6 stage-y recipes you can try based on your favourite shows

We are all a bit couped up right now, but what better way to get your stagey fix than by heading to the kitchen! Our trusty cook-in-residence Darius Thompson has rustled up some perfect recipes for the stagily-inclined.

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Recipe One: Another Vodka Stingerrrrrrr

Musical Inspiration: Company

Here's to the ladies who lunch!

In honour of our beloved Patti LuPone, we've pulled together this recipe for the infamous Vodka Stinger.

So, stick the song on loud, raid your drinks cupboard and create this vintage cocktail. We'll certainly drink to that!

Ingredients:

50ml of Vodka
15ml of Crème de Menthe
or
15ml of Peppermint Schnapps
or
Peppermint extract (0.25 tsp) + water (15ml)
Ice (enough to fill your shaker)
Something to garnish (an olive, a mint leaf etc)

Equipment:

Cocktail shaker
or
A jar with a lid + a strainer/sieve
A cocktail glass

Method:

Fill your shaker (or jar) with ice.
Add all of the ingredients and shake well.
Strain the cocktail into your glass.
Add your garnish!
Don your faux-fur coat, take a sip and have toast to that invincible bunch! Waiter, I'll have another.

Recipe Two: Audrey II – Vicky Vox Cake Pops

Musical Inspiration: Little Shop of Horrors

Get this straight! These delicious cakes inspired by the Green Mother From Outer Space are the perfect thing to occupy your mind and taste buds this week! They're super easy to make and are great to get the little ones involved in too as they require no baking.

Grab your greenest outfit, stream the movie (or listen to the cast recording) and get creative!

Ingredients:

Any pre-made cakes you have in your cupboard. These can be chocolate, angel slices etc – literally any flavour you like!
White chocolate
Green food colouring (or a tiny bit of spinach in water with a dash of sugar will also do the trick)

Equipment:

Sticks for the cake pops
Two bowls
Anything else you want to use to decorate the cake pops
A few sponges

Method:

Crumble your cakes into a bowl so they are relatively fine, but still malleable enough to form into a shape.
Roll them into a ball shape, approximately the size of a golf ball.
Once you have used all of your cake mix, poke your sticks into each one.
Melt your white chocolate gently (to avoid burning it) then add a drop or two of your food colouring and mix until it's the perfect colour!
Dip each cake pop into the green-coloured chocolate and then place the sticks into the sponge so they dry upright.
Once dry, decorate them to look like Audrey II and send us a snap via Twitter!

Recipe Three: ‘The Fish with the Cheese'

Musical Inspiration: Come From Away

On the north-east tip of North America, on an island called Newfoundland there's a dish called Cod au Gratin.

So, when the sun is coming up and the world has finally come ashore, you'll be a pro at the recipe and you can share it even more!

This recipe will serve two people.

Ingredients:

2 cod (or similar white fish) fillets
0.5 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp of dijon mustard
0.25 tsp of onion powder
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp of finely grated parmesan cheese (or any other hard cheese)

For the roux:
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of plain flour
230ml of milk

For the gratin top:
Bread crumbs (panko work the best)
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
0.5 tbsp of cold water
Grated cheddar cheese

Equipment:

Two saucepans
Whisk
Shallow baking dish
Small bowl

Method:

If you're using frozen fish, defrost fully before you begin.
Preheat your oven to 180°C
Pat your fish dry and start gently heating your milk in a small pan until hot.
Once hot remove the pan from the heat to begin making your roux.
Create the roux in a new pan. Heat the butter gently first then add in the flour slowly and whisk together with the hot milk until it creates a smooth texture.
Add the dijon mustard and parmesan cheese then remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.
Put the fish in the bottom of a baking dish and then get your hands in and cover it in olive oil, salt, pepper and onion powder.
Pour your roux over the top and add sprinkle with the dill.
In a bowl combine the bread crumbs, a little bit of olive oil and the cold water.
Place on top of the roux in the baking dish and then sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top.
Put the baking dish in the centre of the oven and bake until the top is golden brown.
Welcome to the Rock!

Recipe Four: Gruel, Glorious Gruel!

