Spice Up Date Night With Our Favourite Nigella Lawson Recipes

So you've tried making sourdough bread and pasta from scratch and tried about every cake recipe you could get your hands on—now you're stumped on how to spice things up for couples, either through FaceTime or Zoom or within the confines of your home.

Well, we've found that at times like this, there's no one better than British cookbook author and celebrity cooking show host Nigella Lawson to inspire fresh takes on beloved classics (that taste as though you've been slaving in the kitchen, when in actuality took you 30 minutes or less). Here are some of our favourite recipes by Lawson to help you make something sinfully decadent that'll leave you completely satisfied.

To Literally Spice Things Up: Turmeric Fish Curry

Unlike the fish curries we’re accustomed to consuming in Singapore at restaurants, Nigella’s version is a lot easier and quick to prepare. It’s one of the most fuss-free fish curry recipes out there, with literally only 10 ingredients. So if whoever you’re cooking for loves a good curry, this is definitely one to consider. 

For Something With A Crunch: Crispy Lamb Chops

Leave it up to Nigella to make cooking lamb seem like easy work in the kitchen when most home cooks shy away from it, as it’s notoriously difficult to tenderise without cooking for long hours or using a tenderising agent—in this case, a mallet. Simply hit them between layers of cling film, coat with breadcrumbs, bathe in beaten eggs and finally, deep fry. That’s all there is to it. To complete the meal, simply grill some carrots, potatoes and asparagus and dinner is served.

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Gourmet Comfort Food: Crab Linguine

Nigella put it best when she said: In cooking, as in the rest of life, I believe in playing to my strengths and not my weaknesses. If whipping out a pasta dish is your speciality, simply up the ante by adding seafood—namely, crab. And if you get your fishmonger to shell your crab, you get the most tedious part of this recipe out of the way. All that's left to do is cook the pasta and the sauce, and toss them all together at the end. 

To Quench Your Wanderlust: Lemon Risotto

Though Singapore is home to many great restaurants that serve international cuisine, nothing quite beats digging into a dish made in its city of origin. That said, since we can’t currently travel to Lombardy, Italy to savour an authentic risotto, Nigella’s rendition will do nicely. The key to any great risotto is to stir in the stock constantly and consistently. Once you’ve got that part down, you can experiment different flavourings.

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For Something Fuss Free: Lemon & Garlic Chicken

Do you know what’s the best part of this recipe? You toss all of your ingredients in its respective baking trays, cover it tightly with foil and let the oven do all of the heavy lifting. Leave it to Nigella to come up with a mouthwatering dish that barely requires any effort.

To Really Spice Things Up: Tom Yum Soup

We’ve all experienced the spicy and tangy revelation that is Tom Yum Soup, which also makes for the perfect raining evening supper. It’s a no-brainer, really. A nice, warm, hearty and immensely flavourful broth paired with fluffy white jasmine rice on a night in while it’s pouring cats and dogs outside sounds like heaven. 

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To Sweeten The Deal: Sticky Toffee Pudding

If you prefer baking over cooking, why not whip out dessert? Everyone loves a sweet ending, especially on date night. And although Sticky Toffee Puddings are generally indulged in during the holidays, a special night calls for a special recipe—wouldn’t you agree?

For The Morning After: Turkish Poached Eggs

Sometimes the most romantic moments happen in the morning and at the breakfast table. So after spending Friday evening with your significant other and a bottle of wine (or two), Nigella’s Turkish Poached Eggs is the perfect way to start the next morning.