The Hackney Butchers Association

This is a marinade for anything you like. 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp corinader seeds 1 tsp black peppercorns 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp sea salt 2 dried chillies 1-2oz fresh red chillies (depending on strength) 3 cloves garlic 1 shallot or 1/2 small red onion 2 tsp tamarind water 1" ginger 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (It makes a jar load & lasts for months.) Grind up the dry spices first in a pestle & mortar, then bash in the rest until you have a smooth paste. I've used it on Octopus (amazing!) and left-over chicken (not-so-amazing...), but it can be used for spicy vegetable curries or anything you fancy. It has a strong spicy/cinamony hit.

A Rick Stein-er. Very simple & good. It looks very flash, but is really easy! Phew. I've served it a few times with Bubble & Squeak. It needs something crispy to soak up the fantastic sauce.  RECIPE

It works with any white fish, I tend to use Sea Bream. I wouldn't use anything too expensive though as the sauce is strong. It's spicy, salty, fishy, sweet & sour, and as good as anything I've had served up in a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant. I got the recipe from Thai Table. It's the only recipe I've tried of theirs, so far. It was so good I've cooked it many times now. In fact I might have to have it for dinner tonight. Mmnnn. The Tamarind I use comes in a block and lasts for months in the fridge. I got it from a local asian store. You soften it in boiling water before use. I know that the big supermarkets now sell Tamarind paste etc, so hopefully shouldn't be too hard to get. It's totally essential to this recipe and worth buying anyway. I improvised a bit last time and used Jamaican bell-peppers, big mistake... I like my spice, but even I had to take my time eating it. My wife cried, we had to open all the windows & even the fr...

I got given this book many years ago (Thanks Mum! x) It took me a while to realize just how good it is. Now I use it all the time. It's splattered in food and probably a health risk... It's one of those books, full of all the classics, that you'll use for life.

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe. It's a dramatic roast. I've done it quite a few times and look forward to doing it again. I'm hungry just thinking about it. The main flavours are paprika, rosemary & red onion. It smells incredible as you cook it. Even my kids love it... I always roast up a load of mixed peppers with it & serve up some irony greens. It's great. HERE IT IS... I make lots and then freeze any left-over beans. They make a great instant meal another time. I made amazing pork scratchings by roasting up all the pork trimmings with chilli seeds and dried mixed herbs. I know it's not exactly health food, but worth it...

This is a Rick Stein number. It is absolutely delicious. Great winter comfort food. It serves 4. You don't need any other side dishes. Definitely one to repeat every winter! http://www.hub-uk.com/foodpages31/1522.htm Pheasant shooting season in the UK is from October 1st until February 1st. The cheapest time to buy is November when they are at their peak. Check out HERE if you want to know about other birds, ie. Mallard, Grouse, Wood Pigeon etc.

Interesting stuff... It's one of the main flavours in Thai soups like Tom Kaa Gai. I get it from a local Vietnamese store on Mare St, East London. It looks very similar to ginger roots. It's also called Siamese Ginger. In Thailand they call it 'Khaa'. I sometimes make stocks for soups/ramens by bunging a couple of inches of chopped galangal, 2 sticks of lemongrass, lots of garlic, a chopped lime & some fresh red chillies into some chicken stock, and simmering for 20mins. It smells and tastes incredible. Strain it, then add noodles, left over meat or fish, bean sprouts & more chillies if you're hardcore... oh and another squeeze of lime juice.. Wow.

15 green chillies 3 tbsp shallot 1 tbsp garlic 50g chopped galangal 1/2 tsp chopped lemongrass 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp shrimp paste (or salt if you can't get it) 1/2 tsp chopped kaffir lime peel 1 tsp chopped coriander root 1 tsp tumeric root 5mins. Use a food processor, whizz it all up together. Done... Keeps for up to 4 months in a sealed jar in the fridge. I've made it using less ingredients when i couldn't get hold of stuff. It still tastes amazing. The one thing i'd never miss out is the kaffir lime. If you can't get fresh, try getting hold of the frozen leaves. You can keep a pack in the freezer for whenever you need them. They last for ages and are good for lifting stir-frys etc. The recipe comes from a booklet from a small cookery school in Thailand, "The Baan Thai Cookery School" . My wife's parents went there & loved it. Nice people & great food!

200g plain flour (sifted) 75g caster sugar 75g unsalted butter (at room temp) 2 medium yolks 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence 2-3 iced water a pinch of salt

5 dried red chilies (soaked in boiling water for 10mins) 3 tbsp chopped shallots 1 tbsp chopped garlic 50g galangal 1/2 tsp shrimp paste (or salt if you can't get it) 1/2 tsp chopped kaffir lime peel 1 tsp coriander root/stem 1 tsp tumeric root You can grind it in a pestle & mortar but it makes a right mess, so i whizz it in a blender. Works fine... phew. This doesn't go deep red (add more tumeric root if you like), but it tastes great... It lasts for up to 4 months in a sealed glass jar in the fridge. For my red curries, I like it spicy. I lightly fry up at least 4 heaped teaspoons of paste in a little oil then add 1 can of coconut milk. If you don't like the heat, use half this amount.