Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Delicious UK

The Easter break falls early this year, at the end of this month, which means those much-looked-forward-to days of celebration are almost here… Time to start planning for a lazily long weekend of relaxing and feasting, chocolate and joy. It’s likely to be chilly, though, so crank up the heating, get good things cooking, fill your house with bunches of sunny daffodils and create the moments fond memories are made of. The five-minute recipe: quick apple rarebits JUST THE THING TO TOP A WARMING BOWL OF SOUP... SERVES 4 Set the grill to medium-high. In a food processor, whizz 100g chopped mature cheddar, 50g chopped gruyère cheese, 60ml good quality stout or porter, 1 tsp English mustard, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 medium free-range egg yolks. Season well, then…

RECIPES THAT WORK Every recipe is rigorously tested by our food team, using state-of-the-art Electrolux ovens, so you can be confident they work every time. INGREDIENTS We aim to use easy-to-find seasonal ingredients. We’ll tell you where to find any unusual ingredients and/or what to substitute them with. We use higher-welfare meat for testing, supplied by The Ginger Pig (thegingerpig.co.uk). This symbol next to an ingredient means there are more ideas for using it on our Loose Ends page. HONEST COOKING TIMES Unlike many magazines, our timings include prep such as chopping. Hands-on time is when you’re chopping, stirring or frying. Oven/simmering time is when you can leave the dish in the oven or on the hob. Indicates a vegetarian recipe. Indicates a gluten-free recipe. KNOWHOW Whenever you see this…

SPINACH You get that sense of it doing you good, the rush of iron. SUNDAY ROAST We farm rare breed animals. I’m looking at two of my dexter cattle and thinking, “Another 12 months and they will taste amazing.” SHELLFISH Mussels and chips with a pint of Adnams. Perfect. FILMS AND FOOD There’s a place near where I live in Suffolk that serves good local food and has a cinema. You have dinner, then sit with your wine and watch a movie. Worst film? Les Misérables : I’ll never get those three hours back. UNDERVALUING MILK People forget the dairy industry is the backbone of the beef industry. They’re interlinked. We undervalue milk at our peril. DIPPING BREAD INTO OIL I get it when it’s good oil but when it’s…

MY INSPIRATION My love affair with food was sparked at an early age by my Greek grandmother’s simple, earthy cooking. Tragically my grandparents were killed in a car accident when I was 14, but I still remember her avgolemono chicken soup, thickened with egg yolks and flavoured with lemon and wild oregano. It was ambrosia. SHARE AND ENJOY Mum was great at one-pot roasts. She was a single mum bringing up four children and I was the eldest, so I’d come home from school and help in the kitchen. Now my cast-iron pot at home is indispensable. I love having it in the middle of the table and everybody helping themselves. I think it’s important my boys see that way of sharing. SENSUAL MEMORIES The scents and flavours from my…

Glorious Goodwood: it’s a name associated with fast cars, galloping horses and, these days, vintage festivals that attract thousands of punters. The 5,000 hectare estate in Sussex is much more than the famous racecourse. It encompasses the stately home Goodwood House, a hotel, members’ club, two golf courses, and cafés, restaurants and bars. Much of the food served in these venues comes from Goodwood’s own organic Home Farm, which is the sort of place I wish all my food was produced in: the South Downs rear up all around, the yard is spotlessly clean and there’s a discernible feeling of pride in what’s accomplished here. It radiates from the gleaming machinery and the shiny coats of the 200 dairy shorthorn cows grazing steps away from the creamery. Inside, US-born cheesemaker…

