nici wickes

Late season peach or nectarine crumble is just the best! Make these individual fruit crumbles, they’re fabulous! 

Serves 2 

Ingredients 

2 large peaches or nectarines, halved, stones removed 

1-2 tablespoons golden syrup or maple syrup 

¼ cup rolled oats 

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

1 tablespoon plain flour 

2 tablespoons butter 

Small handful of nuts – almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts – chopped 

Yoghurt, cream and/or ice cream. 

Method 

Heat oven to 180 C and grease a small ovenproof dish. 

Place fruit in dish, cut side up. Generously brush the fruit with golden syrup or maple syrup. 

Mix together dry ingredients and rub in the butter. Add the nuts. 

Fill the holes of the fruit with crumble. Scatter over any leftover crumble. Drizzle in a little water – just enough to cover the bottom of the dish. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until fruit is lovely and soft and the crumble is golden. 

Serve with yoghurt, whipped cream and/or ice cream. 

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Have you got a glut of plums like me? This little condiment - plum paste - is easy to make and it goes so well with all manner of cheeses and meats. 

Ingredients: 

1.5kg whole fresh plums, washed (count them into the pot, I used 32 plums – see note) 

1 ¼ cups water 

½ cup sweet white wine or apple cider vinegar 

¼- ½ tsp ground cloves, depending on your taste 

Sugar, white or raw – likely to be about 600-750g 

Method: 

1. Cook plums with liquids and cloves until very soft and reduced a bit – about 20 minutes. Extract the same number of plum stones as you had plums. Mash or blend the pulp and weigh it. Add half its weight in sugar and return to the stove. Cook on a brisk simmer for 40 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. It’s ready when a teaspoonful is dropped on a cool saucer, left to cool, then a finger dragged through it leaves a clear stripe. Keep cooking until it reaches this stage.

3. Line a swiss roll tin or similar with baking paper or lightly oiled foil.

4. Pour paste into prepared tin and refrigerate overnight. It will be gorgeously glossy.

5. Cut into squares, wrap in baking paper and store in fridge.

6. Eat with cheese or meats.

Note: 

If your plums aren’t freestone count them into the pot, so you know how many stones you need to remove once they cook down. 

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End of season strawberries are so jammy and sweet, they’re perfect for baking with.  

Makes one 20cm cake.  

Ingredients: 

55g butter, softened  

2/3 cup caster sugar + 1 tbsp  

2 tsps pure vanilla extract  

1 large egg  

1 cup plain flour  

½ tsp baking powder  

½ tsp baking soda  

3 tbsps poppy seeds  

1/2 tsp lemon zest  

1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt or sour cream  

140g fresh strawberries, quartered  

Yoghurt or whipped cream to serve  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180 C fan bake with rack in middle. Grease and line a 20cm springform tin.

2. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla and egg.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and poppy seeds and add these into the mix in two batches, beating on low and alternating with yoghurt. Stir in zest and half the strawberries until just combined. Spoon batter into prepared cake tin. Arrange remaining strawberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining one tablespoon of sugar.

4. Bake 35 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes before ‘springing the tin’ and allow to cool completely before transferring to a serving plate.

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I stand by this recipe as the one and only (controversial!) as it turns out a gorgeous pav every time – crisp outer shell and marshmallow inside. 

Makes one large or 6-8 small individual pavs.  

Ingredients: 

- 5 medium egg whites 

- 280g caster sugar 

- 1 tbsp cornflour 

- 1 tsp white vinegar 

Method:  

1. Heat your oven to 160 C fan bake and line an oven tray with baking paper.

2. With an electric beater on medium-high, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks begin to form. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition. I scrape down the sides a few times to make sure that all of the sugar is incorporated. Allow 12-15 minutes for this - it should be thick and shiny. Add in cornflour and vinegar and beat the meringue for 20-30 seconds more.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 100 C.

4. Pile up on lined tray, smoothing edges with the back of a wet spoon.

5. Bake for 1.5-2hrs hours (or until pav easily pulls away from the paper and the base is crispy) then turn oven off and allow to cool completely without disturbance.

6. Dressing your pav: Whipped cream or a combination of cream and mascarpone is a good base then add any toppings you wish to suit the season.

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A beef fillet is as impressive as it is easy to cook and serve for a crowd. Get your butcher to prepare the eye fillet, removing silver skin and tying with kitchen string at 5cm intervals. This is for even cooking and ease of slicing. 

