Thanks to all of you who sent in your cookery questions. Here are my answers to some of them. Check to see if yours is included. I’m sorry I couldn’t answer them all, but keep them coming in.
Tracey from Saffron Walden asked:
How do I get meringue to stay white please? It always goes a brown off white colour.
This is an oven temperature issue. Ensure the oven is between 85 and 95 degrees and no more, and the meringue should stay white
Christine from Great Barr asked:
Good morning Tom, I have soggy bottoms whether I am cooking a quiche or a small tart! Any suggestions please?
I suggest always putting the tart case onto a preheated tray so the heat transfer is direct to the bottom of the tart.
Also, blind-bake the case first (an empty pastry case lined with paper and filled with dry rice). When the edge starts to colour, remove the rice and paper and continue to cook until the pastry browns.
At this point, you can brush a simple beaten egg mixture on the pastry and bake for 1 minute. Repeat this process three times, this will create a “shell” so when you add the liquid (egg custard, etc) it won’t seep into the pastry
Warren from Chorely asked:
What’s the secret to a really good full of flavour, glossy, rich sauce/gravy.
Firstly, the flavour you get out only comes from what you put in, so use good-quality bones, vegetables, and herbs to make stocks for gravy and sauces.
It’s then about reducing the stock to a strong but not overpowering flavour by simmering gently whilst skimming away any impurities that rise to the surface.
Lastly once you’ve made your sauce or thickened the stock for gravy, use a couple of knobs of cold butter and gently stir into the hot sauce, this will give a rich and glossy finish.
Christopher from Four Marks asked:
What is the surefire way of getting steak cooked perfectly every time, both rare and medium rare?
It basically comes down to the core temperature.
49-52 will be rare and 54-56 will be medium rare, this will some control on the cooking and a precise point of measurement in the middle of the steak with the thermometer.
You could try the reverse sear method, which is very consistent and gives a great result.
Set your oven to the desired temperature as above for rare or medium rare
Gently rub the steak in a little oil, please on a tray in the oven.
For a 300g rib eye, for example, allow the steak to come up to temperature for 2 hours.
Season the steak well and then sear in a very hot pan, starting with oil to give good colour on each side; add a little butter, baste quickly, then remove from the pan.
Allow to rest for 3-4 minutes, and the steak will be cooked perfectly.
Willie Rodger from Alness asked:
Hi Captain, Our kids and their wives love a medium rare steak for dinner, problem is when they all come to our home for a special occasion we are speaking about 8 adults sitting at the table, how can I do 8 steaks all at the same time, I only have 1 cast iron frying pan, please tell me how to do it, thanks.
Again, it comes down to core temperature, which you can achieve by using the reverse sear method.
Set your oven temperature to 55 degrees centigrade for medium-rare
Gently rub the steaks in a little oil and place them on a tray and in the oven.
For a 300g rib eye, for example, allow the steaks to come up to temperature for 2 hours.
Season the steaks well and sear in a very hot pan a couple at a time, starting with oil to give each side a good colour. Add a little butter, baste quickly, and remove from the pan.
Allow to rest in the 55-degree oven while you cook the rest of the steaks, then they will be cooked perfectly.
Gareth Lowndes from Cardiff asked:
Ahoy Captain! As bbq season is upon us what are your go to side dishes?
There are so many but these are a couple of slightly different recipes that I love.
BBQ roasted cabbage
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium Savoy or King cabbage, outer leaves kept on
- 100g butter
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tbsp muscovado sugar
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 lime, finely zested and juiced
- small bunch of coriander, chopped
METHOD
- Light a lidded barbecue. Let the flames die down and the coals turn ashen, then mound the coal up on one side or heat an oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Wash the cabbage of any grit or soil. Beat the butter with the rest of the ingredients and a pinch of salt.
- Open the outer leaves to expose the main ball, spread out the leaves and make a few big cuts into the heart. Smear the butter mix over the middle, draw the outer leaves back up, and secure with string (this will stop the leaves from falling off).
- Sit the cabbage in a roasting tin and cook in the barbecue or oven for 1 hr 15 mins until the outer leaves are charred and an inserted skewer doesn’t offer too much resistance. Remove the cabbage and cut off the string, then remove the outer leaves to expose the cooked middle. Cut into wedges and baste with the butter in the tray while warm so the cabbage soaks up the flavours.
