Braised Beef Rib Stroganoff, January King Cabbage and Carrot Crush

There is something really warming about eating good old classic recipes. I almost feel  nervous and get sweaty palms when I set myself the task of cooking an old kitchen…

Two Lentil Makhani Dal with Freshly Baked Peshawari Naan Breads

I absolutely loved the movie Slumdog Millionaire.I not only  appreciated the mechanics on how the movie was made but also  how it highlighted the way we allow children and other…

Exquisite Lamb Moussaka

Cooking is my life but it does not necessarily mean that I have to reinvent the wheel every time I get the pots and pans out. As part of my…

Pheasant Ravioli with a Chestnut Sauce and Curly Kale Pesto

It’s amazing the lovely colours that we can still achieve even in the heart of winter. I always used to  imagine and think that winter food was dull, heavy and…

Slow Cooked Pheasant Breast with Griddled Leeks and Pickled Mushrooms

A few weeks ago, the two of us took a week out from work with the aim to relax and try and do as little as possible….well that was a…

Pear, Quail, Walnut and Stilton Salad

Well what can I say, Pear, Blue Cheese and Walnuts, the height of food fashion in the 60’s and 70’s. I deliberately pushed myself (or  alternatively tried to antagonise myself) …

Prawn Coconut Laksa

Recently I inadvertently came across Rick Steins Far Eastern Odyssey but to be honest I do not like watching him cook as I find it a bit cringe worthy at…

Pheasant Forestiere with Wilted Wild Watercress

Saturday the 24th October 2009 was marked in my calendar with big red letters. A few of us like minded foodies booked a day’s wild food foraging with Polly from…

Sautéed Cod with Textures of Jerusalem Artichokes

Crisp, crunchy and soft; cold and warm describes the textures of this dish. Cod is a flaky soft but fairly neutral flavoured fish and goes very well with vegetables with…

Hearty Cavolo Nero, Borlotti Bean and Smoked Bacon Soup

The combination of cabbage, bacon and beans is very familiar to me. I actually hated it when I was younger working in a top London restaurant. The cabbage hearts along…

Kitchen Classic – Aubergine Parmigiana Made With My Own Home Grown Aubergines

I’m taking a serious risk today posting this traditional kitchen classic recipe Aubergine Parmigiana. As you all know I have had an exciting summer producing spectacular fruit and vegetables, some…

Guinea Fowl with Cep Butter and Creamed Brussels Sprouts

Roasted guinea fowl, sauteed ceps and creamed Brussels sprouts…..that’s what dreams are made of! We are in the heart of autumn, the trees  have the most glorious colours of burnt…

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…

Venison and Smoked Pancetta Meatballs with Curly Kale and Parsnip Mash; Red Onion Gravy

Autumn is well and truly upon us and it’s time to indulge in the hearty and homely dishes that makes this season that little bit more interesting.The Game season has…

One £10 Chicken Three Meals – Part Three

Chicken Noodle Soup

There is something rather magical about chicken noodle soup, a feeling that’s it’s all going to be just fine. Did your mum give you chicken…

One £10 Chicken, Three Meals – Part One

Sunday Roast with Butternut Squash Anna

Doing the weekly shop has become significantly more expensive and  sometimes  I almost feel forced to purchase meat that has been reared…

Sous Vide Belly of Pork with Soy Bean and Udon Stir Fry

Thanks go to James who has kindly reminded me of this sous vide belly of pork dish that I’m always going on about. He called last week in search for…

Classic Beef Wellington

The classic Beef Wellington, what a stunner of a dish! It’s almost like a complete meal as you have the carbohydrate, protein, sauce and vegetable all in one, I think…

Fresh Borlotti Bean, Tiger Prawn and Chorizo Horneado

Eating the produce from my garden this summer has been a wonderful experience. The fruits of our labour are swiftly coming to an end. I harvested the last of the…

