Table of contents for May/June 2020 in Delicious UK

PORTRAIT: TREVOR LEIGHTON. PHOTOGRAPH: STUART WEST Are you still catching up psychologically with how life has changed? I am. Most people have been pulling together in a remarkable way. I’ve never known a time when we’ve had to adjust mentally and physically to so many challenges, so fast. I applaud the people working to support frontline workers and those in need: see p22 for three life-enhancing stories. And I applaud the chefs and celebrities using social media to inspire the nation to cook as we haven’t cooked for decades (who knew Gary Lineker was a dab hand in the kitchen?). That’s where delicious. comes into its own, too. Several of you have told me you see our magazine and website as the food equivalent of public service broadcasting. Adjusting to…

FROM: LUCAS HOLLWEG in Somerset One advantage of living in the country is that our daily hour of exercise takes us along nearby lanes and footpaths. As much as anything, it’s a chance to forage for free food. There are stone walls covered in succulent pennywort, carpets of wild garlic, which has featured in almost every meal recently, and forests of young nettles, the spinach of the hedgerows, which can be drafted into service in the kitchen. People in the local community are increasingly sharing their resources. The last of their surplus winter squashes and seed potatoes appear in the church porch for neighbours to help themselves. There are offers of vegetable seedlings, spring onions, rhubarb, undrunk beer from the pub and gooseberries left in the freezer from last year.…

MASTER YOUR WOK Likeable wokmeister Jeremy Pang presents easy-to-follow guides on his Youtube channel, teaching anything from expert knife skills to authentic stir-fries. There’s also a paid subscription with exclusive content such as Q&As, cookalongs and more advanced recipes. Prices vary from free to £4.99 a month; youtube.com/theSchoolofWok RAISE YOUR VEGAN GAME If you’re finding your vegan repertoire lacking, sign up for the Vegetarian Society’s online Easy Vegan Favourites (Pt 1) course for access to video recipes (pancakes, Buddha bowls, pasta bakes etc) and knife skills as well as nutrition guides and other good stuff. Course costs £15 for 6 months’ access GET CRAFTY Two of our favourite people are running short online courses. Choose The Art of Chocolate Making and Paul A Young will teach you to temper the…

Gorgeous and useful things make the world seem a better place – and it’s never been more important to choose wisely. This is my selection of goodies for a summer of (we hope) sunshine and better news. Karen Barnes Time to up your service game? We’re coming into full-on salad season, which calls for big-boy servers. My choice for 2020? This handsome pair which, apart from anything else, make a covetable gift. £55, roseandgrey.co.uk; visit delicious.magazine.co.uk for salad recipe inspiration, hot or cold Waffly desirable I’ve tested several waffle pans over the years and none has made it to these pages because they’ve been disasters of stuck-on, overflowing batter, too heavy to lift, impossible to clean. Until now. This pan is non-stick, deep enough for a generous amount of batter and…

I looked at my diary this morning and it feels like reading a novel from another age. It is filled with parties, dinners, meetings, flower shows, festivals, holidays, trips to exhibitions, plays, lectures, birthdays, weekends by the sea. They are crossed out, struck through, the abandoned notes from another life. As the world deals with the onslaught of the coronavirus, I am made dizzy by how swiftly our old lives have been dismantled. Already, the thought of sitting in a café with a book feels as exotic as sipping cocktails on your own tropical island. Watching television, it is strangely shocking to see people on screen shaking hands and hugging. My brain automatically screams TWO METRES APART NO TOUCHING. Normal social interaction looks as alien as foot binding. My best…

Feeling nervous about the amount of food you have to live on? Worried you don’t have enough flour or pasta? It can help to go through your cupboards, fridge and freezer, if you have one, and write out all the possible meals you can make. Firstly, the quantity of meals you have to hand might surprise you – from sardines on toast to spiced lentils and rice or pasta with tomato sauce. If you know you have enough food for a week or more and don’t need to go shopping before then, it’s calming. Secondly, you’ll have a far better idea of what to buy from the shops, so you can feel more in control.…

Creamy veggie sausage and spinach pasta SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MINUTES • 1 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil • 2 red onions, thinly sliced • 8 vegan sausages, thawed if frozen (we like Tesco Plant Chef or Birds Eye Green Cuisine) • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar • 300g dried pasta shapes such as rigatoni or fusilli • 200g baby leaf spinach (see tip) • 300ml single soya cream (we used Alpro) • Handful freshly chopped flatleaf parsley (optional) 1 Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the onions and fry over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Cut the sausages into small chunks, then add to the onions along with the garlic and crushed…

