Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i Delicious UK

When it’s cold outside the only wise move is to batten down the hatches and make it warm and super-cosy inside. That’s the theme running through this issue: love your home, cook great food and give yourself licence to RELAX. If you find it hard to switch off (I’m with you on that), persist – you can do it! At this time of year people tend to socialise less, so relish the pleasures of contemplation, rediscover reading, stay off social media for an afternoon or evening (preaching to myself here), go for a bracing walk and enjoy the occasional TV blitz. Perhaps you could kickstart your own board game revival, brain cells boosted by reviving bowlfuls of food – find inspiration for both on p28. This issue is…

SUBJECT: Fond memories FROM : Molly Price I so enjoyed the childhood memories menu in the November issue [p58]. My grandma Shirley’s recipe for lemon cream reminds me of her – a recipe that’s been in the family for a long time. She used to make it for afternoon tea in the garden and, when she passed away, we printed the recipe on the front of her eulogy for everyone to remember her by. Here it is… Shirley’s lemon cream Take one pint of double cream and the zest of two lemons and slowly bring to the boil. When the mixture bubbles, take it off the heat and let it cool. Add the juice from the two lemons and 3-4 ounces of caster sugar . Pour it over roughly crumbled…

13 JAN Saturnalia Real Ale Ramble, Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales Travel back in time at this Bacchanalian event, with recipes from the Roman cookery tome Apicius to try, including lumbuli assi ita fiunt (roast lamb’s testicles) – plus ale aplenty. Work off the excess on the afternoon trek, taking in old Roman routes, with free ale at each checkpoint you reach. £11; green-events.co.uk 18 JAN TO 4 FEB Obsession at Northcote, Lancashire Over 18 nights, celebrated chefs from around the globe will each serve up a menu unique to them, in the stunning setting of Northcote hotel. Now in its 18th year, this gastronomic event is a calendar highlight and in 2018 welcomes talent from the UK, Mexico, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong. £140 per person, per event; northcote.com…

“These pages are about us doing the hard work so you don’t have to. We’re sent anything from 40 to 100 new products a month, and we really do try them all: tasting, smelling the aromas, testing gadgets. Only if they’re useful, good-looking and value for money do they get the delicious. seal of approval.” LISTEN WHILE YOU COOK I love a bit of radio action – or listening to podcasts – in the kitchen while I’m cooking. The UK-made Monty is a beaut: with retro styling and a neat shape, it’s a DAB digital radio, FM radio and Bluetooth speaker in one. It also has a USB port, alarm clock and can be either mains or rechargeable battery-powered. There are a variety of wood finishes, too (my top choice:…

THE COOKERY SCHOOL WHERE White Pepper Chef Academy and Cookery School, Poole, Dorset ( white-pepper.co.uk ) THE COURSE Italian Cooking, £175 for one-day course (includes lunch with wine) TESTED BY Emine Hassan WHAT IT’S LIKE White Pepper Chef Academy and Cookery School is a collection of rustic farm buildings nestled in the Dorset countryside not far from the south coast resort towns of Poole and Bournemouth. Poole’s affluent Sandbanks neighbourhood is nearby, which could quite possibly be my ideal place to spend a weekend. There are courses for budding professionals at the chef’s academy while the cookery school, with a host of courses that run from three hours (knife skills, veggie cooking) to five days (patisserie masterclass, intermediate cookery), is aimed at home cooks. WHAT I LEARNED I…

Fontina and cambozola on sourdough toasts with parma ham, roasted pears and hazelnuts SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN MAKE AHEAD Roast the pears and nuts a few hours ahead and keep covered in a cool place. FOOD TEAM’S TIP In late summer this would work well with roasted figs or peaches instead of pears. •  2-3 ripe pears, cut into wedges•  75ml sweet wine (such as moscatel)•  Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle•  1 tsp thick balsamic glaze•  50g whole skin-on hazelnuts•  6 slices crusty sourdough bread•  100g cambozola cheese, sliced•  100g fontina cheese, sliced•  6 parma ham slices•  3 fresh oregano sprigs, leaves picked 1 Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6. Put the pears in a baking dish, then drizzle with the wine, olive oil and balsamic…

