Neven Maguire: stay healthy and hearty

It’s January – as good a time as any for some new beginnings.

Over the past several months, I have made a few small lifestyle changes which have made a big difference to my health and wellbeing. I am renewing my focus on some of the little things.

After all, food isn’t just my career; it’s my whole life. I am constantly tasting things, whether that is to check if a sauce is seasoned or if I am visiting a food producer and trying out a new ingredient.

I am an avid coffee drinker – I drink about five cups a day; I couldn’t live without it – and I used to take sugar in my coffee. A good while ago, I cut out the sugar and I feel that even this small change has made a big difference to my life. Now I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why I ever took sugar in my coffee in the first place.

At the restaurant, you need to constantly taste things to be sure you haven’t left something out or to make sure it is seasoned properly. Now, if I am tasting a sauce, I use a much smaller spoon, which works just as well.

I have also gotten into a pattern of a sort of intermittent fasting. On working days – which is most days, for me – I begin with coffee and then have two good meals per day. At around 1pm, I like to have something like scrambled eggs with some ham (I do love my eggs). Depending on the day, then, I will have my main meal between 6-8pm. I make sure to eat something I really enjoy. There is no point eating foods you don’t like just because they are considered healthy. You should enjoy what you’re eating.

I spend a lot of time in my car and no longer snack while I’m driving – it is so easy to eat in the car and it becomes a bit of a bad habit. I’ve just stopped doing it altogether. After all, snacking isn’t really about being hungry – it’s more often something to do when you’re feeling bored.

These few small changes seem to work for me, and I have definitely struggled in the past. I don’t really think of any of these changes as a “diet”, per se – more of a change in lifestyle. And I definitely think these changes are going to last, unlike so many “New Year’s resolutions” which we tend to make and forget about as soon as February rolls around. That said, I am a chef – not a diet expert. Something different may work for you and one size does not fit all when it comes to health and nutrition.

Recipe for success

Speaking of eating something you enjoy, though – how about these two hearty dinner recipes?

This one-pot fish pie is so lovely on a cold, fresh January day. The key to any fish pie is to use the perfect combination of a smoked fish (like cod), a white fish (like hake) and an oily fish (like salmon or mackerel). Make sure they’re cut into nice, big chunks to ensure they hold their shape as they cook.

This is an easy pie to assemble in advance – you can cook the filling, cool it down and top it with the puff pastry, then keep it in the fridge for up to two days. Right before baking, I brush the top with the egg wash. The only thing I do differently is I give it a few extra minutes in the oven if it has been sitting in the fridge. This dish also works really well as a gratin, so if you don’t have puff pastry on hand, just sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the top and bake as per the recipe.

The lasagne recipe here is a little bit different from the norm, but so full of flavour it is well worth any extra effort (and really, there is very little extra effort). We aren’t using any mince here; instead I am using a featherblade cut of beef. This cut is perfect for slow cooking and it is so tasty, you might not ever go back to the mince once you’ve tried making a ragu sauce this way.

Ingredients: serves 6–8

400g packet all-butter puff pastry, thawed

50g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

50g butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 leeks, finely chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

500ml fresh chicken stock

100ml cream

750g mixture undyed smoked haddock, fresh salmon and hake or cod, all skinned, boned and cut into large chunks

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra

1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water (for the egg wash)

To serve:

Lemon wedges

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board and make a 30cm circle, trimming down the edges as necessary. Use the trimmings to make some decorations for the pie. Place the circle and decorations on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until needed.

3 Melt the butter over a medium heat in a shallow casserole or skillet pan. Tip in the shallots, leeks and potatoes, and sauté for 4–5 minutes until the shallots and leeks are softened. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

4 Gradually add the chicken stock, whisking until smooth after each addition. Pour in the cream and season to taste, then bring to a simmer. Stir the fish chunks into the sauce and simmer for another 1–2 minutes until the fish is just tender, then fold in the dill.

5 Wipe around the edges of the casserole, then cover the pie filling with the chilled pastry lid, tucking down the edges to form a double rim. Brush with the egg wash and prick lightly with a fork, then decorate with the pastry shapes and brush them with the egg wash.

6 Bake the fish pie for 30 minutes until the pastry is well risen and golden. Garnish with a little dill and lemon wedges.

Ingredients: serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

500g casserole beef slices

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

500g jar passata (Italian sieved tomatoes)

25g butter

2 tbsp plain flour

400ml milk

50g freshly grated Parmesan, plus a little extra

1 packet fresh egg lasagne sheets

1 buffalo burrata cheese

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2 Heat a shallow casserole or skillet pan over a high heat, then add 1 tbsp of the oil. Season the beef and sauté for 2–3 minutes until lightly browned, then transfer to a plate.

3 Add the rest of the olive oil and sauté the onion, celery and thyme until softened. Stir in the passata, add in the beef, then cover with a lid. Cook for 2 hours, then leave to relax for 15 minutes, before using two forks to shred the beef into small pieces.

4 Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and then, gradually add the milk until you have a smooth sauce. Season generously and stir in the Parmesan.

5 Spread a couple of spoons of the beef ragu in the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Cover with a layer of the lasagne sheets, cutting to fit with scissors. Cover with half of the remaining ragu, then add half of the béchamel sauce in dollops, spreading with a palette knife for an even layer. Add another layer of the lasagne sheets and cover with the rest of the beef ragu. Add a final layer of the lasagne sheets, then spread the remaining béchamel sauce on top.

6 Tear over the burrata and scatter a little more Parmesan on top. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden and bubbling. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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