The British Larder Inspirational recipe diary

Maple Glazed Parsnip and Israeli Couscous Salad

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 …

Green Chilli Chicken Wontons with Avocado and Lime Dip

Call me tight or stingy, but I do not like to waste food as there are too many hungry mouths in this world.

I make these green  chilli chicken wontons …

Gooseberry Ginger Ale, Memories of My Grandmother

Last week we went to Cammas Hall Farm to pick strawberries and gooseberries. Once we got home it was all systems go and we were fired up to make as …

Malted Prune Loaf

All the credit for this recipe goes to Dan Lepard. I have to confess that I did make a few changes as we all know cooking and baking are subjective …

Lavish Lobster Macaroni Bake

The time has passed and  the pub is finally open.  Mr.P and I agreed all along, the style of food that we will cook and serve in the pub would …

Quince Brule Tarts

Quinces were introduced to Britain during the late 16th century from the Mediterranean. It made its appearance at the end of a large banquet, as it  helped with the digestion …

Crispy Celeriac Gnocchi with Watercress Cream

Making Gnocchi like an Italian mama is an art in itself. I have gone one step further and used celeriac instead of traditional potatoes. I guess that the Italian Mamas …

Omelette in One Minute…Dedicated to Julie and Julia

This recipe is dedicated to Julie and Julia the movie. I was very inspired to cook and write after watching the movie at the cinema, it’s a feel good …

Creamy Parsnip Soup with Red Leg Partridge Sausage Rolls

The game season is now well under way and so is Autumn. It’s a fantastic time of the year especially the combination of game,the earthy root vegetables and the amazing …

Herring Escabeche Salad

It’s nearly the end of summer. We have endured heavy downpours over the past week and my heart goes out to the farmers who are struggling to harvest their crops. …

El Bulli’s Test Kitchen with Albert Adria

Anthony Bourdain visits Albert Adria at El Taller,which is the test kitchen and workshop where all the new ideas are generated for El Bulli. Albert Adria and brother  Ferran,  are …

Lime, Almond and Strawberry Chutney

When Richard phoned and asked me to make one kilo of strawberry chutney, I was confused and slightly sceptical.

Wow was my scepticism put to bed once I got started. …

Wild Asparagus and Opal Basil Risotto with Chilled Green Tomato Jelly

I love the textures and flavours of this dish. The cold fragrant tomato jelly against the warm carnaroli risotto pearls laced with the highly perfumed opal basil. It’s simply a …

Richardson’s Smokehouse Smoked Mackerel Spring Salad with Ham Cakes and Dill Crème Fraiche

The inspiration for this dish came from our visit to Orford, Suffolk. It’s a beautiful sea side village with several smokehouses and the one that I love visiting every time …

The Bilbao Breakfast

This recipe is a memory of last spring when we went to the Basque country, Northern Spain for a pure stuff your face weekend. We had a table booked for …

Wild Hedgerow Apple Jelly

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 …

Fresh Cranberry and Chestnut Cantucci

I cannot believe it’s already November, where has the year gone? I have to start making plans for Christmas and have actually been developing Christmas recipes for months but  this …

Thyme Poached Apricots

Apricots are one of my favourite summer fruits. I love the round bright orange yellow colours that shout sunshine, holidays and happy thoughts. It reminds me of my uncles farm …

Lightly Smoked Lobster with Sea Purslane and Suffolk Samphire

Before I launched the British larder I would have not looked twice at social networks, I thought that Twitter was a waste of time and Facebook is one of the …

Broccoli and Chestnut Mushroom Salad with a Subtle Heat

Browsing through the vegetable display at Saturdays Farmers Market, held every second Saturday at Great Garnets Farm, I saw these beautiful looking heads of broccoli. Next to them was …

Fig and Pine Nut Tart

I feel incredibly privileged to live in Britain, especially close to London as we are the “food  capital” of the world, well that’s my opinion. You can buy nearly anything …

