The Hackney Butchers Association

   Wow, this is amazing.  It's very easy and fairly cheap. Unlike a lot of curries, this one cooks in around 20mins, (marinading time on top of that). I will be doing this again very soon! The flavours are warm and moreish, cumin, coriander seeds, ginger & toasted oniony rice, chilli & of course lamb! The Coriander sauce is so fresh and healthy it makes you feel like you must have just been to the gym. Well, sort of... (having not been to a gym for at least 10years I'm not an expert...) There are quite a lot of ingredients, but mostly dried spices which last for months and months. The only fresh ingredients I needed to get were fresh coriander (cilantro), mint, & green chillies. You could do this without the fresh coriander sauce but you'd be missing out big time. Make the sauce...make the sauce... I used some suckling lamb chops from a local market. £5 for 2 big chops, not bad I thought... for something quite special and amazingly...

This books rocks!  It is a book for foodies, even the index is delicious. I bought this to take on a recent holiday to Turkey and read it cover to cover quite a few times.  The recipes are simple, totally achievable and look beautiful. The photography got me hooked within minutes of opening the book.  This a passionate book by someone who clearly loves their food, and it's very contagious! I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes Eastern Mediterranean food.  It draws influence from Turkey, Syria, Jordan and the Lebanon. The recipes are all based on traditional ideas but have a very light modern feel.  It's really very clever. Bulgarian born Silvena, affectionately includes the teachings of her half Turkish dad, which gives the book a personal feel.  It's a history book, family story and inspiring cook book all in one.  A lovely book. The meat dishes are incredible, (including Grilled Red Mullet with toasted citrus and Nastur...

Ok, so not the prettiest thing you've ever seen, but might tasty none the less! This smoked pigs cheek set me back the princely sum of £3. 3 hours of poaching in unsalted water later... and with the main skin (& hairy bits) removed... I now have a slab of incredibly tasty meat.  It has a very tender texture & can be eaten hot or cold.  It will keep for at least a few days in the fridge, and can be used instead of pancetta to flavour other dishes, or in small chunks with pasta etc.  It has a deep bacony flavour, with a pork belly texture.  It would be a shame to waste it. Unsmoked, the Italians call this cut Guanciale (meaning 'cheek').  There's a curing recipe on this site, CLICK HERE. Today I fried up a few slices in some olive oil with some left over cooked chard and a small sprinkling of cumin seeds.  Thankfully no one else was around, I could have got territorial.

This is very easy & makes an interesting, slightly bitter side-dish.  Good alongside fish, chicken, pork. The recipe below feeds 2 people (1 radicchio) , but could easily be scaled up. 1 hour marinading, 25mins cooking time.

This is really easy & quick. The amounts below feed two but could be very easily scaled up to serve any amount.

Dhudi is an Indian vegetable. It's a member of the gourd family, and tastes like a slightly bitter marrow.  They come in various shapes and sizes, and confusingly have dozens of names in different countries.  The main names to remember are Lauki (India), Hulu (Chinese), and Calabash (USA/Europe). If left on the vine, they thicken up and are often hollowed out, dried, and used in place of bottles. For this reason, they are often referred to as bottle gourds. When young, they are eaten as a vegetable.  You just peel them with a normal peeler, dice & then boil or fry for about 5mins.  By themselves they are a bit bland, so they are usually cooked with lots of spices.  That's where I get interested! They are eaten all across India, Pakistan, in China, Korea, Vietnam and parts of South America, so there are no doubt a huge amount of recipes out there. To get the ball rolling, here's a recipe I tried last night which uses no oil.  I had it with some plai...

Asafoetida is a pungent spice that comes from the sap of Ferula roots.   In it's raw gum form it has a foul smell hence the name Devil's Dung! Once fried for 30secs in oil though, it gives a lovely onion/leek/garlic flavour.  Phew.  It is used widely in Indian, Persian & Arabic food. I found mine at a local asian store, where it was known as 'Hing' , but all the big manufacturers make it, so it will be in a lot of supermarkets.  You can buy it in bags of untreated resin, but it is very pungent & very smelly!  Far more often it comes in powder form in pots, mixed with a little rice flour to keep it dry and make the taste less harsh. Just in case, here are a few stockists.... GREENLIFE.CO.UK SPICESOFINDIA.CO.UK THEASIANCOOKSHOP.CO.UK For USA use  ISHOPINDIAN.COM For the rest of Europe use: INDIASTORE.DE Hope this helps!

