Easy Peasy Cheese Straws – this recipe contains no peas!

This is a very simple recipe to produce mouth-watering, addictive bar snacks or party nibbles.

National BBQ Week, Barbecue Diplomacy and the Most Important BBQ That Never Was – Oh and a recipe for Texas-style BBQ Sauce

Jetton catered for the first barbecue at the White House and continued to do so during LBJ's term in office. When he decided not to stand for re-election LBJ hosted one last farewell barbecue on the White House lawns for over two hundred friends and supporters. The Texas-style ribs must have been quite special as the Swiss-born, formally trained, White House head chef Henry Haller, wrote in his The White House Family Cookbook, " He did a terrific job and I was most impressed with the results. His barbecue sauce avoided all of the common flaws (oversweetening, overcooking, excessive thinning) and by serving the sauce separately, he also avoided drying out the meat. "

Bank Holiday BBQ – Great Shish Kebabs

Shish kebab is an English version of the Turkish words for sword and roasted meat. A Shish Kebab is a grilled skewer of marinated meat, normally lamb but chicken, beef, veal and even swordfish can be substituted. In Turkish cooking, the vegetables are normally cooked separately.

British Sandwich Week – The Best Ever Sandwich Recipe

It is British Sandwich Week and while my tastes have not changed that much, my favourite is still an unctuous melting ham and cheese sandwich and I have found the most incredible way to prepare one.

Qu’ils mangent de la brioche

The popular misconception is that Marie Antoinette famously said of the starving French peasants at her gates, “Let them eat cake”. What she actually said was actually “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche.

Seafood Tom yam Soup

One of my favourite chilli-based dishes is Tom yam, a hot and sour Thai soup flavoured with fragrant spices and aromatics; a good chicken stock flavoured with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal, which is now popular around the world.

Devilled Lambs Kidneys on toasted English Breakfast Muffin

A devilled dish like Devilled Lambs Kidneys has a piquant, spicy flavour usually from the addition of Cayenne pepper and / or strong mustard.

Shanghai Red-braised Pork Belly

Today’s recipe is for Shanghai Red-braised Pork Belly, in China red coloured meats are eaten for good luck as red is the colour of fire, a symbol of good fortune and joy. ‘Red cooking’ is a popular method of braising dishes in northern, eastern, and southeastern China. The name is derived from the dark red-brown colour of the cooked items and the sauce using both dark and light soy sauces, Chinese Rice Wine, and caramelized sugar flavoured with whole spices such as Star Anise, Cassia bark, and Fennel seeds.

British Pie Week – Shepherd’s Pie

It is British Pie Week that quintessential staple of a good pub menu, and who doesn’t like pie. Traditionally Shepherd’s Pie is a réchauffé dish made from reheating leftover minced lamb and vegetables in gravy and serving with a mashed potato top. My recipe uses one of my favourite cuts of lamb, the shoulder, which is full of flavour and delicious when slow cooked.

Chinese New Year – Char sui Pork

This is my oven baked version of the classic Cantonese BBQ Pork recipe or Char Sui with its distinctive colouring, sticky sweet marinade, and succulent melt-in-the-mouth texture. 

Spicy Sesame Chicken Wings

I love any food you eat you eat with your fingers, prawns in their shells, ribs, it is great fun and so tasty. No surprise then that I’m such a fan of chicken wings maybe with a Crispy Salt and Pepper Crust, American BBQ style Buffalo Wings with a cooling Blue Cheese Dip or Asian style hot Wings with Sesame Seeds.

Xin nian kuai le – Happy Chinese New Year – Slow braised Lamb with Ginger and Spring Onions

There are up to two weeks of celebrations for the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. This year is the year of the Dog. In China and the Chinese diaspora there are visits to family, fireworks, and feasts and so I thought appropriate over the next ten days to post some more of my favourite Chinese dishes.

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Mousse

So, you have successfully shucked the oysters, the steak was cooked to perfection and you matched your meal with a perfect bottle of wine, Valentine’s Day is going according to plan now you need something simply stunning to finish the meal. I have chosen something stunningly simple to make, that can be kept in the fridge and will wow your dinner companion. And the bonus, there will be a couple left over for the morning.

Valentine’s Day Cooking the Perfect Steak

What can be more romantic on Valentine’s Day than to cook and share a delicious steak with your partner, served with a rich buttery Bearnaise Sauce, some thick cut chips, and a crisp green salad? Here are the steps you need to prepare a fabulous steak just like a professional grill chef.

Valentine’s Day Bearnaise Sauce

A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar, and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect.” Fernand Point, French chef, and restaurateur

Valentine’s Day Oysters Blue and Blonde

The oysters are gratinated with a crisp mix of fresh herbs, savoury biscuit crumbs, and Jersey Blue soft cheese which creamy and slightly tangy taste accentuates the salty ozone flavour of the Jersey oysters. The very light continental style beer, Liberation Blonde provides the base for a refreshing dressing to the baked oysters and chilled is an ideal accompaniment.

Beef and Vegetable Pasty

A proper pasty is considered to contain beef, sliced potato, onion, and swede. The ingredients are sealed in the pastry with plenty of black pepper and cooked from raw.

Lamb Shanks

Today’s recipe is perhaps the most satisfying, a one-pot casserole, ideal after a good long walk on the cliff tops in Jersey. There is a substantial amount of meat on a large shank enough for the largest of appetites and I would say ample for two average dinners with the addition of a selection of vegetables.

Paella de marisco

There is a myriad of varieties of paella and a huge number of ingredients that go into different regional recipes, some call for chicken, rabbit or snails.  This is my recipe is for a great, authentic paella de marisco or seafood paella, packed with tasty mussels and prawns and with a rich, full flavour from the garlic, Chorizo and smoked paprika.

