Mary Berry turned 90 this year and to celebrate, she has released a new cookbook, Mary 90 – aiming to give home cooks a ‘career-spanning’ collection of fuss-free recipes for many different occasions.
It accompanies a new BBC TV series, Mary at 90: A Lifetime of Cooking.
The TV chef shares a mixture of brand-new recipes and her nostalgic classics, with Berry saying it has been a "sheer joy" to write, and includes the baking she’s so known for, alongside tasty, easy mid-week meals and crowd pleasers.
Fragrant chicken traybake
"An all-in-one dish, this delicious, aromatic chicken recipe is vibrant and full of flavour," says Berry. "Serve with rice or a dressed salad."
Ingredients:
(Serves 4–6)
- 1 large aubergine, sliced into half-moons
- 2 peppers, deseeded and sliced into large pieces
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 dried lime leaves
- 1 large stick of lemongrass, bashed
- 3 large chicken breast fillets, each sliced in half
- 2tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 150g baby spinach leaves
- Small bunch of Thai basil, chopped
For the fragrant sauce:
- 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
- 2tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2tsp freshly grated ginger
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2tsp fish sauce
- 2tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7.
2. To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Scatter the aubergine, peppers and onion into a large shallow roasting tin. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and toss everything together. Pour over half of the sauce. Add the lime leaves and lemongrass to the tin and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Toss the chicken in the remaining oil and the sweet chilli sauce, and season well. Place a large frying pan over a high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and brown very quickly until sealed and golden, stirring constantly.
5. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and pour over the remaining sauce. Place the chicken on top and return to the oven for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
6. Transfer the chicken onto a plate. Stir the spinach and Thai basil into the sauce and vegetables in the tin and gently warm over the hob until the spinach has wilted.
7. Serve the chicken traybake with rice.
Best made and served. Not suitable for freezing.
Skate wing with caper sauce and samphire
"Hugely popular, skate wings are readily available and simple to cook. The sauce makes the dish extra special. Buy samphire from the fish counter in the supermarket or farm shop," says Berry.
Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
- 4 x 400g skate wings, edges trimmed with scissors
- 100g butter, softened, plus a knob
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 4tbsp capers
- 4tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 400g fresh samphire
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6.
2. Lie the skate wings on a board and use half the butter to spread over both sides of the skate wings. Season well with salt and ground black pepper.
3. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. When hot, brown the wings in batches for 2 minutes on each side until golden.
4. Place the browned wings in a large roasting tin and transfer to the preheated oven. Roast for about 15 minutes until cooked through (the translucent flesh will become opaque when it is done). To test for doneness, try to pull the flesh away carefully from the bones with a sharp knife – if it comes away easily, it is done. Place on a large platter and cover with foil. Leave to rest in a warm place.
4. Add the remaining butter to the frying pan and heat until nutty brown in colour. Add the lemon juice, capers and parsley and remove from the heat.
5. Meanwhile, cook the samphire in a large frying pan with a knob of butter and a splash of water over a high heat. Fry for a few minutes to heat through.
6. Divide the samphire between the plates and top each one with a skate wing. Pour over the caper butter sauce to serve.
Best made and served. Not suitable for freezing.
Carrot cake with frosting
"A carrot cake is so popular, especially in coffee shops and bakeries," says Berry. "My version includes my favourite spices. Carrot cake originated in the USA where they make cakes with oil, rather than our butter-based sponges. Use a flavourless oil, such as sunflower or vegetable."
Ingredients:
(Serves 8–10)
- 4 large eggs
- 175g caster sugar
- 75g light muscovado sugar
- 250ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 150g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
- 275g self-raising flour
- 2tsp baking powder
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- 1tsp ground ginger
- ½tsp mixed spice
- 55g walnuts or pecans, finely chopped, plus a few extra for decoration
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 250g butter, softened
- 2tsp vanilla extract
- 350g icing sugar
- 350g full-fat cream cheese
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 2 x 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed sandwich tins.
2. Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat with a fork to break up. Add the caster and muscovado sugar, oil and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and whisk using an electric hand whisk until just combined. Be careful not to over beat.
4. Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35–40 minutes until well risen and lightly golden. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Measure the butter, vanilla and icing sugar into a large bowl and whisk using an electric hand whisk until combined. Add the cream cheese and beat until creamy and light.
6. Peel the paper from the bases of the sponges and invert one onto a plate. Spread with frosting. Place the other cake on top and use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides, leaving a pretty swirl on top. Decorate with walnuts or pecans to serve.
Can be made and assembled up to 8 hours ahead. Freezes well but best to ice on the day.
Mary 90 – My Very Best Recipes by Mary Berry is published in hardback by BBC Books. Photography by Tara Fisher. Available now