“What happens in Europe informs what happens in Britain” I grew up in Scotland, where the monotony of the north European diet was occasionally broken by rays of sunlight brought by Italian immigrants. They and their Scottish-born descendants introduced us to multi-coloured gelati, vibrant pizzas, and pasta dishes sprinkled with herbs and lashings of olive oil. We knew the forebears of our neighbours and playmates had escaped poverty and unemployment in Italy by moving north, bringing their Mediterranean diet with them, despite the colder climate. Starting with fish and chip shops and ice-cream parlours, many migrants went on to bigger and better things. It’s small wonder that, for decades, many of the top-rated restaurants in Glasgow and Edinburgh were Italian; some of them (such as Valvona & Crolla in Edinburgh)…

The egg: versatile, nutritious and flavoursome, all wrapped up in a beautiful package. They’re emblematic of Eastertime, but equally evocative of home comfort – wherever home may be. We asked cooks and food writers from different countries to share a favourite egg recipe. If you’re looking for a brunch dish this holiday weekend, the tricky part will be choosing one from this dazzling half-dozen UKRAINE OLIA HERCULES, COOKBOOK AUTHOR AND CHEF “Ukrainians don’t do breakfast by halves. When we were shooting at my aunt’s house for my book Mamushka , my photographer Kris and I were working non-stop for four days. We felt that we were going to faint from exhaustion, so my aunt whipped up this Ukrainian village breakfast. We came straight back to life!…

“There’s something special about people coming together for the Easter weekend, without the hype and pressure of Christmas. The food is more relaxed, the company laid back, and there’s (we hope) a pleasant waft of spring in the air. This menu for Easter Sunday reflects that mood. The flavours hint at warmer days ahead, but are still properly comforting. I’ve kept things simple with a spectacular all-in-one roast, including some of the best potatoes you’ll ever eat. Add a light and pretty starter, some moreish nibbles and a magnificent make-ahead pudding, and you have yourself a very pleasing Sunday lunch!” REBECCA WOOLLARD, FOOD EDITOR EASTER MENU FOR 8  Demerara and lemon champagne cocktail Smoked mackerel and quick-pickled shallot toasts Purple sprouting broccoli with soft-boiled egg and crisp rosemary breadcrumbs Almond…

MEET THE CHEF Nathan was born in Kent but has been living and cooking in Cornwall for years, where he has a mini-empire of restaurants. His flagship is the two Michelin-starred Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Port Isaac. He also has more casual places to eat in Rock and Port Isaac – and an outpost at the Capital Hotel in London. It’s a business to rival that of his mentor Rick Stein. He’s written two cookbooks on fish, with a third, Everyday Seafood, out next month. “I taste all the fish raw when it comes in at the back door before I decide what I’m going to do with it” Nathan Outlaw, all 6ft 5in of him, sits behind his plate of fish beaming. The food stylist beams, the photographer beams,…

“I hold many culinary memories dear to me, but this rather basic, rustic meal is one that was my dad’s signature dish, and I think of it as my inheritance recipe. The dish, originally from the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, was often cooked for us by Dad when we were growing up. It’s funny – my mother cooked three meals a day for the five of us in the family, 364 days a year, and we hardly noticed them; whereas Dad cooked one meal a year and it has stuck with me! The littis (little dough balls) are filled with a spicy relish. It’s extremely versatile – if you like, you can even make the relish on its own and serve it as an accompaniment…

I’m from Extremadura, a region that is and always will be close to my heart, but I love the Basque Country. It has a reputation for culinary innovation and modern techniques, but its history, culture and traditions go back a long way, and the celebration of these can be seen every day on the streets of San Sebastián and across the region. For people from the Basque Country, food is the most important thing. It’s about sharing big plates of food around the table, celebrating happy occasions – it’s a way of life. These recipes have been inspired by what I’ve seen and learned in this wonderful part of my country, the people I’ve met and the respect they have for food. ABOUT JOSÉ Modern Spanish cooking is a force…

