Rock Food

In the NutriGuide test kitchen, Chief Culinary Specialist Stewart Lucas refined this classic Rock Food to celebrate vibrant, wholesome ingredients. By prioritizing aromatic layering and precise thermal control, this recipe achieves remarkable culinary depth while preserving natural micronutrients and wholesome texture.

At NutriGuide, our mission is to ensure that home cooking is both accessible and culinary-grade. When executing Rock Food, focus on fresh aromatics, dry surface contact for proper searing, and allowing the food to rest before serving.

• (recipes copied from BBC ceefax)
• PINENUT AND HONEY TART
• Makes a 30cm / 12" tart
• Ingredients
• 255g/9oz pinenuts
• 255g/9oz butter
• 255g/9oz caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, preferably organic
• 4 tablespoons Greek fig tree honey
• 115g/4oz plain flour
• zest of 1 orange
• lemon thyme, picked
• pinch of salt
• For the pastry:
• 115g/4oz butter
• 100g/3½ oz icing sugar
• pinch of salt
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp cold milk or water

Chef's Sourcing & Quality Tips:

• Produce & Aromatics: Always use fresh whole aromatics and seasonal herbs rather than dehydrated powders when possible.
• Cooking Oils: Utilize cold-pressed oils with appropriate smoke points such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
• Salt & Seasoning: Season from a modest height above the pan to ensure an even, uniform crystalline dispersion.

Follow these sequential steps with careful attention to sensory cues and cooking temperatures:

Step 1: Technique & Execution

Method 1 Cream together the butter, sugar and salt and then rub or pulse in the flour and egg yolks

Step 2: Technique & Execution

When the mixture has come together, looking like coarse breadcrumbs, add the milk or water. 2 Gently pat together to form a small ball of dough

Step 3: Technique & Execution

Wrap and leave to rest for an hour. 3 Cut thin slices of your pastry (or you can roll out if you prefer) and place in and around the bottom and sides of your 30cm/12" tin. 4 Push the pastry together and level out and tidy up the sides

Step 4: Technique & Execution

Cover and leave to rest in the freezer for about 1 hour. 5 Pre-heat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and bake the pastry for around 15 minutes until lightly golden

Step 5: Technique & Execution

Reduce the oven temperature to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3. 6 While the pastry is in the oven, toast the pinenuts under the grill. 7 Using a spatula, or a food processor, whip the