December 9, 2013
Yes! It’s sprout season again. Please don’t just boil them and leave them alone, there’s so much more to the little farty ball. Like here, a Brussels Sprout gratin baked with potatoes and cream for a great side dish. I was chuffed with how everything turned out save for one flaw. To quote Michel Roux […]
November 15, 2012
Here’s a dish perfect for this time of year, but still doesn’t feel like stodge-o-rama thanks to the amount of veg involved. The star ingredient is the sausage, a meaty banger from Simply Sausages. I used their No.1 Recipe Smithfield Original, a relatively unadorned sausage which gives the pork plenty of space for flavour. Mrs. […]
August 30, 2012
Practically every element of this could be substituted: the definition of a store-cupboard clearout dinner! Change the chorizo for another cooked meat, throw in another cheese and it’s off in another direction altogether. A blue cheese and salami version could be pretty good too… Chorizo and red onion penne bake (serves 2): 250g chorizo, cut […]
August 22, 2012
This is a hefty Sunday lunch in disguise. There’s quite a lot going on here so you have to plan ahead but by golly it’s worth it. There’s quite a few pans to have on the go too. The pomegranate juice makes it – sticky and sweet. That with juicy belly pork, crunchy veg and […]
May 1, 2012
There’s always room on the cookbook shelf for someone offering midweek family meals done in an interesting way. And that’s the motto of Alex Mackay’s new book Everybody, Everyday. The premise is presented simply: take one mother component or recipe and then spin it off half-a-dozen ways. It means it encourages you to use a […]
December 5, 2011
What a triumph this is. Just when I was feeling a bit indifferent to Jamie Oliver’s Great Britain along comes this absolute belter. Jamie introduces this by saying most people when asked about their favourite foods will mention roast chicken and curries, and this utterly unites the heart of both of these. With blackened, tangy […]
November 28, 2011
This recipe is something of a tribute; a dedication to a fine pub near where I work that serves the best pies. So good in fact that a colleague’s daughters plead to go to the “pie pub please”. The Royal Oak Grill in Woodham Mortimer serves up a fine menu of traditional pub fare. As […]
October 28, 2011
If there’s ever leftovers from a Sunday roast, just try and stop me making bubble and squeak. This is proper Autumn grub, with apples, cider, pork… just the kind of thing I could eat all season long. The pork here comes from Farmer’s Choice, a lovely butcher’s providing excellent meat delivered to your door. Pork […]
October 6, 2011
When Ken Hom is on Saturday Kitchen, he usually pulls a blinder out of the bag, such as crispy chicken noodles. And this recipe was no exception. Tender beef, sticky savoury sauce and to quote the Homster “disgustingly healthy”. I’m not sure how healthy it is, but it tastes pretty darn good to me. Based […]
August 7, 2011
I’ve eyed up a panzanella for ages, spotting a particularly nice one in Tony & Giorgio. Yet I’ve not got round to it, until Simon Hopkinson chided me from the couch to give it a go. I have no idea why I’ve left it so long, it’s exactly the sort of food I love and […]
May 23, 2011
Mrs. Roast Potato was upset – I’d forgotten to go to the shops for her favourite Old El Paso salsa on chicken taco night. So it’s time to rummage the cupboards and come up with a decent enough substitute. And it came out nice. Fresh-tasting, fruity and spicy, the way tomato salsa should be. The […]
March 20, 2011
I am a sucker for a sandwich – not paper-thin ham or simpering coleslaw but gutsy, no-punches-pulled sandwiches that America in particular seems to get right. This Jamie Oliver sarnie is styled that way and is darn close to being great. Plump meatballs and creamy cheese, lovely fresh cabbage and salty bacon… but there’s something […]