Grilled asparagus and cured ham with smoked garlic mayo
INGREDIENTS
- 12 jumbo spears of asparagus
- 200ml smoked rapeseed oil
- 12 slices Iberico ham
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 cloves smoked garlic, grated (use normal garlic if you can’t find it smoked)
- 20g English mustard
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- ½ lemon
- 1 small handful watercress
METHOD
- Prepare your barbecue. When it is hot, throw on the asparagus and leave them to char for a few minutes.
- Remove from the barbecue, place on a warm plate and drizzle with a little of the smoked oil and a sprinkle of salt. Don’t worry if they are not soft – the residual heat will carry on cooking them.
- Once cool, wrap each spear with a slice of ham and keep at room temperature.
- To make the mayonnaise, place the egg yolks, garlic, mustard and vinegar in a jug blender and blitz for 30 seconds. Then, slowly add the rest of the rapeseed oil, drop by drop, mixing and adding it gradually until the mayonnaise becomes nice and thick.
- Add a little salt and lemon juice to taste and transfer to a serving bowl.
- Serve the asparagus to dip into the mayonnaise, along with the watercress.
Lyn Jeffries from Wells asked:
Hi Tom On a recent holiday to Italy we had a pannacotta made with feta as a starter and it was delicious and smooth, how would I make it? It came with a tomato sauce, which I can do.
Sounds delicious and not something I have done before, but my chefs and I think something like the below.
INGREDIENTS
- 300 ml double cream
- 100ml milk
- 100g natural Greek yoghurt
- 170g barrel aged feta
- 3 leaves bronze gelatine
METHOD
- Soak the gelatine in cold water to soften.
- Add milk, feta, and yoghurt to a bowl and mix until smooth.
- Gently warm the cream, add the softened gelatine sheets and mix to melt.
- Slowly add the cream to the feta mixture.
- Season with salt and a little cayenne pepper.
- Set in glasses or pots.
I would also suggest some finely chopped marjoram, which would be a nice addition to the pannacotta.
Pam Henman from Rushden asked:
Hi Tom. I’ve never cooked fondant potatoes before – can you give me any pointers please?
I love potato fondants and often cook them at home.
In the restaurant, we cut a very precise shape, but at home, don’t waste any of the potatoes.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 3cm deep pieces.
- In a cold pan, place cold sliced butter about ½ cm deep.
- Place the cut side of the potatoes down onto the butter.
- Add salt, crushed garlic clove and thyme stalks.
- Place a greaseproof paper covering on top.
- Put onto a medium high heat, keep the potato covered and watch as the butter melts then caramelises, if it feels it’s going a little too fast turn it down a touch but you must hold your nerve as this browning is essential, it should take around 25 – 30 minutes.
- There is no need for any added liquid, the paper will keep in the steam.
- Once they are “cooked,” remove them from the heat and allow them to stand for 10-15 minutes.
- They should be beautifully golden, coloured on one side, and cooked through.
It might take a couple of practices, but it’s a skill worth mastering
Kevin Burns from Wheathampstead asked:
Hi Tom. How do you cook a joint of beef at a very low temperature to make it fall apart when you carve it, and what type of sauce or gravy would you recommend to go with it?
I’d recommend a brisket for this type of slow roast.
INGREDIENTS
- 2kg boned and rolled beef brisket joint
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dry rub
- 1½ tbsp hot smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
For the sauce
- 200ml apple cider vinegar
- 100ml maple syrup
- 200ml ale
- 150ml tomato ketchup
- 300ml beef stock
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
METHOD
- For the dry rub, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Place the beef in a non-metallic dish and rub the dry spice mixture all over the surface. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/ Fan 140°C/Gas 2 when ready to cook. Place the beef joint in a roasting tin.
- For the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the beef. Cover with foil, sealing the edges to the tin all around, and cook for 6 hours or until the beef is tender. To check that the beef is cooked, scrape it gently with a fork; it should fall apart. Remove from the oven and set it aside to rest for 15–20 minutes.
- Strain the juices off into a pan and bring to the boil, thicken slightly with cornflour, and you have the perfect sauce for your roast
Jayne Batchelor from Wellingborough asked:
Hello Tom. I am serving a 2kg Porchetta for Christmas lunch. How long should I cook this for, and at what temperature?
- Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9.