A BIT ABOUT ROOPA Chef, broadcaster and food writer Roopa Gulati was born and brought up in Cumbria. She earned a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu cookery school, then worked as a chef in India for more than 20 years, appearing regularly on TV. Roopa is now based in the UK, where she works as a writer and recipe creator. India: The World Vegetarian is her second cookbook. Southern-style mango curry SERVES 4-6. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN “Mangoes are to India what strawberries are to Britain – poems are written in their honour. This curry originates from Kerala, where small, locally grown mangoes are simmered whole in spiced coconut milk. I’ve adapted the dish using ripe mango wedges – their sweet flavour contrasts well with the bite of mustard, curry…

Well, that got very strange, very quickly, didn’t it? I’m still not convinced it’s all sunk in, but maybe that’s for the best? That’s not to downplay the seriousness of the situation. Fear not – I’m following Government guidelines. I’m washing my hands a LOT. I’m staying home, I’m avoiding people – although as a middle-aged, grumpy freelance journalist I’ve sort of been in training for those for years. But it’s important to find the positives in this, be it dazzlingly clean fingernails or any of the following… 1 People are, for the most part, lovely We’ve come together wonderfully. We’ve put the social back in social media. Where I live we now have a WhatsApp group for our flats, which means, after 24 years here, I finally know more…

“The last few months have been incredibly painful for everyone, but it’s clear that if we pull together, we can make a massive difference. Since the lockdown I’ve begun to feel more engaged with life and the things that grow than I ever have before. There used to be so many things I simply didn’t notice that now have real importance. For the most part, it’s simple stuff, like the taste of water, the differences between trees or the sound of the birds singing. I’ve learnt, through all this, that even the simplest things in life can make us happy and the smallest gestures of kindness are so important. Root Stem Leaf Flower is a book for anyone who enjoys cooking and eating good food but it’s also a…

THE MOVIE COCO (2017) WHAT’S IT ABOUT? FILM IMAGE: REX/SHUTTERSTOCK When his family forbid him from following his dream of musical stardom owing to a mysterious household ban, the 12-year-old Miguel rebels, ending up in the magical and colourful Land of the Dead, accompanied by Dante, his comedy sidekick dog. Once there, Miguel hopes to connect with his hometown idol, one-time guitar legend Ernesto de la Cruz, who he believes could be his great-great-grandfather. First, though, he must contend with his dead relatives, who are as anti-music as his living ones, forcing him to enlist the help of rogueish charmer Héctor – and he’s only got until sunrise... WHY THIS MOVIE? At a time like this, you may think a family movie that dives headfirst into the theme of death…

Swap strawberries for ripe slices of peach and the vodka for gin, if you like. Use any nuts you have for the goat’s cheese salad. Walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts will all work well. Swap peas for young broad beans if you wish. If you can’t find hazelnut oil, gently toast 25g chopped hazelnuts in 2 tbsp olive oil until just golden, set aside to cool, then add the oil and nuts to the dressing along with the extra-virgin olive oil. Use an equal quantity of runny honey instead of maple syrup. If you can’t find brioche try this with regular bread but add an extra half tsp vanilla extract or essence to the egg mixture for sweetness.…

THE FRIDGE What temperature should it be? No higher than 4°C. Don’t overcrowd it – cold air needs to flow easily around the food to keep it cold. How long will food last in it? As a rule of thumb, fresh fish will keep 1-2 days, raw meat, poultry and sausages 2-3 days; bacon 7-10 days; salad and vegetables 3-4 days; milk 5 days; and hard cheese up to 3 weeks. To keep crowding down, which items can I leave out? Tomatoes, bananas, melons and potatoes. Most fruit don’t need chilling, plus they can cause yellowing in green veg stored nearby – although citrus last longer in the fridge. Unless your kitchen is particularly warm, you don’t need to keep eggs in the fridge. What goes where ✱ DOOR The…

BUTCHER’S CUTS THRIFTY CHOICES FOR THE BARBECUE PHOTOGRAPHS: MAJA SMEND, MIKE ENGLISH SKIRT STEAK Also known as onglet or hanger steak, this cut has an open-grained texture and a great flavour. Much cheaper than prime steaks such as rump and sirloin, it’s also quick to cook on the barbecue. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours with olive oil, ground black pepper, slices of garlic, bashed thyme and rosemary sprigs, plus a pinch of chilli flakes. Leave out of the fridge for a while, then season well with salt and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side over hot coals until crusted with brown but medium rare in the centre – any longer and it will be tough. Rest for five minutes and slice across the grain. Great with…

• You can follow CJ’s latest updates on seasonal fish and shellfish, including virtual preparation classes from The Seafood School, at seafoodtraining. org/blogs WHAT SPECIES ARE THEY? Sardines are a ‘pelagic shoaling fish’, meaning they swim in large shoals near the surface. A true sardine is officially under 15cm in length – above that it becomes a pilchard. WHAT TO LOOK FOR You can buy them fresh or frozen. Very fresh sardines are shiny with loose, bright silver scales, and their bodies are rigid and curled. They have a hint of gold around the eyes, which should be clear, black and beady. The gills should be bright red. Eaten fresh, sardines have sweet, delicately flaky flesh. The flavour becomes more prominent if they’re left for a day or two. For…