“Rather than being relegated to the sidelines, vegetarian food is now celebrated for its diversity and myriad benefits, whether for health or in terms of cost to the environment. Thoughtful eating – by which I mean healthy with a good dose of common sense – shouldn’t be tricky, and I hope the emphasis here on ebullient vegetables and bold flavours will inspire you. There’s an interest in health and vitality threaded through these dishes but it’s a measured and realistic strand. Above all, my intention is that you’ll cook these recipes for yourself or your loved ones, vegetarian or not, and they will bring joy.” ALICE HART, COOKBOOK AUTHOR AND VEG LOVER Sticky alliums with lentils and hazelnut gremolata SERVES 6 AS A LIGHT MAIN COURSE. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN,…

SALTED VS UNSALTED BUTTER Salted butter is great on toast, but the unsalted stuff is better for cakes, pastries and butter sauces, such as hollandaise, where you want the pure flavour – and you can control the salt content. It’s also better for shallow-frying, as it doesn’t burn so easily. Salt gives butter a longer shelf life but the quantities added vary widely. In Britain, lightly salted butter is around 1.2% salt and salted is upwards of 1.7%. French demi-sel (lightly salted) butter can be 0.5-3% salt, while beurre salé (salted) is over 3%. FAT CONTENT British butter (and French salted butter) has a minimum fat content of 80%. French unsalted butter has to be at least 82%. The extra fat means the butter has a lower water content as…

“I first ate a kouign amann (pronounced ‘queen amon’ with a Breton accent) in a restaurant in Paris. I ordered it because I was intrigued by the name. A small piece of crisp, buttery sugared pastry arrived, hardly more than a mouthful, but it was so good we had to order another, and I’ve been smitten ever since. The kouign amann had its big UK moment on The Great British Bake Off in 2014, when it foxed the contestants. Having worked to perfect this recipe, I feel for anyone who tries to do it from start to finish in three hours. There’s no denying that making these pastries is a labour of love, but most of the time is taken up by the dough resting in…

Saiphin Moore’s Khao soi with chicken SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN MAKE AHEAD This is best made fresh, but it will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge. To make it in advance, use boneless chicken thighs – they will stay more tender than breasts. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS Use ready-made red curry paste if you’re pushed for time, or visit delicious magazine.co.uk/red-curry. • 1 tbsp vegetable oil• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste (see tips)• 400ml coconut milk• 500g skinless free-range chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces• 2 tbsp fish sauce• ½ tsp dark soy sauce• 1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)• 4 nests dried egg noodles TO GARNISH • Chopped pickled cabbage – we used red cabbage• Chopped shallots• Chilli sauce, such as sriracha• Fresh coriander leaves• Lime wedges 1 Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over…

Special… A word that sums up this Easter issue, which has so many new things to tell you about. First, a tactile moment: feel the paper the magazine is printed on… It’s thicker and it’s glossier – to show off the food pictures in even more glory. Then, if you turn to p74 you’ll find an extra 16-page Collector’s Edition of glorious new chocolate recipes. The beauty is, the section is printed on extra-thick paper and each page is perforated so you can tear out just one or tear them all out. Big thanks to experts Richard Bertinet, Edd Kimber, John Whaite and Paul A Young who’ve created, with the delicious. team, recipes so luscious I guarantee you’ll want to speed-melt chocolate. My top choice is the pretzel…

It’s the ultimate food lover’s prize: a weekend for two overlooking beautiful Dartmouth with a one-day cookery course at the Manna from Devon Cooking School. As well as enjoying two nights’ B&B accommodation, you’ll learn how to cook in a wood-fired oven and have time to explore the area’s natural beauty. mannafromdevon.com For a chance to win… Make our cover cheesecake, take a picture and share it with us (see left). JANUARY’S COOK THE COVER WINNER · Elisa Brandom wins an Emma Bridgewater dinner set for her winning meatballs (with a little help from Bruce the bulldog). TO ENTER, GO TO deliciousmagazine.co.uk/cookthecover…

