World Food Tour: Winter 2018

WORLD FOOD TOUR

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World Food Tour

Expert Wine Tips from

Say Cheese!

Make the Perfect Cheeseboard

Olly Smith

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Joe Wicks’ Healthy Eating

Festive Recipes

Cocktails & Party Ideas WINTER

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WINTER | £3.99 ISSN ISSN1758-597X 1758-597X

Joe Wicks

Tom Kitchin

Jack Stein

Yasmin Khan

Olly Smith

• CELEBRITY CHEFS HELPING YOU COOK THE WORLD’S GREATEST FOOD AT HOME • World Food Tour Cover Op2.Rev5.indd 9

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The magic of Christmas starts with Lanson

Crafted with care. Best enjoyed the same way. www.lansonchampagne.com

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Welcome

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Welcome

Welcome to another issue of World Food Tour, a publication dedicated to showcasing and championing the many different cuisines and flavours from around the globe. The growth of the food and restaurant industry shows no signs of faltering and consumers’ hunger to try new foods and flavours is as strong as ever.

For this particular edition of World Food Tour—our special festive issue—we’re counting down to Christmas with essential to-do lists, tips, cooking tricks and recipes to wow your guests and make sure your holiday season goes off without a hitch. We have a selection of brilliant recipes to truly suit every taste—and dietary preference.

Our celebrity chefs featuring in this issue—from Tom Kitchin and Jack Stein to Joe Wicks and Yasmin Khan—offer their advice, ideas and inspiration to make your cooking truly global. Flick to page 20 for some gorgeous seafood recipes, page 50 for healthy meals in under 30 minutes or to page 40 for a taste of Palestine on a plate.

In an exclusive interview, daytime TV star Olly Smith offers his expert wine recommendations, reveals his ideal wine gifts and discusses the different varieties consumers should be looking out for. To read about all things wine & spirits (and to learn a little about wine pairings and must-try tipples) turn to page 88.

This time, our recurring travel section, which explores the tastes and customs from select countries around the world, focuses on Thailand, Italy and the Caribbean. To learn more about these cuisines—and to try some traditional recipes—flick to page 108.

IMAGES © Shutterstock

As always, we hope you take away some new skills, inspiration, food knowledge and recipe ideas from this issue. Happy cooking and happy holidays from the team here at World Food Tour.

Annalisa D’Alessio, Editor

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C NTENTS We’ve put this season’s most popular food trends under the microscope, unearthing the latest culinary destinations, events, products, gadgets and experiences

Food 14 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TOM KITCHIN World Food Tour sits down with Tom Kitchin to discuss the chef’s greatest accomplishments and how his Scottish heritage influences his cooking

20 TOM KITCHIN RECIPES Cook yourself a seafood feast this Christmas season with recipes from Tom Kitchin’s new book, Tom Kitchin’s Fish & Shellfish

24 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: JACK STEIN

In a candid interview, Jack Stein opens up about his love for seafood, his passion for experimenting with flavours and how his father—Rick Stein—influenced his craft

30 JACK STEIN RECIPES Sample brilliant international recipes from Jack Stein’s debut cookbook, Jack Stein’s World on a Plate

34 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: YASMIN KHAN Author and chef Yasmin Khan discusses Palestinian cuisine and its unforgettable customs, flavours and ingredients

40 YASMIN KHAN RECIPES Try something different this holiday season with sumptuous Palestinian dishes from Yasmin Khan’s new cookbook, Zaitoun 6

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44 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: JOE WICKS

Social media star and health and wellbeing guru The Body Coach shares his tips for staying fit, healthy and motivated

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50 JOE WICKS RECIPES Healthy, quick and full of character, these must-try recipes are from Joe Wicks’ cookbook, Joe’s 30-Minute Meals

54 ALCOHOL-FREE TIPPLES All the flavour and none of the booze.

Here’s a selection of ‘mocktails’ to try this Christmas

Christmas

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58 COUNTING DOWN TO CHRISTMAS From recipes to timings and cooking tips, our guide to festive feasting will help you carry off Christmas with confidence

76 VEGAN & VEGETARIAN FESTIVITIES

From nut roasts to meat-free wellingtons, there are countless excellent dishes to offer your vegan and vegetarian guests this holiday season

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78 SAY CHEESE! If cheese isn’t available at every left turn, then is it really Christmas at all?

81 AT-HOME CHUTNEY Easy to make and with a long shelf-life, chutneys are the perfect accompaniment to cheese—and a tasty DIY present idea for your loved ones celebrityangels.co.uk

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celebrity PUBLISHER & CEO Kevin Harrington EDITOR Annalisa D'Alessio

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us cover Our gorgeo a, rosemary recipe, vanill r cake. & apple laye e 84 Flick to pag

120 82 FESTIVE CANAPÉS Matthew Fort, judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu, takes a quizzical look at the amuse-bouche and the important part they play in our festive feasting

84 COVER RECIPE: VANILLA, ROSEMARY & APPLE LAYER CAKE Bake our cover recipe for a show-stopping dessert—a sumptuous vanilla sponge cake with a fragrant and fruity twist

Wine & Spirits 88 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: OLLY SMITH A stalwart on British Saturday morning TV, Olly Smith shares his expertise on all things wine, helping us choose what to drink this holiday season

96 SPIRITED AWAY

World Food Tour explores the classic spirits, their heritage and what they can look forward to in 2019 and beyond

104 DRINKING THE STARS Champagne’s sparkling heritage is as rich as its distinct taste. Despite its capricious status among the world’s leading wines in recent years, this bubbly bevvy is still the celebratory tipple of choice

106 PARTY STARTERS Quench your thirst with our selection of easy-to-make cocktail recipes celebrityangels.co.uk

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Travel 110 TASTE THE GLOBE: THAILAND Thailand’s rich and diverse cuisine is a feast of different flavours, herbs, textures and colours

114 TASTE THE GLOBE: ICELAND Dramatic sceneries and flavourful cuisine make Iceland a destination not to be missed

115 TASTE THE GLOBE: SEYCHELLES In addition to white sandy beaches and crystalline waters, the Seychelles has a fascinating culinary scene for foodies to discover

116 A TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN Caribbean food has slowly crept into the UK’s food scene and has been embraced for its punchy characteristics and exciting flavour combinations

118 VIVA L’ITALIA!

Italian cooking is a crowd favourite—pizza, pasta and risotto have been staples on British dinner tables for decades

120 RECIPE COLLECTION Recipes from all over the world come together to form this selection of international dishes 130 PRODUCTS & SERVICES Take a look at a selection of products and services World Food Tour loves…

SUB EDITOR Kayley Loveridge ART EDITOR Friyan Mehta EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Hannah Foskett PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Joanna Harrington PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Ava Keane OFFICE COORDINATOR Adam Linard-Stevens PUBLISHED BY Celebrity Angels © 2018 all rights reserved

World Food Tour Celebrity Angels Suite 2, 143 Caledonian Road, London, N1 0SL Tel: 020 7871 1000 Fax: 020 7022 1694 For sales enquiries call: 020 7871 1000 COVER IMAGES Courtesy of Shutterstock; Flickr; Matt Russell; Paul WinchFurness; Maja Smend; Mark Millar. Bloomsbury, Absolute Press; Bluebird.

All material in World Food Tour magazine is wholly copyright and reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden. The views expressed in this publication are entirely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Celebrity Angels.

The information in this publication is carefully researched and produced in good faith, however, neither the publisher nor the editors accept responsibility for any errors. The Celebrity Angels Series is published in the UK under licence by Damson Media Limited. Damson Media Limited is registered in England and Wales under registration no. 07869300.

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What’s HAPPENING

What’s Happening We’ve put this season’s most popular food trends under the microscope, unearthing the latest culinary destinations, events, products, gadgets and experiences

By Hannah Foskett

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What’s HAPPENING

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018 has witnessed food become present in the day-to-day consciousness of the nation. Great strides towards healthy and sustainable products have moved us closer to mindful consumerism and intuitive eating.

As the year draws to a close, food lovers can enjoy festive events and seasonal food trends that will certainly make this Christmas one to remember.

The best Christmas

Salted caramel Caramel’s affinity for salt can be traced back to French chocolatier, Henri Le Roux. This creamy confection entices our palate in the holy trinity of sugar, salt and fat and has recently been making its way into every biscuit, ice cream and crème brûlée on the menu. We think 2018 is the year of hybrids, and salted caramel is leading the race for its versatility. This season, it’s all about bathing mince pies, vegetable salads and even cheese in sumptuous salted caramel.

Fermented foods The foodie world has finally caught up with the traditional reverence of gut-friendly

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ingredients—and it’s safe to say that fermented products have made a noble comeback for health-enthusiastic consumers this year. If you’re willing to overlook the word ‘fermented’, all you need is a sterilised jar, vegetables, muslin, baking parchment and patience. Either way, expect to see plenty of pickles, cabbage, preserved lemons, sourdough bread and homemade ginger beer on the table this festive holiday season.

Timut pepper Perhaps the hottest food trend of the year, this zesty, grapefruit-like spice originates from the Himalayas and has been celebrated by locals for its analgesic effect, antioxidant properties and other medicinal purposes. In the western world, timut pepper gives our favourite condiments an extra kick. Envision these punchy peppercorns adding warmth to your favourite Christmas dishes and cocktails.

Clementine juice If you’re adding a clementine to your Christmas stocking this year, you’re one step away from transforming a traditional festive treat into an invigorating sensation. This season, clementine juice is being incorporated into zingy Christmas puddings, velvety curd and delightfully fruity cocktails.

What’s trending

The fourth meal What’s better than eating three meals a day?

Eating four meals a day. The fourth meal is an amendment of the nation’s eating norms that essentially gives snacking the recognition that it deserves. According to various reports, eating smaller meals, but more often, is the trend of the year. A light supper before bed, an energy-filled bite before a grueling gym session, or a mid-afternoon salad, the fourth meal is a development that we’re happy to be on board with.

Hyper-local sourcing The local food movement has gained significant momentum over the past few years, with regionally grown produce being obtained fresh from local farms. This year, more and more restaurants are beginning to embrace technology and create their own ingredients from scratch. Hyper-local sourcing has seen chefs open their own hydroponic (soilless), on-site gardens, brewing their own beer and DIY-ing their food supplies.

Good gut health This year, the nation has been embarking on a gut-healing journey, highlighting a notable move towards regarding colourful, plant-based foods as powerful medicine.

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What’s HAPPENING For adventurous millennial eaters, fermented foods like kimchi and kombucha are in demand for containing live bacteria (probiotics). For those beginning their gut flora excursion, brands such as Loving Foods make organic, fermented, unpasteurised food and drinks that are loaded with enzymes, vitamins, minerals and beneficial acids for the digestive and immune systems.

Cook it yourself Restaurants have been enduring our desire to avoid the weekly shop this year by employing delivery services and investing in travelfriendly cutlery. According to some, this wish to eat in the comfort of our own home will only increase in 2019, a fact that warrants the divulgence of another 2018 hot topic—food subscription boxes. A healthier alternative to fried chicken, the world of meal delivery boxes is exceedingly vast. Companies such as Mindful Chef deliver recyclable boxes to your door; containing all the healthy, low-carb ingredients that you need to put together an easy, but delicious, meal.

Happening hot spots

Fine-casual dining The Iskele—Whitecross Street, London Fine-casual dining is the new fast-casual dining—and it’s the current megatrend. Casual restaurants are raising the bar by plating up aesthetically satisfying and chef-driven dishes, delivering beverages to your table and supplying atmosphere with elevated décor. The Iskele is located near the Barbican in London and is a favourite destination for Mediterranean-inspired, fine-casual cuisine.

Beneath rustic, wooden beams and amid strings of coloured lanterns, you’ll find Turkish hospitality, tantalising spices and an affordable variety of cocktails.

Laksa Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar, Holloway Road, London Does a spicy noodle soup based on rich and spicy curry coconut milk or sour asam, sound like it could feature in your next foodie dream? One of the few Malaysian chefs and restaurant owners in the UK, Mandy Yin’s rich broths—inspired by her childhood in Kuala Lumpur—feature at what she says is the first dedicated laksa bar in the UK. Available with prawns, chicken or tofu, the innovative Penang 10

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and Peranakan cooking summons swarms of hungry guests who patiently join the queue extending down the length of the road.

Zero waste CUB, Hoxton Street, London The fight back on waste has officially taken off and in September this year, Ryan Chetiyawardana remodelled the first bar he opened in 2013, the White Lyon. Lovingly, CUB was born to Ryan and Doug McMaster, the chef behind Brighton’s zero-waste restaurant, Silo. Considered ingredients and sustainable methods ensure that this barmeets-restaurant is completely waste-free, and the set menu option offers courses of delicious food and drink for an experience that perfectly summarises the hybridity of 2018.

Winter markets Southbank Centre Winter Market, London 9 November-27 December, 2018 Beside the River Thames—during the winter months—exist the wooden chalets and hideaways that make up the Southbank Centre’s Winter Market. If good cheese is your festive snack of choice, Bar Under the Bridge is serving cheese-themed foods—charcuterie

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What’s HAPPENING

arts and crafts and artisan pop-up stalls galore, too. There’s also the opportunity to burn off some mince pies by donning a Santa suit at the Cornwall Hospice Care’s Santa Fun Run.

The future is food

Heme Recently, there has been a growing concern for the sustainability of the global food system. Varying sources of protein and meat substitutes are flocking to shelves and fridges everywhere, but debates on whether these alternatives provide that authentic meat taste persist—so what does meat have that vegetables don’t? The answer: blood.

Companies like Impossible Foods are utilising heme, a protein that makes up part of the molecule hemoglobin. Heme is actually a basic building block in most living things, including bacteria and plants, and is currently being used to bring a meaty quality to plant-based burgers. These cutting-edge products are still being developed but they could become stepping-stones to sustainability come 2019.

and cheeseboards, croque monsieur and baked camembert—alongside harmonising cocktails. Another new addition this year, the Circus Bar hosts blazing fire pits so that you can warm up in the company of baguettes, steaks and mulled wine. Stalls offering delicious street food—including Asian, Indian and Greek cuisines, traditional winter favourites and desserts—stand alongside private igloos and glittering lights at this joyous event. The market is just one part of the Wintertime at Southbank Centre festival—an enchanting plethora of Christmas events that continue on into the new year.

Christmas festivals Padstow Christmas Festival, Cornwall 6-9 December, 2018 Are you looking for a sparkling Christmas event this year? Why not watch Rick Stein, Jack Stein, Paul Ainsworth, Nathan Outlaw and many more cook up inspiring chef demos for four festive days? Question your favourite culinary heroes and behold a spectacular fireworks display, a lantern parade, live music and carol concerts. Strolling through a Christmas market alongside a captivating waterside setting, you’ll discover food, drink, celebrityangels.co.uk

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Edible insects We asked for new sources of protein and the food gods have delivered. According to a report, two billion people around the world eat bugs as part of their diet, and this slightly creepy health trend is expected to take off in western culture, too. Bugs, insects and arachnids are adding security to the world’s food supply, are low in fat and contain excellent sources of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. On sticky, summer days, these pests can be nuisances at restaurants, but you could soon be seeing them on the menu, too.

Printed meals The future of food has been imagined and—in Taiwan—it has been designed. The conceptual Bouchee Capsule Food Printer converts capsules filled with ingredients like high-protein mealworms and highchlorophyll seaweed into healthy food.

By placing a capsule in the assigned slot and confirming your food’s desired shape on an app, you could watch the capsule be squeezed, printed and cooked. In the future, there are plans for Bouchee Capsule Food Printers to develop long-term sales subscriptions to these capsules. • W o r l d F o o d To u r

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Food Food—and indeed eating—is a symbolic venture. It suggests the togetherness of loved ones, enriches the understanding of different cultures and brings joy in a way no other comfort can. This festive period, get inspiration from the country’s leading chefs for a worldly, innovative and exciting feast.

Tom Kitchin Interview & recipes 14-22 jack stein interview & Recipes 24-32 Yasmin khan interview & recipes 34-42 joe wicks interview & recipes 44-52

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Tom Kitchin INTERVIEW

Tom Kitchin

Tom Kitchin is a globally admired chef, restaurateur and TV personality. Since being crowned the youngest Michelin star recipient in the world, he has gone on to dominate the British culinary scene.

Drawing upon French techniques, he makes use of the bountiful Scottish produce from where he resides. His latest cookbook, Fish & Shellfish promotes the use of fresh and sustainable ingredients—all delivered with his trademark charm 14

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Tom Kitchin

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INTERVIEW

Q. First of all, congratulations on your new cookbook—it looks fantastic. It’s a celebration of seafood; why is it that you have such a strong affinity for this food group?

Tom Kitchin: Where we are situated in Scotland, I have access to the most incredible seafood and shellfish. Over the years it has just grown and grown and grown—my love of seafood, that is—and the joy that it brings to eating, to my restaurant, to my family and to catching. Everything about it just fascinates me: why some fish are there and not there and how you catch them and how you eat them as well. I think people of course embrace seafood and shellfish in the UK, but there’s still a lot of barriers to be broken. So if you can get people away from just eating what they know they can eat [and] try and get them to open up a little bit, then I think it can be great. If you have a big table of shellfish and you have nice weather and nice wine, it’s happy days.

plays a huge part in your culinary choices.

How do you think the Scottish food scene has progressed over the years?

TK: Oh, massively. Even 15 to 20 years ago we just used to put the langoustines into scampi. Even now, the seafood [from Scotland] is exported to the continent. Obviously they love the seafood and they understand how special the Scottish seafood is. But more and more it’s staying in Scotland. The food scene in Scotland is growing at rapid knots and I don’t just mean Michelin star restaurants—I mean just good food. For me, that’s really important. It’s really important for me, because we are such a beautiful country; we have so many tourists coming to Scotland. It’s really important that they get a real taste of what’s great about Scotland. I just want to break away from those myths of deep-fried Mars bars and all that rubbish. Let’s just celebrate everything that’s great about it here.

Q. With dishes like cullen skink featuring in your book, it’s clear that your Scottish heritage

Q. How can you identify a fresh catch—are there any obvious signifiers to look out for?

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w Out No

Tom Kitchin’s Fish and Shellfish is a true celebration of the ocean, showcasing the famed Scottish chef’s talents.

Dive in for exciting recipes from grilled lobster and Thai-style oysters to braised squid risotto

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Tom Kitchin INTERVIEW TK: First of all, I really believe in building up a relationship with your local fishmonger. Really try to use your local fishmonger. If you are looking at fish, then there’s lots of obvious signs [of freshness].

If you can see the fish whole, if you can see the eyes, you can see the glistening of the scales—all those kinds of things.

Take my book for example, if you can’t get hold of any ingredients then speak to your fishmonger and give them a few days’ notice so they can work the markets for you to get, for example, razor clams or scallops—anything that you’re trying to get hold of.

Q. A lot of home cooks avoid buying whole fish for fear of the bones—what advice would you give in this instance?

TK: I can understand that, but I would again work with my fishmonger and I would ask them to fillet the fish if you’re not comfortable doing it. Then ask them to keep the bones for you as well. You can take home the fillet and the bones and you can make yourself a lovely stock from the bones.

Q. How important is it for you to select ingredients from sustainable sources?

TK: It’s massively important, I really have a responsibility as a chef and someone who is cooking in restaurants to really embrace sustainability. We cannot ignore it, we have to embrace it and we have to make sure that the next generations are enjoying the seas as much as we are. There’s a big thing about it, there’s a big movement and certainly I think that we are all going in the right direction. We have to listen to what people are saying and make sure that things are being done in a sustainable way. In general, fish is going up and up in price so we [chefs] have had to look for other fish. Fish like halibut, cod, hake and squid; they’re all sustainable but the price is going up so now we’re finding things like pollock and coley— different fish. Now, there’s lots of different price brackets for fish.

Q. In the past you’ve been a guest judge on MasterChef, and more recently you’ve

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I really have a responsibility as a chef and someone who is cooking in restaurants to really embrace sustainability. We cannot ignore it, we have to embrace it headlined the BBC2 series The Chef’s Protégé. Do you enjoy identifying new talent?

TK: It must be an age thing that I’m getting into now but I’m really starting to enjoy it massively. It’s a really rewarding process: finding raw talent and then nurturing it and then watching it grow. Whether you like these TV series or not—I have these experiences in a more real-life scenario

in my restaurant every day—what the TV does, is it makes people interested.

Q. Over the Christmas holidays, salmon and prawns usually take centre stage in terms of seafood. What alternatives would you suggest for somebody wanting to put a creative spin on the classic offerings?

TK: I love to do salmon; salmon will always be there [on our Christmas table], I love to try and do my own gravadlax at Christmas—it’s really nice.

My wife is Swedish so we have to do two Christmases—one on the 24 and 25 [December]. It’s a lot of preparation and gravadlax is a must-have on [Christmas Eve]. You need to get prepared and ready for it, I’ve actually put the recipe in the book. It’s really good fun to do and it really preserves well, it just adds something a bit different to traditional smoked salmon. If you’ve actually gone through the process of making it, it’s always that bit nicer.

You have to cure it in salt and sugar and herbs for three to four days—that cures the meat. Then you make a little honey

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Tom Kitchin INTERVIEW mustard dressing. The best bit is that you get to serve a little aquavit [Scandinavian spirit] shot with it. Langoustines as well, I love to try and do a posh langoustine cocktail. If you can’t get langoustines you can just use different prawns. These are good dishes for Christmas because you can prepare them a bit in advance. If you’re really trying to push the boat out by doing something different, I would really recommend trying to do a whole baked fish. That is a really beautiful thing.

