Gruyère and Bacon Soufflé

A Soufflé is a light and fluffy, sweet or savoury baked dish consisting of stiffly beaten egg whites folded into a sauce pr puree that has been thickened with egg yolks. Origin: A French noun use of the past participle of the verb, souffler, to blow or puff, from the Latin, sufflare, to breath on or blow on.

Ingredients:

500ml milk

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 tbsp olive oil

150g heavily cured bacon, finely chopped

65g butter, plus extra for greasing

55g plain flour

pinch English mustard powder

5 free-range eggs, separated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp fresh chopped chives

To serve

300ml double cream

110g gruyère cheese, very finely grated

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C (convection mode) and generously grease six ramekins of 7cm x 4cm.

Place the milk in a saucepan, add the thyme, bay leaf and nutmeg, and bring to a simmer.

Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for a few minutes.

Heat a frying pan until hot, add the olive oil and bacon and cook until crisp. Remove and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour and mustard. Cook for a couple of minutes until a nutty aroma is released.

Strain the milk and add it to the saucepan containing the flour and mustard. Whisk continuously until thick, then beat in the egg yolks and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to cool slightly.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until firm, adding a pinch of salt.

Add one-third of the egg white to the soufflé base mix and beat in. Stir in the chives and then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. Spoon the mixture into the buttered ramekins and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown.

To serve, preheat the grill to high.

Warm the cream in a saucepan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Increase the temperature and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by one-third.

Add the crispy bacon and mix well, then add salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the cream into six serving bowls and turn the soufflés out onto the cream.

Cover the soufflés with the grated gruyère cheese and place under the grill. Once golden-brown and bubbling, remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Buckwheat and Apple Crumpets with Braised Cabbage and Bacon

These would probably be better known as pancakes, which most people think of as an American idea, but they actually come from Europe, especially the Saxon or Germanic peoples, including the British. In South Africa we call them crumpets, which are usually sweet, but those who are of Dutch heritage also make savoury varieties. They are wonderful for breakfast when you have time to make them, or served with a meat course as a side dish.

Ingredients:

For the pancake batter:

2 eggs, lightly beaten

220 ml milk, plus a little extra if necessary

1 apple, peeled and grated

200 g buckwheat flour

10ml baking powder

30ml oatmeal

butter, for frying

For the braised cabbage:

1 small/medium savoy cabbage, cored and cut into wedges

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5ml fresh thyme, leaves

30ml maple syrup

75 ml cider vinegar

100 g butter, diced

To serve:

12 slices lean bacon

apple sauce

6 bags maple syrup

thick crème fraiche

Method:

For the pancake batter:

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, then stir in the apple. Sift in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt, sprinkle over the oatmeal and fold in until just combined, adding a little more milk if necessary. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator to rest the batter for 30 minutes.

For the cabbage:

Preheat the oven to 190C. Put the cabbage on a large sheet of tinfoil, top with onion, garlic, thyme, maple syrup and cider vinegar. Dot with butter and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Seal the foil edges, put the packet on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes. Heat a little butter in a heavy-based non-stick frying pan, add spoonfuls of pancake batter and cook until the pancakes begin to bubble on the surface, then flip them over and continue to cook till golden.

Cook the bacon on a griddle until done to your liking. To serve, put the pancakes on serving plates, top with apple sauce, braised cabbage, bacon and crème fraiche and drizzle with maple syrup.

Lemon Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

60ml good olive oil

9 cloves garlic, minced

80ml dry white wine

grated zest of 2 lemons

juice of 2 lemons

7.5ml dried oregano

5ml fresh thyme leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)

1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the grill for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

Corned Beef and Corn Bread

Corned beef, or bully beef, go so well with sweetcorn, they are like husband and wife.

This 'Cornbread' comes from an old South African recipe book of mine.

It's down to earth cooking and I trust you will enjoy it as much as my family do.

Ingredients:

500 g plain flour

12 g salt

25 g fresh yeast

40 g butter

290 ml water

1 can sweetcorn, drained

1 small can corned beef

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220ºC.

Place the flour, salt, yeast, butter and water in a mixing bowl. Mix roughly with your hands and then tip onto a work surface and knead for 5 minutes.

Return the dough to the bowl and set aside to rise for 1 hour.

