AMY POON’S CHINESE NEW YEAR MENU

BEST EVER FRENCH ONION SOUP
ON SALE 1-29 FEBRUARY 2024 £5.99 • deliciousmagazine.co.uk

BE A
BETTER
COOK

CRAVING
SPRING?
Warming
dishes that
burst with
colour
and zing

One beef brisket,
4 great dinners
How to season
without salt
Nutritionists’
food-shop
secrets

Marbled custard
with chocolate
parkin, the great
spotted dick
revival & more

puds

...only
better!

welcome.

PORTRAIT: PAUL MITCHELL. FOOD PHOTOGRAPH: INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

The recipes I’m
making first…

word about frugality. When I was
growing up, my Welsh and Cornish
grandmas (and Mum, actually)
were gold-star revampers of the
leftover. Uneaten mash had no chance of languishing in
a saucer-covered (no plastic) dish in the fridge, only to be
rediscovered, mouldy, a month later. No, potato became
bubble and squeak with an egg on top (a looked-forward-to
alternative to tinned spaghetti hoops). Sunday’s chicken
became curry (lovely) and fricassee (not-so-lovely stringy
chicken scraps in white sauce) and, lastly, soup (stock,
leftover veg and who knows what else but always a treat).
I get immense satisfaction from creating something new
out of the uneaten and unloved, relishing the challenge of
working them, invisibly, into new dishes (husband Nick has
a deep-rooted distrust of leftovers). I love it when bendy
veg are coaxed into the Barnes hall of soup fame with good
stock, maybe a slug of cider, a parmesan rind or dab of
salty-savoury Marmite, maybe a squeeze of lemon.
So, with Gran’s ‘waste not, want not’ mantra ringing
in my ears, my favourite feature of the month is on p72,
where we talk to cooks whose cultures have always had
frugality at their heart; where every scrap of food is valued.
Big thanks to Dara, Liam, Aya and Nisha for sharing
inspirational dishes from their heritage.
Aside from that, Debora Robertson takes a kid-glove
approach to the month when we’re all desperate for spring
and the only answer is… to bake. This issue is, in its entirety,
an antidote to the down days, and I hope you LOVE it.

Editorial director, delicious.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter/X @editorkarenb

SAVOURY Ribollita is an
Italian soup designed to use up
leftovers, and I can’t wait to try
Dara Klein’s family recipe – a
nourishing bowl of goodness.
SWEET Do you know what?
I’ve never made spotted dick
(shocker), but Pollyanna’s
sticky rum and raisin version
is top of the list for the next
time friends come round (the
only time I make puddings).

PS...
Spring produce is on the way.
Make the most of it with a
delicious. subscription – see
p48 for a great offer – or go
straight to deliciousmagazine.
co.uk/subscribe
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 3

You want your flavours to
be so good that no-one even
notices their phone alerts.

Every good cook likes to get a little more
creative now and then. Which is when our
new range of Maldon Flavoured Salts come
into their own. With our renowned sea
salt flakes – hand-harvested since 1882 –
carefully blended with roasted wild garlic,
Aleppo peppers & bird’s eye chillies, or
smoked, they are the easiest way to not just
release all of the flavours of your ingredients,
but to add extra flavours of their own.
Available now from Ocado and Amazon.co.uk

pancake day.

If you make one thing…
Forget sweet pancakes – savoury is where it’s at. Make this Shrove Tuesday
(13 February) the best yet with these vibrant green ricotta-stuffed crepes
topped with spicy, crunchy ’nduja oil. They’ll change your life
Spinach & ricotta
pancakes with crispy
’nduja oil

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: EMILY GUSSIN. PHOTOGRAPH: INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

Serves 2-3 (makes 6)
Hands-on time 30 min,
plus resting
To make the pancake batter,
put 120g plain flour, a pinch
of salt, 1 medium free-range
egg, 280ml whole milk and
50g chopped baby spinach
leaves in a blender and
whizz until smooth.
Cover and rest for
at least 15 minutes
(or leave in the fridge
for up to 12 hours).
Heat a large frying
pan over a medium
heat and add a knob
of butter to melt. Add
a sixth of the pancake
batter, swirling the pan
to create a thin, even
crepe-style pancake.
Cook for 1-2 minutes,
then loosen the edges
with a spatula or palette
knife and flip. Cook for
another minute, slide onto
a plate and repeat to make
5 more pancakes.
Meanwhile, in another pan,
heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive
oil over a medium heat, then
fry 1 tbsp ’nduja, 2 sliced
garlic cloves and 1 tbsp pine nuts
for 4-5 minutes until combined.
Divide 200g ricotta evenly among
the pancakes and roll up. Serve
drizzled with the ’nduja oil.
Per serving (for 3) 561kcals,
31g fat (15g saturated), 32g
protein, 36g carbs (4.9g sugars),
2.5g salt, 2.1g fibre
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 5

in this issue.

February
5

8
12
14
16
ON THE COVER
Chocolate parkin with
marbled custard p47
RECIPE:
POLYANNA COUPLAND
PHOTOGRAPH:
ANDY GRIMSHAW
FOOD STYLING:
AMY STEPHENSON

18
20

22

28

37

40

114

If you make one thing...
A spectacular savoury treat
for Pancake Day
Appetisers News bites and
cosy diary essentials
Over to you Interesting stuff
from our mailbox and more
Discoveries The best new
goodies, taste-tested by us
Hotlist Editor Karen’s
favourite things right now
The booklist Mark Diacono’s
pick of the latest releases
A slice of cake with...
Bake Off’s unassuming new
champion, Matty Edgell
Light in the dark Banish
winter gloom by adding some
spring zing to your dishes
The joy of a chicken one-pot
Five great dishes with global
flavours from Claire Thomson
Face your food fears! Our
new campaign to get you
eating the things you dislike
Bring back the great British
pud Your sweet childhood
favourites get a makeover

Midweek recipes: simple to
cook and exciting to eat

6 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

88

50

54

58

88

100
102
106
130

Eat to the beat Do you like
to chew over tunes or dine
to the sound of silence?
Veg hero of the month:
swede This underrated root
deserves a starring role
Debora Robertson In the
cold of winter our columnist
seeks refuge in the kitchen
The food I cook at home
Amy Poon creates a special
feast for Chinese New Year
Appetite for change
The supperclub for love
Nothing will stop me cooking
A foodie trucker’s story
Cosy UK getaways Stay
snug and eat great food
Talking point George Egg has
something he can’t tolerate

Be a better cook.
HELPING YOU HONE YOUR SKILLS
AND BE MORE SUSTAINABLE
62 Season without salt Go
beyond the grains and flakes
64 Best of the best French
onion soup – c’est formidable

Home-style Chinese cooking to
welcome the year of the dragon

68
72
79
80
84

Technical bake Jo Laker’s
fennel seed custard tarts
Stories of savvy cooking
Frugal recipes and traditions
Don’t bin it Cooked potato
Use it up Sourdough discard
recipes from Elaine Boddy
Freezer know-how Four
meals from a beef brisket

Drinks.
95
96

99

Cocktail of the month
Pimped-out Baileys hot choc
Hale and hearty tipples
Susy Atkins picks drinks to
match seasonal winter fare
Beer school Tropical ales
with a taste of sunshine

Make it every day.
114 Comfort with ease Bring
cheer to weeknight cooking

Health matters.
122 What do nutritionists put
in their shopping baskets?
Five experts spill the beans
125 Health news

37

Don’t like goat’s cheese?
Our recipe might convert you

Other great stuff.
48

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 58%
Our amazing February offer
98 WIN! A cosy stay for two
in Northumberland
126 RECIPE INDEX
127 COMING NEXT MONTH
128 TAKE FIVE Your prize crossword
and food quiz

54

Chunky, hunky and full of
flavour, swedes are the best!

20

Modest teacher Matty Edgell
reveals his childhood secret

58

This marmalade cake is just the
thing to keep the cold at bay

Inspiration, bite-size news, reviews and great stuff to do

AN ODE TO THE SLOW
The snowdrops are emerging from their winter slumber and there’s a tentative
sense of renewal in the air – but we’re still happily ensconced in our cheeseinduced hibernation. Armed with comforting grub and a hot toddy or two, we’re
looking forward to embracing comfort food to the max… For recipes to bubble
away while you’re out on a frosty stroll, head to deliciousmagazine.co.uk/
collections/slow-cooker-recipes. And if you need inspiration for where to go for
your invigorating walk, Oxfordshire’s Thenford Arboretum has one of the largest
collections of snowdrops in the country – or check out National Trust and
English Heritage destinations nationwide. thenfordarboretum.com

february moments.

Say it with cheese

SEASONAL FOOD
At its best Chicory, salsify, leeks, blood
oranges, seville oranges
Coming soon Purple sprouting broccoli
Last chance for Brussels sprouts,
celeriac, jerusalem artichoke, kale,
parsnips, swede

What could be more pleasing
than a cheese delivery on
your birthday or Valentine’s
Day? A cheese delivery with
your face on it, that’s what!
Using malt extract and
clever tech, online cheese
retailer Cheesegeek can
print an image of the lucky
recipient on top of a wheel of
waterloo, a sweetly buttery
cheese from Village Maid in
Berkshire, made with
Guernsey cow’s milk.
Cheesy grins all round.
£15 for 180g,
thecheesegeek.com

MAKE IT A GOOD
MORNING
We’re firm believers that
everyone should be able to start
their day feeling nourished, and
Magic Breakfast is on the case
to ensure children across the UK
do just that. The charity already
feeds around 200,000 children
in England and Scotland, and
this February, they’re raising
money to feed even more.
To get involved in the Great Big
Breakfast event, download a
digital fundraising pack and take
part by hosting a fundraising
breakfast at home or work.
With Shrove Tuesday coming
up, you could even flip some
pancakes too.
magicbreakfast.com
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 9

PUB OF THE
MONTH
theploughrye.co.uk

PUBBY CREDS
On a scenic country road
a 10-minute drive from the
chi-chi East Sussex Cinque Port,
The Plough has roaring fires in
winter and a stunning beer garden
for summer. The menu always has
something enticing on it, there’s
a commitment to sustainability
and the atmosphere is welcoming.
THE BOOZE
Sussex favourite Harvey’s Best,
Traditional Method sparkling wine
from nearby Tillingham vineyard
and £10 cocktails including a
classic daiquiri.
THE FOOD
Sustainability isn’t just a
buzzword here – it permeates
every aspect, from the menu to
the eco-friendly paint used for
the decor. They used the whey
from our ricotta starter to make
a spaetzle noodle main course,
and there’s plenty of local
produce too. Highlights include
Winchelsea beef feather blade,
Romney Marsh lamb pot pies and
torched mackerel from Rye Bay.
A good few veggie options too.
OUT AND ABOUT
For a bracing February walk, head
for pebbly Winchelsea beach,
a 10-minute drive away.

Your daily bread
You don’t need to be avoiding
ultra-processed foods to
appreciate the wonders of
a simply made loaf.
International Real Bread
Week (17-25 Feb) is an
opportunity to:
BAKE real bread
BUY real bread from local,
independent bakeries
BOOST the Real Bread
Campaign (supporting
future bakers and improving
accessibility to real bread)
USE or pass on unloved
bread machines
For more information, head
to sustainweb.org/
realbread; plus: check
out deliciousmagazine.co.
uk/10-easy-bread-recipes

COOKING TO
HELP OTHERS
If you want to do your
bit to help those
suffering as a result of
the crisis in Gaza, with
#CookForPalestine
you can put your apron
to good use by cooking
Palestinian-inspired
dishes and raising
funds, via
humanitarian aid
movement Choose
Love. Find out how to
get involved at
cookforpalestine.com.

PUB WORDS: MIA RODRIGUEZ. PUB DATA FROM UKPHONEBOOK.COM, 2023.
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

THE PLOUGH, RYE

february moments.

WHAT’S IN
A PUB
NAME?
Feel like you see the
same pub names on
every street corner?
Given that there are
2,264 UK pubs with
‘inn’ in their title, it
seems like we still
have a thing for the
traditional. But did
you know…

The most common
pub name in the UK
is The Red Lion,
with 468 pubs
using this name

WE’LL BE JAMMING

Winter is the
time for comfort,
for good food and
warmth, for the
touch of a friendly
hand and for a
talk beside the
fire. It is the time
for home
EDITH SITWELL

Animal-themed
pub names make
up 34% of all
names

...and pickling. It’s the season to get preserving,
prompted by at-their-best seville oranges, ideal
for marmalade in their pithy, pectin-rich sourness
(the season is short). Not keen on marmalade?
Forced rhubarb makes wonderful jam too. There
are UK-wide opportunities to learn the art of
preserving, all year round. Try your hand at curing
salt beef at the Station House Cookery School in
Scotland, foraging for wild kimchi ingredients in
Wales and more:
• Introduction To Fermentation
& Pickling, 5 July in Nottinghamshire, £185.
schoolofartisanfood.org

• Marvellous Marmalade with Becky Longford,
2 March in Essex, £85.
mistleykitchen.com/workshop

Royal names
(The Crown, King’s
Arms, Rose &
Crown…) account
for nearly a fifth
of pubs

• Foraging & Ferment,
23 March in Monmouthsire,
£110. thecraftypickle.co.uk
• Introduction To Curing,
Fermentation And
Delicious Deli with Triko’s
Deli, 15 June in
Kirkcudbright, £129.
stationhousecookery
school.co.uk
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 11

delicious world.

OVER TO YOU
STAR
EMAIL
+
Subject: In praise
of comfort
From: Harriet Eley
Congratulations on
an excellent January
issue. My godparents
buy me a subscription
every Christmas and
I love it; it feels like getting a present once a month in the post.
I find the ‘new year, new you’ and ‘healthy, healthy, healthy’
messaging we’re bombarded with depressing. That’s why I found
your mantra for January so refreshing. ‘Hunker down and embrace
the winter cosiness’ – such a better way of facing the first, often
coldest month. It’s given me a positive outlook for the weeks ahead.

Subject:
Doubling up
on carbs
From: Cosette
Reczek
Why stop at one
carb when doubling
up works so well?
Indeed! I loved
these recipes
[Jan p22] not only
for how they tasted
but also because
they’re an antidote
to the grey, cold
winter. Looking
forward to doubling
up on carbs soon.

Subject: Life is short... eat the carbs
From: Francesca Murray-Smith

Subject: Letter to a legend
From: Ellie Smith

I smiled as I opened the paper
packaging to reveal your January
issue... I was so pleased to see the
warmth of comfort food on the
front cover and, as I scanned the text,
wonderful dishes and ingredients.
In the cold dark nights of January
we’ll be cooking comforting dinners
and wholesome lunches, and I want
to thank you for embracing this
way of thinking.

I’ve just read Sue Quinn’s
letter to Florence White
[Jan p88] and found it so
moving. Sue’s passion for
celebrating this lesser-known
food writer’s achievements is
infectious, and Florence’s tireless work
recording recipes from across the country is
inspirational. I hope Sue’s piece in delicious.
will help her find a publisher, and I eagerly
await the chance to read the book.

Subject: The perfect apple cake
From: Wendy Gould
The Dorset apple cake
[Jan p90] was just what
I needed after all the rich
fruit, spice and chocolate
cakes over Christmas and
new year. Bright, tangy
apples and comforting
vanilla in every bite.
Perfect in its simplicity and
one that didn’t hang around.

Subject: A bespoke collection
From: Aprille Wilson
I’ve been a subscriber for 10
years and am reluctant to throw
any issues away. I’ve recently
had the idea of turning them into
a homemade recipe book for our
24-year-old son. I’m so excited
for him to return from his travels
so I can give him a book filled
with meals and puds for him to
cook in his own kitchen.

STAR
PRIZE
This month’s star
email wins a Magimix
Mini Plus – a small,
powerful food
processor worth
up to £200
The easy-to-use
Mini Plus can handle
blending, whisking,
slicing, grating and
more. With a 1.7 litre
capacity and
a 400 watt motor
(guaranteed for 30
years), it’s ideal for
small kitchens, and
all blades and discs
can be stored in the
handy box provided.
magimix.co.uk

FOR YOUR
CHANCE
TO WIN
A MAGIMIX
MINI PLUS...
Let us know your
thoughts on this
month’s issue by
emailing us at
info@delicious
magazine.co.uk*

Follow us on Instagram and X/Twitter @deliciousmag

MEET THE READER

Angela McLaughlin is a nursery cook living
in north London with her partner Henry

Keep calm
and eat cookies
Lots of you are loving the pan-bang cookie recipe
from our January issue. Do keep tagging us
@deliciousmag on our social channels and let us
know which flavour combination is your favourite.

“I love South Korean street
food and despise truffle”
Favourite family recipe? Mum’s spicy mince
(spaghetti in curried beef mince). Still love it.
Signature recipe? A veggie gumbo. The 20
minutes spent stirring the roux is worth it.
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES. *CONTRIBUTIONS MAY BE EDITED FOR SPACE/CLARITY AND ARE PUBLISHED ON THE
BASIS THAT CONTRIBUTORS HAVE THE AGREEMENT OF ANYONE MENTIONED FOR ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION TO BE PUBLISHED

What do you always have in your fridge?

200 kinds of hot sauce and homemade pickled
things. Currently: gochujang beetroot leaves
and smoked jalapeño gherkins.
What’s on your foodie bucket list? Learn
how to butcher a pig… and visit South Korea.
Go-to local restaurants? Big pizza slices from
True Romance in Camden. Corn dogs from
small Korean street-food chain Bunsik.
Biggest cooking adventure? Trying to
transport a cake from London to Glasgow for
my friend’s wedding.
Food nightmare? I despise truffle. It tastes like
how damp wallpaper smells.
Go-to meal when eating solo? I eat chicken
wings when (veggie) Henry is away, then send
him pictures of the gnawed bones.
Non-cooking hobbies? Hanging out with my
twin sister and her staffy, Haggis.
Most used cookbook? Two Cooks And A
Suitcase by the guys from Scotland’s Lupe Pintos
deli. It made me fall in love with Mexican food.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE
INTERVIEWED?
Email a few words about yourself
to info@deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Sharon Collins,
on our Facebook
group, went for
chocolate orange
flavoured cookies

Cara Johnson,
also from the group,
invented dark choc
and macadamia
nut flavour

Stacy Rushton
whipped up
chocolate miso
cookies. Instagram:
@foodlustpeoplelove

JOIN THE CHAT
Connect with other delicious. food lovers on social @deliciousmag
or join our Facebook group at deliciousmagazine.co.uk/foodlovers

And don’t miss…
This February, you could win
a bundle of premium
kitchenware from Peugeot
worth £500, including
nutmeg and cinnamon
grinders, electric corkscrews,
ceramic pie dishes and more.
To enter visit
deliciousmagazine.com/
competitions or scan
the QR code.
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 13

discoveries
The best new products from producers big and small,
tested and approved by our team

Quick-fix
warming pud
Après sticky toffee
pudding has many
attributes: it’s organic,
light and not overly
sweet, yet it manages
to be properly sticky
with a deep flavour.
A useful standby to
keep in the freezer for
an instant pudding,
plus it’s gluten-free
but without the dusty
texture you get in so
many gluten-free
bakes. One request:
more sauce please.
£4.95 for a twoportion pack,
apresfood.com

BOAT-TO-DOOR FISH
Pipers Farm is renowned for its
sustainable, responsibly farmed
meat, but did you know they also
sell day boat fish? Blast-frozen at
the quayside, it’s fresher than
anything you’ll find on a big-store
fresh fish counter – and that’s if
you’re lucky enough to have one near
you. There are crowdpleasers (smoked
haddock, hake and fish pie mix), along
with less common fish, such as ling,

coley, red mullet,
sardines and
gurnard. Prices from
£4.95 for a coley fillet up to
£47.95 for that king of fish, a whole
glorious sharing turbot. Look out for
the tinned fish, too. pipersfarm.com
ARE YOU A delicious.
SUBSCRIBER? Find a great
discount offer on the envelope
your magazine came in

Stock up your baking shelf
The worse the weather outside, the happier the home baker,
making good things in a warm kitchen. If you want high-quality
ingredients to hand, online organic larder Forrist has a Discovery Box
filled with chocolate buttons, cocoa powder and various roasted nuts
– perfect for putting in cakes, cookies and smoothies. Other Discovery
Boxes include fruit, snacks, gourmet salt and pepper, grains and more.
Organic Choco-Nut Box, from £35.70 for 9 x 150g bags of assorted
goodies (subscriptions available), forrist.com

in the know.

VALENTINE’S NIGHT
ON A PLATE

The daily roast
If you love a proper coffee but get a bit jittery on
the strong stuff, the new limited-edition half-caff
from Volcano Coffee Works might be the blend
for you. The small-batch south London roastery’s
Half Steam mixes caffeinated and de-caffeinated
coffees from Brazil and Peru, with mellow
nutty-chocolatey flavours – a great after-lunch
option. Kiwi founder Kurt Stewart buys his beans
from small farms, paying above and
beyond fairtrade rates. £9 for
200g, volcanocoffeeworks.com

You can go to great lengths making a special Valentine’s
dinner, but for meat eaters, is there anything better than
steak and chips, a bottle of red wine and a good chocolate
mousse? The Deli Society, which sells the creations of
small, sustainable producers from the UK and Europe,
thinks not – and they’ve packaged up the evening for you.
You’ll need to make your own chips (or cheat with frozen
ones), but the huge grass-fed 800g tomahawk from south
Devon, which comes blast-frozen, is a showstopper
(there’ll be leftovers). The rich chocolate mousse from
France is ready to eat and the côtes du rhône is a beaut.
The bundle costs £56,
but The Deli Society is
a (free to join) online
‘member’s club for
foodies’, and members
can get it for £44-£52
depending on how much
you’ve bought and
reviewed, based on
a points system (yes it
is a bit complicated but
the produce is top notch).
Tomahawk & Red Wine
Bundle With Chocolate
Mousse for two,
thedelisociety.com

Hot on the shelves

TESTERS: LES DUNN, KAREN BARNES, TOM SHINGLER, MIA RODRIGUEZ

The latest supermarket products to tantalise our testers

MARMITE MORSELS

ROLL WITH IT

PRESERVATION ORDER

Nairn’s new Marmite & Cheese
Oatcakes showcase the spread’s deep
umami complexity without an
overbearing Marmite flavour – making
them perfect for those who find the
dark stuff slathered on toast too
much. We can’t stop eating them
with extra mature cheddar on top.
£2 for 200g, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose

Higgidy have a decent track record for
creating meat-free baked snacks, and
these new Mature Cheddar & Sweet
Chilli Dinky Rolls are some of the best
yet. Cheese and chilli chutney meet
red peppers and squash purée for a
salty, sweet and very moreish bite.
£3.85 for 170g, Sainsbury’s,
Waitrose, Booths, Ocado

We love Bonne Maman regular jams, but
now the French preserve maker has
branched out with its caramelised apple
spread. It’s rich, thick yet spreadable
and great on toast, crumpets or
pancakes. Or try sandwiched in a cake
with whipped cream or greek yogurt.
£2.90 for 275g jar, Sainsbury’s, Ocado,
Waitrose, Morrisons and Asda
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 15

BOX SET

THE BOOK I’M
READING
Knife Skills
For Beginners
by Orlando Murrin
I’ve known Orlando
for years as he was a
fur bow tie-wearing senior
journalist when I had my
first magazine job. He
went on to specialise in
food, so our paths have
crossed increasingly
often, and it was a treat
to read his first novel.
Imagine a crime caper in a
cookery school, peppered
with recipes, cheffy tips
(I noted a few) and murder
and you get the picture:
a story to pass the time
as you enjoy the warmth
of our February issue,
cosy at home as the
weather does its worst.
The hero is Paul Delamere,
who steps in to run a
week-long cookery course
for his celebrity chef
friend, Christian. The
students are a quirky if
predictable mix, from
old-school posh to
Instagram influencer.
When the murderer
strikes, Paul determines
to discover the culprit –
only in true Agatha
Christie style, almost
everyone has a motive.
Penguin Random House
£14.99

If you’re into trends,
it’s either zingy colours
or a shade known as
‘peach fuzz’ that’s
where it’s at for 2024.
Habitat’s spring range
includes a set of this
geometric-pattern
dinnerware: 12 pieces
for an excellent value
£44. Well priced plain
options available too.
habitat.co.uk, argos.
co.uk – or in selected
Sainsbury’s stores

Here’s what editor Karen Barnes is loving for
February – for the kitchen, at the dining table
and for reading on rainy days, plus a must-book
restaurant for a day trip with add-ons

CUPBOARD LOVE
I’ve always wanted
a pantry but I don’t
have space. Here’s
the next best thing:
a narrow larder in
cupboard form. It comes
in navy, light or dark
grey, has drawers for
veg and shelves for tins
or crockery, plus door
racks for accessible
spices or glasses. Smart.
Cotswold Company
Chester Narrow Larder,
£999, cotswoldco.com

KITCHEN KIT OF THE MONTH

in the know.

THE RESTAURANT
I’D VISIT AT ANY
TIME OF YEAR
Chalk at Wiston Estate,
West Sussex
A restaurant in a vineyard – with,
naturally, top-notch drinking in
the offing (Wiston’s sparkling
wines are “right up there”, says
drinks editor Susy Atkins). Chalk
is in a warm, bright vaulted-ceiling
barn. Chef Tom Kemble’s elegant
ever-changing menu has all the
local, sustainable creds; highlights
when I visited were day boat fish
and a palate-teaser of ajo blanco
(almond soup) with herb oil. Do
their excellent wine tour before
lunch, then walk off your meal
with a stroll on the estate.
Open Thu-Sun for lunch and
for lunch and dinner Fri & Sat;
wistonestate.com

Salter is renowned for its
platform scales – used all the
time in my kitchen and by the
delicious. food team (top
choice: the sleek stainless
steel, £18.99). Now the
company has launched a
trad-look mechanical scale,
which cuts a retro dash on
the worktop while weighing
accurately – and it’s just
£18.99 from salter.com
(10% off first order).

SPLURGE VS SAVE
Lunchboxes

SPLURGE
Multi-function items are the
way forward, and Daylesford’s
stainless steel leakproof
lunchbox is multi-good – use for
packing up lunch, cooking
dishes in the oven and storing
leftovers in the freezer. The box
comes with an ergonomic fork,
held in place by a snug strap.
£34, daylesford.com

SAVE
Sistema’s Ribbon lunch
box seals in contents
tightly, has a removable tub
and compartment, and ‘up
to 35%’ is made from ocean
plastic (it would be good to
know exact figures).
£7.59, selected Sainsbury’s
– or visit sistemaplastics.com
for stockists

If you don’t have room for a
chunky mandoline, the new
Microplane fine-slicing tool
would be an excellent buy:
razor sharp (watch those
fingers) with a walnut handle
and non-slip foot. As with
kitchen knives and any other
cutting tool, wash by hand to
prevent dulling of the blade.
Master Series Large Shaver,
£39.95, hartsofstur.com

A PRESSING ISSUE
On-trend kit for anyone wanting to keep up with the influencers. The Chef’s Press
distributes weight evenly when you push down, giving whatever you’re cooking as much
direct contact with the heat as possible. The result? Faster cooking, crisp fish skin, a
well-burnished steak or the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. You can use it for keeping
food submerged in brines too. Do you need it? Probably not. Do you want it and will
you use it? Absolutely. From £24, souschef.co.uk (different weights available)
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 17

The booklist
Mark Diacono picks the best new
cookbooks to keep you busy in the
depths of winter, from a manual
on breadmaking to cooking on
a budget, via a thrilling tour of the
flavours of Oman and Zanzibar

BOOK OF
THE MONTH
BAHARI

Recipe I can’t wait to make:
Ma’ajeen – Dhofari beef in
a sweet milk stew (above).
I didn’t know that…
Bergamot grows in Oman
(where it’s known as
sfargel) and is treated in
the same way as lemon.