Again, for me, it’s about creating atmosphere at the table as well. If you can cook, you can bake a fish whole and you can serve it in the middle of the table with all of your family around. It just creates something really different and beautiful. More and more people are pescetarian these days, so there’s nothing wrong with doing a bit of fish at Christmas!

Q. Here in the UK, the Christmas feast on the 25 is the main event. However, some of our European neighbours hold a fish-focused spread on Christmas Eve. Can you provide some inspiration for home cooks who wish to pay homage to this tradition?

TK: Gravadlax is one of them. We always do pickled herring as well, or something like that. You can get that ready on the 18 or 19 and get it marinating, put it in jars and keep it in the fridge so that you reduce your stress levels quite nicely. There’s a kind of fish pâté that’s another great one to do—I did a recipe in my book for that as well. It’s like an old-fashioned dinner party dish that’s kind of died a death. But, again, it can be prepared in advance and it can be really ‘wow’. I think with these things it’s about getting organised, so hopefully you can just enjoy the evening as well.

Q. Are there any new food trends or interesting ingredients that you are excited about at the moment?

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Tom Kitchin INTERVIEW

TK: When I travel, I find different cultures and I find different ingredients that are new to my cooking. But because I’m always cooking food from my area, when I travel I don’t usually bring those home and into my cooking. The great thing is that when you work with the sea, your menu and your ideas change all the time. I’m always embracing new foods and new ideas. Just now I’m really into barbecuing fish; it must be the nice weather we’re having. I love to mix a bit of fish and pork or something like that, it’s really nice.

Q. What’s your creative process for constructing a new dish? Is it a case of trial and error, or is there a particular procedure you follow?

TK: I’m really off the cuff, I’m not one of these chefs who sits in an office and draws things and sketches them out. It’s really about inspiration and the moment I’m in. As a chef you can get inspiration from everywhere. My wife’s always laughing at me; sometimes I will be at someone’s granny’s house, for instance, and she’s 18

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done an old soup and then bang, that’s it.

I think, ‘We’re going to take that soup and we’re going to modernise it.’ Sometimes it can be that you are just going out for a run or you’re just in the shower and you come back and you’ve got a new dish in your head. I can’t explain it but because this is your job, your life, you never stop thinking about food. Then the dish transforms, I’ll make it and I’ll taste it with my chefs. Then we’ll maybe twist it and work on it but we have to eat the dish all the way through so we really experience the whole dish. Then we fine-tune it from there and then, finally, we put it on the menu.

Q. How do you feel about social media’s increasing influence on the culinary scene—is it a good thing?

TK: Yeah, of course it’s a good thing, it’s fascinating to me. I love to flick through my Instagram account and look at what everyone is doing. I do find that really inspiring, I think it’s great. Is it slightly frustrating sometimes? Yes, it is. People are coming to a nice restaurant and it’s more

about the picture than the food. I used to get worked up about it, people tweeting before they’re eating. But now what am I going to do? There’s no way I can stop this, this is what people do now. Myself, if I’m travelling to a city or to another country I’ll be following the foodies of that country or that city or the chefs of that place to get inspiration and decide where I’m going to go and eat. This is often based on what I see on Instagram. It’s all inspiration but it is frustrating sometimes. As a modern-day chef, sometimes, I just want to throw my phone in the bin. When I think about my mentors, the guys I trained with, they didn’t have to go through all of this social media.

But, at the same time, we have to do it now.

Q. What’s your take on ‘modern British’ cuisine? Do you think it will it last the test of time?

TK: Modern British cuisine is here to stay; it used to be so London-centric. Now, you’ve got food from Cornwall all the way up to the top of Scotland. There’s great chefs and great suppliers—without

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Tom Kitchin INTERVIEW when Koffmann had three stars there, I was a young guy—only 18 or 19 years old.

I was straight down from Scotland into this busy Chelsea [restaurant], working for this absolute God and getting my a** kicked every single day. I was just like, ‘Get me the f**k out of here!’ I just wanted to leave; I wanted to go home. That was the moment there. If I’d gone back to Scotland then, having done only three months or six months in London, if I’d gone back to my comfortable little life then, I would not be where I am today. I worked very long hours, it was very demanding. It was proper old-school.

the suppliers, the chefs can’t do what they’re doing and vice versa. It’s just great.

Everyone is going in the right direction but we can be even better. London is certainly in the top cities in the world for food now in my eyes, I think the food in London is absolutely fantastic. I love to go to London and eat but I also love to go to Cornwall, I love to go to the Lake District and Nottingham, Cambridge or wherever. There is somewhere good to eat everywhere now, which is really exciting.

Q. What would you say has been the defining moment in your career?

TK: There’s been so many. If I go right back to my youth working at La Tante Claire with Pierre Koffmann; the original one was where Gordon Ramsay now has his three-star Michelin restaurant. Back

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I‘m really off the cuff, I’m not one of these chefs who sits in an office and draws things and sketches them out.

It’s really about inspiration and the moment I’m in. As a chef you can get inspiration from everywhere

Q. Are there any particular chefs who you really admire?

TK: There’s two brackets of that for me because there’s the guys that I trained with like Pierre Koffman, Alain Ducasse, the Roux’s [Michel Roux and Michel Roux Jr] and Guy Savoy in Paris. These guys I trained with, so I have the upmost respect for them. But then there are the chefs who I’ve grown with who I really respect as well like Jason Atherton, Tom Kerridge, Daniel Clifford and Nathan Outlaw. I think they’re the ones who are pushing the food scene on now. I feel really privileged to be, not in the same group, but in the same era as these chefs. We’re all doing our little bits for our own areas.

Q. Do you have a go-to dish that you whip up when you’re at home?

TK: With the family, I love to do fish pie.

With the kids, I love to do fish kebabs or skewers. I like to get them [the kids] involved a wee bit, I always find that helps if you get them involved in the cooking, then they’re going to enjoy their food even more. Anything to get the kids involved and eating, I love that. I have four boys, so there’s a lot of opinions being thrown around but they’re all doing really well.

You notice it when you’re with another family and maybe their world isn’t food, you’ve got crab claws on the table and the kids are just picking all the meat out and I think, ‘Yeah, good lads.’ • W o r l d F o o d To u r

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Tom Kitchin

Serves

3-4

RECIPES

Octopus, Mixed Bean & Black Olive Salad

preparation 1. To cook the octopus, first bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil with the lemon and peppercorns. As soon as it boils, turn the heat down so the water is just simmering. Add the octopus to the water and pop a plate on top to keep it submerged, then simmer for 90 minutes, or until it’s tender. It’s really important that the octopus does not boil, as this will ruin the lovely skin. Once cooked, leave the octopus to cool, uncovered, in the stock.

2. Meanwhile, cook the mussels and blanch the broad beans. Drain the mussels and discard any that do not snap shut when tapped. Heat a large heavy-based saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over a medium-high heat, then add a splash of oil. When it is hot, add half the shallots and sauté for about 1 minute.

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Add the mussels and wine and give them a good stir. Cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes, or until all the mussels open.

Drain the mussels, then discard any that are not open. Set the remainder aside.

3. To blanch the broad beans, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and place a bowl of iced water in the sink. Add the beans to the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain well.

Immediately tip them into the iced water to stop the cooking and set the colour.

When they are cool, drain them again, shake off any excess water and set aside.

4. When the octopus is cool enough to handle, use a slotted spoon to transfer it

to a chopping board and dice the body, but leave the tentacles whole. Place it in a bowl, add the garlic cloves, season with salt and pepper and pour over enough olive oil to cover.

5. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining shallots, cannellini beans, tomatoes, olives, and the blanched broad beans. Now add the octopus mixture and a couple of tablespoons of sherry vinegar, to taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Scatter with the basil leaves. The salad is best eaten fresh, but you can cover and chill for up to 4 hours, just remember to remove it from the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

© Extract taken from Tom Kitchin’s Fish and Shellfish by Tom Kitchin (Absolute Press, £26) Photography © Marc Millar

Ingredients 500g raw octopus, cleaned with head and eyes removed, but the tentacles left attached (ask your fishmonger to do this for you, or if you buy it frozen, allow to thaw in the fridge) 1 lemon, cut in half 1 tbsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed 1kg live mussels, cleaned and soaked in cold water to cover for 20 minutes Olive oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 125ml dry white wine 60g podded broad beans 2 garlic cloves, crushed 800g cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed if tinned 100g cherry tomatoes, quartered 60g stoned black olives, sliced Sherry vinegar A handful of basil leaves, torn Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

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09/11/2018 14:54

Tom Kitchin

SERVES

3-4

RECIPES

Roasted Langoustine with Spring Onion & Garlic Butter I often get asked that dreaded question of what I would choose for my last meal. I think langoustine and garlic butter would be right up there. If you have never visited the west coast of Scotland, you must. To eat fresh langoustine just off the boat along the coast is something very special. Langoustines can be difficult to get hold of and are often expensive, but you will find them in good fishmongers, so give yourself a treat whenever you come across them. Serve them piled high on a big plate in the middle of the table, and enjoy with your family or good friends for a perfect meal in my opinion. They are just delicious.

INGREDIENTS 12 frozen langoustines, thawed and halved with the brains and intestines removed and discarded Olive oil Charred lemon halves, optional, to serve Sea salt FOR THE SPRING ONION AND GARLIC BUTTER 4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves 150g butter, diced PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Select one or two heavy-based shallow roasting tins so all the langoustine halves can be arranged in a single layer—you don’t want them piled on top of each other.

2. Place the langoustines into the tin(s), add a good splash of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the tin(s) in the oven and roast for 6 minutes, or until the flesh is white.

3. Meanwhile, to make the flavoured butter, combine the spring onions, garlic and parsley, and set aside. Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, then add the butter. When it starts to foam, add the spring onion, garlic and parsley mixture, and stir for 1 minute.

4. Remove the tin(s) with the langoustines from the oven and pour over the butter mixture. Place the langoustine in the middle of the table and serve, with lemon halves for squeezing over—I particularly like the flavour charred lemons give, but plain ones work just as well.

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Tom Kitchin RECIPES SERVES

4

AS A STARTER

Scallop Tartare with Orange & Mint I love to eat raw fish and shellfish, but I also understand that some people are a little dubious or hesitant to take the risk. Of course, the real secret is to make sure you always use the freshest possible produce, and that’s why it’s so important to have a great relationship with your fishmonger. I can not stress that too much. In this recipe, I’ve used some beautiful hand-dived scallops, but it works well with salmon, tuna or just about any other very fresh fish. When I’m making this at home I get all the components ready and then just mix them together when we’re ready to eat.

INGREDIENTS 4 shelled scallops with corals removed, about 70g each, thawed if frozen, and cut into 1cm cubes— save the shells if you want to use them for serving 4 tsp olive oil 1 tbsp finely chopped shallots 2 tsp soy sauce 8 mint leaves, chopped 1 orange, peeled and segmented 2 tsp orange confit (optional), or grated orange zest Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper FOR THE CROÛTONS 2 slices white bread, crusts removed and cut into 0.5cm cubes Olive oil PREPARATION 1. First make the croûtons, which will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toss with a generous splash of olive oil so they are well coated. Place the baking sheet in the oven and toast the bread for 7 minutes, or until the cubes are golden brown and crispy. Tip onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and leave to cool, then set aside until required.

2. Place the scallop cubes in a bowl and place that bowl in a larger bowl of ice. Add the olive oil, shallots and soy sauce to the scallop pieces, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the croûtons, mint, orange segments and orange confit, and gently toss together. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. I like to serve these in scallop shells, but the mixture also looks appetizing on a simple, plain plate.

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06/11/2017 10:54

Jack Stein INTERVIEW

Jack Stein

Jack Stein, son of the renowned chef Rick Stein, is living proof that passion for food really does run in the family. Since captaining his family’s restaurants in Cornwall, Stein has also filmed his first solo TV series and released a brand-new cookbook, Jack Stein‘s World on a Plate. Stein’s dishes greatly emphasise his love for merging exotic flavours with quality British produce 24

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Jack Stein

IMAGES © Absolute Press; Paul Winch-Furness; Shutterstock

INTERVIEW

Q. Do you think that food can be nostalgic? If so, are there any particular dishes that take you back or spark a memory for you?

Jack Stein: Yes, I did a degree in psychology, I remember doing a lot of work on memory and taste and how they’re linked. I think that taste and memory are naturally linked for evolutionary reasons, you need to know what’s good to eat and what’s not but also I do think that they can take you to a time and a place. Growing up in my family, I mean there’s hundreds of them. The two that stick out most would be the first time I went to France when I was really small—probably three or four—I can still remember seeing and eating oysters because they were so bizarre.

My older brother, he’s a couple of years older than me, so he had already had one [an oyster].

He was sort of goading me to eat one, so I did.

It was very strange because it had that taste of the sea. It was very evocative of where I live in Cornwall because it’s so rough and when waves break against the coast you get this smell that comes off and it [eating oysters] smells like that.

That’s probably the earliest memory: just getting the one-upmanship from my brother. The other would be probably the first time I went to the Far East I’d say, I was six—1985/86, I think it celebrityangels.co.uk

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was. On the way to Australia we stopped off in Bangkok and it was […] just the assault on the senses from these night markets. Mum and dad were eating deep-fried fish with green papaya salad and it was so spicy and hot and they were loving it. When food is important to your family, as a kid, it’s important to you. It’s the same as if your dad or mum loves football or whatever, it’s the same sort of thing, their passion for food influences you at that level. It was just the smells and the noises and everyone thought my brother was some kind of wonder kid because he was a redhead. It was just weird when you are just six or seven, it’s pretty spectacular. So those ones really, I think that food and travel has been part of my life ever since then.

Q. Over the years you have had the opportunity to see some amazing destinations.

Which areas of the world would you say have had the biggest influence on the dishes that you create?

JS: It’s a difficult one because Europe has so much amazing food, it really does. For most chefs it’s where they learn about French, Italian, Spanish food—it’s just so ubiquitous. But we were just very fortunate to travel through Asia

w Out No

Approachable but exciting, Jack Stein’s World on a Plate showcases the finest British produce in recipes that celebrate the many years he spent travelling and working in various restaurants around the world

W o r l d F o o d To u r

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09/11/2018 12:17

Jack Stein INTERVIEW

because we used to close the restaurant in the winter and we’d always go to Australia.

Dad would go to see people he’d met when he worked over there in the 60s.

Going through India—we spent a lot of time in India—we spent a lot of time in Asia, Indonesia, Thailand [and] Maylasia. So that kind of food, for me, that’s the food of my childhood, if you see what I mean. I didn’t actually discover European food—apart from French, which we obviously knew from an early age—until a bit later. The Michelin restaurants we never went to, I didn’t go to Michelin restaurants with my Dad until 2008. It was always about street food, he was always looking for inspiration because I think that he just felt that Asia had so many flavours that we didn’t have in Europe. It’s just so interesting to test your skills as a chef with ingredients that you know nothing about. So I’d say that’s been my biggest influence. India; we spent a lot of time in India. Indian cuisine is just so vast and so daring and so interesting: there’s just so much great vegetarian food and 26

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I really respect my old man, what him and my mum have done is just epic...Rick has really influenced my feelings about produce and where to source it from, along with opening my eyes to food and travel great curry and all the rest of it. It’s an area that’s probably influenced me most, I’d say, mainly because I just feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface of it.

Q. How would you categorise your style of cooking?

JS: I think I would describe it as simple,

produce-driven food. That’s the core of what Rick [Stein] and others have been saying for years. We are very lucky in England now. We’ve got great suppliers, great butchers, great fishmongers, great veg, great dairy—everything. In the last 20 years, Rick and others have basically created this feeling that we need to really patronise those producers and those food heroes. I’d say that’s my building blocks; my building blocks have to be British. They have to be British meat, veg and what I can get here because I don’t want to ship stuff in from other countries. But then I think where I’ve taken my style—which I have taken a lot from Rick as well—is to say: ‘Look, go to Thailand, find an amazing recipe for larb (or whatever it might be) come back and then create that with some really good quality free-range pork or do a chicken version or the deep-fried fish—the Mekong fish that you get up in the north in Chiang Mai—do that with British seabass.’ So, choose your produce: spend as much time as you can finding the best produce and then just have celebrityangels.co.uk

12/11/2018 15:17

Jack Stein INTERVIEW fun with it. In my book, at the beginning, it says: ‘Look, if you’re a purist, just ignore this,’ because it’s all over the place. I’ve got Marmite going into gravy, I’ve got fish sauce going into pasta sauce, I’ve got all sorts. Spend the time, get the best quality ingredients and just do what you want— life’s too short.

Q. Tell us a little about your new book and the recipes within it.

JS: Over the years that I’ve grown up with mum and dad and travel and food and sourcing produce and watching dad do his thing, I’ve just become this osmotic sponge for world food. But I really passionately believe that it’s about the British part. There’s recipes in there that include black pudding—which is a classic British dish—and larb from Thailand, which would be a northern Thai-style kind of larb with loads of pork, loads of chilli, loads of shallots and lime juice. I remember thinking, ‘What would be a British version of it?’ I’m sure you could do it with British pork, but then I thought, ‘Why don’t I do it with black pudding, because it’s just so quintessentially British?’ So you’ve got the black pudding larb, then rather than using what they would to cool the mouth—which would be bits of cabbage or lettuce—I thought, ‘Why don’t we use cavolo nero and kales and kalettes, those sort of British brassicas.’ The book contains world-inspired food with British ingredients; stuff you can get in any supermarket or any farmer’s market. There’s times when I’ve taken it a bit to the extreme, I guess you’d say, kind of labouring the point a little bit.

I think a lot of restaurants in this country are now understanding that our produce is some of the best in the world, but you don’t have to just do Lancashire hotpot.

Sometimes, I don’t even know where my inspiration is coming from. It’s not fusion it’s just fun, it’s just British ingredients and doing whatever you like.

Q. From your book it is clear you have a strong affinity to seafood. Do you have any useful tips for cooks that fear preparing fish incorrectly?

JS: Like anything, any chef has the same problem when they start in the fish section in any part of the world, thinking, ‘What do I do and how do I do it?’ I think obviously the most important thing is your knife. Make celebrityangels.co.uk

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Jack Stein INTERVIEW

sure you spend some money on a sharp knife, make sure you buy a good sharpener.

You can get some good mechanical sharpeners out there nowadays. At the end of the day without a sharp knife you may as well not bother. Just start on the species that are easy like mackerel; it’s got a very simple bone structure, it’s easy and cheap and it can allow you to practice.

If you can fillet a mackerel then you can build up and fillet anything. It’s all about the technique of the smooth cutting. If you are too worried about it, just find a good fishmonger or fish counter in a good supermarket and they’ll do it for you. I think it is worth giving it a go. I think the pitfalls are people that just aren’t prepared to give it a go. In our cookery school I see it all the time, you’d be so surprised that people who have never filleted a fish before [succeed] with the right equipment.

You know what, you can see everything on YouTube these days. I think that you could probably watch a YouTube video of how to fillet a mackerel, and with a good knife, you’d be filleting like a pro. At the end of the day, it’s just giving it a go really and 28

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if you’re really worried about it, just get somebody else to do it for you.

Q. With there being such a focus on convenience foods nowadays, what advice would you give to somebody who is skeptical about cooking from scratch?

JS: If they are prepared to buy a cookbook then I think they need to give it a go.

Just think about something that you like, something that you know. Think about something you’ve eaten when you’ve been abroad or something you really like having at your local restaurant. It could be a Thai green curry or whatever it might be, whatever you think that you really, really like, that’s what you should try to make. You’re always going to know what that should taste like because you’ve had it so many times. I wouldn’t necessarily say go and choose a cuisine that you’ve never tried because then if you start making a mille feuille of rhubarb without having ever tried it, that’s going to be very difficult. When I became a chef, I only knew what things tasted like because of my experience with them. I couldn’t create these dishes by just making them up, I had to know

from previous experience—but you have to start somewhere. Start with something you actually know, for example something you always order when you go to a Thai restaurant or a Chinese restaurant or whatever. You’ll know when you’ve got it right.

Q. Are there any particular chefs whom you admire or inspire you?

JS: It’s a small industry; we all kind of know each other. I mean, there’s so many; over the years you hear names. I really respect my old man, what him and my mum have done is just epic. They are heroes of mine and they’ve been in the industry [for] 40 years. Rick has really influenced my feelings about produce and where to source it from, along with opening my eyes to food and travel. So they are definitely at the top of the list: my mum and dad. I also like the kind of guys and girls that are just doing it.

I like the punk rock ones like Massimo and Alex Atala. But these guys and girls, they’re in it, they love it. I just think the passion of some of these people—even though they may not necessarily be my sort of food all the time; the Michelin type of thing—but celebrityangels.co.uk

12/11/2018 15:19

Jack Stein INTERVIEW enough that you can really taste it; this isn’t the Marmite cookbook. Another one of those great things—I know this sounds really bizarre—is ketchup and butter mixed together, then put that through at the end of your sauces. In the olden days it used to be a French technique of putting butter through such things. But ketchup has lots of acidity and sweetness and it’s obviously thick, so try thickening sauces and gravies with it. Things that are just in your pantry all the time, just try them out. Make a Marmite and ketchup butter: get some butter, bring it to room temperature, bit of salt, ketchup or Marmite and then make it up into a little roll and then just start dropping it into stuff.

Try dropping it into your baked beans in the morning, into your risotto, into your gravy and things like that. They are right under our noses and people never use them.

Trust me, look at some of the world’s best kitchens and there’s always ketchup and Marmite in there somewhere.