Mix the corned beef and sweetcorn. Shape the dough into a ball, place on a lined baking tray and use a cook's knife to mark a cross on the top of the loaf. Leave to rise for 45 minutes.

Bake the loaf for 25 minutes until risen.

Corned Beef and Onion Pie

Corned beef is a type of salt cured beef, which appears in the cuisine of many cultures, including South African, Jewish, Irish, American, Argentinian and British. The origin of corned beef has been lost in history, but most likely came about when people began curing meat through salt curing to make it last over a periods of time. The word 'corn' derives from old English, which is used to describe any small hard particles of grain. In the case of 'corned beef', the word refers to the coarse granular salt used to cure the beef. The canned variety of corned beef is referred to as 'bully beef' in the UK. This comes from the French term, 'boeuf bouilli', or boiled beef.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

15g butter

15ml sunflower oil

1 large onion, sliced or chopped

2 celery sticks, trimmed, peeled to remove stringy bits, sliced

2 medium carrots, cut into 1cm/½in dice

300g potatoes, preferably Maris Pipers, peeled and cut into 1cm dice

30ml tomato ketchup

1 x 340g can corned beef

freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry:

300g plain flour, plus extra for rolling

good pinch sea salt

175g cold butter, cubed

1 free-range egg

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190C.

For the filling, melt the butter with the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are softened and beginning to colour, stirring regularly. The carrots should retain a little bite.

Add the ketchup and stir into the vegetables for a few seconds before adding the corned beef. Break the beef into chunky pieces with a wooden spoon and mix with the vegetables.

Season with pepper – you shouldn’t need salt as the corned beef is fairly salty – and remove from the heat. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes.

To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Lightly whisk the egg with a tablespoon of cold water in a small bowl. Slowly pour all but one tablespoon of the egg mixture into the food processor with the motor running and blend until the mixture begins to form a ball.

Turn the pastry out onto a well-floured work surface and bring it together into a ball. Take about a third of the pastry, roll it out and use it to line a 8-9in pie plate. Leave any excess pastry overhanging the edge. Brush the pastry edge lightly with the reserved egg.

Spoon the filling into the pastry base and spread it out evenly. Flour the surface once more and roll out the remaining pastry. Lift the rolled pastry over the rolling pin and place gently over the filling. Press the edges firmly together then trim neatly. Seal the edge with a fork.

Brush the top of the pastry with the remaining beaten egg, cut a cross in the centre of the pie and place onto a baking tray. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling is piping hot.

Frozen Chocolate Mousse Pie

This is made like an icecream pie in a pastry shell. What could be more amazing! If you wanted, you could make small individual pies with this mixture. Freeze the mixture on a tray then cut the frozen mixture into rectangles, which can each be sandwiched between wafer biscuits and you have your own "Eskimo Pies".

Ingredients:

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 quart, plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon chocolate crème liqueur

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

1 premade pie shell

Chocolate chips, for topping

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.

Prick holes to bottom of pie shell. Bake in oven for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons heavy cream and chocolate liqueur. Cook until smooth, about 1 minute. Add Vanilla extract. Mix and let cool.

In a mixing bowl combine sugar and 1 quart heavy cream. Whip as if you were making Whipped cream. Slowly fold the chocolate sauce into the cream.

Next pour the mousse mixture into the pie shell. Add chocolate chips to the top of the pie. Wrap the pie in clingfilm and freeze for a few hours or overnight.

Brie, Ham and Watercress Calzone

Calzone are Italian turnovers or pies made with pizza or focaccia dough, filled with tasty ingredients, folded over and shaped into a crescent. Typically they are stuffed with tomato and mozzarella, but they may include other vegetables, meats or cheeses; the choice is endless.

Ingredients:

1 quantity of Focaccia dough.

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

150g Brie, sliced

100g honey cured ham torn into pieces

86g watercress leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:

Preheat the oven to 230C.

Make up the Focaccia dough and allow the first rising. Knock back the dough, divide into four pieces and shape each into a ball. Roll each out on a lightly floured surface to about a 9 inch diameter.

Top one side of each circle with onion, Brie, ham and watercress. Leave about an inch at the edge of the dough circle to allow for sealing. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Wet the edge of the dough with water using a pastry brush or your fingers. Fold and stretch the dough over to enclose the filling, pinch and twist the edges together to seal, making a twisted point at each end of the calzone.

