One Pan, Big Flavour, No Fuss

Sri Lankan tempered prawns

The British Library’s Food Season is always a highlight on my calendar.

One of the sessions I attended was What’s the Point of a Cookbook, a panel discussion with Ruby Tandoh (former Bake Off contender now serious food writer), Ozoz Soko, known as @kitchenbutterfly on Instagram and the author of the Nigerian cookbook Chop Chop, Sophie Wyburd, author of Tucking In and part of the MOB, the food social media behemoth, and finally Rukmini Iyer of Roasting Tin fame and a former MasterChef contestant.

I’m sure many of you know Rukmini Iyer. If you don’t (she writes for magazines and newspapers, is a regular in The Guardian, and has an excellent Substack), you’ll know her cookbooks: the million-selling Roasting Tin series. During the panel discussion, she spoke about her inspiration for the Roasting Tin cookbooks as something that gave people a cook-at-home option other than getting a takeaway or ordering a Deliveroo (other apps are available). Genius.

My tempered prawns recipe is a kind of genius recipe. It’s the sort of recipe I turn to when I realise there’s nothing in the fridge, I’m too tired for any faff, yet want something that delivers on flavour.