Q. Do you have any future projects coming up?

JS: I’ve got two TV things I’m working on.

One I’ve worked on as a personal project (which we are just funding at the moment) and then another project in Australia—it’s a continuation of a series called Born to Cook, which I did before. That’s a six-part series for UKTV Food. Then there’s another series that I can’t talk too much about but it’s a world food series, it’s more of a travel-based one, which we are working on again for Australia and the UK. With the industry, it’s going to be a difficult couple of years so it’s all about hard work at the moment. •

some of them are just so inspirational. You can talk to Simon Hopkinson all day about food. I just think it’s the people who have a real passion for it because they love it, they absolutely love it. There’s nothing a chef likes more than hearing somebody say: ‘That’s the best turbot I’ve ever had.’ You work 70 hours in the week and have one comment like that and that’s it. We’re pretty simple beings, us chefs. A beer and a pat on the back is all we really need. Anyone who is doing the job with passion I think is great.

Q. What ingredients do you think are often overlooked or undervalued by home cooks and how can they be incorporated into their meals?

JS: I always beat the drum for Marmite.

I know it’s not undervalued because people put it on toast, but I just think it’s so versatile. Once you start using it in soups and pasta sauce...anything where you want to add a depth of flavour. So when you are seasoning with salt, your ragu sauce, tomato sauce for your pasta or your gravy for your beef, any soup. It’s so high in savoury flavour. You don’t want to add celebrityangels.co.uk

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Jack Stein RECIPES

Huevos Rancheros I loved the food and culture of Mexico, and this classic Mexican breakfast dish is a must for all lovers of spice in the morning. When used to partner the best-quality free-range eggs, the spicy tomato sauce and tortilla with pickled jalapeños will wake you up with a chilli jolt and set you fair for the day ahead. Just remember that the sauce, though like ordinary and innocent tomato sauce in appearance, should be handled with caution.

Serves

4

Ingredients 8 free-range eggs 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus more if needed A knob of butter 8 (10cm) corn or flour tortillas Salt and pepper For the tomato sauce 2 garlic cloves 1 red chilli 1 onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tsp salt 1 (400g) can of chopped tomatoes 1 tsp Marmite A pinch of five-spice powder To garnish 1 avocado, peeled, stone removed and sliced A little chopped fresh coriander 120ml soured cream Pickled jalapeños, to taste

1. First make the tomato sauce. Sauté the garlic, chilli and onion in the oil in a frying pan, adding the salt, until soft but not coloured. Then add the tomatoes, Marmite and five-spice and simmer until reduced and thick.

2. Sauté the eggs in the oil and season.

When they are nearly cooked, spoon the butter over them. You might need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan.

3. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and warm the tortillas for 10-20 seconds each. Keep warm as you heat each one before you serve.

4. Spread the tomato sauce over the tortillas and top with an egg. Garnish with avocado, coriander, soured cream and jalapeños.

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Extract taken from Jack Stein’s World on a Plate (Absolute Press, £26) is out 26 July Photography © Paul Winch-Furness

preparation

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09/11/2018 15:02

Jack Stein

SERVES

4

RECIPES

Scallops with Truffle Butter I ‘borrowed’ this recipe from my time spent on a work placement in a lovely little restaurant called La Régalade in the 14th arrondissement in Paris. I love cooking scallops in the shell; the roasting aromas that emanate from the baking shells just sing out and capture memories of beach barbecues. If you are lucky enough to have some fresh truffle to hand, simply substitute 200g of ordinary butter for the truffle butter, then shave the fresh truffle on top of the cooked scallops.

INGREDIENTS 12 scallops in their shells A pinch of sea salt 1 tbsp clarified butter FOR THE TRUFFLE BUTTER 200g unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature A large pinch of salt 10g truffle paste 1 tsp lemon juice TO SERVE A handful of chopped chives, thinly sliced A handful of crispy shallots 45g black truffle (optional) PREPARATION 1. First make the truffle butter. Mix all the ingredients together in a mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or you could do it with a hand mixer. Roll the butter into a sausage shape and chill until firm (or freeze it if you want it to last a while). This recipe will make more than you need, so freeze any leftovers.

2. Preheat the grill to high and the oven to 220C fan/240C/gas mark 9.

3. When you are ready to serve, cut 12 1cm slices of the truffle butter and set aside. Place the scallops on a baking tray, season with salt and drizzle a little clarified butter on top.

Grill for 2 minutes, then remove and place a slice of the chilled truffle butter on top of each scallop. Bake in the oven for a further minute until cooked (the scallops should be opaque and slightly browned).

4. Place 3 scallops on each plate. Sprinkle over the chives and crispy shallots and top with the shaved truffle, if using.

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Jack Stein RECIPES

SERVES

4

Lobster & Chips This dish has a story! Let’s just get the fundamentals established first: we are blessed with the best lobsters in the world from the North Atlantic, bar none. Today, serving lobster with chips is considered perfectly normal, but back in the early 1990s things were different.

FOR THE CHIPS 500g Maris Piper potatoes, sliced into 2cm-thick batons Sunflower oil for deep frying Salt TO SERVE Some mixed salad leaves A few lemon wedges

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PREPARATION 1. First prepare the chips. Rinse the potatoes in water to remove the starch. Immerse them in boiling water for 6 minutes, then drain and dry them on kitchen paper. Now double-fry them in the sunflower oil: first at 140C/gas mark 2 for 4 minutes (leaving to cool afterwards), then at 180C/gas mark 4 until crisp and golden. Season with salt.

2. Preheat the grill so that it is hot. Cut the lobsters in half and season with salt; pour over the clarified butter and place the lobsters on a grill tray. Cook under the grill for 8-10 minutes until cooked through; the internal temperature should have reached 68C. You may need to do this in batches; if so, keep the cooked lobsters warm on a plate under foil.

3. For the sauce, heat the stock, let it boil, then whisk in the cold butter until emulsified. Finish with salt, the lemon juice and tarragon. Scoop out the cooked head meat and anything left on the grill tray and put it into the sauce.

4. Serve the lobsters and chips with a green salad. Drizzle the sauce over the salad and lobsters.

Š Photography by Paul Winch-Furness

INGREDIENTS 4 (500g) cooked lobsters 4 tbsp clarified butter 150ml fish stock 100g butter, cold Juice of 1/2 lemon A handful of tarragon leaves, roughly chopped Salt

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09/11/2018 15:57

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Yasmin Khan INTERVIEW

Yasmin Khan

Born in London to a Pakistani father and an Iranian mother, Yasmin Khan is an award-winning author, campaigner and cook. World Food Tour caught up with the chef to talk about the culture, ingredients and heart of Palestinian cuisine 34

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Yasmin Khan

IMAGES © Bloomsbury; Matt Russell; Shutterstock

INTERVIEW

Q. What’s the best thing about Palestinian cuisine?

Yasmin Khan: For me, the best things about it are both its simplicity and the fact it packs such a punch with the flavours. One of the things that really surprised me when I started travelling there, about 10 years ago, was it’s a real celebration of vegetables. And it’s not overseasoned or over-spiced. So the vegetables are really given an opportunity to shine.

Traditionally, Palestinian food is pretty plantbased; it’s a lot of seasonal vegetables—and local ones, depending on where you are. Meat is traditionally only used for special occasions.

As a result of that, it really fits in with modern food trends. People are looking to eat more plant-based or vegetarian food. One of the main things I love about it is it’s not a cuisine where you need to go off hunting for some specialist spices or anything—it’s using vegetables and ingredients that you probably already have and just cooking them in a different way.

Q. What’s different about the way you cook these ingredients? celebrityangels.co.uk

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YK: Like lots of Middle Eastern cuisine, Palestinian food uses loads of fresh herbs, like parsley and mint, but instead of just using them to sprinkle on the top for a bit of garnish, it’s about using these ingredients as the main component. So the abundant use of herbs is one way it’s different. And then there’s a lot more roasting and barbecuing vegetables so they get this lovely smoky flavour—most famously in the burnt aubergine dips. One of the things I found really interesting, and I do it all the time now, was that they use allspice a lot in savoury dishes. So we would traditionally use allspice in Christmas cakes or cookies, things on the sweeter end of the spectrum. But in Palestinian food, they use allspice in tomato sauces or in stews. It’s so nice with spinach! So now I just do that all the time; it’s been a lovely thing to pick up actually. And it’s a good way to use a spice that you may only pick up one time of year; it’s become an everyday spice for me.

Q. How do the food and the culture of Palestine marry together?

YK: Like everywhere in the world, Palestinians

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Yasmin Khan’s Zaitoun is packed full of vibrant Levantine flavours, weaving captivating travel stories and stunning photography around Palestinian recipes that are healthy, aromatic and delectable

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I was lucky enough to go and visit some women who work on a cooperative in the north of the West Bank who grow their own za’atar and make it

use food to celebrate and to comfort. The big feasting occasions are Easter and also Eid. A lot of people don’t know this, but 30 percent of Palestinians are Christian. So Easter is a really major celebration and a lot of the famous sweets that are used that we eat at Easter are the same as the ones we eat at Eid. I have a recipe for one of them actually: Maamoul, which are these beautiful, little crumby shortbread cookies which are stuffed with spiced dates.

It was really important just to show a different side to Palestinian culture, and I think food enables you to do that.

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Generally, when you think of that region, there are never any positive stories coming out of there. So, for me, a big mission with this book [Zaitoun, Bloomsbury] is to celebrate the commonality and the normalness of Palestinian everyday life, and food is just such a great way to do that.

Q. So it’s about trying to open people’s eyes to the realities of a place often perceived in a negative light?

YK: Exactly. It’s an area of the world that a lot of people are curious about, but the information about it is so hard to digest,

isn’t it? I know because I was a campaigner on these issues with NGOs for about a decade, so I’m really used to talking about the subject. I realised people just get confused or put off by yet another news report of an attack or a blockade and actually, once you strip away from all that and just show how people live their ordinary lives, the food they use to celebrate with each other, the food they use to make someone they love something on their time off, that’s a much better way of understanding the world, I think. And that’s the power of food, because it’s such a great leveller, you know?

Q. What are the essential ingredients in any Palestinian larder? celebrityangels.co.uk

09/11/2018 10:10

Yasmin Khan INTERVIEW YK: It all starts with olive oil. It’s the bedrock of Palestinian cuisine. So that’s why I called my book Zaitoun, because that means ‘olive’. Palestinian olive oil is really incredible. It’s quite peppery and it’s got quite a strong flavour; it’s not like a fruity, Spanish or Italian olive oil. It’s got more of an affinity with Greek olive oil.

So, it’s got really quite a pungent flavour and it’s incredible. Palestinians use olive oil as a seasoning really, because it’s so flavoursome. So finishing a dish with a good old drizzle of olive oil is such a great way to lift its flavours. Often, you start a meal with bread and then pour little bowls of olive oil and then another bowl of za’atar, which is a gorgeous wild thyme, sumac and sesame spread. And you tear bits of bread and dip it into the oil and the za’atar and that’s all you need. So, it all begins with that.

Za’atar is the name of a wild herb but also the name of a spice mix. I was lucky enough to go and visit some women who work on a cooperative in the north of the West Bank who grow their own za’atar and make it. So it was really incredible to see the process. It’s just a really aromatic spice mix, which is great on everything from roasted meats to roasted vegetables. It’s a great addition to salad dressings; it’s my all-round favourite spice rub at the moment.

Tahini is a really central one, too. So tahini is the nutty, sesame seed paste and it’s used to make sauces. So you mix it with a good squeeze of lemon and a bit of garlic and water and you get this lovely, thick, creamy, nutty, tangy, sauce. It’s a key ingredient in hummus; it’s just such a great addition for any table.

And then you have sumac, which is a type of berry. The powder we get in the UK is the ground down, dried version of that.

That adds a wonderful citrus stringency to dishes. So anytime you want a bit of lemon, but you don’t necessarily want that liquid element, you just add a good pinch of sumac.

The oils, the za’atar, tahini and the sumac, for me, sum up Palestinian food overall.

But what’s really interesting is that it’s really regional. So there are three main regions of food. The Galilee and the West Bank are quite similar. But in Gaza, for example, the food is totally different. It’s much more influenced by the food of the African states. It uses so much chilli, red celebrityangels.co.uk

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Yasmin Khan INTERVIEW

chilli and garlic and dill, and they’re like the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Gazan cuisine.

Q. What about the bread?

YK: Bread is a really central component of Palestinian food. There’s an Arabic phrase, which says: ‘The bread and salt between us,’ which refers to a bond that is built between people based on respect through eating together. So, the act of breaking bread with someone is a real symbol of connection and friendship. Palestinian bread is fluffy, yeasted flatbread. And it is traditionally made in taboon ovens.

So the classic Palestinian flatbread is what we think of as pita, which is the Greek word. But in Palestine it’s called khubz and they are those soft, chewy flatbreads that are used as a utensil at the Palestinian table, where you use them to scoop up small dishes.

These Arabic flatbreads are really easy introductions into baking bread, because you’re not messing around with trying to get them to rise or needing them to prove for a really long time. So you just knead the flour and a bit of yeast and water together and you just do that for about 10 minutes until the dough springs back, once you give 38

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There’s an Arabic phrase, which says: “The bread and salt between us,“ which refers to a bond that is built between people based on respect through eating together it a poke. Then you just let it rise for an hour.

Or until it’s doubled in size, it depends on the heat in your kitchen. And once it’s doubled in size you just cut it up into little round pieces like a pitta bread and just roll them out a bit. And then just whack them in the oven.

My big tip, when people are baking at home, is to invest in a pizza stone. They make such a difference when you’re baking bread—especially when you are baking these flatbreads. They just distribute

the heat in a different way. If anyone is starting out baking bread at home, I always recommend it.

Q. How would you describe Palestinian cuisine to someone who has never tried it?

YK: I would describe Palestinian food as vibrant, really colourful and a real celebration of vegetables. I’d call it fragrant and aromatic, using gentle, soothing spices, like cinnamon and allspice.

And I would describe it as incredibly accessible. The recipes in this book, they’re straightforward; they’re perfect for the home cook; they’re unfussy; they’re the kind of thing you can whip together on a weeknight after you’ve come home from work. So that’s what I really like: the fact that you can be transported to a place through these incredible recipes, but they’re pretty straightforward to make.

Q. How important is seasonality?

YK: It’s all so seasonal. When it’s cauliflower season, everyone will be roasting cauliflowers or making stews with them. When it’s aubergine season, then it’s like, ‘Let’s get the old aubergine dips going.’ So it’s incredibly seasonal. And celebrityangels.co.uk

09/11/2018 10:10

Yasmin Khan INTERVIEW I think that’s really a wonderful thing for us to incorporate in the UK, because not only does it make the food you eat more affordable, but produce always tastes better when it’s in season.

Q. What about desserts?

YK: Like a lot of Middle Eastern cultures, Palestinians don’t have a dessert eating culture in the same way we do. But they have a lot of sweets, which you might have with a tea of coffee in the afternoon.

The traditional sweets are sticky pastries drenched in sugar syrups with honey.

Whether it’s pistachio-filled baklavas or kanafeh, which is a really famous Palestinian dish. I always call it the love child of a baklava and a cheesecake. It’s like filo that’s shredded and then a layer of Palestinian cheese—ackawi cheese—which is somewhere between a mozzarella and a ricotta, and you put that in the middle and you put another layer of the pastry on and then you bake it and drizzle it in syrup. And you can’t move after you’ve eaten it, but it’s just so delicious.

But, one of the things I wanted to do with the book was to celebrate Palestinian ingredients in lots of different desserts that I like eating. So there’s a recipe for a spiced pumpkin and olive oil cake, which is one of my favourites. There’s a pomegranate passion cake, which is a really dense and sticky almond cake, topped with mascarpone and pomegranate. There’s a fig and almond tart. So what I’ve tried to do is take Palestinian ingredients and celebrate them in desserts and puddings that we would eat here.

Q. And drinks?

YK: There’s coffee and cardamom—that’s how they have it: short, little shots of coffee and cardamom. And then there are all sorts of teas; black, often with a bit of sage. I visited the Middle East’s first microbrewery, in the West Bank that makes incredible, really cool, artisanal Palestinian beer. And they have an annual Oktoberfest.

So you get really incredible, local beer.

Then there are also incredible wines. I visited a great winery in the Galilee, which felt very symbolic, as Jesus turned water into wine there. And they just have really great grapes. The region is so fertile and abundant in that way for produce. And the other thing that is obviously very unique to celebrityangels.co.uk

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the region is arak, which is an aniseed spirit.

They often serve it with mezze platters; it’s common throughout the Levant. And that’s really yummy, too. Bethlehem does some really great ones.

The other thing is: on a hot day they make this incredible lemonade, but flecked with loads of mint, and it’s just really gorgeous and refreshing.

There are some sections that are religious and don’t drink, but I know lots of people of all faiths there that enjoy a drink and it is very easy to get.

Q. How easy it is to completely reproduce Palestinian food in the UK, considering our ingredients aren’t as fresh?

YK: I just think we get the sun. When you go on holiday and you wonder, ‘Why does this salad taste so good?’ It’s just because of that. But we can’t help that. And I think it certainly helps to try and buy things like tomatoes when they are in season. When I was a kid I always thought I didn’t really like tomatoes. But you start travelling and you’re like, ‘They’re amazing!’

Q. How did food help you to deal with the things you saw while in the West Bank?

YK: I think it’s really hard for anyone who visits the West Bank and Gaza not to be affected by what you see. For me, the things that I saw that were the most uplifting were when I’d see Palestinian producers, such

as olive farmers, battling water restrictions, curfews, encroaches on their land, still going out and farming. Or beer producers whose bottles of beers get stopped at check points, and sometimes end up spoiling in the sun because soldiers are checking over them, continuing to say, ‘We make great beer and we want to promote Palestinian produce,’ and there’s this real sense of pride in the land and what the land can create. And I think that’s what I found the most inspiring, because it’s so easy, I think, to see people in that part of the world as either victims or terrorists.

And when you start engaging with food producers who are passionate about their produce, you see that there’s so much more to them than that.

Q. What can food do to lift the mood in a place plagued by conflict?

YK: In Gaza, people don’t have food. Eighty percent of the people there are dependent on food aid just to survive—and that’s huge.

What us exploring food culture here in the west can do, is it enables us to connect with a culture and that, I think, in today’s world is so important. To really be able to connect with people’s humanity and celebrate our commonalities and be able to appreciate the positive attributes of Palestinian culture while also acknowledging the fact that Palestinians are really just struggling quite hard at the moment to be able to survive. • W o r l d F o o d To u r

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Yasmin Khan RECIPES

SERVES

4

Roast Chicken with Sumac & Red Onions Mussakhan Mussakhan is a classic Palestinian dish eaten in villages throughout the region.

Traditionally the meat is laid out on a

INGREDIENTS 1kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1½ tbsp sumac, plus more to dust Juice of 1 lemon 4 garlic cloves, crushed Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large red onions (about 500g), finely sliced into half-moons 2 tbsp pine nuts 1 tbsp light olive oil Naan or Arabic taboon bread, to serve Chopped parsley leaves 40

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PREPARATION 1. Slash the flesh of each piece of chicken diagonally a few times, around 2cm apart, and then place the meat in a large bowl or plastic food container.

2. Pour over the extra virgin olive oil, spices, lemon juice, garlic, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and rub this into the meat. Add the red onions and toss everything together well. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours.

3. When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas mark 5.

4. Transfer the meat to a baking tray and roast for about 35 minutes, or until the

chicken juices run clear when pierced at their thickest part. Once the chicken is cooked, cover in foil and leave to rest while you prepare the toppings.

5. Fry the pine nuts in the light olive oil for a minute or so until they turn golden brown, then tip onto kitchen paper to drain.

6. To serve, toast the naan or taboon bread and then place the chicken and red onion on top. Finish with a smattering of pine nuts, sumac and chopped parsley. Drizzle over any remaining roasting juices so they soak into the bread, then sprinkle over a little more extra virgin olive oil.

Extract taken from Zaitoun by Yasmin Khan (Bloomsbury, £26) Photography © Matt Russell

giant piece of bread with the flavoursome roasting juices poured over it, so that they seep into the dough. This platter is then placed on the table for everyone to pull off sections of bread and chicken: a wonderful sharing meal. As it can be challenging to find such large pieces of flatbread in most shops, I’ve suggested using individual naan breads instead… but, of course, if you can, seek out traditional sheets of Arabic taboon bread from Middle Eastern stores. If you are avoiding gluten, the chicken is just as delicious on its own, or served with rice or a salad.

celebrityangels.co.uk

12/11/2018 09:11

Yasmin Khan RECIPES

SERVES

4

Roast Aubergines with Spiced Chickpeas & Tomatoes Musaka’a

This dish is etched in my memory forever after a magical moonlit evening spent in the garden of Sumood wa Hurriya.

Sumood insisted that I visit her on the evening of a ‘super full moon’, when she gathered a group of her yogi friends and we sat outside, wrapped in scarves under the stars, feasting on her delicious food…every morsel Sumood fed us that night in the garden tasted incredible, including this simple yet flavoursome vegetarian dish.

INGREDIENTS 600g aubergines (about 2 large ones) 2 tbsp light olive oil, plus more for the aubergines Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 400g can of plum tomatoes 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 tsp sugar (any type) 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground cumin Extra virgin olive oil, to serve Chopped coriander, to serve

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PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6.

2. Cut the aubergines in half, then into quarters and finally slice them into 2.5cm chunks. Place in a baking tray, drizzle with some light olive oil, sprinkle over a pinch of salt and then toss the aubergines to coat.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until soft.