Serves 10-12 

Ingredients 

2-2.3kg beef eye fillet 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 teaspoons sea salt 

4 tablespoons each fresh thyme and rosemary leaves 

1 teaspoon chilli flakes 

3 teaspoons cracked black pepper 

1 whole garlic bulb, broken into cloves 

500g vine tomatoes 

1/3 cup store-bought 

Mustard tarragon crème 

½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream 

2 tablespoons hot mustard 

Small handful fresh tarragon leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried 

¼ cup olive oil 

½ teaspoon sea salt 

Method  

1. Allow beef fillet to come to near-room temperature before cooking. Rub with oil then sprinkle liberally with salt.

2. Preheat oven to 200 C and place a large shallow roasting dish in to preheat.

3. Place fillet in the hot oven dish and sear on stove top until browned on all sides. Add garlic cloves and tomatoes to the dish before putting in the oven for 30 minutes.

4. Chop fresh herbs on a large chopping board and add chilli flakes and pepper. Remove beef fillet and use tongs to roll hot fillet in herbs and pepper before returning to the oven. Keep checking every 5 minutes for doneness - when cooked to medium-rare it ought to have tightened somewhat but still have some give in it when poked with your finger. Remove fillet, cover with foil then a folded tea towel and rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

5. Make the crème by whisking all ingredients together to a smooth sauce.

6. Serve beef drizzled with pan juices and with oven roasted tomatoes and garlic with mustard crème and pesto.

Nici’s Note: When cooking beef to perfection I use the rule of roasting for approx. 12 minutes per 500g for medium rare or 16 minutes for medium. Whole beef fillet can be cooked a day out and then warmed through in a 160 C oven for 20 minutes, before slicing. 

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Plate up individual servings of this simple, elegant dish as a starter or set out a platter for people to help themselves. 

Serves 4-6 

4 thick spears asparagus 

1 small carrot, peeled 

1 small zucchini 

1 tsp sea salt 

1 cup white wine vinegar 

1/3 cup caster sugar 

½ tsp mustard seeds 

3cm piece lemon rind 

½ cup thick Greek yoghurt or crème fraiche 

200g-250g smoked salmon – I used hot smoked but cold smoked salmon will work just as well or smoke your own! 

4 tablespoons good quality olive oil 

Ground black pepper 

Sprigs fresh dill 

1. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Use a vegetable peeler to shave very thin strips of the asparagus stem and use a knife to cut the tips into thin slices. Cut the carrot and zucchini into very thin matchsticks. Toss together in a bowl with salt.
2. Heat vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and lemon rind and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this over the vegetables and gently toss them in the pickling liquid. Cover and set aside until required. Note that you could do this stage up to a few days before the big day, tossing them every now and again.
3. To serve; spoon 1-2 tablespoons of yoghurt or crème fraiche onto each plate (or all of it on the platter) and spread it with the back of a spoon. Top with salmon, dividing it evenly between the plates. Add a decent spoonful of the pickled vegetables to each plate. Just before serving drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and add springs of fresh dill.

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It’s that time of year when we can no longer deny that Christmas will be happening in about 6 weeks! Get at least this fun job ticked off - making the Christmas cake. This recipe makes a neat little cake, perfect for smaller households or as a gift.

Makes one small cake (15cmx15cm)

Ingredients:

650g mixed fruit – I used currants, sultanas, raisins, dried apricots

1 tbsp honey 1 grated apple

¼ cup brandy

¾ cup loosely packed brown sugar

1 scant tsp baking powder

1 ¼ cups of flour

150g butter, melted

3 small eggs, beaten

Blanched almonds for top (optional)

Method: 

1. In a large mixing bowl put the first 4 ingredients (fruit, honey, apple, brandy) and leave overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 150 C. Prepare a 15x15cm tin with 2 layers of newspaper followed by another 2 layers of baking paper, sides and bottom.

3. Mix the brown sugar into the fruit mix and mix thoroughly. Add the flour and baking powder and give it another good mix. Now add the melted butter and finally the beaten eggs. Make sure all is mixed well - strong arms are needed!

4. Tip this all into your prepared tin and decorate with the almonds – any shape you like but if it’s a gift I'm inclined to shape them into a heart.

5. Place cake tin on a magazine in the middle rack of the oven and bake until a skewer comes out clean - about 1 ¾ - 2 hours. Leave to cool.

6. Wrap cake well in foil and store in a cool place in an airtight container until needed.

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To celebrate the abundance of asparagus available right now, make this simple tasty tart. 

