5 1/2oz) butter into small cubes. Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter into the pastry cream, bit by bit, until well blended. Cover the surface again with damp baking paper and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake.
For the rhubarb, put all the ingredients except the cornflour into a saucepan, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes until only just tender. Strain the cooking juices into a bowl and mix in the cornflour until well blended. Return to the pan and set aside until ready to serve.
For the choux base, preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Select 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round springform cake tins.
Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Heat the measured water and butter in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the butter has melted. Add the flour mixture and cook, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture forms a sticky ball. Continue cooking and stirring for a minute or so until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. The dough will be sticky, but smooth and glossy (you could also do this using a stand mixer).
Divide the mixture between the cake tins and smooth up to the edges but leave the surface bumpy, to resemble mountains. Bake for 30–40 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool completely in the tins before releasing.
To assemble, spread one of the cake layers with the pastry cream, then top with the other layer. Sift over a generous layer of icing sugar and accompany with the rhubarb.