Transfer to a baking tray, shape into a crescent and lightly dust with flour. Bake for 10-15 minutes on the top shelf of the oven until the calzone are pale golden on top.

Serve warm with salad.

Sage and Garlic Focaccia

Focaccia is an Italian bread that has captured the imagination of the world. Known as "Italian country flat-bread", "pizza rustica" or "pizza genovese", this is the original Italian hearth bread made from surplice pieces of dough and baked at a high temperature before the oven cooled for the baking of the massive family loaves. Focaccia is a large flat bread, slightly puffy when fresh and dimpled all over the surface with finger indentations. It can be round, square, or a misshapen rectangle; shape is irrelevant. It is a wonderfully versatile bread,which can be sprinkled with sea salt, herbs, onions, garlic, prosciutto or cheese to enhance its flavour.

Sage and Garlic Focaccia is a simple and commonly prepared version of this loaf. Punctuated with the flavours of olive oil, sage and garlic, this recipe produces a delicious, succulent loaf.

To vary the flavour, use other herbs such as oregano, basil or rosemary and top with black olives, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, ham or cheese. Just don't go overboard - it's not a pizza, although this dough can be used for making pizza.

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Ingredients:

For the Bread Dough:

20g fresh yeast

325-350ml lukewarm water

45ml extra virgin olive oil

500g white bread flour

10ml salt

15ml chopped fresh sage leaves

For the Topping:

60ml extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

12 fresh sage leaves

Method:

Lightly oil 2 x 10 inch shallow round cake tins. Cream the yeast with 60ml of the warm water, then stir in the remaining water. Stir in the oil.

Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the yeast mixture into the well in the centre of the flour and mix to a soft dough. Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Knock back the dough and turn out on to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead in the chopped sage. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Shape each part into a ball, roll out into a 10 inch circle and place each into a prepared baking tin. Cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Uncover, and using your fingertips, poke the dough to make deep dimples over the entire surface. Replace the clingfilm cover and leave to rise a further 30 minutes or more until the dough has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C. Drizzle over the olive oil for the topping and sprinkle each loaf evenly with chopped garlic. Dot the sage leaves over the surface. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately remove from the tins and transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Best served warm.

Tomato and Basil Croquettes

Croquettes make a simple vegetable dish look special. Try these flavoursome croquettes with oozing mozzarella and rocket pesto vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

For the pesto:

10 sun-blushed tomato pieces, roughly chopped

50g rocket leaves, plus extra to garnish

15 ml pine nuts

½ garlic clove

3 piquillo peppers, roughly chopped (bottled peppers available from some supermarkets)

15ml grated Parmesan

85ml olive oil

60ml Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar

For the croquettes:

vegetable oil, for deep fat frying

500g potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice

110g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

15ml red pesto (from recipe above)

10 sun-blushed tomato pieces, roughly chopped

10 basil leaves, roughly chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g plain flour plus up to 2 tbsp extra (if too dry)

1 small ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces

110g breadcrumbs

2 free-range eggs, beaten

Method:

For the pesto, place all the pesto ingredients, except the Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar, into a food processor and blend to a fine purée. Set aside.

For the croquettes, preheat the oven to 160C.

Preheat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 160C. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

Place the potatoes into a saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 12-18 minutes, or until tender, then drain and return to the pan.

Place the pan of potatoes back over the heat until all the moisture has evaporated. Mash with a potato masher or ricer until smooth.

Add the Parmesan cheese, one tablespoon of the red pesto, and all the sun-blushed tomatoes and basil to the mash and mix well. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. (Add a little flour if the mixture is too wet to form into shapes with your hands.)

Divide the mixture into 12 equal-sized pieces and shape into cylinder croquettes, using your hands. Push a small piece of mozzarella into the centre of each croquette, closing up the potato to completely cover the mozzarella.

Place the remaining flour and the breadcrumbs onto two separate plates. Place the eggs in a bowl. Dredge the croquettes in the flour, then dip them into the beaten eggs and finally roll them in the breadcrumbs, to cover, retaining the shape.

Carefully lower a few croquettes at a time into the preheated deep fat fryer and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Transfer the croquettes to a roasting tray and place in the preheated oven to keep warm.

To serve, add the Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar to the remaining pesto and place a spoonful onto each of four plates. Place three croquettes on top of each dollop of pesto and garnish with rocket.

