Table of contents for Feburary 2020 in Delicious UK

PORTRAIT: TREVOR LEIGHTON. PHOTOGRAPH: MIKE ENGLISH How do you view the second month of the year? Do you see it as an endurance test, one step closer to spring, a moment to celebrate the fact that January is over? You may (or not, depending on your point of view) be surprised to know there are a few valiant, glass-half-full souls who consider February the best month of the year – a month for celebrating all that’s good about inside warmth, slouchy socks, marmalade-making, cake-baking, film-watching and a general appreciation of all home can offer. Need convincing? Turn to p32 for Kate Young’s perspective. Even if you don’t agree, her viewpoint challenges perceptions about what so many people see as a bleak month. My view is that February needs an antidote…

THE MOST POPULAR RECIPE ON DELICIOUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK  IN FEBRUARY 2019 Moroccan lamb tagine... What do you think it will be this year? 15,382 views POPULAR ON INSTAGRAM Roast chicken thighs with new potatoes and greens 3,773 likes TOP ON PINTEREST Rhubarb and vanilla sponge pudding 8,499 pins See what other delicious. fans are talking about at facebook.com/ deliciousmagazineuk Follow us at twitter.com/ deliciousmag Follow us at instagram. com/deliciousmag Follow us on pinterest. co.uk/deliciousmaguk…

1516 Queen Mary 1 of England was born. She reigned from 1553 to her death in 1558, during which time she had hundreds of Protestant dissenters burned at the stake, earning her the nickname Bloody Mary. The same name was later used for a cocktail. 1709 Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was rescued from an uninhabited island in the South Pacific. He was marooned following a fight with his captain, and inspired Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe – the tale of an adventurer stranded on a desert island who lived on goat, grapes and turtle eggs. 1926 Paul Bocuse was born in Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, France. The legendary chef became one of the founders of nouvelle cuisine – and the Bocuse d’Or chef championship named after him has become one of the world’s…

Restaurants have been the canvas on which I have painted the most important scenes of my life – from falling in and out of love to job interviews, forging friendships, playing over family dramas, exchanging scandals and deciding who will live and who will die (oh, sorry, that was an episode of The Sopranos). When I was in my early 20s, consuming platters of oysters amid the clatter of Les Deux Magots in Paris, or devouring Sunday morning eggs benedict on the Upper West Side of New York, restaurants opened up the world to me. As newlyweds in London, my husband and I often went to a little bistro in the heart of Marylebone that he’d gone to since he was a boy. We’d turn up, Bruno the owner would…

SMART SHORTCUT Here’s an easy way to inject some taste: flavoured butters from M&S’s new Cook With range, which features products designed to pep up midweek meals. Stir truffle butter into fried mushrooms; melt peppercorn butter or garlic, herb and shallot butter over meat or fish; or just spread on good bread for a simple poshed-up starter. £2 for 100g, Marks & Spencer CONDIMENT OF THE MONTH Shrove Tuesday falls on 25 February this year and we recommend drizzling your pancakes (see p102) with Billington’s single-origin Amber maple syrup: it’s light, delicate and fragrant. Save the deep and intense Very Dark maple syrup, also new, for cooking with. Each is produced by a small family farm in Québec. £6.99 for 260g, Waitrose GLUTEN-FREE WINNER Slim, dunkable biscuits in four individual…

“Classic fresh flavours combine forces in a fish dish that’s simple to prepare and quick to cook – plus there’s minimal washing up involved. Chill a good bottle of white wine and you’ll soon be enjoying a supper fit for a king.”JEN BEDLOE, FOOD EDITOR Roast sea bream with fennel, sourdough and preserved lemons SERVES 2. HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN, OVEN TIME 35 MIN KNOWHOW Preserved lemons have been pickled in brine and add a citrussy boost to dishes. You’ll find them in delis and large supermarkets. See The Knowledge for more tips on how to use them. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Use the best fish available from your fishmonger on the day. Currently the Marine Conservation Society suggests good quality farmed sea bream are the most sustainable choice. • 1…

PHOTOGRAPHS AND ILLUSTRATIONS: JESSIE WHEALEY, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES SWEET POTATOES Sweet and comforting, filling and versatile: there’s a lot to love about sweet potatoes. Happily, these radiant root veg are nourishing, too. Just 80g – about one medium sweet potato – counts as one of your five-a-day. The orange ones (there are white varieties, too) are particularly rich in fibre, as well as beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A when eaten. How to enjoy Because they’re sweeter and ‘wetter’ than standard potatoes when cooked, less butter or milk is needed to whip up smooth and creamy mash. Thanks to the natural sugars in sweet potatoes, they caramelise beautifully when chopped and roasted: include them in leaf or grain-based salads, or add to stock and whizz to make soup. Find…

