Three great recipes from new book 'Cooking For Pleasure' 

PASTRY chef Ravneet Gill says she’s in no hurry to open her own bakery or restaurant after being “treated badly” while working in professional kitchens.

“I complaining about a chef’s treatment of me and what he was doing in the kitchen, and emailing my head chef a report of what I thought was unacceptable,” says Gill, who quit the hospitality industry during the pandemic to focus on food writing.

“The head chef just forwarded it to that chef, saying, ‘This is what this person said about you’.”

She laughs at the absurdity of the memory, continuing: “I got bullied out of that kitchen... I don’t think I could have stayed there after that.”

Instead of ing the droves of disillusioned young chefs who give up on their dreams, the Cordon Bleu-trained chef got work launching Countertalk, a platform that aims to promote healthy working environments by hosting educational events and listing job opportunities with approved companies.

“It was founded as a result of being treated badly in kitchens,” says Gill, who was born in London to Indian parents, and became a judge on Channel 4’s Junior Bake Off in 2020.

I wanted to create a platform that championed the places trying to treat people better, and show those places exist. If you get into one, it’s not going to deter you from working in food - because a bad experience can put you off for life.

However, she’s keen to point out that resilience is key if you want to make it in the cut-throat culinary world. “You’ve got to face things that are difficult because that’s how you grow and that’s how you get better,” says Gill. “When I realised that at work, I became a much better chef. If you’re just constantly being babied, when things get uncomfortable you’ll leave - it’s not good for you.”

The London-based chef would “love to” open her own place one day, but is wary of taking the step, having worked on restaurant launches: “I’ve seen how badly wrong it can go and all of the resilience it takes, all of the money it takes, all of the constant hurdles that you face. It’s put me off a bit, I’m not going to lie.”

Besides, she’s got rather a lot on her plate at the moment.

Gill recently gave birth to her first child, a boy called Donnie, and when we speak, the new mum is days away from the release of her third recipe book, Cooking For Pleasure. 

“It’s been a complete whirlwind,” says the 32-year-old, who married fellow chef Mattie Taiano this year.

Did she realise the book and the baby would arrive so close together?

“I was totally aware of this,” she says. “My publisher said to me, ‘We can push the release to spring,’ and I was like, ‘No, don’t be ridiculous, obviously I can do both.’

I thought I could just have this baby and then go on with my work, but sometimes I just spend the entire day holding the baby, feeding the baby, washing up... It’s like, I don’t understand where all my time goes.

While Gill’s first two books were aimed at bakers who wanted to make pro-level patisserie creations, Baking For Pleasure suits the author’s new chapter in life: “It’s the first book I’ve written that’s for people at home. It’s because my whole life shifted after my first book, I’m at home more.”

These recipes are about “not using too many pots and pans... dishes that can either store really well or you can make an advance. And things that don’t take up like loads of room in your fridge or have loads of steps.”

Having reached a much bigger audience on Junior Bake Off, Gill says it “changed my career and life.”

Filming of the latest series has wrapped (it’s back in January), meaning Gill can finally schedule in some downtime and take a breather.

Try three recipes from the book here...

Gill is published by Pavilion, Photography by Mike Tsang.

RECIPE BANOFFEE PIE

Ravneet Gill’s take on a classic pud is topped with caramelised rum bananas.

Ingredients (serves 12-14)

For the biscuit base:

250g digestive biscuits

100g unsalted butter, melted

5g/1tsp cacao nibs

2 bananas (approx. 120g each with skin on), peeled and sliced

For the caramel layer:

1 x 397g can ready-made caramel

Pinch of Maldon or flaky salt

220ml double cream, lightly whipped to soft peaks

For the cream topping:

400ml double cream

Pinch of Maldon or flaky salt

1tbsp caster sugar

For the caramelised bananas:

50g caster sugar

2tbsp dark rum

4 bananas (approx. 120g each with skin on), peeled and sliced diagonally

20g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), to finish

Method

1. For the biscuit base, crush the biscuits into breadcrumbs, either by putting them in a food bag and bashing with a rolling pin or blitzing in a food processor. Tip the crumbs into a bowl and stir through the melted butter. Tip the crumb mix into a 25 centimetre (10 inch) pie dish (I use my shallow Le Creuset dish for this) and lightly press with the back of a metal spoon to form an even layer over the bottom of the dish, bringing the crumb mix a touch up the sides, too.

2. Sprinkle over the cacao nibs, then layer over the sliced bananas. Set aside.

3. Make the caramel layer. Tip the caramel into a bowl and gently beat until smooth, then sprinkle in the salt and fold in the whipped cream. Pour this evenly over the bananas in the dish, then chill in the fridge for one hour.

4. Make the cream topping. In a bowl, lightly whip the cream with the salt and sugar until soft peaks form. Spread this over the top of the chilled pie in an even layer. Return to the fridge while you make the caramelised bananas.

For the caramelised bananas, line the baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar into a large frying pan and cook over a medium heat until melted, then continue to cook for about two to three minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar has caramelised to a deep amber colour. Carefully pour in the rum and let it sizzle, then add in the banana slices and gently toss in the caramel to coat.

