Walking through the food market and brushing past piles of curry leaves that released their exotic scent into the warm Singaporean morning certainly put a spring in my step.  Curry leaves have a whole heap of nutrients and other health benefits including helping to protect the liver.  This may have been useful for many of us to know before the first big party I had offered to help with took place.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing…

The theme for the party was carnival and inspiration for the menu was taken from Rio, Venice and New Orleans.  The menu went as follows.

Cocktails

( (R )Caipirinha – Cachaça, lime and sugar topped with soda

Food

(R)Pão de queijo  – warm cheese mini buns

(V)Arancini  – fried rice balls – Mushroom, mozzerlla and truffle oil

(N.O) Shrimp gumbo with rice

(R) Pastel de Queijo, fried pork and cheese pastries with chili and spring onion

(R) Grilled fillet steak skewers with Chimichurri sauce (chili, oregano, parsley and onion)

(N.O.)  Blackened chicken skewers with creole mayonnaise

(V) Grilled aubergine and peppers marinated in balsamic, basil and garlic.

Sweet

(V) Coffee cake with mascarpone icing and cocoa ( finger food style Tiramisu)

Brigadeiros

The kitchen was a bajillion degrees and the dance floor even hotter.  Its always interesting watching serving food and drink being served at parties, you have to be so sensitive to the mood of the crowd.  Rarely is there a big charge for food at the beginning but as the night evolves people relax and start to eat and drink more.  There is usually a lull in appetites an hour or so before the end and then the midnight munchies kick in.  Our pick me up snack was warm Brazilian pork and cheese pastries that  got gobbled up as soon as they appeared.

Its worth noting that serving something sweet often helps bring the party to the end, not only does it signify the end of the feast but people tend to drink less once they have had something sweet (In theory).

Other feasts that took place was a seafood extravaganza where we went to the best fishmongers in Singapore and bought live prawns.  This isn’t a particularly big deal for out there but in the U.K. they are obviously mostly sold frozen, or  nowhere near as fresh.  They leapt around in my bag like a beating heart all the way to the car then proceeded to jump about in the back all the way home.

We did a bbq for the masses, you can check out my buns below, an afternoon tea for a super star and a  beautiful, delicious and nutritious vegetarian feast that lacked nothing , well except meat obviously.

Singaporean markets are fantastic and should defiantly be on your to do list if you visit/ live there.  Each one either focuses on or has different areas for various cultures and cuisine.  This could be Chinese, Malay, Indian, Arabic,  Peranakan etc.

Peranakan cuisine, tipped to be the next food trend ( in my book anyway) comes from the descendants of Chinese immigrants who settled in Singapore and married into the local community.  Creating one of the first forms of fusion cuisine inspiration is taken from Chinese, Malaysian and Indonesian cookery.  Dishes are colourful, fragrant , often spicy and contain a long list of ingredients.  The picture below shows the traditional Peranakan houses in all their glorious technicolour.

The markets are called ‘wet markets’ and will have the freshest fish, meat and vegetables, The floors are sprayed down with water each day, so thin flip flops are not advised.  I find myself having mixed reactions when I visit them.  Mostly I love them. The noise and energy are energising and infectious. Note. if you want to buy ingredients you have to learn to hold your ground as that sweet looking Chinese granny will not think twice about poking you out the way to place her order first.  Perhaps fair enough though if it’s a gawping English girl slowing her down whilst  trying to work out what the hell that green vegetable is called.

It is also not unusual to see the butcher casually smoking over the piece of meat he is hacking up and about to sell.  That said, Singapore is a country filled with rules and regulations so I doubt that there are many cases of food poisoning.  The produce itself is generally incredibly fresh and varied so for any food lover it’s fun to see so many ingredients, most of which you don’t have a clue of what they are.

For this postcard recipe I would like to share one of my most popular dishes at the moment, a chicken, noodle fresh ginger and garlic broth. I (and others) can think of nothing they would rather eat when its cold or they feel ill or they want a simple, fresh yet warming dish to throw together.

The other recipe I would like to share is a sauce that can be used on rice, chicken, fish and as a dip for what is one of the most addictive foods on earth. The spring roll.

Chicken noodle, ginger and garlic broth

Well reared chickens that have had time to grow, a good diet and are well looked after taste better.  Not only is this clear from tasting the meat but also from tasting the broth from the bones and looking at their structure, size and often colour.  They are usually darker, bigger and firmer. 

Serves 4

1 whole free range or better still organic chicken.

8 spring onions ,washed.

2 inches ginger, peeled

20g coriander, washed, stalks and all.

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

4 nests of egg noodles

2 x small baby gem lettuce finely shredded

1  green chili finely chopped , some of the seeds and membrane kept in.

Splash of soy to serve

Place the chicken in a large pan filled with cold water.

Add the dark green parts of the spring onions, coriander stalks, ½ of the ginger roughly chopped, 3 of the garlic cloves and 1 tsp of fine sea salt.

Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. ( Check by poking a knife into the leg at its thickest point, it should look cooked and not weep any bloody juices.

When the chicken is cooked remove it and leave it till it is cool enough to handle and shred the meat from the bone, discarding the skin.

Meanwhile carry on simmering the chicken stock and reduce by 1/3.

Then strain it through a sieve into a new pot to get rid of the bits of veg etc.

Bring back to a simmer and check to see if it needs more salt.

Just before you are ready to eat add the noodles and cook as per packet instructions.

Add some of the shredded chicken, the lettuce then on the fine side of a grater grate in the remaining raw ginger and garlic.

Stir in as much green chili as you fancy then eat straight away with a splash of soy.

Ginger sauce

This will keep well in the fridge for a couple of weeks and I should I admit I nicked the recipe from a friend;).

This would be enough for a serving it as a sauce for fish for 6 people.

20g ginger peeled and finely grated

1 spring onion, really finely chopped

150 ml olive oil

A pinch of Chili flakes

1 tsp lime juice

Heat the oil in the pan till just about to smoke.

Place the ginger and spring onion in a heat proof bowl or jug then pour over the hot oil.

Season with salt and a pinch of chili flakes.

Give it a stir and leave for at least an hour.

When cool stir in the lime juice.

Serve at room temperature.

