The fragrant but subtle tones of the spices and herbs make this soup incredibly moreish. I love the natural vibrant orange red colour which is bright enough to make a dull winters day just a whole lot better. The magical ingredient that I have used in this recipe is the homemade tandoori paste. It’s very special to me, it’s incredibly versatile and has jazzed up many of my dishes in the past.

A dash of coconut milk tones the sharpness of the chillies to the right level of spiciness. The red lentil is a perfect and delicious thickener. The creamy texture of the cooked lentils adds to the rich and silky texture of the soup.

Following recipes word for word has been one of my weaknesses in life. However I love to add my own twist and take on recipes, I suppose it’s all part of the excitement. But when it comes to making pastry there is a golden rule that one should not mess with the recipe, as a disaster is most likely to happen. This sweet short crust pastry recipe is one of those little gems that I know I can rely on and comes out perfect everytime. This recipe has been with me for years ever since I became a commis chef.

I have to confess that I’ve been slightly naughty by ignoring the golden rule just a teeny-weeny bit, by adding vanilla seeds, fresh orange, lime or lemon zest when having a specific idea in mind. If you add small quantities and do not over do it the recipe will be

Visiting the in- laws and walking Duke the Labrador puppy on Christmas day was an experience in itself. We came across a wild apple tree that had just about dropped its whole crop of wild apples. I got all excited as one of my fabulous Christmas presents were a couple of vintage jelly moulds and I thought why not make Wild Apple Jelly on Boxing day. Luckily we had a few clean plastic  bags and we all started picking the wild apples.

Duke was keen to help, by stuffing his face with wild apples, not a good idea as it resulted in a painful tummy later that day. Armed with about 2.5kg of wild apples we headed home. As we had picked the wild apples from the hedgerow it was very important that we washed them carefully and very well. Changing

Oxtail is a classic old British favourite and I found a recipe from 1922 in Mrs Beeton’s  New Edition cookery book. It is one of the forgotten cuts that should  be rediscovered as it is packed full of flavour.

My cooking methods are definitely not old fashioned and are a bit time consuming but the flavour certainly delivers and makes every minute spent worthwhile. Roasting the onions and garlic in the oven gives the dish a full rounded flavour packed with natural sweetness. Cooking the oxtail in the water bath bath for 14 hours might make your eyes water but remember it does not require your attention  whilst cooking. It’s a delicious dish and worth every minute.