British-Omani chef Dina Macki takes
us on a journey through the flavours
of Oman and Zanzibar, exploring their
history and culinary influences.
Chapters focus on the cuisines of the
capital, Muscat, the interior of the
country, the extensive coast (bahari
means ‘ocean’ in Swahili) and the
island of Zanzibar, as well as the
author’s early life in Portsmouth.
The flavours are bold and the
combinations often surprising: shuwa
(48-hour spiced lamb), habbar
bil-tamar (date squid salad), and
avocado and cardamom ice cream are
among over 100 recipes. Interspersed
are personal essays on identity,
community, the role of food in bringing
us together and understanding where
we’re from, and more. A thoughtful,
beautifully photographed book that
will be enjoyed as much as a cover-tocover read as a cookbook.
DK £26, out 1 Feb; photographs
by Patricia Niven

A WHISPER OF CARDAMOM
The fourth book from Eleanor
Ford celebrates spices and their
sweet affinities, with 80 recipes
for desserts and bakes. The
spices – from cardamom to
saffron – are used thoughtfully
and delicately, reflecting the
‘whisper’ in the title. That said,
the spicing is transformative: the
maple cardamom ice cream with
crackable chocolate, and
Norwegian rizcrem (rice pudding)
are a joy. The reader is aware of
being in the hands of an expert,
guiding you through the story of
how spices shaped the modern
world, offering great mini-profiles
and useful pairing suggestions.
Recipe I can’t wait to make: 1730
prune and tamarind tart (below).
I didn’t know that… In medieval
Europe, sachets of cardamom
would be ‘tucked into mattresses
to inspire ardour’.
Murdoch Books £26, out 1 Feb;
photographs by Ola O Smit

in the know.

EVERY LAST BITE

THE SWEET POLISH KITCHEN

A BOOK ABOUT BREAD

You may know chef and author
Rosie Sykes from her excellent
The Sunday Night Book of a few
years ago; her latest offers
recipes, tips and practical advice
for cooking on a budget, while
minimising waste and energy use.
As useful and timely as this may
be, worthy it isn’t. Every recipe
appeals: from quick suppers like
anchovy butter toast with a fried
egg to storecupboard pleasures
such as Catalan-style beans with
chorizo and fregola with peas and
bacon. Within a few pages you
forget you’re being guided along
a low-waste, low-energy path
because the touch is so light and
the recipes so rewarding.
Recipe I can’t wait to make:
Harissa baked rice with
sausage (below).
I didn’t know that… Fresh
ginger freezes really well.

British-Polish food writer and
author Ren Behan has created
a collection of babkas, tarts,
cheesecakes, pastries and more
– and I want to eat them all. If you
like cherries, citrus, ginger and
honey, you’ll also love the mix of
traditional and modern recipes.
Szarlotka (apple cake with a
meringue and crumble topping)
and seromakowiec (cheesecake
with poppy seed paste) caught
my eye. This is a warm invitation
to investigate the spirit of Polish
patisserie, with its influences
from neighbours and migrants.
Recipe I can’t wait to make:
Behan’s mazurek – lemon cream
tart with white chocolate and
rose petals (below).
I didn’t know that… Poppy seeds
are associated with prosperity,
happiness and fertility in Eastern
European tradition.

In his first book, baker Issa
Niemeijer-Brown, owner of the
award-winning Gebroeders
Niemeijer bakery in Amsterdam,
guides you through breadmaking,
from the practicalities to creating
your own bakes. The recipes are
exceptional – rye bread, pizza
bianca and stollen among them
– but where this book really shines
is in building an understanding of
what happens when and why; to
create your own recipes, you need
to know why it works when it
does as much as when it doesn’t.
The chapter on Making Your Own
Choices gives crucial advice that
enables you to, for example,
strengthen the crust, achieve an
open structure and more.
Recipe I can’t wait to make:
Challah (below).
I didn’t know that… Instant yeast
is the purest form of yeast.

Quadrille £18.99, out 22 Feb;
photographs by Patricia Niven

Pavilion £26, out 29 Feb;
photographs by Nassima Rothacker

HL Books £30; photographs
by Inga Powilleit

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 19

A slice of cake with
GBBO champ Matty Edgell
The PE and science teacher scooped the cake stand prize in
the 14th series of the show last autumn and is enjoying the
rollercoaster ride that’s followed. He reflects on his early kitchen
adventures, reveals his essential baking kit and celebrates the
special bonds created in the big white tent

I have my nan to thank for my
introduction to baking. She
passed away when I was really
young, but I heard loads of stories
about how good she was. I think
she made me fall in love with
baking without even knowing it.
When I was little one of the first
things I made was a Milky Way
cheesecake – it’s a standout
memory. Melting chocolate bars
isn’t exactly what you’d call
baking, though!
MATTY’S
GREAT BRITISH
VALENTINE’S BAKE
“In week nine of the show
I made some mango and
coconut financiers and
my fiancée Lara loved
them, so I’m going to take
those flavours and put
them into a cake for her.
I want to play around with
the sponge and I’ll do
some research… And
I might make some
nicely decorated
madeleines, too.”

On Bake Off we were all
outside our comfort zones and
we were heavily dependent on
each other. None of us had ever
done anything like that in our
lives. I hope it came over how
well we got on with each other.
One week, you were someone’s
support mechanism; the next
week the tables turned and they
were yours. Through that sort of
experience, you bond quickly.
My friends didn’t know I baked
before the show. But it was
more of an accidental secret – it
wasn’t something I was ashamed
of. It just didn’t come up in
conversation. I made a cake a few

years ago for a party, and the
penny-drop moment for me
that I wasn’t too bad was
when somebody asked where
we had bought the cake from!
It was my then-girlfriend, now
fiancée, Lara who convinced
me to do Bake Off. Until my
application went in, I was just
making birthday cakes for family
– I didn’t branch out any more
than that. Gradually, I became
more daring in styles and flavours.
Through Bake Off I’ve learned to
experiment and my horizons have
broadened enormously.
There was a lot of trial and
error in the development
stage, the months prior to
filming. I stuck to what I knew
to some extent, because mistakes
can be expensive to make, in
terms of ingredients and time.
In the tent, the weirdest part for
me was from start to finish I knew
exactly when things were going
well and when they weren’t. But
you’re never too sure what will get
condensed down from a weekend
into your snippet or how everyone
else got on. In week four, Chocolate

voices in food.

INTERVIEW: KERRY FOWLER. PHOTOGRAPHS:
© LOVE PRODUCTIONS 2023, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

“Before my application
went in, I was just
making birthday cakes
for family. Through Bake
Off, my horizons have
broadened enormously”

Week, I had to remake part of my
showstopper. I can’t remember
if that got shown or it got cut, but
mostly, like everybody else, my
major blunders were on the show.
It makes good TV.
What can’t I do without when
I’m baking? I have a KitchenAid
and if it can go in there, it goes in
there. And a rubber spatula is an
absolute godsend.

I’m quite sporty. I do a little
bit of boxing, play football and
go to the gym. I do like music –
and now that I’m not under
pressure, I like to have something
on in the kitchen when I’m
baking. When I was practising
for the show, it was in silence.
My taste is broad and I like quite
a lot of music that my parents
enjoy, so I just put it on shuffle
and see what comes up!

I would describe all that
happens after you win Bake
Off as weird and surreal – but
I’m really enjoying it. I’ve
not set out a plan of what
I want to do, but I’d definitely
like to write a cookbook.

Follow Matty on Instagram
@mattyedgell
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 21

As the end of winter approaches but before spring kicks in,
it can be hard to find seasonal inspiration in the kitchen –
especially if you fancy something bright, fragrant and flavourful.
But with some clever cooking you can take the available fruit
and veg and transform them into something colourful and
fresh, tantalising your taste buds until spring arrives
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING EMILY GUSSIN PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

seasonal cheer.

Mushroom
larb

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 23

Spiced venison
naan with
pineapple salsa

Chilli, lime and coriander pep up sweet pineapple in
this sparky salsa – which works wonderfully with pink
venison steaks, marinated in spiced yogurt

seasonal cheer.

Saffron and dill
chicken one-pot

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 25

Mushroom larb
Serves 2
Hands-on time 25 min
Fish sauce is a key
ingredient of many Thai
dishes, but if you’re
veggie or vegan you can get
vegan ‘fish sauce’ from Asian
supermarkets (made with soy).
It offers up the same funky
savouriness, lasts forever and
opens up a whole new world
of dishes – so it’s well worth
tracking down a bottle if you
don’t eat fish. Please note
though: vegan ‘fish sauce’
isn’t gluten free.
KNOWHOW

• 1 tbsp glutinous rice or
jasmine rice
• Dash vegetable oil
• 300g white mushrooms,
finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp fish sauce (or vegan
alternative – see Know-how)
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• Juice 1 lime
• Handful mint leaves, chopped
• 1 little gem lettuce, leaves
separated, to serve

1 Toast the rice in a large dry
frying pan over a low-medium
heat, shaking regularly, for about
10 minutes until richly golden
all over. Tip into a pestle and
mortar or spice grinder, then
crush to a powder.
2 Return the frying pan to a high
heat and add the oil along with
half the mushrooms and a good
pinch of salt. Cook, stirring
now and then, for about
2 minutes until golden and
tender. Push to one side, then
add the rest of the mushrooms
and repeat. Remove the pan
from the heat, add ½ tbsp fish
sauce and the shallots, then
leave for a minute.
3 Stir in the rest of the fish
sauce along with the chilli
flakes, lime juice and mint.
Taste and adjust the flavour,
adding more lime or fish sauce
as you prefer. Stir in the
rice powder, then spoon into
lettuce leaves to serve.
Per serving 99kcals, 2.6g fat
(0.3g saturated), 6.1g protein,
13g carbs (2.4g sugars), 2.7g
salt, 2.7g fibre

Inspired by larb (or laab), a Thai dish of
fragrant pork mince in lettuce cups, this
mushroom version is a party for your
palate. Fish sauce, lime juice, chilli and
mint bring fried mushrooms to life for
a light and refreshing snack or starter

Spiced venison naan
with pineapple salsa
Serves 4
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
at least 30 min marinating
Oven time 2 min
Look out for pineapples
sold ‘crownless’ –
removing the leaves
before they’re shipped saves on
space and energy, and the leaves
can be composted at the farm.
ECO
TIP

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp amchur powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus
extra to fry
• 100g greek yogurt, plus
extra to serve
• 4 venison steaks (about
200g each)
• ½ large pineapple, peeled
and cored
• 1 red chilli
• Handful coriander leaves
• Juice 1 lime
• 4 small naan
1 Put the cumin, fennel and
coriander seeds in a small
frying pan over a medium
heat and cook for a minute
or two until toasted. Tip into
a pestle and mortar, add a
pinch of salt and crush until
finely ground. Add the remaining
spices and grind to combine.
2 Put the oil and yogurt in a
bowl, stir in the spice mixture,

seasonal cheer.

then use the mix to coat the
venison. Leave to marinate for
at least 30 minutes or cover
and leave in the fridge overnight.
3 Meanwhile, make the salsa.
Cut the pineapple into 1cm
cubes and put in a bowl with
any juice from the chopping
board. Finely chop the chilli and
coriander and stir these into
the pineapple with a pinch of
salt and the lime juice.
4 Heat the grill to high and heat
a frying pan over a high heat
until smoking hot. Add some oil
to the pan, then cook the
venison for 2-3 minutes on
each side, depending on how
rare or well done you like it. Set
aside to rest for 3 minutes.
5 Heat the naan under the
grill according to the pack
instructions. Slice the venison,
then serve on the naan along
with the pineapple salsa and
some extra yogurt.
Per serving 442kcals, 8g fat
(1.9g saturated), 53g protein,
37g carbs (16g sugars), 0.8g
salt, 2.9g fibre

Aromatic saffron, verdant dill and sweet
pops of pomegranate bring plenty of life
to this simple one-pot chicken dinner

Saffron and dill chicken
rice pot
Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min
Simmering time 20 min, plus
10 min resting
• 300g basmati rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1kg free-range chicken thighs
and drumsticks
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• Pinch saffron threads
• 700ml chicken stock, hot
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• Finely grated zest and juice
1 lemon
• 2 tbsp shelled pistachios,
toasted in a dry frying pan
• 20g dill
• 4 tbsp pomegranate seeds
1 Put the rice in a bowl, cover
with cold water, swish it around,
then drain. Repeat this a few
times until the water runs clear,
then cover again with water and
set aside to soak.
2 In a large pan or casserole
(one with a lid), heat the oil over
a medium-high heat and add the
chicken skin-side down in a
single layer (work in batches if
you need to). Cook for about 8
minutes until the skin is really
crisp and golden. Turn over and
cook for 2 more minutes, then

lift the pieces onto a plate.
3 Add the onion to the pan and
cook over a medium heat for
8 minutes. Meanwhile, put the
saffron in the hot stock to
infuse. Stir the garlic into the
onion and cook for another
minute. Drain the rice and add
to the pan. Stir for a minute,
then add the saffron stock, a
good pinch of salt, the lemon
zest and juice, pistachios and
most of the dill and pomegranate
seeds. Stir together well, then
top with the chicken and cover
with a tight-fitting lid.
4 Return to the boil, then reduce
the heat to low-medium to
simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat without
removing the lid, then leave for
10 minutes to finish steaming.
Scatter the remaining
pomegranate seeds and dill
over the top to serve.
Per serving 886kcals, 48g fat
(15g saturated), 48g protein,
65g carbs (6g sugars), 1.2g salt,
3.1g fibre

NEXT MONTH
Ravinder
Bhogal’s
celebration
menu for Easter
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 27

The joy of a
chicken one-pot
Never make a dull dinner again – our favourite home-cooking
guru Claire Thomson shares five cracking dishes from her
new book, each cooked in just one pan... Brilliant!
PHOTOGRAPHS SAM FOLAN

Chicken
with
peanuts,
chilli and
coconut

crowdpleasers.

Chicken dauphinoise
with dijon
and cream

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 29

A popular ingredient, chicken is as much a
grocery favourite for midweek, minimal-fuss
dinners as it is for more indulgent, celebratory
weekend cooking – the versatility of chicken is
very much its selling point.
If you’re buying from a butcher, a good one
should be happy to help with your butchery
needs – spatchcocking a whole bird, for
example, for the chicken with pistachios and
sour cherries recipe. If not, as ever, there are
countless tutorials to show you how to do this
online. In the other recipes, I’ve suggested you
use either chicken legs, thighs or drumsticks,

interchangeable cuts of chicken, all with good
flavour and a fairly forgiving margin when it
comes to cookery timings. But the choice is
yours – which cut do you prefer?
These recipes come from my latest book One
Pan Chicken (Quadrille £20) – never in my 10
years of writing cookery books has the question
“What are you working on at the moment?”
elicited such a predictable and glowing
response. People want to eat chicken, they want
to cook that chicken simply in one pan and they
want that chicken to be delicious. Here’s how to
do just that… CLAIRE THOMSON

A BIT ABOUT CLAIRE
Born in Zimbabwe, the
UK-based chef and cookery
writer has written many food
books on her own and in
collaboration, including
Camper Van Cooking and the
award-winning Tomato. She’s
best-known online for her
down-to-earth Instagram
account @5oclockapron.

30 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

crowdpleasers.

Chimichurri chicken
with roast squash

“It looks fancy, this dauphinoise, but it’s easy. Ideally,
use a mandoline to slice the potatoes – it’s inexpensive
and helps ingredients cook in unison. The potatoes are
partially submerged in a dijon mustard-laced cream,
with the edges protruding to fan and blister in the heat
of the oven, the chicken pieces snug, nestled in the
cream and potatoes to cook at the same time”

Chicken dauphinoise with
dijon and cream
Serves 4
Hands-on time 15 min
Oven time 1 hour
Specialist kit Mandoline
As you nestle in the
chicken pieces, try to
get the potatoes to
stand on their sides (not lay flat)
so the edges crisp up better.
KNOWHOW

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

250ml double cream
150ml whole milk
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 bay leaves, scrunched a little
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
50g parmesan, finely grated
800g small waxy potatoes (no
need to peel), very thinly
sliced, ideally with a mandoline
• 1kg free-range chicken thighs,
legs or drumsticks
• Unsalted butter for dotting
(optional)
1 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Mix the cream and milk
with the garlic, thyme, mustard,
32 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

bay, nutmeg and plenty of black
pepper in a large bowl, then add
a good pinch of salt. Stir in half
the parmesan, then add the
potatoes and chicken and stir
to coat everything in the cream.
Transfer the chicken to a plate.
2 Arrange the creamy potatoes
in a roasting tin or baking dish,
fanning them out, then nestle
the chicken in, skin-side up
(see Know-how). Cover the
roasting tin with a lid or foil and
bake the chicken and potatoes
for 30-40 minutes.
3 Remove the lid/foil, sprinkle
the remaining parmesan on top,
then bake for 30 minutes more
until browned on top and cooked
through. If you think the
potatoes and chicken skin need
more colour, dot them with
butter and put the dish under a
hot grill for 5 minutes. Remove
from the oven and leave to rest
for 5 minutes before serving.
Per serving 880kcals, 66g fat
(34g saturated), 37g protein,
33g carbs (5.4g sugars),
0.9g salt, 3.7g fibre

Chicken with pistachios
and sour cherries
Serves 4
Hands-on time 15 min, plus at
least 1 hour marinating
Oven time 35-45 min, plus
10 min resting
• 1 red onion, cut into 1cm slices
• 100g greek yogurt
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
or rosewater

• 2 pinches saffron, soaked
in 1 tbsp warm water
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly
chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5kg whole free-range
chicken, spatchcocked (ask
your butcher to do this for you,
if you like, or search
‘spatchcock’ at
deliciousmagazine.co.uk)
• 60g shelled pistachios,
whizzed to a coarse powder
• 50g dried sour cherries,
roughly chopped (you could
also use barberries)
• 1 tsp sumac (see right)
• Small bunch mint, leaves
picked and roughly chopped
1 In a food processor/mini
blender, whizz a quarter of the
onion with the yogurt, orange
blossom water or rosewater, the
saffron and its soaking liquid,
the ground spices, garlic, 1 tsp
salt and some black pepper.
2 Pour the whizzed sauce over
the chicken, cover and leave to
marinate in the fridge for at
least 1 hour, although the longer
the better. Remove the chicken
from the fridge about 20 minutes
before you plan to cook it.
3 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Put the remaining onion in
a deep roasting tray and put the
chicken on top, then add 1cm
water. Roast the chicken for
35-45 minutes or until cooked
through with good colour and
beginning to char around the
edges. Leave to rest for 10
minutes, then serve scattered
with the pistachios, cherries,
sumac and mint.
Per serving 673kcals, 45g fat
(12g saturated), 52g protein,
14g carbs (12g sugars), 1.7g salt,
→
2.6g fibre

crowdpleasers.

“For this recipe, try to get sumac – the ground dried
berries from the sumac tree. This wonderful cherryred ingredient has a sharp, acidic, fruity flavour. Use it
in lieu of, or combined with, lemon or other citrus”

Chimichurri chicken with
roast squash
Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min, plus
at least 1 hour marinating
Oven time 35-40 min
• 1kg free-range chicken thighs,
legs or drumsticks
• 800g butternut or seasonal
squash, peeled, deseeded and
very thinly sliced
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
For the chimichurri
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp white wine or cider
vinegar, plus extra if needed
• Juice ½ lemon
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• Small bunch flatleaf parsley
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 70ml olive oil, plus extra if
needed

1 Whizz together all the
ingredients for the chimichurri
until smooth, adding salt, plus
more vinegar to taste and more
oil to loosen, if required.
2 Mix half the chimichurri with
the chicken in a bowl to coat,
cover and leave to marinate in
the fridge for at least 1 hour,
although the longer the better.
Remove the chicken from the
fridge about 20 minutes before
you plan to cook it.
3 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. On a large baking tray,
combine the squash and onions
with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and
all the thyme leaves, then
season with salt and pepper.
Put the chicken on top, drizzle
with the remaining 1 tbsp olive
oil, then season again with
salt and black pepper.
4 Roast for 35-40 minutes or
until the chicken is completely
cooked and tender. Add more
seasoning if needed, then
drizzle with the remaining
chimichurri to serve.
Per serving 669kcals, 51g fat
(13g saturated), 29g protein,
22g carbs (13g sugars),
0.4g salt, 4.7g fibre

“Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce of fresh
herbs, vinegar and garlic. Here I’ve used half the
chimichurri to marinate the chicken, serving the
rest as the accompanying sauce. That way you get
a double whammy of flavour on the chicken: deep
and flavoursome to cook, fresh and vibrant to serve.
Roasting the squash at the same time makes a great
match for the chicken and chimichurri – it’s a popular
veg for asado (spit-roast) cooking in Argentina”
34 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Chicken and choucroute
garnie
Serves 4
Hands-on time 40 min
Simmering time 20-25 min
• 1kg free-range chicken thighs,
legs or drumsticks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 100g outdoor reared smoked
streaky bacon, finely chopped
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500g jar sauerkraut, drained
• 300ml chicken stock
• 250ml white wine (ideally
a riesling or pinot gris)
• 2 bay leaves, scrunched a little
• 4 juniper berries, roughly
bashed or squashed
• 2 tsp caraway seeds, roughly
crushed
• 2 star anise
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche (optional)
• ½ small bunch flatleaf parsley,
leaves picked and finely
chopped
• French mustard to serve
1 Season the chicken with
salt and pepper. Heat the oil
in a casserole over a medium
heat. Add the chicken, skin-side
down, and cook for around
5 minutes until golden brown
but not yet cooked through. Flip
and cook for another 5 minutes
to brown on the other side,
then transfer to a plate,
reserving the fat in the pan.
2 Add the bacon and gently fry
until crisp and very lightly
coloured; 3-5 minutes should do.
Add the butter, carrot and onion,
then cook for around 10 minutes
over a low-medium heat until
softened and sweet. Add the
garlic and cook for 2 minutes
more until fragrant. Add the
sauerkraut and stir well.
3 Add the stock, wine, bay,
juniper, caraway and star anise,
then nestle the chicken thighs
back into the sauerkraut. →

crowdpleasers.

“Choucroute garnie is an Alsatian dish of sauerkraut
cooked with wine, sausages, salted meats and caraway
seeds, and I’m adding chicken thighs to braise. I also
add a big dollop of crème fraîche at the end, enjoying
the creamy depth it brings to the finished dish”

Chicken and
choucroute
garnie

crowdpleasers.

Cover with a sheet of baking
paper (if you like, cut it into a
circle – known as a cartouche –
just larger than the pan) and put
a lid on the pan.
4 Braise the chicken for 20–25
minutes until all the liquid in the
pan has been absorbed and the
chicken is fully cooked through.
Finish by checking the
seasoning, adding salt and
pepper to taste. Stir in the
crème fraîche (if using) and
strew with the parsley. Serve
with mustard.
Per serving 633kcals, 46g fat
(16g saturated), 34g protein,
7.7g carbs (6.3g sugars),
3.3g salt, 4.4g fibre

Chicken with peanuts,
chilli and coconut
Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min, plus
at least 1 hour marinating
Oven time 35-40 min

Recipes taken
from One Pan
Chicken by
Claire
Thomson
(Quadrille
£20)

• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp light brown soft sugar
(or use honey)
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1-2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 lemongrass stalk,
outer layers removed,
root trimmed and stem
thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
or groundnut oil
• 200ml full-fat coconut milk
• 1kg free-range chicken thighs,
legs or drumsticks

36 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

• 250g roasted peanuts (skin
on or off, as you prefer)
• 2 limes
• 2 bunches spring onions,
trimmed and cut into 4cm
lengths
• 2 red chillies, thinly sliced
(deseeded if you want less
heat)
• Small bunch coriander, leaves
roughly chopped
1 In a food processor or blender,
whizz the garlic, half the sugar
and half the soy sauce with the
ground turmeric and coriander,
chilli flakes, lemongrass, oil and
half the coconut milk to form
a smooth paste.
2 Mix the coconut milk mixture
with the chicken, cover and
leave to marinate in the fridge
for at least 1 hour, although the
longer the better. Remove the
chicken from the fridge about
20 minutes before you plan
to cook it.
3 In the food processor/blender,
whizz half the peanuts together
with the remaining sugar, soy
sauce and coconut milk and the
juice of 1 of the limes. Put to
one side. Heat the oven to
200°C fan/gas 7. Arrange the
chicken and any excess

marinade on a baking tray along
with the spring onions.
4 Bake for 35-40 minutes until
the chicken is golden, beginning
to char and cooked through.
Remove from the oven and drizzle
with the coconut–peanut sauce,
then sprinkle with the remaining
peanuts (or serve alongside to
sprinkle individually), the fresh
chilli and chopped coriander. Cut
the remaining lime into wedges
for squeezing over.
Per serving 942kcals, 73g fat
(24g saturated), 47g protein,
22g carbs (16g sugars),
4.1g salt, 5.7g fibre

“I’m looking at satay chicken for
inspiration here. Satay is the national
dish of Indonesia and Malaysia, but it can
also be found in restaurants and kitchens
elsewhere in Southeast Asia. I’ve used
whole chicken pieces to marinate, then
roast on a tray for swift ease, rather than
threading the meat onto small skewers
to grill over hot coals. So this isn’t a satay
recipe but, rather, a chicken dish cooked
with satay flavours in mind”

campaign.

However much of a food lover you are, there are probably one
or two things you can’t stand – or at least, think you can’t...
It’s our 2024 mission to get everyone conquering their food
fears, opening up a new world of culinary possibilities. Of
course, we’re not going to make you eat something that
brings you out in hives, but if it’s just a dislike, we reckon we
can get you over it. Don’t believe us? Read what the scientists
say, then pluck up the courage to try our gateway recipe
FEATURE WORDS SUE QUINN RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING EMILY GUSSIN FOOD PHOTOGRAPH INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

CAN YOU REALLY GET OVER A FOOD AVERSION?
What’s your yuck food? Brussels sprouts?
Anchovies? Or maybe the very thought of blue
cheese. Whatever it is, many of us have at least
one thing that makes us blanch. But can we
train ourselves to like the foods we hate?
There are lots of reasons why people have
an aversion to certain foods. For a start, we’re
all born with a dislike for bitter tastes, which
is why many toddlers spit out foods like
brussels sprouts. “This is our innate
reaction. Evolution makes us dislike bitter
tastes because in nature most toxic things
are bitter,” explains Dr Qian Yang,
assistant professor at the University of

Nottingham’s Sensory Science Centre.
Genetics also play a part. Some people
perceive the taste of fresh coriander as soapy
because they have a gene that makes them
hypersensitive to a compound in the herb.
Can’t stand violet cream chocolates? You
might be genetically wired to perceive violets
as pungently sour instead of floral.
There’s another consideration: some people
are ‘super tasters’, born with a comparatively
large number of taste buds, which make them
highly sensitive to all sorts of tastes, and they
therefore find many foods offputting.
Often, though, we dislike foods because →

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 37

we’re unfamiliar with them, and that starts
when we’re weaned and into childhood.
“Parenting style plays a big role in shaping food
preferences,” Dr Yang says. Being exposed to
particular flavours and textures regularly from
a young age makes you more likely to enjoy them
as an adult. For example, on the Indian continent,
parents often introduce tiny amounts of chilli to
babies so they become accustomed to it.
“Familiarity and habit play a big role in our
food preference,” Dr Yang says. In other words,
our brain tells us to be wary of foods we’re
unfamiliar with and haven’t tasted often.
So, are we stuck with our food likes and
dislikes? Not at all. “Sometimes you just need to
keep trying in order to train your palate to like a
particular food,” Dr Yang says. This is especially
important if you haven’t touched a ‘hated’ food
for a long time. The sensitivity of the taste buds
decreases with age, so strong flavours you didn’t
like when you were younger may be more
palatable in later years. Dr Yang’s key message?
Give it another go.
Personality plays a part here. Some of us
persist in trying to like certain food and drink
because we think they’re sophisticated (coffee
or other bitter beverages, for example). Some
of us are just more adventurous than others:
“If someone is more open and willing to try
new foods, they’re more likely to train
themselves to like them.”
Trying very small amounts of ‘hated’ foods
and gradually building up your exposure to
them can help you learn to like them. Or try
combining them with strong flavours you love.
For example, pairing bitter cruciferous veg (like
cabbage, kale and broccoli) with olive oil, lemon
juice or cheese can tame the bitterness.
“Finding strategies to keep trying disliked foods
is key,” Dr Yang says.