Apple Crisps

Crisps of any kind are always fun, but they are even better if made with fruit.

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored

50g caster sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 100C.

Using a mandolin, slice the apple as thinly as possible. Place the slices in a single layer on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle over the sugar and bake for 1½-2 hours, or until dried and crisp.

Loosen the slices from the tray with a palette knife and set aside to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until needed.

Chorizo-Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

150g cured chorizo, cut into thick slices

110g butter, softened

Dash lemon juice

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

50g plain flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

110g dried breadcrumbs

Cooked rice and cress to serve

Method:

Heat a deep fat fryer to 170C. (CAUTION: Do not leave hot fat unattended.)

Place the chorizo and butter into a food processor and blend to a purée. Add a little touch of lemon juice and black pepper, then spoon into a piping bag. Make an incision in the side of the chicken breast and pipe some of the chorizo butter into the chicken.

Press the incision shut then dust with the flour. Prepare a plate of egg and a plate of breadcrumbs. Dip the chicken first in the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Place into the fat fryer and cook for 8-9 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.

To serve, cut the chicken in half carefully. Place the rice into a bowl and top with the chicken. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and scattering of cress.

Chilli Jam

This zesty jam makes a great dip ingredient or fiery accompaniment to finger snacks and creamy cheeses.

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Ingredients:

1 head of garlic, cloves peeled

6-8 long red chillies, roughly chopped

200g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2-3 kaffir lime leaves, deveined

525g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 4 limes

125ml white wine vinegar

15ml soy sauce

Method:

Sterilise a 500ml pickling jar.

Purée the garlic, chillies, ginger and kaffir lime leaves to a coarse paste.

Place in a saucepan with the sugar, lime zest, vinegar, soy sauce and 125ml of water.

Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil for about 10 minutes or until reduced by a third. It will bubble up like jam.

Spoon the hot chilli jam into the warm sterilised jar until it is filled to within 3mm of the top. Seal with the screw cap. Once opened, store the chilli jam in the fridge, where it will keep for months.

Lemon and Paprika Marinaded Spatchcocked Chicken

A vibrant marinade of lemon, paprika, olive oil and garlic gives this chicken genuine flavour.

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Paprika

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 lemon, zest and juice

For the chicken:

1 x 1.3 kg chicken, spatchcocked

Splash beer, or water

2 lemons

Paprika for sprinkling

Olive oil for drizzling

A splash of white wine

15ml apple chutney

Method:

For the marinade:

Mix together the olive oil, paprika, garlic, lemon zest and juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the chicken:

Brush the marinade all over the skin of the spatchcocked chicken, then place into the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a large griddle pan to medium-hot, then add the chicken skin-side down. Cook for 20-30 minutes on each side, covering the pan with a lid. Add a splash of water or beer if the pan becomes too dry. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the heat and cover with foil. Set aside to rest.

Cut the chicken into portions, squeeze over some the juice of half a lemon and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika. Drizzle over a little olive oil.

Return the pan to the heat and deglaze with a splash of white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour the contents of the pan into a small saucepan, adding a bit more wine and any juices from the rested chicken. Cook until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half.

Stir in the apple chutney until well combined, then strain the sauce through a sieve.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Mississippi Mud Pie

This decadent, rich pie has a thick filling and a crumbly biscuit base, similar to a cheese cake. It is said to resemble the muddy banks of the Mississippi river and remains a popular dessert in the southern states of USA. There are many variations, most of which have just one layer of chocolate filling, but I like to vary it with having a paler coffee filling on top of a dark chocolate filling.

Ingredients:

For the biscuit base:

200g digestive biscuits

60g butter, diced

60 dark chocolate, chopped

For the Chocolate Filling:

90g dark chocolate, chopped

90g butter, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

90g dark muscovado sugar

100ml double cream

For the Coffee Filling:

90g white chocolate, chopped

90g butter, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

90g white sugar

100ml double cream

10ml instant coffee powder, dissolved in 30ml hot water and cooled

For the topping:

100ml double cream, well chilled

50ml icing sugar

1 Chocolate Flaky to scatter on top.

Method:

To make the base, put the digestive biscuits into a re-sealable bag and lightly bash them with a rolling pin until evenly crushed. Tip into a large bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until smooth, then take off the heat, pour onto the crushed biscuits and mix until evenly combined. Tip the crumb mixture into a 23cm cake tin with removable base. Using the back of the spoon, press the mixture onto the base and up the sides of the tin to cover evenly. Chill to allow the base to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 180°C

To make the chocolate filling, melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering water and leave to cool slightly. In another large bowl, beat the eggs and muscovado sugar together, using an electric mixer, until thick and doubled in volume. Whisk in the cream, then fold through the melted chocolate and butter.