Serve 4-6 

Ingredients: 

2 bunches (or about 20) medium thickness asparagus spears 

1 sheet puff pastry 

1 egg, beaten with a fork 

150g sour cream or crème fraiche 

100g blue cheese, crumbled 

2 tablespoons caramelised onion chutney (store-bought is fine) 

½ teaspoon sea salt + decent grind black pepper 

Drizzle of olive oil 

Method: 

1. Heat oven to 200 C.
2. Trim or snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears.
3. Line a tray with the pastry, twisting and pinching up the edges to form a rim if you need to. Brush the edges with the beaten egg.
4. Whisk together the remaining egg with sour cream (or crème fraiche), ¾ of the blue cheese and onion. Spread this over the pastry. Lay the trimmed asparagus on top, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over olive oil.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and cooked on the base too.
6. To serve, grind over some more pepper and crumble over remaining blue cheese.

Make it yours: 

You could add chopped, crispy bacon or flakes of smoked salmon to this tart if you fancy it! 

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The mix of roasted rhubarb, juicy orange and vanilla-scented cream tumbled together with shards of crisp, nutty filo pastry and white chocolate sauce is simply sensational! 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients: 

1 sheet filo 

2 teaspoons butter, melted 

2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 4 cm lengths 

1 tablespoon caster sugar 

70g white chocolate, chopped roughly 

2/3 cup cream 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt, unsweetened 

2 oranges, segmented 

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Brush filo sheet with melted butter and sandwich between the lined trays. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until very golden brown. Remove and cool. Break into shards.
3. Toss rhubarb in sugar and, using the same lined tray(s), roast the rhubarb for 15 minutes until softened. Set aside to cool.
4. In a small pot heat a third of the cream to near boiling. Throw in chopped chocolate, cover with a tea towels and leave for 5 minutes before whisking to a smooth sauce. Cool.
5. Whip remaining cream with vanilla to a soft whip consistency.
6. To assemble: Choose small glasses, jars or bowl and layer up rhubarb, the cream mix, shards of filo, orange segments and topping it all off with the white chocolate ganache. Be prepared to be delighted!

Nici’s note: Plums (fresh or tinned) in place of the rhubarb are just as good in this recipe so feel free to mix it up! 

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This snack is a combo of a cheesy cob loaf (you know that thing where you hollow out a cobb loaf and make a fondue in the middle to dip bread into?!) and a Welsh rarebit, that magical cheese toast that’s made with a sauce loaded with cheddar, Worcestershire, mustard and ale. My version is super fast and easy to make and it’s just the thing for a weekend lunch or snack. 

Makes 4 toasts 

Ingredients 

½ medium-sized onion, diced finely 

2 rashers bacon, diced roughly 

1 tablespoon butter or oil 

4 slices sourdough, lightly toasted (or other quality bread) 

4 big tablespoons creme fraiche, sour cream or cream cheese 

100g grated good quality cheddar cheese + extra 

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 

Decent grind black pepper 

Small handful parsley, chopped fine 

Method 

Heat oven to 180 C. 

Fry the onion and bacon in the butter/oil until onion is softened and bacon has given up its fat. 

In a small bowl mix creme fraiche, cheddar, balsamic, pepper and parsley until combined. Mix in onion and bacon. Spoon the mixture onto each toast slice, spreading to the edges. Place on a tray, sprinkle over some extra cheese and bake for 15 minutes until the topping is golden. 

Eat while hot! 

Make it your own: 

• Use tinned tuna or salmon in place of bacon and add some capers
• Stir in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard instead of balsamic
• Leave out the bacon and stir in chopped spinach and chives for a vegetarian option
• Use parmesan for the cheese and basil in place of parsley

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BBQ mussels are just the best! When they pop open their shells on the grill you can sneak all manner of interesting flavours into them – in this recipe it’s butter, soy sauce and a splash of sake that gives them that authentic Japanese BBQ house taste. Once cooked, pluck ‘em out of the shells, tuck them into a small soft bun, or pop them on a mound of rice, with shredded cabbage and plenty of sesame dressing and eat. I guarantee you’ll be in heaven! 

Makes 8-12 sliders 

Ingredients: 

16-24 mussels in shells 

1 lemon, halved 

8-12 sliders or small soft white rolls 

50g butter, softened 

¼ cup tamari soy sauce 

¼ cup sake 

½ cup store bought sesame salad dressing 

2 cups finely shredded cabbage 

Method: 

Give mussels a quick scrub and remove hairy beards by gripping firmly and pulling towards the rounded tip of the shell. 

Place mussels on grill plate of BBQ and cook until the shells begin to pop open. Place lemon cut side down to grill also. 

