BEST RECIPES

Tips and Rescues

abalone aioli aluminium apple - toughened by overcooking - saut 20 to 30 secs each side - overcooked, tough abalone can be minced for soup or chowder - can be created quickly by using one of the better bottled-mayonnaises (eg Sainsbury), adding garlic (or if pushed, garlic powder) plus a bit of butter or cream - corroded by acid in tomatoes, lemon and onions (including aluminium foil) - seeds contain cyanide which does no harm in small doses but can accumulate if eaten regularly - for baking use Gravenstein, Rhode Island Greening, York Imperial - for cooking use Corland Northern Spy, Rome Beauty Winesap, York Imperial - Coxs is ready to eat when the pips can heard rattling - Golden delicious brown spots indicate more flavour - peeling is easier if first blanched in boiling water arrowroot asparagus aubergines avocado - thickening power 1 times that of ordinary flour - overstirring food can cause arrowroot to lose its thickening ability - eaters excrete methyl mercaptan but only some detect the odour - store at 50F (10C) - will not ripen if deprived of oxygen - highly susceptible to chilling injury: tastes bad and discolours- if stored below 45F (7C) will darken but not ripen, store at 50F (10C) - enzymic action which discolours cut flesh is slowed by acid such as lemon juice or vinegar - to ripen fast place several in a pierced paper bag with an apple or banana for up to three days, at room temperature - to prevent avocado dip going brown, place plastic film onto surface to exclude oxygen bacteria - the minimum temperature for destroying harmful bacteria in meat is 280C, thought stewing at 100C has the same effect as it is longer - fruit-based sauces are served with meat partially because they contain a natural antiseptic beans - do not salt beans while soaking or cooking as it will make them hard - add at the end; they take longer to cook in acid solutions as with tomatoes or vinegar. There is no point in soaking for more than 4 hours; one way is to one quantity of bean to four of water, bring to boil and cook 2 mins, remove from heat, cover and stand 1 hr. - aduki have strong nutty flavour, combine with brown rice, sauteed spring onion, mushroom ertc in pan-fry; simmer 30 mins - butter sometimes called baby lima, fresh and sweet tasting, best if pre-soaked then simmer 1 hr - black, have strong earthy flavour, simmer 1 hr - black-eyed, simmer 1 hrs - cannellini, pre-soak and simmer 1 hrs, keep their shape well so good in salads - chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans, used in hummus, Indian stews, and tagines; soak then simmer 1 to 2 hrs - borlotti, soak then simmer 1 to 2 hrs - fava or broad beans, good in soups and salads, larger ones best; soak then simmer 1 to 2 hrs - flageolet, are actually immature kidney beans, use in cassoulet and with lamb or poultry; soak then simmer 1 hrs - haricot, as used in tinned baked beans, good in chilli, soups and stews; soak then simmer 2 hrs - mung, good as dahl; simmer 1 hrs - pinto, good for mashing and refrying for dips; soak then simmer 2 hrs - red kidney, mild floury, can be aded to chilli; soak and simmer 1 hrs - soya, firm and nutty which stands up well to reheating; simmer 3 to 4 hrs bearnaise - if reluctant add a little lecithin (soy phosphatides) - to prevent curdling use vinegar, only freshest eggs, keep egg whites clear, do not overheat (below 140F) - all ingredients should be at the same temperature - to prevent separation add oil/butter slowly to ensure previous lot fully dispersed; keep oil content below 70%; keep temperature between fat melting point and 140F (60C); do not heat too long or water evaporates