3. Meanwhile, fry the onion in a large saucepan in 2 tbsp light olive oil until soft and golden (this will take about 15 minutes). Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes, chickpeas, sugar, spices and some salt and pepper. Fill the tomato can up with just-boiled water and add that to the pot, too. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft.

4. Add the aubergines and cook for a final 10 minutes, splashing in more hot water if the dish looks dry.

5. Leave to cool to room temperature before drizzling over plenty of extra virgin olive oil and scattering with coriander.

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Slow-roast Shoulder of Lamb with Palestinian Spices This show-stopping roast is a great dish for entertaining. When slow-roasted in this way, the lamb becomes so meltingly soft that it falls off the bone, perfect for stuffing into pockets of flatbread alongside salads, yoghurt and pickles, shawarma-style. Start it the night before, so the marinade has a chance to infuse the lamb. The pomegranate molasses will blacken a little in the oven, but don’t worry, that isn’t a sign that the meat is burning, it will still be utterly juicy and succulent under the crust.

INGREDIENTS 2kg whole shoulder of lamb, on the bone 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 100ml unsweetened pomegranate molasses 5 garlic cloves, crushed 25g coriander leaves and stalks, finely chopped, plus more to serve 1½ tbsp dried mint 1½ tsp ground cumin 1½ tsp ground allspice 1½ tbsp sumac, plus more to serve Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Handful of pomegranate seeds, to serve 42

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PREPARATION 1. The day before you want to eat, place the lamb in a large roasting dish and slash the meat in a cross-hatch fashion on both sides, cutting deeply and right down to the bone.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients together, except the pomegranate seeds, seasoning with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Rub this marinade into the meat, then spend some time massaging it into all the little nooks and crannies. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate overnight.

3. The next day, take the lamb out of the fridge 20 minutes before you cook it so it

comes to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas mark 3.

4. Pour a mug of just-boiled water into the roasting dish, then place the lamb in the middle of the oven. After 30 minutes, cover it with foil to stop the edges burning and baste the meat every hour. Cook for about 4 hours. You’ll know it is ready when it is so soft that you can easily pull the meat from the bone.

5. When the lamb is cooked, leave it to rest for 15 minutes. Scatter with pomegranate seeds and coriander just before serving, and have some sumac handy at the table to sprinkle over each portion.

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12/11/2018 09:10

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07/11/2018 15:14

Joe Wicks INTERVIEW

Joe Wicks

Joe Wicks, also known as social media sensation The Body Coach, is a true self-made superstar. Starting out as a personal trainer in southwest London, he is now one of the most recognised faces in the food, health and wellbeing landscape. He boasts over 2.4 million followers on his Instagram page and has various cookbooks and TV appearances under his belt 44

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12/11/2018 11:29

Joe Wicks

IMAGES © Shutterstock; Maja Smend; Joe’s 30-Minute Meals by Joe Wicks is out now (Bluebird)

INTERVIEW

Q. With countless workout DVDs and books under your belt, your rise to fame in the past couple of years has been stellar. How does it feel to be one of the most recognised faces in the food and wellbeing industries?

Joe Wicks: It feels incredible, all I’ve ever wanted to do is help people learn about fitness and nutrition. Every day I get sent success stories and everyone makes me feel just as proud as the last. I know how fitness and nutrition can give you confidence and make you feel great. Being able to spread my message every day makes me feel really happy.

Q. What is the one piece of advice you always tell people who would like to turn their health around but are unsure of how to begin?

JW: Ever since I began working as a personal trainer, the biggest excuse people make for not exercising is that they don’t have enough time.

My one bit of advice would be: you do have time! Everybody can find 15 or 20 minutes a day to exercise. The only barrier stopping you is yourself so take down that barrier, find that time for yourself and you will feel better for it.

Q. You dislike the word ‘diet’ as it implies celebrityangels.co.uk

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calorie cutting and deprivation of certain foods. What approach to ‘balanced eating’ should people adopt instead?

JW: I don’t like the word ‘diet’ because diets don’t work. Diets are about depriving yourself and they’re not sustainable. I want to teach people how to cook meals from scratch that are nutritious and fuel the body with the right foods at the right time.

Q. What is the one thing you hope people take away from your books, workout videos and Instagram snaps?

JW: That eating well doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself, your body needs fats, it needs carbs and it needs protein to function.

You shouldn’t be afraid of butter or cheese or pasta, but you just need to make sure that you’re eating pasta after you’ve exercised and that your cheese is good cheese as part of a bigger dish. I didn’t know how to boil an egg when I first started cooking, I taught myself and my Lean in 15 books, Cooking for Family & Friends and now my 30 Minute Meals cookbook are teaching loads of other people how to cook, too.

w Out No

Featuring more than a hundred healthy and nutritious recipes, Joe’s 30-Minute Meals proves that tasty food can be fuss-free and quick to prepare, making you more confident both in the kitchen, and in your own skin

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The one thing I hope people take away from my books and workout videos is that eating well doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself, your body needs fats, it needs carbs and it needs protein to function Q. What is your food weakness and why?

How do you go about resisting it?

JW: I don’t think anyone should deprive themselves, we all need a bit of a guilty treat occasionally. Sometimes I’ll go out and have a big blowout and have a burger and chips followed by a chocolate fondant and a cocktail! The key is not to let a bad day become a bad week. The next day I get up, reset and do a workout followed by a healthy breakfast.

Q. Do you have any exciting projects coming up in the future that you’d like to tell us about? Whether that’s your cookware range, new book, TV series or pop-up cafes…

JW: My new cookware range has just come out which I’m really excited about and proud of. My new book 30 Minute Meals was out in September, as sometimes 15 minutes isn’t enough and there are lots of lovely curries and casseroles. I’ve also got my Veggie Lean in 15 book coming out in December, people have been asking for a veggie book for a while now so I’m excited for people to see it.

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A bit about Joe

IMAGES © Shutterstock; Joe’s 30-Minute Meals by Joe Wicks is out now (Bluebird)

Q. What are the five ingredients you always keep in your kitchen and why?

JW: The five ingredients I always have in my kitchen are coconut oil, eggs, avocado, Thai curry paste and midget trees!

British health & fitness guru Joe Wicks is perhaps one of the most recognisable names in the wellbeing industry. He started his career by posting 15-second recipe videos on social media—with ingredients used as well as easy-to-follow cooking instructions— and is now one of the most followed fitness accounts on the ever-popular photo sharing social media platform, Instagram. His first book, Lean in 15 , was one of 2015’s bestselling books, having sold over one million copies. It topped the Amazon pre-order charts before release and went on to break multiple publishing records.

After its success, Joe went on to publish another two books in the Lean in 15 series, Cooking for Family and Friends, The Fat-Loss Plan, Joe’s 30-Minute Meals and Veggie Lean in 15 (which will be released in December 2018). His debut TV show, Joe Wicks: The Body Coach , aired in 2016.

celebrityangels.co.uk

12/11/2018 15:33

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25/10/2018 10:00

Joe Wicks INTERVIEW

Q. You’re best known for your focus on health and wellbeing, workout videos and lean recipes. What are some key tips to staying healthy over the holiday period?

JW: I don’t think you should restrict yourself at Christmas, I don’t. Christmas Day is the biggest food fest imaginable in our house! I eat everything going, pigs in blankets, chocolate coins, every single dessert going and then annihilate the cheeseboard come midnight! You shouldn’t deny yourself anything over Christmas, but I’ll be up doing a HIIT session on Boxing Day. 48

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My motto is: don’t let a bad day become a bad week. Get up, reset, exercise and have a good breakfast

Q. What is the best way to get back into a healthy routine of physical exercise and balanced eating after a period of indulgence like the holidays?

JW: My motto is: don’t let a bad day become a bad week. Get up, reset, exercise and have a good breakfast. If you exercise early in the morning, it definitely helps you make the right food choices for the rest of the day. • celebrityangels.co.uk

12/11/2018 15:03

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Chastity Ltd.indd 1

23/10/2018 10:17

Joe Wicks RECIPES

Chicken & Orzo Rat-a-tat Bake Ingredients 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 red onion, peeled and diced 1 courgette, trimmed and diced (250g) 1 aubergine, trimmed and diced (250g) 4 sprigs of fresh oregano 4 sprigs of fresh thyme 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp tomato purée 250g orzo 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 250ml chicken stock 2 x 200g chicken breasts, cut into 1cm slices 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika Salt and black pepper Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped Small bunch of chives, finely chopped

preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6.

2. Melt half of the oil in a heavy-based flameproof casserole dish over a medium to high heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute, then throw in the courgette, aubergine, oregano, thyme and 2 chopped garlic cloves. Fry, stirring regularly for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften.

3. Add the tomato purée and orzo and mix to combine. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock and bring the mixture quickly to the boil, stirring regularly. Put the lid on and slide the dish into the oven.

4. Meanwhile, melt the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the sliced chicken and the remaining chopped garlic clove. Stir-fry the chicken so that it is virtually cooked through—it is more important at this stage to colour the meat than to cook it through.

5. Sprinkle in the paprika along with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss the whole lot together.

6. Remove the pasta from the oven and carefully take off the lid, stir in the chicken, slide the lid back on and bake the whole lot together for 10 more minutes.

7. After 10 minutes, take the dish from the oven and stir through the parsley and chives. Serve straight from the dish to the masses.

Serves

Extract taken from Joe’s 30 Minute Meals by Joe Wicks, out now (Bluebird) Photography © Maja Smend

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Joe Wicks RECIPES

Serves

2

Mexican Tortilla with Chicken & Feta

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preparation 1. Melt half of the coconut oil in a medium non-stick ovenproof frying pan. Slide in the chicken pieces and stir-fry gently for 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Check by slicing into it to make sure the meat is white all the way through, with no raw pink bits left.

Leave to one side.

2. Melt the remaining oil in the pan over a medium to high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and again until the onions are soft and lightly browned.

3. Turn on your grill to maximum.

4. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat together with a small pinch of salt and pepper.

Crank up the heat under the onions to maximum and add the spinach, turning it regularly until wilted.

5. Pour the beaten eggs into the pan, and as the tortilla sets round the edges, draw the cooked egg into the middle, allowing the centre to be filled with raw egg. Continue to cook your eggs like this until the mix is three-quarters cooked through. Turn the heat off under the pan and crumble the feta evenly over the surface of the egg.

6. Slide the frying pan under the hot grill. Let the tortilla grill for 2-3 minutes, or until the feta is just starting to brown and there is no raw egg visible on the surface of the tortilla.

7. Remove the pan from the grill, carefully slide the tortilla onto a chopping board and scatter with the sweetcorn, cooked chicken, avocado, coriander and red chilli. Wedge it up and serve.

Extract taken from Joe’s 30 Minute Meals by Joe Wicks, out now (Bluebird) Photography © Maja Smend

Ingredients 2 tbsp coconut oil 1 x 250g skinless chicken breast, chopped 2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced 6 eggs Salt and black pepper 2 large fistfuls of spinach 80g feta 50g tinned sweetcorn, drained 1 avocado, de-stoned and cut into thin wedges Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped 1 red chilli, finely sliced – remove the seeds if you don’t like it hot

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BFree Foods Ltd.indd 1

09/11/2018 16:40

Mocktail RECIPES

Alcohol-free Tipples Our drinks don’t necessarily need to contain alcohol in order to taste delicious.

What’s more, alcohol is known to contain high amounts of sugar and ‘empty’ calories that our bodies could simply do without. With the percentage of people going teetotal on the rise, the healthier ‘mocktail’ trend sees no signs of slowing down. Making these at home is a lot cheaper than heading out— whether you’re cutting back on alcohol or giving it up altogether, the following alcohol-free cocktail recipes are sure to hit the spot. ∞

Lady in Pink Serves 2 Ingredients • 200g raspberries, plus more to garnish • 300ml coconut water • 1 tsp sugar • Mint leaves, to garnish

Preparation 1. Lightly mix all the ingredients (apart from mint) in a bowl, taking care not to completely mash the fresh raspberries.

2. Pour into cocktail glasses filled with ice and top with raspberries and mint leaves.

Virgin Piña Colada Serves 1

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Preparation 1. Blend all ingredients (apart from mint) in a blender until smooth.

Add some lime juice if you feel it’s too sweet.

2. Pour in a cocktail glass and garnish with a pineapple triangle.

IMAGES © Shutterstock

Ingredients • 50ml coconut water • 150g pineapple, cut in chunks, plus more to garnish • 60ml coconut cream • 100ml pineapple juice • Crushed ice • Juice of 1 lime (optional) • Mint leaves, to garnish

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13/11/2018 09:03

Mocktail RECIPES

Sin-free Gin Mary Serves 1

Elderflower Fancy Serves 1 Ingredients • 4 mint leaves • 2 tsp elderflower syrup • Juice of 2 limes • 100ml tonic water • 40ml Chastity Seduction No-Sin Gin • 150ml sparkling water • Lime slices, to garnish

Aviation

Preparation 1. Crush mint leaves in a large wine glass.

2. Add elderflower syrup, lime juice, tonic water, Chastity No-Sin Gin and sparkling water. Stir gently.

3. Add ice and garnish with lime slices and mint.

Ingredients • 40ml Chastity Temptation No-Sin Gin • 120ml tomato juice • 2 tsp fresh lime juice • Worcestershire sauce, to taste • Tabasco, to taste • Salt and pepper, to taste • Crushed peppercorns, to garnish • 1 celery stick, to garnish • Lime slices, to garnish

Preparation 1. Combine the Chastity Temptation No-Sin Gin, tomato and lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper in a shaker with ice.

2. Shake well to combine, pour into a glass that has been rimmed with crushed peppercorns.

3. Garnish with a celery stick and a lime slice.

The Classic

Serves 1

Serves 1

Ingredients • 45ml Chastity Temptation No-Sin Gin • 15ml lemon juice • 15ml maraschino liqueur • Sugar, to garnish • 1 cherry, to garnish • Lemon twist, to garnish

Ingredients • 50ml Chastity Seduction No-Sin Gin • 150ml Indian tonic water • Slice of grapefruit, to garnish • Juniper berries, optional • Rosemary, optional

Preparation 1. Fill a cocktail glass halfway with ice. Add Chastity Seduction No-Sin Gin and tonic.

2. Garnish with grapefruit slices, juniper berries and rosemary (if using).

Preparation 1. Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

2. Shake well and strain into a martini glass that has been rimmed with sugar.

3. Garnish with a cherry and a lemon twist.

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13/11/2018 08:38

IMAGES © Unsplash WF15A Christmas Section Opener.indd 56

09/11/2018 14:26

Christmas The lights are up, the tree is decorated and the guests are trickling in. All that’s left to do is start the party—get ready with our countdown to Christmas and bake the decadent cover recipe for the perfect centrepiece this festive season.

counting down to christmas 58-75 vegan & vegetarian festivities 76-77 say cheese!

78-80 at-home chutney 81 festive canapés 82-83 Cover recipe: vanilla, rosemary & Apple layer cake 84-85

WF15A Christmas Section Opener.indd 57

09/11/2018 15:53

Christmas

Counting Down to

Christmas

From recipes to timings and cooking tips, World Food Tour’s guide to festive feasting will help you carry off Christmas with confidence The festive period is synonymous with indulgence. Copious amounts of food, drink and treats are consumed in the company of our nearest and dearest. World Food Tour’s Christmas countdown guide will serve as your go-to almanac for shopping lists, recipes and tips to make sure the holidays go off without a hitch. After all, Christmas is never just one day. Whichever way you look at it, there’s always Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. That takes some serious planning in the catering department—especially if you don’t want to be popping down to the shops along the way.

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09/11/2018 12:26

Christmas

23 December

Although not technically included in the Christmas trifecta, 23 December is a vital day to finish prepping for the holidays. There are two shopping days left until the big day.

Make sure you have checked • The numbers you’ll be catering for each day • Gluten-free, dairy-free, meat-free and fish-free dietary requirements • Nut, shellfish and other allergies • Your emails and messages for late additions/withdrawals to your guestlist • Phone numbers for emergency plumber, electrician, cooker and central heating engineer

Have you stocked up with • Aluminium foil (for wrapping up turkey/ham/beef/Yuletide alternative) • Clingfilm, kitchen towels, dishwasher tablets, loo paper, rubber gloves • Extra booze, just in case • The basics—eggs, milk, bread, butter, lemons, tea, coffee and tonic water • Nuts, crisps, dip, pork scratchings and other snacky items

Have you made/bought • Brandy butter • Cranberry sauce • Fruit for fruit salad and an alternative to Christmas pudding • Cream • Duck fat, for roasting potatoes

Make sure you have

IMAGES © Shutterstock

• Taken your turkey (if that’s what you’re opting to have for Christmas dinner) out of the freezer (if frozen) • Checked if it will fit into your pan/oven • Made brine, if you’re using any

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12/11/2018 09:18

Christmas

24 December Check your previous checklists—today is the last day to go shopping. Review your planning for the next day. If turkey is your main of choice on Christmas day, you’ll have an important choice to make—to brine or not to brine. If opting for the former, this must be done at least 24 hours prior to roasting. Brining is the ticket to a juicy, full-flavoured turkey.

Other jobs to do on Christmas Eve include parboiling potatoes, trimming sprouts, peeling parsnips and washing carrots. Take the turkey out of the fridge and put it in the brine.

Remove the wishbone from the bird before cooking—this will make it easier to carve.

Take the mince pies and brandy butter out of the freezer and set the Christmas pudding in its steamer or pan of water. Arrange bottles of red wine in the kitchen and put any bottles of white wine, Champagne or prosecco in the fridge.

Why brine my turkey?

As turkey is a relatively lean bird, it doesn’t have a lot of fat to keep the meat from becoming dry and tough. Brine—a basic solution of water and salt—will inject additional moisture and flavour into the cooked dish.

The perfect brine Ingredients 6l water 2 oranges, quartered 150g salt 2 tbsp black peppercorns 1 bouquet garni 4 cloves 2 tbsp allspice berries 1 tbsp juniper berries 200g sugar 2 onions 1 piece of fresh root ginger 1 bunch of fresh parsley preparation 1. Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a saucepan.

Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a container large enough to hold your turkey and add the missing water—if any. Allow to cool completely. Put the turkey in, allow to brine for at least 24 hours.

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Christmas

Topto bTeispuper safe,

Gravadlax

ant re If you w e salmon befo t s freeze th 4 hours. Defro 2 r fo e it th rting using fore sta ill fully be his will k T . s s e c ro p sent curing sites pre any para

Serves 4-6

Gravadlax poses the perfect light, sweet, starter for any meal this festive season. Cut through the salmon with our easy-to-make mustard sauce.

INGREDIENTS 1 side of salmon 1 tbsp peppercorns 70g caster sugar 50g coarse sea salt 85g dill FOR THE DILL MUSTARD SAUCE 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp light brown sugar 2 tbsp white wine vinegar Pinch of salt 2 tbsp vegetable oil 50g dill, stalks removed and finely chopped

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PREPARATION 1. Trim the thinner bits from the sides and tail end of the salmon fillets— these will over-cure and be inedible.

2. Crush the peppercorns in a pestle and mortar, then mix with the sugar and salt. Roughly chop the dill. Put one of the fillets—skin-side down—in a dish and put half the dill on top followed by the salt and sugar mix. Sprinkle the remaining dill, then put the other piece of fillet on top, skin-side up.

3. Put a lid on the dish, weigh it down with something heavy and chill for 48 hours, turning the fillet over every 12 hours or so.

4. To make the mustard sauce, whisk together the mustard, sugar and vinegar. Add a pinch of salt, then whisk in the vegetable oil. Add the dill.

5. Scrape the cure from the fish, slice and serve with the sauce.

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12/11/2018 11:18

Christmas

Easy Beef Wellington Serves 6-8

Is there anything more quintessentially British than beef wellington? This dish will be a Christmas Eve showstopper—and it’s easy to make. Serve with roasted kale and pine nuts or boiled baby potatoes glazed with melted butter.

INGREDIENTS Olive oil 455g beef tenderloin fillet Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tbsp mustard 455g shiitake mushrooms 8-10 thin slices ham 200g puff pastry 2 beaten egg yolks PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 200C/gas mark 6, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan on high heat. Season the fillet with salt and pepper.

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browned on all sides. Let cool. Once cooled, brush the meat with mustard.

3. In a food processor, purée the shiitake mushrooms.

4. Heat a large pan on a medium-high heat and cook the mushroom purée, allowing the mushrooms to release their juices. Set aside to cool.

5. Lay the slices of ham on a plastic wrap so that they overlap.

6. Spread the mushroom mixture on the ham. Place the beef in the middle and roll the mushroom purée and ham over the beef using the plastic wrap.

7. Wrap up the beef fillet into a barrel shape, twist the ends of the plastic wrap

and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

8. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet. Remove the plastic wrap from the beef and place it in the middle of the pastry dough.

9. Fold the pastry around the beef and cut off any excess dough. Place on a baking tray and brush with beaten egg all over the top.

10. Carve cuts on the pastry with a sharp knife, bake for 35-40 minutes.

The pastry should become golden when done.

11. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before serving. Slice it into 2.5cm slices. celebrityangels.co.uk

09/11/2018 12:27

Christmas

Stir-fried Long Beans with Garlic Serves 4-6

Add some extra ‘oomph’ to this usually subtle-tasting side with an aromatic garlic hit. This tasty, crunchy dish is not likely to last, so get your portion in quick!

INGREDIENTS 600g long beans 5 cloves garlic 3 tbsp vegetable oil PREPARATION 1. Top and tail the beans, then break them into small bits about 4-7cm long.

