Champeau had warned Hopkinson's parents that he would be working very hard but his new charge was OK with that. So he became an Egon Ronay inspector and spent three years motoring around the country, eating, which was heaven but not terribly good for his figure: "When I reached 16 stone, I had to stop.

Roast Chicken and Other Stories: Second Helpings

This then needs to be broken down into manageable liquidity either in a blender or food processor, before folding in the cream.They are at their best eaten on a Sunday afternoon, melting in front of the fire in their pool of butter. The cookery book poll was excellent good luck – it was July; the newspapers jumped on it like cats on mackerel – but it was also deserved. But that’s not even it: what Simon Hopkinson understands, and every line of his book relays, is that a recipe, while it must be utterly reliable, is more than a mere formula. Rather like Alan Bennett, Simon Hopkinson combines nostalgic cosiness – “My mother makes really good potato cakes. With its friendly tone backed by the author’s impeccable expertise, this cookbook can help anyone — from the novice cook to the experienced chef — prepare down-right delicious cuisine .

Roast Chicken and Other Stories - Simon Hopkinson - Google Books Roast Chicken and Other Stories - Simon Hopkinson - Google Books

Put the herbs and garlic inside the cavity, together with the squeezed out lemon halves-this will add a fragrant lemony flavour to the finished dish. I’m also reminded of how much I learned from Simon Hopkinson in those early days: how to cook rhubarb (roast it), how to make creme brulee (put the dish in the freezer first) and that adding potato flour makes the batter for fried fish exquisitely crisp. I would be asking him whether it is always necessary to skin broad beans, not how many times he has fiddled his expenses.Since their appearance in the Balkans centuries ago, an insecure social environment has shaped their cultural traditions, including that of storytelling. I sometimes think ( pace vegetarians) the one thing that links those who really love food is that when asked what their favourite thing to eat is they will invariably say roast chicken.

BBC One - The Good Cook, Episode 5, Perfect roast chicken BBC One - The Good Cook, Episode 5, Perfect roast chicken

Simon announced himself onto the London restaurant scene in 1983, opening Hilaire and drawing attention as a leading young chef. When cooked – which should only take a matter of minutes – remove from the pan and keep warm with the tomatoes, which should be cooked by now.

Lindsey Bareham started to cook seriously when she was asked to edit the restaurant section of Time Out and has built a reputation for recipes that always work, taste good and are easy to achieve, even by the most inexperienced cook.