Mutton has a reputation for being full of flavour but you rarely see it on supermarket shelves. So when the butcher at the market had a couple of lovely-looking Welsh mutton joints last week, I had to give it a try. Not knowing what to do with it, I asked the butcher – low and slow […]

It’s that time of year again when the fine chaps at WordPress send out a little reminder of what my blog’s been doing all year. Last year enough people had been kind enough to drop by to fill 14 Boeing 747s, apparently. This year about 16,000 turned up – the equivalent of a six-date sell-out […]

It was chilly Friday night so I was pleased to see a couple of Cumberland sausages had been pulled out of the freezer for tea. No time for a full-on onion gravy so I improvised something quicker with storecupboard stuff. Also a good way to finally use the jar of caramelised onion chutney that’s been […]

The veg chaps at the market have been selling big bunches of basil all summer with leaves as big as spinach. So I’ve been making a lot of pesto (very simply parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, basil, olive oil whizzed together) and looking for different ways to use it. This one’s a lovely, light casserole. The meatballs […]

This is a rediscovered family favourite. Not sure why I’d forgotten about it, or why it came up in conversation with my mum recently, but  once remembered it’s reestablished itself on our midweek menu very quickly indeed. Probably because it’s so simple to make and tastes amazing – I’m sure there’s a degree of nostalgia […]

I’m not sure why, but every so often, the conversation in the office comes round to chicken Kiev. Everyone loves it – there’s a distinct sense of general excitement if someone’s having Kiev for tea. In recent years I may have progressed to the M&S variety, but there’s still a place in my heart for […]

In a short series of pie posts (two, to be honest), I thought I’d share my very easy approach to Shepherds/Cottage pie. And a real quick cheat’s version. Again, start with a pan of spuds. Gently fry a finely diced onion and carrot for about five minutes, then add mince (lamb or beef depending on […]

I don’t really know what to call this. Shepherd’s pie – made with lamb. Cottage pie – a dish of leftovers eaten by rural people, who lived in cottages. So what do I call my version of this classic British dish that I make with diced pork? I’m going for Pigsty Pie – there’s a […]

I know a lot of people think it’s minging, but I’m a big fan of corned beef. In a sandwich with brown sauce on crusty white bread – heavenly. So I also love a bit of corned beef hash. Which made me think about what else could be hashed. There’s usually a pack of smoked mackerel […]

I’ve been enjoying BBC’s The Good Cook over the last couple of weeks. I first came across Simon Hopkinson a couple of years ago when I’d noticed his book ‘Roast Chicken and other Stories’ kept appearing at the top of  lists of  chefs’ favourite books or best cookbooks. At the time I’d never heard of […]