CHALLENGE #1

Goat’s cheese
Some of us love it for its complex flavour, ranging from sweet
and mild to strong and sour. Some of us just can’t get past that
funky, ‘goaty’ flavour. If you’ve tried goat’s cheese in the past
and recoiled at its intensity, don’t write it off completely – start
with something milder and more mellow (like this dip) to introduce
its qualities to your palate gently. The fresher the goat’s cheese,
the lighter and sweeter it tastes, so start with the softer,
spreadable cheeses and work your way up to the more aged
and firmer varieties out there.
We have a few goat’s cheese haters in the delicious. office,
but this recipe managed to convert them. The key is diluting the
cheese with yogurt in a creamy dip, then drizzling over some
chilli-infused honey for sweetness and a lick of heat. The result
is a dish that doesn’t mask the flavour of the cheese completely,
but instead allows its flavour to become something subtle and
mild. Using this technique to introduce a flavour you’re less keen
on should help you to develop a taste for it. As you become more
accustomed to the flavour, the way should (we hope!) be paved
for straight-up goat’s cheese in the future.

Your gateway recipe
Whipped goat’s cheese
with hot honey
Serves 4-6 as a snack or starter
Hands-on time 15 min

• 125g soft, rindless goat’s
cheese

• 50g greek-style yogurt
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Crudités (such as raw celery

Lightening up soft goat’s
cheese with yogurt and oil,
then whizzing until light and
fluffy is a great way to mellow
its flavour. Chilli and garlicinfused honey contrasts the
creamy, grassy cheese with
heat and sweetness

sticks, carrot, cucumber,
radishes, endive...) and/or
breadsticks to serve
For the hot honey
• 1 small red chilli, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 50g clear honey
1 Make the hot honey first. Put
all the ingredients in a small pan
with a pinch of salt and warm
gently over a low-medium heat,

stirring every now and then,
for about 10 minutes to release
the flavours.
2 Meanwhile, put the goat’s
cheese and yogurt in a food
processor and whizz until
smooth. Continue processing
while drizzling in the olive oil
until all incorporated. Season,
then spoon into a bowl. Drizzle
over the hot honey and serve
with crudités and/or breadsticks
for dipping.
Per serving (for 6) 141kcals, 10g
fat (4.7g saturated), 5.3g protein,
7.2g carbs (7.2g sugars), 0.5g
salt, no fibre

campaign.

Whipped goat’s
cheese – let it
ease you in

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 39

BRING BACK
THE GREAT
BRITISH PUD!

The UK has a tradition of sweet bakes and hearty puddings, but they’re often
overlooked in favour of the sugary delights of Europe and further afield.
Ashleigh Arnott looks at why we’re so nostalgic about our trad puds, then
Pollyanna Coupland takes a trip down memory lane, giving favourite desserts
an update with new, why-didn’t-we-always-do-it-that-way flavour combos
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING POLLYANNA COUPLAND PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

Rum and
raisin
spotted dick

the pudding revival.

person’s woes can be cured
by a bowl of crumble and
custard. From the first
warm, sweet, stodgy
mouthful we feel less
alone. A generous
slice of jam roly
poly is an edible cuddle, a bakewell tart
makes troubles melt away. Why is it that
the puddings we remember from our youth
– the ones we scoffed at school, fought
about at family dinners or even drooled
over in the works of Enid Blyton – fill our
emotional cup as well as filling our bellies?
The ‘gastrophysicist’ Charles Spence,
a professor of experimental psychology
at Oxford, suggests we’re seeking safety
in every spoonful. “Childhood is when
we’re looked after, and when we feel more
emotionally threatened,” he explains. Being
reminded of a favourite treat from our early
years is “almost like emotional support
that happens to be provided through food;
it will reassure and comfort”.
A classic pud can also be a simple
reminder that we’re cared for: “Warm
things make us think the people around us
are nicer.” Studies have shown that simply
holding a hot cup of tea makes us feel more
positive about our interactions. “It’s physical
warmth translating to the social world.”
POWERFUL MEMORIES
Could that be why we remember school
dinners so fondly when their quality often
left a lot to be desired? “You’re craving the
thing you want to go back to rather than the
taste,” says Spence. That might well be the
pleasure of eating hot pudding at lunchtime
without a thought for your waistline.
The good news is that, when given a

modern-day makeover, spotted dick is even
more desirable than it was back when you
watched Blue Peter. You can have your cake
memories and eat them, too.
The new spiritual home of the trad
dessert is probably the gastropub. You’d
be unlucky to find one that doesn’t offer
slabs of sticky toffee pudding. There’s an
increasing number of top restaurants, too,
where the sweet offering is likely to involve
traditional puds – even ones with suet.
Chef Jeremy Lee is renowned for
the puddings he serves at Quo Vadis in
London’s Soho, and agrees they deliver
more than just a sugar hit. “Suet puddings
are particularly nostalgic and delightful
things that catapult you back to the comfort
and joy of granny’s cooking.” His Scottish
grandmother introduced him to steamed
puddings, which remain a favourite; “I just
think they’re unreal and utterly unique to
these islands. And they’re the perfect
excuse for a bucket of custard, of course.”
THE LOVING SPOONFUL
That understanding of what turns a dessert
into a mood booster is why Lee’s pudding
selection is always irresistible. It’s also
what’s lacking from ‘deconstructed’
desserts, which frankly should be banned.
Compotes and crumbs and quenelles may
be the pretty way to deliver ingredients but
they could never wrap you up in a greedy
memory. “We crave the nourishing,
comforting, warming dishes that take us
into a safe place,” agrees Lee. “It’s like a big
warm embrace.”
So pour on the toffee sauce, scoop in some
ice cream, dollop on the crème fraîche and
drown it all in custard, because that pud
is a comforting bear hug in disguise. →

TURN THE PAGE FOR STEAMY NEW PUDDING RECIPES
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 41

Rhubarb crumble is taken to
new heights with aromatic
cardamom, rosewater and
a topping flecked with
green pistachios.
Speedy, simple
and seriously
sophisticated

Rhubarb, rose
and pistachio
crumble

the pudding revival.

PHOTOGRAPH: ANDY GRIMSHAW. FOOD STYLING: AMY STEPHENSON

Chocolate parkin
with marbled
custard

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 43

When black forest gateau meets cherry bakewell, something
magical happens. These two nostalgic desserts combine perfectly
– especially when served with a dollop of soured cream

the pudding revival.

Black forest
bakewell tart
Serves 6-8
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
1 hour resting and cooling
Oven time 1 hour
Specialist kit 23cm loosebottomed fluted tart tin

MAKE
AHEAD

The pastry case can be
made up to 3 days ahead,
then filled on the day.

For the pastry
• 175g plain flour, plus extra
to dust
• 25g cocoa powder, plus extra
to dust
• 25g icing sugar
• 125g unsalted butter, chilled
and chopped, plus extra
to grease
• 1 medium free-range egg
• Splash ice cold water
(optional)
For the filling
• 100g unsalted butter, cubed
• 80g dark chocolate (at least
70% cocoa solids), roughly
chopped
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 medium free-range eggs,
at room temperature
• 100g golden caster or
granulated sugar
• 150g ground almonds
• 4 tbsp black cherry jam
• 80g tinned cherries, drained,
plus a little of their syrup
1 To make the pastry, put the
flour, cocoa, icing sugar, 125g
butter and a pinch of salt in a
food processor and whizz to
a sandy texture. Add the egg
and whizz again until it comes
together as a dough, pulsing
in a little ice cold water if
needed. Tip onto a clean
surface and bring together
into a ball but don’t overwork
the dough. Flatten the ball
into a disc, then wrap and rest
in the fridge for an hour.
2 Heat the oven to 160ºC fan/

gas 4. Grease the tart tin with
butter. On a lightly floured
worktop, roll out the pastry to
a rough circle slightly larger than
your tin (just over 30cm), then
carefully line the tin with it,
pushing the pastry into the
flutes. Line with a sheet of foil,
fill with baking beans (or
uncooked rice/lentils/beans) and
bake for 15 minutes. Remove the
rice/lentils/beans and foil, then
bake for a further 5 minutes.
Leave to cool slightly, then
use a small serrated knife to
carefully trim off any overhang.
3 To make the filling, melt the
butter and chocolate in a
heatproof bowl set over a pan of
simmering water (make sure the
base doesn’t touch the water).
Remove from the heat and whisk
in the cocoa powder. Set aside
to cool to room temperature. In
a separate bowl, use an electric
mixer to beat the eggs and sugar
for about 4 minutes until thick
and pale. Using a balloon whisk,
fold the egg mixture into the
cooled melted chocolate mixture
until just combined, then gently
fold in the ground almonds.
4 Spread the jam over the
bottom of the pastry case,
then pour in the chocolate
frangipane filling. Scatter over
the cherries, then bake for
50-60 minutes until the
frangipane filling is soft but set.
Brush with a little of the cherry
syrup, then leave to cool. Serve
with a dusting of cocoa powder.
Per serving (for 8) 611kcals, 42g
fat (20g saturated), 12g protein,
43g carbs (25g sugars), 0.1g
salt, 6.8g fibre

Rum and raisin
spotted dick
Serves 6-8
Hands-on time 20 min, plus
1 hour soaking
Simmering time 1 hour 15 min
Specialist kit 1 litre pudding
bowl; kitchen string
You can make and steam
the pudding up to 3 days
in advance and keep in
the fridge, then simply re-steam
until heated through to serve.
MAKE
AHEAD

• 100g currants
• 50g raisins
• 90ml spiced rum
• 150g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 75g golden caster sugar
• ½ vanilla pod, split and seeds
scraped out
• Finely grated zest 1 lemon
• 150g suet (use vegetarian
suet if required)
• 3 medium free-range eggs
• 50ml whole milk
• Unsalted butter to grease
• Vanilla or rum and raisin
ice cream to serve
For the rum syrup
• 50ml spiced rum
• 150g golden syrup
1 Put the currants and raisins in
a bowl, pour in the rum and leave
to soak for an hour. Sift the flour,
baking powder, salt, mixed spice
and sugar into another bowl, then
stir in the vanilla seeds, lemon
zest and suet. When the dried →
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 45

fruit has finished soaking, add
it to the flour mixture along with
any rum left in the bowl. Crack
in the eggs, pour in the milk,
beat with a wooden spoon until
combined, then grease the
pudding bowl with butter and
pour the mixture into it.
2 Lay out a sheet of baking
paper with a sheet of foil the
same size on top. Fold both
in half, then take the top half
and fold all but around 3cm of
it back on itself to leave a small
pleat. Cover the bowl with the
paper and foil, ensuring the foil
is on top and the pleat runs
down the centre (the pleat will
let the pudding expand if it
needs to). Shape the foil tightly
around the edge of the bowl to
seal, then secure in place with
a loop of kitchen string. Tie
another loop of string to either
side of the basin to create a
handle, then trim off any excess
paper or foil with scissors.
3 Put an upturned heatproof
saucer in the bottom of a large
lidded saucepan to create a
trivet. Put the pudding bowl
on the saucer, then carefully fill
the pan with just-boiled water
from the kettle until it reaches
halfway up the bowl. Cover the
pan, set over a low-medium heat
and steam for 1 hour 15 minutes.
4 Once the pudding has cooked,
make a quick rum syrup by
heating the ingredients in a pan
for a few minutes. Upturn the
pudding bowl onto a plate
(loosening it first with a palette
knife if needed), then cover in
the hot rum syrup. Serve with
scoops of ice cream.
Per serving (for 8) 441kcals,
19g fat (10g saturated), 5.2g
protein, 52g carbs (37g sugars),
0.6g salt, 1.3g fibre

You can’t get a more traditional British
pud than spotted dick – something
that’s fallen out of fashion in recent
years. We’re bringing it back with an
up-to-date makeover, complete with
rum-soaked raisins and a rum syrup.
Grab yourself a spoon and dig in

Rhubarb, rose and
pistachio crumble
Serves 4
Hands-on time 10 min
Oven time 25 min
You can make a bigger
batch of the crumble
topping and freeze it,
ready to make any seasonal fruit
crumble at a moment’s notice.
MAKE
AHEAD

• 10 green cardamom pods
• 800g rhubarb, cut into
2cm pieces
• 120g soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 80g unsalted butter, chilled
and cubed
• 80g plain flour
• 40g oats
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 40g shelled pistachios, roughly
chopped
• Custard, ice cream or cream
to serve
1 Bash open the cardamom pods
and discard the green husks.
Use a pestle and mortar to grind
the black seeds to a powder,

46 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

then put them in a small pan
with the rhubarb, 40g of the
sugar and the rosewater. Bring
to a simmer and cook for
5 minutes – the rhubarb should
be just softening but holding its
shape. Transfer to a baking dish.
2 Heat the oven to 160ºC fan/
gas 4. Rub the butter into the
flour between your fingers until
it’s a coarse rubble, then stir in
the remaining 80g sugar along
with the oats, sesame seeds,
pistachios and a pinch of salt.
Sprinkle this topping evenly over
the rhubarb.
3 Bake for 20-25 minutes until
golden and crisp on top, then
serve with custard, ice cream
or vanilla-speckled pouring
cream. Or all three!
Per serving 510kcals, 26g fat
(12g saturated), 8.5g protein,
54g carbs (32g sugars), 0.5g
salt, 6.1g fibre

the pudding revival.

• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cloves
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

+ COVER RECIPE

Chocolate parkin with
marbled custard
Makes 9
Hands-on time 20 min, plus
infusing and at least 2 hours
cooling
Oven time 50 min
Specialist kit 20cm square
cake tin
The cake can be made
1-2 days ahead – in fact,
parkin is traditionally
eaten a day or two after baking
to allow the flavours to meld and
the texture to get truly sticky.
To create that wonderful
KNOWmarbled effect, make
HOW
sure your custard is
warm and your cream is cold.
Put them in individual jugs, then
carefully pour them over the
parkin at the same time and
they’ll naturally marble together.
MAKE
AHEAD

• 100g unsalted butter, plus
extra to grease
• 100g black treacle
• 200g golden syrup
• 100g dark brown muscovado
sugar
• 150g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g porridge oats
• 1 medium free-range egg,
beaten
• 80ml whole milk
For the spiced vanilla cream
• 300ml double cream

For the chocolate custard
• 150ml whole milk
• 150ml double cream
• 2 medium free-range egg yolks
• 1½ tbsp golden caster sugar
• 1½ tbsp cocoa powder
• ½ tsp cornflour
• 2 stem ginger balls
1 To make the spiced vanilla
cream, heat the double cream
in a pan with the whole spices
and vanilla. As soon as it begins
to simmer, remove from the
heat, cover, then leave to infuse
for at least 2 hours (ideally
overnight in the fridge). Strain
before using.
2 Heat the oven to 150°C fan/
gas 3½. Grease the cake tin with
butter and line with baking
paper. Put the 100g butter,
treacle, golden syrup and
muscovado sugar in a saucepan
over a low heat, stir until melted,
then remove from the heat and
leave to cool.
3 Put the flour, cocoa powder,
ground spices, bicarbonate of
soda and oats in a large bowl
and stir to combine. Make a well
in the centre, then stir in the
slightly cooled treacle mixture,
followed by the egg, then the
milk (bit by bit to avoid lumps).
Pour the mixture into the

prepared tin, then bake for
about 50 minutes until a knife
or skewer pushed into the
centre comes out clean.
4 To make the chocolate
custard, heat the milk and
cream together until almost
boiling. Whisk the egg yolks in a
bowl with the sugar, cocoa and
cornflour, then pour a little of
the hot milk and cream over the
top. Whisk well, then pour in
the rest of the cream mixture
and whisk again to combine.
Return to a clean pan and cook
over a low-medium heat, stirring
constantly, until it forms a
custard that thickly coats the
back of a wooden spoon.
Roughly chop the stem ginger
and stir into the custard.
5 To serve, cut the parkin into
9 squares. Serve with the
sauces on the side, or – to
recreate our cover image – pile
the pieces of parkin on top of
each other and pour both the
custard and the cream over the
top, allowing them to marble
together as they hit the cake.
Per parkin square (with lots
of sauce) 650kcals, 41g fat
(25g saturated), 7.6g protein,
60g carbs (40g sugars),
0.5g salt, 3.2g fibre

Sticky Yorkshire parkin is taken to
chocolate town with this indulgent bake –
but the sauce definitely shares star billing.
A warm chocolate and ginger custard is
rippled with cinnamon-and-clove-infused
cream for a knockout finish that’s as good
for a relaxed family supper as it is for
a dinner party with friends

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Richard
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Easter chocolate
and custard
brioche loaf

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It’s probably not the first thing you think of when choosing a
restaurant but more and more the music played in the dining room
– or lack of it – is becoming an important factor. Writer Clare Finney
explores the complicated relationship between cooking and music

food for thought.

B

efore becoming a chef, Stephen Harris was
a financier – but before that he was in a
punk band (The Ignerents). The proprietor
of The Sportsman in Whitstable, Kent,
he often compares creating new dishes
with recording and playing in a band. “I’m obsessed
with perfect pitch,” he says – and for a second, I’m not
sure if he’s referencing his food or his music. As it
happens, he’s talking about both – because, for Harris,
both are a question of harmony.
“I like things that are right and in
balance – the harmonic wave that goes
through your head and creates a
pleasurable feeling. When finishing a
sauce or soup, adjusting the seasoning
to get it right, I feel as I did in a recording
studio with a graphic equaliser,
balancing the elements of a piece of
music. Umami is depth – the bass – and
the treble is like adding acidity,” he
continues. “It makes it brighter” –
whether ‘it’ is a sauce or a song.
In music, we know what perfect pitch
is: the ability to recognise or produce a given note
exactly. For Harris the same is true of cooking – “I want
everything to taste perfectly of what it’s supposed taste
of,” he explains – for a tomato to taste like tomato, no
flatter or sharper, just like a perfectly tuned C.
He’s not the only chef to have perceived a connection
between music and food, nor the only musician to have
turned to restaurants and cooking. Levi Roots is
perhaps the most famous, but Graham Garrett of The
West House in Kent, Daniel Willis and Johnny Smith of
Luca in Farringdon and Amit and Aneesh Patel of
Brilliant Corners and Mu in East London were – and in

some instances still are – all musicians of some sort, be
it producers, drummers, guitarists or DJs.
MENU OR PLAYLIST?
“I had my first job at St John Bread and Wine,” says
Johnny Smith – Fergus Henderson’s restaurant, which
famously has no music at all, “but Daniel [Willis] and
I were DJing at the same time. When we did Clove Club
[a supper club series] at our flats, we brought the two
together. We asked producers and DJs to create playlists
for us, and that became part of what we
did, and what made us different. It was
a bit of a revolt against traditional
formal French style dining.”
Clove Club became the seismically
successful pop up, The Young Turks,
with Isaac McHale, which in turn
became The Clove Club, their first
bricks and mortar restaurant. Opening
Luca three years later presented
another chance for the trio to weave
music into their brand.
“Luca was different because it was
this classic, chic brand which spoke to our Britishness,
but also northern Italian cuisine. It’s in Clerkenwell,
where our demographic is a little bit older,” Smith
continues. “So the soundtrack is, in some capacity,
designed for them. This conjured the idea of that golden
era of the 50s and 60s, with the crooners, as well as 60s
and 70s jazz and funk,” he enthuses. “We built all that
into the soundtrack, which we felt represented the
space and worked as part of people’s experience, and
was in keeping with the quality of the brand.”
In some restaurants, the music is talked about with
as much pride as the menus – more, even. “The food →

“The food we
sell is good and
considered,
but most of the
thinking goes
into the music”

Places where they crank it up
It’s a wild
night at The
Wilderness

• The Cartford Inn, Lancashire
Owner Juliez Beaume loves live
music. “If I’m out and about and
I hear a good singer, I’ll get them

in,” she says. “We have a David
Bowie, a rockabilly singer, a girl
who sings and plays double bass
and a saxophonist...”
• Leroy, London It’s the spot to
have a drink and a bite after work,
and complain about colleagues
knowing you won’t be overheard.
• FKABAM, London There’s no set
soundtrack at this inimitable
Islington restaurant, but it’s very
good, very loud and very inkeeping with the big flavours.
• The Wilderness, Birmingham
Chef Alex Claridge serves

provocative, playful tasting
menus in a restored factory
against a soundtrack of rock,
punk and heavy metal.
• Ynyshir, Wales Two Michelin
stars and an in-house DJ banging
out the tunes make a memorable
night – but not one that, as the
website says, is appropriate for
‘that intimate first date’!
• Walcot House, Bath Set in
an old bakery, this restaurant
marries elegantly served, locally
sourced food with an array of
equally elegant artists.
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 51

we sell is good and considered, but most of the thinking
goes into the music,” says Paul Noble, founder of music
bar/café Spiritland in King’s Cross. The menu is short
and focused on small plates – but that didn’t stop it
attracting the eyes (and ears) of restaurant critics, and
garnering decent reviews.
For Noble and his business partner Sophie Uddin,
sourcing good produce and hiring a good chef was
simply about consistency. If you’re going to host
some of the best artists in the world on a bespoke
sound system, “you want the same quality of
drinks and food. That’s how we differ from
other music venues”, Uddin explains.
THE SCIENCE OF SOUND
Yet according to professor of
psychology Charles Spence, our
ability to judge the quality of
food and drink is so affected
by the music we hear that even
if they hadn’t gone to such
lengths, critics who liked their
sound might still have approved
of Spiritland’s food.
That’s not to say the food at
Spiritland isn’t really all that; on
the contrary, I’ve been for brunch
outside and enjoyed it without
music. What Spence’s work shows
is really what Harris has alluded to:
taste and sound sit on a continuum,
just like sight and taste, or taste and
smell. “If we listen to classical
music we rate food and drink as
higher quality,” he says – because
we tend to associate classical
music with sophistication.
There is emerging
evidence to suggest
loud noises trigger
less healthy food
behaviours – “perhaps
the noise means you can’t really
taste what you’re eating” – and that if the music is loud
and rhythmic, people will drink about 30% more booze.
Increasingly, brands are experimenting with ‘sonic
seasoning’; the idea that certain sounds can accentuate
certain tastes. The sound of aeroplanes brings out the
taste of umami, which may be why bloody marys taste
so good on flights, Spence says. And there are ‘sweet’
notes, which make food taste sweeter than it is. A few
years ago, Spence worked with a chef in Islington to
create two soundtracks that could bring out either the
bitter or sweet notes of a dark chocolate pudding.
“Guests could listen to them on their mobile phone.”
What’s most interesting about Spence’s discoveries

isn’t the precise pairing of flavours and notes, but the
general shift towards embedding sound into the identity
of a restaurant, and what that means for the diners.
RHYTHM OF THE KITCHEN
At the late Russell Norman’s Brutto, just down the road
from Luca, the music is identifiably Indie and Eighties
hits. At many restaurants it’s jazz, piano or the kind of
French music that gives you the feeling you’re in a
film. Most people want some sort of background
noise when eating.
“When it’s the bustling clatter of cutlery
and glassware, like at the Wolseley in the
good old days, you really feel the
restaurant space,” says food writer
Mike Daw – “but then I also love
it in Naughty Piglets or Darby’s
when they play some belters
and I’m firing up [the music
identifier app] Shazam. It
depends on the restaurant.”
When music grates, we assume
it’s too loud – but often it’s just out of
step with the nature of the place we’re
in. At FKABAM (Formerly Known As
Black Axe Mangal), owner Lee Tiernan
– interestingly also a former St John
employee – plays famously raucous
playlists at a volume he’d be asked to
turn down in any other restaurant.
He gets away with it because of the
food he serves, the space he’s in and
because of who he is: a tattooed south
Londoner serving pig’s tails and offal
flatbreads in a tiny dark restaurant
on Highbury Corner.
“Black Axe Mangal started at
the back of a nightclub in
Copenhagen, so people
would be moshing to
Metallica while waiting
for their food. The vibe felt
right, and that’s how we wanted to
continue when we opened here. St John is my favourite
restaurant, and the murmur of the dining room is a
fantastic sound,” says Tiernan, “but I didn’t want to
do a carbon copy of St John.”
“The rise of the open kitchen, food programmes on
TV and other media have put the chef at the forefront,”
Spence says, elevating them to the status of “rockstars
or artists. They’re freer, as artists, to make beautifully
plated food, and maybe that gives them the confidence
and the right to go beyond the kitchen and show their
good taste extends to music too.”
Obviously, this leads to what Spence calls “sonic
branding”, in restaurants as much as in retail – and

If we listen to
classical music we
rate food and drink
as higher quality–
because we tend to
associate classical
music with class
and sophistication

food for thought.

there’s been customer demand for it. “There are a
generation of people now who are used to music, who
love different types and love food,” Harris observes.
“The idea of experimenting with it to create a certain
mood – I can only see it happening more.”
SILENCE IS GOLDEN
For one man – indeed many men and women around
the world – this has not been a wholly welcome
development. In 2018, founder of the SoundPrint app
Gregory Scott was trying to date in New York and found
he was struggling to hear his companions in the city’s
loud restaurants and bars. Scott suffers from hearing
loss, as do 20% of the world’s population – but when he
started compiling lists of quiet venues, even going so far
as to measure noise levels with a decibel meter, interest
grew far beyond those with hearing issues.
“A lot of people want to be able to converse without
straining to hear. It’s exhausting, and once one table
starts raising their voices, the next table does too, and
the next table and the next table – raising the sound
from two to five decibels.” Of course, some people want
loud music, he acknowledges. “They aren’t going to use
the app.” But the speed and scale of SoundPrint’s spread
around the world – there are curated quiet lists for
22 major cities and counting – suggest many people
are unhappy with current levels of restaurant noise.
And justifiably so. According to a random survey
by Soundprint in 2022, 80% of London’s restaurants
were too loud for conversation. The RNID, a charity
supporting deaf people, pointed out that in many
instances the noise levels were comparable to a
lawnmower or motorbike, while half those measured
were louder than a vacuum cleaner at peak times.
Against this noisy backdrop, the growing trend for
restaurateurs to marry their love of food with their love
of music seems counterintuitive – even selfish. Almost
every diner I surveyed for this feature preferred

background music to a banging playlist. Yet according
to Smith, Noble and even Scott, the problem is often not
the music itself, but the acoustics of the dining room,
and the way the speakers have been installed.
The fashion for opening restaurants in post-industrial
spaces hasn’t helped, says Scott. Abandoned factories
and railway arches aren’t famed for their noise absorbing
qualities. But there is also “a swathe of venues spending
lots of money on speakers, without treating the room
acoustically”, says Smith, with sound panels, soft
furnishings and so on. The fetishisation of vintage
speakers and sonic identity means sound is
“incorporated into the concept by people who don’t
understand how music and sound work”.
“One of the main things people fail to think
about is a sub-woofer. When you feel the
sound come through the floor, through your
legs, that does a lot of the heavy lifting in
terms of experiencing that sound,” Smith
continues – to the point where diners can
enjoy the music almost without consciously
hearing it. In Spiritland, the quality of the
system and installation, combined with the
acoustics, is such that even when it’s turned
up “you can still easily converse”, says Noble.
That’s the point of eating out, after all: to
enjoy good food and good conversation. It’s
easy to forget that amid all the noise around
identity, branding and, well, noise. “Music is
nice when it creates a mood and doesn’t alienate
anybody,” Harris says simply. As with the food,
it’s all about balance: bringing people, place and
taste together, and striking a chord (or not,
as the case may be).
What do you think? Do you like music while you
eat – be it classical, jazz, soul or heavy metal –
or do you prefer silence at the table? Let us know
at info@deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Banging
music
makes
people drink
30% more

Restaurants to dine in peace

Whisper it...
all is calm
at Toklas
Toklas, London From the founder
of Frieze Art Fair and as beautiful
as you’d expect in terms of
atmosphere and food, as well as
art on the walls.

