Table of contents for April 2020 in Delicious UK

PORTRAIT: TREVOR LEIGHTON. PHOTOGRAPH: TOBY SCOTT Sunshineand a good fix of it – that’s what we need. Surely this is the month when the water table will start to sink back to normal levels and that yellow orb in the sky will show its face for more than 10 per cent of daylight hours. Among those hopes there are certainties: the days are already noticeably longer and fuzzy buds are  appearing on the trees, bringing with them the promise of new life. Our April issue is packed with inspiration and the green shoots of spring. If you like a labour-of-love baking session and want to make a treat, I can’t recommend more highly the recipe for cinnamon buns on p105. During testing, the smell emanating from the delicious. kitchen was…

SIGN UP for our reader panel and have more of a say in your favourite magazine. From time to time, we’ll email you to ask you to take part in surveys on various aspects of the magazine, website, podcast and more. Join at deliciousmagazine.co.uk/readerpanel EMAIL US at info@deliciousmagazine.co.uk WRITE TO US by post at delicious. magazine, Eye to Eye Media Ltd, Axe & Bottle Court, 70 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1YT PS LOOKING FOR FEBRUARY’S CRYPTIC CLUE SOLUTION? Find it on our puzzle page, Cuppa Time, on p126 STAR EMAIL PRIZE * Our star email wins a £50 voucher from The English Wine Collection. If you want buy the finest English wines or catch up on the latest wine news, visit The English Wine Collection website. With an unmatched…

In association with The Good Food Guide The Spärrows Manchester; thesparrows.me WHERE Newly relocated to a permanent site in the city’s Green Quarter. THE SETTING This charming endeavour is simply but stylishly tricked out with white walls, concrete floors and chunky oak tables. THE DISHES Named after the bird shapes that form when spätzle batter hits hot water, this is the place for dumplings – gnocchi, pierogi, pelmeni and, of course, spätzle – as well as freshly cut pasta and chunks of pillowy focaccia. Mix and match sauces go with gnocchi or the light but uniquely comforting ‘little sparrows’ – perhaps a trad mix of emmental and gruyère or a classic bolognese. Beers, wine and sakes have been chosen to cut through the richness. PRICE £15 (three-course dinner excluding drinks)…

1896 The first modern Olympics opened in Athens, revived after more than 1,500 years. A baker, Coroebus of Elis, was recorded as winning the sprint at the first Olympics, way back in 776 BC. 1952 Anne Frank’s diary was first published in English, seven years after her death, and included the poignant quote: “As long as you’re in the food business, why not make sweets?” 1961 After more than 150 years of British rule, Sierra Leone won its independence. The date is celebrated with feasts of saka, a cassava leaf soup, and groundnut stew. 1973 Pablo Picasso suffered heart failure during dinner. The great Spanish artist spent most of his life in France and was known to love a Spanish-French fusion dish – tortilla niçoise. 1993 Buckingham Palace opened its…

PHOTOGRAPHS: DAVID LOFTUS, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES SUMMER AND WINTER I grew up in upstate New York. There we had very hot summers (blueberries, corn on the cob, being outside) and beautiful autumns (wonderful colours in the trees, pumpkins for Halloween, freezing cold days). I once lived in Los Angeles for a while and missed that contrast. MY FRIEND ROSE Rose and I met because she did her A-Levels at the same sixth-form college as my husband, Richard [Rogers, the acclaimed architect]. Opening the restaurant in 1987 was a leap of faith. It helped that it was such a tiny space. Richard designed it for us, and the size meant we could grow alongside it. Rose was a courageous cook – she was happy to make mistakes. Her forte was Tuscan food…

’Nduja, ricotta and lemon stuffed chicken with sourdough and greens SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN, OVEN TIME 25-31 MIN MAKE AHEAD Prepare the stuffed chicken up to a day ahead to the end of step 2, cover and chill. KNOWHOW Chicken supremes are chicken breasts with the small fillet and upper wing bone still attached. They’re available from good butchers, but if you can’t find them, use large skin-on chicken breasts instead. ’Nduja is a spicy spreadable salami from Calabria, available from Waitrose and delis. If you’re not a fan of hot food, use a smaller amount than specified in the recipe. • 100g ’nduja (see Know-how) • 150g ricotta • Finely grated zest 2 lemons • 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves • 6 free-range skin-on chicken supremes,…

Winter tests my patience. I begin, around about November, by loving it – mainly as an excuse for new knitwear, pies for every meal, and sloth. But then it goes on and on, like a bad vicar at a wedding. Round about now, I come out blinking into the light, in desperate need of an emergency pedicure and inordinately grateful for every squeaky green bud, every froth of blossom. One of winter’s great benefits is that I can spend most of it in the kitchen: “No, I really can’t come out tonight as I am perfecting my muhammara, so sorry, bye.” I put another log on the fire, postpone combing my hair as a treat for another day and embrace the restorative nature of cooking. It’s what I call my…