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- separation reversal: slowly beat sauce into a little water at 100-120F (38-49C); OR put egg yolk in bain-marie, add a splash of warm water and then slowly the split sauce, and if is becoming too thicvk add a little more warm water beating escalopes beef bread - put them between sheets of greased paper to prevent them disintegrating and sticking to the beater - see going off - the longer you knead dough the longer it should be left to stand - if a bit stale, wrap in a damp cloth for 10 mins then into a hot oven for 3 to 5 mins. - allowing bread to rise at of 20C is optimum: at over 25C fermentation will reduce the flavour in the bread. breakfast cereals broccoli browning - can be freshened in a microwave for 30 secs in a bowl lined with a kitchen towel - add bayleaf to cooking water to reduce smell - browning meat, vegetables and flour (quickly frying the surface) emphasises natural flavours unless the temperature is too high when more generalised tastes creep in. But the process destroys lysine, an essential amino acid of proteins, and may create carcinogens brussels sprouts burnt soup burnt pan cabbage - add bay leaf, chunks of bread or red peppers to cooking water to reduce smell; cook no more than 10 mins; cut a cross in the stem to accelerate cooking - continued simmering gets rid of most of the burnt taste; the addition of a little curry powder gets rid of the rest - cover with cold tea for a few hours; OR boil sliced onions and leave several hours; OR soak overnight in biological detergent in warm water; OR boil with a little bircarbonate of soda for 15 to 20 mins, allow to cool when the burnt bits will come off easily - store at 32C - when boiling H2S doubles between 5 and 7 minutes of boiling, so smell can be reduced by cooking for less than 5 minutes - eating a lot can aggravate thyroid problem but generally is unlikely to cause one - to reduce cooking smell, add a chunk of bread to the water carrots cauliflower cereals cheese chestnuts chickpeas chilli chilling chocolate Christmas pudding - store at freezing - eating a lot can aggravate thyroid problems but generally will not cause one - wholemeal flour and brown rice contain more fat than white and have active enzymes, so shelf life is much shorter - to prevent it becoming mouldy in storage wrap in kitchen paper moistened with cider vinegar (it inhibits fungal development); if it grows mould all the same, merely cut that off the rest is perfectly safe to eat - when fresh should be cured at room temperature for a few days - are difficult to soften, so add a little sodium bicarbonate after 10 mins of boiling (1 tspn per 300 g) - never add salt as it hardens the skin - if overdone, squeeze in half a lemon then put the lemon in the dish (eg curry), stir a few minutes, then remove - wine etc: quicker if using a mixture of ice and water - if chilled for more than 2 hours, flavour is impaired - when melting for coating, the pan and spoon must be completely dry because moisture makes the chocolate dull rather than shiny - in powder form buy cocoa instead it is cheaper and you lose only sugar and celery powder - although immersed in water puddings do not become soggy if the water is boiling and the pudding surrounded by a layer of flour because the boiling water denatures the protein in the flour to create a stringy effect that excludes water. Warm water would soak through the flour into the pudding. Suet in the pudding mixture helps by soaking in part through to this lattice and helping it harden. Cloth around the pudding provides nucleation sites for the bubbles created by boiling water. cocoa copper pans corn crab crackling cream - cocoa powder is difficult to dissolve in water because it contains fat so it clumps with air and rises to the surface and that takes along time to disperse so mix powder in a little liquid which is then poured into hot water or milk - to shine rub with a paste of flour, salt and malt vinegar, rinse and dry - loses up to 40% of its sugar in six hours at room temperature - to enhance flavour add a little milk to the boiling water - if canned meat has metallic taste, soak 5 mins in iced water - rub fat with vinegar and then salt - before starting to whip, cool in fridge both cream (though do not freeze) and utensils - adding sugar at the start of whipping reduces foam stability so add when whipping almost complete - to make whipped cream last, beat till stiff but before maximum volume when it goes soft and glossy - to keep it fresh longer keep it upside down in the fridge cucumber curry custard - freezing it will slightly cook/cure the flesh and leave it transparent with a brilliant green colour and intensify the flavour - to tone down a too-hot curry squeeze half a lemon into it and put the other half in whole - if it goes lumpy, put base of pan in cold water and keep whisking till smooth, or put in blender

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duck earthenware pots eggs

- store at 2 to 3C and use within three days; frozen must be at -18C or lower - roast lifted from tin on a grid to allow fat to drain - before using new ones simmer salty water in the oven and then allow to cool; it cures and preserves porous earthenware - to produce a soft-boiled egg, the timing is the weight of the egg in grams x 0.1 in standard-sized eggs of 60 to 70 grams. A medium egg of about 50 grams taken from the fridge at 4C will take around 4 minutes to cook - ie a few seconds more than if it had been kept at room temperature of about 20C. From the fridge a small egg of 47 grams will take 4 minutes 15 seconds, while a large egg of 67 grams will take almost 5 minutes. Fresh eggs take longer than old eggs - you can tell the age of an egg because older eggs are more buoyant and spin more smoothly. - test for freshness by putting in water: fresh ones sink, older ones float - steaming eggs above boiling water in a pan with a close-fitting lid reduces the chances of cracking and saves energy. - between 62C and 68C the temperature is high enough to coagulate the white but too low to coagulate the yolk; white coagulates at 145F; at 160F firm but tender, after that it gets tougher - poaching without poacher needs fresh egg - water just below boiling, add salt, vinegar to speed coagulation; create whirlpool in the water and slide the egg into it - overbeating whites can cause irreversible clumping but that happens only with electric beaters - beating whites in copper bowls produces creamier, yellowish foam that is hard to overbeat - but copper is poisonous - to make beaten whites fluffy add a splash of lemon as it is better than the traditional pinch of salt - used to thicken soup, should be brought to the boil or it will turn into scrambled egg; mix with small quantity of warm soup, then add to the rest and warm gently

