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.
David from Collingwood asked:
Tom, I became a big fan when I binge watched GBM during covid. Now own 4 cookbooks including Hand and Flowers. Wanted to make slow cooked duck with duck fat fries for my birthday (a little self serving). Don’t have a vacuum sealer thingy and wondered if you have suggestions for the enthusiastic wanabee chef from Canada.
The old school methods are the best, here’s my suggestion:
- Duck has a very high fat percentage so it can be cooked “confit” in its own fat, especially the legs. Gently salt the duck legs for 3 hours, wash off and pat dry.
- Wrap in a tin foil parcel with some thyme, garlic and orange peel.
- Cook in a low oven (90 degrees centigrade) for 5-6 hours depending on size until they are tender.
- When you remove from the oven pierce a hole in the foil and drain off the fat.
- Reserve the legs to be crisped skin side when serving.
- Use the fat mixed 50/50 with rapeseed oil to fry your chips.
Adam from Ormskirk asked:
Hi Tom, What’s the best Gambas pil pil recipe you have found? Or maybe do 3 tapas Gambas, a meatballs and a patatas bravas?
The Godfather of Spanish recipes is Jose Pizarro, he has several amazing books or online recipes that will fulfil all your tapas recipe needs
Brian from Bracknell asked:
Hi Tom can you take me to the next level of my cooking by telling me how to make a basic rue that will be the basis of sauces ?
A good roux is very simple:
- Equal butter to flour.
- Melt butter, stir in flour and gently cook out for a couple of minutes on medium heat continuously stirring.
A good basic recipe is:
- 50g butter
- 50g flour
- 550 milk (or stock for a velouté)
This will give you a medium thickness sauce, you can always add less for a thick base (such as a croquette mix) or more for a thinner sauce, maybe to coat a piece of fish.
My tip is always cool your roux for 10 minutes after cooking out. Then gradually add the boiling liquid. This will stop any lumps from forming.
Also, for a velouté (stock based sauce) cook out your roux a little longer until it becomes a sandy colour and then proceed as above.
Matt from Hove asked:
Hi Tom, we are trying to go Alcohol free in our house now so when it comes to cooking what can I turn to when a recipe asks me to add wine. I made some mussels for lunch the other day and tried to make a simple sauce using onion, garlic, butter and creme fraiche and instead of the usual white wine I’d normally add and reduce I tried a little white wine vinegar – it wasn’t pleasant at all…. help!
I would suggest good quality fruit juices. I don’t mean the high sugar concentrates but more farm shop style or even your own fresh pressed. Such as White Grape, Red Grape, Apple, Plum etc. Some vegetable juices would also elevate your sauce, if you are making a sauce for Pork for example, then carrot juice would work well for sweetness. Good quality vinegars are also very good to “finish “your sauce, just a teaspoon at the end will bring them to life.
Jon from Basingstoke asked:
Where did you get The Coach bar stools from? They are amazing! Not a cookery question, I know, but would love to know where you got them.
These were a one off bespoke item we had made for The Coach, very heavy and hard wearing but super comfortable (if we ever decide to change them I will drop you a line!).
Hilary from New Quay asked:
I have promised friends a venison pie, I want it to be really luxurious, any suggestions.
Of course, there are all the obvious ones like marinade your venison in red wine and thyme overnight before braising and use plenty of good quality root vegetables, onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme in the braise.
But my top tip is when the braise comes out of the oven, strain off all the liquor, put it in a pan over a high heat and reduce it until it forms bubbles the size of 10 pence pieces. Then stir in some good quality dark chocolate and a spoon of redcurrant jelly.
Pour back over the meat and allow it to cool before you make the pie, as the meat cools and relaxes it will absorb some of the sauce giving a rich pie filling.
Joanne from Wisbech asked
Hi Tom. I love your lose weight for good book and use it all the time. Are you still following a lower fat diet and if so does your new book have lower calorie recipes
I personally, mostly follow a healthy eating plan, although being in the restaurants often mean I am tasting some slightly more calorific dishes!
My new book, Pub Kitchen, is full of great honest cooking and some of which will translate well to a healthy diet but I also have 2 other healthy cooking books:
- Tom Kerridge’s Dopamine Diet
- Lose Weight and Get Fit
Thomas from Dumfries asked:
Tom do you have a recipe for a goulash I have become very fond of it.