Created a new dish? Have a family favourite recipe you’d like to see immortalised in print? We want to hear from you Let us know about a fabulous recipe, including its name, ingredients and method, along with who discovered it and how, for a chance to have it tested and photographed by delicious. to star in a future issue. We’re looking for a recipe that will make readers want to get cooking. The winner will receive a £150 gift voucher from Sous Chef (souschef.co.uk), home of chef-quality kit and exquisite ingredients from around the world. TO ENTER Email readers@deliciousmagazine.co.uk with the subject line ‘My delicious recipe’ or visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk/mydeliciousrecipe, where you’ll also find full Ts&Cs.…

MEET THE PEOPLE PUTTING FOOD ON YOUR PLATE Food and farming platform EatFarmNow wants those involved in the food chain (farmers, packers, delivery teams...) to share photos of themselves at work using the hashtag #FoodArmy. The campaign aims put a face to those working to supply our food, to reassure and to help curb over-buying. GIN DISTILLERIES HELP MAKE HAND SANITISER Brands including Isle of Harris, Silent Pool, Conker Spirit, Healeys, Cotswolds Distillery and Chase Distillery are using their stills to make the high-strength alcohol required to produce antibacterial hand gel. While some are producing sanitiser themselves, others are providing raw spirit to other local businesses, with many distributing free sanitiser to key workers. BBC LAUNCHES BITESIZE EXERCISE CLASSES FOR OVER-70S The 10-minute audio clips aim to boost mobility, balance…

PORTRAITS: HAARALA HAMILTON Few students land their dream job straight out of university, but that’s exactly what happened to Liam Charles. The 22-year-old was studying drama at Goldsmiths, part of the University of London, when he appeared on The Great British Bake Off in 2017. It wasn’t long before he won fans for his cheeky quips and expressive face. Liam was knocked out of the competition in week eight, but his last words to camera – “I’m coming for Paul Hollywood’s job” – were prophetic. He was back on TV in 2018 as a presenter for Bake Off: The Professionals before he’d graduated. “It’s insane,” he says. “It can take years for people to get their opportunity, whereas suddenly I was learning on the job.” The pro Bake Off series…

• Homelessness charity Caring in Bristol launched the Cheers Drive project, partnering with hospitality workers to deliver daily hot meals to people newly housed in emergency accommodation. • Social enterprise cookery school Cracking Good Food in Manchester, which uses surplus food to share cookery skills with the community, has been fundraising to provide free cooked meals to people in food poverty. • The Commit Your Commute campaign encourages people working from home to donate their usual travel costs to support people struggling as a result of bar, restaurant and venue closures, raising funds for the charity Hospitality Action. • Fundraiser Meals for the NHS, which has raised over £1 million pounds, uses local restaurants and takeaways to feed hungry people in wards at over 50 UK hospitals. • The Feed…

EASY SWAPS Got lots of fresh tomatoes to use up? The riper and squishier the better… Use about 800g, roughly chopped, instead of tinned tomatoes. Feel free to add in any vegetables that need using up – courgettes and peppers work well. If you prefer, omit the vodka, or add white wine, sherry or vermouth. VEGGIE RECIPE Boozy tomato pasta SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 1 HOUR BATCH COOK Make double the quantity of sauce, then decant into clean sterilised bottles or jars and store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks – or see below for how to freeze. HOW TO FREEZE Once cool, transfer the sauce to a freezerproof container(s), label/date, then seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or…

• Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin Essays on cooking and life by the late American writer. • The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy A young woman looking for love and adventure in 1950s Paris. A fizzing, funny, touching read. • Heartburn by Nora Ephron Funny, stylish and poignant story of the death of a marriage, plus recipes. I read this at least once a year. • The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard Compelling novels about an upper class English family during World War II. • Any of the autobiographical books by American writer Ruth Reichl, former editor of Gourmet magazine. • American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld Utterly absorbing bestseller about the political marriage of an American First Lady. • Mrs Miniver by Jan Struther, and Jan Struther’s biography, The…

“This recipe really does have a history and has travelled a long way on its journey to being included in the pages of delicious. magazine. Retrospectively, it stands out as being one of the most popular (outside Christmas). The story begins with the revered food writer Elizabeth David, who included the roasted peppers in her splendid book Italian Food . The recipe was then served at the famous restaurant The Walnut Tree Inn, near Abergavenny, by the Italian chef Franco Taruschio. He was held in such high esteem that everyone at the time would make a Welsh pilgrimage to go and eat there. PORTRAIT: TREVOR LEIGHTON. FOOD PHOTOGRAPH: PETER KNAB Following that, another chef – my favourite of all time, Simon Hopkinson – included the recipe when he launched his…