1836 Isabella Beeton was born in Marylebone on 12 March. She published her first book, Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, aged 25. It had hundreds of recipes and sold 2 million copies in seven years. 1897 Cornflakes were first served at The Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan by Dr John Kellogg, who believed in a healthy diet. Later, he feuded with his brother Will, who began selling a sugar-added version under the name Kellogg. 1904 Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on 2 March. He was best known by his pen name, Dr Seuss, author of the classic children’s book Green Eggs and Ham. 1965 Astronaut John Young made headlines on 23 March by smuggling a two-day-old corned beef sandwich onto a Nasa mission.…

MY KITCHEN YEAR £20; Murdoch Books (out 10 March) Ruth Reichl was the editor of US food magazine Gourmet, which closed abruptly in autumn 2009. The subtitle, ‘136 recipes that saved my life’, sets the tone for the story of what Ruth did next after the shock of losing her job. She’s a good writer, so prepare to be pulled into her narrative. Recipes are, as you’d expect, of the contentment-giving kind. FLORENTINE: THE TRUE CUISINE OF FLORENCE £25; Hardie Grant (out 10 March) The debut book from Aussie-born, Tuscany-based food writer and blogger Emiko Davies is a beauty. The author is a knowledgeable writer, and she beautifully weaves together the history of the city with portraits of its people, food markets and restaurants. There are recipes from…

“These pages – this month with lots of special things for Easter – 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 the chocolate, smelling the aromas, testing gadgets. Only if they’re useful, good-looking and value for money do they get the delicious. seal of approval.” KAREN BARNES, EDITOR WHO SAID WREATHS WERE JUST FOR CHRISTMAS? Not us – particularly when they’re as striking as this one, decorated with little speckly eggs, feathers and twigs. £18, John Lewis stores or online at johnlewis.com PORCELAIN dream I’ve been following Mud Australia on Instagram for a while (@mudaustraliainstagram), so I was pleased to hear they’ve recently opened a…

THE COOKBOOK A Simple Table: Fresh and Fabulous Recipes for Every Day by Michele Cranston (£14.99; Murdoch Books) TESTED BY Susan Low If you’re after the kind of cookbook that invites armchair dreaming about exotic locations and ingredients, this is not the book for you. If, on the other hand, you’re fed up with chefs waffling on about their philosophies, or 20-year-olds enthusing about strict, but transformative, health-giving regimes, you’ll be relieved that this book doesn’t have a chia seed in sight. Neither will you have to wade through chapters of spurious health advice, or swear off major food groups before getting to the point: the recipes. “This isn’t a book about clever food – there are no culinary gymnastics, no liquid nitrogen party tricks and no mention of the…

FISH AND CHIPS Quintessentially British, right? But the technique of battering, then deep-frying fish was probably perfected in Portugal and Spain, then brought to England by the Sephardic Jewish community who settled in the East End of London and elsewhere more than 150 years ago. LOBSCOUSE This meaty stew is so strongly associated with port city of Liverpool that ÔscouserÕ is the nickname for people with the local accent Ð but there are similar stews from Baltic ports in Germany and Denmark with remarkably similar names. KETCHUP The fry-up essential is the anglicised form of the Malay word, kecap, itself a style of condiment imported from China (in Cantonese, gwai zap). Early forms were fish-based; the tomato version we know today is probably American in origin. MINCE PIES These festive…

MASTER RECIPE Cobbler topping • 300g plain flour• 2 tsp baking powder• 1 tsp fine salt• 75g unsalted butter, cubed• 284ml buttermilk (270ml for the dough, the remaining 14ml for brushing) 1 Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter then, using your fingertips, rub in the butter until you get a coarse, sandy mixture. 2 Stir in the buttermilk and bring everything together into a soft, sticky dough. Use the dough as required in the recipes that follow. 1 Chicken, mushroom and riesling cobbler SERVES 6-8. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 40 MIN, OVEN TIME 30 MIN • 60g unsalted butter• 6 banana shallots, halved lengthways• 2 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced• 12 bone-in British free-range chicken thighs, skin removed• Plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper…

