When we asked Nichols to pick her favourite recipe she chose the seasonal dish: Pork & Fig Spiedini with Orange Spice Dressing & White Bean & Rocket Mash. “It was early autumn and I’d seen some good juicy figs on the market,” Nichols remembers, on
Earlier this year chef, artist, food stylist and writer Annie Nichols co-curated a project with Jefferson Hack for AnOther’s 10th anniversary that saw an unprecedented collaboration between fashion and food. In celebration of AnOther’s milestone birthday 10 major fashion houses teamed up with 10 leading cake-makers to each design their ultimate fantasy cake, which was then showcased as part of Eat the Designers at Selfridge’s Wonder Room.
Originally trained as a chef, Nichols worked as a food stylist for over 20 years; cooking and styling for magazines, cookery books and advertising; and working with many top cooks and chefs. Well known for her Cheat’s Dinner Party column, Nichols has recently extended her expertise into a full printed edition. Out this month, her latest book Dinner at Mine showcases 52 exciting cheat’s menus designed “to take the stress out of entertaining and for anyone who has ever invited friends and family over then wondered what to cook,” as Nichols explains.
When we asked Nichols to pick her favourite recipe she chose the seasonal dish: Pork & Fig Spiedini with Orange Spice Dressing & White Bean & Rocket Mash, featured in her latest publication. “It was early autumn and I’d seen some good juicy figs on the market,” Nichols remembers, on how she first came up with the recipe. “The weather was getting fresher and blustery and I wanted to cook something comforting for us for lunch, but not too heavy. The rest of the ingredients fell into place.”
Tasty and warming, it is the perfect dish to eat as the weather edges into winter. “It’s just one of those dishes that although really quick and easy to make, you end up with the most delicious lightly caramelized, spiced and tender, pieces of pork and fig,” Nichols explains. “Served on the bed of comforting creamy bean mash and wilted rocket. It makes me content!”
Annie Nichols: “Open the tins of beans, rinse and drain well. Finely grate the zest from the orange, squeeze the juice and add to a large bowl. Add the thyme to the bowl with the spices and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Cut the pork fillets into rounds about 1cm thick. Cut each fig into 4 wedges. Add both to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss well together. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, soak 12 long wooden skewers in warm water.
Preheat the grill to high. Thread the slices of pork by weaving each piece onto a skewer. Add a couple of fig wedges to each one and place the skewers on a large baking tray. Drizzle over any of the remaining marinade and place under the grill for 5–8 minutes or until the meat is tender and cooked through.
Meanwhile, crush the garlic. Heat 100ml olive oil with the garlic in a medium pan over a low heat. Place the drained butter beans in a food processor and blend until smooth. Tip the blended beans into the garlic oil and stir well to combine. Cook over a low heat for
5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully heated through. Stir in the Parmesan and rocket or salad leaves, just so that they start to wilt, and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, place a large spoonful of the white bean mash on each serving plate, top with 2 pork skewers and drizzle with a little more olive oil.”
This recipe can be found as part of Menu 7: Bake Beetroot & Tomato Salad; Pork & Fig Spiedini with Orange Spice Dressing & White Bean & Rocket Mash; Schiacciata Con L’Uva (Grape Bread) with Gorgonzola Dolce, in Dinner At Mine by Annie Nichols, published by Kyle Cathie Ltd, out now.
Text by Lucia Davies
