Recipes

Tandoori chicken is one of the Asian subcontinent’s many contributions to fine dining. A ‘tandoor’ is the Hindi word for the special clay oven used in this style of cooking. If you have no tandoor to hand, fear not. Here’s a way to produce a pretty fine imitation in your own kitchen.

A friend of mine recently returned from Hanoi, bringing with him happy memories of pho, an aromatic, beef stock-based noodle soup made with beef or chicken, and chillies. He came for dinner the other night, and we set to work creating a local version of this famous Vietnamese dish.

With the possible exception of a chocolate brownie, nothing accompanies tea or coffee better than a crisp shortbread biscuit.

Staunch artisanal chefs and sourdough bakers amongst our readers will object, but the simple fact is this: if supermarkets offer frozen pizza bases for sale, why attempt to make them at home?

This combination of ingredients with pasta makes a fine supper for four to five people. And no, it’s not just another version of spaghetti bolonaise…

A pork chop – and may all my ancestors kindly look the other way – is a marvellous thing. And when simmered in white wine and a tangy Dijon mustard sauce, it becomes a special dish at a dinner for two.

Calamari – squid to our friends in the marine biology sector – is a wonderful addition to one’s seafood repertoire. Easy to cook, a marvel to present and a delight to eat, this calamari salad is a true classic. Try it and achieve star status amongst your cooking competitors.

Risotto, a hearty rice-based dish, is also a delicious accompaniment to meat, fish or poultry. Add it to your repertoire of gourmet dishes.

Some rococo banana splits are overwhelmed by ice cream, fudge caramel and even crushed nuts. But in the spirit of good food with minimal effort, we have the Farmer’s Weekly Christmas pudding, designed to hit all your taste buds.

Christmas is full of tradition, and people everywhere recognise the end of the year as a festival. We put together a delicious buttered turkey and roast vegetables recipe to try for Christmas lunch.

It’s no secret: lemon and chicken in combination appear in a wide variety of international cuisines. Here’s an Italian- influenced classic to add to your repertoire of fine home cooking.

The second-best thing you can do with a potato is turn it into gnocchi. Since you ask, the best thing is deep-fried, slap chips. Sticking with gnocchi means you have an unexpected but welcome dish for your guests, easy to dress up with a highly flavoured sauce.