Christmas is the only time we ever deviate from our traditional Scottish oat stuffing. This sausagemeat one is packed with Christmas flavours and goes with turkey, goose, even roast beef (at a push). If you want to control the cooking time of your meat it’s probably best to cook the stuffing separately, shaped into individualContinue reading “Christmas stuffing”
Category Archives: Roast dinners
Cheesy Leeks
This is so basic that it hardly warrants a whole post to itself, but no collection of family favourites would be complete without it. Cheesy leeks were created out of a need to disguise the vegetables accompanying Sunday roasts when you were small and fussy fussier. Cauliflower was never on the cards, that excellent vegetableContinue reading “Cheesy Leeks”
Easter Lamb
Our holidays with the Taylor family – in Provence, Norfolk and Dorset – are particularly memorable for the food we’ve eaten: sausages and lentils, crab linguine, barbecued mackerel freshly fished by Hugh F-W and, in April 2009, this gorgeous spring lamb with haricot beans and rosemary lemon gravy. I brought the lamb and the recipeContinue reading “Easter Lamb”
Apple sauce
An essential accompaniment to roast pork or goose, apple sauce is incredibly simple to make and will keep for at least a week in the fridge, for eating with leftovers. Make sure you’re armed with a lemon to stop the apples from browning once they’re peeled and cut. The quantities here are approximate: feel freeContinue reading “Apple sauce”
Ratatouille
This popular mediterranean vegetable stew is originally from Nice, its name derived from Occitan ratatolha, which comes in turn from Latin (natch). Recipes and cooking methods differ widely, but common ingredients include tomato, garlic, onion, courgette, aubergine, pepper, and various green herbs. Sometimes you’ll find saffron or olives included, and the process might involve cookingContinue reading “Ratatouille”
Carluccio’s Carrots
In 2001, just before I went on maternity leave, one of my Year 9 tutees gave me a signed copy of Antonio Carluccio’s newly-published book ‘Vegetables’. His simple recipe for carrots with garlic has accompanied almost every roast dinner we have eaten since, and is the reason I break out into a cold sweat whenContinue reading “Carluccio’s Carrots”
Roast Chicken
A roast meal takes time and generates a lot of washing up. Pace Sam and Louis, I think it’s worth it. We always make a small stock for the gravy beforehand and then a big stock afterwards, which can serve a range of meals for the following week (risotto, soup, leeks & quinoa to nameContinue reading “Roast Chicken”
Red Cabbage
In 1994, when we were living at Gale, I had a small party for my 25th birthday. Baby Sam (six weeks old) received more presents than I did, but one of the presents I got has stood the test of time. Matthew Faulkner gave me a copy of his friend Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s first cookery book,Continue reading “Red Cabbage”
Slow Roast Pork
During our current meat drought (Veganuary 2020), carnivorous fantasies have begun to preoccupy the mind. We started eating this after I saw Lorraine Pascale (fellow JAGS parent) doing it on TV. My version includes a number of modifications. Serve with roast potatoes, red cabbage, apple sauce and another veg of your choice (Carluccio’s carrots orContinue reading “Slow Roast Pork”
Hungarian Spinach
Babú’s standard birthday meal is Hungarian spinach (spenótfőzelék) and pork meatballs (fasírt). I haven’t ever been particularly keen on the latter, which can be quite heavy, but the spinach part has evolved into one of our staples, eaten with roast chicken or baked potatoes or lamb kofta. I’m not claiming my version is authentic butContinue reading “Hungarian Spinach”
Years of Practice 