fat fish

- to get rid of fat on the surface of a stew, float a sheet of kitchen roll on it to absorb - as fish loses its freshness it first acquires a sweet and seaweedy smell but as it has been stored for some time trimethylamine oxide which is part of marine fish osmoregulatory system and may help it being dehydrated in the salty environment, is metabolised by a gammanegative bacterium to trimethylamine which is what one can smell. So a fishy smell is an indication it is going off. As it deteriorates further hydrogen sulphide may be detectable; to check it is fresh: clean and pleasant smell; plump, firm (pressed flesh returns to shape) and just moist; scales moist and shiny; eyes bright and full; gills pink to red, moist and full; trout should be slightly slimy - the inside of cooked fish should be slightly translucent - fry fish in a medium-hot pan in a little olive oil, turn when 80% cooked, add a little butter and baste while briefly cooking; allow fish to rest during which time it will continue to cook - plaice with roe is tasteless - salmon is farmed if slippery and has fewer scales - shark, ray and skate should be soaked in salt water for 20 mins to get rid of ammonia smell - to prevent skin sticking to pan, rub with salt, after 15 mins rinse and dry - about 150 g a head for the main course - very fresh Dover sole will usually stick to your grill; to avoid this lightly dust with flour and pat off any excess to soak up lightly dust with flour and pat off any excess. This will soak up any moisture and dry out the surface. - sear fish on a high heat, which will give it a smoky flavour, then finish cooking in the oven to control caramelisation and the cooking.

fish soup flour

- to prevent it tasting thin, cook fish bones and skin with vegetables and wine to add flavour - adding aioli increases flavour - British flour has added calcium, iron, niacin and thiamin, and is best for bread - for pastry a good flour is Italian 00 - to prevent it going lumpy when mixed into sauces mix with a little fat

frozen food fruit game

- allow to defreeze naturally as warming it can lose nutritional value - best way to defreeze poultry is 24 hours in fridge; it takes over three days for a 12 lb turkey - bland flavour is not caused by ripening with ethylene but by plucking prematurely - put a little kitchen roll in bottom of fruit bowl to absorb moisture and reduce the chances of mould - hanging times vary, after these times use birds as soon as possible: Grouse, blackgame, capercaillie for 2 days maximum in feather; pheasant for 3 to 8 days in feather; quail do not need to be hung; partridge, snipe, woodcocks, plover for 3 to 4 days in feather; wild duck for up to 2 days in feather; hare for 5 to 6 days by the forelegs and can be stored in the fridge at 2 to 3C for another 2 or 3 days; rabbit should have entrails removed immediately then hung for up to 3 days with abdominal flap held open; venison for 5 to 6 days by hind legs and after skinning it can be hung for another 8 to 10 days at 2 to 3C.

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- use furred game only between May and September for deer buck and September to January for doe - capercaillie do not hang more than 2 days in feather; cook immediately after plucking - wild duck season August to March; keep no more than 2 days in feather as it develops and oily taste; cook soon after plucking and drawing - grouse season 12 August to 20 December do not hang more than 2 days in feather; cook immediately after plucking - hare; hang 5 or 6 days by the forelegs after skinning and drawing will keep 2 or 3 days in fridge - partridge season 1 September to 11 February - pheasant season is 1 October and 11 February; hang for 3 to 8 days in feather; cook soon after drawing and plucking - quail do not hang - rabbit; remove entrails immediately after killing and hang by the hindlegs no more than 2 or 3 days with abdominal flap kept open (perhaps with a stick) - venison; draw immediately and then hang for 5 or 6 days before skinning; it can then be hung for up to 8 to 10 days at 2 to 3C but wipe with cloth if it gets sticky garlic globe artichoke going off - if there is too much in the dish, add parsley; potatoes and breadcrumbs also help - cut off stem close to the base and remove any shabby outside leaves, soak for 30 mins in cold water to clean, cook in boiling salted water until leaves pull out easily 20 to 40 mins depending on size - beef: if it smells off, wash it in 50% vinegar - if the smell is still unpleasant and strong, throw it away, if it is faint or acceptable cook it straight away - casseroles: usually evident from mould, bubbles and smell when unsuitable but take few chances with cooked food. - cheese: blue cheeses have moulds artificially introduced; some soft cheeses can start to grow maggots when overripe; mould on cheese is harmless to health so just cut it off and eat the rest - chicken: discard at the slightest hint of it being past it - fish: check that any smell is not coming from the fish still containing some of its innards; soak for 10 minutes in a 50:50 mixture of vinegar and water and then wash under running tap, and if it is still smelly throw it away; elderly fish are better poached than grilled - fruit: lose flavour and nutrients when old, and go mushy but are unlikely to do you harm - game: see entry for hanging; some people are put off by the smell and/or flavour which may mean their digestion cannot cope with high food - lamb: if dodgy probably best to abandon it - pork: even the slightest suggestion of being past it throw it out - shellfish: if at all suspicious such as not smelling too nice, chuck it away - soup: usually easily detectable when past its eatable date; if in doubt, chuck it out - vegetables: as with fruit, they become not very pleasant, tasty or nutritious but will seldom harm an eater goose grapefruit green beans grouse hanging hollandaise honey ice cubes jam - good from September to February, but at their best around Christmas - a 5kg goose will feed eight (ie about 600g a head) - Vitamin C in peel and albedo (white layer under skin) so juice has only 20% total - brief insertion in boiling water then a brief immersion in hot caustic soda makes them easy to peel. That is what canners do. - if overcooked rescue by frying a little garlic, add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar; cook briefly, stir in beans till warm: and you have haricots vert Provenale - should be hung for at least three days, longer if the weather is cool - see game - see Bearnaise - to prevent a receptacle, including spoon becoming sticky and retaining some of the honey coat lightly with oil - for clear cubes boil water and cool to room temperature before filling trays - optimum is pH of 2.8 to 3.4, pectin concentration of to 1%, sugar content of 60 to 65% - cook fruit for 10 to 20 minutes - if fruit lacks pectin or acid (apples, pears, peaches) add lemon slices (minus yellow rind) - longer cooking breaks down pectin; add sugar and keep at rolling boil (sugar protects pectin) lemons lettuce lentils - keep fresh longer if stored covered in cold water - always buy fruit that feels heavy for its size - store at 32C - put a little fresh ginger into the cooking water because the enzymes help soften lentils