Debbie Major turns her expert hand to proper Cornish pasties made with braising steak, tweaking and perfecting the recipe until she finds her best possible version. Then (don’t tell them in Penzance) she ramps up the flavour with a Mexican twist The master recipe MAKES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 1 HOUR, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR, PLUS CHILLING MAKE AHEAD Make and chill the pastry up to 2 days ahead and keep well wrapped in the fridge, or freeze for up to 1 month. The unbaked pasties can be made a day ahead, then baked to order. Any leftover cooked pasties will keep for a few days in the fridge. They’re best warmed in the oven or microwave to serve. FOR THE PASTRY •  100g hard margarine, such as Stork Original baking…

Sometimes, we want our soup to be luxuriously smooth. For one thing, it makes for very easy dipping with a chunk of crusty bread. Other times, we want something a bit more substantial, full of chunky goodness, like this wholesome Scandi meatball soup. But whichever side we’re on, we can all agree our soup has to be full of flavour. That’s where new OXO Ready To Use Stock comes in. Its three tasty varieties – Rich Farm-Bred Beef, Succulent Free-Range Chicken and Tasty Vegetable – will give your soup an instant boost of flavour, and help you pull off a satisfying bowl every time. Chunky Scandi meatball soup SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 35 MIN •  40g porridge oats•  80ml semi-skimmed milk•  2 onions, 1 chopped, 1…

Is it possible to overcome the allure of the cheap ready meal or trashy takeaway? Through Bags of Taste, her social enterprise, Alicia Weston is proving that, with a healthy portion of motivation, you can get people to eat better for less, long term. Felicity Cloake finds out how Alicia Weston stands in a church hall in east London encouraging her audience, a group ranging from a fidgety guy with dreads to a softly spoken elderly Irish woman, to go out and steal. “Bay leaves are everywhere! Just nick them!” Her right-hand woman Linda, stirring a pot of peanut and vegetable stew (see p63), nods: “It’s foraging, isn’t it?” This is a cookery class with a difference. Alicia, a former investment banker, set up the Bags of Taste project, which…

Baked chocolate and caramel sponge pudding with chocolate custard SERVES 6-8. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 50-55 MIN MAKE AHEAD The pudding is at its best eaten on the day it’s made but you can make the custard a few hours ahead. To stop a skin forming on the top, cover with a piece of cling film touching the surface of the custard. Reheat gently in a pan or in the microwave to serve. If you have pudding left over (unlikely!), cover and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat individual portions in a microwave with the custard poured over. FOR THE SPONGE •  200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease•  200g soft light brown sugar•  3 large free-range eggs, beaten•  50g…

NEW YEAR BOOSTERS Nutritious midweek recipes to help power you through the colder winter weather BUDGET RECIPE Treat yourself to this bistro classic – it’s quick to make and easy on the purse LEFTOVERS RECIPE Beat food waste: transform spare veg into a sumptuous cheesy pasta bake A LIGHTER MUFFIN With this recipe, packed with fruit and oats, you can have your cake and eat it…

Apple crumble muffins MAKES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN, OVEN TIME 20 MIN HOW WE DID IT Instead of using butter in the topping we added a little rapeseed oil. The yogurt in the batter helps give the muffins lift without extra oil and eggs. MAKE AHEAD Let the muffins cool, then store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze, individually wrapped in cling film, for up to 3 months. •  150g self-raising flour•  110g plain wholemeal flour•  1½ tsp ground ginger•  Pinch freshly grated nutmeg•  40g rolled oats•  70g light muscovado sugar•  2 large apples, coarsely grated•  2 medium free-range eggs•  100ml skimmed milk•  85g low-fat greek yogurt (we used Total 2%)•  40ml rapeseed oil FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING •  1 tbsp plain wholemeal flour• …

Chicken hotpot MAKES 8 PORTIONS (2 MEALS FOR 4). HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN, OVEN TIME 45 MIN FOOD TEAM’S TIP Stir in a little crème fraîche after simmering (step 3) for a richer flavour. •  3 sweet potatoes (about 700g), peeled and diced•  Vegetable oil to fry and brush•  400g banana shallots, quartered•  2 garlic cloves, crushed•  1½ tbsp smoked paprika•  2 tbsp tomato purée•  2 x 500g packs skinless boneless free-range chicken thighs, sliced into 2-3cm strips•  4 red peppers, deseeded and sliced 1cm thick•  3 tbsp plain flour•  400ml chicken stock•  400g potatoes, thinly sliced YOU’LL ALSO NEED… •  1.2 litre baking dish 1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the sweet potatoes and cook for 12-15 minutes until just tender. Drain and set…