I haven’t got a specific recipe for Goulash but now you mention it I think it’s something we will work on for the next book 😀
Kate from Hazelmere asked:
Maybe more of a question for the amazing bar team, but….Inspired by the Duck Fat Old Fashioned cocktails from the H&F, my husband has started experimenting with fat washing whiskey. Any recommendations for other combinations he should try?
Anthony, our incredible Head barman has answered this one for me!
Japanese whisky and coconut oil is a winner and is suited for a whisky highball. Bourbon and bacon fat is also a sure fire winner.
Cooking a kilo on a George Foreman grill will allow you to collect all the liquid for infusing.
Jacqueline from Enfield asked:
Hi Tom. If I bring your book into the Corinthian restaurant bar n grill would you very kindly with cherry’s on top sign it for me thank you Jacqueline 67 retired chef ♥️🐾♥️🐾
I can’t always get into Corinthia every day so the best thing to do is send your book to our Reservations team with a little note and I will very gladly sign it and send it back to you.
The Hand and Flowers
126 West Street
Marlow
SL7 2BP
Deborah from Gloucester asked:
Have you ever used gluten free pasta? If so is is it easy to cook with
I have recently used Chickpea pasta and edamame spaghetti, both of which are excellent.
They require a little more gentle cooking but have great flavour, and very importantly they have great texture and strength which is so important in the finished pasta dish. I served mine with a Scarborough Fair pesto.
For the Scarborough Fair pesto:
- 50g parsley leaves
- 12 sage leaves
- 1 tbsp rosemary leaves
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 25g parmesan or Sussex Charmer cheese
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated
- 50g roasted pine nuts
- 250ml olive oil
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, plunge in all the herbs and blanch for 30-40 seconds.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the herbs from the boiling water and refresh in a bowl of iced water.
- Once cooled, squeeze out any excess water.
- Place all the blanched herbs, cheese, garlic, nuts and oil into a blender and purée until it has a pesto-like consistency.
- Season and spoon into a bowl until needed.
Shirley from Leicester asked:
Could you do some gluten free recipes please, I have recently been diagnosed coeliac and struggle to make pastry.
We have recently developed a gluten free tart pastry. Xantham gum is available from Holland and Barret and makes a huge difference in the finished quality of the pastry.
Ingredients required:
- 250g Gluten free plain flour
- 1.5 teaspoon Xantham gum
- 0.25 teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoon Icing sugar
- 125g Butter
Mandy from Southsea asked:
What’s the best Bernaise sauce to make at home?
Other than the classic butter sauce we do several variations in our Butchers Tap and Grill.
A Bearnaise mayonnaise made with tarragon vinegar is a delicious and simple alternative. Here’s the recipe:
- 150g Egg Yolk
- 50g Tarragon vinegar
- 55g Dijon mustard
- 850ml Vegetable oil
- 15g Salt
- Fresh chopped Tarragon
- Squeeze fresh lemon
- Whisk together Egg, Vinegar and Mustard the slowly whisk in oil to emulsify.
- Finish with chopped tarragon, salt and lemon juice to taste.
Alternatively a whipped semi salted butter with fresh chopped tarragon is a delicious simple addition to grilled meat.
Dawn from Hemel Hempsted asked:
I’ve got pastry week coming up for my work bake off….help! I’ve never made pastry before and it feels too much like cheating to go shop bought. And hints and tips?
There is an old saying that cold hands make good pastry, this is totally true when rubbing in your butter as the fat is evenly distributed and doesn’t melt causing greasy pastry. Try not to over handle the pastry as this will “toughen” it. Rest it well in the fridge then. Bring back to room temperature before using to stop shrinkage when baking.
My favourite pastry recipe for tarts is using bran flakes from my treacle tart recipe in “Best ever dishes:
- 250g softened butter
- 100g caster sugar
- 250g plain flour, sifted, plus a little more for dusting
- 190g bran flakes, blended to a powder in a food processor
- Pinch of salt 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- Cream together the butter and sugar.
- Fold in the flour, powdered bran flakes and salt.
- Add the eggs and mix to form a paste.
- Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for at least 1 hour, or up to a day.
Please keep you questions coming in.
