JAMIE OLIVER
Seriously hot chilli
"I'm not home alone very often because it's usually me and Jools, or I'm babysitting the girls. On those rare occasions, because I'm a chilli addict, I go for something really hot. I'll do an NYC spaghetti arrabiata or dan-dan noodles, which I also learned in New York and which are seriously hot."
DAN-DAN NOODLES
In the western Szechuan province of China they make this in massive buckets, which they carry on poles over their shoulders. I absolutely love chilli, but this dish is right on the edge of my chilli tolerance.
SERVES 4
1 beef or chicken stock cube,
preferably organic
500g minced beef
2 tbs runny honey
300g wheat noodles
4 handfuls of mixed green veg
(Chinese cabbage, sprouting broccoli, bok choi, spinach)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
3 tbs dark soy sauce
2 tsp freshly ground Szechuan pepper
5 tbs good-quality chilli oil (see below)
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 lime, quartered, to serve
Crumble your stock cube into a large pan of water and get it on the heat. Add the beef to a dry pan and, on a medium to high heat, keep moving it around until it's golden and crunchy, which will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Pour away any excess fat, then add the honey and toss until all the mince is nicely coated. Cook for about 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat. Stir your noodles into the boiling stock and move them about a bit so they don't stick together. Cook according to the packet instructions. Shred your cabbage into 1cm strips, quarter your bok choi and snap up the broccoli spears. When the noodles have 1 minute to go, throw in the prepared greens to blanch them. Drain the whole lot in a colander, reserving a mugful of the cooking water. Tip your noodles, veg and the water back into the hot pan.
Add your garlic, soy sauce, Szechuan pepper and chilli oil. Give it all a good mix with tongs and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle over the crunchy beef , finish with a scattering of spring onions and serve each dish with a lime quarter to squeeze over.
PS You can buy good chilli oil, or you can make your own. Get a handful of mixed dried chillies (as many as you like), toast in the oven to bring out the flavour, whack them in a food processor with a bottle of groundnut oil and pour back into the bottle. This will keep in your cupboard for a year. Jamie's America is published by Michael Joseph at £26
RAYMOND BLANC
Porridge, cold omelette or just a glass of wine
"Dining alone is not always from choice. It takes something extraordinary and life-changing. Something like a divorce. You have lost your head; you are in a woeful place, emotionally ravaged, and you feel like there is no light. I remember this very moment years ago. I had to shake myself vigorously and say: 'Come on, Raymond! Be a man.' And I threw the most exquisite party for myself, right there and then.
"My party was a joyous event. I laid the table with white candles, a stiff napkin, the finest silver and a bottle of red wine and cooked myself a five-course meal. Steak, salmon, a little tarte and wine, to celebrate. It shouldn't be so unusual to eat alone. Mankind associates it with a sad little moment deprived of elegance and joy. Yes, you may spend less time preparing a meal for yourself, but I see it as a convivial moment.
"I need to cook good food for myself. It's rare you'll see me eating from the plastic bag or the fridge. A low point for me would involve pâté, three gerkins, thinly sliced toast and a glass of excellent wine. But I am strict about what I put in my mouth even if no one is watching. Eating alone doesn't have to be a nasty white-bread sandwich or something tinned – although I would not turn my nose up at an artisan cassoulet with a glass of wine.
"In my line of work eating alone is very rare, and yet sometimes I can avoid people all day. If I am alone, I have no routine except for this: eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. No one else does it like this, so I have to snatch some privacy for such a day. I'll make myself poached eggs with black pudding and porridge with a variety of milk. Soya one day, rice milk the next. I am not a robot; I can change. Lunch will be an omelette, probably cold, a moment snatched in the midst of a pressure cooker of work. And dinner? Nothing. Just a glass of wine. As we all know, all food turns to fat as we lie in bed.
"Of course, I use proper cutlery. To use fingers would be absurd. But I never read. The table is a precious place, not one for books. As for newspapers? To read of the doom and gloom in the world while chewing your croissant, that will give you indigestion, non?"
www.manoir.com
RAYMOND BLANC'S SMOKED SALMON OMELETTE
3 medium free-range, fresh eggs
1 tsp each olive oil and butter
30g smoked salmon, roughly chopped
In a mixing bowl, gently beat the eggs together with a pinch of salt and pepper. In an omelette pan heat the olive oil and butter until it begins to foam. Pour in the egg mixture and cook for a few seconds, allow the omelette to set lightly before stirring the set part inwards, repeat this motion 5 times until the omelette has formed completely but is still soft and creamy in the centre. Add the pieces of salmon in the middle of the omelette and fold the sides towards the centre. Brush the omelette with butter and serve.