L’Enclume, Cumbria Simon Rogan’s
legendary establishment in a
13th-century former forge is a
thick-walled temple to high-art
dining amid a reverent hush.
Noizé, London Noizé by name
but not by nature. This rustic,
slightly quaint French restaurant
in central London offers typicalwith-a-twist fare.
Moor Hall, Lancashire A Michelin
star-studded restaurant from
Mark Birchall serving hyper-local,
delicate cuisine in a beautiful

dining room of wood, plants
and soft stone.
Where The Pancakes Are, London
Pancakes, of course – but much,
much more is served in this
popular brunch spot (three
outlets in the capital), which
is busy – but not so buzzy you
can’t have a good chat.
Robert and Victor, Manchester
Sourdough sandwiches filled with
ingredients locally sourced from
Cheshire and Lancashire – highly
rated by SoundPrint app users.
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 53

Veg hero of the month.
Sturdy and dependable, the swede is the
Volvo of the vegetable world and, although
overlooked by food snobs in favour of more
flashy veg such as cavolo nero and celeriac,
it over-delivers on both nutrition and flavour
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING EMILY GUSSIN
PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON
ILLUSTRATIONS POLLYANNA COUPLAND

Five essential swede questions answered
1 WHAT IS A SWEDE?
Its Latin name is Brassica napus
and it’s a roundish root vegetable
with a purple-green skin and pale
yellow flesh. It’s basically a cross
between a turnip and a cabbage.
2 ARE SWEDES SWEDISH?
Not exactly. They appear to have
been first grown in Bohemia
(now the Czech Republic) in the
17th century but were most likely
introduced to Britain at the
beginning of the 19th century
when King Gustav III of Sweden
sent seeds to a Scottish botanist
and inventor. It’s a hardy veg that
grows well in cold climates, so it
thrived in the north.
3 WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A SWEDE AND
A TURNIP?
They are from the same family
but they’re definitely not the
same. However, there’s a lot of
confusion between turnips (white
and usually smaller) and swedes
(yellowy and sweeter) – probably
54 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

caused by the Scottish, who call
mashed swedes ‘neeps’ – possibly
short for ‘new turnips’ or just
‘turnips’. Americans avoid the
problem altogether by calling
the swede rutabaga, which
means ‘thick or lumpy root’
in Swedish, thus preserving
the Scandi connection.
4 ARE SWEDES GOOD
TO EAT?
Yes, they have a sweet, earthy,
nutty flavour and the flesh turns a
pleasing, brighter orangey-yellow
after cooking. The swede owes its
somewhat bad reputation to the
fact that people ate them when
food ran short during the two
World Wars, so the vegetable
became associated with poverty.
Sometimes swedes are even fed to
cattle, but this, of course, means
they’re good value. Swedes can
turn mushy when cooked, so they
need to be roasted carefully, but
they’re also good mashed, boiled
in soups or stews – or even eaten
raw (see over the page). The

Scottish have taken the vegetable
to their hearts and have a
traditional dish called clapshot,
which is swedes and potatoes
mashed with butter.
5 ARE THEY HEALTHY?
These bulbous root vegetables
contain significant amounts of
vitamin C – just 100g will give
you approximately 30% of the
daily recommended dose (though
boiling will destroy some of it).
They’re also a source of B
vitamins and magnesium, which
aid the nervous and immune
systems as well as helping combat
fatigue. Like watercress, turnips
and broccoli, swedes contain
glucosinolates that some sensitive
souls may find peppery and bitter
– but this all contributes to
making them more tasty and
interesting to the rest of us.

seasonal star.

Hasselback
swede gratin

TURN THE PAGE FOR YOUR ALL-NEW SWEDE RECIPES

seasonal star.

Swede, apple and
tahini ’slaw

seasonal star.

Swede, apple and
tahini ’slaw
Serves 4 as a side
Hands-on time 25 min

Did you know you can eat
swede raw? It’s a crisp
vegetable with a peppery
flavour that works well
shredded in slaws or
remoulade, just like celeriac
or cabbage. Here, we’ve
combined nutty tahini and
fresh dill for a top-notch
dressing and some apple
slices for sweetness.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

1 small or ½ large swede
2 carrots (about 150g)
1 apple
3 tbsp tahini
Juice 1 lemon
1 tsp clear honey
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10g dill, chopped

1 Cut the swede and carrots
into matchsticks or coarsely
grate them in a food processor
or with a box grater. Core and
thinly slice the apple. Put them
all in a large bowl.
2 Put the tahini, lemon juice,
honey, oil and a good pinch of
salt and pepper in a jug with
2 tbsp ice-cold water and whisk
together until combined and
smooth. Pour this over the
chopped veg and add the dill.
Stir everything together until
evenly coated.
Per serving 253kcals, 18g fat
(2.6g saturated), 4.2g protein,
15g carbs (14g sugars), 0.1g
salt, 6.2g fibre

The sweet, nutty flavour of swede is divine
in a creamy gratin, infused with nutmeg
and bay and topped with comté cheese.
Sitting the swede upright for a hasselback
effect means there are lots of edges to turn
deliciously crisp and crunchy in the oven

Hasselback swede gratin
Serves 6 as a side
Hands-on time 15 min
Oven time 35 min
Specialist kit Mandoline
• 400ml double cream
• 150ml whole milk
• ½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 small or 1 large swede
(about 1.5kg), scrubbed
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 50g comté cheese (or
emmental if it needs to be
vegetarian), coarsely grated
1 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Put the cream, milk,
nutmeg, bay and a good pinch
of salt in a saucepan. Bring to

SWEDE FACTS
• Swedes are one of the main ingredients in that British favourite,
Branston Pickle, coming second in quantity only to carrot.
• Larger swedes were also widely used in the UK for carving lantern
heads for Halloween before pumpkins became more popular.
• In Denmark and Norway swedes are often confused with kohlrabi,
which means ‘cabbage turnip’, although kohlrabi is a type of cabbage.

a simmer, then remove from the
heat, cover and leave to infuse
while you prepare the swede.
2 Halve the swede lengthways,
then use a mandoline to slice it
very thinly (1-1.5mm). Sit the
slices upright in a baking dish
snug enough to hold them all
(about 22cm x 18cm). Season
well, then slide pieces of onion
and garlic between the layers of
swede so they’re evenly
distributed throughout.
3 Pour over the cream mixture,
removing the bay leaf. Scatter
over the cheese. Sit the dish
on a baking tray, then bake for
30-35 minutes until golden on
top and tender to the point of
a knife (depending on your
swede and how thick you sliced
it, it may take a little longer).
Per serving 479kcals, 40g fat
(25g saturated), 6.7g protein,
18g carbs (17g sugars),
0.2g salt, 8.3g fibre
For more fantastic swede
recipes search ‘swede’ at
deliciousmagazine.co.uk

NEXT MONTH
Celebrate the
versatility of
spring onions
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 57

Snuggle up with
Debora’s ginger
marmalade cake

voices in food.

My cooking year: February

Food for hibernation

PHOTOGRAPH: INDIA WHILEY-MORTON. FOOD STYLING: EMILY GUSSIN

When it’s still cold and dark outside, our columnist
Debora Robertson retreats to the kitchen for warmth, comfort
and the kind of cooking that will press her happy buttons

With all due respect,
TS Eliot, April is not the
cruellest month. I consider
it more passive aggressive
than actively cruel, with its
sharp winds and splashing
rain on the one hand, but
new green leaves, buds and
blossom, the blackbird’s
song and spring bulbs
wafting about on the other. If you want true
malevolence, let’s take a look at February, shall we?
The only blessing is that it’s the shortest month
of the year. Every single day feels like a week, as
we stumble to and from work in the festering gloom,
our hands frozen because we’ve already lost one
glove from any pair we were given at Christmas.
I like the beginning of winter: cosy nesting, fat books
to read on soft sofas, brisk walks in new boots, candles
and fireplaces, hot chocolate as a legitimate breakfast
choice, a jaunty hat. Then comes the cheerfulness of
Christmas, whether that means a table filled with food
surrounded by family and friends, or an excuse to do
nothing but watch Christmas films on the Hallmark
Channel while eating cheese for
days on end. Then hopeful January,
when we still believe this is the year
we’ll have green smoothies for
breakfast, get off the bus a stop
earlier to keep our steps up and get
value for money out of that gym
membership. And then, inevitably,
along comes February, and winter
feels like a house guest who has
stayed on too long, leaving damp
towels on the bathroom floor and
crumbs by the toaster. Please don’t
let us keep you. Bye, now. Same
time next year? We’ll call you.

It’s cold and wet. Yes, yes, I know technically
21 December is the shortest day, so why does it feel like
on every single day in February, the only thing I get to
enjoy in daylight is lunch? But I must remember not to
linger over coffee, because it’ll be dark in a chilly minute
and I’ll need a head torch to get home. Honestly, how
arrogant we are to think we’re smarter than animals.
Some of them at least have the great good sense to
hibernate until all this is over. Excuse me while
I go and try out the airing cupboard for size.
And so, friends, as I always do when times are
challenging, I retreat to the kitchen to find comfort,
clarity and something to do until the lights come
back on. In food we trust. Forget all those foolish
plans at New Year, inevitably made over the last
of the port and stilton, to eat ‘healthily’, whatever
that means. In February my plan is to eat cheerfully.
By now, you know those nourishing, wholesome
casseroles we batch-cooked and froze, hoping even
that meagre sense of achievement would ward off the
dreariness for a few hours? I’m already putting pastry
lids on them and calling them pies, or bobbing a few
herby dumplings in them for warmth. Remember those
lovely soup recipes we saved for a rainy day? The rainy
day is now – and how much nicer
might they be with a few cheesy
croutons floating on top...
You know all those months of root
vegetables that by now seem to lend
every mealtime a certain Baldrickean air? I’m livening them up by
throwing the whole spice drawer
at them, majoring on chillies for the
capsaicin-induced endorphin rush.
I’m going heavy on citrus to ward
off scurvy and to remind myself that
sunshine exists. I’m steaming up the
windows with suet puddings, baking
cakes (this month’s ginger and →

“Along comes
February, and
winter feels like a
house guest who has
stayed on too long,
leaving damp towels
on the bathroom
floor and crumbs
by the toaster”

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 59

voices in food.

marmalade cake is a form of sweet, sweet central heating) and trays of biscuits.
When I’m not creaming together butter and sugar until soft, I’m sitting
in an armchair (with The Big Light on) going through cookbooks and
magazines, a notebook at my side, Post-it notes in my hand, catching up
on my reading. If I’m not cooking food, I’m dreaming about food, learning
new (to me) flavours and techniques, getting ready for real life to start again.
I’m also inviting my most amusing and least demanding friends round
to share the (frozen) fruits of my labour. We’re all in this together. Make this
the month of rewards. There will be time enough for salads. Soon, but not yet.

Ginger marmalade cake
Serves 8-10
Hands-on time 25 min
Oven time 45-50 min, plus
cooling
Specialist kit 23cm springform
cake tin
• 250g unsalted butter, plus
extra to grease
• 250g light muscovado sugar
• 100g black treacle
• 120g marmalade
• Finely grated zest 1 orange
• 2 medium free-range eggs,
lightly beaten
• 350g plain flour
• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp freshly ground
black pepper

NEXT MONTH
Debora
de-mystifies
the soufflé with
two recipes

• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 120g stem ginger
(about 8 balls), chopped
For the glaze
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp syrup from the jar
of stem ginger
• 1 tsp lemon juice
For the icing
• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• 3-4 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp syrup from the jar
of stem ginger
• Chopped stem ginger and
some finely pared strips
of zest from an orange
to decorate

1 Grease the cake tin with butter
and line with baking paper, then
grease the paper too. Heat the
oven to 140°C fan/gas 3.
2 To make the cake, put the
butter, sugar and treacle in
a pan and heat gently, stirring
occasionally, until melted. Stir in
the marmalade and orange zest,
then remove from the heat and,
when just tepid, stir in the eggs.
3 In a large bowl, whisk together
the flour, ginger, baking powder,
cinnamon, pepper, salt and
cloves, then stir in the stem
ginger. Pour the treacle mixture
over the dry ingredients and stir
together with a rubber spatula.
Once well combined, pour the
mixture into the cake tin and
bake for 45-50 minutes or until
a toothpick pushed into the
middle comes out clean.
4 As soon as the cake comes
out of the oven, mix all the
ingredients for the glaze, then
brush it over the top of the cake.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes
before removing the cake from
the tin. Put it on a wire rack to
cool completely.
5 Once the cake has cooled,
whisk together the icing sugar,
orange juice and stem ginger
syrup, then drizzle the icing all
over the cake. Scatter over the
chopped stem ginger and pared
strips of orange zest to decorate.
Per serving (for 10) 587kcals,
22g fat (13g saturated), 5.1g
protein, 91g carbs (64g sugars),
0.4g salt, 1.7g fibre

“This cake will make your home smell wonderful and it’s so
simple – essentially, weigh out the dry ingredients and the wet
ingredients, stir them together, then bake. I like to use a chunky
marmalade for this, but you can use whatever you like. It keeps
well in a tin and the un-iced cake is even better after a few days”

60 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Be a

OUR EXPERT TEAM AND
GUEST CHEFS HELP YOU TO
UP YOUR COOKING GAME
AND BE MORE SUSTAINABLE.
THIS MONTH: SEASON
WITHOUT SALT, REDUCE
FOOD WASTE, NAIL FRENCH
ONION SOUP AND MORE

Season without

Every cook has salt in the kitchen,
says food editor Tom Shingler,
but when it comes to seasoning,
there’s a whole world out there
beyond the white grains and flakes

A

WHAT DOES SALT DO?
Those white crystals of sea salt don’t exactly add flavour to a dish –
instead, salt accentuates the flavours in the dish. How? The jury is still
out on that one. All animals need salt to live, so seeking it out is hardwired into our DNA, but the exact reason why salt makes us perceive
flavours more intensely is still a bit of a mystery.
There are theories about how salt opens up taste receptors on the
tongue, or how it draws out water from ingredients to make it easier
to taste them. Another idea is that food seems to taste better with salt
because our brain is rewarding us for giving our body something it needs.
Whatever the scientific reasons, as cooks we know that adding salt
to a good dish will make it taste great – provided we don’t overdo it – so
we keep it close by and follow the culinary mantra of ‘taste and season
at every stage’ whenever we’re working away in the kitchen. But while
salt on its own certainly does the job, there are many other ways to
incorporate saltiness into our cooking, along with a few added bonuses.

WORDS: TOM SHINGLER. PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

s an ingredient, salt is unique. You’d never eat it on its own, it
doesn’t have a describable flavour beyond ‘salty’ and you’d never
want sodium chloride (aka salt) to have the starring role in a dish.
Yet it’s included in every savoury (and plenty of sweet) recipes as a must.

be a better cook: skills

TAKING IT BEYOND THE SALT PIG
Think about when you want to add sweetness to something. You could
add refined white sugar, sure, but you also have the options of brown
sugar, honey, liquid glucose, maple syrup, fruit purées and (if you’re a
mega-corp conglomerate producing millions of soft drinks or sweets a
day) things like aspartame and xylitol. Salt is the white sugar of saltiness
– it does the job but in quite a neutral, straight-down-the-middle way.
Because we love salt – it’s a preservative, it accentuates flavour and
our bodies need it – it’s found in lots of other ingredients we can use to
season dishes in a more interesting way. Yes, you’re still adding salt
to your dish by using them, but you get something extra along the
way, resulting in a more complex flavour.
It’s a technique ripe for experimentation in the kitchen: I’ve had
carbonara seasoned with grated salt-cured egg yolks, fish seasoned with
powdered plankton, and wafer-thin sheets of lardo (salted pork fat)
draped over chicken – all in place of regular salt. While that falls at the
cheffy end of the spectrum, the same method can be used at home. Just
remember to taste and season to ensure you aren’t going overboard.

Whatever the reasons, as cooks we know
adding salt to a good dish will make it
taste great – provided we don’t overdo it
SIX SALTY SUBSTITUTIONS
Here are just a few of the other salty delights available to incorporate
into your cooking when the Maldon’s running low.
SOY SAUCE is the go-to
condiment for adding salt to
dishes across myriad Asian
cuisines for a reason – it lends
sweetness and a touch of
bitterness too (as well as colour).
And while it’s an obvious choice
for stir-fries, it can also take the
place of salt in Western dishes
full of rich, bold flavours. Try a
teaspoon in your ragù or drizzle
it over cheese on toast.
MISO is a relatively recent
revelation in the UK and its
ability to add salty umami
depth to dishes goes far beyond
its use in Japanese cuisine. Just
a teaspoon can add saltiness,
sweetness, earthiness and
fruitiness to a recipe, resulting
in a far more complex flavour
than salt alone could even begin
to provide. Also good in puds.

PICKLES offer the two most
important seasonings – saltiness
and acidity – making them an
absolute powerhouse in cooking.
Finely chopped and stirred into
sauces, they offer up little pops
of zingy savouriness; whizzed
into a relish, they provide a
perfect condiment to counter
rich cheeses and fatty meats;
kept chunky, their salty-sharp
crunch makes all the difference
to sandwiches or burgers.
Capers, olives and anything
brined work in the same way.
BACON is beloved for its
saltiness – but the salty fat
that renders out of it as it
cooks can imbue dishes with
rich seasoning too. Crisply fried
lardons sprinkled over a dish
create the sort of seasoning
I can get on board with.

ANCHOVY
FILLETS are
preserved in
salt to increase
their shelf life. They
can be a bit intense
whole, but fried in oil
until they dissolve at the start
of cooking a dish turns them
into a subtle background
seasoning with a greater depth
of flavour (and no fishiness).
SEAWEED, being from the sea
and all, is fairly salty. But it also
boasts vegetal, mineral and
oceanic flavours with a serious
punch of umami. There are
hundreds of edible varieties
that can be eaten fresh, dried,
cooked or raw – try crushing a
nori sheet between your fingers
and sprinkling it over fish or rice
instead of the usual salt flakes.

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 63

Best of the best.

FRENCH
ONION SOUP

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING POLLYANNA COUPLAND PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

be a better cook: skills.

No shortcuts. No cheat ingredients. Our best of the best
series takes the view that if something’s worth doing, it’s
worth doing right. Each month we take a deep-dive into a
classic dish, delving into the processes and analysing why
it tastes so good, then we share the ultimate recipe. This
month: Pollyanna Coupland lifts the lid on a Gallic favourite

A

big bowl of caramelised onions topped with hefty melted
cheese croutons is the perfect antidote to a cold February.
Onion soup essentially consists of just onions (surprise!)
and stock and it’s said to date back to Roman times. Onions
were easy to grow and therefore cheap, so soupy onions
remained a peasant staple until the 18th century, when the French king,
Louis XV, ‘invented’ a new dish in a hunting lodge using onions, butter
and champagne (all he had to hand). Suddenly, onion soup was en vogue
and France’s best chefs upgraded the soup to the beefy, cheese croutontopped creation we know and love today. Here’s my ultimate version.
KNOW YOUR ONIONS
Some recipes call for sweeter
white onions, but I find big yellow
(or brown) onions are best for this
soup, along with banana shallots
for a better balance of depth and
sweetness. White onions can
result in something that’s a little
too sweet. I’m one of those people
who thinks whenever there are
onions, garlic must follow, but
on this rare occasion, the garlic
isn’t needed; we want it to be all
about the onions.

the structure of the onions,
bringing out their moisture.
• Cover the pan for the first hour
of cooking. This creates steam,
which helps soften and cook the
onions at the top of the pan. Once
the lid is removed, the liquid will
evaporate and the onions will start
to turn a deep caramel colour.
• Be vigilant with your stirring,
especially after the first hour.
There’s no point waiting two hours,
only to burn the onions at the end.

TAKE YOUR TIME
You can’t rush caramelising the
onions or they’ll taste burnt and
bitter; some say to add sugar for
sweetness, but then you lose out
on the depth of flavour you get
from properly caramelised onions.
Here’s how to do it.
• You’ll need a large, heavy-based
pan. It’ll look full at the start, but
by the time the onions caramelise
they’ll have shrunk a huge amount.
• Slice the onions finely and evenly
to ensure uniform caramelisation
and cook in butter rather than oil
for a richer flavour.
• Stir in a big pinch of salt at the
beginning, as it helps break down

GET RADICAL WITH STOCK
French onion soup is traditionally
made with beef stock, which can
be difficult to make at home (it
requires lots of big beef bones and
time) but the ready-made ones in
the shops aren’t up to scratch
either. The solution? A knockout
homemade chicken stock, given a
bolder boost of flavour thanks to
a few tricks. It might have Escoffier
turning in his grave due to its lack
of orthodoxy, but it works.
Roasting a chicken carcass
(even if it’s from an already
roasted chicken) until bronzed
in the oven gives your stock that
deep brown colour and rich

flavour. I’ve also added red wine,
which isn’t often used in stock but
gives a lovely dark colour and
deep, fruity undertone.
Extra umami-boosting secret
ingredients are also added to the
stock to give the illusion of beef
without having to use actual
bones – dried porcini and some
beefy Bovril, which adds a rich,
yeasty, malty flavour.
PUT IT TOGETHER
Once you’ve taken the time to
caramelise the onions and simmer
the stock (both take about the
same amount of time), assembling
the soup doesn’t take long at all
(and bear in mind that both the
stock and the onions can be made
in advance and chilled or frozen).
All that’s needed now is some
booze for depth of flavour and
some all-important seasonings.
The alcohol used seems to differ
from recipe to recipe (even the
super-traditional ones). Louis XV
used champagne; most modern
chefs opt for white wine, sherry or
brandy, but my favourite in
testing was marsala wine – the
sweet, caramelised tones match
the soup exquisitely. I also add
Worcestershire sauce for a punch
of umami and a splash of vinegar
– the sharpness cuts through the
sweet richness and lifts the dish
from good to great (or so-so to,
if I say so myself, souperb).
ADD YOUR CRUNCH
After all that work and time, it’s
the slices of cheese on toast on
top of your soup that’ll catch →
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 65

everyone’s eye. They need to be
made from slices of well toasted
baguette, covered in comté cheese
and put under the grill until
speckled brown and bubbling.
Traditionally the soup is served
in ovenproof ramekins so the
toasts can be melted while floating
on the soup – this does make a
difference, as the melted top fuses
into a sort of lid, trapping the
liquid underneath.
Finally, sticking with the
allium family, I love to finish the
dish with a fresh pop of green in
the form of some finely sliced
chives. And don’t forget plenty
of black pepper.

Best-of-the-best
French onion soup
Serves 4
Hands-on time 40 min
Simmering time 2 hours 20 min
As the onions take so
long, get the biggest pan
you have and make up
a double batch, then freeze half.
It’s important to add cold
BE A
BETTER water when making your
COOK
stock and simmer it
gently. This allows impurities and
fats to rise to the top rather than
emulsifying into the boiled water
and making it greasy.
MAKE
AHEAD

NEXT MONTH
The ultimate
carrot cake

For the stock
• 1 chicken carcass (raw from
the butchers or, even better,
left over from a roast)
• 1 onion
• ½ leek
• 1 carrot
• 1 portobello mushroom
• Dash vegetable oil
• 200ml red wine
• 1-2 handfuls veg trimmings
(spring onion greens, onion
tops, carrot peel and so on –
optional)
• 10g dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ bunch thyme

66 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1-2 tsp Bovril
For the caramelised onions
• 800g onions
• 400g shallots
• 80g unsalted butter
• 100ml marsala wine or
amontillado sherry
• 1-2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
To serve
• 4 thick baguette slices
• 1 garlic clove
• 80g comté cheese, finely
grated
• ½ bunch chives, finely chopped
1 Begin with the stock. Heat the
oven to 180°C fan/gas 6 and put
the chicken carcass on an oven
tray. Roast for 30 minutes until
it’s a rich, dark reddish brown –
do keep an eye on it, as if you
take it too far and it begins
blackening, it will taste too bitter
and be ruined. While it roasts,
slice the onion, leek, carrot and
portobello mushroom (saving any
peels, roots and trimmings) and
heat a dash of oil in a large stock
pot over a low-medium heat. Add
the sliced veg and cook until
caramelised, stirring occasionally
– they should be nicely done by
the time the bones are ready.
2 Meanwhile, get started on the
caramelised onions: finely slice
the onions and shallots (again,
saving the roots and peels for
the stock) and add to a large
heavy-based saucepan with
a lid. Put in the butter and a
large pinch of salt, cover and
cook over a low heat for 2 hours,
stirring often and removing
the lid after the first hour. The
caramelised onions are ready
when deeply sticky and brown
– they’ll begin to catch quite
regularly towards the end, so
keep your eye on them.
3 Once it’s roasted, add the
carcass to the stock pot of veg,
then put the oven tray over the

heat and deglaze with a splash
of the red wine. Scrape off the
tasty bits and add it all to the
pot too. Add the rest of the red
wine, bring to a simmer and
reduce by half, then top up with
2 litres cold water. Bring to the
boil and skim off the scum/foam
that rises to the top. Turn down
to a simmer and add all your
reserved roots, peels and any
veg trimmings (if using), along
with the dried mushrooms, bay
leaves, thyme and peppercorns.
Simmer for 2 hours or until the
onions in the other pan are done.
4 Strain the stock through a fine
sieve into a bowl or jug – you
want about 1 litre. Stir in 1 tsp
Bovril: taste and add more Bovril,
salt and black pepper if needed.
5 Now you’ve taken the time
to make these two exquisite
elements, the soup itself is easy.
Add the marsala or sherry to the
pan with the caramelised onions
and bubble for a few minutes
until reduced by half. Pour in
the stock and gently simmer for
20 minutes – this is just to heat
through and amalgamate the
flavours – it doesn’t need to
reduce. Season with the vinegar,
Worcestershire sauce, salt and
pepper. Keep warm.
6 To serve, heat the grill to
medium-high and toast the
baguette slices under it on
both sides. Rub one side of each
slice with a raw clove of peeled
garlic. Divide the soup among
4 ovenproof bowls, then top
with the bread, followed by lots
of grated comté. Put the bowls
back under the grill to melt
(if you don’t own 4 ovenproof
bowls, you can put the toasts on
a baking tray and grill them first,
then add them to the soup).
Finish the dish with plenty of
finely chopped chives and a
generous crack of black pepper.
Per serving 440kcals, 25g fat
(15g saturated), 16g protein,
28g carbs (18g sugars),
1.4g salt, 7.4g fibre

be a better cook: skills.