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- puy, strongly flavoured, hold their shape well which makes them suitable for sal;ads; simmer 35 to 45 mins - green, actually khaki, good for soup; simmer 30 to 45 mins lima beans mackerel marinades - potentially toxic cyanide precursors can be removed by boiling in uncovered pot - scoring the skin before grilling it will prevent it curling up, giving an even caramelisation on the skin. - straight off the hook and cooked does not have as much flavour as one left for a couple of hours - acid partially denatures meat proteins, opening up tunnels in the structure where flavour can seep in, but penetrate only the surface - they work best on meats such as chicken breast and fish, because the muscle structure is not as dense as it is in beef or pork those can be better marinated if cubed to present a larger surface area - chicken and fish should be marinated briefly as the acid "cooks" the surface if left too long, causing the meat to dry out. Some meats, such as pork and steak, can marinate for hours but even they will become mushy and lose moisture if left too long - the more acid in the marinade the stronger the effect - in addition to wine and vinegar common methods are papain and similar enzymes, which are active only between 150 and 210F (65 to 100C) - marinating draws out juices so use the marinade for basting or as the basis of a sauce mayonnaise - start by beating the yolk with a little lemon juice or vinegar to stabilise it before adding the oil; one yolk will absorb about 150 ml of oil when beaten by hand but lots more when using an electric beater - to reverse when separated add a little of the sauce to fresh yolk or water with mustard and beat thoroughly then slowly add the rest. - to store over-night float a thin film of oil on top, then cover with plastic film and keep at 60F (15C), which means not in fridge. meat - going off: pork, chicken, veal, lamb - throw it out; beef - immerse 15-30 minutes in 1:1 dilution vinegar and water. If it smells repulsive throw it out, if tolerable cook. - keeping cooked dishes, do not put in iron or aluminium pans, do not put in salt; pepper seeds and skin, onions and potato peel inhibit deterioration; cover with gas-impermeable film - bring to room temperature before cooking and when done allow it to rest 85% of cooking is in the pan and 15% when resting (underdone fillet steak takes 2 mins each side and rest for 3 mins), but remember duck cools quickly - allow about 150g per head, off the bone meat soup melon - if the meat is burnt at the early stages, either simmer long or add a little curry powder - store at 50F (10C) once ripe - canteloupes are ripe when they are covered with a cream-coloured network - all musk melons (eg honeydew, cantaloupe) become slightly soft at the blossom end and have sweet perfumed smell; melons picked long before being ripe never become very good - watermelons are ripe when they give a hollow sound on being tapped lightly with the fingers meringue milk mushrooms - to prevent weeping add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the sugar before beating into egg-whites - to increase the volume add a little baking powder - in sauces can be stopped from curdling by gentle heating and gradual, moderate heat - it loses much of its vitamin A, B and C content if exposed to sunlight - contain glutamic acid (a natural flavour enhancer) to enhance the flavour of meat - lose half the sugar and starch to chitin in the first four days; refrigeration and keeping in air-tight containers slow this but cause condensation which accelerates spoilage nutmeg nuts oil omelettes - will not induce menstruation but does contain myristicin, a hallucinogen (needing two complete nutmegs to produce hallucinations) with side-effects which include headache, cramps and nausea - the high fat content quickly turns rancid if exposed to heat, light or humidityunshelled keep better - up to 8 months frozen in airtight container, and kept cold half that; peanuts, pecans and walnuts are most sensitive, almonds and cashews least - nut oil is deteriorated by light, heat, moisture and metal - to stop it spitting when frying, add pinch of salt - to make them fluffy add a squirt of soda water to the mixture - as with scrambled eggs remove from pan when still slightly runny - serve on warm, not hot, plate onions - carbon steel and aluminium react with chemicals to turn green blue or red - quickly chopped in a blender - stored in a fridge before use produce fewer tears