Cornbread toad in the hole SERVES 4-6. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, OVEN TIME 25 MIN Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Put 2 x 400g packs of British free-range pork sausages and 2 onions, sliced into wedges, in a 23cm ovenproof frying pan. Season and add a few fresh thyme sprigs and 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Mix 150g polenta, 1 tsp caster sugar, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 170g plain flour and 1½ tsp baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add 284ml buttermilk and 1 large free-range egg and, using a wooden spoon, beat until smooth. Remove the sausages and onions from the pan and melt 25g unsalted butter in it. Add most of the polenta mix, then top with the sausages and onions, browned-side…

Plant-based eating is simple – add more plants to your meals and make them the star of the show. Try an extra handful of veg in your stir-fry, mix nuts and berries into your porridge, or make wholegrains and pulses a key ingredient in a midweek main. Eating like this is good for you as plant-based foods tend to be high in fibre, low in saturated fat and packed with vitamins and minerals. So go on, stock up on veg, celebrate nuts and seeds, and experiment with Alpro’s tasty products, then try these recipes to get going. Veggie curry SERVES 4-6. HANDS ON TIME 10 MIN, OVEN TIME 50 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 25-30 MIN •  2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks•  3 tbsp sunflower oil•  2 large carrots, cut into…

RECIPE RESCUE SHRINKING SHORTCRUST Pastry shrinks when it’s baked as its liquid content (from eggs, butter and water) evaporates. Here’s how to help stop your pastry shrinking in the oven and ruining your tart case DON’T OVERWORK THE DOUGH When flour combines with liquid, proteins in it form elastic strands of gluten. The more you mix, the stronger and stretchier those strands become, causing tough, shrinking pastry. For light, crumbly pastry, handle the dough gently. GO EASY ON THE LIQUID When adding liquid (cold water/milk), start with half the amount stated in the recipe, pulsing/stirring in until the mixture starts to clump together (don’t let it form a ball). The more liquid in the pastry, the greater the risk of shrinkage. CHILL IT Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap…

If you’re making our star of the season pineapple recipes on p51, you’ll need to get to grips with this knobbly, spiky fruit 1 Slice off the crown of leaves at the top of the pineapple [A], then cut off the bottom to leave a flat base. 2 Stand the pineapple on a flat end, then use a sharp cook’s knife to cut away the skin by slicing down the side [B]. 3 Lay the peeled fruit on its side [C] and cut out the remaining eyes in a series of shallow diagonal strips [D]. FOR RINGS Use a pineapple corer to remove the tough woody core, then slice across into rings. FOR WEDGES Stand the prepared fruit on a flat end and cut in half, lengthways, then lay the…

When I became a vegetarian 20 years ago I quickly realised I was perceived not merely as having changed my diet, but as if I’d had a personality transplant. Overnight I’d become, to my friends and family, a pasty-faced sandal-wearer who lives on lentils. A formerly doting aunt, explaining why she wouldn’t be able to invite me round any more, said, “I don’t know how to cook vegetarian food,” as if it were some alien species of nourishment. Thankfully, the world has moved on in the past few years when it comes to vegetarianism. Home cooks and chefs have recognised it’s okay to let vegetables take centre stage. Vegetarianism has become mainstream, even fashionable. But food stereotyping hasn’t gone out of fashion, and there are plenty of other food ‘types’…

1 DICED • Petit brunoise 3mm square. USE… to garnish soups and salads. • Small dice 6mm square. USE… for all vegetables, although for tomatoes it’s known as concasse . • Medium dice 1cm square USE… to make croutons to garnish soups and salads. • Large dice 1.5cm square USE… for vegetables for casseroles and bakes. 2 JULIENNE • Fine 5cm long, 1.5mm thick. USE… for fine garnishes, particularly canapés. As well as for veg, use this technique to cut citrus peel. • Matchsticks 5cm long, 3mm thick. USE… for all veg, but this cut is particularly good for making remoulade and other raw slaws. Potatoes cut into matchsticks are known as allumette . 3 JARDINIERE • Baton 5cm long, 1cm thick. USE… for neat side dishes – this is…