Even before circumstances made it a necessity, we were a nation of quick-dinner dabblers. First, the ready-meal years (sales are now slightly in decline). Latterly, the stir-fry craze, 15-minute meals and recipe kits. Yet, what if the easiest dinners aren’t the ones that take the least time to cook? Meet the roasting-tin dinner: the cook’s new secret weapon. The roasting tin isn’t just a vessel for Sunday’s chicken. It’s gaining popularity as a nifty tool for weeknight meals. The trend took off in 2017 with The Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer. That book and a subsequent series have sold 250,000 copies to date (a fifth book, The Roasting Tin Around the World, is just out). “I was surprised and delighted it caught on so strongly,” says Iyer. “I thought it…

HEALTH HACK Olive oil is brimming with antioxidants (compounds that help prevent cell damage) and good fats linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. So why confine olive oil to cooking and salad dressing? Add a splash to smoothies or swirl over a bowl of soup. Or even drizzle over chocolate mousses and tarts – cocoa is a good match. Be sparing, though, as the calorie count is high. DID YOU KNOW? The secret to curing severe nut allergies might be found in the gut. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City have discovered that nut allergy sufferers have large numbers of so-called ‘allergy molecules’ in their stomach and intestines. It’s hoped the findings may point to treatments for the estimated one…

RECIPES DOSIA BREWER, MERIJN TOL PHOTOGRAPHS AND FOOD STYLING STUDIO PHILIPPI CLUB SANDWICH RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH. PHOTOGRAPH: TOBY SCOTT. STYLING: OLIVIA WARDLE IN PRAISE OF THE SANDWICH By James Ramsden, modern butty maker extraordinaire When considering the sandwich it’s customary to give credit to some hungry high-rolling earl, but we all know the story to be fanciful at best… We all know, in our hearts, in our guts, that the sandwich has existed for as long as we’ve been able to bake bread. Humans are nothing if not innovative. The idea that it took millennia for some rotund idler to realise that the loaf can be improved immeasurably by adding something delicious to it doesn’t really pass go. We’ve surely been at it ever since that pioneering…

ESSENTIALS FROM THE FRIDGE Do an audit once a week, make a list (it makes all the difference), then spend half an hour working out how to use the contents well. CHEESE ODDS AND ENDS TOASTIE Grate or crumble 100g mixed cheese over 2 slices of bread. Spread 2 more slices of bread with chutney or a not-too-sweet marmalade, lay on top of the cheese (chutney-side down), then spread the top with butter. Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan, then add the sandwiches unbuttered-side down. Fry for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp and the cheese is beginning to melt. Flip and continue cooking until golden and oozy. Serve with extra chutney or marmalade. GO-WITH-ANYTHING CHEESY TOPPER Grate 100g hard cheese into a bowl, then mix…

Q What makes the awards different from other food awards? Why should I trust your logo over others? A It’s all about the robustness of the judging, but it’s hard to communicate that to people... Q Okay, tell us about it A It’s a massive logistical operation taking five or six weeks to get through. Last year we judged over 12,500 products at six locations. We have about 800 judges on our database. Each judge will taste about 40 food and drink products in a day. Q Cripes. How is the judging organised? A There are tables of three judges. They could be tasting anything. We don’t judge one sausage against another because that’s not a healthy system. It’s not a running race. If judges like a product, it’s passed…

“In challenging times, sitting down to a Sunday roast gives you a sense of familiarity and reassurance. This is my take on a classic roast, and it’s my all-time favourite meal. Introducing curry flavours to the chicken adds a spicy sweetness, and the chopped peanuts and mango give complexity and texture. It’s an all-round winner.”JAMES KNAPPETT, HEAD CHEF, BUBBLEDOGS JAMES’S STORY Eight years ago, James and his wife, Sandia Chang, opened Bubbledogs in London’s Charlotte Street, serving hot dogs and champagne until the current crisis. Unknown to many, hidden behind a curtain at the back was the Kitchen Table, the couple’s 20-seat chef’s table where James and his talented team hosted intimate dinners with a daily-changing 12-course menu. Kitchen Table now has two Michelin stars – a testament to James’s…