Roast new potatoes SERVES 4-6. HAND-ON TIME 5 MIN, OVEN TIME 45 MIN Heat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Cook 1.5kg new potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain, then lightly crush with a fork, keeping the potatoes’ shape but breaking the skins in places. Meanwhile, heat a roasting tin with 110ml olive oil in the oven. Carefully add the potatoes and 1½ tbsp semolina (the oil may spit), toss to coat, then season generously. Return the tin to the oven for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are golden, tossing a few times during cooking. PER SERVING (FOR 6) 312kcals, 14.6g fat (2.2g saturated), 4.7g protein, 43.2g carbs (3.1g sugars), 0.1g salt, 0.8g fibre Sprouting broccoli with garlic breadcrumbs SERVES 4-6. HANDS-ON TIME…

Publishing phenomenon Jamie Oliver has dominated cookbook sales, with books for healthy eating making their mark, too… 1 JAMIE’S 30-MINUTE MEALS by Jamie Oliver (2010; Michael Joseph) 1.87m 2 LEAN IN 15: 15 Minute Meals and Workouts to Keep You Lean and Healthy by Joe Wicks (2015; Bluebird) 1.36m 3 FIVE INGREDIENTS: Quick & Easy Food by Jamie Oliver (2017; Michael Joseph) 1.12m 4 JAMIE’S 15-MINUTE MEALS by Jamie Oliver (2012; Michael Joseph) 1.1m 5 JAMIE’S ITALY by Jamie Oliver (2005; Michael Joseph) 846,617 6 JAMIE’S MINISTRY OF FOOD: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours by Jamie Oliver (2008; Michael Joseph) 832,043 7 THE HAIRY DIETERS : How to Love Food & Lose Weight by Dave Myers and Si King (2012; Weidenfeld & Nicolson) 831,140 8 NIGELLA EXPRESS…

“Two things here. One is that, in my opinion, the best sauce in classic French cuisine is hollandaise – a sauce made with whipped butter and eggs with a hint of lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Vive la France! However, what it is best served with is English asparagus, the flavour of which has not yet been matched by that of any other country. PORTRAIT: TREVOR LEIGHTON. FOOD PHOTOGRAPH: MAJA SMEND.FOOD STYLING: KATY MCCLELLAND. STYLING: TONY HUTCHINSON As a cookery writer wanting to make things easier for people with no cooking skills, the challenge in this case was that classic hollandaise needs a certain amount of skill, as adding melted butter to egg yolks to form an emulsification is fraught with the  possibility of curdling, in which case there’s…

The honeybee is in trouble. Along with other pollinators, its habitats are being lost to agriculture, urbanisation and deforestation. There are other threats, too: pollutants and pesticides, climate change, diseases and invasive species. It’s not a pretty picture. A study published last year surveyed beekeepers in 36 countries, including the UK, and found that of over half a million honeybee colonies, 16 per cent were lost during the winter of 2017-2018. Northern Ireland and England reported losses above 25 per cent. In the USA, 50 billion honeybees died last winter – that’s a shocking one third of all commercial bees. We should be worried. As Simon Potts, professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Science at Reading University, says, “Pollinators such as honeybees are essential for our food production and food security.…

Honey was mankind’s original luxury food Dale Gibson of Bermondsey Street Bees looks after 84 hives across London and beyond. He promotes sustainable beekeeping and supplies chefs with award-winning honey. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? You can have knowledge about bees, like knowing chess moves, but, like chess, the combination of moves is infinite. As a beekeeper, you have to tune your sensitivity to the bees’ vibrations and be aware of the things they’re communicating between themselves. IS URBAN BEEKEEPING TRICKY? Making sure there’s enough food for bees to eat is really important in London because we have the largest, most dense population of honeybees in Europe. Everybody thinks flowers are what bees need, but trees and shrubs are their main source of nutrition, so we plant those.…

Sip, sip hooray, for a new book on some overlooked stars of the drinks world: vermouth, sherry, madeira and Sicily’s wonderful marsala. Strong, Sweet & Dry by Becky Sue Epstein (Reaktion Books £25) delves into the complex history of these aromatic fortified wines (as well as some more obscure ones such as Portugal’s carcavelos) and makes a case for the current revival among mixologists. This is a serious book, crammed with facts, but it’s clearly written, with some intriguing glimpses into the past, plus there’s a section on cocktails for getting more out of these vinous gems.…

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: JEN BEDLOE. PHOTOGRAPH: DAVID CHARBIT. STYLING: LUIS PERAL The recipe SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, OVEN TIME 2½-3 HOURS MAKE AHEAD Make the carbonnade up to 2 days in advance, then cover and chill. Or freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container, then defrost fully overnight in the fridge. To serve, reheat on the hob until piping hot. • Olive oil for frying • 250g British outdoor-bred bacon lardons • 2 onions, sliced • 1kg British chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 3-4cm chunks (see tips) • 3 tbsp plain flour • 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tbsp tomato purée • 1 tbsp dijon mustard, plus extra to serve • 1 x 330ml bottle Belgian beer (see tips) • 400-500ml beef…