Crispy Mackerel Wontons

It’s the height of the mackerel season and there is nothing more satisfying than going fishing and coming home with a healthy catch. Mr.P went fishing a few weeks ago …

Spiced Apple and Olive Oil Cake

This Spiced Apple and Olive Oil cake is a tribute to an Egyptian chef who used to work with me. Using olive oil instead of butter makes this cake interesting. …

Posh Doggy Biscuits

We welcome Mr Darcey and Hector our springer spaniel pups to the British Larder team. Ross call them the “new recruits” and they have the title of chief plate lickers. …

Hog Shank and Savoy Cabbage Terrine

Boiling ham is time consuming but nothing beats the taste and flavour of freshly boiled ham. Working in restaurants I have had my fair share of making terrines of all …

Elderflower and English Wine Jelly

The short elderflower season is drawing to an end.

I’m feeling a bit sad as it means that this wonderful gift from Mother Nature is not going to be around …

Semi-Dried Tomato & Comté Cheese Scones

Comté cheese is one of my favorite cheeses with a mild, distinctive fragrance and slightly sweet taste. These semi-dried tomato & Comté cheese scones are ideal for breakfast or as …

Smoked Bacon, Artichoke and Hen’s Egg Tart

One of the reasons for choosing Suffolk as our home for the British Larder is due to the wealth and abundance of food and produce that this county has to …

Woodpigeon Pastrami with Fresh Radishes and Watercress on Sour Dough Bread

It was 5am on a Saturday morning, I was still sleepy and definitely not feeling like getting out of bed to wait for two birds to arrive, but I had …

Blood Orange Posset; Blood Orange Granita

With potentially more snow to come it’s fairly hard to believe that once we had sun…Having said that, there are blood oranges, so who needs sun!?? My favourite topic (not really true), the …

Schezuan Pear Broth with Mackerel Dumplings

This dish is different and rather unusual. Combining pears with mackerel might not sound like an obvious pairing but it works remarkably well.

I made a broth using British conference …

Loquat Iced Tea Smoothie

When I received loquats in the  box of wonderful inspirational goodies last week I could hardly contain my excitement. Loquats ,also known as nispero fruits, are medium size oval-round milky …

Carrot Cake, Cream Cheese Sorbet

Yes, please! I love carrot cake and this carrot cake is sublime! The rapeseed oil keeps the cake moist for up to 3 days, though in this establishment it does …

Roasted Woodcock, Truffled Jerusalem Artichokes and Boulangere Potatoes

Even thought the game season has ended for now, I thought I ought to share this story and bank the recipe for when the next game season starts.

To put …

Sutton Hoo Chicken Escalope; New Season English Asparagus Salad

Summer is here and so is the fantastic asparagus season. I cannot believe how fast it has come about this year. The asparagus here in Suffolk is some of the best …

Creamy Butternut Squash and Butter Bean Salad

I was inspired to make this salad after visiting Ottolenghi in Notting Hill. If you have ever had the opportunity to visit any of the Ottolenghi shops you are seriously …

Cider, Apple and Golden Sultana Braised Red Cabbage

It’s snowing outside and it’s nearly Christmas. A winter wonderland unfolding in front of my very own eyes.

It’s now only a matter of day’s before Christmas and I’m working …

Carpaccio of Suffolk Cod with Shallot, Ginger and Soy Vinaigrette

Isn’t this a pretty plate of food? It not only looks good  but tastes absolutely magnificent. You might frown at the thought of raw cod, but take my word  it’s …

Raspberry Frangipane Tart, Honey and Raspberry Ice Cream

The natural fragrance and aroma from fresh raspberries is simply scrumptious. This year so far we have had particularly large, fragrant and sweet raspberries. Almonds and raspberries are a naturally …

Picnic in a Jar, Orzo Pasta and Greek Style Meatball Salad

I’m like a dog with a bone. Once I get an idea in my head I will not let it go without trying it at least once. I love this …