Plunge them into simmering water, take out immediately and drain.

2. Peel and chop the garlic finely.

3. Heat the oil in a wok pan. When the oil is smoking, add the garlic and stir-fry for a minute.

4. Add the beans and stir-fry for another minute. Spray with a few drops of water.

5. Put the lid on the wok and cook for a minute. Stir and serve. The beans should be crunchy.

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Christmas

Dusty Chocolate Truffles Serves 6

Decadence is synonymous with Christmas feasting—add these dusty chocolate truffles to your festive repertoire.

INGREDIENTS 230ml heavy cream 185g high quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 1 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature Cocoa powder Crushed pistachios, to garnish

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PREPARATION 1. Heat cream in a saucepan to a simmer and add the chocolate until melted.

2. Add the butter until melted.

3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it sit at room temperature until it sets—this may take several hours. The mixture should be thick enough to scoop with a truffle scoop or hand roll into balls.

4. To finish, roll truffles in cocoa powder and shake off the excess.

5. Garnish with crushed pistachios.

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Christmas

25 December

Overwhelmed by the thought of your guests arriving earlier than expected? Or excited by the prospect of eating good food with your loved ones? The morning of 25 December is always full of expectations; get ready for the meal of a lifetime with this selection of sumptuous festive recipes.

Gravy, the centrepiece of any Christmas dinner This method will produce a wonderful, deep brown gravy.

We suggest making this a day or two in advance.

INGREDIENTS Turkey giblets 2 tbsp vegetable oil Dried milk powder 1l water (or mixture of water and white wine) 1 onion, sliced 1 bay leaf 25g flour Pan juices from the roast turkey Salt and pepper, to taste

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Preparation 1. Turn on the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Roll the turkey giblets in the vegetable oil and then in the dried milk powder so that they’re coated with both.

2. Put the giblets onto a roasting tray and into the oven until their outsides have gone golden brown.

3. Transfer them to a saucepan and cover with 1l water or a mixture of white wine and water. Add the onion and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Strain and measure 750ml.

4. Add flour to the turkey roasting juices. Whisk until consistency is smooth. Pour this mixture into the 750ml freshly made stock.

5. Return to heat and boil for 5 minutes, taking care to remove all lumps.

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12/11/2018 10:39

Christmas

Crostini Four-ways Serves 4-6

Extremely versatile and easy to make, crostini are a quick and tasty solution for a delicious appetiser to share with family and friends.

INGREDIENTS 1 baguette, sliced 1/2cm thick Extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Arrange the baguette slices on two large baking sheets, brush both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper.

2. Bake, flipping halfway through—until golden—for around 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Serve with desired toppings.

Why not try…

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Cheese, onion jam, figs and fresh thyme-topped crostini, for those who love contrasting—but complementary—flavours.

Cranberry sauce, brie, feta and rosemary-topped crostini, for a festive twist on this moreish canapé.

Savoury liver and spring onion-topped crostini, for avid meat lovers.

Mushroom and caramelised oniontopped crostini, for your vegan and vegetarian guests.

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09/11/2018 12:27

Christmas

Vegan ‘Shepherd’s Pie’ Serves 6-8

If you’re looking for a vegan substitute for the quintessential festive turkey roast, this ‘pie’ may be just the ticket—it’s comforting, healthy, delicious and really easy to make.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 white onion, chopped 1 red onion, chopped 1 tbsp fresh ginger root, grated 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tbsp cumin 1 tbsp nutmeg 600g cooked lentils 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes 350ml vegetable stock Salt and pepper, to taste

Images: Shutterstock /Recipe courtesy Foodista.com

FOR THE MASH 735g potatoes, peeled and chopped 1 tsp cumin 100ml coconut milk Nutritional yeast, optional Fresh thyme, to garnish

PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 175C/gas mark 4.

2. Start making the filling by adding coconut oil to a saucepan and gently frying the onions, ginger, garlic and spices until soft and tender.

3. Add in the rest of the filling ingredients; bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Season to taste. While it’s cooking, start making the mash.

4. Add the potatoes to a pan of boiling water, bring to the boil then leave to simmer for 20 minutes, or until softened.

Drain the water from the pan of potatoes, add the rest of the mash ingredients and mash until smooth.

5. Add the filling to a large baking dish (or 4 small dishes), then add the mash on top.

Top with nutritional yeast if desired. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then serve with fresh thyme.

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Terinex Limited.indd 1

12/11/2018 14:13

Christmas

Quick Roast Turkey Serves 10-12

Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your loved ones on Christmas Day with this super-quick traditional main that cooks in just 45 minutes.

INGREDIENTS 1 large turkey 10 or more garlic cloves, lightly crushed Several sprigs fresh thyme 240ml extra virgin olive oil or melted butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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PREPARATION 1. Heat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8.

2. Put the turkey on a stable cutting board, breast-side down, and cut out the backbone (use a heavy knife to cut on each side of the backbone, cutting from front to rear). Turn the bird over and press on it to flatten.

3. Put it breast-side up in a roasting pan that will accommodate it (a slightly snug fit is okay). The wings should partially cover the breasts and the legs should protrude a bit. Tuck the garlic and the thyme under the bird and in the nooks of the wings and legs.

4. Drizzle with the olive oil or melted butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.

5. Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed. By this time the bird should be browning; remove it from the oven, baste with the pan juices and return it to the oven.

6. Reduce the heat to 200C/gas mark 6 (or 170C/gas mark 4 if it seems to be browning very quickly). Begin to check the bird’s temperature about 15 minutes later (10 minutes if the bird is on the small side). The turkey is done when the thigh meat measures 60-75C on an instant-read meat thermometer; check it in a couple of places.

7. Let the bird rest for a few minutes before carving, then serve with the garlic cloves and pan juices.

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12/11/2018 14:24

Christmas

Sweet & Spicy Brussels Sprouts Serves 6-8

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a side of Brussels sprouts, would it? Brits seem to have a real love/hate relationship with this staple, however. With no real attention given to these hearty winter vegetables, they are often served uninspired and bland.

Liven up Brussels sprouts this year with this bold and tasty recipe.

INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce 2 tbsp lime juice 675g Brussels sprouts 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Preparation 1. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the honey, Sriracha and lime juice.

Set aside.

2. Gently cut off the very end of each Brussels sprout, leaving most of it intact (this will keep the sprouts from falling apart while they are being cooked). Next, cut each one in half length-wise.

3. Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet on a medium-high heat. Place the cut Brussels sprouts flat-side down for about 5 minutes and let them brown. Be sure not to overcrowd. If all the Brussels sprouts don’t fit in the pan, you can sauté them in batches.

4. Season with salt and pepper, then rotate the Brussels sprouts onto their other side in the pan and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

5. Sauté for 3 more minutes. Drizzle with the honey, Sriracha and lime mixture and cook for 2 more minutes in the pan.

6. Slide the Brussels sprouts onto a serving dish and dig in.

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12/11/2018 11:18

Christmas

Eliza Acton’s Christmas Pudding Source: Modified for a contemporary audience from Modern Cooking for Private Families, Eliza Acton, 1845 (extract taken from www.duckandroses.com)

Serves 6-8

Victorian chef Eliza Acton published the first-ever recorded recipe for a ‘Christmas Pudding’ in 1845 in her cookbook, Modern Cookery for Private Families. The dish as we know it today has looked very much the same ever since.

INGREDIENTS 450g breadcrumbs 450g flour 900g raisins 900g currants 900g suet 450g sugar 225g candied peel (orange) 1 nutmeg 15g mixed spice 2 lemon rinds, grated 16 eggs 960ml brandy

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Preparation 1. Mix very thoroughly 450g finely grated bread with the same quantity of flour, 900g raisins, 900g currants, 900g suet (minced small), 450g sugar, 225g candied peel, 1 nutmeg, 15g mixed spice and the grated rinds of 2 lemons; mix the whole with 16 eggs well beaten and strained and add 4 glasses of brandy (around 960ml). These proportions will make 3 puddings of good size, each of which should be boiled 6 hours.

Obs.—A fourth part of the ingredients given above will make a pudding of sufficient size for a small party: to render this very rich, half the flour and breadcrumbs may be omitted and a few spoonfuls of apricot marmalade can be added and blended with the remainder of the mixture.* * Rather less liquid will be required to moisten the pudding when this is done, and 4 hours and a quarter will boil it.

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09/11/2018 12:28

Christmas

26 December So the Christmas holidays are winding down, but you find yourself with a surplus of food and drink in the fridge and guests to entertain—what to do?

Traditional Focaccia Accompanied by olives, pâtés, various pastes and cured meats, this brilliant and easy treat can turn a simple aperitif into a full-blown meal. Bake this focaccia fresh on the day—we promise it’s worth it—and lay it out on the table with a selection of sides and accompaniments (anything from olive paste, ‘nduja sausage, burrata, cheese stuffed piquillo peppers, chorizo and parma ham) for a true feast of the senses.

INGREDIENTS 300-320ml lukewarm water 1 tbsp yeast 1 tbsp caster sugar 500g plain flour

50ml extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp salt Rosemary, a few sprigs Green and black olives, pitted

PREPARATION 1. Mix the warm water with fresh yeast and caster sugar. Place aside for later.

2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and add all the ingredients except for rosemary and olives. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Transfer onto a floured worktop and knead until you get a soft and elastic dough—this should take about 5 minutes.

3. Oil another bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with clingfilm and let it rise until it has doubled in size—this should take around 30-60 minutes.

4. Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Using your hands, spread the dough across the baking tray and make wells on its surface.

5. Pour over some extra virgin olive oil, season with rosemary and top with olives (as many as you like).

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 200C/gas mark 6 for 40 minutes or until cooked.

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12/11/2018 14:40

Christmas

Harissa Roasted Salmon Serves 8

Salmon has long been a staple of festive dinner tables worldwide; wake this classic dish up with a hot harissa paste crust.

PREPARATION 1. Combine all ingredients and pour over the salmon in a 9 x 13in baking dish.

2. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

3. Dab off some of the marinade from your salmon so it isn’t too wet. Lay the salmon fillet on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until just cooked through but still moist.

4. Serve over wilted spinach with lemon wedges and chopped coriander.

Images: Shutterstock / Recipe courtesy Foodista.com

INGREDIENTS 5 garlic cloves, minced 32g harissa paste Juice of 1 lemon 3 tbsp honey 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp coriander 1 tbsp smoked paprika 2 tsp salt and pepper 1 whole salmon fillet

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09/11/2018 12:29

Christmas

Dauphinoise Potatoes Serves 2 INGREDIENTS 200ml double cream 100ml milk 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 sprig of thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 500g potatoes, peeled and sliced (approximately 4mm thick) Rosemary sprigs, to garnish

PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5.

2. In a saucepan, bring the cream, milk, garlic and thyme to the boil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Layer the potatoes in a 7in ovenproof dish and pour over the cream mixture.

4. Place the dish in the preheated oven and cook for 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover with foil. Serve with meat or fish. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

oise is a Dauphin to recipe o s p ta deliciou e French m fro th of potato lices h w ere s red with la e ar ye eese then nd ch e cr am a lowly baked s

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09/11/2018 16:54

Christmas

Macerated Morello Cherries with Granola, Honey & Skyr Serves 8

Skyr is the Icelandic equivalent to yoghurt, but is naturally low in fat. If you can’t find macerated morello cherries, macerate golden and black raisins in brandy for an hour or so.

INGREDIENTS 900g skyr 300g granola 8 tbsp runny honey, plus some to serve 300g morello cherries macerated in alcohol of some kind (or 2 bottles of Hix Fix cherries), plus 50g to serve

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Preperation 1. Put a spoonful of skyr in eight small dessert vessels.

2. Mix the granola with honey and pour it over the skyr in each of the portions. Add another layer of skyr.

3. Divide 300g of cherries into eight parts and layer them onto the skyr. Cover with the remaining skyr.

4. Drizzle some honey on top of the skyr and garnish with a few cherries.

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12/11/2018 10:39

Christmas

Vegan & Vegetarian Festivities

From nut roasts to meat-free wellingtons, there are countless excellent dishes to offer your vegan and vegetarian guests this holiday season

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hen picturing the quintessentially British Christmas meal, many will automatically think of turkey, lamb, gammon or mutton accompanied by copious amounts of cheese and wine. Though delicious, this version of the

By Annalisa D’Alessio modern festive feast might not be suitable for everyone. The last few years have seen a steady rise in popularity of meat-free diets; this has brought with it a boom in demand for vegan and veggie-friendly menu options—being vegan and

vegetarian has never been easier than it is today.

Whether you’ve got veggie friends coming over or are trying a new diet yourself, here is some vegetarian and vegan-friendly food inspiration that’s guaranteed to be a hit on the big day.

Vegan nut roast Being vegan doesn’t necessarily mean having to compromise on flavour—nut roasts certainly don’t skimp out on any. Construct your own: a great, basic recipe calls for pine nuts, sunflower seeds, chestnut purée, mushrooms, spinach, sweet potato and tofu. Shape it as a meatloaf or place it on a bed of vegan pastry for an added crunch. Serve with all your favourite roast trimmings, including roast potatoes (take care not to cook them using animal fat, butter or honey) and vegetables.

Vegetarian wellington Packed with fresh vegetables as well as festive chestnuts, this vegetarian main dish can be the centrepiece of a Christmas Day meal as well as a Sunday roast. Substitute the beef fillet with a mixture of sweet potatoes, onions, kale, spinach and nuts and wrap the filling in a puff pastry parcel.

Alternatively, try stuffing vegan-friendly pastry with beetroot, squash and pesto for an even healthier main. Serve with mash or roasted carrots and parsnips and a generous serving of vegetarian gravy.

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Christmas

Baked camembert

Gooey baked cheese with plenty of crusty bread for dipping is not only a popular vegetarian-friendly dish but a popular— and tasty—offering for meat lovers, too. Many supermarkets sell camembert that comes with an oven-proof ceramic container, making this an even simpler dish to cook and serve. For a Christmassy twist on this classic, chop some dried cranberries and mixed nuts and sprinkle them onto the melted cheese with some rosemary.

Starters & nibbles Every holiday and get-together needs a wide range of appetisers, nibbles and starters to get the party going. One of the easiest vegan-friendly offerings is bruschetta. Top French or Italian slices of toasted bread with anything from creamy spinach dips and mushrooms to sundried tomatoes and truffle paste.

Another creative and visually pleasing snack or starter, bread rolls are suitable for almost everyone’s dietary preferences. There is little more to them than flour, water, yeast and salt. Fill them with a homemade black olive tapenade, pesto sauce, artichoke paste or spiced hummus. For a gluten-free option, take care to use the right kind of flour.

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Vegan & vegetarian desserts Chocolate truffles are a true Christmas staple in most British households. All you’ll need to make vegan-friendly versions are dates, cocoa powder and orange juice. Egg-free and dairy-free, these treats can be consumed as an after dinner treat or given away as gifts. Similarly, no Christmas would be complete without the odd bit of fudge. By using unprocessed and plant-based ingredients, you’ll be able to create moreish treats suitable for everyone. Mix coconut butter, creamy peanut butter and pure maple syrup until glossy and chill for a few hours to set. Cut into squares and you’ll have a delicious vegan treat to share with your guests.

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Veggie and vegan-friendly tipples According to the UK Vegan Society, it is not uncommon for beer and wine to be clarified using animal products including gelatine, casein and egg albumen. Distilled drinks like vodka, whisky and rum are generally suitable for restrictive diets, as the distillation process requires no clarification. However, make sure to check the label; if the liquor is coloured, there is a good chance the manufacturer used artificial—or animal— products to achieve the hue. As for wine, prosecco, beer and cider, there are makers in Europe that produce specialised drinks suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

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Dainty NIBBLES

Say Cheese!

If cheese isn’t available at every left turn, then is it really Christmas at all?

By Kayley Loveridge

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Dainty NIBBLES

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in the back of the fridge, however, will simply not suffice. Through word of mouth and expert advice, here are the essentials to creating the perfect British cheeseboard for Christmas.

Just the right amount

For a quality cheeseboard, serving any more than three to five different cheeses runs the risk of overwhelming the palate.

Hirsh said that, personally, she ‘likes to keep it fairly simple’ with three to four cheeses. Joseph Yaeger, from London’s La Fromagerie cheese room tends to agree: ‘To some extent it’s a matter of taste. I tend toward more of less,’ he said. ‘But in the [La Fromagerie] cheese room my standard recommendation is five.’

Yet how much cheese is too much? ‘It depends on how much you want left over!’

Hirsh laughed. She also pointed out that larger chunks of less cheese not only look more impressive, they also have a better shelf-life. It all really depends on how the cheese is to be served; experts generally advise between 100-150 grams for each person.

Cut and packaged as close to the big day as possible, cheese will remain fresher for longer into the festive period. ‘I would

say the ideal is to walk into a cheese shop a week before Christmas,’ Hirsh said.

Choosing

The enjoyable task of tasting and selecting the right cheese can mean the difference between a bland, left-in-the-corner display and a thoroughly munched upon, steal-fora-midnight-snack triumph.

Variety is king, so choose a mixture of soft, hard and blue cheeses for a classic Christmas cheeseboard. Yaeger advised that essentials should include ‘a goat’s cheese, a soft/bloomy-rind cheese, a hard cheese, a washed rind cheese and a blue cheese.’ Hero suggested trying a mixture of milks if possible too, including cow’s, ewe’s and goat’s milk. Be creative with colours, textures and maturity for an eyecatching festive centrepiece that has a little something to suit everyone’s taste.

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hristmastime sees us rubbing our hands together in mischief knowing all too (happily) well that our over-indulgence is part and parcel of the Christmas package.

It’s a tremendous celebration of one’s inner glutton and while our waistlines might not forgive us, society won’t bat an eye.

Though gorging on sweet treats throughout the day is all very well, how does it fare to the savoury delight that is the post-dinner cheeseboard?

Cheese has long been a staple of the quintessential British Christmas feast; as traditional as mulled wine or mince pies left out for Father Christmas.

Hero Hirsh, manager of the venerable Paxton & Whitfield, believes that British cheese is a desirable commodity in the current market. With fewer recipe restraints than some cheese made in France, there is a sense of freedom that British cheesemakers have when it comes to their technique— they’re an experimental and passionate bunch able to react to market trends.

For example, implementing vegetarian rennet in a popular cheese, where it may not be permissible in a region with recipe obligations, brings evolutionary and inclusive cheeses to the board.

Throwing together months-old cracked cheddar and emmental that has been sitting

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Dainty NIBBLES For an extra varied cheeseboard, consider including cheese from a local cheesemaker. ‘It’s important to support these cheesemakers—says David Jowett at King Stone Dairy, who produces a lovely washed rind called Rollright or Fraser Norton and Rachel Yarrow, who make lovely goat’s cheeses from their own herd—because our business fosters their creativity,’ said Yaeger.

Soft cheese

A balanced cheeseboard is key to a satisfied palate, so begin the search with a good soft, melting cheese.

Brie and camembert are traditionally regarded as French cheeses having originated from their respected regions in France. These are actually generic names referring to particular recipes, however, and some producers make them right here in Britain.

Soft cheese needs time to mature, so buy in advance of the festivities to allow for the best possible taste by Christmas.

Yaeger mused, ‘If I’m buying blue cheese, it will always be Colston Bassett stilton. The French claim the only thing wrong with Colston Bassett stilton is that it’s not French, which is high praise.’

Storing & handling cheese

Where storage is concerned, factors such as temperature and humidity levels are key in controlling the quality of cheese. Wrap the cheese in wax paper or tin foil and place in the bottom of the fridge where the temperature is usually a little warmer than elsewhere.

‘I’m always surprised by how differently cheeses taste at room temperature versus our refrigerated cheese room—the flavour compounds really do unlock as the cheese warms,’ Yaeger said.

A common misconception is that cheese should be served cold to avoid spoiling; cold cheese actually diminishes the quality of taste. Pull the cheese out of the fridge an hour or so before serving to allow it to reach room temperature.

The perfect Christmas cheeseboard doesn’t come without careful research and consideration. Speak with a trusted cheesemonger about which cheeses would be best for this festive season. •

Hard cheese

Cheddar is a staple of any cheeseboard, particularly a British one—and it’s obvious why. Cheddar cheese offers an abundant choice with tastes that vary from the creamy texture associated with young cheddar, to more pungent and complex flavours as the cheese matures.

Hirsh suggests choosing Barwheys hard cheese made by cheesemaker Trisha Bay, rich with nut and caramel tones. This awardwinning Scottish cheddar has a refreshing and ‘pleasant sourness,’ she said.

Blue cheese

Possibly the first blue to come to mind when catering for Christmas is stilton.

Famous for its blue veins and potent taste, stilton is processed by poking needles into the cheese to promote mould growth.

Hirsh believes that stilton is unescapable, with her star choice being the Cropwell Bishop stilton, hand-ladled for a very creamy texture.

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Dainty NIBBLES

At-home Chutney Easy to make and with a long shelf-life, chutneys are the perfect accompaniment to cheese—and a tasty DIY present idea for your loved ones

By Annalisa D’Alessio So you’ve hosted a party for the holidays and you’re finding yourself with a surplus of leftover cheese in the fridge—this is where a good chutney comes in. The following simple recipes are sure to give you some inspiration. •

Red Onion Chutney Serves 20 INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp olive oil 7 red onions, chopped 1 white onion, chopped 2 shallots, chopped 1 red chilli, seeded & diced 270ml balsamic vinegar 220g brown sugar PREPARATION 1. Heat up olive oil in a pan, add the onions and shallots and cook for 20 minutes. Add red chilli and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add the vinegar and sugar. Simmer on a low heat until thickened. Spoon into sterilised jars—these can be left 4-6 weeks to develop flavour.

