Innholdsfortegnelse for Oct-18 i Delicious UK

Marsala-soaked fruit cake SERVES (ABOUT) 30. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 3½-4 HOURS, PLUS OVERNIGHT SOAKING KNOWHOW Double-line the cake tin with well-buttered non-stick baking paper to stop the outside of the cake drying out as it bakes. MAKE AHEAD Wrap the baked cake in more baking paper, then foil. Keep in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months. Unwrap occasionally to feed it with marsala. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Either leave the cake to mature, feeding it with more booze now and then, or, for something a little less rich, eat it straightaway. • 400g sultanas • 250g currants and raisins • 250g glacé cherries, chopped • 250g dried figs, chopped • 50g mixed peel • 6 tbsp sweet marsala or sweet sherry, plus extra for pouring…

Put a cake in the oven and you can’t fail to please once that telltale, evocative smell of baking starts to permeate the house. It can revive memories and it can stir emotions. It means so many things: home, warmth, comfort – and a feeling of belonging. In this special collection, exclusive to Marks & Spencer shoppers (welcome!), the delicious. team have gathered together a collection of 10 of our best-tasting and most useful recipes - one for every occasion, if you like. There’s the go-to brownie, the birthday cake, the showstopper doubles-as-a-pudding cake... You get the picture. It’s a collection to keep and bake from for years to come, safe in the knowledge that every recipe has been triple-tested (in fact, many are tested many more times than that…

Salted Rolo brownies with banana-pecan ice cream MAKES 12 LARGE OR 24 SMALL BROWNIES. HANDS-ON TIME 1 HOUR 10 MIN, OVEN TIME 25-30 MIN, CHURN AND FREEZE TIME 5 HOURS, COOLING TIME 15 MIN MAKE AHEAD Freeze the finished, cooled brownies, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Defrost to serve. Freeze the ice cream for up to 3 months. FOOD TEAM’S TIP If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the custard into a shallow freezerproof container and put in the freezer. Whisk the custard with a fork every hour for 4 hours, then leave to freeze completely. • 200g unsalted butter • 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces • 125g light muscovado sugar • 125g caster sugar • 4 medium free-range eggs, beaten…

Old-fashioned flapjacks MAKES 36 SQUARES. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, OVEN TIME 20 MIN MAKE AHEAD Make the flapjacks up to 48 hours ahead and store in a sealed container. NEXT TIME Add choc chips and toasted chopped hazelnuts; or stir in freeze-dried raspberries and top the cooked, cooled flapjacks with melted white chocolate. • 250g unsalted butter • 200g soft light brown sugar • 150ml golden syrup • 550g porridge oats YOU’LL ALSO NEED… • 20cm square baking tin, greased and lined with non-stick baking paper 1 Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. Melt the butter and sugar with the golden syrup in a large saucepan, then stir in the oats until combined. 2 Spoon the mix into the prepared tin, then press the mixture firmly into the…

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES GOOD FOOD, GOOD HEALTH I come from a little village in County Laois, called Cullohill, the eldest of nine children. My mother loved to cook and knew how deeply important it was to feed us well: food was what kept us healthy, food was our medicine. With nine of us there was constant cooking going on. When we ran in from school there was always something bubbling on the stove or a tray of scones coming out of the Aga. You’d finish tidying up from one meal, and then it was time to start the next! FRESH MILK, HOMEGROWN CHICKENS We had a vegetable garden, reared chickens for the table and had our own Kerry cow at home, so we drank warm milk every day. That was…

Watermelon radishes They have the peppery turnip flavour you’d expect, but are oh-so pretty when sliced – you can see how they got their name. Sounds gimmicky but the taste delivers. £1.80 for 3 large bulbs, Marks & Spencer ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES Kiwi berries look like olives and taste like kiwi but with a pleasing sharp edge. The great thing is the skin is smooth, not furry, so you can eat them whole. From Ocado, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Morrisons (prices vary)…

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES We tend to dismiss tinned fruit and veg – something for which our grandmothers would have slapped our wrists. Yes, I know apples are in season now; and yes, I love them too. But sometimes I want a pop of summer fruit on my plate. So… grab a tin or two of apricots in their juice. Drain. Put in a pie dish with a tiny pinch of dried lavender (from Waitrose), some chilli flakes, a sprinkle of sugar and a dash of lemon juice. Top with your favourite crumble topping, adding a pinch of extra chilli flakes if you want to and some ground almonds. Dot with butter and bake in a 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6 oven for 35-40 minutes. Et voilà: a lightly spicy apricot crumble…

WHAT OUR FINAL JUDGING PANEL SAID “We’re astounded by Primrose Herd’s work ethic and commitment to making a wonderful product from contented pigs” “The herd spend their days outdoors, rootling around in the grassy paddocks, wallowing in mud, building straw nests in their metal arcs and, importantly, socialising with other pigs” On a bright Cornish day, the blue sky broken by powder puffs of white cloud, Sally Lugg gently coaxes two pigs out into the sunshine from their corrugated-iron arc, set in a hillside paddock behind her home. “Come on, Penny, you grumpy thing,” she says. “Come on, Sam. It’s me, your friend. Good boy.” From a nearby shed comes the sound of contented grunting and squelching. Another sow sprawls lazily on the straw-lined floor, surrounded by a brood of…