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- putting distilled vinegar on the chopping board or cutting them submerged in water also reduces tears oranges - Vitamin C is concentrated most in the peel and albedo (white layer under skin) so juice contains under 25% of the total - juice will retain 90% of its vitamin C in a fridge for a week - buy fruit that feel heavy for its size oysters pancakes - open more easily if frozen for 10 to 20 mins - do not overcook as they become tough - the batter should be thin: lightly coat the back of a spoon - temperature of pan is right when drop of water bounces and spits in oil - if boils too cool, if vanishes too hot - if congealed in great gobbets, fry and put in layers in souffle dish with layers of cocoa and jam, cover with chocolate, grill if possible and if not put briefly in top of hot oven. Alternatively add a little lemon to the mixture and fry as crumbled bits, add raisins and serve with little jam and brandy cream, and call it csszrmorzsa. pasta - for a starter about 85 to 110g per head; for main course 110 to 140g - more with fresh pasta - cook in 1 litre of water per 85g pasta plus a teaspoon salt from 5 to 20 mins depending on freshness, shape and size - do not add oil to the cooking water pastry - the main ingredient of flour is starch but the main effort of making flaky rather than springy pastry is two prevent two proteins interacting to form more mesh-like gluten than is needed to hold the dough together. Using cold butter or lard to mix with the dry flour (soft pastry flour has less gluten than hard bread flour) slows the interactions and keeps the fat in solid lumps through the flour which reduces the action of gluten formation when the cold water is added. Sugar or cornstarch absorb surplus water and so adding them reduces formation as well. Kneading develops gluten so handle the dough little. Rolling the dough flattens the gluten-coated fat producing layers so when the butter melts in the oven cavities are left to create flaky effect and allows water vapour to escape. - use Italian 00 flour pears - like bananas they give off ethylene which encourages ripening in other fruit so they should be stored sperately - ripen from the seed out so are ready to eat when the base of the stalk is just becoming softer - use firm pears for cooking as ripe ones become flavourless when heated peas peppers - lose up to 40% of their sugar in six hours at room temperature - there are 100 parts of capsaicin in placental part (white portions that bear the seed), 6 parts in rest of fruit, 4 parts in seed; it can irritate cut skin - red pepper may encourage salivation and secretion of gastric juices as well as peristaltic movement, and may be antibacterial pheasant pineapple pizza pork loin portions - should be hung for between a week and a month depending on taste and the weather - available 1 October to 11 February - store at 50F (10C) - cut with scissors; easier than with a knife - best when only just cooked through ie the inside has reached 165C - meat: allow 175 g off the bone per head - fish: allow 250 g small whole fish (herring, mackerel, trout); 150 g fillets, supremes - chicken: 300 g without bones - goose: 500g per person - sauces: allow litre for 8 people - soup: 200 to 250 ml per head - rice: 30 g as garnish; 45 g as subsidiary dish; 60 g as main dish - pasta: for a starter about 85 to 110g per head; for main course 110 to 140g - more with fresh pasta potatoes - dry, mealy ones best for baking and mashing - moist, waxy ones best for salad - for chips use King Edward, Russet or Maris Piper - for roast use russets, Long Whites, King Edward, Desire - for mash use Russets; beat only till light, as overbeating makes them sticky and starchy - to distinguish which sort a potato is put in 1 part salt to 11 of water: waxy potatoes float, mealy sink Agria Alcmaria - long oval shape, yellow waxy flesh: boiling, salads Anya Atlantic