1 GOOD-QUALITY MAYO Classic recipes for marie rose sauce call for homemade mayonnaise, but these days you can buy good quality stuff. We used Stokes Real Mayonnaise, available in larger supermarkets. 2 TOMATO KETCHUP You might not think of yourself as a red sauce person but it’s essential here – the tangy sweetness blends with the creamy mayo to perfection. 3 CAYENNE PEPPER OVER TABASCO Tabasco is fantastic in many settings (particularly tomato salsa), but the cayenne here adds a smoky rather than fruity heat that cuts through the creaminess of the mayonnaise perfectly. 4 PLUMP PRAWNS You need to buy the best quality. We used a mixture of the tiny North Atlantic prawns and meatier tiger/king prawns to add textural interest, but you can choose whatever prawns you like…

Whole steamed fish with pickled plums (pla neung kiem buoy) SERVES 2 (OR 4 AS PART OF A THAI MEAL). HANDS-ON TIME 10 MIN, COOKING TIME 20 MIN MAKE AHEAD Prepare the fish, sauce and garnish up to 4 hours ahead and chill. Assemble and cook the fish to serve. FOOD TEAM’S TIP If you don’t have a steamer, heat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan/gas 6. At step 3, put the fish on a plate in a roasting tin, cover with foil, then bake for 15 minutes and continue with step 4. • 1 whole fish, about 400g (pomfret is traditional, but tilapia and sea bass work well), scaled and gutted • 3 pickled plums in brine and 1 tbsp of their liquid (if using umeboshi just add 1…

PHOTOGRAPHY MAJA SMEND AND MIKE ENGLISH Tristan champions a no-food-waste approach at his restaurant, Parker’s Tavern in Cambridge. In this, the first of a series focusing on ways to cut food waste, he shares his tips, gleaned from years spent in restaurant kitchens, to make the most of every last scrap. EASY CHICKEN STOCK Pick any remaining meat from the chicken carcass and set aside in an airtight container in the fridge, then break up the bones, along with any skin and fat you have left over, and add to the tin you roasted the chicken in (so you don’t waste any flavour). Add any root vegetable peelings and herb stalks you have from preparing the meal, cover with water, then put on the hob and simmer gently for a…

CJ JACKSON IS SEAFISH UK AMBASSADOR AND PRINCIPAL OF THE SEAFOOD SCHOOL AT BILLINGSGATE (SEAFOODTRAINING.ORG). SHE TEACHES KEY SKILLS IN PREPPING FISH AND SEAFOOD Scallops are sold live in the shell and fresh or frozen out of the shell (with or without the orange roe or coral). If buying live, look for responsibly sourced diver scallops. The best option out of the shell is a ‘dry’ scallop, meaning it hasn’t been soaked in water to plump it up. Here’s an easy way to open scallops... CJ’S NOTE Visit the seafood school website for details of upcoming courses, including the Easter weekend and a Beer and Seafood Evening on Thursday 7 May. PHOTOGRAPHS AND ILLUSTRATIONS: DAVID CHARBIT, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES KEY EQUIPMENT • You’ll need a strong short-bladed knife like an oyster…

If you’re making a basic loaf, most recipes tell you to use strong bread flour. But does it make much difference if you use plain flour instead? We put it to the test Let’s start with the science. Different types of flour contain varying levels of protein. When flour is mixed with water, the proteins form gluten – and it’s this that makes dough elastic. Kneading develops the gluten further. Plain flour is usually about 10 per cent protein, while strong flour – made from ‘hard’ wheat – tends to be 12.5 per cent or more. Strong flour isn’t good for cakes and biscuits because the high gluten level makes them tough. But for bread, where you want to trap the gas bubbles that give the loaf its structure and…

I’m mesmerised by a bottle of the world’s oldest barrelled wine. There’s the impressive date of its creation, 1472, written on its glass, and the centuries have turned the white wine inside an eerie orange. Oh, and there’s a skull beside it, believed to belong to the cellar’s first overseer at the 12th-century Strasbourg Hospice (vins-deshospices-de-strasbourg.fr). This unexpected cellar (free to visit) owes its existence to past patients who paid for their care with swathes of the world-class wineries that still carpet Alsace – the hillside vineyards rising from a fertile plain shielded by the Vosges mountains. The wine provided income for the hospital for centuries – and still does, with about 140,000 bottles sold from the cellar each year. Sadly, I didn’t taste the 15th century wine – it’s…