Saffron has been one of the world’s most prized spices for millennia. It comes from the gently dried stigmas of a mauve species of crocus flower – Crocus sativus – and it takes more than 1,000 flowers to produce just 100g saffron. Little wonder it’s more expensive per gram than gold. It’s revered in the kitchen for its subtle yet distinctively earthy, hay-like flavours, as well as for the deep yellow colour it imparts to food. You have to be careful how much you use, though, or it can taste medicinal. Iran produces 90-95 per cent of the world’s harvest, but it’s also grown in India, China, Spain, Greece and North Africa, and on a small scale in the east of England, where it was introduced…

These crunchy stalks are the most delicately flavoured of the allium family. They’re actually young onions, plucked before the bulbs have had a chance to swell and develop a strong, pungent flavour. Thinly sliced and served raw, they add a touch of sharpness and crunch to Far Eastern dishes. When quickly cooked over a fierce heat until the edges blacken and wilt, their intensity softens and they take on a kind of creamy texture, akin to a slow-cooked leek. They’re more versatile than you may think… Choose firm, tightly layered onions, trim the base and cut off any dulled green tops. Use the whole thing, from the mild white root all the way up to the more punchy green stems. ROSIE RAMSDEN, FOOD WRITER FIVE QUICK FIXES 1 Very finely…

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT… The best quality pomegranate molasses is made with nothing other than pomegranate juice from sour and semi-sweet varieties of pomegranate, which is boiled to a dark, sticky, sweet-sharp syrup. Less expensive versions may be artificially thickened, with sweetening/ souring agents added. It’s used widely in Levantine cooking – if you’ve been to Turkey you’ve probably eaten it. It’s used to cut through rich, fatty dishes or to enhance salads, cheese-based and vegetable dishes. It’s one of the delicious. team’s desert island ingredients, and we’re always dreaming up new ways to include it in recipes. …AND HOW TO USE IT Before you add it to anything, taste it to get the full effect – if you’ve never tried it before it will knock your…

GRAB A BARGAIN • The Exquisite Collection Gavi 2014, Italy (£5.49, Aldi) A superior gavi at a knockdown price, it’s dry and elegant with a subtle yellow pear flavour. Pair with delicate white fish. • Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Chile (£5.99, or £4.99 when you mix and match 6 bottles, until 25 April, Majestic) Likeable, medium-bodied red, loaded with fresh but ripe cassis. Easy-going with simple, flavourful ragú or sausages. • Tilimuqui Single Vineyard TorrontŽs 2014, Argentina (£7.99, down to £6.39 until 15 March, Waitrose) Young, modern white, fresh and zingy with a burst of grapefruit and passion fruit. Makes a cool aperitif on spring evenings. FRIDAY SPECIAL • Terres de Moraines Madiran 2012, South West France (£9, down to £7 until 7 March, Marks & Spencer) Hurry to bag the deal on…

NEW MIDWEEK PROMISE Your guarantee for every recipe in this section: NO MORE THAN… • 10 ingredients • 30 min hands-on time • 650 calories per portion (but many of the recipes have fewer) • 10g sat fat per portion PLUS… • No unnecessary added sugar • Minimal washing up Thai prawn cakes with dipping sauce and rocket salad SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN FOOD TEAM’S TIP To thaw frozen prawns quickly, put them in a bowl of freshly boiled water for 5 minutes, drain, rinse and use immediately. • 400g sustainable king prawns, fresh or frozen (see tip)• Large bunch fresh coriander• Zest and juice 2 limes• 15g fresh ginger, grated• 4 tbsp Thai fish sauce• 4 spring onions, finely sliced• 1 medium free-range egg, lightly beaten• 100g fresh breadcrumbs• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce• Vegetable oil for…

