Recipes

by Sam Bilton A cheeky little cocktail containing Falstaff's beloved 'sack'. Add less sloe gin for a drier drink. Serves 1 30ml Manzanilla or Fino sherry 30ml Gin 30ml Sloe Gin (add less for a drier drink) ½ tsp lemon or Seville orange juice Ice Place the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Give it a vigorous shake then strain into a chilled martini glass or similar. Top with a prune on a cocktail stick. Alternatively drop the prune into the bottom of the g

By Thom Ntinas Serves 5 (with leftovers!) Ingredients   800g - 1Kg pork shoulder in one piece (bone and rolled is fantastic) One teaspoon of each: cumin seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seed and dried thyme 6 long pepper corns  (all from Steenberg spices!) 350g white grapes plus a few extra to grill as a garnish 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 small pointy cabbage or a savoy cabbage 2 medium leeks 1 large fennel bulb 2 turnips (roughly chopped to bit

By Neil Buttery You can use vodka or gin for this cocktail – or a 50-50 mix. It’s a delicious savoury cocktail with a touch of sharp sweetness. Once you’re over the shock of the first one, you’ll be quickly making a second. It’s important to get the ingredients and your martini glass good and cold before you make the drink. For one cocktail you will need: 6 pickled cocktail onions + a dash of the pickling liquor Plenty of ice 2 ½ shots gin or vodka ½ shot dry Vermouth Spoon t

By Sam Bilton (from Much Ado About Cooking ) French toast, eggy bread or Pain Perdu (literally ‘lost bread’, a bit like the ‘lost ‘princess Perdita in The Winter’s Tale only to be rediscovered by the end of the play) has been a recipe since the days of ancient Rome. It was (and still is) recognised as a great way to use up left over bread and makes a crackling breakfast or brunch dish. Ingredients – serves 4   2 x manchet loaves or 6-8 small slices of bread 4 whole eggs 4 t

By Neil Buttery You can devil pretty much anything: lamb’s kidneys, mushrooms, paneer, tofu, leftover roast chicken, beef or turkey on Boxing Day. The sauce keeps for two weeks in the fridge. Serves 2 as a light lunch or snack, or three as a first course, or six as a savoury course. For the devil sauce: 2 tbsp English mustard 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or mushroom ketchup, or a mixture of the two 1 tbsp vinegar good pinch of Cayenne pepper dash of Tabasco sauce freshly groun