THOMASINA MIERS
Red cabbage poached in red wine, toast and Marmite
"I live next door to a market in west London, and when I'm home alone I'll buy the things that look the most fun. If it's just you to worry about, you can go a bit mad.
"One of my favourite things at the moment is red cabbage poached in an old bottle of red wine with bacon and garlic. It's nutritious, can be stored in the fridge and reheated as and when I get hungry. I have it with soda bread – I always have lots of soda bread for topping with various things, along with a block of parmesan, olive oil, chutney, proper butter and root vegetables as fall-back options. That's my kind of food. If I am feeling very lazy, it's a thick piece of brown toast smothered in butter with Marmite, seasoned and topped with strong cheddar melted under the grill."
www.wahaca.co.uk
THOMASINA MIERS'S SALAD FOR ONE
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 apple, sliced
a handful new potatoes
a handful of walnuts, roughly chopped
chorizo, sliced
smoked mackerel
1 egg, hard boiled
For the caesar dressing:
1 dsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
salt and pepper
1 dsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp of milk
Boil the potatoes, chop in half and leave until warm. Fry the chorizo slices and add the potatoes and chorizo to the other ingredients. To make the dressing, blend the ingredients together and drizzle over the salad. Try to eat warm.
GIORGIO LOCATELLI
Kebabs, risotto, Butterscotch Green & Black's chocolate
"I used to be mad for beans on toast when I got home from work. But at 1am it's not good for you, so now I just have chamomile tea. Lately my family has fallen in love with Green & Black's butterscotch chocolate. I'll eat a whole bar and then replace it so they don't know. When my wife Plaxy and daughter Margarita are not around, I sometimes eat kebabs from the Lebanese places on Edgware Road. They're not like other kebabs. They are really shawarma, chicken or lamb, marinated and cooked, then served with tabbouleh and wrapped in a flat bread with yoghurt, garlic sauce and tomatoes.
"Recently I was at home alone, not feeling well, and I made myself a glorious parmesan risotto. The food of my grandma. Real comfort food – and then to be alone was luxurious."
MICHEL ROUX SR
Fried foie gras or stir-fried lobster straight from the pan
"There is nothing sad about eating alone. I adore it. I'll usually start without a plan. Maybe I'll wander to the butcher in France and buy a piece of pork loin, which I'll eat with a bowl of vegetables roasted in garlic and thyme. I do love a big red meat stew, so I'll freeze it in portions and eat it bit by bit.
Occasionally I'll make a batch of puff pastry, slice some apple, bake it in the oven and freeze the rest – an accidental apple turnover.
"I always eat sitting down – it's better for the digestion – but other than that my manners go out the window. I'll often eat straight out of the pot. I am wicked. I'll stir-fry lobster with vegetables and a wine glaze, but I'll crack the shells with my bare hands and toss them away. Or fry a lump of foie gras and serve it on a hot plate with salt and eat it with a fork and no napkin.
"I love pancakes with apricot jam. I break my own rule and eat standing up. Pour the batter into a hot pan, cook it, spread it with jam and then stuff it in my mouth while pouring more batter in.
"I drink wine with my meals as a celebration of my solitude. I never read with a meal – it distracts from the food, and I like to concentrate on the flavours. Most of my recipes come from experimenting alone. And the bottle of wine sitting opposite me is the best company I could ask for."
Sauces by Michel Roux, published by Quadrille at £14.99, is out now
MICHEL'S BAKED APPLE FOR ONE
1 large cooking apple with unpocked skin
unsalted butter
1 tbs apricot brandy
Preheat the oven to about 180°C/Gas 4. Baked apples taste and look lovely if the skin is left on. If it has pocked skin, though, peel it. Core the centre and replace with a large knob of unsalted butter. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until it puffs out. Once cooked, pour over apricot brandy and serve with a large glass of dessert wine.
GILES COREN
Yesterday's lamb bone, in front of the telly
"I love eating alone. I always do it standing up: outside a kebab shop with a doner; in my kitchen with a whole roasted chicken fresh out of the oven, picking the wings and legs off while the torso cools; in the garden with a piece of cheese on toast; in front of the telly with yesterday's lamb bone, dropping bits of fat on the carpet. Sitting down is for wimps. Likewise cutlery. Alone, it's fingers only. I revert to basic atavistic principles: tear it off the animal, burn it a bit, get it down your face, and get on with your life."
Giles Coren is the restaurant critic of The Times. His book Anger Management (For Beginners) will be published by Hodder & Stoughton in July
JOHN TORODE
Homemade carbonara or Thai soup with leftovers
"I don't get to eat by myself very often but I love doing it. I make it into a real event. I take my time, I lay the table, I pour myself a healthy-sized glass of wine and sit down with a good book. It might be pasta with homemade carbonara for one but it will be properly made and served.