PHOTOGRAPH: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES In the aftermath of the Easter feast, two things are inevitable: washing up and leftovers. I know how to deal with the dishes (glasses first, roasting pan last) and I also know how I’m supposed to deal with the leftovers. I am, of course, duty-bound to love them, store them, repurpose them, celebrate them. Everywhere the modern cook turns, there are helpful food waste campaigns, closed-loop chefs and, in my case and perhaps in yours, high-ranking family members brandishing ramekins and beeswax wraps. The pressure is subtle but persistent, and failure to comply can cause significant kitchen guilt, even in the many households that, like mine, have access to a special caddy for food waste collection. In my tiny mind I know that throwing edible food away…

This meat feast for one takes just 15 minutes RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH PHOTOGRAPH KATE WHITAKER STYLING DAVINA PERKINS Steak with anchovy and caper butter SERVES 1. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a hot pan. Season a 250g British rib-eye steak with salt and pepper, then put in the hot pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side (for medium-rare) until the outside is brown and starting to crisp at the edges, then set aside on a warm plate to rest. Return the pan to the heat and add a large knob of butter along with 2 chopped anchovy fillets and 2 tbsp drained capers. Stir to heat through and scrape up any crispy bits from the base of the pan. Return…

We’ve teamed up with online boutique Rose & Grey to give you the chance to treat your home to an instant makeover. Simply cook your favourite recipe from this issue – and take a picture before you tuck into it – then share it with us for the chance to win a £500 voucher. You can spend it on design-led homeware from the Rose & Grey website, such as statement lighting, cool mirrors, chic tableware and larger furniture items. Rose & Grey curates collections of furniture and accessories inspired by the Scandi aesthetic, with hints of the eclectic style of California’s Joshua Tree and the bohemian beach look of Australia’s Byron Bay. You’ll find practical furniture, classic styles and original mid-century designs paired with pops of colour, on-trend fabrics and…

WONDERWALL A hand-painted floral splashback can add a simple, streamlined focal point to a kitchen. This one was created for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 by Emma Britton – read more about her over the page. Rain Garden splashback, made to order (price on application) MEET THE CRAFTER Emma Britton creates uplifting floral glass splashbacks and colourful homewares HOW IT ALL BEGAN In my third year of textile design I started printing on glass, putting patterns onto it. Afterwards, I worked for a while in the glass industry, selling to interior designers, but it wasn’t creative enough, so I set up by myself. I’m a laminated designer, which is quite niche – it involves bonding two pieces of glass together, but you can choose what you put between them…

“I’m not sure what it is about rhubarb that I love so much, but over time it’s become an absolute favourite. Perhaps it’s the dizzying sourness or maybe its versatility. Perhaps it’s simply the respite it offers the seasonal cook, not once but twice in a year. Vivid pink forced rhubarb is grown in dark sheds and appears in the wintry depths of January. It brings a riot of colour to the kitchen in an otherwise colourless month. Then, a little later in the year, outdoor rhubarb begins to fruit, which might be a contradiction in terms, since rhubarb isn’t actually a fruit at all – it’s a vegetable we tend to treat like a fruit. And, as with most fruit, we like it sweet. Cooks usually want to tame…

“You gave me faith that cooking could be joyous and potentially a career prospect rather than just a duty” It may sound overblown to say it, but I think you liberated me. Growing up in a patriarchal Punjabi family as daughter number four was quite often stifling. I chafed at the constraints of what was permissible – embroidery, crochet, cookery – and what was verboten: discos, climbing trees, boys and dreaming of cooking for anyone other than your husband and children. Cooking is a highly skilled and often selfless labour, especially when it is women who are doing the feeding. At family parties, the men always ate first, and the women were always left to clear up. I occupied a strange and stressful space – my feet straddling two opposing…

KAREN BARNES, EDITOR  The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum (William Morrow) An American classic. Every cake you can imagine is included, but what I admire about this tome – and it is a tome – is the science underlying every page, as well as the scholarly, thorough approach to testing, how to size up cakes and more. You learn something on every page. When Ms Beranbaum did the British edition, I believe she came to live in London for a while so she could test every recipe again with British ingredients. SUSAN LOW, DEPUTY EDITOR  Moro: The Cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark (Ebury Press £20) I couldn’t stop cooking from this book when it was first published back in 2001, and I still turn to it regularly today.…

“When it comes to home-cooked comfort food, mohinga tops my list. It’s considered the national dish of Myanmar and every Burmese cook has a recipe for it passed down from their mother. In Burma, mohinga is traditionally made with catfish, which wasn’t easy to get in the UK in the 1980s. My mother’s alternative was tinned mackerel, and that’s how I prefer my mohinga. FOOD PHOTOGRAPH: MAJA SMEND. FOOD STYLING: SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH. STYLING: TONY HUTCHINSON My mum inspired my catering career. She was an amazing cook, and I would eat off her plate when I was a small child. My mum’s mohinga was the best. I grew up in Leicester, but in 1998 I went to university in London and really missed Mum’s cooking. When I went home during…

