Gazpacho soup is the perfect Spanish dish for hot summer days, when you want flavour without heat. Satisfying and substantial, it is served well chilled, to cool you down while giving you the flavour you crave. If you don’t feel like cooking, this is the dish to make: a little bit of chopping and blending, […]
An ideal dish for a tapas meal or to serve as a starter for a Spanish inspired dinner party, this combination of seafood and smoky Spanish chorizo is a real winner. The flavours complement each other and create an earthy and robust flavour that will wow guests. You can use most shellfish for this recipe […]
A great summer supper dish, piperade is a speciality of Southern France, typical of the Basque region. It relies on flavourful ripe tomatoes and peppers for its appeal, which are always plentiful and cheap in summer in this region of France. This is a vegetarian recipe to cook up for the family, rather than to […]
A great dinner party starter, this salmon mousse is very simple but tasty and best prepared ahead anyway, so you can have it ready in the fridge. It can be served as a balled scoop on individual plates with a few salad leaves and some crusty French bread for more formal meals, or else just […]
A classic French dessert, Poire Belle-Helene is a real dinner party winner. Who can resist luscious pears, ice cream and dark chocolate sauce, after all? When pears are in season it is definitely best made with the fresh fruit, but a quick version can be put together with tinned pears year round. Whatever you do, […]
Halfway between a French apple tart and an English apple crumble this is a really simple and delicious dessert recipe with that authentic French bistro flavour. All it needs is some thick cream or crème fraiche to serve it with. Use a good bought puff pastry made with butter. If you can’t get one made […]
A classic French bistro dish, coq au vin is a fabulous recipe to cook at home, if you want a taste of France on a chilly winter weekend. Rich and slow cooking, the house will be filled with the tantalising aromas of savoury wine soaked casserole, banishing any residual winter blues. One thing to remember […]
French cuisine comes in two varieties: haute cuisine which you can happily enjoy in a French restaurant but would rarely think of attempting at home, and French country cooking with its intense flavours, simple and rewarding enough to cook at home. This boeuf bourguignon recipe is a French country classic, a hearty rich beef stew, […]
Masala just means a spice mix in India, rather than a particular way of cooking. Here is a simple chicken masala recipe, cooked with whole spices to make a light sauce. It is a great dish to make ahead as it tastes even better reheated the next day when the flavours have all permeated the […]
Creamy aubergines and satisfying potato cubes cooked with spices, make a great side dish to go with meat or can be a main vegetarian dish alongside a nutritious lentil dal. It’s quick and easy to cook, perfect when you are craving some spicy flavour and haven’t got many ingredients to hand. Ingredients 140g / 5 […]