Next Postcard … Where and What to eat in Singapore

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No my friends, the title is not yet another typo, I did mean to put an accent on the ‘e’ cleverly* transforming the famous French song into a play on that marvellous pinkish coloured wine that is an essential part of any trip to Provence where I have just had my latest culinary adventure.

*in the loosest sense of the word

I always love Provence as there is just so much going for it. No matter what time of year there is fantastic light, Van Gough spent a lot of time painting there, the villages are charming, the scenery spectacular, the food markets are some of the best in the world (trust me I know) and providing you are brave enough to get over the initial briskness of some of the locals, the people are generally charming.

I find the markets extra special around here as they are always heaving with local produce. I know this is true of many other areas too but because of  Provence’s climate and terroirs it supports a wider range of produce and due to its popularity with regulars and tourists the markets are well attended and the turn over fast.

With a house full of family and guests the weeks were spent doing mammoth shops (I think the local intermarche and veg shop thought I had opened a restaurant with the number and size of my trolleys), helping lay long tables decorated with lavender and adorned with beautiful French linen and preparing large platters of food to feed the crowds.

There really is something that is just so chic about French style tables, the classy greys, with the occasional alarming splash of colour coupled with earth hand painted coloured crockery and wine goblet glasses.

Its very easy to come up with ideas to cook here as every crate, table and basket at the market gives you an idea of what you would to cook. Around July the peaches are extraordinary ( you can smell them before you see them) cavaillon melons are stacked like canon balls on every corner, the tomatoes are so sun kissed their sweetness and depth of flavour put every other one to shame and the apricots all taste of actual apricots ( sadly a novelty for most of us in the UK). At other times of the year there are perfect cabbages, pumpkins, cardoons and cherries.

The area produces about 80 % of Frances black truffles and is home to the amazing truffe du Perigord. The season lasts from November to March and I will clear my diary to get a job in the area around that time just so I can go and play with and eat them in abundance! The area also produces superb olives and olive oil, nougat, almond lozenge sweets called calissons , perfectly dry rosé and Pastis an aniseed flavoured drink flavoured with local herbs that is rather refreshing drunk as an aperitif on ice or with a splash of water.

This postcard recipe is inspired by the bold flavours of Provence and also a variation of what I cooked at the Game Fair. I must say a huge thank you to all those who came to support and watch my cookery demo with Tim Maddams at Hatfield House it was great to have such a fun crowd and to put faces to names!

The dish is a pot roast pigeon ( or partridge when in season) with pastis, rosé, olives , tomatoes and herbes de Provence.

Now… many people are quite snobby about dried herbs and it is true that fresh generally is best but Herbes de Provence should definitely have a space in your cupboard. It can include rosemary, fennel seeds, thyme, basil, marjoram, parsley, oregano, tarragon and bay leaves. Occasionally it has or you can add some chopped culinary lavender and as the ingredients grow well in the hot climate they have flavour compounds that survive being dried out then release well when cooked. HOWEVER vintage dried herbs of any sort will never be a great addition to your food and as much as I hate waste are not worth cooking with so chuck them out. Admittedly I am also talking to myself here as there may be one or two jars in my cupboard that qualify to be on the antiques road show.

In amongst the shopping, cooking and doing a spot of baking with the kids ( I wont share with you what the 4 year old told me the secret ingredient was that they put in the cookies to make them taste so good) there was an incredible trip to Chateau la Coste , a vineyard coupled with fantastic outdoor art and one of the best restaurants ‘Loussin’ I have eaten at this year ( and I’ve eaten at quite a few!) which is well worth a visit when in the area.

Once my bags were packed, good byes said and they could prise me out of the lavender field it was back to Marseilles and the start of the next adventure…

This Week

Table places laid :331

Dishwasher cycles : 48

Doughnut peaches eaten: 136

Olive Oil used x 8.2 litres

Rosé drunk : a lot

Every home should have : Kapla ( its engrossing )

Provençal Pigeon with Pastis, olives, tomato and herbes de Provence .

serves 2 as a main

2 x pigeon or partridge

2 tbs olive oil

1 red onion peeled and finely sliced

4 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced

1 dsp herbes de Provence

1 fennel, finely sliced

4 medium ripe tomatoes

2 tbs olives , de stoned

splash pastis

1 x bottle of chilled rosé ( a glass for the pigeon and the rest for you)

Pistou

2 cloves garlic

1 big handful basil leaves

2 tbs olive oil

½ lemon , juice only

Method

Pistou

Smash the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt.

Smash in the basil till well pounded then add the olive oil and a squeeze of lemon

Season with pepper and leave at room temperature.

Pigeon

Bring a pot of water to the boil and poach the fennel for a couple of minutes so just soft, scoop out then blanch the tomatoes for about 30 seconds – you just want to split the skin, then peel it off and roughly chop, keeping all the flesh, seeds and juice.

Wipe the pigeons inside (remove the head and feet if still attached as so often the case in France… I like to tell the butcher to leave them on so I can see the surprise on his face and earn some kudos points).

In a heavy based pot with a lid ( le cresuet are perfect for this ) fry the onions in the olive oil along with the pigeon and season. Sear the birds on all sides to add a sweetness and depth of flavour.

Then add the garlic and herbes de Provence and fry for a couple of minutes more before adding the chopped tomatoes with all their seeds and juice and the poached fennel.

Throw in the olives, a splash of pastis and a healthy splash of Rosé.

Pop the lid on and simmer for about 15 – 20 mins. Turn off the heat and let it rest for five minutes. Check the seasoning

You can serve it whole or I like to take the breast and legs off and serve it on a platter along with the veg and sauce. Serve the pistou on the side or dollop a little on top and serve with crusty bread and of course a glass or two of chilled rosé

Next Stop … les Gers.

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As expected my latest job was a total fast, furious and fun weekend. Having flown across the Irish sea ( I will never be persuaded to travel on it) I headed down to county Carlow.  I was to cook for a mass clan gathering to celebrate their chiefs 70^th birthday.   As soon as I entered the house I could tell this crowd was ready to party. Thoughtful touches of welcome packs for the guests sat waiting in each of the bedrooms, giant balloons floated around downstairs, bright banners had been strung up, big bunches of daffodils had been placed on every ledge, there were enough candles to light up the entire country and a bottle or two of wine sat ready waiting to be opened.

