Turkey Katsu

Egg Foo Young (Cantonese Style)

Asian Pulled Pork

This is a rather unique way of using red bean paste; something usually reserved for Chinese desserts. But not having much of a sweet tooth myself, I found another use for it: Asian-inspired pulled pork. This pulled pork is rather sweet, but that's off-set by the saltiness of the soy sauce and tangy acidity of the vinegar. 

Toulouse Sausages

I'm reposting this recipe as Toulouse sausages are one of my favourite tubular meats. Here, I've served them simply, with carbonara with homemade pasta. But, they'd have a great starring role in a sausage casserole and are a key ingredient in one of my favourite French dishes: cassoulet. 

Zha Jiang Mian (Fried Sauce Noodles)

This recipe came about after I found some beef mince in the freezer and did a bit of research into Chinese noodle dishes using minced beef and pork.

Sweet Soy Glazed Pork Ribs

This recipe is delicious. I know that sounds sort of big headed. But it is. It's sweet, salty, moreish.
Don't be limited to pork ribs though. The glaze is also good with fried chicken, salmon or prawns.

Salami with fennel (final week)

They're ready! And a lot sooner than I expected it to be. Originally, I thought it'd take 6-10 weeks but in less than 3 weeks the salami had lost over 30% of their weight through moisture loss - meaning they're ready for nomming on. 

Salami with fennel (week 2)

Week 2 of my salami project and they seem to be doing well. I had a little scare with some green mold appearing on the topside of the bend. So, straight away I wiped it off with some vinegar and kitchen paper. Then I set about doing a little bit of research. 

Salami with fennel (week 1)

So after the disappointing failure of my venison prosciutto, I wanted to try something that was maybe a bit more realistic and not quite as expensive. So, I chose salami. I've made regular pork and beef sausages before, so I was fairly comfortable with using a sausage maker and there's something strangely satisfying about making these sorts of products using it. 

Char Siu Pork Belly

This is such a simple meal that's infinitely improved by a bit of forward planning and allowing the pork belly to marinate for as long as possible; ideally 12 hours. And, because of it's simplicity, get the best ingredients you can afford.

Rillettes du Porc

I don't think I've ever bought a cookbook at it's original sale price; I find it much more satisfying to buy them cheap. Some great places are car boot sales (as low as 10p), charity shops and second hand book shops. Even WH Smiths can have some good offers on. I picked up Small Adventures in Food by James Ramsden for £1.99 from a cheap shop and immediately started reading it on the train home. 

Homemade Pancetta

For a while now I've been listening to a BBC Radio 4 podcast called The Kitchen Cabinet, hosted by Jay Rayner. It's a panel show with a live audience where they travel over the UK and discuss various food topics - food science to food history to current trends. 

My favourite panellist is Tim Hayward - a food writer and broadcaster. Billy recently got me Tim's latest book, Food DIY. And it is amazing. I've never done, or even wanted to do, so many recipes from one book. He covers smoking, curing, pickling, fermenting and homemade takeaways including doner kebab. 

This book particularly makes me happy because I'm so bad at DIY around the flat, and this is something I can actually do.

Slow Roast Pork and Banana Splits

Is there a better meal to have on a Sunday than a roast dinner? Probably not. For me, it's the cornerstone of the British family and cuisine. Whether it's pork, lamb, beef, or chicken, there's something for most people. 

I don't think I've got a particular favourite. Other to say that a slow roasted joint is usually the option to go for. It means you can just pop it in the oven in the morning (normally the day before in my case), and forget about it for a few hours. The cheaper joints are better for slow roasting, which makes it an inexpensive meal, too. Leftovers can be used in a variety of ways...