Calling all budding food writers! Are you – or do you know – a young writer who dreams of writing a cookery book or composing restaurant reviews? The Guild of Food Writers’ Write It! competition, in association with Pink Lady apples, opens this month, giving budding wordsmiths the chance to have their work read by the best in the biz. In recognition of the competition’s 10th birthday, entrants are invited to write a paean to food with a ‘celebration’ theme. It can be descriptive prose, a short story, a travelogue or a food memory – anything food-related on the topic. Judged by renowned food figures (above, from left) Rick Stein, Xanthe Clay, Martha Collison, Stefan Gates, Meera Sodha and delicious. editor Karen Barnes, each winner in the three age categories…

TUSCANY: SIMPLE MEALS & FABULOUS FEASTS FROM ITALY London-based restaurateurs and authors Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi have a strong connection to Tuscany. For their latest book, the pair return to Giancarlo’s homeland, collecting traditional recipes from chefs, cooks and family, all based on good local produce. £26, Hardie Grant TOM KERRIDGE’S LOSE WEIGHT FOR GOOD For chef and telly star Tom, weight-loss has become akin to a second career. This is his second book on the topic and will doubtless be a bestseller too. The secret? Tom’s recipes are refreshingly un-cheffy yet stylish and, even though they’re low-cal, they pack in plenty of flavour too. £22, Absolute Press SMITTEN KITCHEN EVERY DAY New York City-based Deb Perelman is a bestselling cookbook author and creator of the Smitten Kitchen blog. Her…

LES DUNN, MANAGING EDITOR “The delicious. shop was created so we can take the best items from our favourite producers and put them all in one place for you to browse and buy. As well as high-quality artisan food items you’ll find great kitchenware. Here are my top picks this month” STEAM POWER The north wind doth blow and we shall have snow… It’s time to draw the curtains and shove this sticky toffee pudding in the microwave (or, if you can bear to wait, the steamer). Made by chirpy East Anglian granny Alison Lilly, they’re the next best thing to homemade. LillyPuds sticky toffee pudding, £6.70 for 315g, and sticky toffee sauce, £3.95 for 190g SAY CHEESE I’m a bloke so I’m supposed to like knives – and I…

HOW WE TEST Our panel are taste experts. We conduct our tests without packaging, so our tasters don’t know who produced each product or how much it costs. And to prevent one tester influencing another, the panel aren’t allowed to confer during the tests, so the results you read below are unbiased. WHAT WE LOOKED FOR It’s a fortifying breakfast in winter and there are a wealth of on-the-go porridge pots ready at the boil of a kettle. A good porridge should have a creamy consistency and pleasing texture. SUPERMARKET WINNER, UNFLAVOURED Lidl Oatilicious Oh So Easy Oats, 39p for 50g The oats in this thick, luscious porridge have bite, and although there’s some added sugar it’s not too much. SUPERMARKET RUNNER-UP, UNFLAVOURED Sainsbury’s Original No Added Sugar, 60p for…

Slow cooked Italian-style beef with horseradish yorkshires SERVES 8. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 5½ HOURS KNOWHOW Brisket is from the lower chest of the cow. These hard-working muscles have to help the cattle stand up, so there’s lots of connective tissue that needs to be cooked for a long time to achieve tenderness. The meat is usually basted during cooking to keep it juicy. Brisket is normally bought rolled and tied. If it’s not, ask your butcher to do this for you. •  Olive oil for frying•  1.7-2kg piece British beef brisket, rolled and tied (see Know-how)•  6 banana shallots, halved or quartered•  3 carrots, sliced•  2 celery sticks, chopped•  4 garlic cloves, sliced•  2 tbsp tomato purée•  400g tin chopped tomatoes•  350ml red wine (use a robust…

“Despite what many people may think, the delicate, tender, sweet meat from the brown crab is at its absolute best during the cold winter months. That’s because the warm, food-rich waters of summer and autumn leave crabs sated, heavy and full of flavourful meat. I’d recommend picking the meat from the shells yourself – it’s a kind of joy. Everything about the slow preparation is therapeutic and fresh to me. If time is a factor, though (which it often is), a friendly fishmonger should be able to present you with dressed crab of equal measure. It feels right to have something light and clean in January – it’s like a tonic. Rhubarb’s casting here isn’t merely in a supportive role; its flavour has as much a part to play as…