WHY IS SOME HONEY RUNNY AND SOME SET? It’s down to the balance of fructose and glucose, the sugars that make up 70 per cent of honey. High-fructose wildflower honey is clear and liquid, while glucose-rich honey from oilseed rape, for example, has a harder set. Commercial runny honey is refined to make it fluid. WHY DOES IT CRYSTALLISE? Glucose is prone to crystallising, creating grainy, cloudy honey. Crystallised honey is fine to eat, but you can partially submerge the jar in hot water to reverse the process. WHY IS MANUKA HONEY SPECIAL? It’s made by bees foraging on New Zealand’s manuka bush. Unlike other honeys it contains methylglyoxal, which has antimicrobial properties (if used externally – there’s no evidence that eating the honey has benefits).…

Buy organic produce – if you can afford to Organic farms host up to 50 per cent more wildlife, and producers of Soil Association-certified organic food must be committed to biodiversity. Be a lazy gardener (it’s good for bees!) Go easy on weeds, give mowing a break and don’t use insecticides. Plant to provide foraging opportunities for pollinators throughout the year. See Planting For Honeybees by Sarah Wyndham Lewis (Quadrille £12) for a full guide. Become an eco warrior Write to your local council and encourage them to consider pollinators in their landscaping decisions. Environmental groups are asking the government, as it draws up new farming policies, to commit to reducing pesticide use; sign the petition at friendsoftheearth.uk/latest/actions. Build a bee hotel Wild bees, which are mainly solitary, look for…

WEEKNIGHT PROMISE Your guarantee for every recipe in this feature: NO MORE THAN… • 10 ingredients (excluding butter/oil and serving suggestions) • 30 minutes hands-on time • 650 calories per portion PLUS… • No unnecessary added sugar Chicken meatball and orzo broth SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN FOOD TEAM’S TIP Go for sausages that are at least 70% chicken – we used Heck Chicken Italia; or use 340g turkey thigh mince. • 340g British free-range chicken sausages, skin removed (see tip) • 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped • Finely grated zest ½ lemon • 3 tbsp finely grated parmesan • 30g fresh breadcrumbs • ½ tbsp olive oil • 800ml chicken stock • 30g dried porcini mushrooms • 1 large leek, trimmed and sliced • 150g orzo pasta •…

DID YOU KNOW? Teens who eat unhealthy snacks while watching TV, using the computer or playing video games are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure and high blood sugar that are linked to heart disease and diabetes. Researchers in Brazil, who presented their findings to the recent annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in the US, said the take-home message is: limiting screen time for teenagers is important, but if this isn’t possible, avoid letting them snack at the same time. HEALTH HACK Pack away the veg peeler! Skin-on fruit and veg generally contain more fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than peeled. An unpeeled apple, for example, contains up to four times as much vitamin K and 60 per cent more vitamin…

• To learn more about IBS, visit theibsnetwork. org, a national IBS charity • Dr Megan Rossi has a type of low-fodmap diet in her book Eat Yourself Healthy (Penguin Life) • Professor Whorwell recommends the Fodmap app by Food Maestro (from AppStore and Google Play), developed with help from King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust. It’s designed to be used in conjunction with advice from a dietitian. • If searching the internet for information about the low-fodmap diet, ensure the site you’re reading carries the NHS logo…

• We chose chuck steak because it has a good marbling of fat, which means plenty of flavour. It suits slow cooking, becoming incredibly tender and succulent. • Choose a rich dark beer, such as a Belgian brown ale, for extra flavour, and buy a few extra bottles to serve with the meal. • Brown the meat thoroughly until it develops a rich caramelised crust in parts, which will add flavour to the finished sauce. • The key to a good stew is long slow cooking to ensure tender meat and a mellow, rounded sauce. The sweet onions and meat juices balance the bitterness of the beer, leaving a rich piquant sauce. • The flavour of the casserole and texture of the meat benefit from being made at least 24…

“Famous for their fragrant, sticky sweetness and rich, flaky pastry, Gail’s gratifyingly huge, swirly cinnamon buns are most delicious when served warm. The smell as they’re cooking is fantastic, too. The recipe takes a lot of rolling, folding and resting to achieve those wonderful flaky layers of pastry, but the results are more than worth it.” THE GAIL’S STORY AND A BIT ABOUT ROZ It all began in London in the 1990s, when Gail Mejia brought together the best talent in town to bake for London restaurants. Her first retail bakery opened in Hampstead in 2005. There are now 38 in London, Hove and Oxford offering soups, sandwiches, salads and cakes as well as the bread. Gail’s Bakery believes baking plays a key role in communities, and each bakery works…

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT You’ll need a steamer large enough to hold the fish. I use a tiered metal one, but you can use a traditional bamboo steamer. The bottom of the fish may cook more quickly than the top, so test the fish as it steams to prevent overcooking. SPECIAL INGREDIENTS Pickled plums are also sold as salted plums in brine. They add a sweet and sour tang to fish dishes, soups and dipping sauces. Buy them in Asian supermarkets. Alternatively, buy Japanese umeboshi plums (similar but not sold in brine) from souschef.co.uk. GETTING THE DISH RIGHT This recipe is about simplicity and has a gentle flavour, spiked by the tart plums and spicy chillies. It’s essential to serve the fish as soon as it’s ready, so everyone can dive in…

