Chilies

Article: Pasta of The Sea

I began my love affair with samphire purely by accident.  I received it as a gift from a market fresh produce delivery company called Solstice. They used to have a handy little webshop that had almost everything gastronimic you could imagine. It was good enough to negate a trip to Borough Market and it's droves of food gawkers. When I opened the punnet I was intrigued by the look of samphire. I took a bite of it raw and was completely hooked. Samphire is a coastal plant that grows in the sea marsh. Samphire has vibrant green stalks, akin to baby asparagus. In the states samphire is called sea bean. so seek it out! It has wonderfully crisp and fresh sea taste. I love it raw and lightly cooked.

Article: Ad Hoc Crispy Braised Chicken

Everything I cook from Thomas Keller's latest book Ad Hoc at Home is scrumdelicious!  I've now cooked about 15 of the 200 some recipes so that's pretty good odds so far.  In fact i would love to challenge anyone who can't complete any of these recipes. All of the recipes in Ad Hoc are attainable for even the most novice of home chefs.  The Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs is no exception.  Its a super simple autumn dish that will please anyone that tastes it. The flavours smack of summer, which is a great mood lifter when the weather is less than summer-like.  What is there not to like? Crispy skinned chicken on a bed of soft braised fennel,...

Article: Chili Caramel Popcorn

Cooking is like magic. I’m not referring to the Master Magicians of Gastronomy like Blumenthal, Adria or Achatz, but more of the simpler use of magic in cooking. Specifically taking an inedible object and if by magic making it utterly divine and moorish. Quince when cooked turns from a hard and bitter fruit into a fragrant silky puree. Animal bones when simmered produce an elixir that has amazing mouth feel! The first magical products that fascinated me at a child was Popcorn. The magic trick goes like this.- start off with a hard golden nugget that are impossible to eat. Then apply some heat. PRESTO! POP! BANG! Fluffy puffed bites of creamy goodness appears. If you are a seasoned popcorn magician there will be no smoke or...

Article: Chile Verde

Green Chile was one of the first recipes that I ever committed to memory. Thanks to the mother of my childhood friend Jennifer Arriaga, I leaned how to cook this dish in my early teens and have been making it ever since. Green Chile or Chili Verde is the lesser know (in the UK) sister to the popular American Southwest staple of Chile Con Carne. Chile Verde is a Mexican stew that really lets the flavours of chili's sing. There are many variations of the chili, some to include tomatillos or white beans, but never tomatoes.  In this version I've used Padron peppers, their flavour works wonderfully in this stew. Feel free to replace with any mild-medium chilies that you have...

Article: Jalapeño Corn Bread

Southern boys love their cornbread, this is a cornbread to lust after.  Cornbread is a popular item in southern American cuisine.  It's enjoyed by many people for its texture and scent. Cornbread can be baked, fried or, rarely, *gasp* steamed. Steamed cornbreads are mushy, chewier and more akin to a cornmeal pudding or polenta than what most consider to be traditional cornbread.Cornbread can be sweet or savory, I've opted for the latter here. I love it with as an accompaniment to Chile Con Carne. I've jazzed up the standard cornbread with a lime, coriander and jalapeno to echo the flavours that go with the American southwest. This can be baked in individual muffin tins or a small round cake tin.

Article: Beef Salpicon Tostadas

I've been going on a bit of a Mexican Renaissance over the last few weeks. I think all my childhood food memories are being rekindled by our recent visits to Thomasina Miers' Mexican canteen Wahaca. If you've not been there to experience her take on Mexican Street food, then I highly recommend it. There are two great locations in London; Covent Garden and in the uber swish...

Article: Lamb Chops with Minted Lime Salsa

This was a dish that I cooked in the Quarter Final of Master Chef Goes Large. My advise is to keep the lamb pink, as the more it is cooked, the drier it becomes. Ingredients 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks4 small Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and halved2 parsnips, cut into chunks1 red onion, sliced into wedges1 garlic bulb, cut horizontally in half5 tbsp olive oil1 mild red chilli, de-seeded and chopped1 mild green chilli, de-seeded and chopped8 lamb loin chopssalt and freshly ground black pepper For the minted lime salsa 2 tbsp olive oil2 shallots, finely diced2 tsp grated fresh ginger2 tbsp fine-cut lime marmalade1...