The tough exterior of this aromatic fruit hides sweet beauty within, and it’s more versatile than you might think. Enjoy pineapple grilled, fried or baked – or on its own, just as nature created it. The intense flavour marries well with strong, punchy ingredients – especially the fiery heat of chilli and ginger. I’ve used the fruit’s sour-sweet complexity to brilliant effect with these recipes for crowd-pleasing duck tacos and a reinvention of that retro classic, pineapple upside-down cake. So, is this spiky fruit ripe for revival? Absolutely JEN BEDLOE, ACTING FOOD EDITOR Slow-cooked duck tacos with pineapple salsa SERVES 4-6. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, OVEN TIME 2 HOURS MAKE AHEAD Cook the duck legs up to 2 days ahead, cool and keep covered in the fridge. To serve, reheat…

“My Polish maternal grandmother, Rose, arrived in the UK by boat in the 1920s, a Jewish émigré from Warsaw in Poland. She was a good cook and though she sadly died before I was born, her legacy lived on through her recipes. My mum used to re-create family favourites, especially during the Jewish High Holidays. Fish balls were a rare treat as my mum disliked the smell of fried food in the house, but she made an exception for these delicious morsels. The windows would be opened as wide as could be, even in winter. She made hundreds at a time and we lived off them in many forms for days: cold as part of a spread with chrain (a spicy beetroot and horseradish relish) on the side; hot with…

If you love delicious. magazine now’s a great time to subscribe, as you can save up to 36% on the cover price with our January offer. As a member of our special subscriber’s club, your magazine will arrive several days before it hits the shops, which means you get an early-bird look at reader events (they can sell out within a day), discounts and offers. Plus: sign up this month and we’ll send you this classic six-cup teapot, designed not to drip, along with a pretty, keep-warm cosy. Just right for a cuppa or two while you’re flicking through delicious. deciding what to cook.…

WEEKNIGHT PROMISE Your guarantee for every recipe in this feature: NO MORE THAN… •  10 ingredients•  30 min hands-on time•  650 calories per portion (but most recipes have fewer)•  10g sat fat per portion PLUS… •  No unnecessary added sugar•  Minimal washing up Speedy smoked mackerel and tomato pasta SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN Amanda’s nutrition note: “We’re encouraged to eat a 140g serving of oily fish each week to help meet the weekly target of around 3g omega 3 essential fats. This packs in 1.7g in one go. It’s also great for vitamin D, which helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body (vital nutrients for keeping bones, teeth and muscles healthy). This small serving of mackerel gives almost 5mcg of vitamin D, which represents…

Chicken liver & bacon salad SERVES 2. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN •  Light olive oil for frying•  1 onion, finely sliced•  100g smoked bacon lardons•  80g sourdough bread, roughly torn•  150g organic/free-range chicken livers, sliced•  50ml dry sherry or white wine•  2 handfuls rocket•  ½ bunch fresh parsley, leaves torn FOR THE DRESSING •  1 tbsp dijon mustard•  Grated zest and juice 1 lemon•  3 tbsp olive oil 1 Heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and bacon and fry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes over a medium-high heat until the onion is golden and the bacon is crisp. For the last 2 minutes add the sourdough pieces and fry, stirring, until golden. 2 Meanwhile make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk the…

Super-green soup SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 10 MIN MAKE AHEAD Cool and keep in the fridge, covered, for up 3 days or freeze in portions in food bags for up to 3 months. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS Add extra stock (step 2) for a thinner soup. If you like more texture, purée half the mixture (step 3), then stir in the rest. •  1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil•  1 onion, chopped•  3 garlic cloves, finely chopped•  1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped•  2 celery sticks, chopped•  1 broccoli head, stalk chopped, separated into florets•  1 litre vegetable stock (you may need more – see tips)•  400g can chickpeas, drained•  300g young leaf spinach•  Juice 1 lemon•  Greek yogurt to dollop•  Truffle oil to serve (optional) 1 Heat the…

Blood oranges are one of the consolations of January, deliciously tangy and bright. Enjoy some now and save the rest for (another) rainy day. Here’s how… FREEZE whole oranges for making jam or marmalade, but for other recipes it’s best to freeze the juice and zest separately. Grate the zest off the fruit first, spreading it out on baking paper. Fold up tightly and put in a sealable freezer bag, then juice the fruit and pour into separate freezer bags. Label with the date and contents and keep for up to six months. PRESERVE Blood orange peel is brilliant candied for cakes and baking (it’ll be hot cross bun time before you know it) or cut into strips and dipped in chocolate for a nibble with coffee. Here’s how… Put…