1 STIR together 500g porridge oats, 75g sunflower seeds, 30g sesame seeds, 175g chopped and flaked nuts (such as hazelnuts and almonds – about double the amount of chopped to flaked), 125g wheatgerm, 100g desiccated coconut, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract and ¾ tsp salt in a large bowl. Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. 2 MIX 150g dark brown sugar and 185ml warm water in a jug until dissolved. Add 185ml sunflower oil, then mix well. 3 POUR the wet mix into the dry mix and stir well. 4 SPREAD in 1-2 roasting tin/s and cook for 30-40 minutes until golden, tossing occasionally with a spatula so the granola browns evenly. 5 BREAK UP the granola once it’s cooled by stirring in 200g sultanas, raisins…

1. BRUSH a spoonful over lamb chops or chicken thighs after grilling for a fruity, tangy glaze. 2. STIR a couple of tablespoons into yogurt with chopped fresh coriander and mint, chopped cucumber and a chopped red chilli as a twist on regular raita, to serve with poppadums. 3. MIX with fresh lime juice, coconut cream, crushed garlic and grated ginger, then use as a marinade for lamb chops or steaks. Roast in the oven until tender and succulent. 4. ADD 1-2 tablespoons to a meat or vegetable curry to add a sweet, fruity flavour. Mango chutney also works well stirred into gravy for a perked-up flavour for roast chicken. 5. SPREAD on toast before covering with cheese and grilling for a special snack with a sweet, spicy flourish. ...OR…

GOODBYE TO CLING FILM FROM: AMANDA GARDNER I read ‘What can I use instead of cling film?’ [Mar, p126] with interest. I stopped using cling film over a year ago. The last remaining roll in my kitchen is almost untouched, except for the occasional wrapping of pastry to rest it in the fridge. I don’t bother with beeswax wraps, waxed paper or silicone bags as suggested in your article, and I rarely use foil either. Leftovers go in endlessly reused Tupperware boxes, and I cover plates and bowls (containing, for example, my overnight oats) with another plate or upturned bowl. It seems to work perfectly for keeping the food fresh – and for those concerned about food hygiene, none of us has suffered any ill effects. I do like the…

FALASTIN Tara Wigley and Sami Tamimi are co-writers of some of Ottolenghi’s bestsellers, and this love-letter to Palestine and its food showcases people too, including the founder of the Palestinian Seed Library for heritage veg. Ebury £28 THE BOTANICAL KITCHEN Elly McCausland explores the flavour-enhancing potential of botanicals, from fruit to flowers, leaves and seeds, with enchanting histories and inspired combinations. Bloomsbury £26 CARPATHIA The debut book from Bucharest born-and-raised Irina Georgescu celebrates Romanian food in all its meaty, smoky, sharp glory, enriched with fascinating folklore and atmospheric landscape photos. Quarto £22…

THE AIM To address the environmental and health problems caused by the current food system, to ensure the security of our food supply and to maximise the benefits of the coming revolution in agricultural technology. THE SCOPE The Strategy will concentrate on England but will ‘consider relationships with devolved administrations, the EU and other trading partners’. THE TIMING The year-long review, which began in June 2019, is underway now. As we went to press, the final report was scheduled to be released imminently.…

VEGGIE ESSENTIALS Knorr is the delicious. food team’s stock of choice, and it’s expanded its offering with three new pots: smoked chilli & tomato, kaffir lime & ginger and paprika & sun-dried tomato. Free from meat and dairy, the pots will add diversity to veggie staples such as risotto. £1 for 2 x 26g, Tesco and Morrisons FRUITY FIZZ We rate Dash Water’s fruit-infused sparkling water cans, made from surplus and wonky British fruit and with no added sugar or sweeteners, and the raspberry and cucumber flavours now come in recyclable glass bottles smart enough for the dinner or lunch table. £2.95 for 750ml, Ocado NEW ICE CREAM ALERT! Caramelly Lotus Biscoff biscuits were first magicked into a moreish spread, then, last year, into individual ice cream sticks. These new…

Forced rhubarb tends to wind up around April, but by then the outdoor-grown stuff is well underway, so fans of this vibrant veg can relax. Here are some ingredients we’ll be greeting enthusiastically and others we’ll be saying goodbye to this month • Early asparagus can be found here and there. Look for the freshest stems you can find, but don’t worry if they’re proving elusive; the season hasn’t kicked in fully. • Radishes and lettuce and other springtime treats start to appear in April. • Wood pigeon is plentiful and in good shape from April onwards; it does exceptionally well on farmers’ young crop shoots. • Sea trout is in season, and if you’re lucky the first of the mackerel might start running near the coast. Keep a keen…

