gluten free

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Duck with roast apple sauce

Roast duck is not something I’ll often serve for supper. I’d cast it off as too rich. Too fatty. Too temperamental. Too… much. The last time I ordered roast duck was in Prague. It was either the bird, or half a pig. I thought I’d end up with a modest portion of poultry which I […]

Beef carbonnade (beef slow cooked in beer)

The first time we traipsed to a supermarket in Britain, The Hungry One was agog. There I was, busy puzzling over  ‘Fairy liquid’ when he appeared clutching a champagne sized bottle of something in his hands. ‘Three pounds! Three pounds for Leffe!’ he said shaking his head in disbelief. It was at that point I […]

Diamond Jubilee poached chicken

The tradition of marking a monarch’s reign with a bespoke dish of cold chicken hatched itself with the first iteration of Jubilee Chicken. It was originally created to mark the Silver Jubilee of George V in 1935. This combination of cold chicken, curried spices and mayonnaise was born when muted Indian flavours still represented the […]

Zucchini and spinach omelette (and a glass of wine...

Is there anything more welcoming than an omelette and a glass of wine? To make an omelette is a life skill. Elizabeth David may have her detractors, but she was right about its steadying properties. I’ve been making a lot of omelettes lately. I’ve been teaching a goat cheese and basil version to my neighbour […]

Brown lentils with parsley, mushrooms and peppers

Brown lentils. To be brutally honest, there isn’t a lot that’s sexy in those two words. Yet, to be fair, that’s not what a lentil is supposed to be. They’re sturdy and strong. They’re what you keep in the back of the cupboard in the event of nuclear winter or biblical weather. In this kitchen […]