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Belle de Fontenay Bintje Cabritas Camota Cara - round, soft flesh: baking, boiling, mashing, roasting Caribe Charlotte Chelina Chilo Cielo Clavela Blanca Dsire - reddish, firm flesh; all purpose Early Rose Estima - oval, firm yellowish flesh: boiling, baking, deep frying Fianna Fingerling Flava Golden Wonder Hermes Home Guard - boiling, salads Irish Cobbler Jersey Royal Kameraz Kennebec - oval to oblong with moderately white skin; all-purposebakes boils, and fries satisfactorily Kerr's Pink Kestrel King Edward floury; all purpose Kipfler Lady Rosetta Maris Piper - mealy/floury; good taste, all-purpose, suitable for chips but nor crisps Nicola Norland - rectangular tubers with smooth red skin; good boiled or mashed Pachacoa Pentland Dell (floury): baking, roasting, deep frying Pentland Javelin (short oval, white waxy flesh): boiling, salads Peruvian purple Pink Eye Pink Fir Apple Red Norland Red Pontiac Rooster Russet: roasting, mashing Russet Burbank Russet Norkotah Shepody Simson Spunta Superior - medium-size, round to oblong, white skin, light, flaky white flesh; good for baking, boiling, and mashing Ulster sceptre - long oval, white waxy flesh: boiling, roasting, deep frying Vivaldi Wilja (long oval, yellow firm flesh): boiling, roasting, deep frying - long, rounded with rough, brown skin; excellent baked and fair for boiling - see Norland - round to oblong with red skin; all-purpose baking and boiling - medium starch, so good all-purpose; not as flavourful as other varieties; mushy if over-cooked - white flesh, deep eyes, buff-coloured skin; good baked - large, starchy with purple skins and white flesh; good for mash, not for potato salads or scalloped potatoes - creamy, yellow-fleshed potato good for roasting and chips; substitutes Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn

Romano - pink skin, waxy texture: baking, boiling, roasting

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Yukon Gold

- oval; yellowish-buff skin, light yellow flesh and rich flavour; all-purpose - excellent for baking, boiling

(falls apart if over-cooked), and mashing; stores well - the alkaloid solanine chaconine is produced in light and by warm and very cold storage, and high levels can be toxic. Exposure to light causes production of chlorophyll which produces a green patch on the surface and is a warning that solanine has been produced as well. The taste of the alkaloid is burning and peppery and checks the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. At first that causes a dry mouth, thirst and palpitations; at higher doses it causes delirium, hallucinations and paralysis. The chemical is not destroyed by heating but between 30 and 90% of the poison is concentrated in the surface 1/16" so peeling makes potato safer, but safer still is to avoid eating it altogether. A lethal dose is 3 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of the eaters body weight, so it would probably require 1 to 2 kg of affected potatoes to kill a normal adult. - turn sweet if stored below 40F (4C) - carbon steel and aluminium react with anthoxanthins and produce blue or green, sometimes red chemicals - vitamin C is concentrated most in the peel - new potatoes deteriorate rapidly poultry prawns puff pastry pulses rice - stuffed should be cooked at about Mark 3 (325F 165C) because lower temperature allows bacteria inside to flourish too long, but higher temperature would shorten cooking time so stuffing would not be cooked through - and shrimps are much better cooked from fresh than buying already cooked - keep shells for making stock - run cold water over baking tray before putting on pastry - steam from tray will help pastry puff in the oven - never add salt to cooking because it hardens the skin - do not rinse before cooking because polished rice has vitamin and protein powder on outside - absorption method of cooking minimises vitamin and mineral loss: allow cup (50g) per head; add twice as much water volume as rice; bring to boil, stir and lower to simmer covered for requisite time (10 to 30 mins depending on rice) when all the water should have been absorbed - to keep cooked rice half an hour before serving, toss with fork, cover dish with cloth (to prevent condensation falling onto rice and making it sticky) and then pan lid. It can then be kept warm in Mark oven - to rescue burnt rice remove unburnt grains into clean pan, cover with white bread or onion skins and then paper towel. Put covered in Mark oven (110C 250F) for 10 mins. - add a little oil or butter to cooking water to keep grains separated - unhusked rice trebles in size during cooking so allow pan room for expansion - treated: long grain has been steamed to extract some of the starch; for boiled (grains separate easily) but lacks taste - Italian: Arborio, Piedmont, Vallone, Avorie; for risotto (does not break up with long cooking) - arborio, soft and creamy, good for risotto; cook in 1 part grain to 3 or 4 parts liquid - basmati: long grain, for pilaf, Indian dishes, and risotto; cook white basmati in 1 parts water; simmer 15 mins, stand 5 mins; brown in 2 parts water, simmer 45 mins and stand 5 mins - short grain/Carolina: swells and softens, good for puddings; sticky, chewy, good in puddings; simmer 50 mins in 2 parts water - wild, technically an aquatic grass seed, chewy its full flavour can be too much on its own but good in soups and salads; wash in cold water, drain; start cooking with cold water and then simmer 15 mins to 18 mins in 3 parts water roast - beef capercaille duck (wild) goose grouse lamb ortolan partridge 200C pheasant 215C pigeon plover pork ptarmigan quail 200C 215C 215C 200C 215C 200C 200C 30 mins/kg for an underdone centre in hot oven 30-45 mins 20 mins for teal, 30 mins for mallard and widgeon 30 mins per kg plus 15 mins 30-45 mins 40 mins/kg plus 20 mins in hot oven for pink in the middle; OR 10 mins at 240C then 20mins/kg at 180C 20 mins OR 220C for 10 mins then 200C 40 mins 30-45 mins 20 mins per 500 g 215C 215C 20 mins per 500 g 30-45 mins 65 mins/kg in moderate oven 30-45 mins 20 mins OR 180C 25 mins at bottom of oven