ALISON O’REILLY Irish-born Alison was inspired by childhood trips to Australia, where her mother was raised. “Tasting different kinds of seafood and spices and flavours – things that weren’t big in Ireland at the time – I definitely think that had an impact,” she says. Alison is head of marketing for London street food group Kerb. LORNA ROBERTSON By day, Lorna works in food and drink PR – and applies her social media skills and restaurant knowledge to Three Girls Cook. Growing up, her mum disliked cooking, so Lorna took over as soon as she was able to reach the stove. “There must have been some absolute shockers with a seven-year-old cooking dinner, but I really loved it,” she says. WORDS: PHOEBE STONE GIOVANNA RYAN Giovanna is a musician and…

At this time of year I like to escape to the kitchen armed with a bounty of seasonal fruit. There’s something magical about being surrounded by simmering pots of sweet sticky jams and preserves, the room filled with steam, while tinkering with different ingredients to find new flavour combinations. This year I’ve added bay leaves to make a bramble jam with a gently peppery edge. And to show off this luscious jam at its best, turn the page to find three recipes I hope you’ll cook again and again. SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH, DEPUTY FOOD EDITOR Bramble and bay jam MAKES ABOUT 1.5 LITRES. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 15 MIN, PLUS COOLING AND STERILISING MAKE AHEAD Store the unopened jam jars in a dark cool place for up to 1…

Nothing captures the essence of autumn more than the enticing, earthy aroma of roasting chestnuts, but there are many more ways to use them than roasting. In these recipes I’ve set out to showcase their versatility. In their savoury guise, chestnuts combine beautifully with iron-rich greens in a stuffed chicken recipe. To emphasise the sweeter, gentler side of this wonderful ingredient, I’ve used chestnuts in a classic meringue inspired by the snowy slopes of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. JEN BEDLOE, FOOD EDITOR BUYING FRESH CHESTNUTS Choose firm, shiny nuts that feel heavy for their size and avoid any that are wrinkled or shrivelled. Fresh chestnuts will keep in a paper bag in the fridge for up to three weeks. The season runs from now until around…

• Make a guinea fowl and prune pie by poaching the meat (off the bone) and prunes in a chicken stock, then reduce the liquid and bake it all in a puff pastry case. • Make a stuffing with apples, sage and black pudding to roast inside the whole bird. • Guinea fowl is wonderful in a stew. Go classic with a mixture of chopped onions, bacon, carrots, celery and smoked bacon. • Guinea fowl respond well to being lightly brined. Submerge the bird in brine (20g salt per litre water) for 24-36 hours, then roast as usual. This makes the meat exceptionally juicy. • Guinea fowl kiev, anyone? Think guinea fowl breasts with a rich butter, parsley and garlic sauce oozing from the middle...…

PHOTOGRAPH: MAJA SMEND. FOOD STYLING: JEN BEDLOE. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE “My mum and dad are both from Piedmont in northwest Italy, she from near Turin, he from near the town of Alba, famous for its white truffles and wines. In typical Piedmontese fashion, their families took to each other initially with suspicion, then with open arms. Although they were born just 40 miles apart, my parents have different accents and different ways of cooking certain dishes. A dish that unites them, though, is bagna cauda, a garlicky dipping sauce – my mother even became famous locally for her version. Mum used to put on an annual bagna cauda lunch for up to 50 guests and I’d help with the laborious task of splitting each garlic clove and removing the green…

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: JEN BEDLOE. PHOTOGRAPHS: MYLES NEW. STYLING: SARAH BIRKS “If, like me, you’re looking forward to weekends filled with country walks and stick-to-your ribs roasts, I can’t think of a better way to round things off than with my version of a classic sticky toffee pudding. I’ve added apples to the recipe, then topped everything off with homemade toffee apples. They’re optional, of course, but they sing out autumn – and who can resist a toffee apple?” JEN BEDLOE, FOOD EDITOR Toffee apple sticky toffee pudding SERVES 8. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 50 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD Make the toffee apples first, up to a day ahead. Keep in a cool place. Cover and store leftover pudding in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.…

Caribbean rum Rum looks set to follow gin’s success story – UK sales are expected to hit the £1 billion mark this year. Dark, aged rums are more time-consuming to make than gins, so don’t expect a flood of new brands but it’s definitely a trend. A warming sip of Caribbean dark rum is soothing in chilly autumn and delicious matched with rich desserts such as sticky toffee pudding, ginger cake – or a piece of good, dark chocolate. Marks & Spencer XO Bajan State Rum, Barbados (£24/70cl) has sweet hints of spicy oak on a long finish – excellent value. From the Dominican Republic, Kirk & Sweeney 12 Year Old Rum (Sainsbury’s, £32/70cl) is mahogany-hued with flavours of vanilla, raisins, candied peel and cinnamon. Made with fine Caribbean rum,…

RECIPE: OLIVIA SPURRELL. PHOTOGRAPH: SAM FOLAN. FOOD STYLING: KATY MCCLELLAND. STYLING: MORAG FARQUHAR Salmon and root vegetable traybake with quick coriander pesto SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 35-45 MIN FOOD TEAM’S TIPS Frozen fish makes a great substitute for fresh if you’re trying to keep the cost down. Fish that’s frozen either at sea or not long after being caught can often be as good as fresh. Always buy your fish from sustainable sources – look for the blue and white Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo. Salmon fillets can be roasted straight from frozen. • 300g celeriac, peeled and chopped into 1cm pieces • 3 carrots, chopped into 1cm pieces • 1 beetroot, peeled and chopped into 1cm pieces (use rubber gloves to prevent your hands staining)…

