Coconut milk has to be one of my favourite ingredients. It makes a fantastic creamy base for all the other robust flavours in this Asian-style soup and the sweet potatoes give it a vibrant orange  colour.

SERVES 4–6

  • 450g (1lb) sweet potatoes, peeled
  • and cut into cubes
  • 2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed
  • and halved
  • ½ red chilli, deseeded and
  • finely chopped
  • 1 tsp freshly grated root ginger
  • 1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken or
  • vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 250ml (9fl oz) coconut milk
  • sea salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper
  • toasted pumpkin seeds, to garnish
  • 4–6 fresh basil leaves, to garnish

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6).

2 Place the sweet potatoes in a baking tin, drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the oil and roast for 20–30 minutes, until tender. Set aside.

3 Heat the remaining oil in a large pan. Add the onion, leek, lemongrass, chilli and ginger and sweat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the reserved roasted sweet potatoes with the stock and tomato purée, then bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the liquid has slightly reduced and all the vegetables are completely tender.

4 Pour the coconut milk into the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste. Remove the pieces of lemongrass, then blitz with a hand blender until smooth.

5 Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and scatter over the toasted pumpkin seeds, then tear the basil leaves into small pieces to use as a garnish. Serve immediately.

MacNean wholemeal bread

This is the bread that we normally serve at the beginning of every meal at the restaurant. The dough can be flavoured with a teaspoon of chopped fresh herbs such as thyme or rosemary, or for a more pronounced taste add up to 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mixed herbs, such as a mixture of flat-leaf parsley, basil and chives. Spread with a couple tablespoons of red onion marmalade or try adding 4 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato pesto with 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds for a more sophisticated flavour.

MAKES 2 X 450G (1LB) LOAVES

  • rapeseed oil, for greasing
  • 675g (1½lb) strong wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 2 x 7g (¼oz) sachets fast-action dried yeast (about 1 tbsp in total)
  • about 450ml (¾ pint) hand-hot water
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water

1 Lightly grease 2 x 450g (1lb) loaf tins. Place the flour in the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment if you have one. Add the yeast, hand-hot water and salt. Switch on the machine and mix until you have a very sloppy dough, then knead on a medium speed for 6–8 minutes, until you have a slightly sticky but pliable dough.

2 You can also do this by hand: mix the dough initially with your fingers for 2–3 minutes, then knead to incorporate the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl and folding the dough over itself until it gathers into a rough mass. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and lightly flour your hands. Knead for 6–8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable. The dough will be very sticky at first, so keep your hands and the work surface lightly floured and use a dough scraper if necessary to prevent it from sticking and building up on the work surface. As you continue kneading, the dough will become more elastic and easier to handle.

3 Either way, shape into a loose ball, then put the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rest for 1 hour or until doubled in size.