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snipe turkey veal venison woodcock roulle salads salt

215C 165C

20 mins 3 hrs for 3kg to 5 hrs for 10 kg 45mins/kg in moderately hot oven 40 mins/kg

215C

20 mins

- ensure all ingredients are at room temperature, this will make t emulsification easier - if it separates, put s teaspoon of mustard in another bowl and gently whisk in the separated rouille. - if tired, wash in very cold water and put in fridge; put celery in jug of cold water; soak radishes - add salt towards the end because as a dish cooks it becomes more concentrated and hence saltier - see stew - too much salt in gravy can be partially counteracted with a little sugar - oversalted soup or stew can be mitigated with cooked potato (or breadcrumbs) and a little vinegar, or cream and parsley; do not add wine; it is also possible to add a peeled potato, cook for 15 mins, and then remove it having absorbed some of the salt

sauces

- to prevent white sauces going lumpy, heat the milk in advance - if overcooked, cannot be rescued - dump and serve melted butter instead - if lumpy, sieve - for separated see bearnaise

shrimps souffle

- see prawns - a single drop of yolk in the white can reduce foam volume by two thirds - must be cooked at high enough temperature to set the proteins before foam reaches maximum expansion and begins to fall, but low enough to cook the interior without burning the outside = 400F (205C) produces creamy centre with done surface; 325F (163C) gives a more uniform, solid result

soup

- thickening with flour: make a paste of a little soup and the flour and then add to the rest to prevent clumping - thickening with egg: as with flour and be careful not to boil the soup - to give it colour put in outer skin of onion but remove before serving - to improve texture put a crustless piece of bread with the other ingredients into the blender - fish soups tend to taste watery so add stock made from boiling bones and skin with vegetables and wine.

sponge pastry steak stew

- to give a warm golden colour add a little custard powder to mixture - to cook a 2.5cm thick steak to underdone, rub oil into its surface and put into a really hot frying pan/grill pan and press down gently and after a maximum of 2 mins turn over and repeat. Put onto a warm plate and let it rest 5mins. - if oversalted add fizzy water (not wine, that emphasises saltiness) and parsley and serve with bland soak-up veg like mashed potato (unsalted), or ice the dish - if too bland add vermouth, pepper, Worcester, stock cube, herbs, chopped onions

stock tarts tomatoes

- when preparing put bones etc in chip basket to make them easier to remove - if the filling is an egg-based or custard type, the pastry should be blind-baked (see Glossary) first, because pastry and filling need different temperatures - to skin easily put in hot water for a minute, or hold over flame till skin chars - can be firmed by soaking in salty water for 10 mins - can be ripened in a brown paper bag with an already ripe tomato

turkey

- roasting times 2 kg 4 kg 6 kg 9 kg - 1 hours - 2 to 2 hours - 2 to 3 hours - 3 to 4 hours

turmeric vegetables

- store in dark as very sensitive to light - composition changes radically in only a few hours after harvest - if frozen should not be thawed but cooked immediately because microbes and enzymes start to damage them - cooking in copper maintains a vivid colour but copper affects brain and liver function - baking soda when cooking helps maintain colour but destroys vitamins - put in rapidly boiling water and do not allow temperature to drop on insertion (permits maximum activity of enzymes which destroy colour and vitamins) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes maximum; especially important for spinach, less so for beans and peas

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vegetable soup vegeterian dish vinaigrette watermelon whitebait wine yeast

- if too bland and tasteless try adding a stock cube or concentrate, a little sweet sherry, a spoonful of tomato puree, soya sauce, Worcester sauce, curry paste (or lightly-fried curry powder), or a knob of butter - in an emergency mix a glass of wine with a tin of baked beans, pour over vegetables and put in oven for 20 mins - to stop it becoming thick or gloopy ad a touch of warm water - tap gently with the tip of a finger and if it sounds hollow it is ripe - handle as little as possible (so do not even wash) because it bruises easily - if it has to be decanted late, pour it high and fast to get the maximum amount of air into it to chill quickly put into a bucket of ice with a little cold water and a handful of coarse salt it should cool to 8C in 10 mins - dormant at 4 C, active between 20-40C and destroyed at 45-50 C.