Musical Inspiration: Oliver!

The sun is shining, you're in need of something delicious to eat in the morning that is healthy, hearty and jam-packed with fruit.

Unlike Oliver, you'll be full to the brim and ready for a glorious day after eating this scrumptious treat – you'll need to make this the night before though!

Ingredients:

40g of oats
2 tsp of peanut butter
2 tbsp of greek yoghurt
10 raspberries (halved)
3 strawberries (roughly chopped)
1.5 tsp of honey
1 tbsp of raisins
Seeds for sprinkling on top

Equipment:

A bowl
A jar with a lid

Method:

Mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl.
Transfer the mixture to a jar (with a lid), sprinkle some seeds on top.
Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
When ready to eat, remove from the fridge 5 to 10 minutes before you plan on eating it.
Enjoy this magical food, wonderful food, marvellous food, fabulous food, beautiful food. Glorious food!

Recipe Five: Bruce Bogtrotter's ‘Cover Yourself in Chocolate Glory' Cake

Musical Inspiration: Matilda the Musical

More!

That's what they'll say, when Cook delivers this delectable, rich, moist chocolate cake to the table.
As long as you enjoy the cake, that's the main thing…

No buts, you haven't got time for buts… eat!

Ingredients:

200g of dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa solids) chopped into small squares
200g of room temperature butter cubed
85g of self-raising flour
85g of plain flour
0.25 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
200g of light muscovado sugar
200g caster sugar
25g cocoa powder
3 medium eggs
75ml buttermilk (or use whole milk if you can't get this)
50g grated chocolate to decorate

For the top of the cake:
200g dark chocolate chopped into small squares
300ml double cream
2 tbsp caster sugar

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Cake tin (20cm width approx)
Bowl for melting chocolate
Saucepan for melting chocolate

Method:

Preheat your oven to 160°C and then grease your cake tin well with butter on all inside surfaces.
Put 200g of your dark chocolate into a bowl with 200g of butter and then create a bain-marie by bringing water to a gentle boil and placing your bowl of chocolate and butter on top. Be careful to make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Melt gently and then remove from the heat.
In a separate bowl mix the self-raising flour, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, light muscovado sugar, caster sugar and cocoa powder together. Make sure that there are no lumps – you may need to sieve these.
In another bowl, beat together your eggs with the buttermilk and then pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
Pour this mixture into your greased cake tin and bake for 1hr 25 to 1hr 30 mins.
If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm.
Leave to cool in the tin and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cut the cold cake horizontally into two.
To make the ganache, put 200g of the dark chocolate in a bowl.
Pour the double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp of caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
Take off of the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
Sandwich the two layers together with some of this mixture and then pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth.
Decorate with your grated chocolate and then stick your face into, just like Bruce!

Recipe Six: Lulu's Strawberry Dream Pie

Musical Inspiration: Waitress

Mama, it's amazing what baking can do!

This delectable dessert is going to leave your diner (kitchen) smelling of sweet strawberries. And for this recipe, you don't even need the butter or flour – just the sugar.

Ingredients:

1 sweet all-butter pastry case (usually found in the baking aisle)
900g of fresh strawberries
200g of granulated sugar
80ml of water
3 tbsp of cornflour
Whipped cream or creme fraiche to serve

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Cake tin (20cm width approx)
Bowl for melting chocolate
Saucepan for melting chocolate

Method:

Wash and remove the core from your strawberries (this is easy to do with a straw).
Crush half of the washed strawberries with a vegetable masher and then add the sugar, water and cornflour. Put the other half of the strawberries aside for later.
Put the strawberry mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and cook over a medium heat. Stir it frequently until it boils.
Boil the mixture for 1 minute, then remove it from the heat and let it cool completely.
Thinly slice the remaining strawberries evenly (use a mandolin if you have one) and then place them in an even layer at the bottom of your pie case.
Pour the cooled strawberry mixture over the top and leave to chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
When ready you're ready (or hungry enough), remove the pie from the fridge. Cut into slices and add the whipped creme or creme fraiche.
This should be eaten on the same day that you make it. Order up!