For preparing the menus I had been told that they were all a very foodie lot, would eat anything and were all very excited at having a chef! We decided to make the two nights very different by making one a more casual sharing platter feast and the other a formal 3 course meal plus canapés, cocktails and cheese. Having not cooked in this part of the country before I was not entirely sure what shops would be available but was told there was an excellent fishmonger and butcher. There is lots of produce I love from Ireland and that generally stands out as excellent.

Delicious shellfish, smoked salmon (both which were part of the formal dinner), meats (especially beef), cheeses and dare I say it…( yes I do as otherwise what’s the point of having your own blog…) potatoes. In the same way you enter a local shop in Provence and are offered a choice of 20 different tomatoes in Ireland you will be offered a great variety of truly delicious potatoes.

The first more casual meal on the Friday included  ‘revitada’ a Greek inspired dish which I spied on olivetreelondon instagrams feed. You will note that I haven’t dare call it outright revitada however as there seems a current trend to pounce on any chef who dares to deviate from authentic methods and ingredients in a dish (though unbelievably this is the same planet that lapped up kale chips ?!?!!).

Friday night menu read as follows ;

Canapés and cocktails

Moscow mules (though with rhubarb and mint so not really!) 

Honey sausages

Harrissa chicken balls

Smoked salmon and celeriac remoulade on blini

Anchovy bruschetta with labneh and lemon

Main

Kids

Mild chicken Curry

Middle Eastern feast

Five-hour Slow cooked chicken with chickpeas, herbs, garlic and white wine served with spicy red chilli sauce and a coriander, cumin sauce. 

Whole side of roast salmon with ras al hanout

Spinach, cheese and herb pastries

Honey and caraway breads

Parsnip, buttermilk , apricot, mint and date salad

Cous cous with toasted almonds, crispy onions, pistachios and pomegranates

Dessert

Lemon tart with crème fraiche

As I am sure you are aware recent chefs  / cooks being pounced on included Mary Berry for being so audacious as to put white wine and cream in her Bolognese and Jamie Oliver who nearly bought  back the Spanish inquisition when he popped some chorizo in his paella. I will happily declare my favourite paella to make is made with game stock and defiantly has chorizo in it . Also whilst in confessional I put peppers and sometimes even aubergines (yes aubergines) in my Bolognese as I find it’s a great way to quietly slip more vegetables to kids and I love the additional layers of flavour and texture. So there! (Though probably best not tell you how I make carbonara).

For individual ingredients I am totally pro them having their authenticity stamps along with rules and regulations to keep standards high but for recipes why not give a bit more slack?  Over the years I am sure they have been tweaked and changed and I hate the idea of screaming at anyone who is trying to encourage and inspire people to cook from scratch in their own home.  Purists can cook it their way and the rest of us should embrace being a little more relaxed, creative and fun loving in the kitchen.

So for this postcard recipe I give you a kind of revithada with chicken and spicy sauces. So yes technically not revithada which is chickpeas, onions and bay cooked for hours then finished with a squeeze of lemon, it is very much inspired by it and for that Greece I truly thank you.

This week

It was : party, party , party.

I cooked : with 83 eggs

I love : daffodils

I’m driving a :Toyota

Im judging at : the taste awards with guild of fine food and the academy of chocolate awards

Instagram : Postcards from a private chef 

Kind of revithada with chicken 

Feeds 10 – 12

500g dried chickpeas

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda.

4 white onions peeled and finely sliced

16 cloves of garlic , peeled

8 bay leaves

½ bottle white wine

2 sprigs rosemary

4 sprigs of thyme

100ml extra virgin olive oil

2 whole organic chickens

1 – 2 lemons

2 tbs finely chopped parsley .

Sauces

Green

20g fresh Coriander

2 tsp dried cumin

2 tsp dried coriander

½ lemon juice only.

3 tbs Extra virgin olive oil.

Finely chop the coriander

Red

4 red chillies , deseeded if heat needs reducing and finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

2 smashed garlic cloves garlic

splash of sherry vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Chicken and chickpeas

Soak the chickpeas in plenty of cold water over night with 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda (the bicarb  increases the pH which helps decrease cooking times, it also helps to break down gas causing sugars).  

Drain and rinse the chickpeas well then place in a large lidded cooking pot (or split between two if needed) .

Add cold water to top the chickpeas by 5 cm and stir in the onions, garlic, bay, thyme and wine.

Place the chickens on top, season them with salt and pepper.

Pour over the olive oil.

Place a cartouche and tight lid on the pot and cook for 5 hours by which time the chicken should be amazingly tender and the chickpeas soft. Check halfway through that it doesn’t need a splash more water. 

Once the chickpeas are soft leave to cool slightly then carefully remove the chicken.

Season the chickpeas ( they need quite a lot of salt) and stir in the juice from 1 –  2 lemons ( add one first and taste to see if it needs more lift) .

Gently take the chicken from the bones in as large a chinks as possible (discarding the bones and skin) then place back the chicken back in the chickpeas.

Sprinkle on a handful of chopped parsley. 

To make the sauces

Green

finely chop the coriander and stir in the spices some salt and pepper the olive oil and finally the lemon juice.

Red

Stir the cumin, garlic, chilli and vinegar together, season with salt and pepper then stir in the olive oil.

Serve the chicken and chickpeas warm with sauces on the side, people can spoon them onto their plates and lightly stir them in. Great served with bread and greens. 

At this time of year cooked asparagus, wild garlic and fresh broad beans would make a great addition at the end too ( but will also make it that one step further away from true revithada).  

Next stop … Les Gers

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You are quite likely to find a host of lush green edible leaves… and me picking them !

Wild garlic, a.k.a ramsons, buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek and bear’s garlic has just started to spring up, an exciting sign that spring really is here.

Bears apparently like to munch on it when coming out of hibernation to help get their digestive system fired up which perhaps helps explain its Latin name of Allium ursinum (Ursa being Latin for bear). When foraging here in the UK it is most unlikely that you will need to fend off any bears whilst gathering your wild garlic ( though possibly you will me)!   What you do have to look out for is mistakenly picking the plant Lilly of the valley, which looks similar, but is toxic. If unsure give the leaf a rub and you should instantly be able to smell garlic.

Other animals keen on it are cows which can be unfortunate as it then taints the milk.  Naturally garlic milk would of course be perfect for making a delicious béchamel sauce… but less so when its comes to a nice cup of tea.

