Looking for some easy weekend food inspiration? Lonely Planet Food has just released the fantastic book The World’s Best Bowl Food ($26.99), featuring 100 one-pot recipes from all around the globe.

The book globetrotts to places like Italy, Korea, Greece, Morocco and Chile, with recipes for everything from breakfast to salads, rice, pasta, noodles, stews and desserts. All recipes in the book are rated easy, medium or hard to re-create and include tasting notes and information about the origins of the dish.

Here we share two of our favourite meal recipes from the book, paired with Toast’s drink match recommendations.

?POUTINE

?

The ultimate salty indulgence – French fries and cheese under a velvety gravy duvet. Enjoyed at casse-croûtes (snack bars) across Canada, the popularity of poutine has made it the country’s unofficial national dish.

You’ll need

• 6 large russet potatoes,
• peeled and cut into ½cm (¼in) thick batons canola or vegetable oil salt
• 600g (1?lb) cheese curds

For the gravy

• 2 tbs cornflour (cornstarch) 6 tbs unsalted butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and
• finely chopped
• 2½ cups beef stock
• 1 cup chicken stock pepper

Method

1. In a large bowl, soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with a cloth.
2. Preheat the oil in the deep-fryer to 170°C (340°F) and line a baking tray with paper towels. 
3. Carefully put the potatoes in the fryer basket and cook for 5–6 minutes.
4. Drain and spread the fried potatoes on the baking tray until they cool.
5. Increase the fryer temperature to 180°C (350°F) and return the potatoes to the fryer for 1–2 minutes, until they’re golden and crispy. (You may want to complete this second fry just before serving.)
6. Drain the fries again on the baking tray and set aside (or keep warm in the oven).
7. For the gravy, dissolve the cornflour in 2 tbs water, then set aside.
8. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and stir for 5 minutes, until golden.
9. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then add the stocks and stir until boiling.
10. Stir in the cornflour and pepper to taste for 4–5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
11. Season the fries with salt. Serve in bowls topped with cheese curds and brown sauce.

Top tips

• If you’d like to simplify the dish even further (or you don’t have access to a fryer), you can substitute the hand-cut potatoes with frozen French fries
• To maximise the tasting experience, let the poutine sit for 5 minutes before digging in to let the three tiers – fries, cheese and sauce – start melding together to form the perfect salt bomb.

Toast drinks match: poutine may just be the world’s best hangover food, but if you’re looking for something delicious to match the rich flavours of this dish, we recommend a pinot noir like Montana Reserve Pinot Noir (RRP$16.99), Fickle Mistress Central Otago Pinot Noir (RRP$27.99,) or Akarua Rua Pinot Noir (RRP$27.99).

ETON MESS

A quintessentially English summer dessert, Eton mess is a glorious combination of crushed meringue, fresh strawberries and whipped cream best served outdoors on a sunny day. 

You’ll need

• 2 egg whites
• 100g (3½oz) caster (superfine)
• sugar (plus extra)
• 1? cups double (heavy) cream 450g (1lb) strawberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F).
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and mix until thick and glossy.
4. Put 6 heaped spoonfuls of the egg mixture on to the baking tray. Place into the oven and bake for 90 minutes.
5. Turn off the oven, leaving the meringues inside until completely cooled.
6. Whip the cream lightly and sweeten to taste with more sugar.
7. Crush half of the strawberries to a pulp, then cut the other half into quarters.
8. Break the meringues into small pieces in a large bowl. Add the cream and crushed strawberries and mix gently.
9. Divide the mixture into four smaller bowls and garnish with the remaining strawberries.

Top tip

• It’s a true crowd-pleaser that suits all age groups, can be whipped up in an instant (if you opt for shop-bought meringues), and is easily transportable.

Toast drinks match: such a quintessentially English dessert requires an equally British drink. Toast’s Pimms Royale cocktail is made with Pimms (a delicious combination of gin infused with herbs, caramelized orange and spices) plus bubbles, garnished with berries. Pimms No.1 Cup (RRP$44.99), Lindauer Brut Cuvee sparkling wine, (RRP$11.99). 

_{Recipes reproduced with permission from The World’s Best Bowl Food © 2018 Lonely Planet, www.lonelyplanet.com}

This week, Toast has five copies of Lonely Planet Food’s The World’s Best Bowl Food to give away to lucky readers.

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