ROSS DOBSON’S STORY “I use my slow cooker to make healthy meals that are packed with flavour. And by ‘healthy’ I don’t mean following fads. I find inspiration in the freshness of Indian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and North African flavours. Clean chilli heat, aromatic herbs and spices, full-throttle flavours and layered spice blends work so well in a slow cooker. With little conscious effort, much of the food I make in my slow cooker is also gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian.” ROSS DOBSON The Australian chef, food stylist and prolific cookbook author already has 13 books to his name. When he’s not writing, he’s kept busy as the chef/owner of two Sydney restaurants, Cafe at Lewers and The Union tapas bar. There’s never a dull moment… Fragrant lamb and orzo casserole…

1 THE RIGHT RATIO The volume of milk will vary slightly depending on the absorbency of your flour – you’re looking for a batter with the consistency of single cream. You can double or treble the master recipe to make as many pancakes as you need. 2 A GOOD REST Letting the batter rest for a few hours allows the gluten to relax and the starch in the flour to soak up the liquid. The result is a softer, lighter pancake. 3 THE RIGHT PAN Use a heavy-based, non-stick frying pan, as it will distribute a constant, even heat. A shallow lip means you don’t have to get too much height when flipping and you’re less likely to catch the pancake on the edge as it settles back down into…

SPEEDY PREP To prepare the Italian brassica cavolo nero, hold the stalk in one hand, grasp both leafy sides – folding the leaf – then pull the stalk away (discard stalks if woody or chop and cook for an extra 2 minutes). Cook briefly in boiling water, then refresh in cold water. Serve with butter or whizz to a purée with olive oil to add to risotto and pasta. THE FOOD HACK Watch how to slice and fan an avocado to serve with brunch egg dishes or simply to jazz up your avocado on toast. See the video now at deliciousmagazine.co.uk/skills TREND TO TRY: ORANGE WINE WHAT IS IT? A wine made from white grapes in which the pressed grape juice is kept in lengthy contact with the skins during…

“The taste and texture of oysters vary hugely depending on where they’re grown; it’s worth trying ones from different regions to compare the flavour. If you have an oyster knife, shucking (the technical term for opening some shellfish) is easy to do. If you don’t have a shucking knife, you can put Pacific oysters in a hot oven for a few moments and they will open naturally – but they will be cooked.” EQUIPMENT I recommend using an oyster knife as I find it easier to fit the sharp point in the hinge of the oyster, which prevents it slipping out. Shucking is easy to do: just take a deep breath, then follow my instructions. PHOTOGRAPHS: DAVID CHARBIT KNOW-HOW Also sold as rock oysters or Japanese oysters, Pacific oysters are…

VEGGIE RECIPE Halloumi fries SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN Cut 250g halloumi into fingers, drizzle with a little sunflower oil, then toss in a bowl with 4 tbsp polenta combined with 1 tsp za’atar spice mix until well coated. Heat 2cm sunflower oil in a medium heavy-based saucepan. When hot, shallow fry the halloumi pieces until the polenta turns crisp and the cheese becomes soft and oozy, turning when one side is golden. Serve with a drizzle of greek yogurt and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped fresh coriander, with sweet chilli sauce on the side for dipping. PER SERVING 327kcals, 23.8g fat (11.4g saturated), 16.2g protein, 11.7g carbs (1g sugars), 1.9g salt, 0.8g fibre…

Enjoy the royal treatment with a stay at AA four-star The Woburn Hotel, located on Bedfordshire’s Woburn Abbey Estate, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford. Our winner and guest will enjoy two nights in a luxurious cottage suite, with a chilled bottle of champagne on arrival and a full English breakfast each morning. On one evening you’ll enjoy a four-course dinner in The Woburn Hotel’s two AA Rosette restaurant, Olivier’s, where executive chef Olivier Bertho pulls inspiration from classic French and British cuisines to create dishes with quality local produce. And the feasting doesn’t stop there. On your second evening, you’ll get to experience a memorable culinary journey at Paris House, the award-winning three AA Rosette restaurant on the estate, with chef-owner Phil Fanning’s eight-course modern British…