This comes from an awesome book I recently bought from Amazon, "India" by Pushpent Pant. His name alone is impressive! It is the first recipe I've cooked from the book, but if it is anything to go by, I will soon be trying the remaining 999 recipes... This book is not cheap, but worth every penny, i'ts a lovely object (that comes in it's own bag) , published by Phaidon,  and packed with enough info, ideas and great images to keep you going for years. Wow. I've just seen they've just slashed the price on Amazon (after I'd bought 2 copies!) to £20.  That really is a massive bargain. Anyway here's the basic recipe with a slight twist as I couldn't get fresh fenugreek and used dried instead. I also added some chopped fresh mint at the end just to freshen it up.  Probably a mortal sin, but still damn tasty... RECIPE BELOW:

Gulf baharat 1 tbsp red pepper 1 1/2 tsp cumin 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp ground loomi (dried lime) 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp saffron threads

July Artichokes, Aubergines, Apricots, Buckler-Leaf Sorrel, Broccoli, Beetroot, Blueberries, Blackcurrants, Broad Beans, Cherries, Cod, Crab, Courgettes, Cucumbers, Clams, Cockles, Coley, Dover Sole, English Lamb, Fennel, Grey Mullet, Greengages, Gooseberries, Garlic, Green Beans, Haddock, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Kohlrabi, Lobster, Langoustines, Lemon Sole, Loganberries, Monkfish, Mulberries, Mackerel, Nectarines, Onions, Peaches, Potatoes, Peas, Plums, Plaice, Raspberries, Rabbit, Rocket, Runner Beans, Redcurrants, Radishes, Raspberries, Strawberries, Squid, Sea Bream, Scallops, Sea Bass, Swiss Chard, Sardines, Salmon, Spinach, Salad Leaves, Tomatoes, Whelks, Watercress. Wild Foods for July Crab Apples, Chanterelles, Green Walnuts, Marsh Samphire, Sea Purslane, Wild Blackberries, Wild Mint, Wood Pigeon. This list comes from the brilliant website The British Larder. I always find their monthly list a great way to remind me of things i haven't eaten or cook...

June Aubergines, Artichokes, Asparagus, Apricots, Borage, Broad Beans, Beetroot, Blueberries, Blackcurrants, Broccoli, Courgettes, Cherries, Cod, Crab, Coley, Cockles, Carrots, Chicory, Cucumbers, Dover Sole, Fennel, French Beans, Grey Mullet, Green Beans, Gooseberries, Haddock, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Lamb, Langostines, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mange Tout, Mackerel, Nectarines, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Pollack, Plaice, Redcurrants, Rocket, Radishes, Runner beans, Rhubarb, Romaine Lettuce, Raspberries, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Onions, Salmon, Strawberries, Sardines, Sea Trout, Turnips, Tomatoes, Watercress. Wild Foods for June Lime Flowers, Marsh Samphire, Nasturtium, Sorrel, Sea Purslane, Sea Beet, Wild Mint, Wood Pigeon. I bought a borage plant a few weeks ago, that despite the lack of sunshine seems to be doing really well.  The leaves are spiky like a thick stinging nettle.  Chopped really fine they can be eaten raw and taste mostly ...

Thanks to Amazon I am now the proud owner of four new curry books!  Very exciting stuff for me.  I've gone for quite a diverse selection, so it should be an interesting mix of old & new. The first to arrive is a very dated looking book called, "The Curry Secret: Indian Restaurant Cookery at Home" | PaperbackAuthor: Kris Dhillon It was a best seller at some point, but can now be picked up for the princely sum of 1p. Yes 1p.  I'm not sure there can be a better way to spend a penny.  Well, you know what i mean.  First published in 1989, it was updated & re-published in 2008.  Back by popular demand, so it must be good eh? It's written by an Indian restaurant owner & chef who spills the beans on restaurant 'tricks of the trade'. I'm yet to put it to the test but am already learning some top tips.  Loving it! For instance...I love the mint sauce that comes with onion bhaji & popadoms.  I have tried making it at home...