The master recipe Pancetta and watercress risotto SERVES 4-6 (WITH HALF LEFT OVER). HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN MAKE IT VEGGIE Swap the pancetta for 250g petits pois (add at the start of step 4) and use vegetarian Italian-style grating cheese. • 150g cubed pancetta (see tip) • 1 tbsp light olive oil • 1 onion, finely chopped • 1.8 litres chicken or vegetable stock • 360g risotto rice • Splash dry white wine (optional) • 100g bag watercress, chopped • 75g grana padano cheese, grated • Grated zest and juice 1 lemon 1 Heat a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan and cook the pancetta over a high heat for 5-6 minutes until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the heat, add the oil and cook the…

WHAT YOU’LL NEED… • Cotton string – it’s easy to handle, gets a good grip on the meat and won’t burn or melt at oven temperatures 1 Put the joint on a chopping board parallel to the edge of your work surface and slide the string under the meat so the cut end is facing away from you and the ball of string near you [A]. 2 Bring the far/cut end of string over the meat and towards you and lay on the board to the left of the other piece. Pinch both pieces of string between your left-hand finger and thumb [B], then lift the cut end with your right hand and loop it over your left thumb, letting the end fall to the left of the held string.…

PHOTOGRAPH: MIKE ENGLISH. FOOD STYLING: OLIVIA SPURRELL. STYLING: MORAG FARQUHAR Dauphinois potatoes SERVES 8. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, OVEN TIME 1¼ HOURS, SIMMERING TIME 30 MIN, PLUS CHILLING MAKE AHEAD Cover and keep chilled for up to 48 hours, then reheat in a medium oven until piping hot. Or see How to Freeze, right. • Knob of butter, plus extra to grease • 1 onion, finely sliced • 1 garlic clove, crushed • 600ml whole milk • 300ml double cream • Generous grating nutmeg • 1kg potatoes (we used desiree) • 50g gruyère or cheddar, grated (optional) • ½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary and thyme leaves • ½ tsp sea salt flakes YOU’LL ALSO NEED… • 20cm square baking dish, greased with butter, base and sides lined with non-stick baking…

Use the best quality butter and flour you can afford. I use Président butter, which has 82% fat. A cool kitchen is vital for success. Cooking the bacon the night before helps keep the kitchen temperature down. Keep all the ingredients cool when making the pastry. The dough really does need all that time to rest – otherwise you risk overworking the gluten, which will make the pastry tough. If you don’t have a proving setting on your oven, an airing cupboard will do – check the temperature is about 25°C using a digital thermometer. Proving times can vary so if it’s cooler you might need to leave the danish to prove for longer. If you need pastries early in the morning, you can bake them the night before, then…

BREAD & BUTTER: HISTORY, CULTURE, RECIPES This ultimate gastro-pairing is given the space and respect it deserves by butter-maker Grant Harrington (founder of Ampersand Butter Culture in Oxfordshire), Richard Snapes (of The Snapery Bakery in London) and food writer Eve Hemingway. There’s science, history and fab recipes. Quadrille £22 TOM KITCHIN’S FISH & SHELLFISH Acclaimed Edinburgh-based chef Tom Kitchin’s latest book is a beautifully photographed collection. Recipes run the gamut from dishes for special occasions (langoustines, lobster) to everyday fare (fish pie and anchovy and potato gratin). A great source of fishy inspiration from an excellent chef. Absolute Press £26 KHAZANA This is the debut cookbook of Saliha Ahmed, the NHS doctor who was crowned MasterChef in 2017. It’s a personal and historical book, tracing the Indo-Persian roots of Mughal…

Zesty yogurt bundt cake with mojito drizzle SERVES 10-12. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 50-55 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD The cake will keep for a few days: store it somewhere cool in an airtight container. • 175g butter, softened, plus extra melted to grease • 2 tbsp fine polenta for dusting • 350g golden caster sugar • Finely grated zest 2 limes • 3 large free-range eggs • 350g self-raising flour • 200g natural yogurt FOR THE MOJITO DRIZZLE • 3 tbsp lime juice • 3 tbsp white rum • 2 tbsp caster sugar FOR THE ICING • 175g icing sugar • 2 tbsp lime juice • 2 tsp boiling water • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves, plus extra leaves to decorate YOU’LL ALSO NEED… • 24cm…

Classic carrot cake SERVES 10-12. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 60-75 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD Freeze the whole un-iced cake, well wrapped in non-stick baking paper, then cling film, for up to 3 months. Defrost and ice before serving. The finished cake will keep well for a few days in a sealed container in the fridge or in a cool room. FOOD TEAM’S TIP You can replace the ground spices with 1½ tsp ground mixed spice if you want to. • 200g carrots, grated • 250ml mild, light olive oil • 4 large free-range eggs • 225g light brown soft sugar • 100g sultanas • 100g unsalted pistachio kernels, chopped, plus extra to decorate • Finely grated zest 1 orange • Seeds from 6 green cardamom pods, crushed…