GOAT’S CHEESE FROM SPRING ONION, HERBY RICOTTA AND ’NDUJA TOASTS, P86 MARINATED GOAT’S CHEESE Put pieces of goat’s cheese into a sterilised glass jar, add a few peeled cloves of garlic, fresh thyme sprigs and whole peppercorns, then pour over good quality olive oil to cover. Marinate for a week in the fridge. Use in salads or on toast. CHEESE CROUTONS Tear up leftover day-old bread, toss in olive oil and season. Spread out on a baking sheet, crumble over goat’s cheese, then bake at 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6 until golden. Use in soup. LEEK AND GOAT’S CHEESE PARCELS Cook finely sliced leek and onion until soft. Cool, put in a bowl, beat in an egg yolk and crumble in goat’s cheese, lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley. Cut 1…

ON SHORTCRUST PASTRY… • For easy handling and a less messy kitchen: roll it out between 2 sheets of cling film. Peel off and discard the top sheet, then carefully flip the pastry over your tart tin and use the cling film (which will now be uppermost) to help ease the pastry into the edges – but be gentle and don’t stretch it. • Once you’ve rolled the pastry between the 2 sheets of cling film, you can roll it up loosely, then freeze it for your own homemade ready-rolled pastry. Thaw in the fridge before unrolling and using. • At Le Manoir, we use open rings, without bases, for tarts, and cook them on baking paper on a baking sheet. It helps prevent a soggy bottom because, as the…

It was midnight in Bangkok, and we were hungry. Very hungry. We piled into the back of a tinsel decorated tuk-tuk, one of the thousands of moped-powered taxis that buzz around the city, and headed off to find some khao tom kui, Bangkok’s favourite late-night snack. Khao tom kui fulfils the same role as the British post-pub kebab, but as always with the Thais, they aren’t settling for greasy, substandard food. This is congee (traditional rice porridge) with bells on – or, to be more specific, with a topping of all sorts of freshly prepared, flavour-packed Thai goodies. OLD-SCHOOL THAI The stall we found under a motorway flyover looked like a surreal open-air squat – The Young Ones meets The Royle Family . The television on the wall played Thai…

“The market for this stuff is projected to be worth almost £26 billion by 2019” Why are some of us crazy enough to pay a king’s ransom for liquid that, in the UK at least, comes free and clean straight from the tap? Drinks producers are having a laugh and we’re lapping up the punch line. Just wander down the drinks aisle of your supermarket or health food shop and you’ll see what I mean. Now that coconut water is so last year, health hipsters wanting a taste of the latest trend are spoilt for choice. As well as birch water, maple water and cactus water made from plant saps, there are a host of bizarre new ‘enhanced waters’ flooding the shelves. All kinds of stuff is being squeezed into…

SUBJECT: Quality time From: Liz Whishaw My husband and I run our own business and have three daughters aged seven, five and three. It can be difficult to find family activities we all enjoy, but your magazine has provided us with a way of spending quality time together – talking, cooking, tasting and discussing. Every month, when the new issue drops through the door, we all look through and see which recipes we’d like to try. We’ve been doing this for a year now and it’s my favourite thing to do as a family. Not only are my girls getting involved and learning to cook, but they’re also trying so many new foods. Thank you for providing us with the starting point for something that’s become precious to us. Who…

JAMES RAMSDEN, our man with his finger on London’s food pulse, takes one for the team and drinks his way around the capital’s bars in search of the quirkiest cocktail lists There’s a section of the menu at White Lyan cocktail bar in east London (whitelyan.com) titled ‘Heaps Mad Sh*t’ which really tells you all you need to know about London’s cocktail scene. The cosmopolitan is dead, that’s for sure. Instead we have a litany of drinks that are certainly weird, and quite often wonderful. That aforementioned list contains a cocktail simply called ribs, which contains bourbon, smoked chilli, mint tea and rosewood. Yep, tastes like ribs. Mosey on a little west to Islington’s 69 Colebrooke Row (69colebrookerow.com), where they make a bellini with a honey and pollen purée base…