When it’s cold outside, holing up in the kitchen and
spending a few hours surrounded by gently bubbling
pots while delicious aromas fill the house is how I like
to spend my time – and the end result is amazing

Technical bake.

Custard tarts with
a fennel-seed twist
A custard tart is a wondrous thing – but chef Joe Laker’s version
has to be the best we’ve tasted. Fennel seeds are a fantastic
inclusion in sweet recipes, offering up fragrant aniseed flavour
without being overpowering. A dusting of whizzed-up seeds on
top gives the tarts a beautiful pale green finish, while the infused
cream ensures every bite delivers a sweet hint of anise
PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

THE RECIPE
Makes 6
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
infusing and resting
Oven time 50 min
Specialist kit 6 x 10cm loosebottomed fluted tart tins
Any excess uncooked
pastry can be saved and
re-rolled to make jam
tarts or turnovers.
Lightly beat the leftover egg
whites, then freeze in portions in
labelled freezer bags. Use for
meringues, mousses or cocktails.
DON’T
WASTE
IT

A BIT ABOUT JOE
He’s the chef-proprietor of Counter 71
in London’s Shoreditch, where he
serves a brilliant tasting menu of over
10 courses (including this tart) to just
16 diners. The cooking focuses on
seasonal British produce-led cooking,
and Joe’s time spent in Michelinstarred kitchens ensures every dish
is perfectly crafted. counter71.co.uk
68 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

For the pastry
• 250g plain flour, plus extra
to dust
• 50g ground almonds
• 100g icing sugar
• 150g unsalted butter, chilled
and chopped
• 2g salt
• 2 medium free-range eggs
For the filling
• 60g fennel seeds

• 600g double cream
• 9 medium free-range egg yolks
• 75g caster sugar
1 Begin by making the pastry.
Put the flour, ground almonds
and icing sugar in a stand mixer
with the beater attachment. Mix
until well combined, then add
the chopped butter [A] with the
motor running until the mixture
resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the salt and one of the eggs,
then mix at a medium speed just
until a dough forms (add a tiny
splash of water if you need to).
Flour your work surface [B], then
tip out the dough and briefly
work with your hands until
smooth. Form into a rough
square, wrap and chill for at least
2 hours (or ideally overnight: see
Get-It-Right Tips, over the page).
2 Put the fennel seeds in a large
dry frying pan and toast over a
medium heat until fragrant and
beginning to brown (3-5 minutes).
Put a third of the toasted seeds
in a saucepan (reserve the rest) →

be a better cook: skills.

A

B
C

and pour in the cream. Bring the
cream to the boil, then remove
from the heat, cover and leave
to infuse for 2 hours (or see
Get-It-Right Tips, opposite).
3 Once the pastry has rested,
heat the oven to 160°C fan/
gas 4. Lightly flour your work
surface and cut the pastry into
6 equal portions. Roll out each
piece of pastry until it’s 4-5mm
thick. Use the pastry to line the
tart tins [C], gently pushing it
into the flutes with a small ball
of excess pastry. Trim away any
overhang [D] (see Don’t Waste
It), then line with foil or baking
paper and fill with baking beans
or dry rice. Blind-bake the pastry
cases for 15 minutes, then
remove the beans/rice and paper
and return to the oven for 3-5
minutes more until golden brown
all over. Beat the remaining
whole egg, then brush inside
the pastry cases with it. Return
the cases to the oven for a final
2 minutes, then set aside
to cool. Turn the oven down to
95°C fan/gas ½.
4 Strain the fennel-infused cream
into a clean pan on a scale – stop
when you have 500g. Put the
pan over a low-medium heat and
gently bring it to the boil.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks
and sugar together until smooth
and pale. When the cream comes

to the boil, remove from the heat
and pour a little of it into the
eggs, using a rubber spatula to
stir it all together and temper
the eggs. Gradually pour the rest
of the cream into the eggs,
stirring constantly. Don’t use
a whisk as you don’t want to
incorporate any air into the mix.
5 Transfer the custard to a large
jug. Put the tart cases on a large
baking tray, then carefully and
slowly pour the custard into
them [E], filling them to the top.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes
– they’re ready when set but still
with a wobble when you gently
shake them (they’ll set further as
they cool). If they’re still too liquid
at this stage, continue to bake,
checking at 5-minute intervals.
6 While the tarts bake, put the
reserved toasted fennel seeds in
a small blender or spice grinder
and whizz to a fine powder. Once
the tarts have set, put the
fennel powder in a fine sieve and
use it to liberally dust the top of
each tart [F]. You can either wait
for the tarts to set at room
temperature or put them in the
fridge to speed up the process
– but let them come back to room
temperature before serving.
Per tart 849kcals, 66g fat
(36g saturated), 11g protein,
52g carbs (27g sugars),
0.5g salt, 2g fibre

E

be a better cook: skills.

The plan was never to create a
signature dish; we move and flow
with the seasons at Counter 71,
never standing still. That said, we
made this tart on our opening
night and the chef Alyn Williams,
who was there, said it was one of
the best custard tarts he’s ever
eaten. And when Alyn Williams
talks, you listen
JOE LAKER

BE A
BETTER
COOK

D
F

GET-IT-RIGHT TIPS FROM
THE delicious. FOOD TEAM

• Resting the pastry overnight helps reduce
the chance of it shrinking as it bakes – so it’s
worth doing if you want the sharpest, most
professional looking tarts. You can also
infuse the cream in the fridge at the same
time as that will bring out the fennel flavour.
If you don’t have time to rest the pastry for
more than 2 hours, it’s better to leave a little
pastry overhang when blind-baking, then
carefully shave off the excess pastry with
a fine grater once it’s firm.
• Using a ball of raw pastry to push the
pastry into the flutes when you’re lining each
tin helps ensure you don’t tear the dough
with your nails.
• Brushing the inside of the tart with egg,
then baking it until dry and shiny, helps to
keep the pastry crisp once the liquid filling
is added to the tart case.
• If your oven shelf is stable and you don’t
trust yourself carrying a tray of filled tarts,
put the pastry cases on the baking tray, then
put the tray on the partly pulled-out oven
shelf. Holding the edge of the shelf in one
hand to make sure it doesn’t wobble, fill the
tarts with the other hand, then carefully slide
the shelf back into the oven.
• If you prefer, you can use this recipe to
make one large tart in a 20cm tart tin – roll
out the pastry in one piece and increase the
oven time to 30 minutes. Take the tart out of
the oven when there’s still a slight wobble in
the middle as it will firm up more when cool.

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 71

Waste not.

STORIES
OF SAVVY
HOME
COOKING
Bowls of
Tuscan
goodness

PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON
FOOD STYLING EMILY GUSSIN

be a better cook: sustainability.

Searching for ways to cut down on food waste? It’s worth noting that frugality
isn’t a new concept. Cooking with minimal wastage has been integral for
generations in cultures across the globe. Stretching ingredients and using up
leftovers are so ingrained in daily cooking, you wouldn’t think twice about it –
but when you do, a host of tips and tricks come to light. Four chefs and food
writers share their frugal traditions and recipes for using things up

TUSCAN ITALIAN Leftovers re-invented
By chef Dara Klein
This hearty Tuscan soup
takes simple ingredients to
deliver the ultimate comfort
food. Ribollita means reboiled; it would often get
cooked again the next day
to deepen the flavour. This
is a great way of using those stale ends of
bread loaves and the vegetables loitering at
the bottom of the drawer. My parents used
to make it in their restaurant. It was on
constant rotation in our house, and now
it’s at Tiella as a regular meal for the staff
Ribollita
Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min
Simmering time 1 hour 5 minutes
•
•
•
•
•

3 carrots
4 celery sticks
2 large onions
4 garlic cloves
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil,
plus extra to drizzle
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 7 thyme sprigs
• 1 sage sprig
• 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 400g tin good-quality tomatoes
• 3 x 360g jars borlotti beans
(you can use tinned beans but
the jarred ones have a much
better flavour and texture)

• 200g cavolo nero, leaves
stripped off the stems and
cut into large strips
• ½ loaf stale sourdough or
crusty bread like focaccia (the
dryer or more stale the better)
• Red wine vinegar (I like merlot
vinegar) to serve
• Finely grated parmesan to
serve (optional)
1 Finely chop the carrots, celery,
onions and garlic. Put a large pan
(one with a lid) over a lowmedium heat and add the oil,
then the chopped veg. Tie the
bay, rosemary, thyme and sage
together with string to make a
bouquet garni, then throw that
in the pan too with the salt and
pepper. Cook slowly for 35-45
minutes, stirring every now and

then, until the vegetables are
caramelised and turning jammy.
2 Add the tomatoes, turn up the
heat to medium-high and simmer
until most of the liquid has
evaporated. Drain and rinse the
beans, then add them to the pan
with 600ml water. (You could
also use vegetable stock or
chicken stock if you have it.)
Cover and cook over a medium
heat for 20 minutes.
3 Remove the lid, add the cavolo
nero and continue to simmer
until it’s the consistency of a
thick soup. Meanwhile, cut your
stale bread into large chunks.
4 Remove the pan from the heat,
check for seasoning and adjust
to your taste. Add a splash of
red wine vinegar and the bread,
then let them sit in the liquid for
10 minutes. Ladle into bowls
(discarding the bouquet garni)
and drizzle with a nice glug of
olive oil, a crack of black pepper
and parmesan (if using).
Per serving 633kcals, 19g fat
(3g saturated), 28g protein,
74g carbs (17g sugars), 4.6g salt,
→
26g fibre

A BIT ABOUT DARA
She’s the head chef of Tiella at The Compton
Arms in north London. Rustic Italian food is
the focus there, with hearty hand-rolled
pastas and succulent braised meats. The
restaurant is an ode to Dara’s mother, a
renowned chef in Italy and New Zealand, and
a nostalgic homage to Dara’s childhood spent
in rural Emilia-Romagna.

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 73

CARIBBEAN Slow roasts and leftovers
By chef Liam Barker
Lechón is one
of my favourite
Sunday dinners
– slow-roast
pork with crispy
skin is one of the
best things in
life. There are so many varieties
of roast pork around the
Caribbean, from the Dominican
Republic to Puerto Rico to
Colombia, all based on the
same concept of low-and-slow
cooking. It’s usually big cuts
of pork being slowly roasted
during special celebrations, so
there are often leftovers. This
is a traditional Cuban way of
using up lechón, but it can be
used for any roast pork.
I love this recipe because
when I cook pork, I don’t do
it by half – recently I cooked a
whole pig over fire. Good bread
is key, too. You want a light
sandwich with tender meat,
crisp skin and zingy onions
providing bite and freshness

Pan con lechón (Cuban
roast pork sandwich)
Serves 4
Hands-on time 30 min
• 3 limes
• 1 orange
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 500g leftover roast pork,
ideally with crackling
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• Small bunch coriander
• 200ml mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large avocado
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 brioche buns (I like the
St Pierre brand)
1 Heat the oven to 180°C fan/
gas 6. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime
and the orange into a saucepan,
add the stock cube and 500ml
water, then bring to the boil.
Remove and set aside the skin
from your roast pork, then
roughly shred the meat with
your hands or 2 forks. Add the
shredded pork to the orangelime stock and simmer gently for
20 minutes. Put the pork skin on
a tray in the oven to get it back
to crispy chicharrón (crackling)
– this will take about 20 minutes
too but keep an eye on it.
2 Meanwhile, finely slice the

onion and tip into a bowl. Add
the zest and juice of 1 lime,
a generous pinch of salt and
most of the oregano.
3 Finely chop the coriander and
add half to the mayonnaise in
a bowl. Stir in the zest and juice
of the final lime, along with the
hot sauce and grated garlic.
4 Finely slice the tomato and
season with salt, pepper and the
remaining oregano. In another
bowl, smash the avocado, mix
with the remaining coriander and
season well with salt and pepper.
5 Once the shredded pork has
had its time it will be tender and
juicy. Remove from the stock.
Heat a frying pan over a medium
heat. Add the cumin seeds and
cook the pork for 2-3 minutes
so it caramelises a little.
Transfer to a bowl and season.
6 Halve the buns and add to the
frying pan cut-side down to warm
a little. Smash up the crispy pork
skin into little bite-size pieces.
7 Now it’s time to build – on the
bottom part of the buns start
with the tomato, then the
shredded meat, onion, crispy skin
and mayo. Lastly smear the
avocado onto the cut side of the
top part of the buns, then crown
your pan con lechóns.
Per serving 953kcals, 71g fat
(13g saturated), 41g protein,
33g carbs (11g sugars), 1.2g
salt, 3.7g fibre →

A BIT ABOUT LIAM
He began his culinary career at Corrigan’s Mayfair before
starting his own Caribbean food pop-up concept across London
and Stockholm, heavily influenced by Trinidad & Tobago,
Barbados and the Colombian coast. On his social channels
@chef.liam and in his latest project, Food Education, on YouTube,
Liam’s goal is to teach how we can all be more sustainable in our
use of food, as well as bridge the gap in food education.

be a better cook: sustainability.

The pulled
pork burger of
your dreams

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 75

JAPAN Every last scrap used up
By food writer Aya Nishimura
The spirit of not wasting food is
deeply rooted in Japanese life. We
try to use every part of a vegetable.
For example, we use daikon radish
leaves to make pickles. You can use
other leftover greens here, such as
spinach or kale, and add shredded
chicken and salmon flakes. It’s an easy, nourishing
and soothing meal to eat in cold weather

Egg zosui (Japanese
rice porridge)
Serves 2
Hands-on time 20 min
• 250g cooked Japanese rice (or
any other short-grain rice)
• 500ml chicken stock or dashi
(Japanese stock)
• 1 small carrot, cut into
matchsticks
• 85g shiitake, shimeji or oyster
mushrooms (or a mix), trimmed
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 medium free-range eggs
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
lengthways
• 5g nori sheet, roughly torn
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds,
coarsely ground
1 Warm the leftover rice in the
microwave or in a steamer, then
put in a sieve and briefly wash
under running water to help
remove any excess starch.
2 Bring the chicken stock or
dashi to a simmer, then add the
carrot, mushrooms and washed
rice. Let it simmer until the soup
slightly thickens – this should
take about 10 minutes. Add the
soy sauce and stir.
3 Lightly beat the eggs in a small
jug or bowl, then gradually drizzle
the eggs into the pan in a circular
motion. Once the eggs look soft
set, turn off the heat. Ladle the
rice porridge into bowls, sprinkling
with the sliced spring onion, nori
and sesame seeds as you eat.
Per serving 367kcals, 11g fat
(2.6g saturated), 20g protein,
45g carbs (11g sugars), 2.5g
→
salt, 5.1g fibre

A BIT ABOUT AYA
Versatile
savoury egg
porridge

The London-based food
stylist is also a recipe
writer and author. Her first
book, the award-winning
Japanese Food Made Easy,
was published in 2019 by
Murdoch books.

be a better cook: sustainability.

Over the page,
Nisha Parmar
makes pasta
to put in
leftover dal

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 77

be a better cook: sustainability.

GUJARATI INDIAN Make once, eat twice
By private chef Nisha Parmar
Growing up in a Gujarati house, having leftovers
was the norm. My mum’s ‘make once, eat twice’
approach meant last night’s dinner could turn into
a new dish the next day. Rice might be transformed
into dumplings, or chapatis into yogurty porridge.
Here I’m sharing how my mum would turn leftover
dal into a comforting one-pot bowl of Indian pasta!
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil or
vegetable oil
• 200-400g leftover dal (see
Know-how)
• Coriander leaves, knob of
butter and greek yogurt to
serve (optional)

Dal dhokli
Serves 4
Hands-on time 40 min
This dish is traditionally
made with toor dal
(pigeon peas) but you
can use whatever leftover dal
you have. Toor dal is smooth,
with fresh finely chopped
tomatoes, jaggery and lemon
juice added at the end of
cooking, followed by a tadka
of curry leaves, coriander and
cumin seeds. You could add
these to the dal you have before
thinning it down into a broth to
make this dish more similar to
the original.
KNOWHOW

• 250g chapati flour, plus extra
for rolling
• 2 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ tsp ajwain seeds (also
called carom seeds)
• 1 tsp salt
78 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

1 In a bowl, mix the flours,
turmeric, chilli powder, ajwain
seeds, salt and oil. Gradually stir
in 125ml hot water until it forms
a dough, then knead for at least
5 minutes until it’s firm and
smooth. Cover (upturning the
bowl over the dough on the
worktop works well) and leave
to rest for 15 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, get your dal to
the right consistency. Thin out
the dal with water (or stock),
whizzing with a hand blender
until smooth and brothy.
You’ll need about 1 litre. Put
in a large saucepan.
3 Divide the dough into 4 equal
portions and use your hands to
roll into smooth balls. Then
flatten each and dip into extra
chapati flour to prevent sticking.
Roll out into a 30cm round
(about 2mm thick). Use a sharp
knife or pizza cutter to cut strips
lengthways, then diagonally
across to create diamond shapes
(dhokli). Set aside, taking care
not to overlap. Repeat with the
rest of the dough.
4 Bring the brothy dal to a rapid

boil and gently drop in each
diamond-shape piece of dough,
one by one. This may seem time
consuming but it’s to ensure
the dhoklis don’t clump and stick
together. The dal may thicken as
the dhoklis release starch from
the flour – this is normal. Once
all the dhoklis are added, simmer
over a medium heat for about
8-10 minutes, stirring every now
and then. Taste to ensure the
dhoklis are cooked. The texture
should be softer than pasta, not
al dente (with bite).
5 Finish with a knob of butter
and serve in bowls with chopped
fresh coriander and a spoonful
of greek yogurt, if desired.
Per serving (depending on your
dal) 409kcals, 14g fat (1.4g
saturated), 13g protein, 51g
carbs (2g sugars), 1.7g salt,
13g fibre

A BIT ABOUT NISHA
Working as a private chef,
Nisha cooks up feasts for
celebrities and special
occasions. She was a
MasterChef semi-finalist
in 2018 and her first
cookbook, Share: Asianinspired Dinner Party
Dishes, is out in March.

be a better cook: sustainability.

DON’T
BIN IT!

PATTY PARTY
Potato cakes are a great useit-up dinner. Mash the spuds
(if not already mashed). Add
small chunks of ham, tinned
or smoked fish, roast veg or
chicken. Next, stir in spices,
herbs and mustard/harissa/
curry paste. Season well, then
mix in a little beaten egg and
flour. Shape into patties and
chill briefly (or freeze for later)
before frying until golden and hot
throughout. Serve topped with an egg.

Cooked potato
Whether you’ve
steamed, mashed or
roasted your potatoes,
there’s often some left
in the dish or pan at the
end of a meal. Emily Gussin is here to
give those spuds a new lease of life

STORE THEM RIGHT

Move the uneaten potatoes to an airtight container that’s
just large enough. When cool, add the lid and pop in the
fridge. Use within 4 days or freeze to use later.

MAKE A HASH OF IT

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

Upgrade your breakfast with a fry-up hash. Cut the
leftover potatoes into small chunks and fry with oil
until crisp. Add chopped bacon or smoked tofu
and continue frying, next add some chopped
mushrooms, then spinach. Make hollows with
the back of a spoon and crack an egg into
each. Sprinkle with parsley, season and
serve with ketchup or hot sauce.

SALAD
STAPLE
Boiled or jacket potatoes
are the ideal base for a
lunch salad the next day.
Cut into bite-size pieces,
then assemble the hardy
salad items in an airtight
container. By hardy, I
mean things that won’t
go limp left in dressing
overnight – tomatoes,
peppers or beetroot
are great. Then make
the dressing, pour it over,
cover and leave in the
fridge overnight for the
flavours to mingle. The
next day add the rest of
the veg and salad leaves
to make a full lunch.

QUICK
THICKENER
A small amount of
leftover mashed
potato makes a
great thickener
for soup or stews.
Add some of the
liquid from the
pan to the potato
in a bowl, mix in,
then pour back
into the pan and
stir to combine.

NEXT MONTH
How to use every
drop of wine
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 79

Use it up.

Sourdough
discard

Our delicious. sourdough
expert, Elaine Boddy,
shares two clever recipes
that make fine use of
a by-product of baking
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING ELAINE BODDY
PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

80 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

be a better cook: sustainability.

If you’ve ever made sourdough,
you’ll know about sourdough
discard – and if you haven’t
made it, search ‘sourdough’ at
deliciousmagazine.co.uk for my
simplified guide. When creating
a starter (which acts as the raising
agent), you need to regularly feed
it with flour and water. Once it’s
reached a certain liveliness and
size, you remove some of the
starter. Instead of throwing this
flavourful surplus away, I’m
giving you two ideas for using it
up: a waffle with attitude and a
knockout banana loaf

Cheese and
jalapeño
sourdough
waffle

be a better cook: sustainability.

Cheese and jalapeño
sourdough waffle
Makes 1
Hands-on time 20 min, plus
resting
Specialist kit Waffle maker

“Making sourdough waffles
is a great new way to use
sourdough starter in a batter.
The possibilities for these
are endless. If you don’t
have a waffle maker, don’t
worry – you can use the
same batter to make savoury
cheesy chilli pancakes.”
You can use a sourdough
starter that’s at any
stage in this recipe
(including discard), as it’s only
adding flavour rather than
acting as a raising agent.
You can use any flour
EASY
SWAPS you like in this recipe –
try spelt, wholemeal
or an ancient grain.
ELAINE’S
TIP

• 100g sourdough starter
• 50g plain flour
• 50g mature cheddar, coarsely
grated
• 1 medium free-range egg
• 10g sliced pickled jalapeños
from a jar, finely chopped
1 Put all the ingredients in a bowl
with 50ml water and a pinch
of salt. Whisk well to make
a lumpy batter, then set aside
for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
2 Turn on your waffle maker and
wait for it to reach temperature.
Pour the waffle batter into the
waffle maker (depending on your
82 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

particular model/size, you
may not need all the batter).
3 Close the lid and wait for the
waffle to cook; you’ll know it’s
ready when there’s no more
steam coming from the machine
and the waffle is golden and
crisp. In my waffle maker this
takes about 10-15 minutes,
but different models will vary.
4 Serve the waffle warm as is,
or with a little melted butter
or extra cheese on top.
Per waffle 643kcals, 24g fat
(13g saturated), 30g protein,
75g carbs (0.8g sugars), 1.5g
salt, 4.1g fibre

Sourdough banana bread
Makes 1 loaf (enough to serve 6)
Hands-on time 10 min
Oven time 1 hour, plus cooling
Specialist kit 2lb loaf tin

“This recipe is made with
sourdough starter and ripe
bananas to create a quick
and easy bake. I recommend
experimenting with the
additions. I’ve used spelt flour
for mine, but you could use
plain, wholemeal or bread
flour (or a mix of them), or
maybe try some einkorn and
emmer flour. You can add
nuts, chocolate chips, raisins…
Throw in whatever you fancy.”
You can use a sourdough
starter that’s at any
stage in this recipe
(including discard), as it’s only
adding flavour rather than
acting as a raising agent.
Elaine uses a ‘cold start’
KNOWmethod of baking, where
HOW
you don’t preheat the
oven. It saves energy and time!
ELAINE’S
TIP

• 4 very ripe bananas
• 200g white spelt, wholemeal
spelt or plain flour
• 100g sourdough starter
• 50g runny honey
• 50g slightly salted butter,
at room temperature

•
•
•
•

1 medium free-range egg
7g bicarbonate of soda
3.5g baking powder
50g pecans or walnuts, whole
or halved (optional)

1 Line the loaf tin with baking
paper. Mash 3 of the bananas
in a mixing bowl; slice the final
banana lengthways and set aside.
2 Add the rest of the ingredients
to the bowl and mix into a lumpy
batter, ensuring there are no
patches of dry flour left but
trying not to overmix. Spoon the
mixture into the lined tin, then
sit the sliced banana on top.
3 Put the tin in the oven and set
the temperature to 160°C fan/
gas 4. Bake for 1 hour, or until
a skewer pushed in the centre of
the loaf comes out clean.
4 Leave the banana bread to
cool in the tin on a wire rack
for 10-15 minutes, then remove
from the tin and serve warm
or at room temperature.
Per serving 310kcals, 8.3g fat
(4.8g saturated), 6.2g protein,
51g carbs (19g sugars), 0.2g
salt, 2.6g fibre

Sourdough
banana bread

1 BEEF BRISKET
4 GREAT MEALS
A slow braise lends itself well to big cuts of meat – but if there isn’t a
crowd to feed, a large joint can seem excessive. The answer? Freeze the
leftovers, then adapt them into exciting new dishes. It’ll save on your
energy bill and save you time too – most of the work has been done already
84 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING: EMILY GUSSIN. PHOTOGRAPHS: INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

Make the most of your freezer.

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be a better cook: sustainability.

Ch
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be a better cook: sustainability.

This simple slow-cooked beef is meltingly
tender and rich with onion, ale and bay.
The whole lot will feed up to 10, but if
there’s only a couple of you, freeze the
leftovers and make one or more of our
exciting variations later on in the month

...AND 3 MORE
GREAT MEALS
These twists on the base recipe
work with about a quarter of the
cooked meat, but you can adjust
them to suit how much you have
left. Shred the meat before using.
CHIPOTLE BEEF & BEANS

YOUR BASE RECIPE
Pot-roast brisket
with ale and onions
Serves 8-10
Hands-on time 30 min
Oven time 3 hours 20-30 min
Freeze in portions for up
to 3 months, defrosting
in the fridge overnight
before reheating or repurposing.
MAKE
AHEAD

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1.75kg grass-fed British beef
brisket, ideally regeneratively
farmed
• 6 small onions, quartered
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml dark ale
• 750ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled but
left whole
• 1 bay leaf

86 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

1 Heat the oven to 150°C fan/
gas 3½. Heat the oil in a large
hobproof casserole (one with
a lid) over a high heat. Sear the
brisket for a few minutes on
each side until golden all over.
Use tongs to lift it onto a plate.
2 Turn the heat down to medium,
add the onions to the pot and
cook for 15 minutes until
softened and golden. Stir in the
flour, cooking for a minute, then
pour in the ale, stir and simmer
for 5 minutes. Add the beef
stock, Worcestershire sauce,
garlic and bay, then lower the
brisket into the liquid. Bring to
a simmer, then cover with a lid
and put in the oven. Cook for
3 hours, turning the meat over
halfway through.
3 Remove the lid and return
to the oven for 20-30 minutes
to reduce and thicken the
sauce. Serve with mashed
potato, greens and hot sauce,
or remove the brisket and bubble
the sauce to reduce it further,
then pile slices of the brisket
and the sauce-coated onions
into buns. Use the leftovers to
make one of our variations, right.
Per serving (for 10) 481kcals,
32g fat (12g saturated), 35g
protein, 11g carbs (5.4g sugars),
0.6g salt, 1.1g fibre

Toast 1 chipotle chilli and
½ tsp cumin seeds in a dry
frying pan for a minute until
fragrant. Tip into a small
heatproof bowl and cover with
200ml just-boiled water. Soak
for 10 minutes, then whizz in a
blender until smooth. Add to
a pan with the leftover beef.
Warm through over a medium
heat for 10 minutes, then add a
drained 400g tin of black beans
and cook for 5 minutes. Serve
with rice, soured cream, pickled
jalapeños and spring onion.