45BC Emperor Julius Caesar replaced the Roman calendar (10 months, 304 days) with the Julian calendar, meaning 1 January became the first day of the year. 1785 William Prout was born in Gloucestershire on 15 January. The son of a tenant farmer, Prout became a renowned chemist, and was the first to classify food into carbohydrates, fats and proteins. 1937 The first episode of Cook’s Night Out was aired on the BBC on 21 January, showing French chef Marcel Boulestin making an omelette. It’s considered to be the first television cookery programme. 2002 Italian Antonio Todde, then the world’s oldest man, died aged 112 on 4 January. When quizzed about his long life, the shepherd said, “Love your brother and drink a good glass of red wine every day.”…

LIFE ON THE FARM When we were little, my brother and I lived with my grandmother on a bamboo shoot farm in Taiwan. Our childhood was spent catching chickens, watching my grandmother gut fish, grow herbs and cook on a huge woodstove for our aunts and uncles – there were about 20 of us. Then my parents took us to live on a farm in South Africa and later to London – no farm life there. DUMPLING DAYS One of my earliest memories is sitting on the step watching my grandmother make zongzi – glutinous rice dumplings in bamboo leaves. The smell was intoxicating and when you bit into them you’d find chestnuts, belly pork or salted duck-egg yolk. Heaven. CHEFFY INSPIRATION I have worked with Ken Hom and we…

UNFASHIONABLE FISH It’s dark. It’s cold. The festivities are over. My liver resembles foie gras and I feel fat. It must be January. As usual, this means I resolve to eat better and drink less, but I intend this year to go further than these generalities. Specifically, I resolve to eat more unfashionable fish. For years, we’ve been aware of the desperate need to curate sustainable fish stocks in our seas. And this presents a two-fold problem for our fishermen. The first is that, when you have a nice big ping on your sonar and you put out your nets, you have no idea what kind of fish you’re going to pull out of the water. The second is us, the consumers: if the fish they land isn’t the fish…

“Fad diets and dry months do nothing to establish good habits” Nothing makes me feel older or more tired than the annual promise of ‘New year, new you’. Whether it’s dry January or a new year detox diet, at this time of year we are always exhorted to change our wicked ways. But strict diet rules are not sound principles for the rest of your life and by the time the clocks go forward, most of us will have gone back. Our old selves are nothing if not stubborn. Before we despair that we’re doomed never to change, we ought to consider whether we’re simply going about self-improvement in the wrong way. This was the message of the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Although he famously decreed “Man is a rational…

“When January rolls round I crave warming comfort food with big flavours. I’ve never figured out why people choose this time of year – already dark and gloomy enough, surely – for giving things up. This month it’s all about home-cooked comforts. We’ve also rounded up some of the best telly to watch or, if you want to keep your brain active, the best board games. The salads can wait until the weather picks up because right now we’re cosying up for winter. Pass the remote...” Slow-cooked shepherd’s pies SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MINUTES, OVEN TIME 2 HOURS 25-30 MIN MAKE AHEAD Cook the lamb filling without the potato topping up to 48 hours in advance. Cool, then cover and chill for up to 3 days or freeze for…

“ I’ve always thought it no coincidence that January (almost) rhymes with penury. This can be a bleak time of year: the feasting is behind us, the bank balance not perhaps as balanced as one would wish, and there is the prospect of many more dark days looming before the lighter evenings arrive. Food now takes on an even more important role, keeping our spirits up as well as nourishing us – but can January food joy be achieved without causing further straining of our already overstretched purses? Yes. My way is to make clever use of leftovers. I often prefer cooking with leftovers to starting from scratch. There’s wonderful freedom in a fridge forage. It encourages you to make glorious combinations you might not otherwise have considered: a spoonful…

THOMASINA MIERS’ ROAST CHICKEN She found early TV fame and went on to launch Wahaca, the Mexican street food restaurants. She’s also a food writer and cookbook author “When I won MasterChef back in 2005 I suddenly got flustered about what I was going to cook for my friends when they came round. I thought everyone would expect me to serve up chi-chi, cheffy food. The pressure was building that I would have to perform rather than just cook for them. At the time I was living with a guy called Joseph Trivelli, who’s one of the head chefs at the River Café. He gave me a lecture and said: ‘Tommi, whatever you cook, you cook it with love; with so much love that it transforms…

