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.
Phyllis from Stoke-on-Trent asked:
How can I cook the perfect Roast Pork joint… with the perfect crackling? please Tom. Mine always turns out rock hard….
My suggestion would be choosing dry aged pork the skin is amazing for crackling, make sure you have a good layer of fat between the skin and meat, that will self-baste the skin to crisp up nicely, try taking the pork out of the fridge a little before you cook it. Start it off in a really hot oven for 30 mins to start the crackling and then then turn the temperature down.
You could also try brining the pork, this will help tenderise the pork and skin. It will also help getting a lovely seasoned joint of pork.
Barry from Lincoln asked:
I’m always eating your standard cuts of meat (breast, loin, steaks) It would be great to get some ideas for the cheaper cut dishes and can you get these cuts from a local butcher or farm shop as supporting local business for me is crucial.
I would look at bavette, onglet or something like that. Alternatively go and chat with your local butcher and see what they recommend.
Steve from Basildon asked:
Hi Tom, how do i make a stew taste really meaty? Is it the meat? Or is it what I add?
It will be partly down to the quality of the meat but also how much you sear it in the first place. Make sure you get a proper roasty toasty colour to the meat when searing it off. The more time spent doing that will add bags of meaty flavour to the stock and stew.
Tom from Nutfield asked:
We have been getting deliveries from odd box, a great company that delivers veg and fruit that would otherwise be thrown away. The last delivery had celeriac, I haven’t used this before, what would you recommend doing with it and what would you serve it with?
Celeriac for me is one of the finest of veggies, roast it whole, make it into a gratin instead of potato or add to soups. It so versatile, also great for slaws.
Tara from Letchworth Garden City asked:
What piece of equipment in the kitchen could you not live without. Mines my blender.
Great quality knives and sauce pans are mine, and the coffee machine to keep me on the go.
Julia from Irthlingborough asked:
Hi Tom, For the recipe of the month (Chicken in a basket) which looks amazing. My hubby is lactose intolerant. Is there anything else I could use instead of buttermilk?
Have a try with unsweetened coconut yoghurt. It should work very similarly; it will help the batter form like the butter milk.
Alex from Northampton asked:
I have leftover confit duck leg after making the spiced duck recipe from the Hand and Flowers cookbook on two occasions. How else could I use this please? It’s delicious!
Chop it up and make it into a classic French cassoulet with loads of white beans and garlic.
Naomi from Gloucester asked:
Hi Tom, I love cooking and for years I have been trying to find a cracking cider gravy recipe to go with bangers and mash. I’m after a deep flavoursome explosion which stands up to the buttery mash and doesn’t get lost with the mash or sausages. Everything I’ve tried is either mediocre or weak in flavour and I’m not shy on spending a little bit extra for top quality produce. Can you help me out and show me how it’s done?
Use a good quality apple juice as well as cider at the start to build the foundation of the sauce. Cider loses its flavour during cooking but the apple juice seems to retain flavour.
To balance out the sweetness add a good splash of amazing quality apple cider vinegar this will give a sweet and sour balance to the sauce.
