Cook’s Notes
Sage (and onion) advice from some of the region’s
best cooks and producers
Ask a butcher - Alex and Lou Webb of
Webb’s Butchers (see p24)
Ask a knife expert - Jon Dart from
Harts (see p42)
A. Decide on the length of sausage that you want.
At that point, pinch the sausage with your thumb
and forefinger and twist the sausage to the right.
Move your fingers along the same length and
repeat the process, twisting the opposite way.
For cooking, sausages should never be pricked as
this releases the juiciness of the sausage and can
cause splitting. Always start to cook from a cold
oven, cold pan, cold grill or a low heat barbecue
so that the skins do not split. Cook at a low heat
(150ºC in the oven). The general rule is cook on a
low heat for longer.
A. Avoid cleaning your knives in a dishwasher.
Knives may be dishwasher safe, but that is not
the same as dishwasher recommended. The
harsh environment of a dishwasher can dull
the blade and cause corrosion spots (these can
be removed using stainless steel cleaner). The
best way to clean your knife is with warm, soapy
water using a sponge or soft brush. Carefully dry
the knife and place back in storage.
Q. How do we link homemade sausages and
how should we cook them?
Q. Is it safe to put our expensive new knives in
the dishwasher?
Ask a coffee roaster - Giles Dick-Read of
Reads Coffee (see p34)
Q. Which beans should we make coffee from?
Ask a Thirsty Gardener - home-brew master,
Nick Moyle (see p61)
A. The principle types of coffee bean are Arabica
and Robusta. There are a multitude of
sub-species of specialty Arabica which have
fuelled the boom in specialty coffee. The big
difference is that Arabica is a high-grown, high
quality coffee. Robusta, as its name suggests, is
robust and hardy and grows at lower altitude. It
has an earthy taste and more or less double the
caffeine content. That does not mean, however,
that it’s the inferior bean. Robusta can be very
useful in blends. It has a bit of a bad name, but
used well it’s a good thing, particularly in classic
Italian espresso blends.
Q. What’s the difference between sloes
and bullaces?
A. Bullaces are like fat sloes. Or, if you prefer,
tiny damsons. All three fruit grow in similar wild
locations and are easily confused – especially
as, like many fruits, their size can vary from
one tree to the next. Happily, when it comes to
infusing into booze, sloes and bullaces (and their
hybrids) will produce similar results. Some folk
will insist that a ripe bullace is more likely to
have a mellow sweetness closer to a damson, but
both fruits exude the fruity, sour flavours that go
so well with clear spirits. Gin tends to get the nod
as the tipple of choice, but vodka or rum make
equally good alternatives.
Ask a chef who cooks Chinese food - Jeremy Pang (see p12)
Q. Our stir-fries never taste as good as a Chinese restaurant’s. Any tips?
A. When stir-frying, use oil bit by bit (½ tbsp at a time), in between each ingredient instead of
too much at the beginning of your stir-fry. This will keep your ingredients fresh and crunchy
rather than greasy. Make sure the oil is smoking hot before you add any ingredients. Flavour
in stir-fries can be split into two parts: the marinade, and the sauce that goes on top. Here is
my classic Chinese marinade for any meats: light soy sauce, sesame oil and a pinch of sugar –
trust me, your food will taste Chinese.
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