So excited was I about smelling, finding and picking my first basket of the season last week, that I took a bag with me on my job cooking in Herefordshire for the weekend.

Personally, when it is in season, I would quite merrily have it in most things including risottos, pasta, bread ( one of the recipes for this postcard), pesto’s and my personal favourite.. laced into scrambled eggs for breakfast.   I did manage to restrain myself from putting it into everything for my clients though as showing diversity in the kitchen is always appreciated and expected in my profession.

I used up my bag on the first day but then discovered down by their river there was a carpet of the lovely stuff (and some amazing Jurassic era looking plants). If you are out on the hunt for it yourself you are most likely to find it in ancient deciduous woodlands, shady lanes, hedgerows, near patches of bluebells ( though they appear after) or dimly lit river banks. Failing that I saw some bunches at borough market, though at £1.50 for a tiny bunch it may be more cost effective to travel out to your nearest woods to try and find your own!

If you find wild garlic I think the best way to harvest it is to cut the leaves near the base instead of pulling up the entire root which will reduce the amount of plants available next year ( the plant reproduces through forming underground bulbs) and bring with it a load of mud. You can eat the bulbs but it is the leaves and in a couple of weeks the flowers you should really be after…

Once you have them back home wash the leaves well several times and depending on where I get them from I sometimes add a dash of Milton to the water to help get rid of any unwanted germs. You should check carefully through your stash before cooking and eating as it is easier to pick up other plants like ivy which you clearly don’t want to be eating.

When not cooking dishes involving wild garlic my other weekend food included an epic curry night ( I have found the best Kerelan curry recipe ever), rhubarb tarts, ice cream and a refreshing rhubarb, ginger and rosemary sorbet, roast beef – Hereford really does produce some fantastic meat, a whole baked monkfish with harrissa and zhoug, and the instgram star of the week avocado, ricotta, tahini, poached eggs with sourdough and chili flakes.

For this postcard I have included not one but two recipes as I would love you to eat lots of it, in lots of different ways before the short 6 week season flies by and ends. When the flowers are out don’t forget to try my fritter recipe from last years wild garlic post  Deep fried wild garlic flowers. It is also worth keeping an eye out in the shops a little later on in the year for Cornish yarg cheese ( normally wrapped in nettles) wrapped in wild garlic leaves.  I like to eat the two types side by side as its quite amazing how the same cheese can taste so different just from being covered by a few different leaves.

This week

Every home should have : a river with banks carpeted in wild garlic in the garden.

Dishes with wild garlic : 7 ( at home)

I’m loving : local Herefordshire beef

I’m driving : a sporty Audi A5 and a Peugeot 208 ( less sporty)

Wild garlic pesto laced bread

Pesto

Handful of washed wild garlic

100g freshly grated Parmesan

1 small garlic clove, crushed with a pinch of salt.

Juice and zest from ½ lemon

50g lightly toasted hazelnuts ( skin off)

150ml olive oil

Place everything except the oil in a food processor or NutriBullet ( the are amazing) ( no I’m not sponsored by them) and whizz up till smooth. Stir in the olive oil and season with pepper and possibly a pinch of salt (as the cheese is salty and the garlic had salt when being crushed, you may not need it).

For the bread ;

2 1/2 tsp dried yeast

2 tsp honey

250ml warm water

450g white bread flour (plus a little extra)

1 tsp salt

40ml olive oil plus a drizzle extra

Pre heat the oven to 180 °C fan.

In a jug mix the yeast, warm water and honey together and leave to stand somewhere warm for 5 minutes – it should start frothing.

In a big bowl mix the flour, salt and olive oil then pour in the water. Bring together into a bowl and knead for 10 minutes.

Leave to rise in a bowl covered with a tea towel for 30 minutes then gently fold in a few spoonful’s of the pesto.

Lightly roll out into an oblong 1 inch thick and transfer onto a lightly floured baking sheet or a piece of baking paper.

Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Remove the tea towl and using your fingers make a few dimples in the dough, drizzle on a little olive oil and sprinkle with some salt flakes.

Bake on a lower shelf for 20 – 25 minutes ( it should be lightly golden and have a firm bottom) .

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before cutting into slices and serving.   You can serve with the extra pesto to smear onto it or save the pesto to stir through pasta or risotto.

Wild garlic risotto.

Serves 2

1 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil plus a little extra.

1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 sticks celery , washed and finely chopped

300g risotto rice

splash of white vermouth

1 glass dry white wine.

1-liter of light chicken, game or vegetable stock ( hot)

100g freshly grated parmesan

zest and juice of 1 lmon

2 large handful of washed, roughly chopped wild garlic.

In a saucepan gently sauté the onion and celery in the butter and olive oil.

Once softened ( about 10 mins) add the risooto rice and stir until all coated and hot. Add the vermouth and wine and a ladleful of hot stock and stir.

Keep adding the hot stock one ladleful at a time, stirring and waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before you add the next one.

Once the rice is nearly cooked take off the heat and add the lemon zest and juice and 2/3 of the parmesan and some freshly milled black pepper.

In a clean pan fry the washed chopped wild garlic with a little extra virgin olive oil until wilted then stir this and any pan juices into the rice.

Check for seasoning and consistency ( you may want to add a little more hot stock) then serve straight away with extra parmesan on top.

Next stop …County Carlow .

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I really wanted to call this post ‘the naked chef ‘ but there was a strong possibility of it slipping straight into your spam box or me having plagiarism issues with Mr Oliver.   So for an easier life I have settled with ‘round and round the garden’ for reasons which I shall explain later.

Recently returning from cooking in a ski chalet nestled into the spectacular snowy mountains of Val d’Isere I was delighted to come back to a Blighty turning its back on the so called “ clean eating’ trend. Not only do I think this is mentally and physically better for all of us (and in some ways the environment) but also means you are far more likely to try this postcards cheese laden recipe.

Cooking for ski jobs means stepping slightly stepping away from my usual mantra of shopping for local ingredients and focusing on seasonal cooking. You wont find many edible delights growing or being produced on top of the mountain and Ive never had a request for a Marmot (mountain squirrel) stew. There are the occasional cheese factories however dotted around the white slopes and I clearly remember when I first learnt to ski forcing myself prematurely down a red run in order to visit one.

