Ihonestly can’t remember when it started, the habit of New Year’s Day soup. I only know that in this kitchen the year begins with a deep pot on the stove, the scent of sweet onions and thyme, of chicken stock and spices or of beans simmering with garlic and bay. There are often lentils at this first lunch of the year, in a thick soup with smoked pancetta or in a ragout for lightly sauced ribbons of pappardelle. According to legend, lentils eaten on New Year’s Day will bring good fortune through the next 12 months, and I will happily include them in a deep bowl of broth. Lunching on soup seems appropriate for the first day of January, like baking bread. Both are at the heart and soul of this kitchen. This year’s soup is something of a hybrid, inspired by nothing other than what is in my kitchen cupboard and in the door of the fridge. Tiny brown pulses, a handful of tomatoes that were frankly past their best, a tin of coconut milk and several spoons of Lao Gan Ma, the addictively crisp, hot chillies in oil. The first day of the new year comes with frugal sustenance, but also a treat. This time, a batch of citrus tarts, the filling a fudgy lemon custard, finished with slices of clementine. Happy New Year! Lentil, tomato and coconut soup This January’s New Year soup brings heat and sweetness, with both coconut milk and crisp chilli seasoning. The brick red chilli oil sits in radiant, coin-like bubbles on the surface, so you get a nip of spice, then a spoonful of coconut milk to cool. This soup will sit happily in the fridge overnight, should you want to eat it on the stroke of midnight. Serves 4 stock (or water if needs be) 1.5 litres small green or brown lentils 250g onions 2, medium olive oil 3 tbsp garlic 3 cloves tomatoes 250g tomato purée 1 tbsp coconut milk 100ml Lao Gan Ma to taste (2 or 3 tsp) coriander leaves to serve Bring the stock to the boil in a medium pan and rain in the lentils. As soon as the stock comes back to the boil, lower the heat slightly and let the lentils cook for 20 minutes or until they are just tender. They should still have a bit of bite to them. Peel and roughly chop the onions. Warm the oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook for a good 20 minutes over a moderate heat, until softened. Peel the garlic, slice thinly and add the onions. Roughly chop the tomatoes and stir into the onions with the tomato purée. Leave the tomatoes to simmer, partially covered, until soft and squashy. Stir in the lentils and any stock from the pan and season with salt. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk and crispy chilli. As soon as the soup is thoroughly hot, serve in deep bowls. Clementine and lemon tarts The pastry cases need a bit of care. I use deep tart tins measuring 8-9cm across the base. Chill the pastry both after making the dough and after lining the tins. This resting will prevent the pastry from shrinking as it bakes. The tarts need high sides to hold enough lemon filling. You can make the pastry cases the day before and store them in an airtight container overnight. Makes 6 For the pastry: plain flour 200g butter 100g egg yolk 1 icing sugar 1 heaped tbsp iced water a little (2-3 tbsp) For the filling: lemons 4, medium double cream 200ml eggs 5 caster sugar 100g clementines 6 You will also need 6 individual tart tins Make the pastry: put the flour into the bowl of a food processor, cut the butter into cubes and add to the flour, then process for a few seconds until it looks like coarse, fresh breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and icing sugar and continue to process, pouring in enough water to produce a firm but rollable dough – about 2 tbsp. (Or do this by hand, rubbing everything together with fingertips.) Remove the dough to a flour-dusted board, then bring the dough into a ball. Wrap in greaseproof paper and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. This will ensure it doesn’t shrink during baking. Make the filling: finely grate the lemons, then cut the fruit in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl – you need a good 125ml. Pour the cream into a medium-sized, nonstick pan and warm over a moderate heat and keep an eye on it. As the cream starts to bubble around the edges, remove the pan from the heat. Put the eggs and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and combine briefly with a whisk, then stir in the warm cream, lemon zest and juice and set aside. Set the oven at 190C/gas mark 5. Roll the rested pastry out thinly on a floured board. Cut out 6 discs of pastry with a cutter and use to line the tart tins. Push the pastry into the corners. Tear off baking parchment to fit the tart cases, place one inside each tart and fill with baking beans. Bake the tart shells for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, then return to the oven for 5 minutes until the pastry is dry to the touch. Remove and lower the temperature to 160C/gas mark 3. Pour the lemon filling into the tart tins, letting the filling come as far up the pastry as you dare. Carefully place the tarts in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the outside of the custard is set, the middle wobbly. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Using a palette knife carefully slip the tarts from their tins and place on a cooling rack. Peel and thinly slice the clementines, placing a slice on each tart. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.