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Asparagus |
- To trim, hold the woody end in one hand, grip the middle of the spear with the other and bend gently - the break should naturally occur at the point where the woodiness fades.
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Avocados |
- Choose perfectly ripe avocados.
- To prepare, cut lengthways around the stone with a sharp knife then twist one half relative to the other - they should separate easily.
- If the stone won't come out easily (and it should if they're ripe!), stick a small sharp knife in and lift carefully.
- To remove the skin, use a not-too-curved dessert spoon inserted just under the skin: run this round the avocado to a depth of about 1cm then work deeper - the skin should lift away with very little flesh attached.
- Oh, and don't forget to remove the inner stalky bit!
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Basmati rice |
- ALWAYS rinse well and soak, then cook by absorption (roughly 2 fl oz water per oz of rice) - the grains don't stick, so giving a lighter texture; if you have time, allow to sit off heat for 5 minutes to 'steam itself dry'.
- For use in fried rice dishes, cook at a rolling boil in an excess of water. Check the texture regulalry after 5 minutes. When just undercooked, drain and stand in 2 changes of cold water, then drain dry. Being slightly undercooked prevents the rice from breaking up during stir-frying.
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Breadcrumbs
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- A quick method: tear slices of bread into quarters and process at high speed in a food processor for 20 - 30 seconds.
- As a topping for pasta dishes and bakes, season well then fry in olive oil at medium-high heat, adding finely-chopped garlic for the last 2 to 3 minutes.
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Couscous |
- For best results, mix in with water in equal parts eg. 1 fl oz water to 1 oz couscous; mix well with a fork to prevent lumping (for some reason, organic couscous gives best results - perhaps it's wholegrain?)
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Cucumber |
- To prevent sogginess in salads, halve lengthways and scrape out seeds, then dice to desired shape/size, sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes; rinse and pat dry - it also tastes much better too!
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Dried beans
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- Soak overnight for most varieties - you can't go wrong with this.
- For long-cookers, it's worth using a pressure cooker (soya 30 mins, chickpeas 20 mins) - it takes hours off!
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Lentils
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- Working well for all types of lentils, this method is excellent
for retaining the shape and individuality of lentils without them going
mushy. Place the required quantity in a pan and cover well with boiling
water. Allow to soak for 30 minutes then drain, add fresh cold water and
bring to the boil. Watch carefully whilst they continue to simmer, checking the texture
regularly - it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Remove from heat when just
al dente, rinsing with cold water if you want them for a salad.
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Nuts |
- Toasting: place in a cast-iron frying pan over medium heat, or under medium grill, shaking regularly until browning; alternatively, place in a pre-heated oven, checking regularly.
- Chopping: pulse in small batches in a suitable processor to the required consistency; or wrap in a clean cloth and bash with a rolling pin; or just hand-chop with a sharp knife or mezzaluna (those curved choppers).
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Onions |
- For fast effective chopping, remove top and root, cut in 2 vertically then skin; cut each piece into half-rings (vary width accordingly), then hold all these together and dice.
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Peppers |
- Preparation: carefully remove the top by cutting round with a small knife. Reach inside with fingers to remove as many seeds as possible then invert and tap out the remainder. Cut into pieces close to the natural ribs (or for roasting, down the natural 'corners') then remove the white ribs with a small knife and chop as required.
- Cooking: the most delicious method of cooking is to roast and skin: prepare as directed above then heat grill to low-medium and grill till blackened (most of the area should be black), about 10 - 20 minutes. Stack and wrap in a clean cloth and leave to steam for 10 - 15 minutes - this helps the skins to loosen. They should now peel fairly easily with a small sharp knife.
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Pine kernels |
- Also known as pine nuts, these should be lightly toasted (in a dry pan, under the grill or in the oven) to release their full flavour.
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Pitta bread |
- Freezes well; to liven up stale bread, brush with a little water and grill briefly (do both sides).
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Soya
mince/chunks
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- Reconstitute these with stock, the strength depending on whether they are 'flavoured' or not; I use a mix of stock concentrate (e.g. Vecon), yeast extract, miso and soya sauce.
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Tamarind |
- If you buy this 'in the block', it's best to extract the
soluble components for recipes, otherwise you end up with 'bits'. Boil about
1cm water in a small pan and add the desired quantity of tamarind. Pound
with a wooden spoon till dispersed, then filter through a small sieve,
washing with more water if desired.
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Tofu |
- If you haven't already tried it, give smoked tofu a go - delicious!
- Pressing is often a useful technique for firming tofu up: wrap in a clean cloth and place weights up to 3kg (6lb) on top for 15 - 30 minutes; it's worth re-wrapping a couple of times in a fresh cloth to soak up more moisture.
- Deep-frying produces a firmer texture, a more mellow taste and prevents the cubes breaking up in recipes.
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Tomatoes
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- Preparation: use a small sharp knife to cut out a small cone including the stalky bit; to de-seed, chop into halves and scoop out the seeds with a small spoon
- Cooking: excepting the finest, add a little sugar to the dish to enhance the flavour.
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Roux-based sauces and gravies
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- Melt the margarine/heat the oil over a low heat.
- If frying anything (e.g. onion), turn up the heat and fry as normal now.
- Add the flour and stir for at least a minute to thoroughly cook the flour.
- Two methods seem to work here:
- Keeping the heat fairly low, slowly add the prescribed liquid (e.g. soya milk, stock), stirring constantly to prevent permanent lumps forming. Initially, a paste forms but this gradually thins to a batter-like consistency.
- With heat at medium high, add the prescribed liquid (e.g. soya milk, stock) fairly rapidly but smoothly, stirring constantly and ensuring that no lumps form. Certainly the best method when solids are present.
- At this point, turn up the heat to medium and continue to stir until the sauce/gravy reaches the boil, ensuring that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- The sauce/gravy should now be thickened: add seasoning and any additives (bayleaf for the classic béchamel), plus more liquid if a thinner consistency is desired.
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Burgers, bhajia, falafel, koftas, or any other fried/deep-fried "balls"/shapes
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- Shape the burgers/balls (with floured hands for sticky ones!), then place on a tray lined with non-stick sheet; freeze for 20 - 30 minutes, then fry/deep-fry as appropiate - this helps prevent the shapes breaking up.
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