Chris Terry
Donal Skehan
Kitchen Hero
Bringing Cooking Back Home!
James Byrne
Introduction
Kitchen Hero Essentials
Meals in Minutes
Party Food & Drinks
Salads & Sides
Comfort Food
Stretch Your Meals
Easy Desserts & Baking
Searchable Terms
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher
I am a home cook and I’m here to show you how to be a kitchen hero!
I’ve come to the conclusion that if you have confidence in the kitchen, you can cook absolutely anything. And I mean ANYTHING. The beauty of this little theory is that it can be applied to anybody. I’m talking about the toast-burning gang, the squeamish can’t-touch-raw-chicken folk, and the won’t-boil-an-egg brigade! My advice is this: first of all, do not under any circumstances give up, because once you’ve accepted your burnt chicken or rubbery steak as valuable experience and are ready to move on, that is when you are well on your way.
I learned to cook by trying different recipes from cookbooks over the years, which helped me develop the confidence to get into the kitchen without guidance. Using just a few ingredients, I could soon create dishes which tasted good and also had people begging for the recipe. Look, I’m giving you the hard sell here and I know it can be quite daunting heading into the kitchen and cooking a meal for four if you haven’t done it before, but I promise that if you can master at least three recipes from this cookbook (or any cookbook), you will not only impress yourself, you will want to master more and more. That’s when it all starts to get interesting.
One of the funny things about the big world of All Things Food is that, generally speaking, once you’re in, you’re in for life. Soon you will find yourself dreaming about kitchen gadgets, stroking kitchen counters in showrooms (I like to think it isn‘t just me who does this!) and reading cookbooks in bed. If all of that hasn’t happened just yet, prepare yourself, it’s coming! My aim for this book is to give you some great recipes that will become part of your everyday routine, recipes that appeal to all the home cooks out there. After all, the success of every good cook starts with what they make at home. Some people can be easily put off when they see chefs using a vast array of complex ingredients and techniques on TV, but as impressive as all that can be, it is quite easy to forget that the average house does not have a wide range of cooking implements or a store cupboard packed with exotic ingredients. Restaurant food may be exciting and inspiring, but it’s simply not the type of food most people cook at home.
So, with all that in mind, it’s time to get stuck in and explore the recipes in my book. They were all created with the home cook in mind, so I hope they inspire those of you who already cook every day, and also encourage those who have never cooked before. I want to give you the confidence to get into the kitchen and start bashing those pots and pans! To get started, fill your kitchen with the basic ingredients and spend a few quid on getting some essential kitchen equipment. Create a place where you want to experiment and have fun. Read cookbooks, trawl through food magazines, talk to food producers, or even go fishing. Visit markets, search for interesting ingredients, try things you haven’t eaten before, travel to new places and, most importantly, love and share the food you eat. For me, nothing is more pleasing than seeing people enjoying something I have cooked for them.
So what are you waiting for? Get cooking!
DONAL SKEHAN
James Byrne
James Byrne
To really bring out the kitchen hero within, you first need to stock up on the basics. It doesn’t matter what sort of kitchen you have – big or small, new or old – what really counts is how it’s set up and that it functions for all your wants and needs. My mum always cursed her small kitchen and dreamed of an open-plan set-up with all the mod cons, rather than the galley she operated out of, where you couldn’t swing a cat. But that never stopped her producing delicious meals every day while I was growing up. The truth is that every kitchen is different and it’s all about creating something that works for you.
Essential Store-cupboard Ingredients
I am always banging on about a well-stocked kitchen, and the main reason is because I know that if I didn’t have those ingredients to hand, I just wouldn’t bother cooking. It’s really not difficult to pack your cupboards with inspirational ingredients that will have you running to the kitchen in giddy excitement. (Or maybe that’s just me!) Having a well-stocked store cupboard is the key to successful cooking. The list opposite is quite extensive, but have a read through and decide what you are most likely to use, or maybe choose a few recipes that you want to try, and make sure you pick up the essentials that you’ll need for them.
BASICS
RICE
PASTA
NOODLES
BULGUR WHEAT
COUSCOUS
LENTILS: GREEN, RED AND BROWN
TINNED TOMATOES
TINNED BEANS
JARS OF TUNA IN OLIVE OIL (NICER THAN TINNED)
OIL: OLIVE, SUNFLOWER, VEGETABLE AND GROUNDNUT
VINEGAR: WHITE WINE, RED WINE AND BALSAMIC
MUSTARD: ENGLISH, DIJON AND WHOLEGRAIN
EGGS
PEANUT BUTTER
NUTS: WALNUTS, ALMONDS, BRAZILS, HAZELNUTS, PEANUTS, PECANS, PISTACHIOS AND PINE NUTS
SEEDS: PUMPKIN, SUNFLOWER, SESAME AND POPPY
SPICES: PAPRIKA, CUMIN, CORIANDER, CAYENNE PEPPER, CURRY POWDER, TURMERIC, GROUND GINGER, GROUND CINNAMON AND NUTMEG
CURRY PASTE
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
TABASCO SAUCE
VEGETABLE BOUILLON POWDER
JAR OF SALSA
WHOLEMEAL TORTILLA WRAPS
HONEY
WINE: WHITE AND RED
FROZEN PUFF PASTRY
FROZEN PEAS
BAKING INGREDIENTS
FLOUR: PLAIN AND SELF-RAISING
CORNFLOUR
ACTIVE DRIED YEAST
BAKING POWDER
GOLDEN SYRUP
TREACLE
VANILLA EXTRACT
BUTTER
SUGAR: SOFT BROWN, DEMERARA, ICING, CASTER AND GRANULATED
COCOA POWDER
CHOCOLATE: DARK, MILK, WHITE AND CHIPS
CONDENSED MILK
JUMBO OAT FLAKES
ASIAN COOKING INGREDIENTS
SESAME OIL
RICE WINE
SOY SAUCE
FISH SAUCE (NAM PLA)
TERIYAKI SAUCE
OYSTER SAUCE
THAI SWEET CHILLI SAUCE
STAR ANISE
SZECHWAN PEPPERCORNS
Herbs in Pots
Growing herbs at home means you will always have a good supply to add to your recipes when you need them. Herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme are hardy enough to keep you going throughout the year. Oregano, basil and mint tend to prefer the spring and summer months.
I’m often left with an overload of herbs, so rather than let them die during the winter, I like to find different ways to use them. You can dry thyme and oregano by cutting large bunches, shaking to remove any dirt or bugs and tying with a piece of string. Put in a warm, dry place and allow to dry out over a week, before popping in glass jars. To use, scrunch the bunches over tomato sauces or into salad dressings for a great aromatic kick. A tip for softer herbs like basil is to finely chop and mix with some good-quality olive oil, then pour the mixture into ice trays and pop in the freezer. You can stir these little herby cubes into sauces or I often defrost them and spread them over bread dough, along with a good sprinkling of sea salt, before baking it in the oven.
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