Coffee and whisky butterfly cakes MAKES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN, OVEN TIME 16-20 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD Freeze the cakes at the end of step 2 on a baking tray, then store in an airtight freezer bag for up to 1 month. Make the whisky icing 24 hours in advance, then cover and keep chilled in the fridge. Remove from the fridge to soften before decorating the cupcakes, then eat them on the same day. FOR THE BUTTERFLY CAKES • 200g unsalted butter, softened • 200g caster sugar • 3 medium free-range eggs, beaten • 1 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water • 200g self-raising flour • 50ml whole milk FOR THE WHISKY ICING • 250g unsalted butter, softened • 250g icing sugar…

✱Easy chocolate cake SERVES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 18 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD Bake the sponges a day ahead and, once cool, wrap well in cling film and store somewhere cool. Alternatively freeze the cooked, cooled sponges, well wrapped in cling film, for up to 1 month. Defrost before continuing with the recipe. FOR THE CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKES • 225g unsalted butter, softened • 225g golden caster sugar • 4 medium free-range eggs • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste • 150g self-raising flour • 75g cocoa powder • 150g soured cream or full-fat natural yogurt FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM • 250g unsalted butter, softened • 400g icing sugar, sifted • 100g cocoa powder • 100g dark chocolate (51% cocoa solids), melted • 1 tsp vanilla bean…

1492 On October 12, Columbus ‘discovered’ the New World after 10 weeks at sea. Thinking he’d landed in East Asia, he’d actually reached the Bahamas. It was there that he first came across potatoes, tomatoes, maize, peppers and tropical fruit. 1616 Nicholas Culpeper was born on 18 October. A pharmacist and botanist, he cured the poor and found fame after publishing the Complete Herbal(1653) which lists English herbs and their medicinal uses. 1817 Pierre Larousse was born in northern France on 23 October. He founded the publishing house behind Larousse Gastronomique (1938), still considered one of the most comprehensive culinary encyclopaedias. BAKING STATS: THE STATISTICS PORTAL 1882 The test run of the Orient Express left Paris on 10 October, arriving in Vienna the next evening. The onboard dinner menu included oysters,…

RECIPE FROM SIMPLY DELICIOUS, THE CLASSIC COLLECTION BY DARINA ALLEN (KYLE BOOKS). PHOTOGRAPH: PETER CASSIDY Lemon fluff with limoncello cream SERVES 4-6. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 40 MIN “This pudding separates into two distinct layers when it cooks; a fluffy top and a creamy base.” FOOD TEAM’S TIP If you like more of a lemon tang, add the finely grated zest of 1 extra lemon. • 40g unsalted butter • 225g caster sugar • 3 free-range eggs, separated • 75g plain flour • Finely grated zest and juice 2 unwaxed lemons (see tip) • 300ml whole milk • Icing sugar to dust • 300ml softly whipped cream or crème fraîche flavoured with limoncello to serve YOU’LL ALSO NEED... • 1.2 litre ovenproof dish or 6 x 200ml ramekins,…

A new range from Rooted Spices, launched by regular delicious. writer Rachel Walker and business partner Clara Glass, has taken the team’s palates by storm. Each of the spices are single origin – from one supplier, not a region/country blend, that is – and are super-fresh. The aromatic, raisiny-flavoured urfa pul biber (dried chilli flakes) from Turkey (£3.50 for a 35g tin) is our favourite, followed closely by the cured sumac (£3.50 for a 40g tin), which packs a complex citrus kick. You can buy less expensive plastic-wrapped refills once the tins are empty. The Middle Eastern and Starter Spice Sets (£32.50) would make brilliant gifts for a spice lover. rootedspices.com…

IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT With your new online account, when you’ve found an interesting article or a recipe you love, you can save it to your account so you never lose it – it will always be just a click away. SHARE YOUR PICS We want you to share your creations with us. Proud of that gin & tonic cheesecake? Snap it, post it (straight from Instagram, if you like) and tag it #imadeitdelicious – it might make the site’s hall of fame. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Now you can instantly rate and review any recipe, and tell delicious. how you’ve made it your own – or how we can improve it. We are listening to you and we want to know… PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES WHY…

PHOTOGRAPH: MIKE ENGLISH. FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH. STYLING: MORAG FARQUHAR “Our white bean crostini with anchovy and lemon salsa is one of the favourites on our menu. It can easily be tweaked to serve as a canapé (use smaller baguette slices) or as a light lunch, using toasted sourdough, drizzled with olive oil. Vegetarians can leave out the anchovies and add fresh chopped mint instead.” White bean crostini with anchovy and lemon salsa SERVES 6-8 AS A STARTER. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, OVEN TIME 10-12 MIN MAKE AHEAD Make the toasts and whizz the cannellini beans a day in advance. Keep the beans covered in the fridge and the toasts in an airtight container. • 1 baguette • Olive oil for drizzling FOR THE CANNELLINI BEAN PURÉE • 400g tin…

HAVE A USP Think about why someone would want to come. Will you cook a certain cuisine? Is there a particular theme? What do you offer that you can’t get at home or in a restaurant? PLAN YOUR MENU Choose how many people you want to cook for (it’s best to start small) and devise your dishes. Test them thoroughly and make sure you’re comfortable preparing them and scaling them up. A trial run will reveal any problems. DO THE MATHS Work out how much you will need to charge per head to cover ingredients, drinks, extras such as glass hire and (optional) your time. GET THE WORD OUT Social media, and Instagram in particular, are brilliant for connecting with other food lovers. Make sure you have some great photos…