5. Remove from the heat, then spoon the bananas onto the lined baking tray, spreading them out a bit. Leave to cool.

6. To finish, top the pie with the caramelised bananas, then grate the chocolate over. Serve immediately in slices. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

LEMON CREAM CAKE

VICTORIA sponge meets lemon drizzle with this easy, citrusy bake. Ravneet Gill says this cake is “simple, full of cream and a bit lemony - and hard to resist!”

Ingredients (makes one cake)

For the cake:

4 eggs

180g caster sugar

100g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra (softened) for greasing

50ml neutral oil, such as sunflower, vegetable or rapeseed oil

50g soured cream or natural yogurt

Pinch of fine salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

200g plain flour

2 1/2tsp baking powder

For the syrup:

120g caster sugar

100ml water

Juice of 3 lemons

To finish:

180ml double cream

Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C fan/180C/gas mark 4. Lightly grease and line two 15 centimetre (six inch) sandwich cake tins with baking paper.

2. For the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined, then whisk in the melted butter, oil, soured cream or yogurt, salt and lemon zest.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Add this to the egg mixture and mix well.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake tins and spread it level.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean.

6. While the cakes are baking, make the syrup. Heat the sugar and water together in a small pan over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then add the lemon juice and heat until the syrup is just about to boil. Remove from the heat and cool until warm before using.

7. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 20 minutes. Prick the surface of each cake all over with a cocktail stick or fine skewer, then evenly pour over the warm syrup. Leave the cakes to sit for four hours before removing them from the tins, ready to fill.

8. To finish, whip the cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Trim the tops off the cakes to neaten them, if needed, then sandwich them together with the whipped cream. Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar and serve in slices.

This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Lancashire Cheese and Green Chilli Tart

FLAVOURED with fresh chillies, this cheesy tart is like a quiche with a kick.

“It works nicely served with a sharp salad in the autumn,” says Ravneet Gill. “The cheese and chilli both bringing comfort and warmth.”

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

For the pastry:

125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

45g cornflour

Pinch of fine salt

100g cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg yolk

2tbsp cold full-fat milk

1 egg, beaten, for the egg wash

For the filling:

30g unsalted butter

2 large onions, finely sliced

1/2tsp Maldon or flaky salt, plus an extra pinch

1tsp ground white pepper, plus an extra pinch

3tbsp water

300ml double cream

4 egg yolks

100g Lancashire cheese, grated

2 fresh Thai green chillies, finely chopped (deseeded, if you prefer)

Method

1. To make the pastry, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a food processor, or in a large bowl, combine the flour, cornflour and salt. Mix well.

2. Add in the cold cubed butter and mix or pulse until the butter disappears and you have the texture of crumbs. If doing this by hand, rub into crumbs with your fingertips.

3. Beat the egg yolk and milk together in a small bowl, then add to the crumbed mixture and mix quickly to form a dough. Don’t overwork the mixture, just bring it together until you have an evenly smooth dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for one hour or until firm. Or freeze it at this stage for up to three months (defrost before use).

4. While the pastry is resting, cook the onions for the filling. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the onions and cook over a medium-low heat for three to four minutes. Add the salt and white pepper, cover with a lid and cook the onions very gently for 10 minutes until soft and translucent (don’t allow them to colour), then add the water and cook, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes until the water has evaporated and the onions are soft and sweet. Remove from the heat, then spread the onions out on a tray or plate and leave to cool.

5. Preheat the oven to 160˚C fan/180˚C/gas mark 4. Place a sturdy baking tray on a shelf/rack in the centre of the oven to preheat.

6. Remove the pastry from the fridge and let it soften for 10 minutes or so. Lightly dust your work surface with flour, then roll out the pastry to a round with a thickness of five millimetres (1/4 inch) and use it to line a 20 centimetre (eight inch) loose-based round tart tin, leaving a slight overhang of pastry.

7. Blind-bake the pastry. Prick the bottom of the pastry case all over with a fork, then line the pastry case with a sheet of baking paper and fill to the top with baking beans or dried rice/lentils. Put this on a preheated baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden on the edges and dry to touch. Carefully remove the baking paper and beans, then return to the oven (on the baking tray) for 10 minutes, until the base is golden. Remove from the oven and brush the pastry base with the egg wash, then return to the oven for a further five minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes.

Finish the filling. Mix the cream, egg yolks, cooled onions, the cheese and green chillies together in a bowl until combined. Add an extra pinch each of salt and white pepper. Pour this mixture into the blind-baked tart case.

8. Bake (on the baking tray) for 30-40 minutes until the filling is set and golden.

9. Remove from the oven and cool slightly in the tin (on the baking tray), then use a small serrated knife to tidy up the edges of the tart and cut off any excess pastry.

10. Carefully remove the tart from the tin and place it on a serving plate/board. Serve warm with a mustardy watercress salad. This tart can also be enjoyed cold. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, but the pastry will soften.