MISO UDON
In a large frying pan, fry
100g shredded cabbage and
100g sliced mushrooms in
a dash of oil until tender. In
a bowl, mix 1 tbsp brown miso
paste, 1 tsp dark soy sauce,
1 tsp mirin and 60ml water.
Add 10g finely grated ginger,
2 crushed garlic cloves and
1 sliced red chilli to the pan.
Stir-fry for a minute, then add
the leftover beef. Once heated
through, add 400g fresh udon
noodles and the miso sauce.
Cook, stirring, until well coated
and heated through.

RIGATONI RAGÙ
Put the leftover beef in a pan
with 400g tinned chopped
tomatoes and 1 tsp dried
oregano. Stir, bring to a
simmer, then bubble gently
for 20 minutes to heat the
beef through and thicken
the sauce a little. Serve with
rigatoni pasta, basil leaves
and parmesan shavings.

The food
I cook at home
BY AMY POON
For the Lunar New Year (Saturday 10 February),
some serious feasting is in order to welcome
in the year of the dragon. Luckily for us,
Amy Poon has shared a magnificent trio of
home-style Chinese dishes that showcase
flavours and techniques beyond the more
familiar wok-fried noodles and rice
PHOTOGRAPHS TOM SHINGLER

A BIT ABOUT AMY
She’s the force behind Poon’s London,
her family’s food business producing
top-quality Chinese sauces, oils and
dressings, alongside wind-dried meats
and wontons (delivered nationally and
served at her pop-up Wontoneria in
Fitzrovia, London). Her father, Bill, was
the chef at the wildly popular Poon’s
restaurants in London throughout
the 1990s and 2000s, and Amy has
been carrying on her family’s legacy
since her parents retired in 2006.
Follow Amy @poonslondon
88 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

There’s a whole world of Chinese home cooking out there
that’s not covered in the West. Most of the Chinese dishes
that first come to mind are really from restaurants. At
home, for example, a lot of dishes are steamed, which is an
area of Chinese cookery that’s lesser known. For Chinese
New Year I wanted to share dishes that are different from
the usual fare, but still easy and quick to cook at home.
The beautiful sea bass is the centrepiece, of course.
Traditionally, you always have a whole fish at New Year
because the word for fish (yu) sounds similar to other
words in Chinese relating to abundance, good fortune
and completion. When eating the dish, you should never
flip the fish! Once you’ve eaten one side, you should remove
the spine and bones and carry on eating, rather than
turning the fish over. That’s because fishermen believe
flipping the fish is like a boat capsizing, so it’s unlucky.
The lion’s head meatballs are different because of their
large size and because they’re fried until golden, then
simmered. I like the Chinese cabbage leaves around them
because it’s a vegetable that can stand up to quite intense
cooking methods, yet still retain a wonderful sweetness
and bite. The slivered potatoes are, for many people, a
completely new way to approach cooking the vegetable,
focusing on the crunchy texture rather than on trying
to get them all pillowy soft and fluffy. →

voices in food.

Stir-fried potato
slivers with
wind-dried bacon

voices in food.

“I don’t think Western recipes
treat potatoes like a green
vegetable, but that’s how they’re
viewed in China. The Chinese
rarely go for ‘soft’ when cooking
veg; it’s all about crunch. Here,
potatoes are washed to remove
their starch, then julienned and
stir-fried with Chinese winddried bacon, because bacon and
potatoes are a perfect match”

Stir-fried potato slivers
with wind-dried bacon
Serves 2 as a side
Hands-on time 30 min
Buy wind-dried bacon
from souschef.co.uk and
poons-pantry.com. It’s a
great ingredient, more floral and
fragrant than Western bacon,
and it’s fantastic steamed with
rice. You could also look for
(similar) cured pork belly in
Asian supermarkets.

1 Put the bacon on a plate and
in a steamer set over simmering
water, then steam for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and finely cut
the potatoes into matchsticks
(or use a julienne peeler), putting
them in a large bowl of cold
water as you go. When they’re
all cut, give them a swirl to
remove excess starch, then
drain. Finely slice the steamed
bacon into matchsticks (reserve
any liquid on the plate).
2 Put a wok or frying pan over
a high heat. Once smoking hot,
add the oil and swirl to coat.
Toss in the sliced bacon and
ginger, stir-fry for 30 seconds,
then tip in the potatoes. Stir-fry
for 3-5 minutes, tossing all the
time, until the potatoes are hot
throughout and have lost their
raw edge – they should still be
a little crunchy.
3 Add a pinch of salt and
white pepper, followed by any
reserved bacon juices. Toss
again, then add the sesame oil
and spring onions. Toss for
another minute until the onions
wilt a little, then transfer to a
plate and serve immediately.
Per serving 325kcals, 15g fat
(1.2g saturated), 4.5g protein,
41g carbs (2.3g sugars),
0.1g salt, 4.7g fibre

KNOWHOW

• 60g wind-dried bacon (see
Know-how)
• 450g floury
potatoes
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 slices ginger, peeled and cut
into matchsticks
• Pinch white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 spring onions, cut into
matchsticks
90 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Home-style steamed
sea bass
Serves 2
Hands-on time 30 min, plus
30 min soaking
If you’re thinking you
might not be able to
find all the special
Chinese flavourings at the top
of the ingredients list, don’t
worry. Even if you’re missing
one or two, the dish will still
taste great.
The first six ingredients
KNOWin this dish need a trip to
HOW
an Asian supermarket,
but they’re all dried and will last
indefinitely in your larder (they
AMY’S
TIP

make this a storecupboard
recipe for most Chinese cooks).
They also bring brand new
flavours to a lot of Western
cooks, so it’s well worth the trip
to get them (see Amy’s tip).
• Small handful dried wood ear
mushrooms
• Small handful dried shiitake
mushrooms
• 8 dried lily flowers
• 3 red dates (jujube)
• 1 tbsp goji berries
• Postage stamp-size piece
dried tangerine peel (or
mandarin orange peel)
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• Pinch white pepper
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp potato starch
or cornflour
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 spring onions
• 1 sea bass, about 500g,
scaled and gutted
• Thumb-size piece ginger
• Small handful coriander,
roughly chopped
1 Rinse the mushrooms, lily
flowers, red dates, goji berries
and tangerine peel, then put
them in a large bowl and cover
with warm water. Leave for
half an hour until soft. Drain,
then slice the mushrooms
(removing the stalks from the
shiitake), tie the lily flowers into
knots, thinly slice and remove
the stones from the dates and
cut the tangerine peel into very
fine matchsticks. Put them
all in a bowl, then add the
soy sauce, sesame oil, shaoxing
wine, white pepper, sugar, potato
starch/cornflour and 1 tbsp
vegetable oil. Mix well.
2 Cut 3 of the spring onions in
half to create 6 pieces, then put
5 of these on a heatproof plate
big enough to hold the fish. Lay
the fish on top (so the spring
onions act as a trivet and →

Home-style steamed
sea bass

voices in food.

allow the steam to circulate
around the fish properly), then
put the final spring onion half
inside the cavity. Cut 2 slices off
the piece of ginger and put them
inside the cavity too. Cut the
remaining ginger and the final
spring onion into matchsticks.
3 Put a large steamer over a pan
of simmering water or put a wire
rack in a large wok or pan filled
with simmering water. Pour the
marinated dried ingredients over
the fish, piling all the solids up.
Put the fish plate in the steamer/
wok, then cover and steam over
a high heat for 8-10 minutes.
4 Heat the remaining 3 tbsp oil
in a small pan until smoking
hot. When the fish is cooked,
carefully lift out the plate (wear
oven gloves). Pile the spring
onion matchsticks and ginger
matchsticks on top, then the
coriander. Pour the hot oil all
over the fish – it should
vigorously sizzle and give off
a fragrant aroma. Serve.
Per serving 586kcals, 35g fat
(3.6g saturated), 37g protein,
28g carbs (17g sugars), 4.1g salt,
2.6g fibre

“Everyone knows about whole
steamed fish with spring onion
and ginger, which is wonderful,
but this dish is a classic example
of home-style Chinese cooking.
It includes typical Chinese
storecupboard staples such
as wood ear mushrooms, red
dates and goji berries. I love
to cook turbot this way, but it’s
expensive and large. Sea bass
is excellent too, as it’s forgiving
and the meaty texture works
so well with the mushrooms”
92 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Lion’s head meatballs
Serves 2
Hands-on time 40 min, plus
30 min soaking
Simmering time 25 min
• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 spring onions, white parts
cut into 2cm pieces, green
parts finely sliced
• Thumb-size piece ginger,
peeled and sliced
• 500g pork mince (at least
20% fat)
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 medium free-range egg
• 1 tbsp potato starch or
cornflour
• Vegetable oil to deep-fry
• 8 large Chinese cabbage
leaves
• 60g water chestnuts (about
10 from a tin), bashed with the
side of a knife, then roughly
chopped
• Pinch white pepper
1 Put the mushrooms in a bowl
and cover with 450ml hot water.
Cover and leave for 30 minutes.
2 Put the spring onion whites
and ginger slices in a bowl with
6 tbsp water and set aside. In
the bowl of a stand mixer with a
beater attachment (or in a large
mixing bowl), add the pork, soy
sauce, shaoxing wine, salt, sugar,
sesame oil, egg and potato
starch/cornflour. Beat or stir
until very well mixed – you want
the mince to have broken down
into an almost paste-like
mixture. Add 1 tbsp of the water
from the spring onions and
ginger, then beat/mix again until
it’s fully absorbed. Divide the
mixture into 6 equal meatballs.
3 Fill a small pan two thirds full
of oil and heat to 180°C. Lower
in one of the meatballs and fry
until golden, turning occasionally.
The meatballs will finish cooking

later, so you’re only after a crisp
golden exterior at this point. Drain
on kitchen paper, then repeat
with the remaining meatballs.
4 Lift the shiitake mushrooms
out of their soaking liquid
(reserve the liquid), remove and
discard the stems, then slice.
Cut the cabbage leaves in half
widthways, so the whiter, firmer
bottom is separated from the
greener, leafier top. Lay the
white pieces in the base of a
saucepan or clay cooking pot
(or divide between 2 clay
cooking pots) just large enough
to fit the meatballs in one layer.
Top with the meatballs. Drain the
spring onion whites and ginger,
then tuck these in between the
meatballs along with the sliced
mushrooms and water chestnuts.
Pour the reserved mushroom
soaking liquid into the pan/
pot(s), keeping back the final
few drops to avoid adding any
grit. Season with salt and
a pinch of white pepper. Bring
to a boil over a high heat, then
reduce the heat to a simmer,
cover and cook for 20 minutes.
5 Remove the lid and tuck the
green parts of the cabbage
leaves around the pot so the
leaves cover the meatballs.
Replace the lid and simmer for
a further 5 minutes. To serve,
bring the pan or pot to the table
and uncover the meatballs by
tucking the green leaves around
the side, then garnish with the
spring onion greens.
Per serving 621kcals, 29g fat
(10g saturated), 57g protein,
28g carbs (15g sugars),
4.3g salt, 3.6g fibre

Lion’s head meatballs

“Powerful, majestic creatures like lions,
tigers and dragons are auspicious in
Chinese culture, and these meatballs
are named after their size – they’re
unusually large, representing a lion’s
head, with the frilly cabbage leaves
surrounding them being the lion’s
mane. This is a dish for celebrations”

Wintry wines, tropical beers and a chocolatey Baileys treat

PHOTOGRAPH: JOANNE MURPHY. ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Cocktail of
the month
“Everyone loves Abba,” says
Oisín Davis in his new book,
Irish Kitchen Cocktails
(Nine Bean Rows £16),
“in the same way that
everyone loves Baileys.”
Here at delicious. we don’t
even pretend to be snobby
about either (as last year’s
office karaoke proved). Bring
some cheer with Oisín’s
enjoyably over-the-top hot
choc and, if you’re in the
mood, play some Swedish
mega-pop to accompany it.
Winter gloom instantly lifted.

Pimped-out Baileys hot chocolate
Serves 1
Heat 150ml milk in a small pan over a medium heat. When it starts to steam, add
1 tsp good quality hot chocolate powder and stir. Bring almost to the boil, then stir in
50ml Baileys and pour into a mug. Spoon 2 tbsp lightly whipped cream on top, grate
over some nutmeg and dark chocolate, then garnish with (veggie) mini marshmallows.
Per serving 381kcals, 24g fat (15g saturated), 7.4g protein, 21g carbs (21g sugars),
0.3g salt, 0.5g fibre

››

Susy’s

best buys
Winter days call for comfort
food – but what to drink with
it? Expert Susy Atkins rounds
up wines for hearty dishes and
shares a toddy recipe, along
with a top softie and some
pink fizz for Valentine’s Day
Baron Amarillo Rioja Joven
NV, Spain 13%
With softly spiced plum
and strawberry notes and
enough full body to take on
red meat casseroles or rich
bean chillis, this is a useful
bargain at under a fiver.
£4.69, Aldi
Loved and Found Touriga
Nacional 2021, Algarve,
Portugal 14%
It’s rare to see an Algarve
wine in the UK, and this
one appeals with its core
of cooked brambles, twist
of black pepper and firm
structure. A fine match for
chops or roast leg of pork.
£8.99, Waitrose
Taste the Difference
Discovery Collection
Château Villegly Minervois
2021, France 14%
A new southern French star,
mainly syrah and grenache,
that’s hearty and robust
with juicy red plums and
cassis, sprinkled with clove
and cinnamon. Fab with
a lamb tagine and could
easily take on a bubbling
cheese-topped bake too.
£11, Sainsbury’s

M&S Collection Tradición
Malbec 2022, Mendoza,
Argentina 14.5%
Soft, rounded malbec by
Susana Balbo, packed with
ripe black cherries. There’s
a lovely toasty note gained
from spending eight months
in French oak barrels.
Peppered steak, please!
£12, Marks & Spencer
The Best Uco Valley
Chardonnay 2022,
Mendoza, Argentina 13%
A brightly fruited chardonnay
that’s a cocktail of oranges,
pineapple and mango with
some well balanced extra
richness from barrel ageing.
Pair it with hearty fish pie
or a lemony roast chicken.
£10, Morrisons
Stellenrust Stellenbosch
Manor Barrel-Fermented
Chenin Blanc 2021, South
Africa 14%
There’s spice, vanilla and
even a note of tea biscuit
wrapped around ripe yellow
apple and quince in this oakaged chenin. One for a big
hearty vegetable quiche or
cheese and potato pasties.
£15, Tesco

drinks.

FANCY A HOT GIN TODDY?
Leftover gin liqueurs such as sloe or
damson can be used up in a cheering
hot spiced drink. Pour 75ml gin liqueur
(per drink) into a small pan, add
a dash of smooth orange juice or
cloudy apple juice, a couple of cloves
and a cinnamon stick, then heat gently
until very warm (but not boiling). Stir
and keep hot for a few minutes while
the spices infuse, then discard them
and pour the toddy into thick tumblers.
Inhale the spicy steam before sipping.

SOFTIE OF THE MONTH

Curious Kombucha Pineapple
& Ginger, Dorset 0%
The Curious Kombucha range
of fermented soft drinks has
won plenty of awards and that’s
no surprise, as they all have
distinctively juicy, moreish
natural flavours. This one is
my pick for the winter, with
its spicy hint of ginger.

ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

£3.25 for 250ml,
curiouskombucha.co.uk

VALENTINE’S DAY FIZZ
M&S Graham Beck The Rhona Brut Rosé NV,
Western Cape, South Africa 12%
This Cape pink fizz, made in the meticulous champagne
method, has a lovely strawberry mousse character.
It’s creamy, soft and finishes dry – should set hearts
a-flutter. Delectable chilled on its own or matched
with seafood dishes like our creamy trout and caper
linguine on p118. Date night sorted!
£14, Marks & Spencer
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 97

delicious. competition.

PETITIO
M
O

N

C

Win! A special two-night
stay in Northumberland
Enter for a chance to win two nights at The Cookie Jar,
a welcoming retreat in Alnwick set in a former convent

WORTH OVER

Stay in The Chapel
suite, drink and
dine, and enjoy the
cosy guest library

S

et in the heart of the historical
Northumberland town of Alnwick,
The Cookie Jar is a cosy retreat with
11 comfy rooms in a converted
convent. Close to the town’s cobbled centre
and within striking distance of the county’s
fabled coastline, the Cookie Jar brings
a stylish boutique hotel sensibility to the
wonderful architecture of the original
building, the Convent of Mercy.
You’ll be welcomed with a bottle of
champagne in The Chapel, your luxurious
suite with period details such as stained
glass windows and carved wooden beams.
Enjoy comforts such as large flat-screen TV,
super-size bed and Penhaligon’s toiletries,
as well as a jar of complimentary cookies.
The Cookie Jar’s restaurant, The Bistro,
overlooks a heated terrace and garden.
There, the winner and friend will enjoy
a three-course dinner on one night, with
dishes made using produce grown in the
chef’s own veg patch. Look forward to the

98 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

likes of tempura cod cheeks with spiced pea
purée, wild mushroom gnocchi with basil oil
and parmesan, or confit belly pork with black
pudding mash in a cider cream sauce.
There’s plenty to do in the area, too. Visit
Alnwick Castle – a filming location for the
Harry Potter movies – and beautiful Alnwick
Gardens, as well as enjoying bracing walks
along the beach. Whatever you choose to
do, you’re guaranteed a memorable time.
Want to guarantee a stay at the hotel?
delicious. readers can get 20% off
their stay between 1 Feb and 31 May.
To book, visit cookiejaralnwick.com using
the code DMCJ24 at checkout, or call
01665 510465 quoting the same code

YOU COULD WIN…
• A two-night stay
for two in The
Chapel, a luxury
suite, with
breakfast each
morning
• A three-course
dinner in The Bistro
with wine
• A bottle of
champagne

TO ENTER AND FOR FULL TS&CS
VISIT DELICIOUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK
GET OUR REGULAR NEWSLETTER FOR OFFERS AND
MORE – DELICIOUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK/NEWSLETTER

* APPROXIMATE PRIZE VALUE. COMPETITION CLOSES 29 FEBRUARY 2024. PRIZE SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY AND DOES NOT INCLUDE TRAVEL

£1,000*

drinks.

Beer school.

A trip to the tropics
Expert Mark Dredge picks
some deliciously fruity ales
to bring a welcome blast of
sunshine into your life

T

his month’s beers are here to bring a blast of fun,
fruity flavours to cheer up February’s dull and
dreary days. Think beers that smell like pineapple
and passion fruit, juicy mango, creamy coconut,
sweet papaya and guava, zesty lemon, orange and grapefruit
– all the sunniest of fruit.
Most of these tropical beers have fruit added into them
to give juicy and fresh flavours that complement the
underlying beer styles. Often that’s a pale ale or IPA, which
already has a fruity aroma from the hops added, but the
addition of fruit works in lightly sour beers too, while
dark beer fans may also find coconut added to stouts.
The joy of these tropical beers is that they can leave you
feeling like you’re drinking a piña colada in the sun with a
colourful lei around your neck, even if you’re just sitting on
the sofa, huddled up next to the radiator. markdredge.com

Find more selections at deliciousmagazine.co.uk/
beerschool

Kirkstall Brewery
Judicious,
England, 4.8%
This Leeds-brewed
pale ale has a juicy
infusion of grapefruit,
passion fruit, stone
fruit and a hint of
creamy coconut
alongside citrussy
hops. Try with the
ginger cake on p60.
£2.75 for 440ml,
Morrisons

Boundary Brewing
Imbongo, Northern
Ireland, 5.5%
The pineapple,
mango, orange and
apricot aromas in this
Belfast IPA all come
from the hops only.
Enjoy with the
mushroom larb (p26).
£48 for 12 x 440ml,
boundarybrewing.
coop; £4 for 440ml,
thecraftyvintner.co.uk

North Brewing Piñata,
England, 4.5%
Mango and papaya
are added to this
vibrant pale ale from
Leeds, with wonderful
American hops adding
even more tropical
fruit and citrus
aromas. Open for the
spiced venison and
pineapple salsa (p26).
£3.25 for 440ml,
Morrisons, Asda

Siren Pompelmocello,
England, 6%
If you like grapefruit
juice, you’ll love this
grapefruit sour IPA
brewed in Berkshire.
It zings with
grapefruit and has a
tongue-blasting jolt
of acidity, with sweet
lactose adding some
smoothness.
£3.25 for 440ml,
Morrisons, Asda

Vault City
Cloudy Lemonade,
Scotland, 4.2%
A glass of sunshine
brewed in Edinburgh,
this beer version of
cloudy lemonade is
a little sweet, then
cheek-puckeringly tart
with fresh lemon. Try
with the spinach and
ricotta pancakes (p5).
£3.50 for 440ml,
vaultcity.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

TROPICAL HOPS The aroma of many pale ales and IPAs reminds
us of tropical and citrus fruit, and that’s because hop aromas come
from essential oils in the hop plant, and the most common hop oils
are also found in fruit such as mango, papaya, orange and lemon.

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 99

The supperclub forging
friendships – and love
Good conversation over a great meal is a precious thing, as
members of the Raeburn Supper Club in central Scotland
appreciate. Tailored to unattached over-50s, the club serves up
companionship and even romance, as Kerry Fowler discovers

A

lan joined the Raeburn Supper Club last
summer. It’s lovely to be a wee part of
a group again,” he says. “When you lose
someone – my wife Catherine died two
years ago – it’s good to meet people who have gone
through the same thing. It’s amazing what you can
bring into the conversation over something to eat;
nobody shies away from it. But really, it’s just good
to talk to people – and the food is
always a big point of conversation.”
Set up by Diane Goudie and
Yvonne Carvel over 25 years ago,
the Raeburn Supper Club invites
people to join its lively calendar of
dinners and suppers at restaurants
in Edinburgh and Glasgow – both
buzzing destinations for food
lovers and easy to access.
“We set up an alternative to a
dating site, with the emphasis on

friendship and sharing food together,” says Diane,
who met Yvonne at university when they were
studying law. “The club attracts over-50s who are
sociable and like going out for meals in interesting
restaurants. They may have been single for some
time, divorced or widowed.”
For a monthly fee of around £22, members are
invited to participate in as many events as they like,
with the cost of each meal paid in
advance – no worrying about dividing
the bill. Numbers range from 12 to 20.

“You have to
psych yourself
up to walk into
a room of
strangers, but
food is a
common bond”

TASTE OF ADVENTURE
“People can be anxious the first time,
especially if they’re in a situation they
didn’t choose to be in – losing a partner
or getting divorced,” says Diane. “But
Yvonne or I are there to meet them,
and it’s a friendly environment.”
Steve, who has been involved for

appetite for change.

15 years – he left while in a relationship and later
rejoined – knows it can be challenging. “You have to
psych yourself up to walk into a room of strangers,” he
says. “But they make you welcome. Food is a common
bond and it’s a great way to try new restaurants.”
Diane and Yvonne are good researchers: they scour
the cities and check 5pm.co.uk, a restaurant website,
for inspiration. Successes to date include Ralph &
Finns in Glasgow and
The Gardener’s Cottage
in Edinburgh, which
uses fresh herbs from
outside the door. In the
diary for 2024 are a
sweep of world cuisines,
an evening with
traditional Scottish
music from the band Blazin’ Fiddles, wine tastings
and art gallery tours with post-culture-fix lunches.

“It brings people together,
and social connectivity
is important for positive
mental health”

The Raeburn’s
convivial
Christmas
lunch at
Mharsanta
in Glasgow

COOKING UP CONNECTIONS
People attend for friendship, a sense of occasion, the
comfort of familiar faces. Or they may join with the
aim of finding a life partner. The supperclub offers a
secure place where people can vouch for one another.
Plus, as one member puts it, “You can find out subtly
about someone you may like, without feeling like you
are interrogating or being interrogated!”
Food lover Sue, who joined a year ago, says it has
worked well for her. “It’s always respectful and
everyone understands the unspoken rules. I wouldn’t
ask anything personal; I wait for them to tell me if
they want to,” she says. “It brings people together, and
social connectivity is important for mental health.”
There’s a rich vein of positivity running through
the Raeburn and, as Yvonne and Diane appreciate,
there is infinite reward in seeing people connect.
“I remember meeting a new member who was very
low as he’d separated from his wife,” says Yvonne.
“A few months later he was on the dance floor at one
of our parties, having a great time with new friends.
People get a buzz from meeting new people.”
raeburnsupperclub.co.uk

DINNER FOR TWO
Sasha and Mac met through
the club and now share
a house together
MAC
“Most people don’t want to
shout at each other in
nightclubs once they’re a bit
older. We met on Zoom
because of the pandemic, but
usually at the Raeburn you sit
around a table. Sasha is so
interesting: from the beginning,
her topics of conversation
were up my street. And when
we met, she was as pretty in
real life as she was on screen.
It’s been two years now. On
Valentine’s Day we go out for
a meal, but I’ve been promising
to make her delicious.’s chilli
crab and prawn tartlets.”
SASHA
“I’d done online dating, but the
way the club works you see
people for real – not a profile.
You see how they dress, hear
their accent, have eye contact.
You chat informally: are they
serious, political? You get a
grasp of who’s sitting beside
you. Some people join for
friendship, but I joined to find a
life partner. And I did. With Mac
it was his sense of humour,
twinkly eyes and openness
that attracted me. And yes, he’s
a good cook. He’s been
promising me those tartlets
for a while now…”

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 101

Nothing will stop me cooking.

The trucker’s story
In this new series, people from all
walks of life share how they cook
and eat every day in spite of life’s
obstacles, from illness and inexperience
to shoebox-size kitchens and hectic
schedules. First up: truck driver
Rob Booth. From curing bacon to
making a cracking curry, eating well
is his driving force – all from the
compact cab of his articulated lorry

When I started tramping – living out of your lorry
on long-distance jobs – three years ago, I knew I didn’t
want to live off takeaways. But when you go to a service
station these days, you only have a choice of Burger
King, McDonald’s or KFC; the old truck stops have
been put out of business.

rinsing dishes – there’s no running water in the cab.
Everything has a dual purpose, and I use a lot of hand
sanitiser! When I’m cooking something where the
smell lingers, I tend to do it on the catwalk – the bit
between the cab and the trailer. It’s an ideal place,
as the rain tends not to get in.

I started thinking about what I could make in
the cab, planning what to cook each week. I have the
digital version of delicious. and think: ‘I fancy that,
but will the ingredients survive in the truck? What
can I swap them with?’ That’s where Google is my best
friend. (My other best friend is Louis, my dog – he
shares the cab with me, always hopeful for a sausage.)

So, what do I cook? I’ve made Goan fish curry,
scones, scotch eggs, goulash, sweet and sour tofu…
I also now prepare food at home, freeze it, then add
to it in the cab once it’s defrosted.