This was a quick mid-week experiment that really worked. Huss is widely sold as an alternative to Cod in Fish & Chip shops,  it's also known as Dogfish or Rock Salmon. It comes from the North Atlantic, Pacific & Mediteranean Seas.  It's a good, firm white fish.  For some reason I'd never bought or cooked it before this week.  After a mid-week bung-it-in-the oven meal for one, I'll now buy it again regularly.  Not only was it very cheap, but there was a lot of fish.  The piece I bought was £2 and could have fed 2 people, if I wasn't so greedy.... On the downside, there is a large spine that runs through the fish, but this comes out in one piece very easily once it's cooked. I will play about with various marinades now I know how easy it is, but the recipe I made up was as follows.. 1inch of fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped & then crushed to a paste 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, ground 1/4 tea...

I ran out of time the other night with a plan to marinade & BBQ a rabbit.  So instead I tried out a really quick way to cook it up, pot-roasting.  This has the advantage of steaming the rabbit while it roasts, so it doesn't dry up and go tough.  It was pretty damn good if I say so myself! (SERVES 2)  Marinading time: 20mins-24hours / Cooking time:25mins Here's how: INGREDIENTS: 1 large rabbit, or 2 smaller ones 2 handfuls of chopped herbs (I used marjoram & rosemary) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tbs spoon honey 1 lemon, for zest & juice Olive Oil 2 glasses of wine (i used 1 red/1 white) METHOD: 1. Catch your rabbit (old joke...) 2. Joint your rabbit 3. Marinade rabbit pieces in the herbs, crushed garlic, lemon zest & juice, & honey. Season with salt & pepper.  Leave this for as long as possible, at least 20mins, preferably overnight. 4. Brown the rabbit pieces in a casserole dish (dutch oven) over a fairly high heat unt...

Crispy and delicious. These can be flavoured with any herb or a combination of spices. Good for adults, kids, with anything, even just by themselves with salad. Best eaten hot or warm. I made these last night with too much egg, too little salt & herbs, they were edible but more like bland omelets.. not great as I was serving them with roasted Bream.  It was all a bit weird.  Oh well,  you live and learn! This makes six small cakes & serves 2 people 250g potatoes 1 medium carrot 200g feta 2 heaped teaspoons dill (or other herb) 1 egg Lots of seasoning! Olive oil Peel the potato and carrot and then coarsely grate into a sieve. Squeeze out moisture. Add herb of choice, black pepper and crumbled feta (if using). Lightly beat eggs and add to mixture. Make six flattened cakes from the mixture & fry them in a little olive oil until crispy. yum.

MAY: Asparagus, Broad Beans , Broccoli, Cockles , Coley, Chicory , Carrots, Cauliflower , Cucumber, Cod , Crab, Fennel , Halibut, Herring , John Dory, Jersey Royal , Kohlrabi, Lemon Sole , Lobster, Mint , Mackerel, New Potatoes , Nasturtium Flowers, Radishes , Rocket, Sorrel , Sea Bass, Salmon , Sea Trout, Pollack , Plaice, Salmon , Sardines, Spring Onions , Spring Lamb, Rhubarb , Winkles, Whelks , Watercress. Wild Foods for May… Borage Flowers, Elderflowers , Marsh Samphire, Nettles , Sorrel, Sea Purslane , Wild Garlic, Wild Mint , Woodpigeon. Just found a few interesting things to try with Kohlrabi... Carrot & Kohlrabi salad ( Rick Stein's recipe on the BBC Food website ) (gotta love Rick Stein!) Kohlrabi fritters ( from a blog called 'ahungrybear.com ') Also the leaves can be cooked and eaten as you would with Spinach.  Braised for 2mins on a medium heat with a knob of butter, lid on.  Could be good!

