Britons’ favourite meals contain no more than four ingredients, take no longer than 30 minutes to make and take fewer than 10 minutes to eat, according to a poll. This should come as no surprise: quick dinners have cemented the careers of Jamie Oliver, Nigel Slater, Gordon Ramsay and Joe Wicks, to name a few. Plus, life is short and evenings are sacred. Here are a few easy meal ideas with four ingredients or fewer from top cooks.
Bengali mackerel
Nisha Katona, founder, Mowgli Street Food
Mix the juice of a lemon with two teaspoons of English mustard and a handful of fresh chopped coriander. Slash a gutted mackerel on both sides, then place on a sheet of tinfoil, rub with the lemon mixture, season with salt and wrap up to bake at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 15-20 minutes.
Greens on toast
Felicity Cloake, Guardian food writer
Steam or blanch some greens (kale, broccoli and sprouts work well), then roughly chop. Cook two thinly sliced cloves of garlic and a few anchovies gently in a generous spoonful of olive oil – or the oil from the anchovies – until the fish disintegrates, then add the greens and toss together. Serve on toast with hot sauce or a pinch of chilli flakes.
Kimchi jacket potato
Judy Joo, patron, Jinjuu
Slit open a steamed or boiled potato, stuff with four tablespoons of grated cheddar and three tablespoons of chopped kimchi. Place under a grill until melted. Top with crispy bacon bits.
Lentil rice, AKA mjadra
Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, founders, Honey & Smoke
Fry loads of sliced onion in olive oil, then add in cooked rice and lentils. Serve with tahini.
Roasted chicory with parmesan
Russell Norman, co-founder of Polpo
Cut a chicory in half lengthways, douse with a copious quantity of olive oil and season with salt, then roast for 10 minutes each side at 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Once cooked through, serve topped with a large helping of grated parmesan.
Shakshuka
Josh Katz, co-founder, Berber & Q
Sweat sliced onion in olive oil over a medium heat. Add two sliced cloves of garlic and cook for a few minutes, then add a tin of tomatoes and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes, make a well in the sauce and gently crack in some eggs, one at a time, taking care not to break the yolk. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for a few minutes over a medium heat.
