Potato Chips

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, preferably Maris Piper
• sunflower oil, for deep frying

To serve

• flaked sea salt
• malt vinegar

 

Preparation method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut lengthways into roughly 1cm/½in slices. Cut each slice into fairly thick chips and rinse in a colander under plenty of cold water to remove excess starch. (If you have time, it's worth letting the chips soak in a bowl of cold water for several hours, or overnight.) Pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Heat a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan half-full of the sunflower oil to 130C. It's important to use a cooking thermometer and check the temperature regularly. Alternatively, use an electric deep-fat fryer heated to 130C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
3. Using a large, metal, slotted spoon, gently lower half the chips into the hot oil and stir carefully. Fry for ten minutes, or until cooked through but not browned.
4. Remove the chips from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on plenty of kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining chips. (The chips can be left for several hours at this stage.)
5. When ready to serve, reheat the oil to 190C. With a slotted spoon, lower all the par-cooked chips gently into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
6. Tip into a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and vinegar to serve.

Bacon and cucumber salad

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 6 long dried chillies
• 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 whole star anise (optional)
• 100g/3½oz smoked lardons, cut into 1cm/½in thick pieces
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded, finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp clear rice vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 200g/7oz cucumber, halved lengthways, de-seeded and sliced into 1cm/½in thick wedges
• pinch sea salt
• 1-2 pinches dried chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp chilli oil
• 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• dry-roasted peanuts (optional)

Preparation method

1. Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir fry for a few seconds, or until fragrant.
2. Add the star anise (if using), bacon lardons and chilli and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the lardons have turned golden-brown at the edges.
3. Add the rice wine or sherry, vinegar and sesame oil and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the cucumber and stir-fry for a few more seconds.
4. Season with sea salt, dried chilli flakes and lime juice, stirring well.
5. Pile the stir-fry onto a serving plate, drizzle over the chilli oil, garnish with the chopped coriander, sprinkle over some peanuts, if using, and serve immediately.

Vanilla panna cotta

Ingredients

For the panna cotta

 

• 3 gelatine leaves
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• 250ml/9fl oz double cream
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways, seeds scraped out
• 25g/1oz sugar

 

For the sauce

• 175g/6oz sugar
• 175ml/6fl oz water
• splash cherry liqueur
• 350g/12oz raspberries

To serve

• 4 sprigs fresh mint
• icing sugar, to dust

 

Preparation method

1. For the panna cotta, soak the gelatine leaves in a little cold water until soft.
2. Place the milk, cream, vanilla pod and seeds and sugar into a pan and bring to a simmer. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.
3. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves, then add to the pan and take off the heat. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved.
4. Divide the mixture among four ramekins and leave to cool. Place into the fridge for at least an hour, until set.
5. For the sauce, place the sugar, water and cherry liqueur into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
6. Take the pan off the heat and add half the raspberries. Using a hand blender, blend the sauce until smooth.
7. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a bowl and stir in the remaining fruit.
8. To serve, turn each panna cotta out onto a serving plate. Spoon over the sauce and garnish with a sprig of mint. Dust with icing sugar.

Banana milk shake

Ingredients

• 1 banana, peeled and chopped
• 250g/9oz vanilla ice cream
• 100ml/3½fl oz milk
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• 4 ice cubes, to serve

Preparation method

1. Place all of the milkshake ingredients, except the ice cubes, into a blender and pulse until smooth. Serve in a tall glass over ice cubes.

Spicy fried rice

ngredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• ½ red pepper, chopped
• small handful okra, chopped
• 75g/2½oz oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 250g/9oz long grain rice, cooked according to packet instructions
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp chilli relish
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsely
• lemon wedges, to serve

Preparation method

1. Heat the olive oil in a wok, add the onion, garlic, red pepper and okra and fry for 3-4 minutes or until softened and golden-brown.
2. Add the mushrooms and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
3. Make a well in the middle of the rice, add the egg and fry, stirring constantly, until cooked.
4. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli relish and stir for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Stir in the parsley.
5. To serve, spoon onto a serving plate and garnish with lemon wedges.

Tuna sandwich

Ingredients

• 400g/14¼oz trimmed tuna loin
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 slices ciabatta
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 courgette, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 1 sprig thyme
• 12 cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves
• 50ml/1¾fl oz balsamic vinegar
• 8 anchovy fillets in vinegar (available from delicatessens)
• 1 tbsp capers
• 50g/1¾oz black olives, pits removed

Preparation method

1. Season the tuna with salt to taste. Sprinkle the cracked black pepper onto a plate and press the tuna onto the cracked pepper.
2. Brush a griddle pan with half a teaspoon of the olive oil and place over a medium heat.
3. Griddle the tuna for one minute on each side and remove the tuna from the heat. Keep warm.
4. Brush the ciabatta with a teaspoon of oil and griddle for two minutes until slightly browned on both sides. Set aside.
5. Heat a separate frying pan, add the remaining olive oil and the peppers and courgette to the pan. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Fry the peppers and courgette for three minutes, before adding the garlic and thyme to the pan. Fry for a further three minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, stir to combine and then tip the contents of the pan into a mixing bowl.
7. Add the anchovy fillets, capers and black olives to the bowl and stir to combine.
8. To serve, slice the tuna into thin pieces. Place a slice of ciabatta on each of four plates, spoon over the pepper mix and arrange a slice or two of tuna on top.

Chicken and prawn rolls

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz chicken breast, cut into 16 slices
• 48 prawns, defrost if frozen
• 4 large bunches of coriander, washed and chopped roughly
• 5 large red chillies, cut into thin julienne strips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 spring roll wrappers
• oil for deep-frying

Preparation method

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place a slice of chicken diagonally across the spring roll pastry.
2. Lay 6 prawns on top of the chicken slice. Top with two to three chilli strips and a handful of coriander.
3. Place another slice of chicken over the coriander.
4. Fold in ends of pastry and roll up in an envelope shape. Secure with a cocktail stick.
5. Deep-fry the chicken and prawn rolls in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Do not have oil too hot or the rolls will brown before the filling is cooked through.
6. Drain on absorbent kitchen towels.
7. Remove cocktail stick from each roll.