"That said, I'm still very good at cobbling meals together. When I'm alone I set myself up in the kitchen with a load of chillis and do as the Thais do, using leftover staples like rice to make soup. If I am running around, I'll snack on a lump of good hard cheese, but I'll usually have just one big meal.
"I recently discovered breakfast. I'm always happy to whip up blueberry pancakes or porridge and banana for my kids, but left to my own devices I'll make something that's so spicy none of my family would go near it."
www.smithsofsmithfield.co.uk
JOHN TORODE'S LEFT-OVER THAI RICE SOUP
1 heaped tbs boiled rice
400ml water
6 shots fish sauce
handful spring onions, sliced
3 chillis, sliced
a handful of bean sprouts
a sprig of coriander
seasoning and chilli to serve
Boil everything together until hot. Throw in the bean sprouts, top with coriander and extra chilli if you're brave and serve. For breakfast.
TOM PARKER BOWLES
Boiled eggs and soldiers, takeaway curry
"I tend to get lazy when I'm alone, so cold baked beans out of the tin, doused in Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Or a cheese slice, anointed with a grind of pepper, then rolled up and eaten in one. Boiled eggs and soldiers are another solo classic, and delivery curry too.
"But eating alone is one of life's great pleasures. If you want to slurp soup straight from the bowl, or lick the plate clean, no one's there to disapprove. For me that's the real joy of solo munching."
Full English: A Journey Through the British and Their Food by Tom Parker Bowles is out now
ERIC CHAVOT
Ham and crisp sandwiches, Boursin cheesecake
"I've spent 20 years eating with people – chefs, family, friends – so I'm still fascinated by the idea of eating alone. I'll make naan pizza – supermarket naan, tomato paste, shredded mozzarella, three minutes in the oven – and eat it with my fingers standing up. I'll also go crazy with a ham and crisp sandwich and crudités. I secretly use a lot of Boursin in sauces for pasta and have recently discovered cheesecake using Greek yoghurt, Boursin and crushed digestives. Boursin is one of those ingredients chefs can't admit to using, but to me it's a godsend.
"The only time I sit down is when I make beans on toast. You can't eat that with your fingers. Or maybe you can?"
ERIC CHAVOT'S IMPROVED HEINZ MUSHROOM SOUP
1 can Heinz mushroom soup
1 onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic
sprig thyme
a dollop of Boursin
Fry the onion in some butter until it's the consistency of a compote. This will take about 20 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and sauté further. Pour in the tin of soup and simmer for about 10 minutes or until hot. Stir in some Boursin and serve with ciabatta.
ANGELA HARTNETT
Pasta and tomato sauce
"I live with my sister and flatmates and work across two restaurants, so eating alone is a very rare occasion. When I do, I'm boring. I'll have pasta with tomato sauce or the leftovers from a roast chicken from the weekend. I'll use whatever utensils I have – fingers, forks, whatever – but I generally eat with cutlery. Ever tried eating pasta with your fingers? Exactly."
www.gordonramsay.com/nonnasdeli
ANGELA'S SIMPLE PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE
1 portion of dried spaghetti
portion of chicken stock
1 clove garlic
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tin tomatoes
pinch of salt, sugar and pepper
ripped mozzarella, to serve
Boil the pasta in the stock until cooked. Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the tomatoes and seasoning, and simmer for about 20 minutes until reduced. Rinse the pasta, drizzle with oil, add the sauce and top with mozzarella.
DAVID THOMPSON
Thai street food or homemade Italian
"It's rare that I'll cook a meal for myself. I almost always eat out, no matter where I am. Eating alone in Bangkok is frowned upon. I find it odd given the abundance of street food, which is perfect for the solitary diner. I love a green papaya salad or noodles from the street vendor. I don't care if I attract the odd look.
"British people don't like each other, so eating alone is common over here. I love sitting alone in restaurants with a good book. I'm a huge fan of history academia. It makes excellent company, and people don't try to talk to you.
"If I had to cook for myself, if my life depended on it, I'd make something basic and Italian. I lay the table, just comfortably rather than properly."
www.halkin.como.bz
DAVID'S RISOTTO
1 portion (150ml) chicken stock
a few handfuls of arborio rice (about 70g)
a handful of each of the following: peas, asparagus, mushrooms or radicchio, depending on what is in season
a handful of grated parmesan
Boil the stock and add the rice. Stir and simmer slowly, slowly. Once the rice is cooked, add the raw vegetables and simmer for a further 3 minutes. Top with grated parmesan if you wish.