Orzo with prawns, tomato and marinated feta SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 20 MIN The combination of prawns, feta, tomatoes and pasta is one I return to time and again for easy one-pot suppers. Orzo is the pasta that comes in the shape of rice – it’s easy to eat a lot of. If you start with prawns in their shell, keep a few heads on, for the look. The marinated feta is great dotted over salads, so I make a batch to keep in the fridge. MAKE AHEAD The marinated feta will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. • 200g feta, broken into 1-2cm pieces • ½ tsp chilli flakes • 4 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed…

Making jam is a skill that can take a few goes to master but you won’t go far wrong if you… 1 STERILISE YOUR JARS It helps stop mould forming. See the recipe, left, or visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk/videos/how-to-sterilise-jars. 2 PREVENT CRYSTALLISATION Adding acidic lemon juice to the recipe helps prevent the sugar crystallising when the jam is stored. Make sure the sugar has dissolved fully before you start the boil, as this helps prevent crystallisation too. 3 ADD PECTIN IF YOU NEED IT Pectin, a setting agent that occurs naturally in fruit, is important in helping to set jam. Some fruit, such as cooking apples and blackcurrants, are high in pectin. Blackberries and strawberries are low in pectin (find a chart at kilnerjar.co.uk). With low-pectin fruit it’s wisest to use jam…

1 EAT FOR PLEASURE With root-to-fruit eating you discover how delicious the parts of plants that tend to get thrown in the bin can be. Potato skins or the green tops of carrots and parsnips are great ways to add flavour. Roast potato skins and serve with a yogurty dip, or snip green carrot and parsnip tops into salads or add to soups. 2 MAKE ONE-POT DISHES They save on stress – especially on weeknights or if you’re having guests round – but the real benefit is that one-pot leftovers are easy to reheat and enjoy again, so you’re less likely to forget about them and end up throwing them away. 3 EAT SEASONAL, LOCAL FOOD Buying diverse, seasonal, locally produced food can be just as affordable as shopping from…

This autumn, brush up on your skills before Christmas, add something new to your festive repertoire or learn to make foodie gifts. River Cottage has the perfect Christmas course to inspire you: Christmas wreath and garland making, Christmas curing & smoking, Christmas hampers or Christmas bread & baking. Visit rivercottage.net/cookery-courses to see the full cookery school diary then, when you book, enter the code DELICIOUS to receive your discount. Offer valid until 31/11/18 and can be applied to dates until 31/12/18*…

Breakfast is arguably the meal we all struggle with the most when it comes to keeping it varied and appealing. Before you know it, you’ve eaten the same thing five mornings in a row instead of savouring your start to the day. You deserve better than that, and as the most important meal of the day, so does breakfast. But what if there was a way of sprucing up your morning meal that required minimal effort on your part? Enter Bonne Maman’s new deliciously fruity cherry, rhubarb and apricot Breakfast Compotes, made to a traditional French recipe using ripe whole fruit. Bursting with juicy apricot pieces, chunks of subtly tart yet sweet rhubarb and whole dark cherries, the compotes are a quick and simple way of adding an explosion of…

• Add whichever dried fruit you fancy – chop into small pieces before scattering over the dough. Adding freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries to the currants also works well. • Mix the dried fruit with orange or lemon zest and ground spices (such as mixed spice, ground ginger, cinnamon or nutmeg) before scattering them over the dough. • Add a little vanilla bean paste to the biscuit dough mixture with the milk. • For an elegant touch, decorate the top of the biscuits with fine strands of glaçé icing: mix icing sugar and water in a bowl to drizzling consistency, then quickly drizzle over the biscuits.…

If you love Italian food, this is a dream evening: fizz and canapés, then an intimate Italian dinner cooked by chef Theo Randall in his restaurant at the exclusive InterContinental London Park Lane hotel. Plus, you’ll enjoy an informal Q&A with the convivial chef and delicious. editor Karen Barnes. Critic Jay Rayner called his meal at Theo’s restaurant “the best I have eaten all year”. The chef has made an art of laid-back Italian cooking using the best ingredients, and he’s devised a special menu exclusively for delicious. readers (see right), in association with pesto makers Sacla’. You’ll be welcomed into the elegant private dining room of the Park Lane restaurant to mingle over prosecco and a selection of exquisite canapés. You’ll then sit down for a three-course meal with…

Here’s a rare treat for avocado fans. A new limited edition, luxury avocado variety has just launched exclusively in Tesco stores and it’s going to be a feast for your eyes – and your taste buds. In fact, it’s an absolute Gem. What makes this avocado so different? As Gem hangs on the tree, it has time to develop a rich, slightly nutty flavour and a texture that’s creamy, silky and divine. Add to that a beautiful skin that glistens with gorgeous natural golden flecks and you’re in heaven. Next time you gather your friends and family around the table, go for the wow factor and serve up a Gem avocado – it’s a golden wonder. But it’s only available for a short time. so make sure you don’t miss…

RECIPE: JEN BEDLOE. PHOTOGRAPHS: SAM FOLAN. FOOD STYLING: KATY MCCLELLAND. STYLING: OLIVIA WARDLE Warm turkey meatball noodle salad SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 35 MIN KNOW-HOW These noodles are made from konjac, an Asian plant with a starchy, edible root/ corm. It’s high in fibre and is almost calorie free. The noodles are ready cooked and come packed in water. MAKE AHEAD Open-freeze the uncooked meatballs on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. • 500g turkey thigh mince (2 per cent fat) • 1 medium free-range egg white • 4 spring onions, finely chopped • ½ tsp chinese five-spice powder • Handful fresh coriander, stalks chopped, leaves reserved • ½ tsp fish sauce • ¼ tsp crushed black pepper…

