Chefs Advise No-Cook Meals During Heatwaves

Chefs across London are advising the public to prepare dishes that do not require cooking as temperatures rise. This approach aims to help individuals stay cool and avoid using heat-generating appliances like ovens during heatwaves. The suggestions focus on quick assembly and refreshing ingredients, making them suitable for sweltering conditions.

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Melissa Hemsley, author of Eat Happy, recommends preparing large, satisfying, and crunchy salads. Her preferred combination includes cold watermelon, feta cheese, tomatoes, fresh mint, and an olive tapenade dressing. Hemsley also suggests incorporating fish such as hot smoked salmon, trout, or mackerel into five-minute salads, alongside chickpeas or cannellini beans, salad leaves, and nuts or seeds like pumpkin seeds and almonds.

Alex Jackson, a chef, stated that ovens should be avoided entirely during a heatwave. He proposes a mozzarella salad featuring nectarines or peaches, paired with mozzarella or ricotta, a touch of lemon juice, oregano or basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mallika Basu, author of Masala: Indian Cooking for Modern Living, suggests a quick Indian mixed bean salad that can be adapted with various additions and chilli levels. Ravinder Bhogal, founder of Jikoni, advocates for a store cupboard salad using tinned chickpeas and tuna, mixed with olives, cherry tomatoes, and a dressing made from harissa paste, olive oil, lemon juice, preserved lemon, and cumin.

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Fred Peneau, head chef at Serge et Le Phoque, favours gazpacho, which can be made with a variety of fruits such as melon, apricot, or strawberry. He also noted that shellfish can be added. Chef Brett Redman commented on the difficulty of staying cool in a kitchen during hot weather, advising to roll up trousers and drink plenty of water. Redman's own suggestion is a scallop carpaccio, prepared with blended seaweed and dulse oil, served with an ajo blanco sauce made from almonds, hazelnuts, sherry vinegar, and olive oil.

The advice from these culinary professionals, as reported by The Standard, aims to provide practical and enjoyable meal solutions for those struggling with high temperatures, emphasizing minimal heat exposure and fresh ingredients.