Piccalilli started life in India – the English brought the idea back to England and adapted it to what we know today. When you look at the ingredients, you can see the Indian influence in spices such as turmeric. A lot of recipes ask you to sprinkle the vegetables...
A trendy version of good old potato salad. Heritage potatoes are actually varieties which were commonplace before the Second World War. To feed the country, new types of potato were introduced which were easier to grow and gave a higher yield. When the war was over,...
We use dried rather than fresh fruit in this coleslaw because, if you add apple or orange, they tend to become soft and mushy as they sit in the mayonnaise. The dried fruit also gives individual hits of sweetness as you eat it … and you probably have some dried fruit...
This combination of soft courgette and crunchy almonds makes a great side salad. Try adding a little English feta (see here) and some granary bread croutons to turn it into a meal. If you cannot get hold of marjoram – and it can be tricky – try oregano instead. If you...
We love taking classics and twisting them. This is a simple and traditional filling, but the chives infused into the oil help to cut the richness of the mayonnaise, giving balance and getting the maximum amount of flavour to lift the simple sandwich to a new level; it...
The combination of mature Cheddar and sage works beautifully here, and is best complemented by home-made Apple chutney . Here we use a mixture of butter and sunflower oil, which helps keep the scones moist. For light and fluffy scones, handle the dough gently, and...
We use a hard sheep’s cheese from the Ribblesdale Cheese Company. It’s a really small cheese-making operation in Yorkshire and – at last count – they had a full staff of two and a half. Matured sheep’s cheese has a complex flavour and tends to be less greasy than...
You can’t beat a proper cheese and onion pasty and, when served with piquant Microwave brown sauce (see here) it balances the pasty’s richness and screams ‘British’. You can always make more, as these are good cold and you could take one to work.Next time try...
Leeks are a great vegetable, although they are known as ‘poor man’s asparagus’. This seems unfair, as they can hold their own against the posh spears any day. Try serving this tart with wild garlic; if you can find the leaves at farmer’s markets, take the opportunity...
This is so hearty that you could turn it into a meal by serving it with Leek and Cheddar Welsh rarebit (see here). To save your energy bills, it’s best to cook the potatoes when you are using the oven for something else; you can always keep the cooked potatoes in the...
If you can get hold of heritage tomatoes, they make this simple dish more interesting. Yorkshire Fettle is a cheese which is really an English feta and is less salty than the Greek version. It was initially called Yorkshire feta but there is a story/myth/legend/fib...
Asparagus is a curious thing, it comes and goes so quickly. The official season is 23 April until 21 June … but some people are a bit precious about this. Asparagus does not suddenly become tasteless and woody on 22 June so, if it is still around afterwards, why not...