My cab has to be organised: I have a camping stove,
a saucepan and a frying pan. There’s a fridge under the
bed, a spices and staples cupboard, a microwave above
the windscreen (I use it to heat rice) and a Remoska –
a small stock pot with an electric lid – which I use to
make lovely bread. I also have a mini food processor,
great for making pesto or curry bases. And I’m sure
I’m the only trucker in the UK who has a mandoline!
I used my small slow cooker for a lamb shank
the other day. But I also heat up water in there for

I do let myself off sometimes. My work can be
quite physical, humping stuff on and off the lorry,
and I am 52. And one day recently, it hurt! So I took
a couple of paracetamol and had a takeaway.
On my Facebook blog I call myself Fairy Trucker.
Why? One day I was making a damn good railway
curry (which comes from the colonial period in India,
and includes lamb, potatoes, yogurt or coconut milk)
on the catwalk and a great big trucker walked by.
He said: “You f******g fairy, we don’t cook!” I thought,
I’ll stick to my way, thank you.
Follow Rob’s travels at facebook.com/fairytrucker

voices in food.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

Rob’s faggots for cooking
on the road; the lorry he
calls home on long trips; his
slow cooker, secured by a
bungee; stuffed marrow;
faithful hound Louis; top
Rob recipe; one of his many
‘damn good’ curries

INTERVIEW: KERRY FOWLER. PHOTOGRAPHS: ROB BOOTH

“I’m sure I’m the only trucker in the UK with a mandoline!”
ROB’S CAB COOKING
ADVENTURES
• I cure my own bacon in the
truck. Half salt, half sugar
and whatever flavours you
like, rubbed into pork belly…
It’s the best bacon ever.
• I make proper faggots
at home, wrapped in bacon,
then cook them in the
cab, letting the juices
run into the onion gravy
for extra flavour.
• I put half a chicken
carcass from a roast at
home into my small slow
cooker to make stock.
Because it’s warm, you
can turn it straight into
a chicken or mushroom
risotto – perfect.

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 103

A culinary voyage
With Princess Cruises, you can enjoy award-winning
on-board dining throughout your holiday – plus
experience the inaugural Good Food Show at Sea

W

hether you’re cooking for someone
special or sitting down for dinner with
your whole family, sharing food is often
seen as an expression of love. Princess Cruises
understands this, which is why its ships offer so
many brilliant dining options that are designed
to bring you and your loved ones together for
countless memorable meals.
What makes the food on every Princess Cruises
ship so special? For a start, it’s all made from scratch
– including fresh pastries, steaks that are aged and
cut on board, and homemade pasta that’s rolled and
shaped by hand every day. And wherever you choose
to cruise, you’ll be able to dine like a local thanks to

the on-board chefs, who cook up regional dishes that
connect you to the culture of your destinations. So,
you can indulge in fragrant curries in India, freshly
caught seafood in Alaska or fiery tacos in Mexico.
Better still, you can pair the food with matching
drinks from the extensive on-board offering,
including craft cocktails, premium coffee and
an award-winning selection of wines from around
the world. Plus, if you upgrade to the Princess Plus
or Premier packages, you can get many of these
beverages included in your fare.
Of course, with all this choice, it can be hard
to know where to start, so here are the four main
dining options you can look forward to on board...

advertisement promotion.

INCLUSIVE EATS
Whichever Princess Cruises holiday you book, you
can enjoy a wide range of complimentary dining
options at no additional charge. Choose from
exquisite multi-course meals in all the main dining
rooms or buffet-style delights at the World Fresh
Marketplace and Horizons Court, where you’ll find
an ever-changing menu of regional specialities
and comfort food favourites. You can also pick up
a variety of light bites any time you like, such as
hot dogs and pizza slices on deck or sweet treats
at the International Café.
KEEP IT CASUAL
Fancy something with a relaxed vibe? Princess
Cruises offers plenty of chilled, no-frills restaurants
and pop-ups for only a small fee. If you’re in the mood
for classic pub grub, you could head to The Salty
Dog Gastropub for burgers and beer, while Vines
Wine Bar pairs wines by the glass with delectable
small plates, such as oysters and tapas. Other casual
food options include succulent meat platters from
Planks BBQ, fresh sushi from the Ocean Terrace
or hand-stretched pizzas from Alfredo’s or Gigi’s.
SPECIALITY DINING
No matter if you’re celebrating a special event or
the simple joy of spending time with your favourite
people, Princess Cruises has a speciality restaurant
for every occasion. You can tuck into hand-cut,
cooked-to-order steaks at the Crown Grill, authentic
Italian pasta at Sabatini’s or locally sourced seafood
boils, bakes and bisques at The Catch by Rudi.
Whichever restaurant you go for, you can be
sure you’re in for a treat.

THE GOOD FOOD
SHOW AT SEA,
2-16 NOVEMBER 2024
For the first time ever,
the Good Food Show is
taking to the seas for a
two-week culinary voyage
with Princess Cruises,
sailing from Southampton
to Spain and Portugal.
This unmissable event
will see Sky Princess
transformed into a food
lover’s paradise, with
a range of interactive
workshops, tutored
tastings, cocktail
classes and
celebrity cooking
demos with the
likes of Lisa Faulkner
and Gennaro Contaldo.
The ship will also
visit plenty of
renowned culinary
destinations where
you can immerse
yourself in the local
cuisine, from pintxos
bars in the Spanish
city of Bilbao to pastéis
de nata in Lisbon,
Portugal’s capital.

ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES
Princess Cruises is also renowned for its
experiential dining, such as 360: An Extraordinary
Experience. Inspired by the sights, sounds and
scents of the Mediterranean, this seven-course
meal pairs destination-evoking dishes, wine and
champagne with captivating visual entertainment
for a truly unforgettable evening. You could also
try the Chef’s Table, which is an extravagant
multi-course dinner created and hosted by the
Princess Cruises Executive Chef, who offers
detailed explanations and curated wine pairings
for each course.

To find out more and book your cruise, visit princess.com

Need an escape from the gloomy depths of February? We got together
with the editors of The Good Hotel Guide To Britain & Ireland to round up
choice hotels for a wintry break. At each, you’re guaranteed a warm and
twinkly welcome and, after a frosty walk, some of the best food there is

THE RURAL ESCAPE
Locanda On The Weir, Porlock Weir,
Somerset locandaontheweir.co.uk
COSY CREDS
Exmoor is wonderfully dramatic in winter, but while
the hardy ponies in their double-thick coats are happy
to chomp on gorse, walkers and bikers will find more
sustaining food at this uber-boutique hotel, where
moorland meets the Bristol Channel. Since 2018,
Cindy Siu and Naples-born Pio Catemario di Quadri
have welcomed guests at the re-invented former Café
On The Weir, in a coastal hamlet overlooking beach
and harbour. On cold days you can hunker down by
the fire in the lounge with its Knole sofas, vintage
finds, turntable, books, movies and games.
THE FOOD
Pio’s creative ways with local, homegrown and
foraged produce are the big draw here. In a dining
room hung with an idiosyncratic mix of artworks,
guests sit down to a leisurely candlelit four or
five-course set dinner, with everything from bread
to petits fours made on the day. The lack of choice
is part of a commendable zero-waste policy and
makes dining here an adventure. You can’t be picky;
just trust the chef.
Pio’s creativity and perfectionism come through
in dishes such as brilliant home-cured hogget
bresaola. Other typical dishes include forest broth
with parmesan pudding and black fermented garlic;
guinea fowl with salt-baked beetroot; roebuck with
mugolio (pine-cone syrup), chanterelles and wild
mustard. For dessert, maybe Exmoor honey textures
or black forest chocolate bombe.

WHERE YOU STAY
There are just four rooms (five for group bookings)
– so get booking… They’re all individually styled with
bags of character. The bay-windowed Santa Maria
room is especially spacious, with a four-poster bed.
COST
Doubles from £225 B&B (two-night minimum stay).
Set menu £85 (if you have any dietary requirements,
let them know ahead of your stay). →

travel.

Relax by the fire, enjoy
creative cooking and walk
along the Porlock shoreline
at Locanda On The Weir
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 107

THE SPANISH
RETREAT (IN WALES)
Parador 44, Cardiff grupo44.co.uk
COSY CREDS
What could be more cheering on a bleak February
day than to tuck into top-quality meat, fish or
vegetables flame-cooked over charcoal in an open
kitchen? It may be chillier than Cádiz or Córdoba,
but Cardiff is home to one of Britain’s hottest
Spanish eateries, now with rooms that bring a
burst of Mediterranean sun into your winter.
In 2017, with three branches of their tapas
restaurant Bar 44 already creating a buzz, Tom
and Owen Morgan and their sister Natalie Isaac
launched grill-and-wine house Asador 44, just
a few yards from the Principality Stadium.
From
rooms
to food
and drink,
there’s a
sunny Med
vibe at
Parador 44

THE FOOD
You might choose to share slow-cooked lamb shoulder
with lamb sauce and salsa verde, or enjoy the hake,
tomato, mussels and prawn bisque all to yourself.
Last year chef Paul Bainbridge spent a week in the
kitchen of Paul Ainsworth’s Michelin-starred Padstow
restaurant and returned brimming with new ideas
for his great-value weekday lunch menus.
A residents’ lounge has an honesty bar stocked
with Spanish drinks and snacks. Breakfast choices
include pan con tomate, eggs flamenco, the ‘full
parador’ or a veggie fry-up, and, for those who need
it, ‘hair of the dog’: a glass of sherry or cava for the
morning after the night before.
WHERE YOU STAY
In 2022 the trio added nine affordable (and
soundproofed) bedrooms above their restaurant
and opened as a boutique hotel with a sunny
Andalusian vibe. The accommodation draws
inspiration from Spanish state-owned Paradors,
hotels converted from beautiful and historic
buildings. While this one’s dubious claim to fame is
that it served as a billet for Oliver Cromwell, a Good
Hotel Guide inspector assures us that ‘all traces of
Puritanism have been banished’. Light, airy rooms
have ornate tiles, shutters and headboards sourced
from auctions and markets in Spain.
COST
Doubles from £169 B&B. Set lunch £25/£39
(two/three courses), à la carte £60.

travel.

At grand
Prestonfield,
start the
evening with
champagne
in the parlour
and end it
with whisky
by the fire.
In between
you’re
promised
the highest
of high-end
cooking

THE POSH CITY BREAK
Prestonfield, Edinburgh prestonfield.com
COSY CREDS
A 17th-century country house in the city, this
flamboyant five-star hotel in parkland under Arthur’s
Seat offers luxurious respite after a day’s shopping,
sightseeing, exploring the Old Town and castle
or gallery visits. Interiors are an extravaganza of
Mortlake tapestries, velvets, Córdoba leather, rich
paint finishes, gilded antiques, chinoiserie, ornate
plasterwork and ancestral portraits. You can sink
into a sofa by a crackling log fire for afternoon tea,
pick up a book, play a board game...
THE FOOD
Prestonfield was the first Scottish estate to propagate
rhubarb, hence Rhubarb fine-dining restaurant,
where the à la carte menu ranges around land and
air, loch and sea, with tempting dishes such as confit
onion squash, bulgur, smoked yogurt, preserved
lemon dressing and chicory salad; partridge breast,
liver parfait, brioche, savoy cabbage, girolles and
watercress; and hake fillet, saffron potato rouille,
roasted salsify, charred cucumber, Grénobloise
garnish, Marsala jus. It’s pricey, but set menus make
it more affordable, while there are sharing dishes of
châteaubriand for those who want to push the boat out.

WHERE YOU STAY
All the rooms are lavish. Even the most modest
Classics have an espresso machine, minibar,
Penhaligon’s toiletries, complimentary nibbles and
treats, and a shower room lined with Venetian glass,
mosaic and marble. The Lord Provost suite has an
antique mahogany four-poster with red and gold
velvet drapes, and two bathrooms. The Winston
Churchill suite has a tapestry-hung half-tester bed,
a sitting room with day bed, a collection of militaria,
and, again, two bathrooms.
COST
Doubles from £269 B&B (including a bottle of
champagne). Set three-course lunch £45, set
three-course dinner £65, à la carte £80. →
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 109

THE COUNTRY MANOR
The Cavendish, Baslow, Derbyshire
devonshirehotels.co.uk
COSY CREDS
A stroll through the fields from glorious Chatsworth
in its thousand acres of Capability Brown parkland,
the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s hotel is
a haven of fine dining and cosy country-house
comforts: fat sofas, polished wood, the ticking of
an antique clock… It’s the perfect hotel for food
lovers, and a Peak District hike before dinner is
pretty much compulsory.
THE FOOD
You can dine formally in The Gallery restaurant,
where the tables may be set with crisp linen but the
service isn’t the least starchy. Chef Adam Harper
arrived here in 2018, having worked for luminaries
such as Simon Rogan. His cooking is big on local
sourcing, seasonality and sustainability. A starter
of spanking fresh tuna with seaweed might be
followed by dishes including Chatsworth farm
beef, nasturtium, turnip and pickled
walnuts – for vegans maybe Derbyshire
carrot, hazelnut satay, chicory and wild
rice. Homemade Cavendish chocolates
round off a meal. It’s all beautifully
presented and deceptively light.
In the wonderfully airy Garden Room
it’s a simpler, less pricey affair. Kitchen
garden soup, sandwiches and beer-battered
haddock feature alongside such dishes as game
in season – maybe grouse with pearl barley,
beetroot, pickled blackberries and single malt
whisky sauce. Before you leave, be sure to visit the
Chatsworth farm shop, with estate beef and venison
among its offerings, as well as rose pink gin.
WHERE YOU STAY
Enjoy luxury toiletries, fresh milk and a whole
packet of Chatsworth biscuits, while many rooms
have views over rolling fields. Interiors, designed by
the Duchess, include antiques and artworks from
Chatsworth, and all bedrooms have a selection of the
Duke’s favourite books. The hotel is currently closed
as some areas are being refurbished, but rooms and
restaurants reopen on 19 February 2024.
COST
Doubles from £240 B&B. Set dinner
(The Gallery) £59/£69 (two/three courses),
tasting menu £89.
110 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Enjoy chef Adam
Harper’s homecured bresaola
and day boat
cod in the two
restaurants,
then sleep in
country house
splendour

travel.

THE SEASIDE PUB
The Rose, Deal, Kent
therosedeal.com

THE ROSE REVIEW: KAREN BARNES

COSY CREDS
Once an almost forgotten backwater,
Deal has motored into the top 10 lists
for Londoners looking for a seaside escape
not too far from the capital. Before giving
in to the call of the cocktail, reserve a chunk
of time to walk along the shingle-beach seafront
and explore the town’s quaint streets and artsy
shops – top choice: Will and Yates.
And then step through that front door… More
of a boutique hotel than a pub with rooms, The Rose
is a haven of eccentric comfort and warmth,
flickering candles enhancing a vibrant colour palette
of burnt oranges, wine-bottle greens and teals. All
eyes are drawn to the open kitchen at the back – a
bright-lights promise of good things to come.
Furniture in the dining room is a mix of school
chairs and jazzed-up banquettes – achingly cool yet
unfussy: take your coat off, order a drink and relax.
THE FOOD
Acclaimed chef Nuno Mendes created the menu,
and his signature punchy flavours are much in
evidence. The kitchen turns out plate after
mismatched vintage plate of sophisticated yet rustic
food, starting with snacks so tempting you’ll risk
spoiling your appetite (the much Instagrammed crab
doughnut wasn’t on the menu when we visited, but a
short rib croquette was; it delivered). The sea is only
a few paces away, with fishing boats pulled up along
the shore, so spanking-fresh seafood is guaranteed.
The perfectly pan-fried hake with a herb-flecked
butter sauce sticks in the memory, as does the fallingoff-the-bone duck leg with glassy-crisp, wafer-thin
skin. Cocktails range from a classic negroni to frothy
concoctions dressed with a flourish of herbs. Pudding
might be wobble-perfect pannacotta sprinkled with
granita or an artfully rustic fruit tart.
It’s not cheap but there’s a good value midweek set
lunch, and people travel miles for the Sunday roast.

Relax in your
funky room
(some have
turntables),
savour a hip
menu and
breathe in
the sea air

Breakfast might be
poached eggs with
smoked salmon and
hollandaise or a full
English (top bacon
and sausages).
WHERE YOU STAY
A theatrical red velvet curtain conceals stairs to the
eight rooms above the pub, each fit for a Pinterest
moodboard. All have showers but not all have baths so
check first if luxuriating in bubbles is your thing. Ours
had a retro record player complete with a selection of
vinyl and the jar of jelly babies was a nice touch. On the
landing outside is a refreshment station for tea, coffee,
homemade biscuits or a whisky nightcap. Beds have a
mattress so deep and luxurious you almost have to
polevault on to it (NB If you’re a light sleeper it’s worth
asking for a room that doesn’t overlook the church
next door, as the bells chime through the night).
COST
Doubles from £125 B&B. À la carte £60, set
two-course lunch £20. Look out for midweek offers
including dinner (current rate £165). →

travel.

At this lofty
Lake District
perch you get
stunning views
and sensational
cooking

THE RESTAURANTWITH-ROOMS
The Cottage in the Wood, Braithwaite,
Cumbria thecottageinthewood.co.uk
COSY CREDS
The wood is Whinlatter, Britain’s only true mountain
forest, and the ‘cottage’ is a whitewashed 17thcentury former drovers’ inn above Keswick and
Derwentwater owned by Liam and Kath Berney. The
address, Magic Hill, might refer to the enchanted
Lakeland scenery when the trees are spangled with
frost and the fells capped with snow. It might describe
chef Sam Miller’s ways with locally fished, farmed
and foraged ingredients for his Michelin-starred
tasting menus, but it actually refers to the optical
illusion outside where the downhill slope appears to
run uphill. The interiors are smart-contemporary,
but sitting rooms with wood-burning stoves, books
and board games provide the necessary hygge.
THE FOOD
The hotel itself is at an altitude of 290m: secure a
table in the conservatory extension of the dining
room and you’ll enjoy breathtaking views – if you can
lift your eyes from your plate. Chef-director Sam,
whose impressive CV includes stints at three-star
Noma in Copenhagen and two-star Faviken in
Sweden, brings a Nordic touch to such dishes as john
dory, fennel, cured pork fat and beech plants; hogget
saddle, cauliflower, romanesco and wild watercress;
and parkin with conference pear and lemon-balm ice
cream. There’s no choice, but certain allergies,
vegetarian and pescatarian diets can be
accommodated with notice.
112 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

WHERE YOU STAY
The least pricey bedrooms have a simple cottage style.
Oak and Ash rooms have glorious views to the mighty
Skiddaw range, whirlpool baths and separate showers.
All are supplied with handmade Sedbergh soaps.
COST
Doubles from £420 with set dinner, B&B. Set tasting
menus: lunch £75, dinner £110.
For more ideas for food lovers looking to take a break
in Britain and Ireland, see goodhotelguide.com

PHOTOGRAPH: INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

Casual meals with our trademark originality,
plus speed and ease guaranteed

››

Comfort
with ease

There’s a world of warming, out-of-the-cold flavour to be had with these
easy weeknight recipes, bringing light and cheer to your midwinter
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING POLLYANNA COUPLAND PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

Cauliflower
steak diane
with poppy
seed wedges

Satisfying
veggie
option

114 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

make it every day.

Ultimate
comfort
dish

Chipolata
toad-in-the-hole
with creamed
butternut squash

A sloppy joe (saucy beef mince in a burger bun) is the
perfect dish for when you want some all-American comfort
food but it’s too cold to light the barbecue. Even better,
the filling is ready in just 25 minutes (unlike a ragù, which
should be simmered for hours). Serve with our barbecue
side hybrid: coleslaw potato salad

Speedy
stateside
classic

Sloppy joes
with coleslaw
potato salad

make it every day.

New
pasta
favourite

Creamy trout
and caper
linguine

This satisfying
dish proves
cooking fish is
easier than you
might think.
Trout fillets
are baked with
lemon and dill,
then stirred
into a creamyyet-zingy caper
sauce. Quick,
tasty and a little
bit indulgent –
perfect!

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 117

Cauliflower steak diane
with poppy seed wedges
Serves 2
Hands-on time 30 min
Oven time 40 min
The leftover cauliflower
is ideal for making a
soup or pureé. Don’t
throw away the cauliflower
leaves either – they’re delicious
roasted with a drizzle of oil and
a sprinkle of salt – or save them
for making kimchi.
No brandy to hand? Use
EASY
SWAPS white wine and simmer
for a few minutes
instead of setting it alight. It
won’t be a true diane sauce but
it’ll still be tasty.
DON’T
WASTE
IT

• 2 large floury potatoes (such
as maris piper)
• Vegetable oil to coat and fry
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 cauliflower
• 30g unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves (2 bashed but
skins left on, 2 finely sliced)
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 1 banana shallot, finely
chopped

• 100g button mushrooms,
sliced
• 100ml cognac or brandy (see
Easy Swaps)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
(or vegetarian equivalent
such as Henderson’s Relish)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 75ml vegetable stock
• 75ml double cream
• ¼ bunch parsley leaves,
finely chopped
• 200g baby leaf spinach
1 Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/
gas 6. Slice the potatoes into
thin wedges (about 8-12 per
potato), then put on an oven tray
and toss well with a drizzle of oil,
the poppy seeds and a good
pinch of salt. Roast in the oven
for 35-40 minutes, tossing
halfway through to get even,
golden crispy edges.
2 As soon as the potatoes go
in the oven, cut 2 thick (3cm)
slices from the middle of the
cauliflower to use as your steaks
(see Don’t Waste It). Heat a
drizzle of oil in a large frying pan,
then put in the cauliflower
steaks and cook until golden on
each side. Add half the butter to
the pan with the 2 bashed garlic
cloves and the thyme sprigs
then, once melted, use the
infused butter to baste the
cauliflower. Transfer the steaks
to an oven tray, drizzling the
butter over them, then season
with salt and pepper. When the
wedges have 10 minutes
remaining, put the steaks in the

oven to cook for 8-10 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, wipe the frying pan
clean and add another dash of
oil. Add the shallot, sliced garlic
and mushrooms with the
remaining butter and cook until
soft (about 10 minutes). Add the
cognac/brandy and carefully set
alight by tilting the pan towards
the gas flame or by using a
match. Once the flames have
gone out, stir in the
Worcestershire sauce and
mustard, cook for a minute, then
stir in the stock and cream and
cook for a couple of minutes
more until reduced to a sauce
consistency. Take off the heat,
taste and season with salt and
pepper, then stir in the chopped
parsley. Set aside.
4 Wilt the spinach in a large pan
with a lid on for a minute or so,
then season well and divide
between 2 plates. Position the
cauliflower on top and the
wedges beside it. Spoon the
sauce over and serve.
Per serving 807kcals, 34g fat
(21g saturated), 15g protein,
78g carbs (9.1g sugars),
0.4g salt, 12g fibre

Creamy trout and
caper linguine

Calling a thick slice of cauliflower a ‘steak’ can be a
little contentious – but when it’s roasted with butter,
garlic and thyme, it’s a glorious thing no matter
what you name it. Served with a retro diane sauce
alongside spinach and crispy poppy seed wedges,
this is a treat of a veggie main

Serves 2
Hands-on time 30 min
Not a fan of trout? Try
hot-smoked mackerel or
cooked prawns – just
heat them through in the sauce.
EASY
SWAPS

• 1 lemon
• 15g dill (½ small bunch)

make it every day.

•
•
•
•

2 lightly smoked trout fillets
150g dried linguine
Dash olive oil
1 banana shallot, finely
chopped
• 100ml white wine
• 1 tbsp capers, chopped
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
1 Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/
gas 6. Finely zest the lemon and
set the zest aside, then slice the
lemon into wheels. Put the slices
on a large sheet of baking paper,
overlapping each slice slightly to
form a rectangle. Pick the dill
fronds and set aside. Put the dill
stalks on top of the lemon slices,
top with the trout fillets, then
season with salt and pepper.
Wrap the baking paper around
to create a parcel and bake in
the oven for 15 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, cook the linguine
in salted boiling water for 8-10
minutes (depending on how
much bite you like it to have).
At the same time, put a large
frying pan over a medium heat
with a dash of oil and fry the
shallot for 5 minutes, stirring
often. Add the wine and simmer
until reduced by half. Once the
trout is cooked, flake the fillets
into the pan (discarding the skin,
lemon slices and dill stalks). Stir
in the reserved lemon zest with
the capers, crème fraîche and
dill fronds, then taste and
season with salt and plenty
of cracked black pepper. Drain
the pasta, reserving a little
cooking water, then stir it into
the sauce, adding a little of the
pasta water to help bring
everything together.
Per serving 522kcals, 25g fat
(12g saturated), 34g protein,
29g carbs (3g sugars), 0.6g salt,
2.9g fibre

There are few things more comforting than a toadin-the-hole for dinner. This chipolata version means
a higher than usual sausage-to-batter ratio, and the
creamed butternut squash spiked with tarragon is
the perfect accompaniment

Chipolata toad-in-thehole with creamed
butternut squash
Serves 4
Hands-on time 35 min, plus
at least 30 min resting
Want the best hole for
your toads? Rest the
batter! This allows lots
of time for the flour to properly
absorb the liquid, the gluten to
rest and any trapped air to
slowly dissipate, resulting in
a light, tender texture.
BE A
BETTER
COOK

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

140g plain flour
4 medium free-range eggs
350ml whole milk
1 red onion
4 garlic cloves
1 butternut squash
(about 800g)
3 tbsp olive oil, plus a dash
3 tarragon sprigs,
leaves picked
150g double cream
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
12 outdoor-reared
pork chipolatas
Redcurrant jelly to serve

1 Put the flour, eggs and 200ml
of the milk in a jug with a pinch
of salt and use a hand mixer or

balloon whisk to whip into a
smooth batter. Put in the fridge
to rest – overnight if possible
or 30 minutes at the very least.
2 Meanwhile, slice the onion and
garlic, then peel, deseed and
dice the squash. Once the batter
has rested, heat the oven to
180ºC fan/gas 6, pour the
3 tbsp oil into a large oven dish
or deep-sided oven tray and put
in the oven to heat up.
3 While the oil is heating up, put
a saucepan over a medium heat
with a dash of oil. Add the onion
and garlic and cook for about
5 minutes to soften. Add the
diced squash and tarragon
leaves, cook for 5 more minutes,
stirring occasionally, then pour in
the remaining 150ml milk with
the cream and mustard. Simmer
for 20-25 minutes until the
squash is soft.
4 As the squash begins to
simmer, and once the oven is
up to temperature, add the
sausages to the dish/tin and
cook for 5 minutes. Remove
from the oven, arrange evenly
in the dish/tin, then pour over
the batter and quickly return
to the oven for 15-20 minutes,
reducing the heat to 160ºC fan/
gas 4 after 10 minutes.
5 Taste the creamed butternut
squash and season with salt and
pepper. Divide the toad-in-thehole into 4 portions and serve
with the creamed squash and
redcurrant jelly on the side.
Per serving 823kcals, 51g fat
(22g saturated), 28g protein,
59g carbs (18g sugars), 1.6g
salt, 6.2g fibre →

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 119

Pork chops with miso
bean pureé, sprouts
and apples
Serves 4
Hands-on time 30 min
Supermarkets often sell
thin pork chops that are
prone to drying out
when you cook them – if you
can, get hold of thick ones for
the juiciest results. They taste
like a completely different
cut of meat.
BE A
BETTER
COOK

• 300g brussels sprouts,
trimmed and halved
• 2 apples, cored and cut into
wedges
• 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp miso paste
• ½ tsp sherry vinegar or cider
vinegar
• 4 thick-cut pork chops
(at least 2.5cm thick; see
Be A Better Cook)
• 3 sage sprigs, leaves picked
1 Heat the oven to 170ºC fan/
gas 5. Put the sprouts and
apples on an oven tray and
toss with a dash of oil. Roast
for 15 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, open the beans
and pour into a pan (along with
their liquid). Grate the garlic into
the pan and stir in the miso,
then simmer for 6 minutes.
Whizz with a stick blender until
smooth, then taste and season
with salt, pepper and sherry/
cider vinegar. Keep warm over
a very low heat.
3 Season the pork on both sides
with plenty of salt and pepper.
Put a large frying pan over a
medium heat, then balance the
chops on their fatty side using
a pair of tongs to hold them
up. Cook until the fat renders
out and they crisp up (about
5 minutes). Turn the chops onto
their flat sides and cook for a
couple of minutes on each side
(use a second frying pan if
120 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

there’s not enough space).
Transfer the chops to a tray and
cook in the oven for 5 minutes
more (they’ll need a minute or
two less if they’re thin). Leave
to rest in a warm place for
5 minutes before serving.
4 There will be some of the
rendered pork fat still in the
frying pan – use this to fry the
sage leaves until crisp. Serve
the chops (slice off the bone
and cut into slices, if you like)
with the bean purée, roast
apple and sprouts. Finish with
the crispy sage leaves.
Per serving 689kcals, 26g fat
(16g saturated), 60g protein,
45g carbs (12g sugars),
0.5g salt, 20g fibre

Sloppy joes with
coleslaw potato salad
Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min
Simmering time 25 min
The sauce can be made
the day before and
tastes great the next
day. It also freezes well.
Toasting the buns
BE A
BETTER doesn’t just add texture
COOK
– it also helps stop the
sauce soaking into the bread
too quickly.
MAKE
AHEAD

•
•
•
•

Dash olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely
chopped
• 500g beef mince
• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 500g passata
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 3 tbsp American-style mustard
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 burger buns
• 12 dill gherkin slices
For the coleslaw potato salad
• 600g new potatoes, halved
• 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely
grated
• 100g sauerkraut, drained and
roughly chopped
• 60g raisins
• 100g crème fraîche
• ½ bunch dill, chopped
1 Heat the oil in a large pan
over a medium heat, then add
the onion and garlic and cook
for 5 minutes. Add the green
pepper, cook for 3 minutes,
then add the beef mince. Cook
for 8 minutes, breaking up the
mince with a wooden spoon
and stirring regularly to brown
it and get a good caramelisation
all over. Stir in the tomato purée
and cayenne pepper, cook for
a minute, then add the passata,
ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire
sauce and brown sugar. Simmer
for 25 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, fill a saucepan
with boiling water from the
kettle, add a big pinch of salt
and tip in the potatoes. Cook
for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Drain, then mix with the
remaining salad ingredients and
season with salt and pepper.
3 Slice and toast the buns.
Spoon the mince onto the
bun bases and top with the
pickled gherkins and the lids,
then serve with the coleslaw
potato salad on the side.
Per serving 856kcals, 36g fat
(17g saturated), 38g protein,
85g carbs (42g sugars),
2.4g salt, 8.9g fibre

make it every day.