Mango Chutney Serves 20

IMAGES © Shutterstock

INGREDIENTS 3 cloves garlic, peeled & minced 450g brown sugar 2 apples, peeled, cored & chopped 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced 600ml vinegar 1 tbsp cayenne pepper (optional) 5 mangoes, peeled, stoned & diced PREPARATION 1. Put all ingredients—apart from the chopped mangoes—in a pan over a low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved then bring to the boil.

2. Add the mango chunks and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chutney has thickened. Spoon into sterilised jars. celebrityangels.co.uk

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Plum Chutney Serves 20

INGREDIENTS 475ml vinegar 1kg plums, stones removed and chopped 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 450g sugar

8 cloves garlic, peeled & minced 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced 2 bay leaves 1/2 tsp garam masala 1 red chilli, seeded & minced 80g raisins

PREPARATION 1. Heat up the vinegar in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add all ingredients, stir and bring to the boil. Cook for 30 minutes on a lower heat until thickened, stirring to avoid scorching. Spoon into sterilised jars.

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Dainty NIBBLES

Festive Canapes

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Dainty NIBBLES

Matthew Fort, judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu, takes a quizzical look at the amuse-bouche and the important part they play in our festive feasting

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hat is the point of a canapé? What’s it there for? The precursor to a proper meal? A dam against the incoming tide of alcohol? A nifty way of breaking up conversations into bite-sized chunks? A pep-you-up? A let-you-down? Originating from the French word for sofa, the name of this amuse-bouche plays on the analogy that the garnish sits on top of the bread (or whatever the base may be) just as people sit on a couch. It was, of course, the French who started the canapé trend back in the 18th century—the English then started serving this palate pleaser at the end of the next century.

Traditionally canapés were built with stale bread, but this deliciously decorative food has gone through a fair bit of change over the last few years.

I can remember a time when an open Danish sandwich was the smart canapé of choice. They were usually little triangles of lightly buttered rye bread piled with pickled herring, scrambled egg, cured reindeer, curious cheese or—best of all—little pyramids of prawns. Only they weren’t often little enough to pop into your mouth whole. There would be a cascade of pink prawns down your front and onto the floor, and then you had the dilemma of deciding whether or not you’d spend the next five minutes picking them up or simply rub them into the carpet with your shoe.

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Canapes of complexity

Since then, of course, canapés have evolved into creations of immense complexity, variety and sophistication: they have become a whole side industry in themselves. At any party involving drink, you may be faced with multiple mini-courses consisting of miniYorkshire puddings filled with anything from cold rare beef with horseradish to slices of foie gras; glass spoons bearing tempting mouthfuls of Thai-style prawns or fish curry or ceviche of scallops; chicken parfait in crisp chicken skin; retro-mini cornets of newspaper filled with fish-and-chips; sesame coated tuna

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with a sweet and sour chilli dip. There isn’t one that isn’t adorned by micro-leaves and edible flowers.

Sometimes canapés can appear a reductio ad absurdum of food, but in many ways, they are a paradigm of much of what is happening in professional kitchens today, shrunk to easily mouthable sizes, funky, fun and fab to eat.

Your average home cook may have some difficulty in replicating these dainty delights, but canapés still have an important part to play in the gastronomic entertainment at home, not least because they give you a chance to show off your own culinary inventiveness as well as allow you to have all sorts of fun over finding cheery stuff to pair them with. Whether it’s Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or just a party among friends, canapés (of both the sweet and savoury variety) can be an impressive addition to any table—especially when paired with the right kind of drink. Little bites and nibbles are an integral part of any foodie occasion and they can be just as delicious when served after dinner, especially in the place of more ‘traditional’ desserts. Making bite-size mince pies, Christmas puddings and blood orange tarts will allow guests to try a variety of festive desserts and add a decorative, colourful flare to any table.

Stylish fizz

Champagne is the default tipple, and, let’s face it, it always goes down well with (almost) everything. Your guests feel flattered by Champagne, but don’t let your imagination stop there. It could be argued that other fizzy drinks—cava or prosecco, for example—go even better with some canapés. We are also beginning to produce some seriously stylish fizzy white wines such as Nyetimber and Ridgeview Bloomsbury here in the UK. I have a penchant for Muscat d’Alsace with certain canapés, manzanilla sherry with others (those involving chicken livers, for example; the austere subtlety of sherry cuts through the richness of the liver).

And something like the Hungarian Debroi Harslevelu goes fabulously with Asian nibbles.

Given the fact that you will almost certainly be eating and drinking after a canapé session, it seems only wise not to overdo things.

There’s such a temptation to hurl yourself on tempting titbits that, by the time you come to dinner, somehow the more formal menu has lost its appeal. And your head has that distinctly singing sensation that is a prelude to a hangover the next day.

So, as provider or consumer (or both), take it easy. There’s still a long way to go. • W o r l d F o o d To u r

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Cover RECIPE

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Cover RECIPE

Vanilla, Rosemary & Apple Layer Cake Serves 10-12

This light and fluffy showstopper looks like it belongs in a bakery’s display window. Don’t let appearances fool you—it’s actually very simple to make. Wow your guests this festive season by baking this super easy vanilla sponge cake with a fragrant and fruity twist.

Ingredients 360g plain flour 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 380g caster sugar 120g unsalted butter 3 eggs 380ml whole milk 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste For the vanilla buttercream 240g unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 180g icing sugar Pinch of salt 80ml double cream For the filling 400g apples 3 tbsp caster sugar Lemon juice 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 tbsp water 1/2 tsp cornflour 80g caramelised hazelnuts, crushed

IMAGES © Shutterstock

For the chocolate drip 100g dark chocolate

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Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 190C/gas mark 5. Grease and line 3 15cm cake tins.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the sugar. Soften the butter, add it to the bowl. Mix for 2-3 minutes until the consistency resembles fine sand.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla paste. Whisking slowly, pour in half of the milk mixture until combined, then pour in the rest. Beat until you have a smooth batter.

4. Divide and pour equally between the 3 tins. Bake for 30-35 minutes. If you’re unsure whether the vanilla sponge is cooked, insert a skewer. If it comes out clean, take the cakes out of the oven. If it comes out with a residue of raw batter, continue cooking for another few minutes.

5. Once fully cooked, leave the cakes to cool for a few minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6. To make the buttercream, beat the butter and vanilla paste until pale and creamy. Add icing sugar and a pinch of salt in 3 stages, beating for 2 minutes after each stage. Pour in the double cream and beat until smooth and fully combined.

7. To make the filling, peel the apples and chop them roughly. Place them in a saucepan with sugar, lemon juice, rosemary and water. Cook until softened. Add the cornflour and cook for an additional 3 minutes until thickened. Remove the rosemary sprigs and mash any large chunks. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool.

Assembly 1. Add a spoonful of buttercream to the first of the 3 cakes and spread it out evenly. Add a little extra around the edges to make a little dam for the apple filling to stop any from leaking out.

2. Scoop a dollop of the rosemary apple purèe and sprinkle with some caramelised hazelnuts.

3. Repeat with the next layer and finish by placing the last cake on upside down to ensure the finished bake has a flat top.

4. Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the whole cake—on the top as well as on its sides—and cover it fully. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow it to firm up.

5. Add the rest of the buttercream, smoothening it with a palette knife. Put the cake back in the fridge for an additional 20 minutes.

6. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave and let it cool slightly. Pour it carefully on top of the cake. Use a teaspoon to help the chocolate fall over the edges to create a drip effect.

7. Decorate with gingerbread biscuits, candy canes, hazelnuts and sprigs of fresh rosemary.

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Wine & Spirits Yes, boozy beverages are synonymous with Christmas—but did you know that each wine and spirit is entrenched in deep-rooted heritage?

Discover a newfound appreciation with Olly Smith, the UK’s leading wine expert, and our spirit guide— plus, get creative with our Yuletide cocktail recipes. olly smith interview 88-94 spirited away 96-103 drinking the stars 104-105 Party Starters 106-107

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Olly Smith INTERVIEW

Olly Smith

Award-winning wine expert, UK TV presenter, columnist and author Olly Smith knows a thing or two about wine. His musings on all things grape can be found written in his weekly column published in The Mail On Sunday’s Event Magazine, heard on his hugely popular podcast A Glass With… chatting with celebrity guests, and on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen 88

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Olly Smith

IMAGES © Shutterstock; Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

INTERVIEW

Q. You’re one of the most well-known wine experts on British TV, having been a regular on Saturday Kitchen and appearing on countless other shows. How did you start your journey to becoming one of the most influential people in the UK wine trade? Has wine always been a passion of yours?

Olly Smith: My journey in wine began with a free tasting, I was a student in Edinburgh and wandered past a sign that said ‘Free Wine Tasting’, how could I resist?

I remember being poured a glass of Terret made by Jacques and Francois Lurton that cost just over three quid and feeling electrified and inspired. It’s a white wine from a grape you don’t see much of these days but I remember questions erupting inside my mind as to why the wine tasted the way it did and wondering whether it’d

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taste different if someone else had made it; being struck by how much the place and the grape varieties gave such distinctive character and flavour. It felt like a new world had opened up so I got myself a job at Orange & Co Vintners delivering boxes of wine and continued to learn by asking as many questions as I could!

Q. What kind of wine would you pair with…

OS: A citrussy dish. I’d pair like with like and deploy a zesty wine such as sauvignon blanc.

A spicy dish. Spice always makes wine taste drier so a fruity option is always best. Pinot gris and chicken tikka masala is a personal favourite!

A sweet dish. Always make sure your wine is sweeter than the dish or you risk a clash,

probably the best value is Aussie Botrytis Semillon which is on most supermarket shelves.

A creamy dish. A rich oaky white such as Chardonnay to match the luxurious texture.

A smokey dish. Smokey reds such as shiraz or even South African pinotage can work a charm.

Q. Many times, consumers searching for a bottle of good wine will look for the ones that are most expensive. Is higher price always an accurate indicative of quality?

OS: It’s a good question and the answer is, not necessarily. I’ve had amazing wine

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Olly Smith INTERVIEW

when I’ve been travelling or on holiday that has cost pennies rather than pounds and [have] been blown away by the quality— especially in corners of Greece which is a particular passion of mine. Here in the UK on the high street if you’re splashing out on an expensive wine, it may not be ready to drink—top quality red Bordeaux for instance takes many years in the bottle to soften up and unfurl its tightly wound textures, aromas and flavours. For great value, my current tip is to buy wine from Portugal; it feels like the secret is finally spreading that their local grape varieties are a treasury of good taste and there’s some superb value on offer right from bargain to blow out.

Q. What kind of process do you go through when picking a wine to pair with your dinner?

OS: It can either come from the bottle (say I fancy a cool glass of light Fino sherry, I’d grab some Jamón for the perfect match)

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I’ve had amazing wine when I’ve been travelling or on holiday that has cost pennies rather than pounds and [have] been blown away by the quality— especially in corners of Greece or from the dish. If it’s steak night at Smith Towers I’ll be reaching for the Malbec!

Q. To you, the perfect bottle of wine is…

OS: The one that hits the spot. In summer it’s cool whites such as Spanish Albariño or Italian Grillo and rosés with a bit of fizz

for fun. Winter is where the big reds come into play for me and the heftier fortified wines, too, from port to madeira. The sun’s out today so it’ll be a Provençal rosé this afternoon that’s in my glass!

Q. If you could be gifted any bottle of wine, what would it be? Price and availability aside.

OS: Wow, that’s a really kind offer and also a perplexing question. I very rarely drink wine on my own, that’s sort of the thing I love most about wine is that it implies either a conversation or a shared meal, so it kind of depends who I’m with. I’d most love to be with my wife so I’ll pick a wine she’d love as much as I would and request a bottle of Tokaji Essencia from Hungary.

It’s outrageously sweet and pricey to make as there’s hardly any sticky juice in the desiccated grapes and can take nearly a decade to make with an alcohol level of around three percent. But as a treat and a

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Olly Smith INTERVIEW celebration it’s hard to beat served solo. My first glimpse of it was out in the vineyards when free run juice from the harvest dribbled like syrup and it reminded me of being a kid and spooning apricot jam right from the jar on a family camping holiday.

That’s what I love most about wine, it’s links and shortcuts to a matrix of memories.

Q. What are some of the best regions for winemaking? Why? OS: I’m pretty keen on England. We’ve got a marginal climate which makes it very risky to try and make wine. For instance, in 2012 the summer was so poor that some wineries were forced to scrap the whole harvest.

Imagine going to work for a year and being told you’re not getting paid because it was drizzling too much. It takes guts and dedication to make wine in England and Wales. But when the stars align, that same marginal climate brings freshness, a sense of enthralling vitality expressed in the powerful zing that our British bubbly delivers like no other. And with talents such as Sam Lindo at Camel Valley in Cornwall, Dermot Sugrue at Wiston, Peter Hall at Breaky Bottom in East Sussex, the work of Ulrich Hoffmann at Hoffmann & Rathbone and many more, the English wine revolution has happened. We’re now into the glory days. And it’s not just fizz—taste New Hall’s Bacchus for under a tenner and be amazed, it’s the white wine of your dreams.

Q. What regions (and brands) are particularly up-and-coming at the moment? What should consumers be on the lookout for?

OS: Without a doubt it’s Greece. There’s a growing confidence in local grape varieties.

For whites, look out for Assyrtiko from Santorini which is as dazzling and intense as sipping liquid diamonds, there’s also Malagousia which is as scented as jasmine and refreshing as a tide of tangerines. Reds you’ve got Xinomavro, which is somewhere between Barolo and a punk pinot noir and Agiorgitiko which in some ways is Greece’s answer to Rioja, or Rioja meets Shiraz. That’s what I love about these grapes. They are utterly unique and when I think of all the

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small boutique winemakers from the islands to the highlands, the magical climate of Greece is amazing and there’s so many ancient vineyards and varieties just waiting to be tasted into life. It’s tantalising.

really, I’m always up for tasting something new. I would generally avoid wines that smell of alcohol, it’s one thing I’m not keen on when the alcohol feels out of balance and dominates the other components of a wine.

Q. Is there any specific type of wine that you try to avoid, or don’t particularly rate?

OS: Great question! The short answer is not

Q. Wines and spirits from ‘discount’ supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl are now having their heyday and winning various

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Olly Smith INTERVIEW

industry awards. How important is it to not judge these products from their price and retailer?

OS: There’s no doubt that there are some decent wines on the discounter’s shelves, so hats off to wine buyers who are able to offer great value as well as quality. We’re so lucky in the UK to have a range of stockists with stellar work at the moment also from Marks & Spencer. I’d also give a shout out to the Co-op who have some terrific mid-range bottles on their shelves.

If you’re lucky enough to have a good local independent retailer, definitely get involved and pay them a visit, there’s nothing better than a bit of a personal recommendation from someone who’s as passionate about sourcing wine as you are about enjoying it.

And online has some great options: Yapp are fantastic, particularly for France, as are BBR.com. As for clubs, The Wine Society are impossible to beat at the moment. If you’re a fan of Cognac or Armagnac, you’ve 92

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got to check out brandyclassics.com— awesome selection.

Q. What is your one piece of advice for people who want to learn more about wine pairings and wine in general?

OS: Book yourself a holiday with P&O Cruises and come taste with me! I’ve got four Glass House wine bars all serving wines by the glass as well as nibbles and banquets to match. And I regularly host wine tastings, taster dinners with food pairings and wine flights around different themes.

Q. You’re hosting Christmas dinner at your home. What are your drinks choices for…

OS: A pre-dinner drink or aperitif. English sparkling wine.

A meat-based main meal, which is a roast lamb dish. A Gran Reserva Rioja from Spain.

A vegetarian/vegan main meal, which is a nut roast. A vegan-friendly Pinot Noir from Otago, New Zealand.

Dessert. If it’s Christmas pudding, the best option is a Liqueur Muscat from Australia or a Sparkling Moscato from Italy.

A post-dinner tipple. Tawny Port please.

Please can I have mine served chilled with a cheeky bowl of salted almonds?

Q. Orange wine is quickly rising in popularity. Can you tell us a bit about what it is and how you’d pair with it with food?

OS: Orange wine is more or less a white wine made like a red wine—which is to say the juice stays in contact with the skins and pips. These wines tend to be made naturally with no additives so can have intriguingly sour and nutty flavours. I love them with a cheeseboard and pickles.

Q. Many wines are unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans. Do you have a few recommendations for consumers who follow these diets? celebrityangels.co.uk

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Olly Smith INTERVIEW or a glass of juice and we have a natter for half an hour before I replace it with a bottle from my cellar. Simple, fun, engaging and a treat to record! It’s just broken through into the top 20 percent of podcasts worldwide and you can find it on iTunes, Spotify and all the usual podcast outlets or online via aglasswith.com.

OS: Buy wine from the Co-op! They are brilliant at labelling their wines clearly with ingredients. Another great option is online.

Most outlets these days have the ability to search online for vegan and vegetarianfriendly wines. Vintageroots.co.uk are a brilliant example.

Q. What makes certain wines unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans?

OS: Some wines have been fined or clarified with products containing animal extracts.

Q. Do you have predictions on future trends of the wine industry? Some merchants are now talking about charcoal-flavoured wine, edible wine glasses and wine vending machines…

OS: I think people will continue to be 94

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more and more interested about where the wine comes from and what impact it has on the ecosystem. Sustainability is important, as is packaging. It feels like the bottle is overdue an update.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your podcast, A Glass with…? How did it start?

Who has been your favourite guest?

OS: I love recording A Glass with…. My first ever guest was P!NK, the legendary pop icon who grows and makes her own wine in California and I’ve had some amazing guests from Dawn French to Clare Balding, Miriam Margoyles to Candice Brown, Sir Michael Parkinson, Mick Hucknall and more. It’s lovely because my guest opens a glass of something at the top of the show, might be a wine but could equally be cider, beer a cup of tea

Q. You have your own line of glassware.

Can you talk us through some of the pieces included in it? What pushed you to develop this venture?

OS: At professional wine tastings we are only ever given one glass to taste red, white, fortified and fizz, so I figured I’d design an everyday glass for everyone to use for both red and white that fitted easily into the dishwasher. So, I designed The Glass. It’s what I use at home both professionally and for fun, the short stem makes it fit easily in the dishwasher and it’s everyday elegance; each glass mouth blown and something to highlight the good stuff in your glass. I designed The Fizz Glass specifically for sparkling wines as I had so many requests for it—people after parties doing the washing up seemed to be fed up with breaking glasses. So, once again, The Fizz Glass is dishwasher-friendly and highlights everything from fine fizz to fun fizz. My mum even uses hers for a G&T! Available from ollysmith.com/shop if you’re looking for gift ideas or to treat yourself.

Q. How important is it to match the correct glass to the type of wine, spirit and drink you’re consuming?

OS: I think it can be great fun and it highlights the drink. But equally, there’s a happy balance to find which is why designing The Glass was so appealing to me. To have a universal option makes life simpler.

Q. Are there any upcoming projects and exciting plans you’d like to share with us?

OS: I’ve just finished filming How Beer Changed the World, my brand new series with Warner Bros. which sees Dom Joly and I rampaging around the globe breaking through the beer frontier. Great fun! •

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Premium spirits

Spirited Away World Food Tour explores the classic spirits, their heritage and what they can look forward to in 2019 and beyond

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Premium spirits

Tequila

This Mexican spirit is shrugging off its party drink persona and embracing a more sophisticated image

IMAGES © Shutterstock

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he story of tequila starts with the agave plant. In pre-hispanic times, native Mexicans fermented the sap to produce a potent brew called pulque. The introduction of new distillation techniques with the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s saw this develop into something called mezcal wine, tequila’s grandparent.

The first licensed manufacturer of tequila was a certain Señor Cuervo, who was given a charter to produce

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and distribute tequila in 1795. In the 20th century, tequila’s popularity was increased by Prohibition in the USA as more and more of it was smuggled across the border. Demand surged even more in World War II, when spirits from Europe became hard to obtain.

A rebrand

The tradition of tequila slammers—shots of the spirit taken with salt and lime—evolved from a time when the quality of tequilas

on the market was much lower. This has changed thanks to the efforts of premium brands like Patrón, who have worked hard to educate consumers about the artisanal traditions behind the production of tequila, presenting it as a sophisticated tipple that can be served neat and sipped. When choosing what to buy opt for tequilas made entirely from agave, as these will be much smoother to drink than those made from blends of agave and cane or grain alcohol. •

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Premium spirits

Rum

Experts predict that rum will be making waves in 2019

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e can’t pinpoint exactly where the word ‘rum’ comes from— some think it’s derived from the word ‘rumbullion’, meaning a great uproar, while other sources suggest it came from the drinking vessels used

by Dutch seamen, called rummers, or the contraction of the Latin for sugar, saccharum.

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The origins of rum (or demon water, Nelson’s blood, grog or kill-devil, as it’s also known) stretch back to the 1700s and the sugar plantations of the Caribbean, where alcohol was made from leftover sugar cane skimmings and molasses.

Originally it was seen as a medicinal drink—the Royal Navy even distributed daily tots to its sailors—a practice that

continued until 1970. Today, although rum is produced across the world, the heart of the industry still lies in the Caribbean, where most islands have their own unique blends.

Rum comes in white, dark or golden varieties. White rum is typically unaged, filtered and lighter in flavour and body— it’s best used for cocktails. Golden rum is

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Premium SPIRITS medium-bodied, aged and with a more substantial finish and mellow taste. Dark rums are richly smoky in flavour, often having been aged for several years.