PHOTOGRAPHS: CLARE LEWINGTON, MATT RUSSELL He may not be a household name – yet – but Doug McMaster has been instrumental in getting across the zero-waste message, inspiring esteemed chefs such as Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York State and Christian Puglisi of Relæ in Copenhagen. Disrupting restaurant norms is McMaster’s stock in trade. And the food? Dishes such as shiitake mushrooms with dumplings and mustard taste as good as they sound – and they look beautiful, too. Back in 2012, Doug, who’s worked at St John and The Fat Duck, was challenged to run a pop-up restaurant without a bin. While making shortbread, he realised he’d need to source the raw, unpackaged ingredients directly from farmers. “It was the most delicious shortbread I’ve ever…

Pizza al taglio SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN, OVEN TIME 20 MIN, PLUS PROVING MAKE AHEAD Make the dough to the end of step 1, then cover and chill overnight or for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before continuing from step 3. FOOD TEAM’S TIP This pizza has a thick base – if you prefer it thinner, halve the yeast and sugar. FOR THE DOUGH • 2 x 7g sachets fast-action dried yeast (see tip) • 4 tsp caster sugar • 450g plain flour • 10g salt FOR THE TOPPINGS • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to grease and drizzle • 250ml tomato passata • 20g parmesan, finely grated • 6 marinated artichoke halves, drained and torn into pieces • 6 anchovy fillets in…

“Some vegetables – I’m thinking carrots, potatoes, parsnips and cabbage – are dependable; always there when you need them. Then there’s the onion, which stands apart, like a culinary overlord. From a cook’s point of view, it’s everywhere. It’s the whisper you can barely distinguish in a complex stew, it’s the warmth you feel from a gravy-rich pie on a cold winter’s evening. It ghosts its way through myriad dishes with unmatched magic and subtlety. The onion is the foundation of the familiar, the unusual and everything in between. Without it, I’d be lost at sea, adrift in a becalmed kitchen with no direction home. Sometimes I wonder if the harmony the onion creates behind the scenes is taken for granted. Should we celebrate this wonderful vegetable more often and…

THE WELCOME DRINK Mulled chai cider SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN MAKE AHEAD Mull the cider and cool a day ahead, then gently reheat to serve. FOOD TEAM’S TIP For a hot drink that’s not boozy, this is equally good made with apple juice. • 2 litres medium-dry cider (see food team’s tip) • 125ml apple liqueur (optional) • 8-10 chai teabags • 2-4 tbsp soft brown sugar • Thinly pared zest 1 orange • Thinly pared zest 1 lemon • 1 apple, quartered, cored and thinly sliced 1 Put the cider, apple liqueur (if using), teabags, 2 tbsp of the brown sugar and half the pared orange and lemon zest in a saucepan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring, then simmer very gently for 2 minutes. 2 Remove…

USE YOUR FREEZER • You might be amazed by what you can freeze – and how late in the day you can do so. WRAP’s survey found 20 per cent of us don’t think we can freeze eggs, 17 per cent don’t realise we can freeze milk and 16 per cent don’t know cheese and even fruit can be frozen. • With the exception of milk, which should be frozen immediately, you can freeze all of the above – and meat and fish – right up until the use-by date. Eggs need to be lightly whisked. Separated yolks and whites left over from recipes can also be frozen – in freezerproof containers, labelled with the number of eggs/whites/yolks – and used within 3 months. • You can freeze potatoes, too:…

Golden syrup pudding with pistachio crumble SERVES 6-8. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR • 125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing • 165g caster sugar • Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon • 1 tsp fresh lemon thyme leaves, chopped • 4 medium free-range eggs, separated • 100g plain flour • 250ml unsweetened almond milk • 300g golden syrup FOR THE PISTACHIO CRUMBLE • 60g slightly salted butter, cold and cubed • 75g plain flour • 75g light brown sugar • 40g rolled oats • Finely grated zest 1 lemon • 50g unsalted pistachios, chopped YOU’LL ALSO NEED… • Electric mixer; baking tray lined with compostable nonstick baking paper; 35cm x 23cm baking dish, greased; deep roasting tin 1 Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/…

Winter citrus, chicken and halloumi salad SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN MAKE IT VEGGIE Replace the chicken with sliced avocado or another pouch of mixed grains. • 75g walnut halves • 200g halloumi, sliced • 2½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing • 1 cooked chicken breast, sliced • 2 tbsp dukkah, plus extra to sprinkle • Juice ½ lemon • 2 oranges, peeled and sliced, plus juice 1 orange • 200g cooked mixed grains, heated • 2 large celery sticks (with leaves), sliced • 60g baby kale or baby salad leaves • 4 tbsp pomegranate seeds 1 In a non-stick frying pan, toast the nuts for a few minutes until they’re fragrant, then set aside. Brush the halloumi with oil, put in the hot frying pan and…