Ski resorts like Val d’Isere have to cater to a jet set crowd and in the last few years I have noticed the improvement and greater diversity of available ingredients. Unlike all the other places I visit in France, where markets will focus on their local food and mostly ignore food trends, ski resorts seem to be the exception. Global ingredients like fresh coriander, lemongrass or Soba noodles are easy to find. As with most places in France even the supermarkets have very good fresh meat counters and there they had a suitable selection to please their international market from pork ribs to beef fillets and rabbit to pigeons. Fish is ok but obviously not being anywhere near the sea and not being in the easiest place to get to it all requires close inspection before buying, even from the good fishmongers.

Generally for a chalet job the chef does breakfast, which requires an early morning visit to the boulangerie that comes with a very pleasant blast of fresh cold air, unbeatable for a quick wake up. Clients are usually out for lunch on the mountain on one of the impressive restaurants on the piste so the next meal is afternoon tea consisting of a calorie laden cake and lashings of tea then a 3 or 4 course dinner complete with drinks and canapés. As everyone has rather long energetic days appetites are healthy but even so I have noticed as the week progresses a shift to slightly more balanced eating with more fish, vegetables and lighter evening meals being requested. Highlights included a delicious Greek night which kicked off my ‘cook a new recipe at least once a week ‘ plan for the year ( you can follow this on my instagram feed postcards from a private chef) and beef wellington that although isn’t necessarily a lighter option it was certainly a great party piece. Having made quite a few Beef wellingtons in recent months and read the various versions and advice I am going to be bold and confess to not agreeing with the shame attached to having a soggy bottom. What could be more delicious than a mushroom and beef juice soaked piece of buttery puff pastry after all? This is also far superior to wrapping a pancake round the beef as some suggest which I think adds an unwanted heaviness or the inclusion of a layer of Parma ham which I find a distracting flavour…so sorry Mary Berry but we cant agree on everything!

Once I had finished my weeks cooking I headed over the boarder to Switzerland to visit friends,, which is where the naked chef comes in..

Knowing that one of my hosts cooks the best fondue on the planet I put in my request to have one during my stay.

Coming from the French word ‘fondre’ , to melt, cheese fondue can be traced back to the 18^th century in Switzerland. With limited access to fresh food in the winter, heating the older cheese with wine and dipping in the slightly stale bread to use it all up became a popular dish with mountain dwelling villagers. Unlike France bread making was not done every day. In the 1930s the Swiss cheese union started a grand campaign to increase Fondues popularity and therefore sales. This was temporally suspended during rationing in the second world war but quickly resumed as Europe recovered.

The authentic cooking pot is called a caquelon and all recipes call for garlic , cheese and wine then some may include additions of spices or herbs but I feel these are really not necessary. Once made the fondue sits above a small flame on the table and the feasting can begin with diners dipping in small pieces of bread and swirling it round to coat it in the magnificent melted cheese. Some like to dip their bread in kirsh or vodka first but I tend to steer away from this as eating fondue does not come with out its perils. Double dipping is clearly a no no but even more a serious offence is loosing your bread in the pot. The penalty for this varies from house to house and can include being landed with the washing up, kissing your neighbor (which I guess could be bonus depending on who you are sat next to) or as in the case with my friends, running round the garden…..naked.

At the end of the intense fondue eating session we were left with ‘la religieuse’, the nun, a crisp thin cracker of cheese that forms at the bottom of the pot.. The flame is extinguished and the disk scraped off and shared. This is impossible to resist, even if you feel you are ‘cheesed out’ already.

So for this postcard recipe I give you the worlds greatest fondue recipe. If you don’t have a fondue pot you can use a heavy based pan or could try getting married as they are pretty much a guaranteed wedding present here in the UK.

This week

Cheese eaten: an impressive amount that I’m too ashamed to write

Laps round the garden naked : xxx

I experienced: how seriously the Swiss take their chocolate

Layers needed to keep warm: 5

Every home should have : a fondue pot

Cheese Fondue

The Swiss recommend 200g of cheese per person but believe me that is a lot so I would go with 150g each. Dry white wine or hot tea is the usual accompaniment with a shot of Kirsch for those who are feeling bold.

1 garlic clove

1 glass of dry white wine

600g fondue friendly cheese – its hard to beat gruyere or Emmental though the packet stuff often has a bit of swiss vacherin in it to.

Splash of kirsch

3 – 4 tsp cornflour

In a small cup mix the kirsch with the corn flour.

Peel and smash the garlic clove and enthusiastically rub the inside of your fondue pot.

Add the glass of wine and heat so just about to simmer then start adding your cheese, stirring constantly in a figure of eight shape until it is all in and melted.

Add the corn flour and continue to cook and stir for a couple of minutes, it should thicken slightly.

Serve with baskets of one bite size pieces of bread and make sure you have your trainers at the ready…

Next stop… the West Country

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“Welcome to Scotland, Its -6 °C”! the cheerful staff at Enterprise car hire chirped.

I think if they had looked closely at my 5 layers, hat, gloves, fur lined boots, hunched shoulders and hopping around moves, they would have been well aware that I had totally sussed that part of the situation out.

Winning top prize for the most polite and helpful car hire location ever they helped me gather my luggage which included suitcase, aprons, knives and half a butchers shop, chip through the ice cube in which my car was apparently hiding, triple checked I had everything I needed and knew where I was off to then practically waved me off with off with marching bands and a ticker tape parade. I glanced in the mirror as I slipped through the exit barrier to witness the dabbing of wet eyes and the Enterprise team dishing out moral boosting hugs (OK that last bit I actually imagined but they were just SO unbelievably nice). Heart and mood well warmed I headed northwards to Perthshire to cook for a weekend that promised to be filled with fun, pheasants and frivolity.

In keeping with a proper modern day but nod to the traditional ‘shoot weekend‘ there was to be a balance of hearty food, healthy food, game, games, cocktails, drinks, fresh air, very late nights and very early mornings. By the time I had unpacked the shopping the fridges, larders and cold rooms were bulging with lush ingredients, the butter and cream supplies looked top and everyone was excited…including the spaniels.

As the heart of the weekends activities were focused around pheasants this postcard recipe is of course championing this delicious, iron, potassium, vitamin B and protein rich meat.

