Life

Naomi Devlin's recipes are flavour-full and gluten-free

Being diagnosed with coeliac disease may not sound like an obvious blessing, but for Naomi Devlin, it sparked a new foodie career path. Gemma Dunn finds out what it's all about

Naomi Devlin's Almond Flatbread
Naomi Devlin's Almond Flatbread Naomi Devlin's Almond Flatbread

SINCE she and her son were diagnosed with coeliac disease almost a decade ago, Naomi Devlin has dedicated her time to making wholesome and flavoursome gluten-free cooking more accessible.

From bespoke teaching days held in her family kitchen in Dorset, to her booked-out cookery classes at River Cottage – the base of operations seen in chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's TV series – she's a woman on a dietary mission, and the latest string to her bow is her much-anticipated debut book, River Cottage Gluten Free.

"I've always wanted to write a cookbook," says the 42-year-old. "I started blogging almost nine years ago after I found out that I [needed to be] gluten-free, so writing has been a cathartic process."

Devlin doesn't have formal chef schooling – but that hasn't held her back, and the knowledge she has gleaned as a nutritionist, along with her honest approach to food and vitality, and first-hand experience of living gluten-free, make up for any gaps.

"Maybe I'd have got there quicker if I'd had some training, but in other ways, because I didn't approach things in the traditional way, I was really open-minded," she reasons.

"I'd often make things backwards," she adds, recalling her early experiments with recipes. "It was a case of me looking at the ingredients and thinking, 'How would this be good?', rather than, 'How can I recreate this dish?'"

It's a formula that seems to have worked: River Cottage Gluten Free is a collection of 120 recipes for anybody looking to cut out gluten without compromising on taste, plus tips on alternative flours, methods of fermentation and delicious baking ideas.

A key aim for Devlin was to produce a cookbook that empowered people to feel confident in cooking gluten-free – a philosophy that applies to her courses too.

"When people come on my courses, I want them to have a sense that they could go away and do it too. If they don't do it the same as me, that's fine; they can experiment. It shouldn't be precious."

As for anybody with coeliac disease, being entirely gluten-free is a non-negotiable part of life for Devlin. However, she acknowledges that increasingly, avoiding gluten can be a lifestyle choice for some people.

"At the beginning, we had a lot of diagnosed coeliacs coming onto the courses. Now there are a lot of people interested in expanding what they eat, or cooking for other people who've had a diagnosis."

She applauds anybody seeking to improve their health or wellbeing through diet changes, and isn't a fan of the 'fad' tag often associated with going gluten-free.

"There may be people jumping on the bandwagon with no concept of what they're supposed to be doing, but if people are trying to discover what makes them sick, you've got to give that some respect," she says.

Here are two tasty recipes from Devlin's new book to try at home.

:: ALMOND FLATBREAD

(Makes 1 flatbread)

Butter for greasing (optional)

Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for sprinkling on the baking sheet (optional)

4 large eggs, separated

20g ground linseed

100g potato starch

150g ground almonds, coconut flour or ground cashews

250g full fat Greek yoghurt

2tsp gluten-free baking powder

1tsp sea salt

Poppy, cumin, fennel or sesame seeds for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6. At the same time, put a roasting tray on the bottom shelf and boil a kettle of water. Generously butter a baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with sesame or poppy seeds, or line with a sheet of baking parchment.

Put the egg yolks, linseed, potato starch, ground nuts or coconut flour, yoghurt and baking powder into a large bowl and beat with a balloon whisk or electric whisk until the mixture is smooth, pale and creamy.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form.

Stir a spoonful of the beaten egg white into the almond mixture to loosen it, then carefully fold in the rest using a spatula, without knocking out too much air.

Spoon the mixture onto the baking sheet and gently spread into an oval shape, about 2cm thick. Sprinkle with seeds.

Put the baking sheet into the oven and pour boiling water into the roasting tin to half fill it. Bake the flatbread for about 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness, until risen, golden and springy to the touch. Best eaten within a few hours of baking.

:: FISH FINGERS

(Serves 4)

400g sustainable fish fillets, such as cod, hake, pollock, haddock or whiting

150g gluten-free white flour, or rice flour or cornflour

1tsp (heaped) sea salt

2 eggs

175g gluten-free breadcrumbs (You can make your own using shop-bought gluten-free bread.)

Lard, dripping or groundnut oil for shallow frying

Black pepper

Check your fish for any pin bones, removing with tweezers. Slice the fish into roughly 12 fingers and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Get three deep plates or wide bowls ready for coating the fish fingers. Put the flour into the first bowl and season with the salt and a good grinding of pepper. In the second bowl, beat the eggs well with a fork. Put the breadcrumbs into the third bowl.

Take one piece of fish and press it into the flour. Turn and repeat to coat both sides; tap off any excess. Pop into the egg and turn it over quickly to coat completely. Drop the fish into the crumbs and use a spoon to cover it with crumbs. Turn over to make sure it is fully coated, then set aside on a clean plate. Repeat with the rest of the fish.

Heat 1cm depth of fat in a deep, heavy-based frying pan. Fry the fish fingers, in batches if necessary, for a few minutes each side until the crumb coating is golden. Unless your fish pieces are very thick, this should be enough to cook them right through.

Drain the fish fingers on kitchen paper and serve straight away, with a leafy salad, or peas or green beans.

:: River Cottage Gluten Free by Naomi Devlin is published by Bloomsbury.