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I’ve been meaning to write a brulee recipe for sometime now but I have waited until butane gas guns are readily available at hardware stores & reasonably priced at around a tenner. Trying to create the “burnt” caramel crust without a blow torch/gas gun is nigh impossible because most domestic grills don’t get hot enough. Mastering Brulee can take a little practise; to learn how set it should be, before removing from the oven...but unlike a woodwork project you can eat your mistakes... Read Full Story

Earlier this year I spent the day giving cooking demonstrations to children at Granville Community School in Derbyshire. This came about because months earlier I organized a competition via The Sunday Mercury to encourage kids to cook. The day was a great success and everyone enjoyed it. One of the dishes I threw together at the end of the day was this Boston cream pie. The finish on the cake wasn't quite my best effort because I was racing against the clock, but the cleaning ladies sure... Read Full Story

Sunday I will again be firing up the Barbie and showing the audience how versatile outdoor cooking really can be once you master the basics. Last week I cooked a complete 3-course Sunday roast, starting with a hot smoked salmon served with a pineapple salsa. Followed by Roast Chicken and Roast Lamb with all the trimmings. I rounded things off with an Apple and Custard Flan served with Toffee sauce. Read Full Story

Just wanted to say a big thank you to the great people that turned up to watch the my cooking demonstration last Sunday. The weather did not co-oporate but thankfully we were indoors. It was amazing how many of you stayed for 3.5 to 4 hours. Read Full Story

If you ever wondered what is the difference between hot smoking and the more traditional cold smoked foods quite simply it is how close the food is to the fire. In the case of traditional smoked salmon the fish is placed a long way from the fire so that by the time the smoke passes over the fish it is cold. Because the smoke is cold the fish does not cook just cure, where as hot smoking means the food cooks at the same time as smoking. Read Full Story

The growing availability of exotic fruits & vegetables give us all a chance to try something new. Papaya (also called paw paw) has a smooth skin which turns yellow to orange when ripe. The sweet juicy pulp is orange-pink has a melon like texture and a slight spicy flavour. When cut in half the black seeds that lie in the centre are easily removed. Traditionally the availability of Papaya was June-December but now their available most of the year. Just like Melon they are very versatile... Read Full Story

BBC Radio Shropshire with be interviewing me live on their Breakfast show this Saturday between 8-9am. They wanted to interview me about the Barbecue Master Class I’m performing at Percy Thrower’s Garden Centre on Sunday 27th May. Read Full Story

Scallops when bought in the shell are so much better than other versions (like frozen or in brine). Often these types contain a lot of water which comes out during the cooking, so instead of frying then, you end up stewing them (not to mention they shrink to about 1/2 there size Scallops should never be fully cooked, or they will become rubbery. You should ask for diver scallops which are caught individually. Read Full Story

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