THE BARGAIN WHITE Finest Saint Mont 2017, South West France 13.5% abv (£6.50, Tesco) AVAILABLE IN STORES AND FOR DELIVERY A lively lime-tinged white for the first summer salads. It’s an unoaked blend of Gascony grapes, mainly gros manseng. THE BARGAIN RED Castillo del Sabio Tempranillo 2015, Rioja, Spain 13.5% abv (£6, Morrisons) IN STORES ONLY Cheerful Spanish red, aromatic with strawberry and cherry-pie flavours. Soft and easy- going enough for roast chicken or red meat. THE MIDWEEK TREAT Patricius Tokaj Furmint 2017, Hungary 12% abv (£9.99, down to £8.99 until 2 June, Waitrose) IN MOST STORES AND AT WAITROSECELLAR.COM Tokaj is famous for dessert wine but here’s an impressive dry version. One for asparagus. THE VIVACIOUS SUMMER ROSÉ Estevez Rosé 2019, Colchagua, Chile 12.5% abv (£5.99, Aldi) IN…

Tropical baked Alaska SERVES 8-10. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, OVEN TIME ABOUT 40 MIN, PLUS OVERNIGHT FREEZING AND COOLING MAKE AHEAD Cover the ice cream with the overhanging cling film and keep in the freezer for up to a week. The cooled sponge will keep, well wrapped, for up to 2 days. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Freeze the egg yolks for up to 1 month, then use in custard, hollandaise or mayonnaise. FOR THE ICE CREAM • 6 tbsp passion fruit curd (from large supermarkets and delis) • Grated zest 2 limes, juice 1 lime • 300g condensed milk • 600ml double cream • 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste FOR THE COCONUT CAKE • 125g butter, softened • 125g caster sugar • 2 large free-range eggs • 50g…

Thai grilled chicken (gai yang) SERVES 4-6 AS PART OF A THAI MEAL. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, BARBECUING/ ROASTING TIME 1-1¼ HOURS, PLUS AT LEAST 6 HOURS BRINING “Forget pad Thai – grilled chicken with green papaya salad (som tum) and sticky rice is the Thai street food. The best grilled chicken comes from Khun Toi’s stall in Chiang Dao, in northwest Thailand, but he’ll never part with his recipe – and rightly so.” MAKE AHEAD You need to start brining the chicken at least 6 hours before you want to cook it. KNOWHOW • SPATCHCOCK A CHICKEN Ask your butcher to do this for you, or search “how to spatchcock a chicken” at deliciousmagazine.co.uk. • CORIANDER ROOT is used in many Thai and Asian recipes. Its flavour is more…

We love a good boiled egg, and we love Clarence Court eggs, our test kitchen standby. Its flock is made up of traditional breeds such as Burford Brown and Cotswold Legbar. The Burfords, with their chestnut shells, have deep golden yolks, while the yolks of the Legbar eggs are wonderfully creamy. Both also deliver richness of flavour, the result of a free-range life spent foraging for food in the fields and an additional diet that contains grains, seashell, paprika and marigold. But never mind all that – how best to boil them? OUR STRICT TEST CONDITIONS We tried three different methods, using medium eggs (50-60g each) and cooking them both hard boiled and soft. The hard-boiled eggs were plunged immediately into a large bowl of cold water to cool quickly…

Goan curry powder MAKES 3 TBSP. HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN MAKE AHEAD The spice mix will keep in a jar in a cupboard for up to a month. Toast 4 tsp coriander seeds, 2 cloves, 1 tsp black peppercorns and ¼ tsp fenugreek in a dry pan over a medium heat for 4 minutes. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp fennel seeds and 2 cardamom pods. Toast for 1 minute until richly fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ tsp turmeric and ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Put the toasted spices in a grinder (or pestle and mortar), then grind to a powder. See the Goan roast chicken on p112…

Expert Patrick McGuigan hails a British classic Now more than ever is the time to support our small food producers, and they don’t come much smaller than Mrs Kirkham’s in Goosnargh. Britain’s last remaining raw-milk Lancashire maker, the company was set up in 1978 by Ruth Kirkham and is now run by her son Graham and his sons, using milk from the family herd. WHAT IT TASTES LIKE Curd from two different days is combined to create a cloth-bound cheese that’s different to factory-made Lancashire. Kirkham’s has a unique fluffy texture and elusive complex flavour. Buttery with a bright lactic tang and a long savoury finish, it’s a cheese that demands your full attention. HOW TO EAT It bubbles up beautifully on Welsh rarebit and is great with Eccles cake.…

SAVE YOUR CITRUS You can squeeze any citrus to make fresh juice, then freeze it to use up later on in recipes. Alternatively, freeze ready-cut slices to use straight from the freezer in your G&T. Alternatively, use up citrus by searching these easy recipes at deliciousmagazine.co.uk: 1 Orange and pomegranate salad with orange blossom cream 2 Spicy guacamole 3 Lemon mousse with candied lemon TRANSFORM STALE BREAD Bread is a passion in our house and sadly we rarely have any left, but when we do I use it to form the basis of many of my favourite recipes. Here are three of them: 1 PANZANELLA SALAD Bake pieces of bread drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper until golden brown, then cool. Meanwhile, make a dressing with one part vinegar…