ALCOHOL-FREE DRINKS • Seedlip Spice 94 (from £26/70cl, Tesco, Ocado, seedlipdrinks.com) This water distilled with botanical flavours (in a similar way to gin) is complex and dry, with wood-spice and citrus-peel notes. No calories – and a pretty bottle too. • Monte Rosso Naturally (£2.49/27.5cl, Waitrose) A fresh, bittersweet, ruby-hued soft take on Italian Aperol-spritz with an appealing strawberry/ cranberry flavour. Cool retro looks too, with 94 calories per bottle. • Rocktails Citrus Spritz (£2.75/25cl, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, specialitydrinks.com) With botanical notes, this clean, lemony blend has a light sparkle and 38 calories per bottle. Makes a fine aperitif. LOWER-ALCOHOL WINES • Torres Natureo Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Spain (£5.99, Waitrose, Ocado, Cairns & Hickey, Swift Wines, Bin 21, Auriol Wines) Natureo de-alcoholised wines (0.5% abv) have long been the best of a…

I’ve visited Catalonia so many times over the years and the more I go, the more I love the place and the people. I’ve been discovering and learning about the cities, towns and villages while uncovering some amazing culinary secrets (not all disclosed here, of course!). I’ve met new people and made new friends, who’ve gladly opened their homes and their hearts. Catalonia has a fascinating history that includes the region’s political and social struggles to hold onto its identity (so much in the news recently) and its rich culture and heritage. My food adventures have been a privilege and a pleasure. I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy these recipes too. JOSÉ PIZARRO MEET THE CHEF José was born in Extremadura in Spain but has made his home in London since…

Chicken & bean casserole SERVES 2. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 28-30 MIN MAKE AHEAD This makes enough for one person for 2 fast days. Cool the rest, cover and chill or freeze. Reheat in a pan until hot. FOOD TEAM’S TIP If you like, add crushed garlic at the end of step 2 and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and a handful of fresh parsley. You could also use similar quantities of other vegetables to those used in the recipe – cauliflower, broccoli and mushrooms would all work well. •  2 tsp olive oil•  1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 200g), chopped•  1 small onion, chopped•  1 celery stick, chopped•  1 carrot, chopped•  1 tsp dijon mustard•  250ml reduced-salt chicken stock•  125g tinned borlotti beans…

Frittata muffins MAKES 4-6. HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN, OVEN TIME 35-40 MIN Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/ gas 5. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 4 large free-range eggs, 100ml milk, a pinch of chilli flakes, 60g grated cheddar, 2 slices of roughly chopped ham and a large handful of roughly chopped basil. Line a muffin tray with 6 standard muffin cases or 4 large paper cases and divide the mixture evenly among them. Bake for 35-40 minutes until set and golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool, then chill. Pack one as a mid-morning snack or take a couple for lunch with a green salad. PER SERVING (FOR 6) 125kcals, 8.6g fat (3.8g saturated), 11g protein, 0.9g carbs (0.8g sugars), 0.5g salt, no fibre Rice salad with…

“To eat well, it’s essential your overall diet is low in sugar, saturated fat and salt, and high in fruit, vegetables, fibre, wholegrains, beans and pulses. These recipes celebrate the fact that a healthy, balanced approach to eating is good for everyone and doesn’t need to be restrictive.” PHIL VICKERY Lentil, carrot and celery stew SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 50 MIN “This recipe is richly flavoured and delicious, especially when fried meaty mushrooms such as shiitake are stirred in just before serving. It’s also a perfect base for game, such as pheasant or venison, served with steamed green beans or kale.” PHIL’S HEALTHY-EATING TIP The nutrient content of some veg, such as spinach, carrots and tomatoes, is actually increased by cooking it rather than eating…

MEET OUR E XPERTS JEN BEDLOE Food editor LOTTIE COVELL Acting food lifestyle editor OLIVIA SPURRELL Cookery assistant LUCAS HOLLWEG Chef and food writer XANTHE CLAY Chef, writer, and preserves & freezing queen CHEF’S STEP BY STEP Follow MasterChef 2014 winner Ping Coombes’ guide to making Malaysian chicken laksa delicious. KITCHEN Cookery tips and tricks, including how to stop pastry case shrinkage MARMALADE MAGIC Make the perfect tangy orange preserve with winter’s bounty from Seville…