19-22 MARCH Food for Real Film Festival, various locations, Liverpool The foodie film fest will host screenings, discussions and workshops focusing on all aspects of food. There’ll be documentaries, movies, shorts and animations, with Q&As and cookery sessions tying in with the themes explored. Put this one at the top of your list. Free; foodforreal.co.uk 2-3 APRIL Springfest, Balloch, Loch Lomond, Scotland Browse your way around the stalls of 100-plus food and drink producers, then watch a chef demonstration to find out what to do with your swag. There are food workshops too, or you can fill your lungs with fresh air on one of the foraging walks. Free; lochlomondspringfest. co.uk 7-10 APRIL The London Coffee Festival, Old Truman Brewery, London E1 A pop-up…

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 are unbiased. WHAT WE LOOKED FOR The marzipan had to be of good quality (no twang of almond essence) and the balls (traditionally 11 of them, to represent the apostles, except Judas) needed to be in evidence. As for the cake itself, a moist texture was important, with lots of fruit and balanced spice. The simnel cake had to look good, too. SUPERMARKET WINNER Marks & Spencer, £12 for 940g Overall we found most of the supermarket cakes way too sweet and lacking…

STOP Plan at least one meal over the weekend when everyone sits down together and you don’t eat in a rush, TV on, phone by your side. We’ve dreamed up 36 pages of Easter inspiration for you to choose from. COOK Make your chosen recipe(s) from scratch, with care. Get in touch with the physicality of cooking – the way a sauce feels as it reduces and thickens; the aromas when onions or garlic are cooked just so. Let your senses be your guide. LISTEN Make the meal a catching-up occasion that centres around the joy of food, then take a few extra minutes at the end to chat and relax rather than leaping up and clearing the table. It’s all about enjoying the moment……

“ No matter how old you are, opening your fridge to find the shelves full of enticing snacks and homemade meals is a sight to behold. When I go to visit my parents in Lincolnshire, peeking in the fridge is one of the things I look forward to most (not forgetting the dogs). My mum has a knack for filling it with just the right things for the weekend, especially if it’s a holiday. Here, I’ve devised a mix of recipes and suggested a list of easy-to-find ingredients that will give you all the components you need for an Easter weekend of feasting – whatever time of day someone pulls open the fridge door.” LOTTIE COVELL, DEPUTY FOOD EDITOR “These little biscuits are perfect for when unexpected guests drop by”…

Rump is an underrated cut for roasting. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, it’s also a great choice if you like your beef with a bit of substance. The rich flavour needs something to cut through it, though, and my answer to that is a sharp salsa verde. The use of raw garlic in this vivid green sauce puts off some people, so here I’ve lightly cooked it in oil first to take the sting out of its tail. If you prefer that fiery, powerful garlicky hit, you can leave it raw. Beef rump with salsa verde and sherry-roast root vegetables SERVES 8-10. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR 20 MIN KNOWHOW Grass-fed beef has a deeper flavour than grain-fed. It’s also a more natural diet for the…

“Many people tell me they make a beeline to my restaurants for the croquetas and tortillas. This is one of the most popular flavour combinations for croquetas in the Basque Country – they’re so creamy and moreish. They freeze well, too.” Spinach and goat’s cheese croquetas MAKES 25 CROQUETAS. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, PLUS CHILLING MAKE AHEAD At the end of step 5, put the balls on a tray in the freezer, not touching, until frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Defrost a little, then continue from step 6. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS The filling can take a lot of seasoning so taste as you season. We liked the croquetas served with a squeeze of lemon juice and more sea salt flakes. • 500g…

