Freezing cucumber for quick pickles
A great trick for always having cucumber ready for my quick pickled cucumber. Slice it thinly on a mandoline, peeling it first if the…
Parmesan rinds in tomato sauce
I know lots of you found me through my tomato sauce recipe, so here’s a twist. I cooked some guanciale, took out the crispy…
How to keep herbs fresh
This works all year round, not just in the heat. Trim the bottoms of soft herbs like parsley and stand them in water in…
Flaky pastry in a hot kitchen
Flaky pastry on a hot day? It’s doable if you keep everything cold. Chill your bowl in the freezer and your flour (200g) in…
A trio of summer tarts
One sheet of puff pastry, three gorgeous summer tarts. Divide all-butter puff pastry into three and prick the middles with a fork, leaving a…
How to spatchcock a chicken (plus a Mediterranean marinade)
Spatchcocking means faster, more even cooking and maximum crispy skin. Trim the knobbly bits and wing tips, then cut out the backbone by running…
Confit tomatoes – a bumper-crop saver
A bumper tomato year? Confit them and they’ll keep for weeks. Halve cherry tomatoes, lay them cut side up and scatter over thin slices…
Butterflying a sea bass – a beginner’s view
This is why I shouldn’t go near a fish counter. I went in for baby leeks and came home with a huge Greek sea…
Garlic top tips: slicing, roasting and peeling
Everything I know about garlic in one place. Slice, don’t crush. Crushing bursts the cells and makes garlic bitter. Slicing thinly (I use a…
Use up opened fortified wines
Leftover dry sherry, port or Madeira from Christmas? They last much longer than an opened bottle of wine, but they won’t last until next…