Effortlessly elegant home cooking with Alexandra Dudley

For our next installment of Table Talk, we spoke to Alexandra Dudley – London-based food writer, columnist and one of the UK’s most stylish advocates for relaxed, generous home cooking. Known for her laidback yet chic approach to entertaining and her evocative food writing, Alexandra has built a loyal following through her newsletter, Come For Supper, where she shares recipes and reflections on the art of gathering.

Her newly released book, Cooking Made Simple, captures that signature philosophy. A collection of unfussy, flavour-led recipes designed for busy home cooks, it champions ease, clever shortcuts and confident technique without ever compromising on taste. Built around familiar methods and fresh, vibrant ingredients, the book is a celebration of good food made well – and of the simple pleasure of bringing people together around the table.

What first drew you to cooking? Was there a defining moment or influence?

My mother has always been an excellent cook but she is also a brilliant host. Growing up I used to watch her glamorous dinner parties with awe. She’d make everything from scratch, and is particularly good when it comes to canapes. Dinner at home was always delicious but I think it was her flair for hosting and watching how happy it made people around her that instilled my own love of cooking for people. My newsletter, Come For Supper, is all about what to cook when people come over.

Who were your early food mentors or inspirations, inside or outside your family?

My mum taught me a lot and is also an avid cookbook collector, so I started collecting cookbooks from a young age, too. I loved the assured confidence of writers such as Elizabeth David, Alice Walters and Jane Grigson, and they have been great influences in my own recipe writing. There is a tendency to be apologetic as a woman – “Don’t worry if you don’t like x, use y instead” – so what I love most about Elizabeth David’s writing is that she calls it as it is. She will start a recipe by instructing you to find the best quality tomatoes, following up with that if you can’t find them then you’d be better off making something else. Sophie Dahl and Nigella have also been hugely influential. Naturally, I wanted to be Nigella when I grew up. I still do!

How has your upbringing or cultural background shaped the way you cook?

My mum is Dutch but was brought up in West Africa, so we always ate a broad range of flavours at home. I love trying different food and get most of my inspiration from eating out and travelling. Wherever I am going I will usually plan the trip around the food. It is the best way to explore a new city or country.

How would you describe your cooking style today?

I’m definitely a home cook. Whilst I love big flavours and bold colours, none of my recipes are complicated. As a general rule, if I can make it I will. But while I make my own shortcrust pastry (because it takes less than five minutes and I whack everything in a magimix), you won’t find me dedicating a whole day to making puff pastry. The shop bought stuff is better than anything I could make. I am not afraid of taking shortcuts as long as it doesn’t compromise on flavour. I’m also a big believer that most things can be greatly improved with a lick of good olive oil, squeeze of lemon and a healthy pinch of salt. I lean more towards fresh vegetable-led cooking as opposed to hearty comfort food.

What role do storytelling and memory play in your cooking?

I think almost all of my memories are in some way connected to food. I love the way the smell of something bubbling on the hob can transport you back to a childhood moment, or even a really great holiday. 

There’s a recipe for prawn saganaki in my new cookbook, Cooking Made Simple, inspired by a dish at my favourite taverna on the island of Spetses – Taverna Boubolina. Their prawn saganaki is always the first thing I order when I set foot on the island. The recipe is a family secret but begins with a rich fish stock, enriched with lobster and other shellfish shells, which I’m certain is what makes it so special. 

Inspired by this dish, my own begins by making a very quick chilli-spiked fish stock of sorts with the shells from the prawns. A key part of a classic prawn saganaki is ouzo but it can be hard to come by in England, so I add toasted fennel seeds and tarragon to mine, which have a similar aniseed taste to ouzo and it works very well. It is a simple recipe to prepare but even on the rainiest of London evenings, cooking it will take me right back to those sun-dappled lunches on the island.

Classic prawn saganaki recipe

Serves 4

Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 raw king prawns, shell on

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• olive oil

• 400g cherry tomatoes

• 4 spring onions, finely chopped

• ½ tsp chilli flakes

• 1 garlic clove, peeled

• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

• 100g feta

• 30g tarragon, leaves picked and finely chopped

For the prawn stock

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

Method

Devein and shell the prawns, removing their heads but leaving their tails on. Set aside the shells and heads for the stock.

Next, make the prawn stock. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the sliced garlic and chilli flakes along with the reserved prawn shells and heads. Gently fry for about 5 minutes or until the shells have gained some colour. 

Using a wooden spoon, crush the shells to release the flavour. Add 150ml of water and allow the mixture to gently simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid through a sieve, squishing out as much as you can. You should be left with about 100ml of prawn stock. Set aside.

Heat a large, dry frying pan over a low heat and cook the fennel seeds for a couple of minutes until they smell fragrant, then set aside.

Add a glug of olive oil to the pan along with the cherry tomatoes. Give the pan a shake to coat the tomatoes in the oil, then cook over a medium-high heat, shaking the pan every so often, for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to char. Reduce the heat to medium, add the fennel seeds, spring onions and chilli flakes, then crush or finely grate in the garlic clove. Tossing everything in the pan, cook for a further 3 minutes or until the spring onions have softened.

Add the prawn stock and tinned tomatoes to the pan and bring everything to a vigorous simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced and thickened.

Crumble in half the feta and scatter over half the chopped tarragon. Stir until the feta has begun to break down and melt into the sauce. 

Add the prawns to the pan, tossing them so they are as well coated in the sauce as possible. Cook for 1-2 minutes, depending on their size. Turn them and cook for a further minute until pink. Switch off the heat. Top with the remaining crumbled feta and tarragon, and serve.

Cooking Made Simple is published by Penguin Books and available now.