- Lay the pork on a shallow roasting tray, rub the oil over the skin and season with salt. Roast for 20 mins, then turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 6 and roast for another 1 hr 40 mins, basting with the fat in the pan a few times.
- If the crackling hasn’t crackled by this point, turn the oven back up to 240C/220C fan/gas 9 and check every few minutes until crackled.
- Rest for 30 mins, then use a serrated knife to carve into thick slices.
Mark Shanahan from London asked:
Don’t want to offend a Michelin chef. But is there a way to use stock cubes/pots to make a strong bistro style sauce for steak. Ps we still talk about how kind you were to my 12 yr old son when he chose yr restaurant for his birthday treat He is 24 now and still has the photo you kindly took with him whilst showing him the kitchen !!
Absolutely, this is one of my favourites.
- Once the steak is cooked, remove from the pan.
- Add chopped shallots, garlic, and sliced mushrooms and cook until they start to brown.
- Add a small spoon of Dijon mustard and a glug of brandy, mix in well then add the stock pot, simmer until melted and then a good splash of double cream
- A dash of Worcestershire sauce, some chopped parsley and gherkins to finish and you have the best steak sauce ever!!!
Mel Milner from St Albans asked:
Have you got an easy Lemon dessert recipe?
This is the easiest and the best!!
Lemon Possets
INGREDIENTS
- 450ml double cream
- 130g caster sugar
- freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
METHOD
- Mix the cream and sugar together in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer and stir for 1–2 minutes until the bubbles are quite large. Add the lemon juice and whisk thoroughly.
- Pass this mix through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Skim off any air bubbles, then pour the posset into your serving glasses.
- Leave to cool completely, then place the bowls in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Sharon Harper from Desborough:
Hi Tom! What is your favourite scotch egg recipe and why? I love a good scotch egg!
I love a scotch egg and this one is my favourite
It’s the texture of the scotch egg and the delicious oozing egg that I love the most, this one takes it to a new level by using smoked haddock.
INGREDIENTS
2 large baking potatoes (you will need about 300g mashed potato)
570ml milk
600g smoked haddock, skinned and pin bones removed
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped parsley
9 quail’s eggs
1 litre sunflower oil, for frying
For the coating
50g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
100g panko breadcrumbs
For the wild garlic mayonnaise
- 100g wild garlic
- 200g mayonnaise
For the dressing
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely diced
- 1 banana shallot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 100ml cold-press rapeseed oil
- 30ml lemon juice
METHOD
- Heat the oven to 180C fan (200C non-fan), put the potatoes on a tray and bake till soft. Meanwhile, pour the milk into a wide saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Dice the smoked haddock into small cubes and add to the hot milk. Remove from the heat and leave to cook in the residual heat.
- After an hour, check the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven and cut in half. Scoop out the soft centres and weigh out 300g into a large bowl. Strain the haddock and add this to the potato with the lemon zest and parsley.
- Work the mix together until even. Season with a little salt and pepper, then leave to one side.
- To cook the quail’s eggs, put them in a pan of rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into iced water to stop the yolks from cooking further. Leave in the iced water for 10 minutes or so.
- Remove the eggs from the water and carefully peel them. Put them on a tray with a J-cloth to dry them out — this will help the haddock mix stick to them.
- To build the eggs, weigh out 90g of the fish and potato mix. Press the mix into the palm of your hand to flatten it out. Place one quail’s egg into the middle and wrap the sides around it. To cover each egg thoroughly, press gently and shape into a ball. Pop them in the fridge and leave to go completely cold.
- When ready, dip a scotch egg first into the flour, then the beaten egg, and lastly, the breadcrumbs. Repeat this process for all of the eggs. Store in the fridge until needed.
- To make the mayonnaise, blanch the wild garlic for 30 seconds in salted, boiling water, then refresh in iced water. Once fully chilled, remove from the water and squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Roughly chop the wild garlic, then put it in a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and ½ tsp cracked pepper, stir and keep to one side.
- For the dressing, simply mix the ingredients together and leave until ready to serve.
- To cook the scotch eggs, heat the oil in a fryer or deep saucepan to 180C and carefully fry for 4 minutes. Once golden and crisp, remove from the fryer and season with flaky salt.
- Add a good tablespoon of the mayo to the bottom of the bowl and sit the egg on top or alongside. Finally, drizzle with the dressing, garnish with leaves and serve.
Please keep your questions coming in.