JAMES ON WASABI ROOT 7Wasabi root, or Japanese horseradish, is highly prized and expensive (it takes more than two years to grow). There are only a handful of growers outside Japan, and Wasabi Crop in Northern Ireland is one of them. Dr Sean Kitson and his son Zak produce fantastic wasabi. Once it’s grated, let fresh wasabi air for a while before using.” JAMES ON WELSH LAMB “Welsh lamb is without question the best you can get. Generation upon generation of farmers dotted around the Welsh hillsides have continued to work tirelessly to get this unbeatable meat to our table. For this dish, I’ve made a stuffing with parsley, mint and black pudding and rolled it into a boned leg of lamb.” JAMES ON JERSEY BLACK BUTTER “In the Channel…

On a flight recently, I was scrolling through cover options for my forthcoming cookbook. I could feel my seatmate staring at my screen, itching for a chat. Finally she said, “What do you do for a living?” When I told her, she replied with, “Do people still buy cookbooks? Everything is online… You should do an e-book.” Ignoring the fact that not all recipes are online (thankfully), her comment left me a bit saddened: not only because I’ve written a cookbook, but also because I’m a deep lover of them. The cookbook versus online debate is like comparing a bicycle to a car: both will get you to the same destination, but they’ll provide a very different experience on the way. We buy cookbooks for their inspiration and in-depth knowledge.…

Many of the best-known and best-loved cookbooks of previous decades were published before book data was widely available, but here’s a snapshot how the sales of some of the classics compare: HOW TO COOK: BOOK ONE BY DELIA SMITH (1998) 1 million 78,000 Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child (1961)* PLENTY BY YOTAM OTTOLENGHI (2010) 275,000 *ACROSS ALL EDITIONS, VOLUMES AND BOXSETS.OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD IN US 31,000 The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan (1992) REAL FOOD BY NIGEL SLATER (2005) 306,000 76,000 Floyd’s India by Keith Floyd (2001) MADHUR JAFFREY’S ULTIMATE CURRY BIBLE (2003) 132,000 55,000 Simple by Diana Henry (2016) RICK STEIN’S SEAFOOD BY RICK STEIN (2000) 240,000 54,000 French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David (1960)…

Lemon, blueberry and coconut cake SERVES 20-24. HANDS-ON TIME 1 HOUR, OVEN TIME 25-30 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD The blueberry purée will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using. Keep the iced cake chilled for up to 2 days. • 250g unsalted butter, softened • 500g caster sugar • Finely grated zest 4 lemons, juice 2 • 8 medium free-range eggs, beaten • 100g desiccated coconut • 300ml full-fat coconut milk • 500g self-raising flour, plus 2 tbsp extra • 2 tsp baking powder • 300g fresh blueberries FOR THE LEMON CREAM CHEESE ICING • 75g unsalted butter, softened • 175g full-fat cream cheese • 500g icing sugar, sifted • Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon FOR THE SWISS MERINGUE…

1 Honeybees have built-in shopping baskets (corbiculae, or pollen baskets) on their hind legs to help them harvest pollen. 2 There are 20,000 or so species of bee in the world but only seven species of honeybee. And in the UK there’s only one kind of honeybee. 3 Honeybees make honey to live on over the winter. Responsible beekeepers don’t harvest more honey than the bees need to survive. Read the label RAW HONEY This is what you’d buy from a beekeeper. It’s not heated, just strained to remove beeswax and debris, and likely comes from one source. Most commercial honeys are pasteurised, affecting the honey’s nutritional properties and flavour. They also undergo ultrafiltration to create a refined, clearer, liquid product that’s seen as more appealing to shoppers. A BLEND…

THE BARGAIN WHITE The Best Pecorino 2018, Abruzzo, Italy 13% ABV (£6.75, Morrisons) Welcome in the spring with a citrus-laced but well balanced Italian white. With hints of peach and orange peel it’s a fresh-tasting aperitif – or open it with creamy pasta sauces. THE RED WITH A DIFFERENCE Louis Guntrum Pinot Noir 2017, Rheinhessen, Germany 13.5% ABV (£13.99, down to £10.99 until 14 April, selected Waitrose and waitrosecellar.com) A red wine from Germany is a rarity in the UK but this juicy pinot is a delight, medium-bodied and packed with red cherry and plum. Try it with duck breast or a rare steak. THE BARGAIN RED The Co-operative Old Vine Garnacha 2018, Campo de Borja, Spain 14% ABV (£5.35) A no-nonsense, hearty Spanish red for barely more than a…

PORTRAIT OF RENEE MCGREGOR: EMMA YOUNG. PHOTOGRAPHS AND ILLUSTRATIONS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES, THINKSTOCK PHOTOS “Efficient metabolism depends on a balance between mind and body” Metabolism is defined as “the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life”. The body has an incredible ability to maintain function so it’s easy to assume it will keep working at an optimum level, but it’s important you help it work at its best. If you believe everything you read on Instagram, it’s easy to view the body as a machine that you can control via a variety of apps – which couldn’t be further from the truth. The body is more like an ecosystem that needs frequent attention and tending to in order to keep it healthy. How do we…

