Taste and Match is an event organised by Winexplorer to match great food with the excellent wines they sell to the public and restaurants alike. Hope to see you there as I am serving my ox-tail alla vaccinara alongside their Podere Le Ripi, 2006 Lupi e sirene Brunello di Montalcino Tasting notes are below my recipe - I hope you enjoy both! Ingredients: 1 pigs trotter, small onion, celery stick, black peppercorn, bay leaf Olive oil Lard or ham fat Large amount of chopped parsley (6 tablespoons) 3 cloves garlic Large chopped red onion 2 chopped carrots 1.5 kg ox-tail,... Continue reading

I'm very concious that I live in a world of plenty and that hunger is never an issue for me or my family or indeed for the many thousands of people who have visited this site. We are extremely lucky, we have a passion for food, we have access to the best ingredients, recipes and chefs, and we could not imagine a world different to our own. Yet around the world more than 1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty. There's an official definition of extreme poverty which is living on less than US$1.25 a day. Can you imagine that?... Continue reading

I cooked this on New Years Eve and received many requests for the recipe. It's a simple dish, the only difficulty that may be presented is if you are reluctant to kill and chop the lobster yourself. That being the case I'm sure your fishmonger will do it for you! This is a traditional Cantonese dish for Chinese New Year - the lobster as it symbolises wealth, both in terms of its cost but also the beautiful red colour after cooking, and the noodles which represent longevity. Ingredients (for 4) 2 live, uncooked lobsters weighing 800g- 1kg each 400g Yee... Continue reading

Peranakans are descendants of early Chinese settlers in Penang, Malaysia. The Malaysian word is nonya which refers to the respect and affection held for women within their society. The food is a blend of Chinese and Malay spicing and flavouring. Typically the food is spicy, tangy, herbal and aromatic. This simple curry is no exception. Ingredients 2.5 tablespoons curry powder (see below) 1.25kg chicken drumsticks and thighs (skinned) 3 sticks lemon grass 2 tablespoons groundnut oil good piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 300 g waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered 200 g shallots, finely diced 6 kaffir lime leaves,... Continue reading

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by British Onions to create my own recipe for British onion gravy. I decided to be a little creative and do a dish which relies entirely upon onions to produce a sauce. It is spectacularly tasty, simple to make (needs a little attention, but not much) and re-assuringly light on the wallet using brisket as the cut of meat. Ingredients 140 gr pancetta 1 kg boneless beef roast, preferably brisket 4 cloves 1 bay leaf 5 medium British onions, sliced wafer thin sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Let's start by... Continue reading

Work in progress Hi everyone, I am Paul from Paulscooking (stating the obvious lol) Here's my attempt at producing a site full of recipes and meal ideas useful for both parents and kids. Hopefully it will be a fun place with plenty to interest everyone. It's work in progress at... Continue reading

There are literally thousands of recipes for pork loin braised in milk, scattered all over the internet. I've tried cooking this several ways, yet to me the very best recipe and method comes from one of the greatest Italian cooks and food writers, Marcella Hazan. It is a classic dish, and quite rightly! It sounds bizarre, and if you have never tried it don't be put of by the seemingly strange combination of ingredients. It's worked for hundreds of years and once tried will be a great favourite! Ingredients 20 g butter 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1.25 kg pork loin... Continue reading

I am not really a dessert type person - main course is as the name suggests the highlight of any meal for me. However just occasionally I will indulge in this fantastically dense, rich cake which tastes great warm or cold. In fact, assuming you have the self-discipline, this cake tastes even better the day after baking. Ingredients 70 g un-salted softened butter 100 g good quality dark chocolate 3 medium eggs, seperated 60 g icing sugar 30g finely chopped almond nuts 1 level tablespoon plain flour a sprinkle of caster sugar Before cooking first separate the three egg yolks... Continue reading

"Bouillabaisse, this golden soup, this incomparable golden soup which embodies and concentrates all the aromas of our shores and which permeates, like an ecstasy, the stomachs of astonished gastronomes. Bouillabaisse is one of those classic dishes whose glory has encircled the world, and the miracle consists of this: there are as many bouillabaisses as there are good chefs or cordon bleus. Each brings to his own version his special touch." Curnonsky (1872-1956) Bouillabaisse as you probably may well know comes in many forms, and depending upon budget, availability of produce, and the will of the chef can be served as... Continue reading

It's a hot sultry summer's evening and I want something cool but with heat and chili flavours attached. What could be better than a bowl of cold Chengdu noodles? Now not surprisingly, few in the west have tried their noodles cold - at least not deliberately. Well we're missing out on a fabulous treat - I can guarantee it! Chengdu is the capital of the Sizhuan Province of China, famed for its blisteringly hot chillies - delicious! Ingredients 500 g fresh wheat-flour noodles, boiled, drained and chilled 75g bean sprouts, blanched for a few seconds and chilled a few slices... Continue reading

It's a beautiful summers day in late July, just before the maddening crowds make Provence un-bearable. I'm up early and have visited my favourite butcher just off the main square of St Remy de Provence, and secured a beautiful leg of lamb. Until very recently this lamb was munching on the wild herbs of Les Alpilles, thyme, rosemary, marjoram and oregano. Even if not in Provence, this is a simple stunning meal, just add a few more herbs! Ingredients: 1 leg of lamb 2 bulbs of garlic 2 rosemary sprigs (plus thyme, marjoram and oregano if not in Provence) 100... Continue reading

