Festive Cottage Pie

Tinsel glistening, lights twinkling, bucks fizz flowing – it must be December!  Friends (and enemies) of mine know that each year I make it my mission to try as many Christmas sandwiches from the supermarkets as I can.  I just enjoy the novelty of it – how are they going to cram Christmassy cheer between…

Turkey and Cranberry Meatloaf

I’ve always been intrigued by meatloaf – the foodstuff, not the singer (though much love for him as well).  Perhaps it was due to the Simpsons referencing it frequently, and their dinnertime stock meal seeming to consist of it, but there was something so fascinating about the idea.  Here in the UK, it has never…

Pan Seared Chicken with Chorizo Sauce

There are some pairings that just work in life to bring you joy.  Chocolate and roses, fireworks and a warm blanket, Chaz and Dave.  Among them, of course, is the brilliant pairing of chicken and chorizo.  While chicken is incredibly popular and largely considered quite versatile, it also comes with significant drawbacks – particularly its…

Thai Red Noodle Soup (with optional chicken thighs)

For all the complex plating styles, techniques and geometric designs that are so popular in youtube “food presentation” videos (which I am certainly not above), there is something to be said for the beauty inherently found in a bowl of stuff.  Thai food is a moderately recent discovery of mine, and I am consistently bowled…

Chicken Katsu (with quick tonkatsu sauce)

I often marvel at how certain ingredients that were considered totally fringe and specialist a few years ago are not readily available in pretty much any large supermarket in the UK.  I remember spending ages searching my local Tesco growing up for ghee when I first discovered Indian cooking, and for the life of me couldn’t find…

Honey Nut Fried Chicken

Comfort food is called that for a reason – that edible warm-hug feeling you get along with all the happy memories they bring.  Well, goodness knows this has been a year where we need some comfort and joy.  Comfort foods come in all shapes and sizes, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a list…

Turkey Meatballs with Orange and Cranberry Dip

Turkey is a divisive meat – some find it a wonderfully lean alternative to chicken, others think it’s foul.  *Pause for applause…3…2…1*  In any case it’s getting up to that time of year where turkey may or may not be on the menu, yet even in its absence it looms over us.  “Oh, I know…

Lollipop Buffalo Wings

I didn’t even realise buffalo could fly!  *pause for applause…3…2…1 I grew up hearing about buffalo wings on US films and TV, but being from a sleepy countryside town in Norfolk it was never really on the menu.  Eventually through the marvels of the internet and the developing presence of global cuisine in Britain I…

Lime Roasted Chicken with Butternut Purée

So I may have been in a bit of a “gourmet” mood with this one, but stick with me.  While this may look very chefs table in its presentation, it is an insanely simple meal that would easily impress dinner guests with its luxurious appearance. In terms of the experience of eating it, the flavours…

Orange and Cinnamon Chicken Skewers

In Nikki Segnit’s incredible book The Flavour Thesaurus, she references the ubiquity and natural pairing of lemon and chicken, noting that many dishes could be ranked on the “lemonicken scale.”  She certainly isn’t wrong, but I’ve often felt that the sweeter, softer flavour of the orange makes an equally, if different, beautiful pairing.  In this particular…