RECIPE: JEN BEDLOE. PHOTOGRAPH: SAM FOLAN. FOOD STYLING: KATY MCCLELLAND. STYLING: OLIVIA WARDLE Baked scotch eggs MAKES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 20 MIN, PLUS COOLING AND CHILLING MAKE AHEAD Cool the baked eggs, then cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. HOW WE DID IT We swapped sausagemeat for turkey thigh mince to reduce the fat. Instead of deep frying the scotch eggs we baked them, which reduces oil content. It also allows you to use fewer breadcrumbs for the coating. • 6 medium free-range eggs at room temperature • 500g lean turkey thigh mince (2 per cent fat) • 1 tsp ground allspice • Handful fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped • 2 spring onions, finely chopped • 2 tbsp plain flour •…

PHOTOGRAPHS: ALEX LUCK. FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH. STYLING: MORAG FARQUHAR Smoked haddock chowder SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 25 MIN Melt 25g butter in a large pan set over a medium heat. Add 1 bunch of spring onions, sliced, and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Stir in 20g plain flour and cook for a minute, then gradually add 500ml vegetable or fish stock, stirring to prevent lumps. Add 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm chunks, and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, put 2 smoked haddock fillets in a frying pan, skin-side up, cover with 400ml semi-skimmed milk, then simmer for 6-8 minutes until the fish is cooked – it should be opaque and flake apart easily. Set aside on…

MEET OUR EXPERTS JEN BEDLOE Food editor SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH Deputy food editor OLIVIA SPURRELL Cookery assistant LUCAS HOLLWEG Chef and food writer THANE PRINCE Food writer, cook and queen of preserving CHEF’S STEP BY STEP Learn how to make Pophams Bakery’s maple and bacon danish pastry – it’s a modern classic delicious. KITCHEN Find out about raising agents and special vinegars, and learn how to tie a proper butcher’s knot THE WEEKEND PROJECT It takes time to make a cheffy dauphinois but the results are worth it…

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES SUSTAINABILITY Scallops are relatively fast growing, easy to source locally and plentiful. Many countries farm them, but in the UK scallops are harvested wild by dredge or divers. Hand-dived scallops, though pricier, are more sustainable. Dredging damages the seabed and sea life, so I urge you to buy hand-dived scallops. WHAT TO LOOK FOR If buying scallops out of the shell, look for the term ‘dry’ on the label: these haven’t been soaked in water, so the flavour is retained and they’re easier to brown. Unlike other bivalves, which need to be cooked live, you can buy scallops fresh, still in the shell. You can also buy them live in the shell. Other scallops available in the UK are frozen imports from Japan and North America. KING…

TO COOK AND PREP Cook the dauphinois without adding the cheese and herbs in step 4. Once cool, cover the top with a sheet of baking paper, then top with a slightly larger sheet of foil. Put a snug-fitting baking dish or board on top, then put a few heavy cans on top to weigh down the dauphinois. Chill overnight to firm up and compress the layers. TO SERVE Heat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/gas 4. Cut the chilled dauphinois into 8 equal portions and carefully remove each with a fish slice (you can freeze the portions – see above). Put on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, sprinkle with cheese (if using), then bake for 15 minutes or until golden and piping hot throughout. Sprinkle with…

White forest gateau SERVES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN, OVEN TIME 35 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD Make the sponges a day before and wrap in cling film, or freeze for up to 1 month. Assemble the cake up to a day ahead and store in the fridge. Serve at room temperature. FOOD TEAM’S TIP To make chocolate curls, melt 100g chocolate and spread onto the underside of 2 greased baking trays. Leave to set, then drag a cheese plane over the surface to create large curls; chill in a sealed container until needed. Or scrape a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar to make shavings. • 200g plain flour • 2 tsp baking powder • 300g caster sugar • 5 medium free-range eggs, separated • ½…

Blueberry, lemon and mint drizzle cake SERVES 10. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, OVEN TIME 60-70 MIN MAKE AHEAD Wrap the finished cooled cake well in baking paper, then cling film. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Don’t be alarmed by the vivid green colour of the sugary lemon and mint mixture. The juices will eventually soak down into the cake, flavouring it beautifully with a fresh, minty essence and leaving the top of the cake crusted with sugar. • 25g fresh mint, leaves picked • 250g fresh blueberries • Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon • 250g plain flour • 2 tsp baking powder • Pinch salt • 115g very soft unsalted butter • 225g caster sugar • 2 large free-range eggs…

If I had to pick a favourite month, October would be it. I love the leafy smell in the air that tells me it’s full-on mushroom season, the glowing colours of piled-up pumpkins and turning leaves, the fact that it’s time to haul favourite jumpers out of the cupboard (forget the annual grumbling about moth holes) and – joy – putting on boots and tights again. And then there’s the food. Much as I relish the rainbow colours of summer peppers, tomatoes, peaches and berries, I love even more the sight of gourds, squash and crinkly-gorgeous savoy cabbages as they find their way back onto greengrocer shelves and market stalls. Yes, a brand new shining season of food has arrived, heralding good-as-a-hug food that chimes with the chill…