SHOPPING TROLLEY Dried red lentils are easy to cook and packed with protein, iron, fibre and B vitamins. Use them to add substance to stews and curries, and as a base for delicious spiced dhals and thick, comforting soups. DIETRIBES The cider vinegar diet Wellness websites claim a spoonful or two of cider vinegar can cause fat to melt away. The truth? Animal studies have found acetic acid – the active compound in vinegar – might promote fat loss, but research in humans is lacking. “In all, the scientific evidence isn’t compelling,” according to Harvard Medical School. If you must, limit intake and drink vinegar diluted or in salad dressings, as it can erode tooth enamel and exacerbate acid reflux. WHAT THE PAPERS SAY “TWO DIET DRINKS A DAY COULD…

OUT: SUGARY BREAKFASTS IN: SAVOURY BREAKFAST Manufacturers of breakfast cereal have persuaded us that the first meal of the day must be sweet. But savoury breakfasts can be just as speedy and more nutritious. Although they’re often fortified with nutrients, breakfast cereals are often highly processed and stuffed with sugar. CONSIDER A SAVOURY PORRIDGE: just add leftover cooked veg, grated cheese and herbs, and a poached egg. Or top wholemeal toast with smoked salmon or tinned sardines.…

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH. PHOTOGRAPH: MAJA SMEND. STYLING: TONY HUTCHINSON The recipe SERVES 8. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 1½ HOURS, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR 50-55 MIN, PLUS OVERNIGHT SOAKING MAKE AHEAD Once soaked and drained, cover the beans and keep chilled for up to 24 hours. Prepare and cover the veg up to 24 hours ahead. Complete step 1 up to 2 days ahead. Once cooled, cover and chill the beans until needed. FOOD TEAM’S TIPS When cooking the beans, skim off any scum that forms on the surface and top up with boiling water as needed to keep the beans well submerged. We used ready-cooked tinned confit duck legs from Bespoke Foods (from Waitrose and Ocado). If you want to confit your own duck legs,…

Pad pak tat soi fae daeng (stir-fried Thai-style tat soi) SERVES 4 AS A SIDE. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN “Traditionally, this is made with Thai morning glory (pak boong), which you can find in Asian supermarkets. Here, I’m using tat soi, found in some supermarkets and online at Ocado. It has the requisite balance of bite in the stem and wilt in the leaves. Pak choi does not. Depending on the season, I’ve also made this with fine asparagus, which worked very well. Shredded cabbage would work too.” KNOW-HOW Yellow bean sauce, also sold as salted soy beans, is a sweet-salty sauce made from salted and fermented yellow soy beans. We used Woh Hup, available from Asian supermarkets and wingyip.com. • 4 small garlic cloves, peeled • 1 long red…

AREN’T TOMATOES A SUMMER FRUIT? Usually, yes, but these are varieties suited to the Mediterranean winter season. WHERE ARE THEY GROWN? Most come from Andalucía, Sardinia and Sicily. Available from December to May, winter toms reach their peak now. The lower winter levels of sunshine and cold nights mean the tomatoes have to work hard to ripen, maturing slowly from the inside out. TASTE & TEXTURE They have an intense flavour and a firm texture. In some areas they’re fed slightly salty water. This makes the tomatoes smaller and boosts the flavour, which is more umami than sweet. They’re best suited to salads. WINTER VARIETIES (from natoora.com and ocado.com) Marinda (Sicily): a flavourful winter tomato, crunchy and tart with a fluted body. Camone (Sardinia): crunchy with a hint of a…

• Havgrim Seaside Hotel on the seafront in Tórshavn has cosy rooms kitted out with swanky accessories. Doubles from £255. hotelhavgrim.fo • Stay at Gásadalsgarður Guesthouse in remote Gásadalur and you can wake up to the views of Múlafossur Waterfall. Doubles from £80. facebook.com/gasadalsgardur GETTING THERE Daily flights to the Faroe Islands (from Copenhagen to Vágar) cost from £185pp return with Atlantic Airways (atlantic.fo). From March to December, Atlantic Airways operates twice-weekly flights from Edinburgh from £185pp return; Atlantic Airways also flies direct from Paris. For more information, see visitfaroeislands.com…