I often feel it is a great shame that many people generally dismiss all game when cooking, shopping or choosing from a menu. It can have wonderful flavour and is generally less strong or ‘gamey’ that many people assume, especially since it has long since moved out of the macho /over hung maggot infested era. Perhaps people have issues with its firmer texture, distinct of the hill flavour, potential lead content and wild lifestyle but for me that is part of the attraction ( well maybe not the lead bit).

Pheasant makes an excellent substitute for chicken in most dishes, it just needs a little extra care and attention when cooking. The fresh meat is available in the UK from the 1 st October to the 1 st February and/or if you know anyone with countryside connections there is high probably there will be one lurking in a freezer near you. Pheasant meat is lean so care has to be taken not to over cook it as it will dry out but when successfully done the taste rewards are great. Young birds at the beginning of the season are often more tender as they have not been flying around or had to toughen up as the weather turns colder. It is in the first few months I like to roast the birds whole or quick fry the breasts. As the season goes on and the bird ages they can toughen up so it is best to slow cook or braise them with plenty of liquor. This postcard recipe is perfect for pheasants around now as the slow cooking and lashings of juice will ensure it wont dry out.

This week

Every home should have: pheasants

I used: 121 eggs

They consumed: 16 packs of butter

I love : Thomas Goodge crockery

I’m driving : an ice cube

Garlic, Garlic and Pheasant casserole

This is a great dish for this time of year, slow cooking ensures tender and tasty results for the pheasant and the garlic hit may help ward of *vampires and colds

Feeds 6

3 heads of garlic

5 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3 pheasants jointed into legs and breasts (use the rest of the carcass to make a delicious stock for soup or risottos)

3 tbs olive oil

12 leaves of bay

3 leeks washed and cut into 2cm rings

2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ bottle dry white wine

200ml cider

2 tbs chopped parsley

Pre heat the oven to 170 °C

Peel all the garlic cloves and put 3 to one side. Gently fry the rest in a large pan on a low heat in 2 tbs of the olive oil until lightly golden then place to one side.

Turn the heat up to a medium and add another 2 tbs olive oil. Sear all the pheasant pieces on each side, season with salt and pepper and place into a casserole dish.

Add the last of the oil to the pan and sauté the onions and leeks until just softening (about 10 minutes) then mix in with the pheasant.

Add the garlic, wine and cider, season with extra salt and pepper then cover with baking parchment then foil.

Bake for 1 ½ hours stirring half way through, the meat should be tender and prepared to fall off the bone, if not cook for another ½ hour.

To serve

Finely chop the 3 remaining cloves of garlic and sprinkle on top with the parsley.

This dish is delicious with mashed potatoes or celeriac.

*Garlic health benefits and vampire repelling qualities are diminished once cooked.

Next stop… Pre Christmas Christmas near Toulouse

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Sardinia meant a new destination and new client for me so all seemed very exciting. The initial introductions were done over the phone and all seemed like it would work out very nicely until…

“ Oh yes we eat practically anything”! (client)

“Great” (me)

“Yes, and we wondered how you felt about cooking baby … phone line crackles at inopportune moment.

‘I’m sorry?”

“Baby…!” more phone crackling then the line goes dead.

Cripes I thought, what had I got myself into?!

Turns out they were saying baby pig or as its locally called “Su Porcheddu” the Sardinian specialty of suckling pig. Which is totally delicious, though I was surprised when I got mixed reactions of me giving ours a little pre roasting massage with olive oil on my instagram account phollowphilippa. I haven’t concluded yet if I feel bad about eating something so young but I definitely know there are more important issues to confront when buying, cooking and eating meat.  High standards of animal welfare and minimising wastage being top of my list

I flew into Olbia airport on the north east side of the island and having had an incident earlier in the year of almost being picked up by the wrong chap in Val d’Isére I had swapped photos with my client of what I looked like and what they looked like ( his wife joked I just had to imagine him without the helm and sailors cap).  The spectacular drive to the house took about an hour along the textbook Italian winding roads that gently carved through the hot rugged hills.

The island, although not home to many of the charming old settlements you will find elsewhere in Italy, has an interesting Gaudi-esque style of archictecture and a mix of brown, orange and white villas secludedly dotted over the hills. A boat trip around the coast or to one of the islands is a must and for you history buffs we were interestingly near where Nelson kept his fleet in the Napoleonic wars.  I am told though Nelson himself never set foot ashore as was in ill health.

Upon arrival it was straight into the kitchen for me, the best way to break the ice I feel, and on with the lunch prep. The first shop had been done for me and so I wasn’t sure what I would find behind the fridge door and in the cupboards.  Red apron on and pony tail up, I happily set to work in the very pretty blue tiled kitchen and was delighted to find bowls of perfectly ripe tomatoes and peaches and a fridge shelf full of soft fresh mozzarella.  There were some whole skin on almonds, bottles of excellent Italian extra virgin olive oil and so lunch pretty much made itself. Judging from this first bounty I guessed that this would be one of those places where shopping would fully focus on purely what was local and therefore in season.

There are a few places in the Med that I go where I have noticed over the years they have given in and opened up their shelves to suit the tastes of their increasinlgly international clientele. For an island that is super popular with the jet-set crowd I was pleased to see that the shops in our area really did stick to what was local.

This meant produce available was at its best and helped to support the island’s economy. It was quickly clear that the local clientele had no problems buying food that was misshapen and not of uniform size or feel repelled by it if it had mud caked across it. I was also glad to see that shops didn’t feel they could charge extra for these features either.

For me shopping, cooking and eating in places where available ingredients are dominated only by what can be got locally is a fantastic way to discover the local food culture.  Without a choice you are drawn into discovering and cooking the areas traditional food. I was amused when I couldn’t find any chocolate to cook with at the local supermarket  but I could easily lay my hands on five different varieties of peach. I admit though as a private chef I like to give my clients a constant variety of dishes when cooking for them so over long stints it can become very challenging when no other food cultures have infiltrated an area.

For those wishing to embrace the Sardinian food culture here are my favorite things you should look out for:

Su Porcheddu – suckling roast pig

Malloreddus – my new favorite semolina pasta that is shaped like a curled up contact lense. It shelters sauces brilliantly and so is a delight to eat.

Bottarga – salty dried fish roe

Fregula – small round cous cous like shapes that are actually pasta balls that can be cooked like risotto or regular pasta.