According to The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), rum broke £1 billion in sales by the end of March 2017—and its momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Golden rum, says the Morning Advertiser, is forecasted to grow faster than gin by 2020, with a volume increase of a whopping 33 percent. It now sits comfortably alongside gin and whisky as the nation’s favourite spirits. •

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Spice up your life Adding spices such as pepper, star anise, ginger, cloves and cinnamon to golden or dark rum makes for a versatile spirit that can be combined with a variety of mixers—including ginger beer—to make a delicious selection of novelty cocktails. Other additions may include vanilla and caramel.

The practice of adding fruits and spices into barrels of rum is nothing new— although up until recently it has been (wrongly) seen as more of a ‘party drink’ than a tipple for true connoisseurs.

Big rum brands have been producing spiced rums for years, but now this niche style of spirit is finally being recognised for its brilliantly bold flavours.

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Premium spirits

Vodka

Once dominating the spirits market, can vodka retain its crown in the face of increased competition from gin and whisky?

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his colourless, neutral-tasting spirit first made an appearance in Russia in the ninth century—although Poland famously disputes this, claiming that they distilled vodka even earlier, in the eighth century. The word ‘vodka’ is derived from the Slavic word for water, which perhaps explains why it’s consumed in such large quantities in that part of the world.

Early vodka production was crude, often resulting in a spirit with lots of impurities that had to be masked with flavourings. This state of affairs lasted until the 18th century, when a scientist in St Petersburg discovered a way of purifying alcohol using charcoal filtration, resulting in a much cleaner spirit.

The awareness and popularity of vodka grew

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in the 19th century, with demand increasing as cheaper productions methods were discovered. After the Russian Revolution, many distillery owners emigrated, bringing their drink to the western world.

A new challenge

Vodka has dominated the drinks market for decades. It’s relatively cheap and easy to make (it can be made from many types of grains, vegetables and fruits) and works as the perfect base for cocktails—the distillation process removes any impurities and flavours resulting in a clear, neutraltasting spirit. In fact, US government regulations state that vodka has to be flavourless, and ‘without distinctive

character, aroma, taste or colour’. In recent years there have been signs that this spirit’s crown is slipping. In 2015, sales slowed substantially in America—one of the most important markets—as drinkers tired of the endless flavoured vodkas that flooded the marketplace and moved towards other spirits such as gin or whisky.

However, vodka now appears to be the latest player in the ‘craft’ spirit craze with producers taking a more thoughtful and bespoke approach. This is best seen by the success of ‘artisan’ brands such as Tito’s Handmade Vodka and up-and-coming Polish brand Konink’s Tail to big brands like Absolut, who recently rolled out a premium oak-aged vodka. •

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Premium spirits

Whisky

Originating from the Scottish Gaelic word ‘uisge beatha’, meaning ‘water of life’, whisky is a spirit of endless variety

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oth the Scots and the Irish claim credit for the invention of whisky.

Early Christian Irish monks travelling back from Arabia around 600 AD supposedly brought back alcohol distillation to Ireland, where they proceeded to create whiskey. The Scottish argument revolves around a Friar called John Cor—a 1494 tax record for his order of eight ‘bolls of malt’ is apparently the first recorded reference to whisky production in Scotland, which implies that the distillation of whisky was already established there. Others even believe that it was the Vikings who brought the secret of the water of life to the British Isles when they first raided here during the first millennium.

Endless variety

Scotland is the most famous whiskyproducing region, itself divided into several

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areas that produce whiskies with distinct differences. These include the Highlands, with well-known brands such as Oban and Glenmorangie, as well as Speyside, which contains many of the most famous distilleries like Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Glenlivet.

The islands of Scotland—specifically Arran, Mull, Jura, Skye and Orkney—host the likes of Talisker and Jura, while the small island of Islay is its own separate appellation: here you’ll find peaty, smoky whiskies such as Laphroaig and Lagavulin. Elsewhere, you have Campbelltown, which has just three distilleries still in operation—Mitchell’s Glengyle, Glen Scotia and Springbank— and the Lowlands, which contain distilleries such as Ailsa Bay. Flavours can range hugely from region to region—from the peaty moodiness of an Islay whisky to the light, floral character of a Speyside creation.

Typically, whisky from Scotland is aged in

barrels for a minimum of three years and is usually distilled twice. There are several different types including single malt (made only from malted barley and produced at one distillery); blended malt (a blend of two or more single malts); single grain (made at one distillery out of a variety of different grains); blended grain (two or more single grain whiskies from different distilleries) and blended Scotch (one or more single malts with one or more single grains).

Like its Scottish cousin (or progeny, depending on which side you fall in the great Irish versus Scots origins debate), Irish whiskey is also aged for three years and is typically (but not always) triple distilled.

You also have single pot still whiskey, which is whiskey from a single distillery made in a pot still from malted and unmalted barley, giving it a distinctive spiciness.

Irish whiskey usually tends to be a light,

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Premium spirits

Is it whisky or whiskey?

The spelling of whisky depends on where it comes from. If the spirit is from Scotland, Canada and Japan spell it ‘whisky’, if it’s from Ireland or the USA, call it ‘whiskey’

smooth drink, with less peatiness than its Scotch counterpart.

The first-ever licensed distillery opened in Northern Ireland in 1608 (it would eventually become the Bushmills distillery). By the 18th century, private distilleries had been outlawed, dealing a blow to the many thousands of unofficial outfits operating at the time. By the 19th century, the number of distilleries in Ireland had shrunk to just 28, although their output was still enormous—they produced some two million gallons of world-renowned whiskey each year.

The 20th century brought troubles to the industry, with surging competition from Scotland, trade battles between Ireland and England and the introduction of Prohibition in the USA in 1920. By the late 1970s, only Bushmills and New Midleton endured.

This situation remained static until the late 1980s when Irish whiskey’s popularity surged again, reviving the industry as new distilleries opened and production increased. It was predicted that in 2018, 12 million cases of whiskey would be produced—a high last seen in 1900.

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Across the pond

American whiskies have their own distinct character. Bourbon must contain a minimum of 51 percent corn and is aged in new oak barrels while rye must be made with a minimum of 51 percent rye—it’s also aged in new oak barrels.

Flavour-wise, bourbon tends to have a fuller, sweeter flavour than rye, which makes it a popular choice for cocktails such as the whiskey sour and old fashioned. Tennessee whiskey must legally be made in Tennessee only and also undergoes an extra charcoal filtering process during production, making for a sweeter, smoky result than bourbon.

Canadian whiskies, as a rule, tend to be light and drinkable. Though often called Canadian rye or rye whisky, they differ hugely from their American rye counterparts, as the rye content is much smaller. This is because they typically consist of a base whisky and a flavouring whisky, with the base often made from corn and the flavouring made from rye.

Japanese whisky has garnered numerous plaudits in recent years, with

brands such as Yamazaki and Hibiki winning a slew of awards.

It takes after Scotland in production methods (no surprise when Japanese whiskey pioneer Masataka Taketsuru studied the art of distilling whisky in Scotland from 1918-20) although Japanese whisky still has its own distinct character: while distilleries in Scotland will produce one variety of single malt (to be sold on its own or used for blends), Japanese distilleries will offer a wide range of whiskies using different stills, mash bills and profiles to create a range of flavours and styles.

What’s next?

Scotch whisky has seen some robust challenges to its position as ‘king’ of whiskies in recent years. But Scotland’s famous ember spirit has seen a significant comeback this year, with Scotch whisky Glen Grant taking third place in the 2018 edition of Jim Murray’s famous Whisky Bible.

Finally, fine and rare whiskies of all types have become a lucrative investment—outperforming wine and gold. • celebrityangels.co.uk

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Premium SPIRITS

Gin

The star of the craft spirit revival, mother’s ruin is actually Dutch in origin

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his iconic British spirit originated in 17th-century Holland, where it was produced as a medicine— to make it more palatable, the Dutch flavoured it with juniper. During the Thirty Years’ War, British troops fighting in the Low Countries were given warming tots of it, and they liked it so much that they brought it back to England. It wasn’t long before large-scale distillation started in earnest, and what was once used to treat stomach complaints, gallstones and gout become a favourite new tipple in England—particularly amongst the poor, for whom it was cheap and readily accessible. This popularity soared at the end of the century, when the government imposed a large duty on the import of spirits and relaxed restrictions on domestic spirits.

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a new binge-drinking craze: it’s estimated that each Londoner drank on average a staggering 14 gallons of gin every year.

The new passion for gin caused much public outcry, with the spirit blamed for everything from rising crime and prostitution to falling birth rates.

The gin craze was only halted by government intervention—two Gin Acts in 1736 and 1751 placed restrictions on the trade—and a series of bad harvests, rising food prices and falling wages. By 1757, the nation’s lust for mother’s ruin had ebbed away.

A gin revival

For decades, gin enjoyed a reputation as a drink that was quintessentially British but rather staid and fusty. In the last 10 years or so this has all changed, with the country witnessing an explosion in new, independent distilleries that play fast and loose with the spirit, experimenting with everything from weird and wonderful

botanicals to barrel ageing. There are now some 315 gin distilleries in Britain.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association found that in the 12 months leading up to June 2018, gin sales were worth more than £1.6 billion, a 38 percent increase on figures from the previous year.

Today’s distilleries are producing gins of astonishing variety and impressive quality, using botanicals (the ingredients that flavour gin) that range from seaweed to saffron. Countless gin bars have also sprung up across the country, from Bath’s Canary Gin Bar to Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour in London.

What’s next?

Amazingly, the juniper-based beverage accounts for a huge 68 percent of value growth in the spirits sector. Last year’s IWSR Forecast Report projected that gin is expected to grow 37 percent by 2021.

With more that 100 British gin brands on the market, it’s easy to see how. • W o r l d F o o d To u r

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Champagne

Drinking the Stars Champagne’s sparkling heritage is as rich as its distinct taste. Despite its capricious status among the world’s leading wines in recent years, this bubbly bevvy is still the celebratory tipple of choice

By Kayley Loveridge

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Anything that takes five years to make should not be taken for granted. Champagne is a statement of quality and should be enjoyed and celebrated in equal measure

—Paul Beavis, Managing Director, Champagne Lanson UK & International commemorations. It is all at once the symbol of extravagance and elegance and its consistent role in human history embeds it firmly within worldwide culture.

Champagne is protected by the Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) designation, a law that specifies only grapes grown in this region can be legally defined as Champagne. In 2015, the province also received UNESCO World Heritage status in recognition of its ancient rolling hills and unrivalled heritage.

Recent trends

In 2017, 31.2 million bottles of Champagne were imported into the UK, says Statista, making Brits the largest consumer of the product in Europe. A closer look at the figures, however, chart a slight decline in UK sales in the same year, down 11 percent, according to figures by the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne.

Of course, there are many factors that can be attributed to this, including an increase in abstemious Brits (around 20 percent of 7,100 people surveyed by the Office for National Statistics in 2017 reported they did not drink alcohol at all). But perhaps the most glaringly obvious factor is the rise in popularity of Champagne’s cheaper cousin, prosecco. The boom in prosecco—from artisan pop-ups to trendy tasting events dotted around the country—has recently dominated the sparkling wine landscape, boasting a massive in-trade sales increase of 23.3 percent, says the 2018 UK Wine Report published by Wine Nation earlier this year.

At auction

Highly sought-after vintages of Champagne feature often at auction, and can sell into the tens of thousands of pounds. In 2009, a 75cl bottle of 1928 Krug was sold at the

IMAGES © Shutterstock

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ast your thoughts back to 57BC; the Romans, well-known for their taste of the finer things, first planted vines in the Champagne province, just northeast of France. Back then, Champagne was not an established wine-producing region; its main economy was actually wool trading.

What we refer to as ‘liquid gold’ today, was very different back then, too. In fact, it was still and pale red in colour—owing to the red and white grapes from which it was made: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier—and was once a market rival to the wines made in Burgundy. When producers of Champagne found they couldn’t compete, they changed their formula and produced white wine instead.

It wasn’t until 1676, when an accident in the fermentation process introduced bubbles to it, that Champagne would first be mentioned as a ‘sparkling’ wine in England. Curiously, this fizzy quality was entirely unintentional, and early producers tried to find ways to avoid it, but Londoners at the time were completely enamoured. It was this interest that drove Champagne’s popularity and helped cement its reputation as one of the world’s most celebrated wines.

Today, Champagne is the de rigueur toasting beverage at celebrations and

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Champagne

Did you knonwe p?roduces

ag Champ million bottles 00 3 g around esake sparklin m a n s it r f a o ch ye wine ea fbubbly.com : glasso

Source

Acker Merrall & Condit Hong Kong auction for a (more than) respectable £14,800. In 2011, an 1841 Veuve Clicquot bottle that was salvaged from a shipwreck dating back to World War I, sold for an impressive £26,700 by the same auction house.

To Brut, or not to Brut?

‘Brut’ refers to unsweetened, dry sparkling wine, and is the most popular style of Champagne today. There are various sweetness levels available on the market.

From unsweetened to sweetened, these are: Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry, Demi-Sec and Doux. This sweetness comes from the ‘dosage’ step in the winemaking process, in which sugar is added back into the bottle before it is corked.

The future

Earlier this year, a Champagne that retails at a budget supermarket for a mere £10.99 was awarded a Silver Outstanding medal at the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Competition. This win categorically redefines Champagne’s traditional image as exclusive to the elite and a symbol of luxury, into an accessible commodity. This also proves that cheaper options meet a high standard of quality and are tastecomparative to more expensive brands.

Although overall sales in recent years show a slight numerical decline, it may be this reinvention that ultimately propels the sparkling wine back into the world’s conscience—and that gets a huge ‘hurrah’ from us. • celebrityangels.co.uk

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Cocktails

Party Starters No get-together is ever complete without cocktails. If you’re planning a holiday soiree, or just a night with your closest friends, making sure everyone has enough to drink—and eat—is imperative. Kick off the festive season with our selection of cocktail recipes; they’re easy to make and only require a few ingredients. ∞

Apple Cider Hot Toddy Serves 2-4 Ingredients • 500ml apple cider • 1 tsp lemon juice • 1 cinnamon stick, plus more to garnish • Peel of 1 lemon • 120ml whiskey • Apple slices, to garnish • Sprigs fresh rosemary, to garnish (optional)

Preparation 1. In a small saucepan, heat the apple cider and lemon juice until hot.

Make sure the mixture does not boil.

2. Remove from heat and add the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.

Cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes.

3. Pour whiskey in 2-4 temperatureproof glasses and top with the hot cider (warm it up for a couple of minutes if no longer hot as desired).

4. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, apple slices and fresh rosemary.

Spiced Mulled Wine Serves 10-12 Ingredients • Juice of 1 orange • Peel of 1 orange • Peel of 1 lemon • 150g sugar • 5 cloves • 5 cardamom pods • 1 cinnamon stick, plus more to garnish.

• 1 tsp nutmeg • 2 bottles fruity red wine • 150ml ginger wine • Orange slices, to garnish (optional) • Star anise, to garnish (optional)

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Preparation 1. Add the orange juice, orange and lemon peel, sugar and spices to a large saucepan over a low heat.

2. Add enough wine to cover, and heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved, making sure to stir occasionally. Bring to the boil and cook for 6-8 minutes.

3. Add the rest of the red wine, turn down the heat and add the ginger wine. Gently heat through—without letting it boil— for an additional 3 minutes.

4. Pour into cocktail glasses and garnish with cinnamon sticks, orange slices and star anise.

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Cocktails

Best-ever Eggnog Serves 10-12 Ingredients • 1l milk • 5 cloves • 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • 1 tsp cinnamon • 12 egg yolks • 300g sugar • 600ml rum • 500ml cream • 1 tsp nutmeg, plus extra to garnish • Cinnamon sticks, to garnish

Festive Negroni Serves 1 Ingredients • 40ml vermouth • 40ml Campari • 40ml prosecco or other sparkling wine • Orange twist, to garnish

Preparation 1. Add vermouth and Campari to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir gently, chill and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with your choice of sparkling wine.

Garnish with an orange twist.

Preparation 1. Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 tsp of the vanilla extract and cinnamon in a saucepan over a low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes then bring to the boil.

2. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until fluffy. Add hot milk mixture slowly. Pour the whole mixture into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for an additional 2 minutes, stirring continuously—do not boil.

3. Strain to remove cloves and let cool. Once cool, stir in rum, cream, the remaining vanilla extract and nutmeg.

Refrigerate overnight. Serve in glasses, garnish with cinnamon sticks and drizzle with nutmeg.

For an after-dinner treat...

Although not technically a cocktail, this brilliantly easy and warming hot chocolate recipe is perfect for a postdinner pick-me-up or afternoon boozy indulgence.

Irish Hot Chocolate IMAGES © Shutterstock

Serves 1

Ingredients • 40ml Irish cream • 1 cup prepared hot chocolate • Whipped cream • Chocolate powder, to garnish • Marshmallows, to garnish (optional) celebrityangels.co.uk

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Preparation 1. Pour the Irish cream in a mug. Add the hot chocolate, stir softly. Top with whipped cream and chocolate powder. Add marshmallows if using.

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Travel Travel and food are so intrinsically entwined that one cannot be written without mention of the other. Journey through our selection of favourite gastronomic paradise destinations for a taste of Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and much more.

TASTE THE GLOBE: thailand 110-111 TASTE THE GLOBE: iceland 114 TASTE THE GLOBE: seychelles 115 A TASTE OF THE caribbean 116-117 VIVA L’ITALIA! 118-119 recipe collection 120-129

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Food TRAVEL

Taste the Globe:

Thailand Thailand’s rich and diverse cuisine is a feast of different flavours, herbs, textures and colours

By Annalisa D’Alessio

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haracterised by dishes with strong aromatic components and—often—a kick of spice, Thai cooking is a harmonious feast for all the senses. It can be divided into regional cuisines that encompass the country’s four different areas: central, northern, southern and north-eastern. Over the years, all have been influenced by both eastern and western flavours.

Eating the Thai way

Traditional meals in Thailand are usually laid-back affairs that centre around the concept of sharing a variety of dishes. While forks and spoons are used throughout meals, this isn’t always the case; chopsticks are the utensils of choice when eating noodles and fingers are used to eat sticky rice or dunk vegetables in spicy dips.

Bangkok’s street food

Thailand’s capital is well-known for its brilliant street food offerings. Round-theclock, street-side food stalls offer anything from noodle dishes to fresh seafood.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recommends visitors visit these areas for truly unforgettable street food: Chinatown. Found between Yaowarat and Charoen Krung roads, Chinatown offers hundreds of food stalls specialising in all

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kinds of Chinese food, dumplings and noodle dishes.

Khao San Road. Famous for entertainment, this road is also renowned for having food stalls that serve dishes such as Thai-style omelette with rice, noodle soup and various other traditional snacks.

Silom Road. Known as Bangkok’s main business street, this area offers plenty of great grub to office workers from lunch to dinner. Specialities here include grilled seafood, egg noodles with barbecued pork and rice with steamed chicken. 

The use of herbs

Spices and fresh herbs play an important part in Thai cuisine. Some of the most common ones are basil, cardamom, chilli, coriander, coconut, galangal and kaffir lime. When combined, they help achieve a balance of the five fundamental Thai tastes—sweet, sour, salty, creamy and spicy

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Food TRAVEL

Phat Thai Stir-fried Thai Noodles Serves 2 Ingredients • 1 tsp garlic, chopped • 1 tsp shallot, chopped • 1/2 cup cooking oil • 1 cup sliced chicken meat, cut in small strips • 4 shrimp • 1 tbsp pickled white radish • 1/3 cup soya bean curd, cut into slivers • 2 eggs • 4 tbsp sugar

• • • •

• • • • •

4 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp tamarind juice 3 cups narrow rice noodles, soaked in warm water until flexible 1/3 cup spring onions, chopped 1/2 cup bean sprouts 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, ground, to garnish 1 tsp dry red chilli, ground 1 lime, cut in wedges

Preparation 1. Fry the chopped garlic and shallot in some cooking oil until translucent.

2. Add the chicken and fry until cooked through. Add the shrimp, pickled white radish and soya bean curd, then add the eggs and scramble.

3. Put in sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and tamarind juice and stir for a few minutes. Add the noodles, stir-fry until all the ingredients are mixed well, and then add the spring onions and half of the bean sprouts. Stir-fry until cooked through.

4. Garnish with ground peanuts, red chilli, the rest of the bean sprouts, a lime wedge and the remainder of the spring onions.

Tom Kha Kai Chicken Coconut Soup Serves 2

IMAGES © Shutterstock; Recipes cour tesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand

Ingredients • 2 cups coconut milk • 6 thin slices galangal • 2 stalks lemongrass, crushed • 5 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, torn in half • 250g chicken breast, sliced

• • • • • •

5 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp sugar 1/2 cup lime juice 1 tsp roasted chilli paste 1/4 cup coriander leaves 5 green Thai chilli peppers, crushed

Preparation 1. Combine half the coconut milk with the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.

2. Add chicken, fish sauce and sugar and let it simmer for around 4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.

3. Add the remaining coconut milk and bring to the boil. Place the lime juice and chilli paste in a serving bowl and pour the soup over them.