I often hear chefs saying that fish and pasta do not really work together. Well in this case, they most certainly do, particularly with a little Sicilian influence from the fennel, pine kernels and raisins! Ingredients 400 g fresh fennel herb (or the tops of Florence fennel) 3 shallots, finely chopped good quality extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons raisins 2 tablespoons pine kernels 3 anchovy fillets, chopped 400 g fresh sardines, gutted and filleted a little plain flour 2 medium eggs, beaten a little cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds sea salt and black pepper 400 g thick... Continue reading

Unfortunately rabbit is a not hugely popular dish in the UK, yet across Europe and other parts of the world such as South America, it is widely eaten. Indeed in France and Italy is treated similarly to chicken. The dish I am describing today works well with both farmed and wild rabbit, although clearly the stronger flavour of the wild rabbit comes through. Wild rabbit can usually be found in butchers from July onwards, beware though that rabbits in excess of 1kg in weight can tend to be a little tough and require longer slower cooking. Ingredients 1 rabbit (ideally... Continue reading

For many years for me, pasta was pasta - different shapes yes, but pretty much the same ingredients. How wrong I was! I recently started looking into the regional variations of Pasta and there's a whole new world out there - there really is! I came across this recipe for Sardinian ravioli, liked the look of it and tried it.It produces a wonderful silky tasty pasta, is interesting to cook and delicious to eat!It uses two different flours, plain white flour and semolina flour, uses egg whites primarily and the filling is a delicious combination of ricotta and mint -... Continue reading

Several years ago I came across a very interesting beef casserole originating from the Rhone valley. I've modified it slightly, but believe me it is wonderful rich, lightly spiced, aromatic stew which is still light enough for spring and summer eating! Ingredients: 1.5 kg chuck steak (neck and shoulder) reasonably thinly sliced 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 bay leaves 6 garlic cloves, lightly crushed 2 cloves freshly grated nutmeg - a good pinch 3 large onions 90 g drained capers 12 chopped cornichons 6 anchovy fillets 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon plain flour 500ml beef stock The day... Continue reading

Sorpotel (also spelled sarapatel) is originally a portuguese dish. Today however, it is most usually associated with the Goan region of India, and north-east Brazil. The recipe below is definitely Goan! Sorpotel involves the use of vinegar and spices as preservatives, and traditionally used every part of the pig - I'm cooking a more civilised version! The dish needs to be prepared at least two days in advance of eating! Ingredients 500 g pork - shoulder or belly ideally with skin and fat intact 250 g pig's liver - in one piece! 2 teaspoons chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon tumeric 1/2... Continue reading

Surprisingly easy to make and so much more tasty than many restaurants and take-aways, won ton soup makes for a delightful supper or soup course in a larger chinese banquet. Won top wrappers or skins are very thinly rolled sheets of dough made from flour and eggs, cut into squares. Ready to use won ton wrappers are readily available in Asian supermarkets, please ensure that you purchase won ton wrappers rather than other dumpling wrappers which will too thick to provide the desired silky, slippery texture of the cooked won ton. Ingredients 250 g raw prawns, peeled and de-veined 90... Continue reading

With good weather forecast for the weekend, many will be dusting off the barbecue for the first time this year. Here's a couple of recipe idea's...... Shish kebabs: Ingredients: (for 8 kebabs) 500 g good quality minced lamb 1 large red onion, very finely chopped 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon lime juice 1 egg beaten 3 tablespoons plain flour 2 tablespoons chopped coriander 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 3/4 teaspoon salt a little ground white pepper Marinade: 5 tablespoons natural yogurt 1 tablespoon hot curry powder 1 garlic clove, finely chopped and crushed Paprika Lime wedges Mix the minced lamb,... Continue reading

This is a fabulously easy and quick supper or dinner dish that combines wonderfully the flavours of cod, mushrooms, and sage with the spice of chorizo. It is a firm favourite in our household amongst adults and children alike! Please ensure that the cod fillet comes from a good quality fishmonger and preferably from a sustainable source. Ingredients: (for 6) 1.2 kg cod fillet 50 ml good quality olive oil 500 g mushrooms - chanterelles are excellent in this dish 4 shallots, peeled and finely sliced 300 g baby potatoes 100 g cooked chorizo, sliced 6 large spring onion bulbs,... Continue reading

(I am cooking this dish again next week so new picture to follow ) A challenging dish ! Now there are many "foodies" that know all about how delicious pig's trotters are, equally there are many less adventurous folk that would never touch them with a bargepole. I've tried in this dish to do a number of things - firstly provide a challenge to the chef, this is after all a lengthy and quite labour intensive dish, and probably not frequently tried by home cooks. Secondly add flavouring and spices which will cut through some of the richness of the... Continue reading

Mangalore is a relatively small city on the south-west coast of India. It has however, great renown for it's cuisine which relies upon the abundance of sea-food available and the use of locally grown coconut. Here's a lovely dish making use of crab and produces a beautifully succulent curry with an amazingly rich gravy combining the fresh coconut, spices and coconut milk. It's simple, easy to prepare and delicious - what could be a better combination! Ingredients: 4 live crabs - weighing 250 - 300 g each 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds 3 sprigs of curry leaves... Continue reading