MAY’S ANSWERS TO ASK TOM

Thanks to all of you who sent in your cookery questions. Here are my answers to some that were sent in, check to see if yours is included. Sorry I couldn’t answer them all, but keep them coming in.

Blanche from Bourne End asked:

My crumble is never really crunchy! Can you give me some tips, please?

My suggestion would be to turn the temperature  up at the end to get a right good crust on the top, but obviously without burning it.

Alternatively you could reduce the amount of butter you use as that causes the topping to be rich and soft.

Georgina from High Wycombe asked:

My husband and I have had no time to ourselves so I am trying to make dinner time more romantic. Please could I have a quick, easy recipe for a romantic dinner? I Love sea food! But he doesn’t ?

So why not go best of both words surf and turf, steak for him and shellfish for you.

Keep it simple, serve with a jar of bearnaise sauce for both the shellfish and steak.  As it’s a romantic meal, you don’t want the emphasis to be on the work load of cooking, so cook things you both love.

Rhiannon from London asked:

Can you give me a recipe for a ‘healthy’ lasagne? It’s my favourite pasta dish but I’m trying to lose my lockdown weight!

Try my One-layer Lasagne from my Lose Weight for Good book.  This lighter version is layered with courgettes and beef tomatoes rather than pasta. The tasty ragu is made with lots of extra veg to boost the vitamins and minerals – and up the fibre content to keep you feeling full.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 800g lean beef mince (5% fat)
• 1 tbsp light olive oil
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 700ml fresh beef stock
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 crumbly beef stock cube
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 200g button mushrooms, halved
• 2 large courgettes, thinly sliced on an angle
• 2 beef tomatoes, cut into 12 slices
• 250g ricotta
• 1 ball of mozzarella (125g), grated
• 10g grated Parmesan
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Preheat the oven to fan 180°C/gas 4.
• Spread the beef out on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cook on the top shelf of the oven for 40 minutes, breaking up the mince well with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes. It should
• have a dark, even colour and resemble large coffee granules. Remove and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick sauté pan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat for
• 10 minutes or until softened, adding a splash of water if they start to stick. Add the garlic and cook
• for 1 minute, then add the carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the caraway seeds
• and cook for 30 seconds, then stir through the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the browned mince, beef stock and tinned tomatoes. Crumble in the stock cube and add the
• herbs and mushrooms. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 25–30 minutes
• or until the sauce has thickened to a rich ragu
• Pour the ragu into an ovenproof dish, about 23 x 33cm and 5cm deep. Layer the courgettes, then the tomatoes on top, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Season the ricotta with salt and pepper and dot it evenly over the tomatoes
• Scatter the grated mozzarella and Parmesan over the surface and bake at fan 180°C/gas 4 for 35 minutes or until the topping is golden brown

Amy from Wallington asked:

I like to make a healthier version of chicken kebabs at home but I can’t get the cabbage the same as at the kebab shop. Have you got a recipe?

In the kebab shops they tend to shred it very fine and store it in a touch of water.  It’s all the dressings and other bits make those sorts of kebabs incredible. Sorry, not a recipe but shred your cabbage fine.

Howard from Southend asked:

I’m lucky enough to live near the outta Thames with easy access to the Maplin Sands where I gather Cockles and Mussels, purge them of grit and cook after. Which are to die for . Do you have any recommendations of Cockle recipes that do not blow the precious taste of fresh gathered Cockles but adds a little game changer to a dish or as they are straight out the shell?

My favourite is steaming them in cider with a little butter and chopped parsley.

Angela from High Wycombe asked:

I’d like to know your top tip for deveining king prawns please.

First, peel the prawns, removing the heads but leaving the tail shells on. Using a sharp knife, make a small slit along the middle of the back to expose the dark intestinal vein. Prise this out with the tip of your knife and discard it.

Adele from Bishop Burton asked:

I have been inspired by your outdoor cooking to purchase a charcoal BBQ for the first time in my life. What should I look for when purchasing one, and what recipes should I start off with as I have never used a BBQ before?

For me, when it comes to buying a BBQ you pay what you get in terms of quality, durability and cooking results. Brands I would recommend are Weber and Big Green Egg, with the later being my go to for cooking with proper charcoal.  It’s great for fuel economy but also you get a lifetime guarantee on the ceramic shell which means it’s going to last for years to come.

And of course for great barbeque recipes check out my new Outdoor Cooking book.

Roadie From Folkestone asked:

The question I have is, I make Gypsy Tarts, they turn out ok, the only issue is the filling away shrinks from sides of case.

That generally indicates the filling is slightly over cooked. Try reducing the time by five or ten minutes in cook time. Leave to cool longer so that the top is properly cooled.

Another suggestion is to make sure you bake the tart case blind first before you put the filling in, that will help the case contract a little with the filing.

Vicky from Redditch asked:

My better half and I are getting married in August (2nd date) after 18 years together and in my opinion he’s a pretty good amateur chef and for a wedding gift I’d love to get him some excellent knives, but have no idea where to start. Could you recommend the best knives to have around the kitchen?

Contact Harriet at Kin Knives, a great company and the knives are gorgeous you won’t be disappointed.

www.kinknives.com

Lynda from Andover asked:

We are without an oven or hob ATM as we are having a new kitchen built, any recipe meal suggestions for a slow cooker please? We’ve done chilli, bolognese, curry and casseroles but need more ideas! It’s going to be a month or more before we get our kitchen so ideas for tasty meals gratefully received.

Try this recipe for Spanish Style Rice.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp fajita or chicken seasoning
• 2 large handfuls of frozen Mediterranean vegetables, including courgette, peppers slices
• 1 large cup of basmati rice or 200g
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in the slow cooker and set on sear and add the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper and cook until starting to caramelise and nicely browned all over.
2. Then add the sliced onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, whilst stirring frequently until softened and taking on a little colour
3. Tip in the fajita or chicken seasoning and cook for a further minute or two whilst stirring.
4. Add the vegetables to the slow cooker,
5. Add the basmati rice, stir to coat then pour in the chopped tomatoes, a tin of water (around 400ml water ) and crumble in the stock cube. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Pop the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or a low setting for 6 -7 hours.

Keep sending your questions in to me.