13 OCTOBER Porkstock, Norfolk Norfolk’s food and drink is the star of the show. After the family-friendly day festival, the evening party promises live music, pork snacks and local booze. Day entry free, evening party £20; porkstock.co.uk 13-14 OCTOBER Killerton Apple Festival, Devon Expect crafts, good food and plenty of this National Trust property’s award-winning cider. Make your own juice in the pressing tent and try your hand at archery (before the cider…). Adult entry £8; nationaltrust.org.uk/killertonapples 20-21 OCTOBER Pumpkinfest, County Down, Northern Ireland Country house Castle Ward will have local food stands, more than 2,000 pumpkins on display, plus a team of carvers to help your design. Adult entry £8.60, pumpkin carving extra; nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-ward 24 OCTOBER READER EVENT Don’t miss the chance to…

STACK HAPPY Kilner jars? I can’t get enough of them in my kitchen at home, but I have to admit they’re a bit precarious when you put them on top of each other to save precious worktop space. Hurrah for this new set, then: three stacked jars, with a seal between each layer to keep the contents airtight. Genius. £17.99 from Lakeland stores; lakeland.co.uk PLATES TO SATE Lucy Ogden is a talent I stumbled across on Instagram (one of the reasons I love that platform) but she’s been crafting beautiful ceramics for 25 years so I’m late to the party. Her work is inspired by nature and I find the clean simplicity of the shapes, lines and colours appealing. I’m thinking cheese plates or pasta bowls but she also makes…

NAME OF THE GAME “What’s in a name?” asked Juliet. A lot, as it turns out. Juliet, after all, was only trying to persuade herself that she could get it on with Romeo. She wasn’t trying to sell goat meat. A Florida survey some years back revealed ‘goat meat’ had negative associations, but once people called it ‘chevron’ the same people liked it. Which sort of makes sense. I can see people feeling uncomfortable finding a cookbook recipe for roast kid. Names notwithstanding, there are good reasons why we should eat more goat, and especially more kid. If calling it ‘chevron’ helps people get over the cannibalistic undertones, I’m all for it. And there are good reasons why you should be, too. First, there’s the flavour – it’s slightly sweeter…

Away from the heat of the MasterChef kitchen (and gaze of the cameras), Alison, Lorna and Giovanna’s friendship was forged during long waits in the green room. With the series finished (Giovanna was a runner-up, with the title going to NHS gastro doctor Saliha Mahmood Ahmed) the three home cooks weren’t ready to hang up their aprons. Instead they teamed up to host their own supperclub. “While you’re doing the show you’re always competing against one another,” says Lorna. “And we just fancied cooking together.” For their first event, each prepared their favourite dish from the show. It was a resounding success, and with a name for their venture and a new website, a business was born. For anyone who loves food and gets a buzz from cooking for others,…

CAPTURE THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE “Give people something they’re not expecting,” says Alison. “We add snacks to our menu and make them as fun as possible.” INTERACT WITH YOUR GUESTS Make the effort to come out and introduce the evening to explain the theme/cuisine and tell your guests what they’re going to have. SET THE MOOD Create a themed playlist, says Giovanna: “At our ‘For All The Single Ladies’ supperclub we did a girl power playlist. And for the junk food one, it was all our guilty pleasures.” MAKE IT RUN SMOOTHLY • Consider offering sharing plates or platters, and think about how many elements are on each plate. • If something goes awry, don’t panic. Top up everyone’s glasses, and if necessary communicate with your guests about the hiccup.…

His legion of fans love his recipes for their sublime feats of flavour alchemy, but no one would describe Yotam Ottolenghi as the king of easy cooking. That’s about to change with his latest book (the clue is in the title…). In Simple there are dishes that take half an hour or less to make, recipes made from 10 ingredients or fewer, make-ahead wonders and ‘lazy’ dishes that look after themselves. But the flavour combinations are as alluring as ever. HOW HE DID IT Did Yotam find paring down the ingredient lists and putting a time limit on the recipes frustrating, like trying to swim with one hand tied behind his back? “Surprisingly not,” he laughs. “It reminded me of when I took it upon myself to write a vegetarian…

“Guinea fowl remind me of the 1980s, when I was growing up and life seemed a lot simpler. My uncle kept some of these birds on his smallholding in west Dorset but I never understood them. Were they there to look at? Were they there to eat? I wasn’t sure. I just remember them being loud and in the way as I tore around after my cousin. As fowl go, they are large, beautifully neat, teardrop-shaped birds with elegant polka-dot plumage and a regal air. They’re natural yet cautious foragers so they’re easy to rear as free-range. Good butchers should be able to get hold of them for you but these days you can pick them up, oven-ready, in a lot of supermarkets too. Their flavour falls somewhere between good…

“I grew up at the foot of the South Downs in the small village of Fulking. I have clear memories of long walks, blackberry picking in late summer and of treks up what was called the butter track, a wide chalk lane cut into the Downs that in wet weather was so muddy it was like walking through soft butter. My mother was firmly committed to sending my brother and me outside for long periods whatever the weather. In the spring it was lambing season and we’d walk to a nearby farm and help feed the orphan lambs milk from dark brown beer bottles with plastic teats fixed to the tops. These small hungry creatures would soon be in the fields growing at a healthy rate. They would grace the…

