The Art of Friday Night Dinner: Recipes for the best night of the week

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Add the mussels and the lime juice. Put the lid on and cook for about four minutes, or until the shells have opened. Finish with coriander leaves, roughly chopped, and serve with extra lime wedges Put the potatoes in a large bowl. Pour the spiced buttery milk through a sieve over the potato bowl. Mash until smooth. Taste and add more salt if it needs it.

There is no shame in accepting the offer of a pudding. People want to be useful. When they text to find out what they can bring, be specific. Ice, wine, dessert, the lemons you forgot to buy. Don’t be shy. Don’t overcomplicate pudding Eleanor Steafel is a features writer and columnist for the Daily Telegraph. Her popular column The Art of Friday Night Dinner, and her love of getting friends round for dinner to shake off the work week, is the inspiration behind her first cookbook. Cut the stalks off the coriander and finely chop. Add to the pan, along with the chillies and garlic. Cook for three minutes.For this week’s Friday night dinner, I wanted something that would sit comfortably in this moment, right on the cusp of a new season. I fancied some of the ingredients you might find in the best kind of summer grazing lunch – sweet figs, sharp cheese, salty cured ham – but reimagined as a warm, comforting dinner.

Peel the potatoes and halve or quarter depending on how big they are. Place in a pan of cold water with a good pinch of salt. Set on the hob and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and leave to sit in a colander for a good 5 minutes to let the moisture evaporate. We had this with warm fluffy couscous, a bowl of seasoned yoghurt with more sumac stirred through it and a dab of harissa each, but it would be lovely with some sort of potato or some flatbreads. Timings Turn up the heat and add a little more oil. Brown the meat on all sides, leaving it to caramelise properly before turning with tongs.David Kynaston on A Northern Wind “When Labour under Wilson came to power in October 1964, it was after 13 years of Tory government. Sounds faintly familiar?” Plunkett, John (12 February 2010). "Tamsin Greig and Pulling's Paul Ritter to star in Channel 4 comedy". The Guardian . Retrieved 13 February 2011. Set a large pan with a lid over a low-medium heat. Add the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, add the onion and a big pinch of salt. Turn the heat down a little and put the lid on. Cook until soft (about 15 minutes), stirring occasionally.