4. Stir well and garnish with coriander leaves and crushed chilli peppers.

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Food TRAVEL

Taste the Globe:

Iceland

Dramatic sceneries and flavourful cuisine make Iceland a destination not to be missed

By Phoebe Ollerearnshaw

Cooking practices

After the financial crash in 2008, Icelanders could no longer afford expensive imports and therefore looked inward to reinvigorate their cuisine. Commonly known as the New Nordic movement, locals began to make their own cheeses, relishes and cured meats. Even today, there still remains a huge emphasis on homegrown, locally sourced ingredients. Various jams and syrups are made from birch—a native tree.

Meanwhile, seafood is the key component of most traditional dishes such as herring, cod, halibut, mussels and langoustine. Rye bread is also a common accompaniment

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to most meals, providing a dense and hearty garnish. Tourists will notice an abundance of smoked and salted meats on restaurant menus; these cooking practices are utilised as a means of preservation and imparting extra flavour.

To taste

Lobster soup Lobsters are found in plentiful supply near the shores of Iceland, making this dish a true Icelandic staple. This hearty soup presents a warming reprieve from the crisp air outside. The dish itself is salty with a hint of ginger and tender clumps of lobster meat. It usually comes with a slice of thick rye bread to soak up the remnants of the liquid.

Skyr One of the most iconic delicacies that visitors can sample is skyr—a unique dairy product specific to Iceland. This is nothing like the westernised supermarket version we are more familiar with. Resembling an amalgamation of yoghurt and cottage cheese, it is often served with cream and tart berry jam at the end of a meal. 

IMAGES © Shutterstock

R

esting on the edge of the Arctic Circle is Iceland, a nation that is quickly becoming one of the most coveted holiday destinations in the world.

In part, this is due to the Nordic island’s dramatic scenery. Being one of the world’s most volcanically active spots, visitors are never in want of an awe-inspiring view.

Mighty forces carve out the landscape here as geysers gush, waterfalls billow and glaciers stand tall against the snow-capped peaks. However, Iceland has much more to offer than natural beauty. The island is often commended for its immersive cultural life, which is characterised by the friendly residents and locavore cuisine.

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Food TRAVEL

Taste the Globe:

Seychelles In addition to white sandy beaches and crystalline waters, the Seychelles has a fascinating culinary scene for foodies to discover

By Phoebe Ollerearnshaw

T

IMAGES © Shutterstock

he Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands nestled in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of east Africa. Lush forestry and rolling hills form its landscape, while swaying palm trees line its shores. Its pearlescent sands and crystalline waters have made it a magnet for honeymooners.

Snorkelling and diving are some of the most popular pastimes in the Seychelles, made popular by vast shipwrecks and vibrant coral gardens. Ecotourism is valued highly amongst the islanders; ongoing conservation projects make it a haven for nature lovers.

The Seychelles also offers a delectable native cuisine, defined by bold flavours and exotic ingredients. Seychellois cooking is strongly influenced by French, Indian, African and Chinese gastronomies.

Unsurprisingly, fish and seafood take centre stage in this part of the world. Freshly caught barracuda, snapper, tuna, lobster and squid are all commonplace on local menus.

Creole-style curries are also a firm favourite; these are often spiked with coconut milk acquired from indigenous palms. Meat and fish tend to be grilled on charcoal barbecues, supplying them with deliciously smoky flavours. Frequently used spices in this region include cinnamon, citronella, cloves, ginger, saffron and chilli powder.

To visit

Le Grande Maison For the best Creole food on the east coast,

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nothing beats Le Grande Maison. Nestled in Takamaka Bay on Mahé, the restaurant is captained by Christelle Verheyden—hailed as one of the country’s most talented chefs. The menu is brought to life through organic food that is locally sourced.

Authentic dishes are delivered with contemporary finesse. Verheyden, who is also a passionate sommelier, has ensured that the wine cellar matches the fine quality of the food being served.

Le Jardin du Roi In Mahé, hidden in a valley above Anse Royale, is Le Jardin du Roi—one of the last remaining authentic spice plantation houses.

This lush spice garden issues heavenly aromas of nutmeg, vanilla and clove to visitors who roam its grounds. Guests can buy homemade marmalades, jams and—of course—spices from the gift shop.

To taste

Octopus curry Octopus curry is one of the most famous dishes in the Seychelles. The sauce is characterised by fragrant curry leaves, fresh thyme and silky coconut milk—a must-try for all visitors.

Cassava pudding This springy cake is made using cassava—an indigenous root used in both sweet and savoury dishes—and is loaded with a moreish coconut caramel topping. 

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Food TRAVEL

A Taste of the

Caribbean There’s no need for extra seasoning when this fare reaches the table. Caribbean food has slowly crept into the UK’s food scene and has been embraced for its punchy characteristics and exciting flavour combinations. Drawing influence from various countries, cultures and palates, this is a cuisine that tinkers with textures and balances spicy with sweet.

A plethora of spices What makes Caribbean cookery so distinctive is the medley of core herbs and spices that pose as the building blocks for the majority of this cuisine’s dishes. These include allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, garlic, scotch bonnet, lime and cassava.

Taste variety The Caribbean’s culinary repertoire consists of a varied range of rich meats with exotic fruits and vegetables—dishes such as curried goat, coconut shrimp and papaya salad are all commonplace. Jerk, the signature flavour of Jamaica, features heavily. It’s a spicy dry or wet rub applied to meat.

Seafood With most of the Caribbean provinces being blessed with long stretches of coastline, it comes as no surprise that seafood is a steadfast component of the diet. A colourful assortment of fish and shellfish marries itself with punchy spices, for a taste experience that is hard to rival.

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Food TRAVEL

Easy Jerk Chicken Serves 4-6

IMAGES © Shutterstock

Ingredients • 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces • 150g cornflour • Homemade jerk sauce (see side recipe) • 60ml vegetable oil Preparation 1. In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the cornflour. Once evenly coated, put the chicken in a separate bowl and toss with the homemade jerk sauce. Cover with clingfilm and marinate in the fridge for about 4-6 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 175C/gas mark 4.

Pour the vegetable oil into a roasting tin big enough to comfortably hold all the chicken.

3. Place the chicken pieces skin-side up into the baking dish and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Once meat is no longer pink near the bone, turn the oven to broil and cook until the skin crisps, about 2 to 5 minutes.

4. Serve with black beans, rice or a side of spiced slaw.

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Jamaican Jerk Sauce Serves 6-8 Ingredients • 60g allspice berries • 60g brown sugar • 6-8 garlic cloves • 4-6 scotch bonnet peppers, seeded & cored • 1 tbsp ground thyme • 80g spring onions, chopped • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1/2 tsp nutmeg • Salt and black pepper, to taste • 2 tbsp soy sauce Preparation 1. Put all ingredients in a blender and process together until smooth. Adjust the number of peppers and garlic cloves according to your tolerance for heat.

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Food TRAVEL

Viva L‘Italia!

Italian cooking is a crowd favourite—pizza, pasta and risotto have been staples on British dinner tables for decades. Known for its simple recipes and subtle seasoning, it’s hard to go wrong with Italian food.

This cuisine shares characteristics with French and Spanish gastronomy while remaining faithful to its authentic, well-known flavours.

Olive oil

Pasta originated from Italy and comes in all shapes and sizes. It may be stretched and long like spaghetti, large and flat like lasagna or small and fancy like farfalle. Choose fresh, dried, whole wheat or refined pasta to accompany your main.

Simple recipes, quality ingredients Traditional Italian food prioritises quality ingredients over complex recipes. An Italian dish tends to use herbs and spices such as basil, rosemary and oregano to subtly guide the flavour of the meal.

Images: Shutterstock com

Olive oil is an essential ingredient in Italian cooking— families in Italy can go through one litre of olive oil per week! The quality of olive oil is very important; not only used for frying, it is also drizzled raw on salads and vegetables, or used to bring out flavour in pasta. It is a true staple of the Mediterranean diet.

Pasta, please!

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Food TRAVEL

Aubergine Parmigiana Serves 4 Ingredients • 1 can chopped tomatoes • 1 tbsp tomato purée • 1 tbsp parsley, chopped • 1/2 tsp sweet basil, ground • 1/2 tsp oregano, ground • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • Salt and pepper, to taste

• • • • • • •

1 large aubergine 220g flour 3 eggs, beaten 450g breadcrumbs 240ml olive oil 230g mozzarella 110g parmesan, grated

Preparation 1. Combine chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes. Be careful not to scorch.

Set aside.

2. Cut the aubergine in 1.5cm slices, place on a rack and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand for about 20 minutes to remove the bitterness. Rinse each slice and pat dry. Coat each slice with flour; dip in egg then coat lightly with breadcrumbs.

3. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan (it should be 1.5cm deep). When oil is hot, add the aubergine slices. Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until soft and golden. Put the aubergine slices on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

4. Place about 1.5cm cooked tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish oiled with cooking spray. Add the aubergine slices in

layers; sprinkle each layer with mozzarella and parmesan. Alternate layers of aubergine and cheese until all ingredients are used, reserving a little of each cheese for the topping.

5. Bake at 160C/gas mark 3 for 30 minutes.

Images: Shutterstock com

Ingredients • 4 veal scallops • 2 tbsp flour • Salt and black pepper, to taste • 4 slices prosciutto • 8-12 fresh sage leaves • 2 tbsp butter • 120ml dry white wine

Saltimbocca alla Romana Serves 2

‘Saltimbocca’ translated literally means ‘jump in the mouth’— presumably because this classic Italian dish is so delicious that it almost leaps into one’s mouth. If veal is not available, substitute it with pork, turkey or chicken. celebrityangels.co.uk

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Preparation 1. Put each veal scallop between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound to a 3mm thickness with a rolling pin.

2. Sprinkle the flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper. Lightly coat both sides of the scallops with the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

3. Cut the prosciutto and scallops into 8-12 pieces. Place a piece of prosciutto on each scallop piece and press a sage leaf firmly on top. Hold everything together with a toothpick.

4. Melt half of the butter in a large skillet. When the butter is foaming, add the scallops and cook in batches—adding more butter if needed—for 2 minutes on each side. Lift out of the pan and keep warm.

5. Pour the wine into the pan and boil the sauce for a few minutes until it is reduced to about 2 tbsp. Stir in some butter and heat gently, then taste for seasoning. Arrange the scallops onto plates and pour the sauce over them. Serve immediately.

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Recipe COLLECTION

Honey-roasted Parsnips & Carrots Serves 4 A perfectly roasted parsnip should be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Tossing the parsnips in honey before roasting brings out their mellow sweetness and adds a lovely sticky glaze.

Serve this as a side dish, or make a meal of it with wild rice and salad.

INGREDIENTS 3 parsnips, scrubbed 4 large heritage carrots, scrubbed 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 tbsp tamari 4 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried tarragon 1 tsp dried parsley 100g pistachios, roughly chopped Juice of 1 lemon

PREPARATION 1. Cut each of the parsnips and carrots in half lengthways and then into quarters. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to cool.

2. Mix together the honey, oil, tamari and herbs in a bowl. Add the parsnips and carrots. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

4. Tip the parsnips and carrots, with their marinade, onto the prepared tray and roast for 20-25 minutes until golden. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a platter. Sprinkle with the pistachios and lemon juice.

Extract taken from Detox Kitchen Vegetables by Lily Simpson (Bloomsbury, £26) Photography Š Issy Croker

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Recipe COLLECTION

Every Occasion Lemon Biscuits Makes about 1.2kg dough, about 40 biscuits depending on the size of your cutters.

This simple buttery biscuit dough is so foolproof that you can multitask a million things while making it, which is generally the situation I find myself in in the lead up to Christmas or other big celebrations.

You’ll need a plastic piping bag to write with the icing, or use a normal piping bag with a tiny decorating nozzle.

Ingredients 630g unsalted butter, at room temperature 225g caster sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp lemon extract 500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp fine sea salt

FOR THE ROYAL ICING 1 egg white 250g icing sugar, sifted About 2 tbsp lemon juice

preparation 1. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl or stand mixer and beat together with a wooden spoon or using the paddle attachment on the mixer until really smooth. Beat in one egg at a time, then add the lemon extract. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat again until a dough forms. Shape it into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/ gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.

3. Divide the chilled dough into three equal pieces, wrap them individually in clingfilm and freeze the ones you don’t need.

4. Flour a piece of baking parchment, and roll out the dough to a thickness of 5mm.

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tray for 15 minutes so that the dough is as firm as possible for cutting.

5. Using whatever cutter shape takes your fancy, stamp out the biscuits. If you want to make edible gift tags, use a straw or the tip of a 5mm piping nozzle to make a hole for the ribbon about 1cm from the edge.

6. Transfer your shapes to the lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until they are firm but still pale. Keep your eye on them as some may bake more quickly than others, depending on your oven. Using a fish slice or palette knife, transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

7. Meanwhile, get on with the icing. Put the egg white into a bowl and gradually beat in the sugar using a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice a little at

a time until you have a thick, creamy icing that will pipe easily but not run off the biscuits. Fit a piping bag with a fine nozzle and fill it with the icing (you can fill the bag more easily by placing it in a vase or jug and folding it open over the rim—don’t overfill it, and twist the end shut). Any unused icing must be kept covered or it will go hard.

Extract taken from The New Art of Cooking

by Frankie Unsworth (Bloomsbury, £30) Photography © Kristin Perers

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Golden Syrup & Apple Steamed Pudding Serves 4 Along with pigeons and irate taxi drivers, one thing London has never been short of is canny businessmen. Golden syrup was invented in the 1880s when Abram Lyle, the owner of a sugar factory, decided to try selling the sticky golden liquid that was a natural by‑product of refining sugar. Tate & Lyle’s golden syrup became a household staple, and the original factory still stands proudly on the banks of the Thames today.

You can’t miss it: there’s a giant version of the iconic green‑and‑gold syrup tin mounted on the wall.

Ingredients 7 tbsp golden syrup Grated zest of 1 lemon, plus juice of 1/2 lemon 120g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 120g golden caster sugar 2 eggs 120g self-raising flour 400g cooking apples (about 2 large apples), cored and chopped into small cubes Pinch of salt 1 tbsp whole milk, plus more if needed preparation 1. Butter the inside of a 900ml pudding bowl or basin and put the golden syrup into the bottom. Add the lemon juice, and stir with a spoon to combine.

2. In a large mixing bowl, or using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well until mixed in.

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and the pinch of salt, until everything is combined. Add the milk, or a little more if needed, until you reach a ‘dropping’ consistency—that is, the mix will slowly slide off if you hold the spoon upside down. Spoon the mixture into the pudding bowl.

4. Cover the bowl with a lid or a tight layer of baking parchment, followed by a layer of foil, securing each layer with string.

It’s a good idea to make a little handle with more string, so you can remove the pudding easily later.

5. Put the pudding on top of a trivet or upturned saucer in a large saucepan and pour in boiling water so the water comes about halfway up the sides of the bowl

(make sure the foil and paper don’t touch the water, or your pudding will end up soggy). Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid, turn the heat down to low and steam for 2 hours.

6. Remove the bowl from the pan and turn the pudding out onto a warm serving plate. Serve with custard.

Extract taken from Made in London

by Leah Hyslop (Bloomsbury, £26) Photography © Martin Poole

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Recipe COLLECTION

Beef Stroganoff

IMAGES © Shutterstock

Serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp olive oil 600g fillet steak, cubed 50g butter 1 large white onion, diced 350g mushrooms, cut in chunks 2 tbsp flour 500ml vegetable stock 200ml double cream 1 tbsp Dijon mustard Salt and pepper, to taste Chives, to garnish (optional)

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PREPARATION 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a high heat. Sear steak for 30 seconds on each side. Slide onto a plate.

2. Turn heat down to medium, add the butter. Once melted, add the onion and cook for 1 minute, or until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until golden.

3. Add flour and cook—always stirring—for 1 minute. Add half the stock and keep stirring. Once incorporated, add remaining stock.

4. Add the double cream and mustard, stir until fully incorporated. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes—or until slightly thickened. Season.

5. Add seared beef to the pan, simmer for 2 minutes. Serve immediately over pasta, rice or simply sprinkled with chives.

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Spiced Chicken & Chorizo Traybake Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 1kg chicken pieces on the bone 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for roasting 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, shredded 2 tsp paprika powder Salt and pepper, to taste 180g chorizo, sliced thick 2 red onions, cut into wedges 3 potatoes, cut into wedges 4 cloves garlic, crushed

PREPARATION 1. In a bowl, coat chicken pieces in olive oil. Add rosemary, paprika powder, salt and pepper and mix until chicken is evenly coated. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 200C/gas mark 7. Put marinated chicken, chorizo, onions, potatoes and garlic in a roasting tin, add more oil and seasoning if needed and toss well.

3. Roast for 45 minutes, turning the chicken once.

If chicken is still slightly pink near the bone, roast for an additional 10 minutes. Serve.

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Grilled Aubergines with Greek-style Dressing Serves 4 Ingredients 2 aubergines 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking Salt and pepper, to taste 200g Greek yoghurt 1 clove garlic, crushed Juice of 1 small lemon 1 handful coriander Pomegranate seeds, to garnish

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Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Cut the aubergines in half, lengthways and score the flesh with deep criss-cross cuts—make sure to not pierce the skin. Generously brush each half with olive oil, season and roast for 40-45 minutes. When ready, the aubergines should be soft and browned.

2. To make the Greek-style dressing, mix the yoghurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice and 2 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Season and put in the fridge to chill.

3. To serve, drizzle the yoghurt sauce over the aubergines and sprinkle them with coriander and pomegranate seeds.

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Thai Pork & Peanut Curry Serves 4 Ingredients 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 spring onions, chopped 500g pork, diced 5 tbsp Thai red curry paste 4 tbsp peanut butter 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp soy sauce 500ml coconut milk 1 cup water 2 tbsp lime juice Salt 1 red pepper, finely sliced 2 leaves Thai basil, finely sliced Steamed rice, to serve 126

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Preparation 1. In a large pan, heat oil over a medium heat. Add spring onions and cook until browned. Add pork and cook for 6-8 minutes until cooked through on all sides.

2. Add red curry paste, peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, coconut milk and water. Mix well and cover with a lid. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove the lid and give it a stir.

Add lime juice and sprinkle with salt.

Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Garnish with sliced red pepper and Thai basil and serve with steamed rice.

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Recipe COLLECTION

Cajun-style Gumbo Serves 6

INGREDIENTS FOR THE ROUX 120g flour 150ml vegetable oil

FOR THE GUMBO 300g smoked sausage, sliced into coins 8 cups chicken stock 1 bunch celery, diced 1 green pepper, diced 2 onions, diced 3 cloves garlic 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning 300g cooked chicken breast, diced 200g shrimp, pre-cooked Steamed rice, to serve Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION 1. Make the roux by combining the flour and oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Cook on a low heat, stirring constantly for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is as dark as chocolate with a dough-like consistency.

Add more oil or flour as needed to reach this consistency.

2. In another pan, brown sausage slices on a medium heat. Remove and set aside on a plate.

Add 100ml stock to the sausage pan to deglaze it.

Put this mixture in a large soup pot.

3. Add remaining stock and all the vegetables, parsley and roux to the soup pot and stir well.

Bring to the boil for 5 minutes. Stir in Cajun seasoning. Add chicken, cooked sausage and shrimp. Simmer for another 3 minutes and season to taste. Serve warm over rice.

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Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms Serves 4 Ingredients 50g dried porcini mushrooms 1l vegetable stock 4 tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves Salt and pepper, to taste 250ml white wine 60g butter 1 shallot, chopped 300g risotto rice 60g parmesan Parsley, to garnish (optional)

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Preparation 1. Soak the dried mushrooms in 250ml hot water for 1 hour. Remove mushrooms and squeeze out excess water. Set water aside for later. Chop the mushrooms.

2. Bring stock to the boil, reduce heat to low and keep warm.

3. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season. Once mushrooms appear soft, discard the garlic. Pour in 250ml wine and raise the heat until the mixture simmers. Let simmer until the alcohol evaporates. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Melt half the butter with 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft, always stirring. Add rice and let cook—while stirring—for around 3 minutes. Pour remaining wine and simmer until the liquid is almost absorbed.

5. Add a ladleful of the hot stock to the rice mixture, stir and cook until the stock is just absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is tender (this should take around 15-18 minutes). Halfway through cooking the rice, add the mushroom soaking water along with the stock.

6. Once rice is cooked, remove it from the heat. Stir in the remaining butter and the parmesan. Season to taste and garnish with fresh parsley (optional).

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Recipe COLLECTION

Rice & Quinoa Salad with Sacla’ Pesto

Serves 2-4

Ingredients 250g basmati rice 250g quinoa 200g peas 1 small packet of wild rocket, washed and drained A handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 2 tbsp of capers 2 tbsp Sacla’ Reduced Fat Basil Pesto (use Free From Basil Pesto for any dietary requirements) 1/2 lemon 1 handful of basil leaves Sea salt and pepper

preparation 1. Cook the basmati rice and the quinoa according to packet instructions.

2. When they’re ready, add the peas, rocket, tomatoes and capers.

3. Mix the pesto and the juice of half a lemon in a small bowl and drizzle over the rice and quinoa salad.

4. Top with a handful of basil leaves, season to taste and serve.

Baked Salmon with a Pesto Crust

Serves 2

Ingredients 2 fillets salmon (roughly 125g), skin on 1 pot or 2 tbsp Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto 25g fresh white breadcrumbs 18g parmesan, grated Green beans or salad, to serve

preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

2. Arrange the salmon fillets on a non-stick baking tray.

3. Spread 1 tbsp of Sacla’ Pesto on top of each fillet.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and parmesan, then press half of the mixture on top of each fillet.

5. Bake the salmon fillets for 10-12 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.

6. Serve with green beans or salad.

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