The sweetness and mouth-coating texture of Easter chocolates can make dry wines taste thin and acidic, but there are blissful marriages to be made with luscious pudding wines and their weighty, syrupy texture. Golden dessert wines such as sauternes and French fortified muscat go well with milk chocolate but, for the darker stuff, go for a riper, apricot-scented Australian botrytis semillon. Dazzling star buys here are Hermits Hill Botrytis Semillon 2009, Australia (£8.50/37.5cl, Marks & Spencer) and Finest Dessert Semillon 2009, Australia (£6/37.5cl, Tesco). Both are heavenly with a chunk of dark chocolate. More adventurously, a tawny port, madeira and even Caribbean rum have the intensity and richness to complement fine-quality chocolate. Or pick a rare red dessert wine from the South of France, such as Seriously Plummy Grande RŽserve…

Lighter vanilla rice pudding SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 50 MIN HOW WE DID IT Rice pudding is notoriously calorific, but simple to make healthier. We’ve swapped the classic cream and full-fat milk combination for semi-skimmed milk, adding just enough Greek yogurt at the end to give that essential creamy texture. • 100g pudding rice• 750ml semi-skimmed milk• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste• 2-3 tbsp clear honey to taste• 4 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt to serve 1 Put the pudding rice, milk and vanilla paste in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a very low heat, stirring so it doesn’t stick to the base of the pan. 2 Simmer for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally at the beginning and more often as the rice swells, until it’s tender and the consistency is creamy.…

RECIPE MATHS EVERY COOK NEEDS TO KNOW MAKING PASTA Per person: 1 large egg + 100g pasta flour + pinch salt There are many ways to make egg pasta, but this is the simplest: whizz the pasta flour (‘tipo 00’) in a food processor with the salt and eggs until the mixture comes together in clumps of moist crumbs. Tip out onto a floured work surface, press into a ball using your hands, then knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and silky (if it’s dry, add 1 tsp olive oil; if it’s too sticky, add a bit more flour). Wrap in cling film, then chill for 30 minutes. Roll out and pass through a pasta machine until it’s the correct thickness. Cut into the required shape on a work…

If you want the chance to brush up on your breadmaking skills or have a hack at butchery, this competition might get you very excited. To celebrate River Cottage’s 10-year anniversary in its Devon HQ, home to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s famous and much-filmed farmhouse, we’ve teamed up with the River Cottage Cookery School to offer you the chance to perfect a wide range of kitchen skills. The winner and a guest will take part in the Two Days at River Cottage course, covering the basics of breadmaking; meat, vegetable and fish cookery; and creating great desserts. Against the stunning rural backdrop of River Cottage HQ, you’ll start both days with treats fresh from the kitchen, before getting stuck into hands-on classes and demonstrations led by the River Cottage chefs and tutors.…

• The som tam seller Mr Chai (below) moved to Bangkok with his family more than 10 years ago. He used to be a rice farmer but couldn’t make ends meet after a drought ruined his crops. Now he gets up at 1am every day to buy ingredients at Klong Toey Market and prepare the shreds of firm papaya that form the base of som tam (papaya salad), both the Laos style (with salted crab and anchovy) and the simpler Bangkok style. He sells 80 portions a day at 25baht (55p) each from his cart. “There’s no secret to making great som tam – I just follow my wife’s recipe. But you need good papaya.” • The coconut milk lady Mauy Setio (left) set up as a coconut milk seller in Or…

Mini melting chocolate pastries MAKES AROUND 30. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, OVEN TIME 15 MIN, PLUS CHILLING MAKE AHEAD Cover and chill the unglazed, unbaked pastries for 24 hours, or freeze for 1 month. Glaze, then bake (if baking from frozen, cook for an extra 2 minutes). • 320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry• 100g bar dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)• 1 medium free-range egg, beaten• Demerara sugar to sprinkle• Dark and white chocolate, melted separately, to decorate 1 Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6. Unroll the pastry onto a work surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll it out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut the pastry in half, widthways, then break the chocolate into its individual pieces and distribute evenly over 1 piece of pastry, leaving a 1cm gap…