ALL THE COOKERY INSPIRATION YOU NEED • The world’s best egg recipes, sweet and savoury – including breakfast Yorkshire pud! • Barnstorming bank holiday baking – are you ready for hot-cross millionaire’s shortbread? • Vivek Singh’s Indian feasting menu for a special celebration • A dream team of chefs and food writers create the ultimate Easter lunch MASTERCLASS: BACON BOULANGÈRE AND PROPER THAI SOUPS SO MANY GOOD THINGS TO READ... • A golden-age Hollywood musical, a grand TV dinner and a good bottle of wine – that’s Friday night sorted • Why the pasty isn’t really Cornish – and other food myths • Do we need to wake up to the dangers of caffeine? TRAVEL: DRINK IN THE MAGIC OF NEW ORLEANS PLUS Delia’s chocolate bread and butter pudding (need…

PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES/H ARMSTRONG ROBERTS There’s a Pancake Day display in my local supermarket. Lined up on the shelves are ‘pancake pans’, bottles of ‘pancake mix’, plastic lemons filled with something that was – presumably – once lemon juice, jars of chocolate spread and packs of ready-made crepes. You need to really hunt around the store to find the only items necessary to make pancakes: flour, eggs, milk. For carb lovers and connoisseurs of low-budget fried things, Pancake Day is a highlight of the culinary calendar. It involves no gifts, no expensive outlay, no weeks of planning, just a frying pan and ingredients you almost certainly have in your cupboards. Yet Shrove Tuesday has been hijacked by the marketeers. They’re trying to convince us that making pancakes is somehow a…

He’s the chef of the two-Michelin-star London institution Bibendum, but Claude Bosi’s kitchen debut was far from successful. “The first dish I tried to cook was a fried egg – I was 12,” he recalls. “The pan caught fire, so I threw water on it – that’s when I learned: oil and water do not go well together! I nearly burned the kitchen down.” Growing up in Lyon, where his Italian parents ran a bistro, Bosi recalls how lucky he was to be able to nip home from school for the plat du jour. “Mum made fantastic dishes, such as quenelles de brochet (pike dumplings),” he reminisces. With such a food-focused upbringing Bosi’s path to chefdom seems unsurprising, but he says it took a stint in a brasserie early in…

COOK’S KIT: TESTED We’ve been putting the leather aprons made by Witloft through their paces in our development kitchen. THE UPSIDE These are aprons to last a lifetime – durable and beautifully made. THE DOWNSIDE They’re a bit heavy/ bulky and take a while to soften up, but the company has just launched a lighter, smaller version that’s more immediately wearable, especially if you have a small frame. Look out for the knife rolls and leather kit, too. Witloft Comfort apron, £139.95, witloft.com MEET THE CRAFTER Jemma Taylor of Old Man & Magpie makes evocatively scented soy candles. She lives with her partner, furniture maker Garry (the ‘old man’), and her daughter Esme (nicknamed Magpie) in Manchester. delicious. STAR  HOW IT ALL BEGAN Originally I was a clothing designer, but…

Onions are particularly good in winter, bringing much joy to the kitchen through the leaner months, of which February is definitely one. That said, there’s still a wealth of seasonal ingredients to inspire your cold-weather cooking… • Parsnips, celeriac and swede won’t be at their peak for much longer now, so mash, roast, purée, bake and generally cook the heck out of them while you still can. • English white and red cabbages are coming to an end too, but it’s easy to preserve them for the months ahead. Look for ‘a simple fermented cabbage recipe’ in the winter recipe section at gillmeller.com and find other cabbage recipes at deliciousmagazine.co.uk. • Line-caught cod, rock oysters and brown crab all thrive in the cold waters of winter, so now’s a good…

Egg-in-the-hole with bacon and avocado SERVES 2. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN • 8 rashers free-range British streaky bacon • 4 thick slices good quality bread • Olive oil for frying • 2 medium free-range eggs • Butter for spreading • 1 ripe avocado • Juice 1 lime • Small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve • Your favourite sauce to serve (we like sriracha chilli sauce) YOU’LL ALSO NEED… • Heart-shaped cookie cutter; large non-stick ovenproof frying pan 1 Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6. Put the bacon in a single layer on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until crisp. Set aside (keep warm), then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. 2 Using the heart-shaped cookie cutter, stamp…