HOW TO FEED YOUR FAMILY WELL • Low-cost good-for-you recipes that save time – and money • Hearty, healthy salads • 10 ways to save £££s at the supermarket • Need better sleep? More energy? A metabolism boost? Find out the foods that make a difference (VIRTUAL) ESCAPE • Eat brunch out – at home, by Ravinder Bhogal • Olia Hercules’ memories of home – with recipes to match • The summer ingredient you might never have cooked with • Gill Meller’s favourite sunshine recipes DON’T MISS Summer’s must-have new chicken burger for your BBQ PLUS: MEET THE MAN WHO WON MASTERCHEF IN THE MIDDLE OF LOCKDOWN…

As restaurants and caterers closed their doors, London food redistribution charity City Harvest was flooded with donations. A tonne of chicken from Nando’s, steaks from Hawksmoor, whole salmon from sushi chain Wasabi, plus vanfuls of food from Facebook’s onsite restaurants filled the charity’s warehouse shelves 10-deep. The glut amounted to 20 tonnes a day. Extra volunteers, including furloughed hospitality workers, helped process the bounty and double delivery capacity, ensuring the food reached communities. The silver lining of a sad week for the hospitality industry was an extra 225,000 meals provided for London’s most vulnerable. City Harvest has since teamed up with food distribution charities The Felix Project and FareShare to form the London Food Alliance, sharing resources to stock new community hubs with surplus food, ensuring no Londoner goes hungry…

WHAT’S YOUR... GO-TO SNACK Soreen malt loaf with a bit of cheese. That’s banging. DESERT-ISLAND DISH My mum’s tuna pasta bake. It’s got carbs, it’s got protein from the fish and cheese and there are veg as well. DRINK ORDER I like a bramble – a cocktail with gin and blackberry liqueur. That’s the weekend treat. DREAM ALTERNATIVE CAREER An actor in Marvel movies. FAVOURITE CAKE To make: my salted nutter, with peanut butter, caramel and chocolate. To eat: a super good carrot cake.…

BITTER HONEY Chef Letitia Clark moved to Sardinia in 2017 and her homage to its cooking has simple rustic recipes such as slow-cooked courgettes with mint, chilli and almonds. The alfresco photos give the book a sun-drenched warmth that will make you ache to sip an aperitivo in the sun. Hardie Grant, £26 OATS IN THE NORTH, WHEAT FROM THE SOUTH Regula Ysewijn’s beautiful book traces the history of British baking, from buns to gingerbread via the evergreen popularity of tea and toast. Each recipe is a classic (carrot cake, battenberg, picnic pie...), and the text is enriched with historical tidbits. Murdoch Books £25 COCONUT & SAMBAL Though her father was born in Indonesia, Lara Lee didn’t visit the country until adulthood when she set out to rediscover her culinary…

Gnocchi bake EASY SWAPS Use any veg you have in this sauce: peppers, courgettes, green beans and kale. If you can’t find gnocchi use cooked pasta, leftover roast potatoes or tinned butter beans. Satay noodles EASY SWAPS Use any fresh or frozen veg you have to hand instead of the sugar snaps. White cabbage is a vegetable worth stocking up on because it lasts for 2-3 weeks. Fish finger kimchi rice with edamame and a fried egg EASY SWAPS Edamame beans are a fab ingredient to stash in the freezer, but if you prefer you can swap them for frozen peas or beans. Equally, you can leave out the fresh coriander or use frozen, if you like. Pomegranate and sweet potato chicken traybake FOOD TEAM’S TIPS Look out for frozen…

RETRO PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES More than half the good ideas I’ve ever had have been while I’ve been in the bath, engulfed in a rippling haze of Moroccan rose oil. Most of the rest have arrived in my head unbidden, when I’ve been pottering about in my garden, kneading bread, gazing out of the window of the 73 bus, walking my dogs or watching the birds in the cherry tree outside my study window with the tiny pair of binoculars I keep on my desk for exactly that purpose. These gentle moments – when my eyes soften, my shoulders retreat from their full-attention position somewhere around my ears, and I breathe gently into the day – are often the most inspiring and productive of all. Sometimes all it takes is…

ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES While governments consult the best scientists for guidance on how to slow the spread of the coronavirus, one of the most striking features of the public’s initial response was the panic buying and hoarding of essential items such as soap, hand sanitiser, food and toilet paper. This behaviour was decried on social media as purely selfish but – with the exception of the people stockpiling items to sell at exorbitant prices online – I don’t think that’s the full story. Hoarding is often seen in response to psychological distress. If you’ve watched any TV show about hoarders, invariably there’s been some significant loss at the root of it – a shock redundancy, the sudden end of a marriage or the loss of a child. In these cases…