The malloreddus pasta nearly pipped the pig to the post for this postcard recipe as I was seriously taken by its  delightful size and perfect shape.  It went particularly well with a pork sausage, fennel seed, dried chili, fresh tomato, saffron and pecorino sauce I made for lunch one day and undoubtedly would suit a clam and white wine sauce recipe.

As you are not allowed to BBQ or have outside fires on the island due to previous serious incidents all the food had to be cooked indoors.  I totally understand this but it didn’t stop me thinking that this place could be my paradise if only I was allowed an outdoor wood oven.   The menus involved lots of pastas and risottos but with plenty of shellfish , salads and vegetables in the sauces and eaten in the true Italian way as a Primo ( like a starter ) they were not too filling.  Pan fried meats were often served with wedges of lemon to keep it fresh and bowlfuls of salsa verde and pesto sauces.   Bulbs of garlic seemed to be needed with practically every shop, we had got it down to a fine art of going every other day, and so did cases of the incredible Sardinian Vermentino, currently my favourite white wine.

With much debate as to what to write for this weeks postcard and quite a few dishes vying for the spot in the end I had to choose the suckling pig. It was the most delicious thing I have cooked and eaten all year… so far. The smells as it cooked were so superb that everyone, including me, could not resist opening the oven to have a better sniff and peak at the pig.  It hadn’t been since my London restaurant days that I had got to cook one (although I had recently cooked suckling wild boar) and  having topped up my research and feeling that I have perfected it I want to share with you my tips and tricks.

This week

Super yachts spotted : 8

Peaches bought and eaten ( by us all) : 103

Varieties of peach bought : 5

Pasta cooked : 5.1 kilo

Olive oil used : 4.2 litres

I’m loving: walking to the end of the garden and falling into the med.

Every home should have: a Bose wireless mini speaker ( they are amazing)

I’m reading : The Magus, compelling read despite some of the most dislikable characters ever written.

 Suckling pig .

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 suckling pig

1 fennel bulb

2 apples plus one small one for serving

handful each of parsley and thyme

1 garlic head cut in half horizontally

1 onion, red or white, peeled and chopped into four.

½ pint dry white wine like vermentino

Pre heat the oven to 160 C

With a damp kitchen paper towel give the pig a quick wipe.

Sprinkle with salt and give a quick massage with oil all over

Stuff the belly with fennel , chopped apple , thyme , parsley stalk , garlic , onion . If the kidneys and heart are in you can leave in as they can be eaten and or will add the flavor.

Then sit pig upright and try to position front legs stretching out and back legs tucked under – like an Egyptian jackal statue .

Cover the ears in foil for cooking as otherwise will burn .

If you want to stuff apple in mouth at end stuff a ball of foil in mouth at this stage.

Slit the pig in a few places so skin does not burst when cooking ( I made incision by armpits and back legs – but not too deep)

Bake at 15 mins per pound at 160 °C

After 1 1/2 hours add 1/2 pint water to the tray .

At 2 1/2 hours add 1/2 pint white wine to the tray .

Baste occasionally.

The Liquids will keep the pig moist and produce your gravy but you don’t want to add them too soon as you also want the pig to roast.

Once cooked Let rest for 1/2 hour after cooking lightly covered in foil .

There should be lots of lovely natural juice you can strain off and use for gravy.

Remove the foil ball and earmuffs and stuff a small apple in its mouth

Serve at the table to lots of oohs and ahhs with some delicious Sardinian wine.

Next stop … Dublin

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An overnight stay in Athens was swiftly followed by a few hours boat ride across the Aegean to the pretty island of Paros where the gleaming white washed buildings lay backdrop to the colourful myths, legends and modern day lives of the Greeks. The winding streets of the towns, so designed to make attacking pirates lives more difficult, were filled with cafes, boutiques, ouzerias and restaurants. I soon decided this was my kind of place.

Our villa instantly filled with guests and I quickly got my first taste of Greek family life. They are similar to the French and Italians in terms of passion and excitement over food, the amusing uncontrollable urge to stir pots on the stove every time they walk by and the wonderful ability to discuss recipes at length. Even the children were overheard debating which their favourite dish of the week had been.   In my books however I have to currently admit the Greeks edge ahead with their friendliness. Firstly they do not look at you like you have just blasphemed every time you attempt to utter a few words of their language (the French, as much as I love them, have I am sure given most of us puzzled glaring looks when pronouncing words fractionally wrong then follow it with a mini lesson that they are never satisfied with the result in). Secondly, unlike the Italians (of whom I am also very fond) who fiercely defend their recipes and dictate that theirs is the best and only way to make a certain dish, the Greeks seem much more easy going and delighted and interested in their food culture being an inspiration for a new dish.

With the mercury easily hitting the 30°C each day but a delightful breeze keeping us all in a very pleasant state, food was light, summary and involved of course a lot of extra virgin Greek olive oil.

I instantly loved that shopping for fruit and vegetables was dictated by what was fresh, local and in season and it was very much one of those places here you go to the shop/market and then decide what to cook. There are permanent stalls/benches set up in the towns that farmers can just come and sell there produce at when they have it and some farmers shops that although are certainly more shi shi than a few old wooden crates by the side of the road still fully focus on what the very productive island has to offer.

Feeling plucky and encouraged by the feed back by day three I decided it was time to cook them a lamb dish

“ Ooh that’s brave, cooking lamb for the Greeks”, the hostess playfully told me as I splashed extra of the local excellent wine, Moraitis over the young legs of lamb and returned them to the oven.

Well too late now, I thought as suppertime shortly loomed. Again they were delighted with it loved that I had used local wine and the wild thyme and oregano that had been picked by the path that led down to the beach.

With encouragement from this and courage from a little outing with the group the night before for a pre dinner ouzo I decided it was time to have a go at my version of their practically national dish, Spanakopita (surely the name of the next bond girl)  this postcards recipe.

Having never been one to feel totally compelled to follow the well-trodden path I had been thinking of ways I could beneficially twist the dish.

Saffron and vlita became my answers.

In the middle ages the charmingly named Essex town of Cheppinge Waldron became Englands epicentre for saffron and so great was its importance that the places’ name was changed to Saffron Waldron. Sadly with a puritan sway sweeping the land as we emerged from the Middle Ages, our tastes became plainer, the saffron use declined and so did the industry.

