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.
Julia from Cheltenham asked:
Have steamed and boiled English asparagus (quite woody available this early) have heard microwave is best? What do you think please?
During the preparation of asparagus, you will need to break the bottom of the stem. This should be quite natural; it should break off at the woody part. I wouldn’t recommend microwaving it, we tend to cook in salted boiling water. If you don’t remove the woody part, it doesn’t really matter how you cook it. It will still be woody, it’s all in the prep.
Carmen from Buckingham asked:
I have tried double frying my chips. I boil the potatoes first and then dry them. Fry them for a bit. Take off then fry again but they never crisp up. What am I doing wrong? Is there a certain potato to use or are red ones the best?
Most of the time it comes down to the potato, if the potato is high in sugar it will never crisp up. We tend to use a Maris Piper or Aggri, however there is a period in the summer where all potatoes are full of sugar and there isn’t much you can do about that.
Lawrence from Helecine, Belgium asked:
Hi Tom, every time I try to make the batter for the H&F Fish and Chips, it sticks to the bottom of the deep fryer basket. What am I doing wrong??
I would recommend not using the basket, making sure it’s on a 180c and gently lower the battered fish into the fryer a bit like you see them in the chippy. But be careful as you don’t want to fry your fingers. That way it will cook and float to the surface, lift out with a slotted spoon and season with salt.
Kathleen from Inverness asked:
Easy for you I’m sure…. How can I cook a chicken breast without it?
- Being dry and chewy
- Shedding water and “stewing”
Firstly, I would make sure the chicken is from a good butcher as supermarket chicken tends to contain excess water and can be tasteless.
One trick is to brine the breast before you cook the chicken, I would also recommend cooking the chicken with the skin on, that way you will add a little extra fat to the pan and keep the chicken moist. If you don’t want to eat the skin because of health, just peel it off once the breast is cooked. Once the chicken is cooked, make sure you rest the meat for around ten minutes.
Kevin from Aylesbury asked:
What is your view on organic produce Tom? Everything is so much more expensive! Is it better for Farmers and producers? Is it necessary or are we being herded down the ‘green’ route?
To be honest, you should buy what you feel is right and what you can afford. I’m sure some things are better being organic, but I can’t say that for everything. If you feel strongly about the environment, then yes organic is better. I’m sure the flavour is improved also, but does it warrant the extra price, that my friend is completely up to you?
Dawn from Buckingham asked:
Totally crazy question but am so curious to know if possible?! Can the cartilage from skate fish be eaten? Battered and deep fried for example.
I’m not sure why you would want to, but I’m sure you could deep fry it until its crispy. However, I’m not sure that it would carry much flavour. I think it’s better off being used for fish stocks.
Tim from Marlow asked:
Hi Tom, When I make gravies / stocks out of my roasts I can never seem to remove the excess oil – which ruins the gravy. How do you do this?
We simmer out stocks over a long period of time, skim every ten minutes or so, getting rid of fat and impurities. I would suggest making the sauce the day before and chill. That way any animal fat sets on the surface. You can then scrape off the excess fat with a spoon.
When you reheat it should be cleaner.
Brendon from Longfield asked:
How can I stop pasta (noodles) sticking together once cooked, please?
Make sure you don’t overload the pan and the pan has plenty of water to separate the strands. Make sure you fully cook, drain the pasta or noodles, once fully drained add a little oil to the noodles to keep them separate.
Sarah from Loughborough asked:
I need your best scone recipes please.
I’m a fan of a savoury scone, try my cheese scones with bacon and sage butter. Click here to view.
Please keep you questions coming in.
