What Tom Kerridge and Raymond Blanc take on a picnic

Times

12 hours ago

Tartan blanket? Tick. Plastic cups for Pimm's? Tick. Cool box crammed with an exhaustive selection of picky bits? Tick, tick, tick. It's officially picnic season, and if you find yourself wondering what to pack for your alfresco feast this weekend then you're halfway there — having a reliably sunny day is most of the battle. Which only leaves you with the job of deciding what kind of spread to lay out on that blanket.
There are some rules about what does and doesn't do well à la mat, however. Raymond Blanc, who hosts an annual Bastille Day picnic at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, his Oxfordshire manor, always makes sure he has pork pies and scotch eggs, which he buys from a deli in a nearby village.
Lasse Petersen, the executive chef at the buzzing southeast London wine bar and deli Lulu's, stresses it's important to consider what temperature different foods taste their best at. He always packs an ice cooler in his basket, or a bag of ice wrapped in a tea towel. 'Go for things that are nice at room temperature so you don't have to worry about keeping them super cold: cold roast chicken; cooked and cooled salmon,' he says. As for salads, he prefers to take them to the picnic undressed and bring the dressings in an old jam jar. 'Soggy, wilted salads are a big no-no.'
The Spanish maestro José Pizarro avoids mayonnaise dressings for this reason, as well as stinky cheeses that don't look or smell good when left out in the warm sun. What does he always buy rather than make himself? 'You just can't go wrong picking up some good quality bread and charcuterie.'
Here are the sandwiches, dips and salads that top chefs whip up at home to take on a great British picnic.
When I host picnics, like the ones I do every July at Le Manoir to celebrate Bastille Day, I am always inspired by the Wild Pig (thewildpig.com), a lovely little farm shop not far from us. They have a great deli that sells scotch eggs and pork pies — two picnic essentials. If I have time, there are some things that I will also make to snack on: crudités with a chive and yoghurt dip; strawberries; a baguette with some cheese — and I will often make this Comté cheese and chard tart.
Serves 8
• Ready-made shortcrust pastry, rolled out into a sheet• 30g unsalted butter• 2 medium Swiss chard stalks (200g), cut into 2cm batons• 60ml water• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper• 2 free-range medium eggs• 100ml whole milk• 100ml whipping cream• 200g Comté, grated
1. Place a round tart ring on a flat tray lined with greaseproof paper. Ease the pastry into the ring with your fingers and then tuck the dough into the edges, ensuring it is neatly moulded into the shape of the ring. Trim the edges of the tart by rolling a rolling pin over the top of the ring. Push the pastry edge gently up by pressing between your index finger and thumb all around the side of the tart ring, to raise the edge 2mm above the ring. With a fork, lightly prick the bottom of the pastry case. Place the tart case in the fridge for 30 min to firm up the pastry.
2. Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3. Place a baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium low heat, then add the chard batons, water and some salt and pepper. Stir, then cover and cook gently for 10 min until the chard pieces are soft and melting but still holding their shape. Drain and set to one side.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk and cream and season with salt and pepper.
5. Scatter the chard evenly over the base of the tart case, then slide the tart directly onto the hot baking tray in the oven. Gently pour in the creamy egg mixture and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.
6. Bake for 30 min until lightly souffléd and golden brown. Leave to rest and cool slightly for 10 min before serving. Le Manoir's summer picnic costs £195 for two and includes a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Vintage and a picnic of charcuterie, sandwiches, scones and macaroons (available Mon-Wed, belmond.com)
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Couscous is not always loved by everyone, and I fear that's mostly because many people don't know how to cook it and impart real flavour to it. This flavour combination is an explosion in the mouth, and it's a great dish for a picnic because it's super quick to make and works just as well served hot or cold.
Serves 4
• 100g couscous• 2 tbsp dried chives (or dried parsley, oregano or marjoram)• 2 tbsp tomato puree• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika• ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)• 1 tbsp good quality olive oil• Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper• 150ml boiling water• 150g semi-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and each cut in half• Generous squeeze of lemon juice
1. Put the couscous, chives, tomato puree, paprika, chilli flakes (if using), olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and, using a fork, mix together until evenly combined.