1 WHITING Visually the least impressive of the cod family with a pale brown back, silvery white belly and an off-white lateral line from head to tail. Whole fresh fish will have a hint of copper colouring on the skin. Whiting (and the related pouting) rarely reach more than 1kg and are caught all around the UK coastline. The delicate, white, low-fat flesh needs little extra, but it should to be eaten very fresh. Buy whole, gutted or as skinned fillets. Great ways to cook it Brush with melted butter and grill for a few minutes. Or wrap in baking paper with fresh rosemary sprigs and a squeeze of lemon juice and bake briefly. 2 LANGOUSTINES The great Scottish nephrops, aka Dublin Bay prawns and scampi, are sold live or…

“This dish is popular all over Malaysia and steaming-hot bowls of fragrant, spicy broth with chicken, noodles, prawns and egg are eaten at any time of day. I love it, and I made it as my showstopper dish during the quarterfinals of MasterChef in 2014. The judges loved it. The key component is the spicy laksa paste. It’s a labour of love to make, but once it’s done you can keep it in the fridge for up to a month, ready to be turned into bowls of goodness whenever the mood strikes.” PING’S STORY She was born in Ipoh, north of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and moved to the UK at the age of 21. After wowing the judges with her spice mastery, she was crowned MasterChef champion of…

1. COCKTAILS AT LOOS AMERICAN BAR Designed in 1908 by Modernist architect Adolf Loos, this intimate spot is one of the most beautiful bars in the world. Pop in to enjoy the louche lighting, created by a backlit wall of onyx tiles, and an expertly mixed cocktail. loosbar.at 2. PASTRY AT DEMEL The pastry and service are consistently excellent at Vienna’s most renowned café. It’s the perfect place for an afternoon break after a morning of museums. Order a slice of Fachertorte (layers of apple compote, walnut cream and poppy seeds enclosed by light pastry) and an einspänner, a glass goblet of espresso topped with whipped cream, for a quintessential Viennese experience. demel.at 3. SANDWICHES AT ZUM SCHWARZTEN KAMEEL (THE BLACK CAMEL) Founded in 1618 as a purveyor of spices…

Britain’s dining scene has never been more vibrant, says Elizabeth Carter. New trends pop up all the time and areas previously devoid of decent nosh are becoming culinary destinations. Here are some of the best places countrywide 1 MASTERY ON THE SOUTH COAST Etch, Brighton, East Sussex; etchfood.co.uk Etch hit the Brighton dining scene with a vengeance in 2017. Steven Edwards, one of the youngest MasterChef: The Professionals winners, delivers a singularly class act, with monthly evolving multicourse tasting menus of four, six and eight courses. There’s confidence and intelligence in the matching of flavours, not least in Marmite brioche with seaweed butter and stone bass with cauliflower. • £80 for a four-course tasting menu for two* 2 RAISING THE BAR IN BRISTOL Wilsons, Bristol;…

SAVVY SHOPPER: COOKING FOR VEGETARIANS Some foods might seem as if they’re vegetarian, but they have hidden, non-veggie ingredients. Here’s where it’s wise to check the label… CHEESE As a rule of thumb, if it’s made in the UK it’s likely to be suitable for vegetarians, whereas cheeses from France and Italy often contain animal rennet. Check the fine print. CONDIMENTS Worcestershire sauce contains fish and Asian cooking sauces often contain fish. DAIRY AND READY-MADE DESSERTS Yogurts and mousses may contain gelatine, which is made from animal cartilage, and red desserts and sweets are often made with carmine (also called cochineal), a dye made from beetles. Read the label. SUGARS Bone char is sometimes used when sugars are refined. To be sure, opt for unrefined sugar when baking. ALCOHOL Some…

 SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR MAKE AHEAD Make (but don’t bake) the recipe up to 24 hours ahead and keep covered in the baking dish in the fridge. Bake for an extra 5-10 minutes until piping hot throughout. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS Vary the pasta filling: try kale, spinach or even a bag of rocket wilted over the heat in a dry pan. If you’re not a fan of nuts, omit them – the croutons give the dish great texture. •  400g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1.5cm chunks•  2 tbsp light olive oil, plus extra for frying•  600g rainbow chard, leaves and stems separated and finely chopped•  1 tsp caraway seeds•  75ml amontillado sherry•  1 small…