Mary Berry is star ingredient at BBC Good Food Show in Harrogate

MARY Berry is taking a break – she is in the middle of cooking a ginger sponge and a hearty casserole.

But instead of putting her feet up and grabbing a cup of tea, she’s squeezing in a telephone interview with The Press.

Busy doesn’t really do justice to Mary’s schedule. This year sees the publication of two new cookbooks, a solo TV series and a fifth run of the Great British Bake-Off.

Not bad for a grandmother who turned 79 this spring.

Mary doesn’t feel her age and despite being struck by polio as a child, which left her with a twisted spine, a weaker left hand and thinner left arm, she says she is in good shape. “Having good health helps. I am very fit and well.”

And self-discipline has allowed her to keep her trim figure, despite all those years at the cake face.

“I eat carefully,” she says. “And I eat sensibly. Everything in moderation. As you get older, you have to be very careful as you can easily put on inches.”

It’s all the more admirable considering that for the past five years she’s been a judge on the Great British Bake-Off, where she must have worked her way through her own weight in sponge, scones and sausage rolls.

The show has been a massive ratings hit for the BBC and given Mary’s career a twilight boost.

Mary is one of the country’s most published cooks, with more than 70 titles to her name. Cordon Bleu trained, she has delighted fans for decades with her easy-to-follow recipes for traditional home cooking.

“I do try new ingredients, and try new things: we are doing roasted fennel at the moment, which people may not be used to. But I like to cook traditional food – with a twist,” she says.

She admits to having more of a savoury than a sweet palate. She has to think hard when asked for her favourite recipe. “It changes all the time, but my favourite meal of all time would be slow-roast lamb – partly because I can always get all the family round if I am cooking a roast.”

Mary employed the help of her grandchildren – aged from three to 11 – to help her prepare recipes for her latest cookery book and spin-off TV show, Mary Berry Cooks.

She has precious memories of cooking with her own children (she has a grown-up daughter and son; her other son, William, died in a car accident aged 19).

And she is delighted the Bake-off has lead to a national boom in cake-making.

“It’s a very lovely thing to bake at home. Everybody loves a piece of cake. It’s a great bonding thing to do with children. It’s like doing a puzzle: it’s educational, they have to follow the recipe and weigh everything out. My children can all cook well – and the grandchildren.”

Viewers of her first solo outing for 19 years found her honest home-cooking refreshing (instead of lining her pastry cases with expensive baking beans, a few handfuls of penne pasta did the trick).

“The one thing I really do need is a sharp knife,” says Mary.

And she’s not averse to a few culinary short cuts too, admitting to using stock cubes, shop-bought pesto and ready-made filo pastry.

This month she is heading for Yorkshire, to take part in the BBC’s Good Food Show, which is staging its first spring event in Harrogate.

Mary already knows exactly what she will be cooking at her demonstration event in Harrogate: salmon en croute, with roasted veg and pesto sauce.

Perhaps some roasted fennel will make an appearance, too.

* The BBC Good Show Spring will take place in Harrogate from April 25-27. Mary Berry is appearing on Saturday, April 26.

Find out more at bbcgoodfoodshowspring.com

* Mary Berry Cooks published by BBC Books, priced: £20.

Salmon en croute with pesto-roasted vegetables

A dinner party and summer buffet classic, this wonderful dish has stood the test of time because it never fails to look impressive and is so easy to prepare ahead and to serve.

Different recipes have cropped up in my books over the years but I make no apology for that as I don’t think you can ever have too many.

With its sun-dried tomato pesto, basil and roasted peppers and courgettes, this version brings a taste of the Mediterranean to one of the most British of dishes.

Just add new potatoes and a side salad. I prefer to serve it hot, but it can be served at room temperature too.

Serves 10

Prepare ahead:

Make the ‘parcel’ but do not bake, and keep in the fridge for up to one day. Cook as in step 6, on a preheated tray.

Freeze:

Wrap the uncooked ‘parcel’ in foil, then put in a plastic bag and seal. Freeze for up to one month. Thaw for about 12 hours in the fridge before baking as in step 6.

Ingredients:

3 red peppers, halved and deseeded

2 red onions, cut into eight wedges

3 courgettes, cut lengthways into 1cm slices

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 x 320g packs ready-rolled puff pastry

1 x 1kg (2lb 2oz) side of salmon, skin removed, cut from the centre

3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto

1 egg, beaten

For the sauce:

600ml (1 pint) pouring double cream

juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto

4 tablespoons chopped basil
 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ Gas 7.

2. Place the red peppers, onion and courgette in a large roasting tin with the olive oil and roast for 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are charred and tender. Allow to cool, then peel and discard the skin from the red peppers and cut them into bite-sized pieces.

3. Place a large baking tray in the oven to heat.

4. Unroll one pack of pastry and roll it out to make it a little longer – about 2cm larger all around – than the piece of fish (check that it will fit on the baking tray – you may have to place it diagonally). Place the pastry on top of a sheet of baking paper so that you can easily slide the completed parcel on to the baking tray.

Place the salmon in the centre of the pastry and spread with the pesto, top with the courgettes and onions and lay the red peppers on top. Brush the pastry around the fish with some of the beaten egg.

5. Roll out the other pack of pastry to a rectangle slightly larger than the first one so that it drapes over the fish and filling.

Carefully lift it on to the salmon and vegetables, trim off any excess and press the edges down well to seal. Re-roll the pastry trimmings thinly and cut out pastry decorations if you like. Brush the pastry with more beaten egg.

6. Carefully slide the parcel on to the preheated baking tray (still on the parchment) and bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden brown, both on top and underneath. Allow to rest for ten minutes while you make the sauce.

7. To make the sauce, gently heat the cream, and stir in the lemon juice and pesto. Remove from the heat then stir in the basil just before serving.

8. Serve the salmon en croute, cut into slices, with the sauce in a jug alongside.

Mary’s wise words: “Try to buy a wide piece of fish rather than a long thin fillet, as it will fit in the oven better. It is also essential to heat the baking tray in the oven first, as this instantly starts to cook the pastry, preventing a soggy bottom! Use basil pesto if you prefer.”