2. Pour over the boiling water and stir quickly. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to stand for 5 min.
3. Remove the clingfilm and use a fork to fluff up the couscous. Add the tomatoes and lemon juice and stir in carefully. Allow to cool then refrigerate until you're ready to eat.
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A load of good-quality bread and some charcuterie are my picnic non-negotiables. But the thing you'll find on my blanket every time is my tortilla de patatas. It's great for picnics because it transfers well and is just as delicious hot or cold, so you don't need to worry about keeping it cool.
Serves 4
• 300ml olive oil• 1 large Spanish onion (or white onion), finely sliced• 2 thyme sprigs• 500g semi-waxy potatoes, thinly sliced using a mandoline• 6 free-range eggs• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1. Heat the olive oil in a deep non-stick pan, ensuring it is no more than a third full, over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions along with the thyme sprigs, and fry gently for 15-20 min until golden.
2. Tip in the potatoes and cook gently for 10 min until tender but not falling apart. Drain well (reserving the oil to chill and keep to make your next tortilla).
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season well, then add the hot cooked onions and potatoes, mixing well to coat.
4. Heat the 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a 20cm cast iron or non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Pour in the tortilla mixture and swirl until the outside starts to set. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 4-5 min until starting to set; the bottom and sides should be golden and the centre loose.
5. Put a board wider than the pan over the top and invert the tortilla onto it. Carefully slide the tortilla back into the pan and set over a low heat.
6. Cook for another 2-3 min (the centre should still be a bit runny), then turn out onto a board and leave to stand for 5 min before serving.
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Serves 6
• For the hummus:• 240g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and then cooked, or two 400g tins chickpeas• Pinch of bicarbonate of soda• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled• 1 tsp table salt• ½ tsp cumin seeds• 2⅓ tbsp lemon juice• 55g tahini
• For the chickpea topping:• 1 tbsp lemon juice• Drizzle of olive oil• Small bunch of parsley leaves, chopped• Small handful of pine nuts
1. Drain the chickpeas and make sure to keep the cooking liquid, or aquafaba. You will need about 110ml for this recipe. Reserve 4 tbsp of chickpeas for the topping.
2. Put the remaining chickpeas, bicarbonate of soda, garlic, lemon juice, cumin seeds, aquafaba and salt in a blender and blitz until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the jug a few times. This could take 5–10 min.
3. Add the tahini and blend for a few more minutes, then taste and check for seasoning, adjusting as needed. The hummus should have a silky-smooth texture. It will thicken in the fridge.
4. For the dressed chickpeas, take the reserved chickpeas and pine nuts and coat with the lemon juice, olive oil and parsley. Mix well and set aside.
5. To serve, spread the hummus on a plate topped with the dressed chickpeas. Bubala's latest restaurant is in Kings Cross, London (bubala.co.uk)
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If you can make a cold potato salad, couscous or a simple chilled pasta with summer vegetables through it, it works really nicely at a picnic. And if you can make your own sausage roll, I would argue it is even better than a sandwich. Desserts are difficult eaten in the park on a blanket outside, so I always prefer to choose seasonal fruit like some fresh strawberries or a punnet of cherries.
Serves 6
• 1.2kg Jersey royal potatoes, well washed• Bunch of rosemary, pre-soaked in water• 100g butter• 1 banana shallot, finely diced• 50ml extra virgin olive oil• 2 heaped tsp Dijon mustard• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar• Salt and freshly ground pepper• 20 cornichons, sliced• 3 tbsp baby capers• 8 pickled green chillies (from a jar), sliced• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley• 3 tbsp finely chopped chives
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Add the Jersey royals to a pan of boiling salted water, bring to the boil and cook for about 10-12 min until just tender. Drain well.
2. Put the wet rosemary sprigs directly into a casserole dish, place the boiled potatoes on top, put the lid on the dish and place in the oven for 5 min. Remove, then leave to cool.
