Come on foodies... UP YOUR BURGER GAME! Our great friend Ping Coombes gave me this awesome burger recipe which incorporates our fabulous Jimmy's Satay sauce. The secret lies in good quality beef...
Shawarma is up there as one of my favourites, it's so tasty and the hands down winner over the Turkish Doner or the Greek Gyros. Although it's traditionally cooked on a large skewer, rotisserie style, it's easily possible to recreate this fantastic street food classic at home.
The beauty of making a paella - NO STIRRING! Get it on and go and do something else, the results are stunning. There are so many variations of this Catalan classic and (just like a risotto) there are so many different ingredients that you can use. When by the coast, fish and shellfish rule, the further inland, chicken, rabbit, sausage are the key. To make a good paella, there are a few things that you need to get right, the rest will take care of itself.
Providing a recipe for one of the classic Roman pasta dishes is always fraught with danger...a) because I don't come from Rome and b) I remember cooking for my wife's Great Aunt, who lived in Naples and was always quick to point out when I'd got something wrong! I love the simplicity of this dish and I want to share it, so here goes...
This take on the classic Rendang isn't traditional, but it's really tasty and works perfectly with the remains of your Sunday roast or Christmas bird. Having plenty of left-over roast turkey is one of the bonuses of all that effort you put in on Christmas day.
The essence of the dish is extremely thinly sliced strips of beef that are simmered in a flavourful broth, served over rice and topped with pickled ginger, spring onions, shichimi togarashi and often a soft cooked egg. It's utterly delicious and super simple to make.The bonus is that once sliced, a single 8oz steak is enough for two people.
The whole idea of this udon noodle soup recipe is simplicity - thick noodles in an umami rich broth that's comforting, delicious and surprisingly filling. In fact the eggs and mange tout that I've used here are optional extras. In it's simplest form, this dish can come together in the time it takes to boil a kettle. It's made super easy by using the wonderful Hamadaya ingredients. They are made in the Southern area of Japan, close the Islands largest volcano called Mount Aso.
Malaysia is a melting pot of Asian cuisines and their famous chicken curry - Kari Ayam - has a strong Indian influence, but with the addition of lemongrass and coconut milk you get a unique fragrant curry vibe.
Growing up, cauliflower was generally presented to me smothered in cheese sauce and baked in the oven. It's delicious and still is a real family favourite. However, the wonderful nutty flavour that a simple cauliflower develops when roasted is a joy that I didn't discover until a few years ago. Cauliflower is widely available all year round, although they are at their peak in spring and autumn, they are a real workhorse during those drab months when not much seems to be in season.
This lentil recipe came from a chef friend who used to work at The Tate, he said it's one of those recipes you'll go back to time and time again. However, there's good news and bad news....
This recipe is like a beef stew with the added benefit that it all comes together in less than 10 minutes (with about 20 minutes of prep time). To save time and money use beef mince instead of sirloin.
Kung Pao Chicken - sometimes called Gong Boa - is a really simple stir fry recipe that's full of rich umami flavours spiked with the holy trinity of Chinese ingredients - chilli, ginger and garlic - seasoned with mouth-tingling Sichuan pepper and soy sauce. It's a classic for good reason - dark, sticky, sweet and sour and really tasty, quick and easy to make.
This recipe, using our Italian Pinsa Romana pizza/flatbreads showcases some of our Middle Eastern ingredients. The flavours go brilliantly together, these flabreads are absolutely delicious and will become a firm favourite on pizza night.
Khao Soi is a noodle soup from Northern Thailand, packed full of flavour. It's spicy, it's fresh, it's fragrant, there is so much going on - you'll love it. The base of the soup is pretty similar to a red curry so to keep things simple, I've just used our brilliant Thai red curry paste.
Discovering Achiote Paste for me was an epiphany moment in Mexican cooking. It's deep red in colour and actually more of a solid block than a loose paste. The key ingredient is annatto seeds, which are extracted from an evergreen shrub native to Latin America. It has a slightly smoky, earthy flavour that is popular in Mexican cuisine as a marinade for meat and fish. You have to dilute the block to use it and Mexicans often use a particular bitter orange for this. Getting hold of this special variety can be a challenge but you can recreate a similar effect by using regular oranges with some added vinegar.
This recipe is my homage to an amazing 'menú del día' of soft chorizo sausages, potatoes and beans, enjoyed in the Rioja region of Spain, where we ate and drank the most fabulous food.
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