Friday
night
dinner

Pork chops with
miso bean pureé,
sprouts and apples

This new take on the classic combo of pork, apple and sage
is ready in just 30 minutes, but tastes like it took so much
longer. The easy bean pureé uses the liquid from the bean
tin, which not only adds flavour but also gives a silky texture

With so much health advice bandied about in tabloid headlines and
from often dubious sources on social media, it can be tricky to
navigate a path to an all-things-in-moderation healthy diet. To help,
Sue Quinn asked five leading nutritionists how they shop and eat

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

WHAT DO
NUTRITIONISTS
PUT IN THEIR
SHOPPING
BASKETS?

health matters.

W

e all try our best to make at least some healthy choices when we do our grocery
shopping. Perhaps you steer your trolley to the fruit and veg first, or stick to the
outside aisles, where all the fresh stuff is kept. Some people avoid food shopping
when they’re hungry, to reduce the risk of sneaking impulse snacks into their basket.
But even nutrition experts admit that choosing healthy food can be a challenge.
Every day, new headlines catch our eye claiming this or that food to be the most nutritious or
the most unhealthy. Health advice is everywhere on social media, often conflicting and frequently
dispensed by unqualified ‘experts’. And new so-called nutritious foods are launched all the time
– but are they as good for us as manufacturers would like us to believe?
To make shopping for the good stuff easier, we asked five nutrition experts – qualified
nutritionists, doctors and scientists – to share one item they always have in their shopping
baskets, and why. Fresh fruit and vegetables were a given.

THE CHOICE
Nuts and seeds
THE NUTRITIONIST
Dr Sarah Berry,
nutritional scientist,
associate professor
at King’s College London

THE CHOICE
Red lentils
THE NUTRITIONIST
Dr Duane Mellor,
registered dietitian
and senior teaching
fellow at Aston Medical School

THE REASON “I know that if I start
off my day well, I’ll maintain a good
level of energy throughout the day,
so I typically have nuts and seeds on
hand,” Dr Berry says. “I add them to
my breakfast in the morning, which is
typically full fat greek yogurt and kefir.”
Nuts and seeds are packed with
fibre, heart healthy oils and multiple
micronutrients, making them a
nutritionally diverse food, she says.
“Also, the structure (matrix) of nuts
means they’re digested slowly, make
you full for longer and provide fabulous
fuel for the gut microbiome.”
Dr Berry has investigated nuts in her
research and discovered that around
30% of their energy is not absorbed by
the body. “So, contrary to popular
opinion, they are not such a high calorie
snack either,” she says.

THE REASON “They’re versatile,
cook quickly and are a cheap way to add
protein, fibre and iron to a bolognese,
chilli or curry,” says Dr Mellor. “You can
reach for a handful to thicken up a sauce,
or even use them to make breads like
puris, a kind of deep-fried bread.”
Dr Mellor will often eat red lentils
alongside mushrooms, another essential
item on his shopping list. “Mushrooms
can be used in so many ways: roughly
chopped to add texture to dishes,
through to finely diced and added to
onion, celery and garlic to give a meaty
flavour to a recipe.”
If mushrooms have been exposed to
bursts of sunlight or UV light when
growing, they can be a valuable source
of vitamin D. They’re also packed with
fibre and healthy plant compounds that
are thought to support gut health and
our immune system.

THE CHOICE Garlic
THE NUTRITIONIST
Toral Shah, nutritional
scientist and
integrative medicine
practitioner,
specialising in cancer and
metabolic health
THE REASON Garlic is packed with
minerals, including phosphorus, zinc,
potassium and magnesium, as well as
vitamins C and K, folate, niacin and
thiamine. “There are so many nutrients
in it, and it makes everything taste good,
so I eat it in everything,” Shah says.
Research suggests the benefits of
eating lots of garlic are many and varied,
from reduced risk of heart disease and
dementia to improved blood pressure
and the management of breast cancer.
It’s also been shown to have antiviral and
anti-inflammatory properties.
Shah has a top tip for preparing garlic:
“It’s annoying to have to peel and crush it
every time, so I do what my mum does
– peel a load, then whizz in the food
processor. I then pop it in a jar and cover
it with a layer of olive oil.” Stored in the
fridge, it will last for a few days. →
deliciousmagazine.co.uk 123

health matters.

“Tinned veg and fish last
longer than fresh, are often
just as nutritious and
can be much cheaper”

THE CHOICE
Extra-virgin olive oil
THE NUTRITIONIST
Dr Camilla Stokholm,
NHS GP who
Instagrams under the
account @whatyourdoctoreats

THE CHOICE
Tinned vegetables
and fish
THE NUTRITIONIST
Zoe Griffiths,
registered
nutritionist, ZG Nutrition

THE REASON “It’s my daily medicine,”
Dr Stokholm says – “my go-to oil for
frying, roasting, dressings or pouring on
top of soups, bread and boiled veg. I like it
in everything, even in baking.”
Dr Stokholm was converted to a daily
dose of olive oil after reading about its
heart protective benefits in the famous
2013 PREDIMED study, which found
that people at high risk of heart disease
reduced their chances of developing it
by 30% by eating a Mediterranean diet
supplemented with olive oil.
Dr Stokholm shares what she eats, as
well as nutrition tips, on Instagram. She
hopes to educate people by example about
the health benefits of eating well and on
a budget, even when pressed for time.
As well as avoiding ultra-processed
food, Dr Stockholm makes most meals
from scratch; that can mean assembling
a plate of nutritious snacks like nuts,
cheese, eggs and fruit if she doesn’t have
the time or energy to prepare a meal
– but she never goes without her olive oil.

THE REASON Griffiths keeps a stash
of tinned veg and fish in the
storecupboard in case she doesn’t have
time to buy the fresh stuff. “Tinned veg
and fish last longer than fresh, are often
just as nutritious and can be much
cheaper,” she says. “I always have some
available. They’re all essential foods
that form the basis of a nutritious diet
but are also easy to use at the last
minute for quick healthy recipes.”
Her tinned staples include tomatoes,
chickpeas, lentils and beans, plus
vegetables with no added salt including
sweetcorn, whole green beans and
garden peas. “For tinned fish I go for
sardines, mackerel or pilchards,” she
says. These contain all-important
healthy fats including omega-3s, which
are vital for cell function and support
a wide array of bodily processes. “Opt for
tinned fish in spring water or brine and
drain well before using,” she adds.
See box, right, for a typical day in
Zoe’s food diary

124 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

WHAT I
TYPICALLY
EAT IN A DAY
by Zoe Griffiths
Breakfast 2 Weetabix,
plus 2 dessertspoonfuls
flaxseed, 1 tbsp chia
seeds, a sprinkling of
sunflower or pumpkin
seeds, plus fruit (usually
a banana or a handful of
blueberries): “Seeds add
fibre and are rich in
unsaturated fats, protein,
vitamins and minerals,”
she says. Zoe is allergic
to dairy products, so she
uses rice milk fortified
with calcium.
Lunch A sandwich made
with 2 slices of wholemeal
bread (no spread), a small
tin of tuna or salmon,
plus salad. “Everyone
should try to eat at least
two portions of fish each
week, including one oily
variety such as salmon,”
she says. “Fish is a good
source of vitamins and
minerals, and oily fish is
particularly high in
omega-3 fatty acids,
which can help to keep
your heart healthy.”
Supper Stir-fried
vegetables with some
protein, such as skinless
chicken breast: “Stir-frying
is a quick-cooking method
that helps retain more
nutrients in vegetables
than boiling them,” says
Zoe. She uses chinese
five-spice to season
instead of soy sauce
to limit her intake of
salt, which can cause
high blood pressure and
increase the risk of heart
attack and strokes.

health matters.

IN SEASON NOW
Craving a fresh pick-me-up to
counter all the heavy comfort
food of winter? Reach for
grapefruit, in season now. Not
only do they deliver wonderful
tang and colour, they’re also
loaded with vitamin C, so they
support your immune system.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt to
tame the bitterness if you find
the taste too mouth-puckering.

VIDEO QUACKS

Health

NEWS

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

HEALTHY
LISTENING
Podcasts are an easy,
enjoyable way to keep
up with the latest
nutrition news.
Here are two I love:
• Food For Thought,
hosted by registered
nutritionist Rhiannon
Lambert. She covers
topical food and health
issues – from how to
improve your skin
through diet, through
to sorting nutritional
fact from fiction on
social media – in a
science-based but
relaxed style.
• Feel Better, Live
More with Dr Rangan
Chatterjee, who offers
easy health hacks and
expert advice, plus he
debunks nutrition
myths with the help
of leading experts.

News, nuggets
of knowledge and
advice you can trust.
By Sue Quinn

Where do you go for nutrition
advice? For many people, TikTok is
now the answer. Food brand Protein
Works analysed 1,000 of the most
viewed TikTok videos with #health or
#nutrition hashtags and, worryingly,
found that 61% of those dispensing
advice had no relevant
qualifications. The
lesson? If you use
social media for tips,
check the credentials
of those giving advice.
Your health is too
important to entrust
to amateurs.

Pass the yogurt
Fermented foods, also known as
probiotics, are well known for
supporting gut health. But
products rich in live bacteria like
yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and
kimchi may also help counteract
the toxic effects of microplastics.
Studies show that our bodies
absorb tiny plastic particles
through drinking water, the crops
we eat, the environment and other
means. Emerging research
suggests the bacteria in fermented
food might lessen the damaging
effects of these particles, which
can include inflammation, gut
problems and other conditions.
For gut -healthy recipes, search
for ‘sauerkraut’ or ‘kimchi’ at
deliciousmagazine.co.uk

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 125

at a glance.

February

Recipe index

45
STARTERS, SIDES, SNACKS
& BRUNCH
• Best-of-the-best French onion soup 66
• Cheese & jalapeño sourdough waffle
82
• Hasselback swede gratin
57
• Spinach & ricotta pancakes with
crispy ’nduja oil 5
• Stir-fried potato slivers with
wind-dried bacon
90
• Swede, apple and tahini ’slaw
57
• Whipped goat’s cheese with
hot honey
38

MAINS
Meat
• Chicken and choucroute garnie
34
• Chicken dauphinoise with dijon and
cream
32
• Chicken with peanuts, chilli and
coconut
36
• Chicken with pistachios and sour
cherries
32

• Chimichurri chicken with roast
squash
34
• Chipolata toad-in-the-hole with
creamed butternut squash 119
• Egg zosui (Japanese rice porridge)
76
• Lion’s head meatballs
92
• Pan con lechón (Cuban roast pork
sandwich) 74
• Pork chops with miso bean pureé,
sprouts and apples
120
• Pot-roast brisket with ale and
onions
86
• Saffron & dill chicken rice pot
27
• Sloppy joes with coleslaw potato
salad
120
• Spiced venison naan with pineapple
salsa 26

ESSENTIAL RECIPE INFO
Our symbols explained
You can freeze all or most
of the recipe. Unless stated
otherwise, freeze the finished dish
for up to 3 months. Defrost and
heat until piping hot throughout.
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten free
Dairy free
Recipes with these symbols are
suitable for special diets provided
you choose appropriate free-from
ingredients – check the label.
Other recipes can be adapted for
special diets – see our Make It
Veggie and Easy Swaps tips.
Standard kit
Our recipes assume cooks will have
a food processor/blender/stick
blender; an electric stand mixer/
hand mixer; a selection of pans,
tins and casseroles; baking paper
and kitchen paper. We give
alternative methods for combining
ingredients if possible, and specify
the size of dish/tin if relevant. We
also think a digital probe
thermometer is helpful for cooking
meat, making preserves and so on.

Vegetarian, vegan & vegetable-based

Prep and cooking times
All our timings include prep.
Hands-on time is when you’re
chopping, stirring, assembling,
frying or grilling.
Oven/simmering time is when you
can leave the dish unattended in
the oven or on the hob.

• Cauliflower steak diane with
poppy seed wedges
118
• Dal dhokli
78
• Mushroom larb
26
• Ribollita
73

Nutritional information
Recipes are analysed for nutritional
content by an expert nutritionist.
Calculations may vary, depending
on your choice of ingredients, and
include listed ingredients only.

Fish & seafood
• Creamy trout and caper linguine 118
• Home-style steamed sea bass
90

SWEET THINGS
• Black forest bakewell tart
45
• Chocolate parkin with marbled
custard
47
• Custard tarts with a fennel-seed
twist
68
• Ginger marmalade cake
60
• Rhubarb, rose and pistachio
crumble
46
• Rum and raisin spotted dick
45
• Sourdough banana bread
82

DRINKS & OTHER
• Pimped-out Baileys hot chocolate
95

Our suppliers
Meat for our recipe testing and
photography is supplied by The
Ginger Pig (thegingerpig.co.uk).
Handmade crockery by Sofia
Ceramics (sofiaceramics.com).
With thanks to Magimix for
supplying our small appliances.
Prices
These are checked and correct
at the time of going to press.
Oven temperatures
Our recipes give fan oven and
gas mark temperatures. For
conventional ovens without a fan,
add 20°C to the fan temperature.

OUR GENERAL Ts&Cs 1. All information forms part of the terms and conditions. 2. Competitions open to UK residents aged 18 and over, except employees (and their families) of Eye to Eye Media Ltd or other
associated company. 3. Prizes are as offered. No cash alternatives. Subject to availability. 4. To enter, unless otherwise stated, visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk/promotions and follow the instructions. No purchase
necessary. One entry per person. 5. Unless specified otherwise, entry to competitions ends 29 February 2024. 6. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered. 7. No responsibility is taken for
entries lost or delayed. 8. Winners will be selected by an independent panel. The judges’ decision is final: no correspondence will be entered into. 9. Winners will be notified directly and their names listed at
deliciousmagazine.co.uk/promotions. 10. Winners agree to take part in publicity. 11. Information given will not be supplied to a third party. 12. Eye to Eye Media Ltd reserves the right to amend these terms and
conditions, or to cancel, alter or amend the promotion, if deemed necessary in its opinion. 13. Eye to Eye Media is not responsible for third-party offers or discounts.

126 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

COMING UP IN NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE

Plan ahead for the long
March weekend

ON SALE
Fri 1 March

Andi Oliver brings Caribbean flavours

Perfect roast beef from Richard Corrigan

Forget the past, these are the future

The BEST Easter feasting

The BEST sweet stuff

• Ravinder Bhogal’s celebration menu
• Andi Oliver’s spiced pork belly vs
Richard Corrigan’s rib of beef
• 7 most useful make-ahead dishes
(plus 5 freezer essentials)
• The joy of cooking with eggs

• Caramelised white chocolate alert!
Cheesecake, madeleines & cookies
• Ravneet Gill’s mango choux pastries
• Richard Bertinet’s custard and
chocolate brioche loaf
• World’s best carrot cake

AND DON’T MISS…
• EUROPE’S FORGOTTEN CAPITAL FOR A BARGAIN FOODIE BREAK • WHY YOU NEED TO
BUY SUSTAINABLE WHEAT • HOW HARD IS IT TO GIVE UP ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS?

DON’T
MISS OUT
Take up the great
subscriber offer
on p48

take five.

PUZZLES PAGE
There’s a prize to be won and food knowledge to be tested with Hugh Thompson’s
crossword and food quiz. They’re what a cuppa and cake were made for
2

3

4

JUMBO CROSSWORD
Across

5

6

7

8

1 Stew for which the meat is fried, then braised
before being served in a sauce made from the
resulting stock (9)
8 Scotch ______: hot chilli especially popular in West
Africa and the Caribbean (6)
9 Artist who said he ate Campbell’s soup every day (6)
12 Pretty flower whose root is often used to flavour
gin, but most other parts are toxic (4)
13 Spiced hot toddy of port and lemon juice, mentioned
in the works of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen (5)
14 Greek brined white cheese (4)
17 The unhealthy accumulation of body fat (7)
18 Name for a pub, bar or tasting area of a brewery (7)
19 _______ souchong: smoky flavoured type of tea (7)
22 Floral or fruit flavoured drink – sounds pleasant (7)
24 Defrost (4)
25 Powder made by grinding grain, nuts or seeds (5)
26 Sweet conserve made by cooking fruit juice, sugar,
eggs and butter (4)
29 Small light basket for transporting fruit or veg (6)
30 Middle Eastern paste of ground sesame seeds (6)
31 Late-summer vegetable – also known as maize (9)

9

10

11

12

14

13
16

15
17

18

20

21

24

23

22

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

HOW TO WIN A PRIZE
Complete the crossword puzzle correctly, take a picture and email it to
info@deliciousmagazine.co.uk by the end of the month for a chance to win*

JUMBO CROSSWORD PRIZE
Win a Flapjackery Mega Box of 12 giant
gluten-free flapjacks plus a jute bag,
worth over £50. Made in Devon, the
array of flavours includes clotted cream
fudge and raspberry & white chocolate
– all crunchy, crumbly and laden with
golden syrup.** flapjackery.co.uk

FEBRUARY PRIZE CROSSWORD

19

Down
2 Outer skin of fruit or bacon (4)
3 Tableware implements for eating food (7)
4 Supposedly used to adulterate bread in the 19th
century – now it provides cellulose, a food additive (7)
5 ____ grey: tea flavoured with bergamot oil (4)
6 Type of pear, originally from France (6)
7 The largest citrus fruit, related to grapefruit (6)
10 Tuscan bread soup – you’ll find it in this issue (9)
11 Sweet-sharp fruit preserve, usually made in winter (9)
15 Classic Indian spiced rice (5)
16 _____ cake: layers of coffee-almond sponge and
chocolate ganache covered in a chocolate glaze (5)
20 Seed of a South American plant; often roasted and
salted, dry roasted or ground into a spread (6)
21 French pancake made of buckwheat (7)
22 _______ soda: known as lye and used to cure olives
and make pretzels (7)
23 Lizard eaten in the Caribbean and Central America
– known as ‘chicken of the trees’ (6)
27 To chew or nibble, especially on a bone (4)
28 To blacken or burn – often deliberately (4)

CRYPTIC CLUE: WIN A £50 CO-OP GIFT CARD

£50
GIFT CARD

For your chance to win £50 to spend in store,
solve the cryptic clue on the magazine spine,
then email your answer with your name,
full UK address and phone number to info@
deliciousmagazine.co.uk by 29 February 2024.*
Solution to December’s clue: snowball

ANSWERS TO DECEMBER CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Agnolotti 8 Lammas 9 Teabag
12 Arak 13 Belly 14 Choc 17 Maenads 18 Navarin
19 Rosehip 22 Shallot 24 Cane 25 Emmer
26 Brie 29 Paneer 30 Laurel 31 Pistachio
DOWN 2 Game 3 Oysters 4 Ortolan 5 Toad
6 Carafe 7 Rasher 10 Barmbrack 11 Schnitzel
15 Dashi 16 Evian 20 Sundae 21 Pomfret
22 Shellac 23 Larder 27 Deli 28 Puri

CRYPTIC CLUE SET BY LES DUNN. *FOR TS&CS, SEE P126. **PLEASE SEE PRODUCT PAGE ON THE FLAPJACKERY
WEBSITE FOR INGREDIENT & ALLERGEN INFORMATION. CONTAINS MILK, SOYA, EGGS, NUTS, PEANUTS & SULPHUR

1

THE FOOD QUIZ
1

Genépi is a liqueur
from the Alps. What is
its main flavouring?
a) Caraway seeds
b) Wormwood
c) Hyssop
d) Juniper

6

2

7

Picarones are
Afro-Peruvian ring
doughnuts made with...
a) Bananas
b) Yams
c) Sweet potatoes
d) Breadfruit

3

Financiers were cakes
invented in Paris at
the end of the 19th
century. What do they
resemble?
a) Purses
b) Money boxes
c) Coins
d) Gold ingots

4

Beurre noisette is the
culinary term for…?
a) Nut butter
b) Truffle butter
c) Brown butter
d) Clarified butter

5

Pad Thai is a well
known national dish.
What does ‘pad’ mean?
a) Stir-fried
b) Noodles
c) Bowl
d) Street food

What was the
Victorian slang
phrase for sausages?
a) Pork savouries
b) Bags of mystery
c) Butcher’s fingers
d) Empire bangers
Marmite is effectively
banned in...
a) Philippines
b) Andorra
c) Kazakhstan
d) Denmark

8

Lachanophobia
is a fear of…...
a) Milk
b) Chicken
c) Vegetables
d) Chopsticks

9

Only tomatoes grown
in the volcanic soils
around Vesuvius can be
used in an authentic…
a) Neapolitan pizza
b) Pasta puttanesca
c) Ragù bolognese
d) Stromboli
In France a ‘café
gourmand’ is a...
a) Coffee flavoured with
a shot of alcohol
b) Superior blend of coffee
c) Coffee and small
desserts
d) Coffee with whipped
cream and chopped nuts

10

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ANSWERS Food Quiz: 1) b (it has some similarity to Chartreuse, said to be the
world’s first liqueur, invented in 1084 by Carthusian monks in Grenoble) 2) c
(sweet potatoes are mashed into a paste along with a local variety of squash)
3) d (supposedly created by a baker near the Paris stock exchange, they were
designed to appeal to bankers) 4) c (noisette on its own means hazelnut; brown
butter has a nutty smell and taste) 5) a (pad Thai was apparently invented in the
1930s as part of a nation-building programme) 6) b (on account of the sometimes
dubious contents inside) 7) d (Horlicks, Ovaltine and Farley’s Rusks are similarly
proscribed for having too many added vitamins. They’re not technically banned
but haven’t yet been approved for sale) 8) c (fear of chicken = alektorophobia;
fear of chopsticks = consecotaleophobia) 9) a (according to the Associazione
Verace Pizza Napoletana the only tomatoes that can be used when making the
sauce for a Neapolitan pizza are san marzano and a couple of cherry tomato
varieties) 10) c (the cakes or desserts are called mignardises or petits fours)

talking point.

I just can’t tolerate it!
If people’s food intolerances are genuine, fair
enough, says comedian George Egg – he’ll go
to great lengths to accommodate them. But
if they’re not, woe betide the flaky eater who
sits down at the Egg dinner table…

I
Have you been
wound up by
a flakily faddy
eater? Tell us at
info@
deliciousmagazine.
co.uk

So why might you find me crying “Get your
spoon OUT of the tabbouleh Rick, you told me
you were doing Paleo and I’ve made you an entire
Paleo section... Now get back to the meat and
cheese zone!”?
Personally I’ll eat anything… within reason.
I'm fortunate not to suffer from any allergies, I’ve
no religious dietary restrictions and I don’t have
an especially sensitive moral compass. I try to eat
healthily and I favour free-range
like any decent person, but it still
won’t prevent me mercilessly
devouring dubious fried chicken
on the way home from the pub,
or wrapping a slice of processed
cheese around a Peperami and
squirting it with salad cream when I
get home... after eating the chicken.
When it comes to culinary
matters, though, there’s one thing
I can’t abide. One thing that I’m,
well, intolerant of, and that’s people
who ‘just try’ the other food that
contains the ingredients you went
to painstaking lengths to avoid.
So if Graham has drilled into me
the utmost importance that I only cook with
extra-virgin olive oil of the highest (and naturally
most expensive) quality because partner Tony’s
homeopath has insisted he avoid any other fats for
fear of his eczema flaring up again, and when I see
them out to their car and notice the
door pocket is stuffed with empty
Monster Munch bags, that Skoda
Fabia ain’t going nowhere until I get
an explanation.
I’m tolerant of the intolerant,
but I’m intolerant of the intolerant who
turn out to be tolerant of the things they
said they were intolerant to. That’s tolerably
clear, isn’t it?

“When I see them
out to their car
and notice the
door pocket is
stuffed with empty
Monster Munch
bags, that Skoda
Fabia ain’t going
nowhere until I get
an explanation”

Hands off the
chicken – you said
you were veggie!

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

WHAT DO
YOU THINK?

’m a tolerant person, but if Caroline has
announced her newly adopted veganism and
as a result I’ve ensured half the buffet table
is groaning under the weight of wholesome good
vibes, should I catch her taking a cheeky bite out of
Felix’s ham and cheese croquette, I’m coming down
on her like a ton of tofu. Him too, for that matter.
Reduce my available larder options, limit my
ingredients and I’ll thrive. I relish the challenge.
You see, I’m an accommodating
cook, and I’m more than happy to
please everyone. Despite being a
meat-fancier, I won’t baulk at the
prospect of feeding my vegetarian
friends or, better still, my vegan
strangers, with whatever they
desire – or don’t.
I’m happy to avoid nuts or seeds
– particularly when I’m made aware
their inclusion could mean a 999
call. If someone can’t eat gluten,
either because they’re genuinely
allergic to it or even if they’re
simply following the advice of
their psycho-nutritionist after
a particularly intense session with
the rune stones, I’ll seek an alternative
and I’ll enjoy doing so.
Be it because of weight-watching, religion, ethics,
environmental factors or any number of other
reasons, George Egg will feed you gleefully.
Nobody’s getting an empty plate on my watch,
whoever you are, whatever it is you can’t eat
and for whatever reason – unless of
course your particular quirk is that you’re
on the 5:2 and we’re on a ‘two’ day.

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