APRIL: Broccoli, Carrots , Cucumber, Cabbages , Cockles, Crab , Cauliflower, Eel , Halibut, Jersey Royal New Potatoes , John Dory, Leeks , Lettuces, Lobster , Lemon Sole, Mint , Mackerel, Mussels , New Potatoes, Oyster , Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes , Rhubarb, Rocket , Rosemary, Spring Greens , Sea Kale, Salmon , Sardines, Salsify , Sea Bass, Sea Trout , Spinach, Sorrel , Spring Onions, Spring Lamb , Whelks, Winkles , Watercress. Wild Foods: Chickweed, Dandelion , Hop Shoots, Hogweed , Hawthorn Berries, Nettles , St Georges Mushrooms, Sea Beet , Morel Mushrooms, Woodpigeon , Wild Garlic.

MARCH: Brussels Sprouts, Beetroot , Broccoli, Crab , Carrots, Celeriac , Chicory, Clams , Cockles, Cauliflower , Eel, Hake , john Dory, Jerusalem Artichokes , Kale, lobster , Lemon Sole, Leeks , Mussels, Oysters , Parsnips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli , Red Chicory and Radicchio, Spinach , Salmon, Scallops, Skate, Swede , Salad Onions, Sorrel , Sea Bass, Rhubarb , Turnips, Trout , Winkles. Wild Foods: Garlic Mustard, Horseradish , Lime Leaves, Morel Mushrooms, Sea Beet, Wild Garlic . I made up a very quick & delicious side-dish/ salad last week with a few Jerusalem Artichokes. Peel & slice into thick coins, then gently fry for 10mins in a few tablespoons of olive oil until caramelized. Stir in a few finely sliced sage leaves & cook for 1 minute more.  Add the juice of a lemon to deglaze the pan, then remove from the heat & mix in a teaspoon of dijon mustard. Season salt & a few turns of black pepper. I had it with some left over pork & some s...

FEBRUARY Brill , Brussels Sprouts, Blood Oranges , Chard, Clams , Cabbages, Cockles , Celeriac, Cauliflower , Duck, Endive , Forced Rhubarb, Goose , Halibut, Haddock , Hake, Jerusalem Artichokes , John Dory, Kale , Leeks, Mussels , Medjool Dates, Oysters , Onions, Parsnips , Pears, Pomegranate , Potatoes, Red Chicory and Radicchio , Parsnip, Purple Sprouting Broccoli , Sea Bass, Scallops , Swede, Salmon , Turnips, Turbot, Walnuts. Wild foods in February: Alexanders , Chickweed, Horseradish , Hare, Venison.   Game birds everywhere can kick back and relax as the shooting season for Pheasants & partridges ended on the 1st Feb. Starting to appear now though are Red Chicory & Raddichio.  Recipes to follow... Also interesting is the arrival of an old forgotten vegetable called 'Alexanders' introduced by the Romans.  There's a link here It's not something I've tried, but is apparently very easy to find if you're anywhere near the countryside.  It i...

January Brill , Brussels Sprouts, Blood Oranges , Cauliflower, Celeriac , Clams, Cabbages , Celery, Chicory , Cranberries, Cockles , Clementines, Duck , Forced Rhubarb, Goose , Halibut, Hake , Haddock, Hare , Jerusalem Artichokes, John Dory , Kale, Leeks , Lemon Sole, Mussels , Onions, Oysters , Pears, Parsnips , Potatoes, Partridge , Pheasant, Parsnips , Purple Spouting Broccoli, Pomegranates , Sea Bass, Salsify , Satsumas, Shallots , Swede, Seville Oranges , Scallops, Turbot , Turnips, Venison , Whelks, Walnuts . Wild foods in January: Guinea Fowl, Hare , Horseradish, Mallard(until Jan 31st) , Partridge (until Feb 1st) , Pheasant(until Feb 1st) , Teal(until Jan 31st) , Truffles , Venison, Wigeon , Woodcock. Pheasants! That reminds me. There's this amazing Rick Stein pheasant recipe that I cook every year about now. The birds roast in a dutch oven on top of loads of bacon/fennel/leeks/carrots etc. & a small number of juniper berries. You end up with an incredible...