The Larder

This delicious bread is best eaten as soon as it is cool enough to handle.

If you want to keep it for any longer, sprinkle a little water over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven and wrap in a clean tea towel to stop the crust becoming too hard...

This is the bread that is traditionally made at home.

When unexpected guests show up and there’s nothing in the house I make it into scones by adding a teaspoon of caster sugar and baking at the higher temperature of 220C/450F/Gas 7 for about 15 minutes. For times like this when the cupboard is bare of buttermilk, sour ordinary milk with the juice of half a lemon.

For a light, brown mix use about three-quarters plain flour with one-quarter coarse stoneground wholemeal and add one to two tablespoons of pinhead oatmeal or very finely chopped nuts or seeds to the mix before adding the buttermilk.

This is one of my store-cupboard essentials that’s simple to make and streets ahead of anything you can buy.

It has so many different uses. Try it in sandwiches or stirred into creamy mashed potatoes, or serve with cold meats or chicken liver pate...

This is obviously the perfect oil to drizzle over a tomato salad or a plate of warm pasta, but it is also very good to use for the initial sweating of onions for a tomato soup or sauce. Alternatively, use it to garnish plates or soups and let your guests inhale the scent before they eat...

The pronounced flavour of dried apricots makes a rich tasting chutney with the minimum of effort.

It is not at all seasonal so it’s perfect for making at any time of the year. I find that it goes particularly well with my Country-style pate (page 00), or any...

These are a sweet and plump version of what usually comes in jars labelled sun-dried tomatoes and which, in my opinion can often taste disappointing.

This recipe shows how to make them yourself but beware! It is important to get good, ripe plum tomatoes; the little Dutch waterballs just won’t work...

My kitchen is never without a bowl of this.

It is an ideal substitute in recipes for shop-bought sweet chilli sauce. I use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, wontons and tempura or to drizzle on to the plates of Oriental dishes...

This intensifies the flavour of the vinegar and also makes it thick and syrupy so it looks great when drizzled on to a plate, especially along with my herb oil (page 00). It is excellent drizzled over roasted Mediterranean vegetables, Parma ham, salad, rocket...

This will keep happily in the fridge for up to one month. It takes just minutes to make and is far superior to any shop-bought alternatives. You can adapt this vinaigrette to your own tastes by using red or white wine vinegar, or experiment with different oils...

This can also be made in a bowl with a whisk but I find a clean jam jar an excellent for storage...

Clarified butter is just the oily part of butter, without the buttermilk.

You can buy it ready prepared in ethnic stores under the name ghee. If you have a microwave, put the butter in a plastic jug and microwave on a high heat for 1 minute...

I like to marinate this for 24 hours for an intense flavour. When cutting garlic for stock, always cut the garlic heads across their ‘equators’. This gives you solely the sweet garlic flavours and not the harsh garlic oil...

While this stock does take a bit of time to make, you can, of course, store it in the freezer for future use.

If you’d like a stronger flavoured jellied stock, return the strained stock to a clean pan and boil until reduced by half...

For a more concentrated fish flavour to use as the basis for sauces, reduce the strained stock by half again and freeze in ice cube trays. Transfer to freezer bags for storage...

This marmalade has a lovely fresh, light flavour, perfect for breakfast.

It really is delicious with slices of Brown soda bread (page 00) and lots of butter. It can also accompany anything chocolately; try spreading a spoonful over the...

The end result is a richly flavoured jam which is delicious on Scones (page 00) piled with cream, as the filling of a sponge flan case, topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, or melted gently, seasoned with a slurp of brandy and used as a sauce for a summer...

If you are making this in the right season, you might like to use a mixture of summer berries which you have picked yourself or see what your greengrocer or supermarket is offering. This is a very versatile recipe, useful for both savoury and sweet dishes. Serve very cold...

If you are nervous of curdling the custard beat two teaspoons of cornflour in with the egg yolks, which will help thicken and stabilise the sauce. Just make sure that you taste it after cooking to ensure that the taste of cornflour...

This butterscotch sauce is most of the most invaluable things in the restaurant kitchen.

Serve with ice cream or as a dip for fresh fruit. I like to spread it over a cheesecake base and...

Make sure that you wait until the sugar has completely dissolved before boiling the liquid, and never stir once the syrup boils. For a dramatic effect, place chunks of fresh fruit in the...

These chocolate curls can be sprinkled over almost any chocolate dessert for a delicate finishing touch.

These chocolate curls can be sprinkled over almost any chocolate dessert for a delicate finishing touch.

There are a multitude of fillings you can use with this.

Let your imagination run wild. As the pastry is so short, it is very difficult to roll out so I find it much easier to press into the tartlet...

I always use the same basic recipe for vanilla ice cream, but alternative flavours also work brilliantly.

For most recipes the vanilla can be left out so that the other...

What a wonderful way of preserving freshly grown Fruit & Vegetables straight from your garden when they are fresh and produce fantastic Chutney’s to savour all the way through the winter

Making Chutney’s are very easy and they are great to enhance any dish like curry’s to me they are the best with your favourite cheese or country style Pate

What a wonderful way of preserving freshly grown Fruit & Vegetables straight from your garden when they are fresh and produce fantastic Chutney’s to savour all the way through the winter

Making Chutney’s are very easy and they are great to enhance any dish like curry’s to me they are the best with your favourite cheese or country style Pate

Put the courgettes through food grinder into bowl

Pour sugar over, cover and let stand on counter overnight. In the morning, transfer to a large pot and add the sugar. Segment oranges and lemons and put through food grinder and add to the pot with the courgettes.

What a wonderful way of preserving freshly grown Fruit & Vegetables straight from your garden when they are fresh and produce fantastic Chutney’s to savour all the way through the winter

Making Chutney’s are very easy and they are great to enhance any dish like curry’s to me they are the best with your favourite cheese or country style Pate

What a wonderful way of preserving freshly grown Fruit & Vegetables straight from your garden when they are fresh and produce fantastic Chutney’s to savour all the way through the winter

Making Chutney’s are very easy and they are great to enhance any dish like curry’s to me they are the best with your favourite cheese or country style Pate