PORTRAIT: TREVOR LEIGHTON. FOOD PHOTOGRAPH: GARETH MORGANS. FOOD STYLING: JEN BEDLOE. STYLING: DAVINA PERKINS “Recipe writing has to involve all levels of cooking for all occasions. In attempting to pick out what has been the most commented on, I would instantly have to say this one wins the prize by a mile, for what has come to be known as a midweek, not too expensive, family recipe. Even now I meet people who still make it from when it was first published in my small paperback called Frugal Food in 1976. It obviously needs to be made with good quality sausages. I still buy Lane Farm sausages (lanefarm.co.uk), which are made locally, but a good supermarket brand is Powters Newmarket sausages. For me, serving this with mash is non-negotiable. My…

THE BARGAIN RED Morrisons The Best Bordeaux Supérieur 2017, France (£6.75) For the price, this is a thoroughly decent, easy-going claret (aka red bordeaux). Medium-bodied with a soft, red cherry flavour, it’s one for lamb chops. THE BARGAIN WHITE Tesco Viña del Cura Rioja Blanco 2018, Spain (£5) A modern, unoaked white rioja, bright and lively with a streak of tangy lime. Versatile vino to enjoy on its own or with simple fish dishes and vegetable risottos. THE MIDWEEK TREAT Robert Oatley Chardonnay 2017, Margaret River, Australia (£12, Co-op) An Aussie chardonnay that cleverly balances juicy peach and citrus fruit with subtle vanilla-tinged oak. Made for buttery, pan-fried salmon steaks or roast chicken. RED FOR A WINTER STEW Warwick Cape Lady Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Western Cape, South Africa (£8.75, Morrisons)…

“The brain needs good nutrition to function properly” An article published in The British Journal of Psychiatry in 2002 should have shaken the UK criminal justice system. A randomised trial found that providing prisoners with nutritional supplements (omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals) resulted in them committing 37 per cent fewer violent offences, and 26 per cent fewer offences overall. Those remarkable results have since been replicated. Twice. This research is important. According to a Ministry of Justice report, assaults on prison staff rose to an all-time high in 2018, increasing by 29 per cent; self-harm went up by 23 per cent and there were 10 per cent more deaths in custody, compared to the previous 12 months. Why should nutrition have such an effect? Because the brain requires optimal…

ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGES/FILO/KBEIS/CUTEOLGA “Vitamin D’s role in human health is complex, not completely understood and hotly debated” In the darker months between October and March, there’s insufficient sunlight in the UK for the human body to make vitamin D. According to the 2018 National Diet and Nutrition Survey, around 17 per cent of British adults have inadequate levels of vitamin D, which is why Public Health England advises people to take vitamin D supplements for at least part of the year. Doctors agree vitamin D helps maintain healthy bones, teeth and muscles, but beyond this, opinions differ. Many doctors and dietitians believe supplements are a good idea because vitamin D needs are difficult to meet through diet alone during the darker months. Others argue supplements are unnecessary for healthy people…

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT A proper wok is essential. It won’t cost much, yet it will last. Make sure you season it correctly before using for the first time (see below). HOW TO PREPARE AND SEASON A NEW WOK Before using a new wok for the first time, you may have to first scrub off a protective layer in hot soapy water, or you may have to burn the layer off over a flame – check the manufacturer’s instructions to see what they advise. Next you have to season the wok: heat it over a high flame until hot, then add a couple of tablespoons of oil, moving it around the wok until the inside has turned completely black. Set aside to cool, then discard the oil, wipe the wok clean with…

1. SLICE the skin from 2 preserved lemons (discard the flesh), then toss with just-cooked couscous, a handful of toasted chopped hazelnuts/walnuts, chopped fresh coriander, flatleaf parsley and mint, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside fish or chicken. 2. ADD finely sliced preserved lemon skin and a dash of its brine to a classic vinaigrette dressing and drizzle over a mixed green salad. 3. STIR finely sliced preserved lemon skin into greek yogurt with a pinch of salt and pepper, grated cucumber, crushed garlic and freshly chopped mint as a twist on tzatziki. 4. MIX finely chopped skin from 2 preserved lemons with 1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin and ½ tsp paprika, then use as a rub for lamb skewers before…

In most countries, home cooking is often the best food you will taste and it’s no different on the Faroe Islands. Oli and Anna run a sensational supper club or heimablídni, on Saturday nights at their home in the picturesque village of Velbastaður. Our group of eight took a seat in their Scandi-cool kitchen, overlooking the ocean, and tucked into an epic feast of heavenly cooking. We started with silky soft salmon tartare, then dived into a dish of salt cod and potatoes (see p121). The finale was a huge leg of lamb, roasted with wild herbs and served with spiced red cabbage and caramelised potatoes. Each course is served with a beer from their local brewery, Okkara , meaning ‘ours’. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the…