The British Larder Inspirational recipe diary

I can only describe this dish as healthy and sophisticated. The nuttiness of the wholesome pearl barley salad complements the fresh wild salmon. To add to the earthy taste I have added macerated beetroot. This dish is perfect to be served as a starter or as a light lunch.

John Campbell has been a great inspiration to me in my cooking, he is the voice of reason.  I have spent a few days in Johns kitchen, we discussed lots of methods and techniques and this method of curing the fish before cooking was one of them. By curing the salmon in a solution of salt and sugar it draws the water from the salmon and tightens the flesh. The flesh of the salmon sticks together and does not fall apart when cooking. I use this method every time I prepare fish for cooking, just as John has taught me.

Interestingly

Coq-au-vin is an old classic and one of my favourites. The beauty about this  dish is that it can be cooked in so many ways and  presented in various styles ranging from a  fine dining extravaganza  through to a homely winter warming dish.

I have cooked the chicken legs and the parsnips in the water bath. The flavours are unbelievably intense. I have chosen free range chicken legs for this Coq-au-vin dish, as the brown meat carries a lot of flavour. Cooking the legs in the water bath ensures the meat becomes  tender,melt in the mouth, with a incredible amount of flavour.

This recipe might seem to be fairly complicated but once tried you will be hooked for life.

The vibrant colour of this maple glazed parsnip and Israeli couscous salad attracts a lot of attention around the dinner table. Israeli couscous might be an unusual ingredient for some of you. It was created in Israel as a wheat based substitute for rice during times when rice and coucous were in short supply. Couscous is made from semolina where as Israeli couscous is made from hard wheat that has been roasted.

Cook Israeli couscous just like pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. I add a pinch of turmeric to stain the pearls bright yellow so it looks attractive in a salad. The Assam tea soaked raisins give this side dish a interesting dimension. This salad is perfect to be served either as a main meal, light lunch or as a side dish hot or cold. I like to serve this salad with honey glazed gammon, I deliberately make

This Sticky Orange Cake with Natural Yoghurt Topping is a tribute to my very good friend Fabien. Fabien is an outstanding pastry chef and the two of us certainly have one thing in common and that is striving for perfection. I owe Fabien a big thanks, as he taught me a lot about the art of pastry. This sticky orange cake recipe is one of the first of Fabien’s delights that I had the privilege of tasting. He’s naturally protective over his recipes so I am honoured to have this one.

The ingredients make this cake unique. Using  whole boiled oranges gives this cake it’s sticky dense characteristic and ultimate orange punch. The yoghurt topping garnished with pomegranate seed, pistachio nuts and freshly grated orange zest complements the moist deliciousness of the cake.