Chilled Courgette Soup with Goat’s Milk Yoghurt

The ultimate courgette supper is on the table and and it looks absolutely divine. Chilled courgette soup with goat’s yoghurt, courgette and garden herb pesto bread and finally…

Finger Licking St.Peters Ruby Red Ale Sticky Pork Ribs

The wonderful sweet aroma of caramelised onions is filling the air. In the oven I have pork ribs cooking at 160°C for two and a half  hours  while I’m making…

Fishworks! Pan-Fried Brill with Creamed Caper Vermouth Sauce

A few weeks ago I hosted a Fishworks cookery and skills course for a group of chefs. The day was sponsored by M&J Seafood. Their generosity was astounding…

A Glut of Beans and a Cold Summers Evening, Comfort Food!

It’s the beginning of August and the weather is not good. It’s been dreary,cloudy and simply cold for the past two or three weeks. I need a proper summer to…

Char-grilled Balsamic Rump Steak with Heirloom Tomato and Bobby Bean Salad

It’s a pretty miserable  rainy day, not much to look forward to considering it’s supposed to be mid-summer.

However I  should look on the bright side,at least my tomatoes and…

Neal’s Yard Goats Curd Marrow Bakes

A trip to London is not complete without stopping at Borough market. I set off with the cool box and ice packs in the back of the car knowing that…

Malay Chicken Curry Kebabs

After such an appalling summer  last year, it took some time for me to realise that we are actually having a brilliant one this year. I grab every opportunity to…

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…

Cape Malay Curried Lamb and Apricot Sosaties

It was a joy to make these sosaties,as it evoked the wonderful memories of home  life in South Africa. Sosaties is an essential dish to accompany every braai (barbecue) in…

Rare Roast Lamb and Lebanese Cucumber Delights

I used to live in Fulham for many years and North End Road was my local foodie heaven. The attraction for me was the different cultures and influences.

I moved…

Spiedini Toscana

I could not wait for summer to arrive this year just so that I could dust off the barbecue and make this dish again. Spiedini in Italian means meat on…

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…

Coconut and Coriander Half Roast Chickens

It’s nearly the barbecue season or braai weather, as my family would say.

Cooking the chicken on the bone is the best way for me as the bone helps keep…

Restaurant Sat Bains presents Beef Cheeks, Seaweed, Oyster, Sprouts and Radish

Last year,for my birthday, Ross took me to Nottingham to stay and dine at the Restaurant Sat Bains. We were given one of the beautifully furnished and very…

Slow Cooked Duck Leg with Sweet Tamarind Pickled Rhubarb

The outdoor rhubarb season is in full swing. The combination of rhubarb with duck is a match made in heaven.

I have made the pickled rhubarb twice ,once with forced…

Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb, Greek Style Salad and Warm Lamb Vinaigrette

Shoulder of lamb is level pegging with belly of pork when it comes to my favourite meat rankings. I simply love the flavour of the shoulder when cooked slowly for…

Sweet and Sour Pigs Cheeks

Yum yum is the thought that spring to mind when thinking about these lip smacking delicious little gems. Packed with natural gelatine, and when cooked for a few hours they…

Pot Roast Pork Belly

I love pork and only buy British pork. It does make me angry when I see supermarkets stocking pork from alternative origins. I can’t understand the reasoning behind it as…

Coq-Au-Vin with Parsnip Cream

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…

The Ultimate Cottage Pie

The inspiration for this dish came from my very first couple of weeks working in contract catering. At first, the change  from restaurants to the contract catering world was fierce…

The Celebration of the Pigs Cheeks

Ever thought of eating pigs cheeks? If the thought ‘oh no not for me’  enters your mind then I advise you to think again. Once we cooked this dish, Ross’s…

Oxtail and Roasted Onion Broth

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 …

Pheasant, Aegean Prune, Girolle & Chestnut Pie

The Game season and autumn is in full swing. The joys of walking in the woods on a crisp autumn day, seeing the chestnuts falling from the trees and a…