/ 21 May 2024

What’s On My Table – With Alexandra Dudley

Alexandra Dudley is a food columnist, cookbook author and host of the Come For Supper podcast. In this monthly column, she takes us inside her east London kitchen to show us what she’s cooking and the tools she’s loving. This time, it’s a speedy mid-week lunch – plus, three summer drinks…

By Alexandra Dudley /

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Roasted Asparagus Miso Soba Noodle Bowl

I’ve been eating soba noodle bowls a lot for midweek lunches recently. They feel both nourishing and satisfying and I tend to cook once and eat twice (or even three times) as this makes enough for three portions. I make the most of the last of asparagus season and add roasted chopped asparagus spears to this, but you could also use roasted tender stem or even regular broccoli. I like the combination of something roasted thrown into the rest of the fresh veg.

Serves

2-3

Total Time

25 Minutes

Ingredients

1 bunch of asparagus

1 handful of green beans

150g of peas

1 handful of radishes, finely sliced

250g of soba noodles

1 small bunch of coriander, leaves picked

1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds

For the dressing:

1 tbsp of miso paste

3 tbsp of toasted sesame oil

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp of runny honey

1 small garlic clove, finely grated

Thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200ºC Fan. Chop the asparagus spears into roughly 2-inch pieces and toss with olive oil and sea salt on an oven tray. Roast for 15-20 minutes until they have some good colour and are a little charred.

Step 2

As the asparagus cook, blanch the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes then refresh in cold water. Drain and cut the beans in half. Cook the peas, refresh in cold water and drain and finely slice the radishes.

Step 3

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Step 4

Cook the soba noodles according to packet instructions and plunge immediately into ice cold water. Swirl around to remove the starch then drain again. Toss the noodles with a little toasted sesame oil to keep them from sticking

Step 5

Place the noodles, asparagus, green beans, peas, radishes and dressing into a large bowl along with the coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds and toss everything together. Finish with more fresh coriander if you like.

THE THREE THINGS ALEXANDRA'S LOVING THIS MONTH

The sunshine has finally returned and I’ve been loving celebrating the end of the working week with a cool, al fresco drink. These are my favourites at the moment…

MOTH Cosmopolitan

I’ve been a big fan of MOTH since it launched. The margarita is better than anything I make at home, and I love the convenience of the cans. Cans also chill a lot faster than bottles so they’re great for when you’re entertaining. I usually have a few of its espresso martinis stashed away in my fridge for dinner party afters. I manifested a MOTH cosmopolitan when I first tried the cocktails, and I’m quite frankly ecstatic it’s finally here. It is the perfect cosmo – tart, not too sweet and a glorious blushing pink.

Visit MOTHDrinks.com

High Water Hard Seltzer

I find flavours can be a bit hit and miss with seltzers. It took me a long time to find one I really liked. These are great. The lemon and elderflower is my favourite, but there’s also peach and mango and cucumber and mint one. They’re perfect for picnics.

Visit DrinkHighWater.com

These Days Sundown Spritz

I love everything about this drink (even the bottle). Made with blood orange, white wine and chinotto, it has a bittersweetness to it that is wonderfully refreshing. It’s also lower in alcohol than your regular cocktail with a 6% ABV which is perfect for when I fancy a drink, but not the headache.

Visit TheseDaysDrinks.com

AND OFF THE TABLE...

Zēphyr

Zēphyr has been on my radar for a long time and I finally made it for the first time last week. Named after the Greek god of the west wind, the menu is heavily inspired by Grecian cuisine. I loved the simplicity of the menu. Nothing felt fussy, with the core ingredients shining through. I could have ordered another three bowls of the beef tomato salad, it was so juicy and refreshing. It came with an almost fermented tomato chilled salsa which was drink-worthy. We did end up ordering another portion of the house-grilled bread with smoked aubergine dip – rich and smokey and finished with a punchy peppery Greek olive oil. My friend and I shared the seabass with Amarillo butter along with the crispy potato terrines. Both are restaurant specialties. The potatoes are so good, golden cubes of perfectly crisped potato adorned with a generous blob of metsovone custard and a hefty showering of fresh truffle. It is the perfectly balance of freshness and indulgence and I loved the clean interiors and semi-open kitchen. Perfect for a girls’ lunch or a date night and definitely one to add to your list if you’ve not yet been.

Visit Zephyr.London

For more from Alexandra, follow her @AlexandraDudley on Instagram or visit AlexandraDudley.com