Spelt ‘risotto’ with roasted beetroot, walnuts and goat’s cheese SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 45 MIN, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR “Spelt has a nutty flavour that pairs well with earthy beetroot. Look out for bunches of beetroot with the leaves still attached – you can fry the leaves and stems to serve alongside the dish.” MAKE AHEAD Prepare the beetroot to the end of step 1 up to 2 days ahead, then cover and chill. • 500g beetroot, with leaves/stems if possible (about 5 golf ball-size beets; see introduction) • 3 garlic cloves (1 whole, 2 crushed) • 4 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 1 leek, trimmed and chopped • 1 fresh thyme sprig • 200g pearled spelt • 200ml dry red wine • 1 litre vegetable stock…

The reason for chilling the dough is that, for the best lamination (see Know-how), the butter and dough need to be the same temperature. If the butter is harder it will tear the delicate pastry layers when rolling. Putting the dough in the freezer between rolling and folding is quicker than the fridge. Turn the dough over in the freezer after 15 minutes to help it chill properly all the way through. Squashing the pastry edge when rolling makes sure the pastry doesn’t move when rolling, so the buns are even. It also makes a thinner edge for folding underneath to create the base. To make sure you divide the dough into even buns, score the dough first with the back of your knife before cutting [I]. They’ll still end…

MEET OUR FOOD TEAM AT YOUR SERVICE We test every recipe in our kitchen, and the tips we know and discover are what you see showcased on these pages. If you’d like to put a question to the team, email readers@delicious magazine.co.uk GET AVO SAVVY To tell if an avocado is ripe, remove the stalk. If the bit underneath is green, the fruit is perfectly ripe. Pale yellow is under and black is, sadly, over – but some or all of the flesh might be good for mashing so don’t throw the avocado away before cutting it open to check.…

PART 2: The lowdown on corked wine WHAT IS CORKED WINE? It’s nothing to with a crumbling cork. It refers to the musty, damp-cardboard character of a wine that’s been infected by chemical compounds called TCA and TBA, produced by the interaction of natural fungi with chemicals called chlorophenols in the corks. IS THE TASTE AFFECTED? The extent of the taint varies, but at its worst, a wine that should be clean and fresh instead has all the appeal of an old dishcloth. Although the incidence of cork taint is rarer than ever, it still exists. THE SNIFF TEST To test for signs of cork taint, always pour a little wine after pulling the cork, then sniff it. Don’t be afraid to ask for a replacement if you detect cork…

Patrick McGuigan knows a thing or two about cheese and each month he helps broaden your knowledge. Project manager Fraser Norton and his partner Rachel Yarrow, an English teacher, decided to change direction to become cheesemakers in 2014, creating Norton and Yarrow Cheese. Based at Earth Trust Farm near Oxford, the couple have a herd of floppy-eared Anglo-Nubian goats, known as the Jersey cows of the goat world because of their ultra-creamy milk. WHAT IT TASTES LIKE That creamy milk gives sinodun hill (named after a local beauty spot) a wonderfully balanced flavour that’s clean and citrussy with earthy and almond notes. The cheese also has a light and fluffy texture. HOW TO EAT IT It’s great in salads or tarts, particularly with caramelised onions and asparagus, or serve on…

ALL THE COOKERY INSPIRATION YOU NEED • Goan roast chicken from the Bubbledogs chef • The rise of the cult sandwich – from packed lunch to gourmet meal • One-hour bistro menu – classic French dishes with a delicious. twist • All in one (roasting) pan – cooking (and washing up) made easy SO MUCH MORE THAN RECIPES... • The delicious. guide to ditching stress and blissing out • Felicity Cloake writes a letter to her hero Gary Rhodes • Is vegan cheese any good? (Spoiler: the answer’s yes) • How do our eating habits affect our close relationships? PLUS Your getaway guide to the world’s foodie hotspots MASTERCLASS: TROPICAL BAKED ALASKA – AND MORE... PLUS: TWO CRACKING CRAB STARTERS – ONE HOT, ONE COLD…

Séverine Schlumberger oversees the family-run wine estate Domaines Schlumberger (domainesschlumberger.com) in the town of Guebwiller. As we tasted a range of white wines, from peachy pinot gris to lush, aromatic gewurztraminer, she explained the challenges of the region. “Our terroir is special but difficult – mountains and sand, like a steep dune by the beach, but the resulting Alsace riesling or pinot blanc is the perfect white wine for food.” I love gewurztraminer, and my host shared some exquisite examples, including an organic 2015 late harvest. Séverine told me of a test done by French parfumiers with a top Chanel fragrance and an Alsace gewurz. “In the perfume, they found 70 aroma molecules – in the wine, 300.” We clinked glasses and sipped again. Schlumberger wines are available from The…