My Mouclade

What’s not to like with Mouclade, plump, salty, full of flavour mussels in a bowl of creamy lightly spiced sauce.

Cooking with a Legend

I am at heart a big fan of enjoying the sweet delicate flavour of lobster as unadorned as possible and simply poached and served with a little melted butter and lemon.

Chorizo Jam

So, I only made Chorizo Jam for the first time three week ago and I have eaten Chorizo Jam on toast, stuffed Chorizo Jam into Chicken breasts and used Chorizo Jam as a garnish for soup, but this sweet, slightly spicy, slightly smoky, relish is a must with a cheese board, absolutely delicious in fact.

Tartiflette

Tartiflette is a truly indulgent dish, a hearty, rich, starchy treat for your taste buds, traditionally served after a strenuous morning on the ski slopes — or at least a brisk winter’s morning walk.

Happy New Year – My Recipe for Cranachan

My Cranachan recipe is entirely my own twist which I first used in a restaurant in Jersey with fresh raspberries folded into cream flavoured with honey, whisky and the crunch of delicious homemade Granola.

Baked Portobello Mushrooms with Chorizo and Egg

After the excesses of Christmas, I quite often want something with plenty of flavour but that is perhaps not too substantial

Spaghetti with Parma Ham and Roasted Garlic

I love garlic, I adore garlic, I cook with absolutely loads of garlic like today's recipe for Spaghetti with Parma Ham and Roasted Garlic.

Coquilles St. Jacques

Coquilles St. Jacques is a classic of French cuisine, gently poached scallops and mushrooms in a rich, cream sauce, garnished with enriched mashed potato and gratinated.

Sauté Scallops, Sweet Potato and Coriander Purée with braised Chorizo

This recipe is a marriage made in heaven, sweet pan-seared scallops, a lightly spiced, well-seasoned sweet potato purée and pungent rich braised Chorizo sausage. This is warming indulgent dish ideal on a crisp cold winters day.

Christmas Dinner -Potatoes

Whatever roast Turkey, Ham or Beef you have chosen for your Christmas Dinner you will need some potatoes to help mop up the delicious gravy and I am going to give you three recipes. The first is guaranteed to give you a plate full of Perfect Roasties to serve up on the table. The second is for luxurious butter and stock braised Fondant Potatoes, packed full of flavour, and the final recipe is for my new favourite that doesn’t even need peeling and are really, really, crisp.

Christmas Dinner – Chilled Salmon, Dill, and Cucumber Soup

Chilled Salmon, Dill, and Cucumber Soup is a lovely starter for a relaxed festive party or a fabulous light lunch.

Coq-au-vin

Coq au vin an ideal dish for the slow cooker. A good coq au vin improves immensely if you marinade the chicken overnight and improves further if you leave it when cooked, overnight, in the refrigerator. If you cannot get a piece of bacon try to use the thickest rashers you can find so the lardons will not break up during cooking.

Mulled Wine

Mulled Wine and similarly Mulled Cider are popular drinks over the Christmas season. They are served hot, often sweetened with sugar or honey and flavoured with a variety of spices, oranges, and lemons.

Beef Bourguignon

This is a classic French recipe that comes from the Bourgogne or Burgundy region of France and is traditionally made using Charolais beef. Today restaurants serve far more elaborate versions of the dish which was originally a simple stew.

Easy Chicken Liver Parfait

The best thing about this recipe is that it does not require the poaching in a water bath or bain-marie that you find in classic pâté and parfait recipes. Actually, make that the second best thing, the most important thing you need to know about this parfait is it is delicious, absolutely delicious. It is easily adapted, and you can fancy it up a little up by substituting duck livers for chicken and adding extra flavours like orange peel, tarragon, and Cointreau.

Cauliflower Veloute with Cauliflower Pakora and Curry Oil

This rich, silky smooth cauliflower soup is an ideal partner to the spicy flavours of the pakora’s and curry oil. A veloute is a traditional soup made with a stock thickened with a roux, this recipe also contains potato for extra body.

Bonfire Night -Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

This is a really easy, comforting recipe that freezes exceeding well so could be made in advance, it is a fantastic thick, full of sweet, smoky flavours and great served in a mug as you stand to watch the fireworks.

Minestrone Soup

At its best, a hearty, Italian classic, Minestrone is more of a stew of root vegetables and beans, sometimes with pasta and with the addition of whatever other seasonal vegetables are available. It is the perfect lunchtime or supper course nourishing, filling and very tasty.

Real Men eat Quiche

I like proper quiche, the Quiche Lorraine, rustic French cooking, crisp pastry filled with a thick layer of creamy, wobbly egg custard flavoured only with some fried cubes of really good bacon.

World Apple Day

The finished product is a sweet, dark, sticky spread which you can eat with a salty cheese or perhaps as an alternative to jam with a scone but my favourite is as a glaze on baked ham.

Meringues

I come from a family of serious meringue fans, the marriage of whisked egg whites and caster sugar, the crispy meringue shells, dried in the oven overnight and sandwiched with thick cream and topped with fresh berries and the show-stopping Pavlova with its chewy, marshmallow-like center.

Strawberry Milkshake and White Chocolate Cupcakes

The secret of this recipe to use Nesquik milkshake powder which gives a real milkshake flavour to both the cake and the topping and I added another childhood favourite some white chocolate buttons to give it my own little twist.

My Murgh Makhani – National Curry Week

Butter Chicken does not have a pedigree stretching into the dawn of history, it is believed to have been created in Peshawar and after the British partition, the chef moved to a New Delhi restaurant. A customer wanted a meal late in the evening and marinated chicken, ready for the Tandoor oven, was tossed with tomatoes, butter and spices and the Murgh Makhani ( butter chicken ) was born.