Donal Skehan - Kitchen Hero

Chris Terry

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.