Bavette is easily my favourite cut of steak. It must be cooked rare, then well-rested and cut thinly against the grain or it will be tough. It’s this intrinsic gnarliness that gives it so much character though, and it has serious beefy oomph – no wonder it was once reserved as a butcher’s treat. Now, it’s more widely available, and this one came from Swaledale, who very kindly sent me a selection of their fantastic meat. You may already know Swaledale as a supplier to restaurants, but you may not know that they also have an online shop for reg customers. I urge you to take a look because thei ..read more

I love using pickle brine in dressings as it adds gently spiced acidity and some sweetness. Here, it finds a way into all the frilly, charred leaves of the cabbage, their bitter edges a pleasant contrast. Plump prawns make this feel special, and I’d definitely add some potatoes or buttered brown bread to bulk it out, if in the mood. Charred Sweetheart Cabbage with Prawns and a Pickle Brine Dressing 1 sweetheart cabbage, quartered 350g raw, shell-on prawns (around 12 prawns) Generous sprinkle of Urfa chilli A wedge of lemon Pickle Brine Dressing 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice from a jar (I us ..read more

These wings have it all: smoky meat, crisp skin and a killer dressing of aromatic citrus, sweet-tart tamarind and fragrant lime leaves. Toss together with fresh herbs, chilli and pickles and you will find yourself unable to stop eating them. Grilled Chicken Wings with a Grapefruit, Tamarind and Lime Leaf Dressing (serves 2) 600g chicken wings, jointed Small handful mint leaves Small handful coriander leaves 1 red chilli, very finely sliced Tamarind, Grapefruit and Lime Leaf Dressing 100ml pink grapefruit juice (1 pink grapefruit) 1 teaspoon tamarind paste 6 lime leaves, torn ½ teaspoon fish s ..read more

Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that I often make minced lamb kebabs like these, using a simple combination of flavourings. Non-negotiables include pul biber and Urfa chilli flakes (which I love for their mild heat and sun-roasted flavour), finely chopped parsley stalks and lots of garlic. The ‘relish’ is basically a combination of very slowly cooked onions and fennel, which both caramelise over 45 minutes to an hour in the pan. I add some very finely chopped preserved lemon peel at the end and it transforms the mixture into something fragrant that makes a good accompaniment ..read more

Carrots are one of those vegetables I’ve never felt particularly excited about. They’re essential as a sweet foundation in mirepoix, in stock, in… carrot cake but I just feel generally quite bored by them. I do not often think of a carrot as a starting point to a dish and get excited. And yet. There are ways of cooking carrots that make them more interesting and it will come as no surprise that I think they are best cooked over live fire. The real trick here though is marinating them. I let these sit overnight in a bath of olive oil, spices and garlic, although a few hours would be fine. They ..read more

This is the third of three recipes developed in partnership with Parmigiano Reggiano I had no idea how prominently pizza would feature in my lockdown experience. I used to frequent my local pizzeria (Theo’s in Camberwell) at least once a week for a bubble-crusted beauty topped with scotch bonnet ‘nduja, or anchovies, olives and capers. Occasionally, I’d go classic and order a Margherita, but I’d always have a plate of mortadella and pickled chillies to start and finish by swiping the last piece of dough through a pool of their famous chilli sauce. When the pizzeria closed I was left pining al ..read more

A quick hello from me today, to share this recipe for turmeric fishcake bánh mì with lemongrass pickled fennel (as promised on Instagram). I’m a huge fan of the bánh mì as you’ve probably gathered from the number of recipes on this site (grilled pork bánh mì; turmeric fish bánh mì; SPAM mì; crab num pang) because I think it demonstrates what a great sandwich is all about, which is lots of contrasting flavours and textures. Here, the fishcakes are fragrant with galangal, fresh turmeric and lime leaves and the sliced beans add pops of crunch. There’s acidity from pickled vegetables, an absolute ..read more

This is the second of three recipes produced in partnership with Parmigiano Reggiano Lockdown has got me thinking about the cumulative power of small things; the way that all the behaviours we perform on a day to day basis stack up to equal our wellbeing. Something as small as smoothing on moisturiser after a shower; getting a haircut; buying an ice cream; shopping for ingredients without a list; taking the first sip of a cold pint; hugging a mate; wearing new shoes. Quality of life is notoriously hard to measure, primarily because it’s subjective. We will likely agree on many measures of thi ..read more

Sometimes, I spend hours watching vids of people making street food. Polished Netflix documentaries are all well and good (OK, some of them are good) but there is an under-appreciated genre of food content and it is people cooking with eggs on YouTube. Not chefs, not aspiring TV presenters and not influencers, but people on the street or in breakfast cafes making a hard living cooking the same dish many times over. This may seem niche – and it is – but deep-diving into the differences in layering between one Mumbai toastie seller and another, or watching an employee at a Korean breakfast cafe ..read more

This recipe is the first of three produced as part of a paid partnership with Parmigiano Reggiano. Turns out lying around on the sofa isn’t all that great for your mental health, then. Who knew? People need purpose, which is usually what employment brings. It’s the same with cleaning your living space or doing some exercise – those tasks we put off generally make us happier in the long run. Creating something is nourishing – be it a painting or a plate of food – and keeping things simple maximises the chances of positive reward. Even the most straightforward cooking, like mashing potatoes or ..read more