Weekly Updates

Beurre blanc is a staple French sauce, but these days I find it simultaneously too rich and too acidic. It also feels increasingly less relevant given today’s healthier diets and habits. The recipe this week is a simple butter sauce made along the same principles but with quite a different end result: far lighter and less cloying, but full of flavour nonethless. It is still sharp and rich, but well-balanced rather than an exercise in excess. Some basic points to get right….. Cook the shallot reduction slowly so the shallots are tender by the time all the liquid has evaporated....

Celeriac remoulade  This week, a recipe for celeriac remoulade: a classic and for good reason. Moreish and addictive, largely due to its bracing acidity, satisfying texture and mustard-kick. The level of acidity is more than people would ordinarily entertain using at home, but it is perfectly absorbed by the root vegetable. In this version, the richness of the mayonnaise is tempered by the addition of Greek yoghurt, which a traditionalist may not take kindly to, but it does lighten the dish and I find its sourness adds elegance. Wholegrain mustard is also key to add a nice textural pop as...

The ultimate nursery food, rice pudding is invariably the nourishment that bookends your existence: it is the food of the very young and the very old. It is loved by those with milk teeth and false teeth alike……and by most people in between. I love it both chilled (as below) and warm, but they are two very different desserts. This version is just lightly sweetened; it is toothsome but light and with a pure vanilla flavour pervading the rich dairy content. In the winter, serve this with soaked prunes, gingerbread crumbs and milk jam (dulche de leche). If you want...

“Potimarron” comes from a combination of “potirron” for pumpkin and “marron” for chestnut. A smooth sided pumpkin with thin skin and a deep orange flesh, they spend about 3 months maturing before going to market. Delicious this time of year, baked until completely tender with some salted butter and chestnuts in a tinfoil pouch, or here, as a fuss-free soup. Sweating the onion at the start adds another layer of sweetness that will complement the sweetness of the squash. The combination of the hot velvety soup, the garlic butter and salty cheese is the perfect introduction to Autumn fare. Feel...