THINKING OF INVESTING IN GOOD KIT? HERE ARE A FEW TIPS FROM THE ONE-PAN EXPERTS • Use a deeper-sided tin for dishes that contain liquid or are self-saucing, say the delicious. food team. • “If it’s a dish you want to finish on the hob, the tin has to be able to take direct heat,” says Diana Henry. • “Look for rounded corners for easy cleaning and a tray with handles, so you can safely transfer it,” says Sue Quinn. • Rukmini Iyer recommends the flattish enamel tins from John Lewis: “Perfect dimensions for easy cooking.”pt…

Creamy chicken casserole PHOTOGRAPH: DAN JONES. FOOD STYLING: ROSIE RAMSDEN. STYLING: MORAG FARQUHAR SERVES 8 (OR 4 TWICE). HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, OVEN TIME 2 HOURS MAKE AHEAD Cook to the end of step 3, then cool, cover and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. • TO FREEZE Transfer the cooled casserole to a large freezerproof plastic container, food bag or foil containers and freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to reheat: If stored in a plastic container or food bag, defrost, then pour into a pan or hob-safe casserole and heat through on the hob until piping hot. If in foil containers, reheat from frozen at 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3 for 50-60 minutes until piping hot. • Vegetable oil for frying • 1 butternut squash, peeled…

“Staying active can help manage stress and support a healthy immune system” It’s well documented that staying physically active has many benefits for our physical and mental health. Government guidelines suggest that, in order to maintain optimal health, we do at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate aerobic activity or one-and-a-quarter hours of vigorous aerobic exercise a week, plus additional bodyweight or strength work twice a week. During the current situation, where so many of us have had our usual exercise routines derailed and are experiencing a level of uncertainty, it can be difficult to establish how to maintain staying reasonably active. First of all, I’d recommend cutting yourself some slack and being more forgiving towards yourself – especially if you don’t feel you have the energy or motivation to train.…

ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES • CHICKEN S+WICH at James Ramsden’s place Sons + Daughters, Coal Drops Yard N1 sonsanddaughterslondon.com • HAM, EGG AND CHIP FOCACCIA at Max’s Sandwich Shop, Crouch Hill N4 maxssandwichshop.com • SUBFATHER at Sub Cult, St Paul’s EC4M subcult.com • PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI, CHARD, OLIVES, FETA AND ALMOND at The Dusty Knuckle Bakery, Dalston E8 thedustyknuckle.com • IBERIAN KATSU SANDO at Tou, Oxford Street W1 arcade-london.com/eat • SMOKED EEL SANDWICH at Quo Vadis, Soho W1 quovadissoho.co.uk • SALT BEEF REUBEN at Monty’s Deli, Shoreditch and Market Halls across London montys-deli.com • CLASSIC SABICH at The Good Egg, Soho and Stoke Newington thegoodegg.co • MUFFULETTA SANDWICH at Sea Containers, South Bank SE1 seacontainerslondon.com…

Dear Gary It feels a bit weird calling you Gary; I still think of you as The Cockatiel, an affectionate family nickname inspired by your trademark spiky hair, which seemed thrillingly exotic when it first popped up on TV in the late 1980s. How delighted you looked to hear the legendary French chef Albert Roux admit, “When I first met you, the hairdo that you had, I thought, he’ll never make a good chef this one. But how wrong I was!” That was during your rather premature episode of This is Your Life a decade later. For my part, I was only six, so I hope you wouldn’t have minded – your excitable presence on screen captured my childish imagination. You made food look like fun; as Prue Leith put…

“My mother has been making these sweets for as long as I can remember, and the recipe is based on one passed down by her mother. When I was young, I used to sit at the kitchen table with her, helping to knead the dough and shape the pastries. As I grew older, I made the filling and was allowed to fry them. RECIPE: DINA BEGUM. PHOTOGRAPH: STUART WEST. FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH. STYLING: DAVINA PERKINS Bangladesh is known for its sweet-making traditions, and narkel [coconut-based sweets] are particularly loved in our family. The secret to the flaky pastry is in the tiny bit of oil added to the dough, along with salt and sugar – the latter helps give these pastries their wonderful golden hue. My mother is…

Only two of you in the house? Every recipe is simple to halve FRENCH MENU FOR 4 Strawberry, lime and elderflower muddle Grilled goat’s cheese salad with warm honey dressing Salmon and spring vegetable stew with persillade Little gems with tarragon and hazelnut dressing Pain perdu with elderflower strawberries and maple cream Your make-it-simple time plan Get your skates on and you can do it all in an hour (but you can take a more leisurely approach) 60 minutes to go: start! Prepare the grilled goat’s cheese salad with warm honey dressing to the end of step 3, while gathering everything else you need for the rest of the dish. 45 minutes to go… Prepare and cook the salmon and spring vegetable stew with persillade to the end of step…