GRAB A BARGAIN • Animus 2016, Douro, Portugal (£4.99, Aldi) Soft, easy-going, appealing red with ripe plum and black cherry fruit. Sip on its own – a total steal at under a fiver. • Wine Atlas Cinsault 2017, Western Cape, South Africa (£5.48, Asda) A fresh Cape red with plenty of redcurrant and enough structure and body to take on roast beef or pork. • Vermentino di Sardegna 2017, Sardinia, Italy (£6.50, Morrisons) Fresh lime zest, a herbal hint and slightly bitter twist to the finish. A great-value, refreshing white for parties or to match with seafood. FRIDAY SPECIAL • Taste the Difference Albariño 2013, Rías Baixas, Spain (£8.50, Sainsbury’s) Albariño is a fab grape for pairing with white fish. Chill a bottle of this pear and apple-scented example to serve with hake or…

WEEKNIGHT PROMISE Your guarantee for every recipe in this feature: NO MORE THAN… • 10 ingredients (not including butter/oil) • 30 minutes hands-on time • 650 calories per portion (but most recipes have fewer) • 10g sat fat per portion PLUS… • No unnecessary added sugar Aubergine and tofu curry SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 20 MIN FOOD TEAM’S TIP To help the tofu crisp up when you cook it, put the uncooked cubes in a single layer between a few sheets of kitchen paper on a baking sheet and weigh down with a few heavy cans for 10 minutes to press out as much liquid as possible. Alternatively, use Tofoo Co Naked Extra Firm tofu (from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado). • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil,…

Bulk up this meal on non-fasting days by switching from the Barenaked Noodles to Waitrose Love Life Wholesome Brown Basmati and Wild Rice (£2.05 per 500g). A 180g portion of this rice (cooked) gives you an extra 216 calories. It boosts protein by a further 6g and fibre by almost 5g but only provides 1.9g fat (0.4g saturated fat). Both basmati and wild rice have a low glycaemic index (GI), so provide a slow release of energy after eating, which helps keep you feeling satisfied until your next meal. Amanda is the nutrition editor of our sister magazine Healthy Food Guide…

Warm satay chicken and rice salad To make the satay sauce, put 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter, a 160ml tin of coconut cream, 2 tbsp Thai curry paste, 1 tbsp tamarind paste and 1 tsp light soy sauce in a small pan. Gently heat, stirring, until combined. SERVES 4-6. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN Meanwhile, microwave 2 x 250g packs of microwave basmati rice for 2 minutes, transfer to a large bowl and stir in 4 chopped spring onions, a large handful of chopped fresh coriander, the juice of 2 limes and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil. Spoon onto a serving platter, then top with a 1kg higher welfare roast chicken, jointed. Drizzle some of the satay sauce over the chicken and serve the rest on the side. Toss ½ deseeded…

What’s the ideal fridge temperature? And how long should you keep things? Here’s the low-down FRIDGE • Should be 0-4°C • Don’t overcrowd. Cold air needs to flow easily around the food to keep it cold. • As a rule of thumb, fresh fish will keep 1-2 days, raw meat, poultry and sausages 2-3 days; bacon 7-10 days; salad and vegetables 3-4 days; milk 5 days; and hard cheese up to 3 weeks. FREEZER • Should be -18°C. • Fill it up. A full freezer uses far less energy to keep things frozen at the correct temperature. • Use soup, ice cream or bread within 3-4 months; meat, white fish and fruit within 6 months; and blanched vegetables within 9 months. WHAT GOES WHERE IN THE FRIDGE? Door It warms…

This recipe was inspired by the US childhood memories of Ollie Gold, founder of Pophams Bakery, where I work. As soon as we tried it, we knew the maple and bacon combination had to be on our menu. I experimented with different shapes before settling on the snail shell. Essentially it’s slices of bacon rolled inside a soft buttery pastry with maple syrup-flavoured glazed layers of flakiness – simple ingredients but jammed with flavour. It’s a recipe that takes time, patience and love, but taste it once and you’ll be convinced it’s the perfect way to kick off a weekend. FLORIN GRAMA, HEAD BAKER, POPHAMS BAKERY A BIT ABOUT FLORIN… Before joining Pophams Bakery as head baker, he earned his stripes at Bread Ahead and Gail’s bakeries in London. Florin…

• You want as much gluten as possible, so use high-protein flour (12-16%) as most of the protein in wheat flour is gluten. • Don’t add more flour to your dough to prevent sticking. The dough will become less sticky as the gluten develops. • There’s no need to buy a proving basket. For round loaves, a bowl or colander lined with a clean tea towel works just as well. • High heat is crucial for a good crust. Bakers’ ovens have granite bases, which retain the heat and give the loaf a crunchy crust. A preheated granite tile, baking stone or sheet will have the same effect.…

ILLUSTRATIONS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES It’s 08:04am on the busy commuter train from the home counties into London and the chap opposite me is eating smoky bacon crisps for breakfast. It could’ve been worse. Use public transport at lunchtime or in the evening and you’re guaranteed a carriage stinking of burgers, pasties, katsu curried chicken… The demise of dining tables in the home and canteens in workplaces, coupled with longer commutes and working hours, mean many of us are eating anywhere and everywhere: breakfast on the train, lunch at your desk, a snack in the park, dinner in front of the telly. The phenomenon of constant eating has crept into our leisure time, too. Who hasn’t had a movie ruined by the constant rustling, crunching and munching from the row behind? It’s…