To make the coffee filling, melt the white chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering water (as above) and leave to cool slightly. In another large bowl, beat the eggs and white sugar together, using an electric mixer, until thick and doubled in volume. Whisk in the cream and the dissolved coffee, then fold through the melted chocolate and butter.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the biscuit base and carefully top that with the coffee mixture. Try not to get them mixed together. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until just firm. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.

For the topping, whip the cream with icing sugar until it holds soft peaks. Spread this over the top of the cooled pie and finish with a scattering of broken up flaky. Cut into slices to serve.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried green tomatoes are a side dish usually found in the southern states of the US, traditionally prepared using slices of unripe tomato coated in cornmeal and fired in bacon fat. Shallow frying is preferred as tomatoes don’t float in the oil. Other coatings, such as breadcrumbs or flour can be used and vegetable oil can be used for the frying medium, but won’t give quite the same flavour.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 large firm green tomatoes

Sea salt to season

250ml buttermilk

250ml cornmeal

Freshly ground black pepper

Bacon fat for frying

Method:

Slice the tomatoes 1/4-inch thick. Lay them out in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle with salt. Place the tomato slices in a colander and allow time for salt to pull the water out of the tomatoes, approximately 30 minutes.

In a skillet, heat the oil for deep-frying over medium-high heat.

Dip the tomatoes into buttermilk, then dredge them into cornmeal with a dash of pepper. Shallow-fry in bacon fat until golden brown.

Serve with apple or onion chutney, honey glazed gammon steaks and a green leaf salad.

Chilli Orange Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

For the curry paste.

Juice and peel of ½ orange

2 chopped red shallots

2 long thin green chillies

10ml sugar

For the chicken.

4 medium green chillies

1 chicken breast, sliced into strips

15ml cornflour

15ml vegetable oil

150g basmati rice

400ml chicken stock

5 red shallots, chopped

Sugar to tatse

30ml tamarind water

1-2 pak choi

8 green beans, cut into 3cm pieces

A handful of bean sprouts

Method:

For the curry paste:

Preheat the oven to 100-120C.

Place the orange peel on a baking tray and place into a warm, but not hot, oven for one hour or until dried out. Remove and set aside.

In a food processor, blend together the chopped shallot, long thin green chillies, sugar, dried orange peel and orange juice. Increase the oven temperature to 220C.

For the curry:

Place the medium green chillies onto a baking tray and drizzle over a little bit of the curry paste. Roast for 4-5 minutes, or until the chillies blister and become tender. Make sure they do not burn. Meanwhile, coat the chicken strips in cornflour seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shake off any excess. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and fry the coated chicken strips for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the rice in a pan for 10-12 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until tender. Fluff up the grains with a fork and keep warm by covering with a lid until ready to serve. Add the remaining curry paste to the pan and stir, cooking for about one minute, or until aromatic. Add the stock to the pan, scraping up any bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil and season with a little salt.

Simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until reduced to a thick broth. Add the chopped shallots and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Season to taste with sugar, fish sauce and most of the tamarind water. Add the chicken to the pan along with the pak choi and green beans, simmering until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Add the beansprouts. Serve the curry with the steamed rice.

Cheddar Apple Sponge Pudding

Cheese might seem a strange ingredient for a pudding, but it seems to work so well with sweet apples.

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Ingredients:

110g sugar

110g butter

2 eggs, beaten

140g flour

5ml baking powder

30g grated cheddar cheese

8 walnuts, chopped

½ an apple, peeled, cored and grated

clotted cream or custard to serve.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C

Cream the sugar and butter together with an electric beater.

Slowly add the 2 beaten eggs, then fold in the flour and baking powder.

Fold in the grated cheddar, chopped walnuts and apple.

Spoon the mixture into individual fluted tart tins or buttered ramekin dishes and bake for about 15 minutes.

Serve with clotted cream or custard.