As each mussel pops open, sneak a small knob of butter into each, as well as a teaspoon of tamari soy sauce. Allow to cook for a few minutes then douse in sake and toss on the grill. Remove from grill. 

Liberally butter tops of each bun and grill each until butter is foamy and tops have turned golden – watch them as they like go from golden to burnt rather quickly! 

TO SERVE: Set all ingredients out on a board for diners to build their own buns stuffed with mussels and cabbage and drizzled in sesame dressing and a squeeze of warm lemon juice. 

MAKE IT YOUR OWN: 

• Add in a little slice of daikon radish into each bun for extra crunch
• Flag the buns and serve with little bowls of slaw and rice
• Use softened butter blended with lemongrass and lime leaves instead of sake for a Thai-inspired flavour
• Make it Spanish with olive oil in place of butter and a thin slice of chorizo tucked into each mussel
• No mussels? Make little foil parcels of using snapper instead, cooking them on the bbq for about 10-15 minutes

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Nici Wickes MC'd the NZ Ice Cream and Gelato Awards last night, where medals and trophies were awarded to the best of the best ice cream, gelato, sorbet and frozen desserts in NZ. She joined Jack Tame to run through some of the highlights, plus, she has a very easy, no churn needed, ice cream recipe to share. 

River Cafe’s Lemon Ice Cream 

This is the incredibly delicious ice cream from the esteemed River Cafe in London. It’s a magic alchemy of just a few ingredients and no ice cream churn is needed. Try it, you’ll love it! 

Makes 4 small portions 

Ingredients: 

Zest of 1 lemon 

1/3 cup lemon juice (about 3 lemons) 

135g (about 2/3 cup) caster sugar 

½ tsp sea salt 

300mls cream 

Method: 

In a bowl stir together the lemon juice and zest, sugar and salt. Drizzle in the cream whilst still stirring gently. The mixture will immediately thicken a bit – like magic! – as you keep gently stirring. If it doesn’t thicken at all, add a bit more lemon juice. 

Pour into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours. No stirring needed. 

Serve in little scoops, on it’s own. Divine! 

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These are wonderfully easy to whip up on a long weekend and you can choose whatever fruit you like – pears, apples, stonefruit, berries – whatever is in season!

Ingredients:

2 firm pears 

400g flaky puff pastry (I use Pannetton or a block of puff pastry) 

Flour for rolling 

½ cup store-bought custard, cream cheese or sour cream (if using these 2, add 1-2 tbps brown sugar) 

1 heaped tbsp ground almonds 

2 tbsps honey, warmed 

Icing sugar to dust 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220 C. Lightly flour an oven tray.
2. Peel, halve and neatly core pears. I use a teaspoon to remove core. Use a small knife and slice thinly keeping each slice attached at the stem end. This is so that you can fan them out.
3. Dust a bench with flour. Roll pastry to 36x36cm square. Divide into 4 squares. Transfer to prepared tray. Score a 1cm border around each square.
4. Mix custard with ground almonds or if using cream cheese / sour cream with sugar and almonds. Dollop a heaped tablespoon onto each pastry. No need to spread. Fan out each sliced pear halve and lay onto custard, keeping within the border. Brush pear with honey.
5. Bake until puffed and golden and pastry bottom is cooked – about 15-20 minutes.
6. Brush with more honey whilst still warm and allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

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Spicy, buttery, crispy . . . they’ve got it all going on. I first fell in love with spicy wings over 30 years ago whilst on a working holiday in USA. They were a revelation to me — devastatingly spicy but tempered by a cooling sour cream sauce for dipping the wings into. 

Serves one 

• 4 free-range whole chicken wings, or use 8 nibbles 
• salt 
• oil for baking 
• juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 tablespoon chilli sauce - I use tabasco 
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 3 tablespoons melted butter 
• ¼ cup sour cream 
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or frozen blue cheese (see note) 

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Using kitchen shears, cut between the joint of the wings to produce a drumette and a wingette (I may have made that word up, winging it, as it were, but I’m sticking with it) if using whole wings.
3. Place the chicken pieces on the lined baking tray and liberally season with salt. Drizzle with oil and place in the oven to bake until cooked through and golden, about 25–30 minutes.
4. In a saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, chilli sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Whisk in the melted butter and return to a simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and toss in the hot sauce. Season.
6. Combine sour cream and cheese in a small bowl.
7. Dip wings into the cooling sour cream sauce and eat.

Note: Freezing blue cheese makes it super easy to grate 

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