• Remember that reds (as well as delicate whites and rosés) lose their freshness two to three days after opening, so consider buying half bottles or even single-glass bottles so you open a new bottle more often. Drinking like this might help you limit your intake too. • Choose versatile wines to match a wide range of home cooking – I nominate white burgundy (especially a mâcon) and Chile’s smooth pinot noir for effortless food pairing. • Pep up inexpensive fizz with syrups from your storecupboard such as maple syrup or the syrup from a tin of tropical fruit: 1-2 tsp topped up with fizz equals instant cocktail. • Support any local wine merchants doing deliveries – and don’t forget local wineries too, especially during English and Welsh Wine Week (June 20-28), when there’ll…

• We’ve made a no-churn ice cream that’s high in fat, which means it will take longer for the ice cream to melt, buying you a little more time when smothering with meringue and baking. • Freezing the ice cream overnight is vital for a rock-solid centre that won’t melt in the heat of the oven and ruin all your hard work. • The cake recipe is denser than a classic sponge so it can hold the weight of the ice cream and meringue and make cutting and serving easier. • When whisking the sugar into the meringue, make sure the mixture returns to super-stiff peaks before adding more sugar, then whisk for 2-3 minutes more for even stiffer peaks, so you can swirl it into patterns that will hold…

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT You can oven roast the chicken (see tip), but nothing makes this taste better than grilling it over charcoal. The smell of the chicken cooking is guaranteed to pique your appetite. GET THE FLAVOUR RIGHT The brine is the key, pulling flavour into the bird. You want to do this for at least 6 hours or overnight. HOW TO SERVE AND EAT IT Cut the chicken into portions, then serve with sticky rice and fresh coriander, with lime squeezed over, if you like.…

PART 3: Why aroma matters The perfume of a quality wine is a big part of its overall appeal – ignore it, concentrating only on taste, and you’re missing out. But don’t just go sticking your nose in – here’s how to be a good sniffer... 1 Use a glass with a large bowl; fill it only a third full. 2 Swirl the glass to move the liquid around the bowl, which releases its aroma, whooshing it up to your nose. 3 After swirling, take a big sniff, or a series of small sniffs. Think about the aroma of each wine and all the associations it brings. You’ll be surprised how quickly this increases your wine knowledge. A GOOD TIP Practise your sniffing on wines known for their enticing aromas,…

1 Bananas Once mashed, they can take on an egg-like consistency and help bind dry ingredients together. One banana = one egg. You can bake an egg-free version of our classic banana bread simply by leaving out the eggs. Search ‘classic banana bread’ at deliciousmagazine.co.uk. 2 Flaxseed or chia seed Take 1 tbsp flaxseed or chia seeds and mix with 3 tbsp water. Leave to thicken for 15-20 minutes, then use in your recipe. 3 Apple sauce 32g unsweetened apple sauce = 1 egg Cook’s note For savoury batters, try using aquafaba (the liquid found in tinned chickpeas). It’s great as a binding agent if you’re short on eggs. You can also make aquafaba meringue – search ‘vegan pavlova’ at deliciousmagazine.co.uk.…

PASTA PHOTOGRAPHS: LAUREN MCLEAN Classic egg pasta dough SERVES 4 (MAKES ABOUT 500G). HANDS-ON TIME 1 HOUR, PLUS RESTING KNOWHOW  ltalian ‘00’ (or doppio zero) flour has been milled to a super-fine consistency for soft, smooth pasta. This flour is also great for baking and breadmaking. YOU WILL NEED: • 300g Italian ‘00’ flour, plus extra to dust • 3 medium free-range eggs • 2 tbsp olive oil • Semolina flour for dusting (optional) 1 Sift the flour with a good pinch of salt onto a clean work surface in a mound. Make a large well in the centre using the base of the sieve. Crack the eggs into a jug with the oil, whisk to combine, then pour the mixture into the well. 2 With your fingers, gradually incorporate…

I’ve struggled with cooking for years. I love a recipe book and know all sorts of theory, yet in practice it all falls apart. I can bodge simple meals for myself but with a cooking history that plays like a bloopers reel of culinary disasters, I’ve learned to leave cooking to those more capable. “There’s been apple cake, goat curry and even perfectly executed pork chops from the person who last year served up a raw roast chicken for the family” Until coronavirus. Lockdown changed everything. My husband, who usually does the cooking, has been working his normal shifts as a firefighter while I find myself with more time on my hands. My usual excuse that I can’t cook doesn’t quite seem to wash. With time to plan and the…