Storage
Domestic refrigerators normally operate at 4C to 7C (39F to 45F), one-star freezers at -6C (21F), two-star at -12C (10F), and three-star at -18C (0F). Setting deep-freezes to fast-freeze takes them down to about -25C (-13F). Micro-organisms causing food poisoning are dormant below 5C, moulds go dormant below -10C, but enzymes changing food texture and taste do not become dormant until -40C. See section on going off. in fridge Bacon Beef Bread Butter Chicken (frozen) Coffee Duck (frozen) Eggs Fish (frozen) (smoked) Game birds Ham Hare and rabbit Herbs Lamb Milk Pork Steak/chops Sausages Venison Yoghurt Asparagus Baked beans Beer Broad beans Carrots Fish in brine (UHT) (dehydrated) (fresh) - 7 to 8 days - 3 to 5 days - 2 to 3 weeks - 1 day - 2 to 3 days - 1 month - 1 day - 2 to 3 days - 2 to 3 weeks - 1 to 2 days - 1 to 2 days - 3 days - 3 to 5 days - 2 to 3 days - 7 days - 3 to 5 days - 6 weeks - 3 to 5 days - 3 to 4 days - 2 to 3 days - 10 days - 5 to 7 days Tinned - 6 to 8 months - 1 to 2 years - 2 to 4 months - 1 to 2 years - 1 to 2 years - 8 to 12 months - 4 to 8 months 1 month 4 to 6 months (at -18C) 4 to 6 months 1 to 2 months 6 to 9 months 6 months 1 to 2 months in freezer 1 to 2 months 8 months 4 to 6 months 3 months 6 to 9 months 6 to 9 months 6 months 4 to 6 months 4 to 6 months not recommended white fish 3 months, oily fish 1 month up to 3 months 3 weeks

Poultry (fresh, chilled) - 3 days (at 2 to 3C)

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Fruit Fruit juices Grapefruit Jam Meat Peas Runner beans Soup Spinach Tomatoes Tomato puree Flour plain self-raising wholemeal Baking powder Pasta

- 8 to 12 months - 3 to 4 months - 3 to 4 months - 8 months - 8 to 12 months - 1 to 2 years - 6 to 8 months - 8 to 12 months - 6 to 8 months - 6 to 8 months - 6 to 8 months Packeted - 4 months - 2 months - up to months - 6 months unopened, only a few weeks after opening - 3 months

Health hazards
Campylobacter Clostridium welchii - common form of food poisoning, caused by meat, poultry, untreated milk and shellfish. Symptoms include fatigue, then severe diarrhoea sometimes with blood and mucus. Incubation is one to ten days; duration up to seven days. - caused by meat, soup or gravy cooked the day before consumption. Incubation period twenty-four hours. produced after ingestion, usually in improperly canned food. Symptoms include lassitude, disturbance of vision, photophobia, weakness and paralysis of muscles, difficulty swallowing, and in severe cases respiratory failure. Nausea and vomiting occur in fewer than half the cases. Incubation eighteen hours to a week. Two-thirds of cases are fatal. Escherichia coli - common range of food poisoning agents caused by undercooked beef, untreated milk, cheese, and raw vegetables; also by contagion from animals and people. Symptoms include diarrhoea that may contain blood and sometimes vomiting, abdominal cramps. 7pc of sufferers have kidney problems. Incubation is one to eight days. It can be fatal. Listeria Salmonella - rare food poisoning, cased by cheese and pates, ham, soil and silage. Symptoms are similar to flu but can lead to septicaemia and meningitis, and cause miscarriage or still-birth. Incubation three to seventy days. - common form of food poisoning, caused by poultry, meat, untreated milk and undercooked infected eggs. Symptoms include tiredness, diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pains, and shivering. Severe cases can lead to septicaemia or peritonitis. Incubation is eight to forty-eight hours; duration up to three weeks. Common forms are S typhimurium (responsible for about 65% of incidents), S bredeny, S enteridis, S heidelberg, S newport, S stanley, S thompson. Most type of salmonella are killed by heating to 60C for fifteen minutes. Staphylococcus aureus - bacterium that can be passed on as an infection or, if it has contaminated the food, from the exotoxin produced (which is not destroyed by cooking). It generally comes from infected food handlers who carry it in nose, gut, skin or infected wounds. Symptoms include vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, occasionally to the point of collapse and needing rehydration. Incubation two to six hours; duration up to two days. Clostridium botulinum - caused by an endotoxin which can be already in the food (which causes the symptoms even if the bacterium is dead), or

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