3. Put the butter into a small heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Once melted, add the shallot and cook until softened, and the butter has turned a nutty golden brown. Take the pan off the heat and add the extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard and sherry vinegar. Whisk well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
4. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them and tip into a bowl. Pour on the warm dressing and add the cornichons, capers, chillies and chopped herbs. Toss well and season with salt and pepper to taste. The BBQ Book by Tom Kerridge (Bloomsbury Absolute, £22)
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I'm always up for a cocktail, but the problem is keeping them sufficiently chilled. That's why my most treasured picnic accessory is a large, wide-mouthed Thermos flask. I fill it with ice and simply add my cocktail of choice. I'm a negroni drinker, but that's got too much of an alcoholic whack on a hot day, so on those occasions I switch to its summer cousin, the bicicletta, which is 3 parts white wine and 2 parts Campari, with a splash of sparkling water and a twist of orange to finish. Perfect.
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'Everything is always worth making yourself, but it's not realistic with time constraints,' says Petersen, who is also executive chef at Llewelyn's as well as Lulu's next door in Herne Hill, south London. 'Having said that, there are lots of nice spreads and dips available these days at supermarkets that are worth buying: taramasalata, muhammara, baba ganoush, labneh. Good crisps are always a must, and making a good sandwich filling for a baguette makes a huge difference.'
Serves 4
• 4 bagels• 1 tbsp raisins, soaked in boiling water for 20 min• 2 tbsp good-quality mango chutney• 2 tsp tomato paste• 6 tbsp of good quality mayonnaise• 2 tbsp of crème fraîche• 1 tbsp of curry powder• 1 tbsp of toasted flaked almonds• ½ tsp of cayenne pepper• Pinch of dried chilli flakes• Salt and freshly ground pepper• 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced• Handful of coriander, leaves picked• Handful of watercress
1. Mix everything except the eggs and herbs, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the chopped egg into the mixture. Add the coronation mixture to the bagel, top with the coriander and watercress, and serve.
Serves 4
• 1 large baguette• 10 slices of jamon or prosciutto • 10 slices of blue cheese • 10 good-quality anchovies, sliced lengthways• Generous serving of aioli (shop-bought is fine)• 100g rocket
• For the salsa:• ½ red onion, finely diced • Jar of roasted peppers, drained and sliced • 4 pickled green chillis (shop-bought), thinly sliced • Good pinch of ground cumin• Good pinch of dried oregano• 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar• 8 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil• Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Mix together the ingredients for the salsa and season with salt and pepper.
2. Slice the baguette open. Spread the aioli generously on the bottom half of the baguette, then assemble the sandwich ingredients in this order: blue cheese, anchovies, jamon/prosciutto, salsa, rocket.
3. Cut the baguette into four portions and serve.
Serves 4
• 360g cream cheese• ½ shallot, finely chopped • 25g capers, chopped• 25g cornichons, chopped• 1½ tsp smoked paprika• 1 tsp ground caraway• ½ tsp garlic powder • Good turn of black pepper• ½ tsp English mustard powder• 2 tsp Dijon mustard• Good pinch of sea salt, to taste• Jarred pickles, to serve (optional)
Mix all of the ingredients together aside from the pickles (if using) until well incorporated. This will keep for about five days in the fridge. When you're ready to assemble, strain the jarred pickles well before adding at the end on top of the cream cheese filling.
Sausage rolls are pure nostalgic comfort food. Sage, onion and mace is a classic flavour combination, but the key to these tasting amazing is using fresh herbs rather than dried, and always the best meat you can afford.
Makes 16
• 300g sausagemeat• 150g unsmoked streaky bacon, very finely chopped• 1 onion, finely diced• 1 tsp chopped fresh sage• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, leaves only• 1 tsp English mustard powder• ½ tsp ground mace• Salt and freshly ground pepper• 225g ready to roll puff pastry• 1 egg, beaten
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the sausagemeat, bacon, onion, sage, thyme, mustard powder and mace. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. On a floured surface, roll the pastry out into three 10cm wide strips, about 3mm thick. Mould the sausagemeat filling into three sausage shapes about 2.5cm thick.
3. Put each sausage on a pastry strip about 2cm from the edge of the pastry. Brush the other side of the pastry with some of the beaten egg and then fold the pastry over the meat while rolling it.
4. Leave a slight overlap of pastry so that the roll is sealed securely. Carefully turn the rolls so that the seal is on the base and cut them into 5cm rolls. Transfer the rolls to a greased baking tray, brush with more of the egg and bake for 25-30 min until golden and crispy. Serve immediately.Josh Eggleton co-owns the Pony, Chew Valley, Somerset (theponychewvalley.co.uk)