Home Chef

The work involved in producing a book is always exciting. But this one has been especially important for me. I have now had 32 happy years in this world and have been cooking professionally for half of them. I have enjoyed every minute and cannot imagine any other life except that of being a chef. That is the kernel of this book. The aim of Home Chef is to help give people the confidence to cook at a high level in their own home, from everyday family meals to dishes with a generous helping of the ‘wow’ factor.

When I think back to my early training days, I realise how my cooking has changed over the years and how the knowledge of my customers has developed. There are many people out there who are deeply interested in food and wine and very knowledgeable about what they eat and how it is prepared. Sometimes, diners in the restaurant tell me about meals where they each cooked a different course from my previous books. It is always interesting to hear how people use my books and so it is vital that my recipes are tried and tested to ensure that people get real pleasure from the results. I had these cooks very much in mind when deciding on material for Home Chef and developing recipes that would produce good results for readers. I hope this book will work well for everyone.

I remember my first week in catering college: I cut vegetables for the entire time, forcing me to learn knife skills before cooking a single thing. As a result, I’ve included in this book the bits of information that I think of as the building blocks of good cooking – what to look for when buying knives, what to keep in your larder, and essential skills such as filleting fish. I want Home Chef to be a one-stop resource to help readers know what to request from their butcher, local growers, or at the farmers market. There is also a chapter full of sauces and dressings that you can make, keep, freeze and then use when needed. With so many people cooking at home, this will help them to buy in and prepare ahead.

No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen all day – that’s my job! Guests at the restaurant want a memorable meal. They don’t just want a piece of beef – they want it cooked in four different ways. This is okay for me with nine chefs in the kitchen, but no good for the home cook. I have given the recipes a lot of thought so that you can manage the dishes at home and at the same time flex your culinary muscles. I hope this is a book that you will keep on coming back to and get good use from over the years. What I really want is for everyone to cook something really delicious to eat with family and friends. If Home Chef helps you to do this, I will be well satisfied.

Happy Cooking!

There are recipes in this book for all abilities and I’ve tried to include ways for more confident cooks to stretch their skills a little further. The level of each recipe is shown by the number of chef’s hats beside it:

If you’re nervous about trying some of the more advanced recipes, you can always make just the main part of the dish, and save the accompaniments or sauces for when you’ve had a bit more experience. Don’t forget to refer to the glossary on pages 34-6 if there are words or phrases that you’re not familiar with.

Oven Temperatures Timings and temperatures are given for fan ovens. If you’re using a conventional oven, increase the temperature by 10 degrees.

Eggs All recipes were tested using medium-sized eggs (size 3). Try to use free-range or organic eggs wherever possible. Look out for the Bord Bia Quality Assurance mark; in the UK, look out for the Lion Quality mark.

Herbs Unless otherwise stated, all herbs used in the recipes are fresh.

One of the best-kept secrets of the clever cook is a well-stocked larder. From basic essentials such as eggs and milk to handy convenience foods like Mexican flour tortillas, if you keep yourself well organised, you’ll never run short of ideas when it comes to preparing tasty food. Of course, I have many items in my store cupboards, some of which you might not need, so either omit them or swap them for similar items that you prefer – after all, cookery is all about experimentation and personal taste.

Whatever you do decide to put in it, keep your store cupboard tidy -regularly throw out items that are out of date and arrange things logically. I always put little stickers on the tops of my spice jars so that I can find the one I want without having to rifle through every single jar. Try to buy spices in small quantities as ideally they should be replenished every six months or so.