Legend has in ancient Greek that when the bold and ‘easy on the eye ‘ youth Crocus set his amorous heart of the nymph Smilax she indulged him in some frolics in a wood near Athens. Enjoyment, on her part at first, soon turned to boredom and when he continued to persist in bothering her she turned him into the flower ‘saffron crocus’ and still to this day the fiery glow of the stigmas reveals his smouldering but unrequited passions…or so the story goes.

The Mediterranean island of Santonrini has had discoveries of wall murals dating back a few thousand years BC of beautiful breast baring female saffron gathers that tells us of the exotic spices long history with this land. I cant imagine a similar dress code or look for the Middle Ages saffron pickers in Essex but then again perhaps it was dress down Fridays that sparked a puritanical turn in our ways.

So on a bold Friday morning I made my big fat greek pie and presented it at the table. We sat down to lunch, slices were shared out and we began to eat.

Then the head of the table says;

“ That was the best spinach pie I have ever had”!

Inwardly I was thinking OMG are the woman going to throw plates/daggers/a wild cat ( there are quite a few here) at him?! Would this be the beginning of the end for me? Will this bring and end to the holiday harmony and bliss? ….

No of course not, more wine was poured, the laughter and chat levels rose, various methods, twists and recipe ideas were discussed and the party continued…

This Week

Greek Extra Virgin Olive oil used : 8 Litres

Raw Greek Honey used : 2 lbs

I’m loving: Ouzo

Im reading : Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, totally gripping and can’t believe I hadn’t read it before.

Mode of transport : Boats, trains, Planes and cars

Every Greek Villa should have: poolside beanbag loungers and be within skipping distance to the Aegean.

Vlita, feta and saffron pie

Serves 8

In the UK although the leaf vlita is not wildly available, it is a bit like a chard / spinach / nettle cross (but with out the sting), you will have seen its seed Amaranth in many food shops, a so called super food packed full of protein.

4 or 5 thick sheets of filo

pinch of saffron

150g butter

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 red onions finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

3 good handfulls of blanched vlita (or spinach / chard)

200g top quality feta

4 organic eggs

1 1/2 tbs each of finely chopped parsley, mint and dill

Pre heat the oven to 180 °C

Melt the butter in a small pan with saffron then leave to one side to infuse

In a frying pan sauté the onions and garlic with the olive oil until softened and sweet.

In a bowl lightly beat the eggs, crumble in the cheese then add the herbs.

Add the cooked vlita to the egg mix and season with salt and pepper.

Brush a pie dish or baking tin of approx. 8” by 10” with the saffron butter.

Lay a sheet of filo down, it should come up over the sides and brush with butter.

Repeat with 2 more layers .

Tip the filling in and level out.

Then crinkling and rucking up the rest of the sheets of filo and the overhanging sides enclose the pie and drizzle with the rest of the saffron butter.

Bake for 45mins to 1 hour, the pie should be golden.

Can be eaten warm or cold.

Next postcard recipe….I’m staying put !

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This week I’ve been cooking for a group of 30 athletes cycling 3 cols of the Pyrenees.

It was like discovering a secret bizarre club and then finding out that half the people I knew were members.

“I’m off to cook for a group doing some crazy Tour de France style cycle over the Pyrenees”

“Oooh how interesting, yes we did that last month”

or

“ Wonderful! Nothing more fun than a 5 hour bike ride up some hills”

and

“Ah yes, Milly and I often take our bikes on a challenging weeks ride across Scotland. Jolly good fun”!

Everyone I talked to seemed to be into cycling thing, in a serious way. Even the girl at the checkout when I was buying obscene amounts of jaffa cakes and jelly babies  ( for the cyclists not me..ok I had a few) to take with me had just come back from a weekend of cycling with her friends.

I really cannot think of many ways I would less like to spend my time.

I have tried it (sort of) and just didn’t derive the pleasure of reaching the top of the hills or particularly the kamikaze nature of coming down them.   Give me a horse as alternative transport any day of the week.   What really did interest and excite me about this cycling extravaganza however was researching and creating a menu for the weekend.

There was to be a party on the Friday night to get everyone in the mood, a carb happy lunch and dinner on the Saturday to help fuel them for their gruelling ride, take away breakfast and cycle snacks to be distributed between three support vehicles following them up the mountains to go on the Sunday then a grand feast Sunday night to welcome home the champions.

The Friday and Saturday carb happy meals were easy to come up with ideas for and there was plenty of advice on the Internet about the best slow release energy foods and protein dishes to help with muscle performance.

I should warn you however if you ever find yourself doing your own research do not to type in “ what to eat before and during a cycle” as you will be bombarded with menstrual related information.

It was the ‘what would people want to eat during the cycle’ that was the most challenging and conflicting in results. Everyone I asked seemed to have different opinions. Some swore that a cheese sandwich and a few jelly babies in your back pocket were all you needed, some liked to delve into gels, mineral drinks and other lab concoctions of alarming colours that are available in the sporty fanatic world and then I even heard stories of members of this group last year happy to stop for a 2 course lunch and glass or two of wine to help fuel them through the day. The only consistent item of food was bananas.

The food for the ride had to be split between three support vehicles (also carrying spare tyres, pumps, water, extra Lycra ect..). It had to be appealing to those on the ride but also transportable and survive a day of being lugged up and down mountains. It helped that we bought half of Frances supply of Tupperware to aid us in this challenge.

Their take away breakfast and extreme picnic menu in the end read as follows.

Breakfast

Banana

Bircher muesli, strawberry and blueberry pots

Sausage sandwiches

Roast mushroom rolls.

Fresh fruit smoothie with honey

Coffee / tea

Mountain sustenance

Bananas

Cut up oranges

Cheese sandwiches

Home made Sausage Rolls

Peanut sandwiches

Power balls

Home made Flapjacks

Jaffa cakes

Banana and maple syrup cake

Brownies

Crisps

Chocolate bars

Jelly babies

So come Sunday morning, after a very jolly Friday night (I was not sure at this point how seriously they were taking this) a slightly more subdued Saturday night , the 30 Lycra clad cyclists piled onto the bus and headed to the Pyrenees. It was like watching the start of a stage of the tour de France (though with less egos, doping and politics clouding the enjoyment).

They were equipped with supplies that I hoped would satisfy any cravings that may appear and a few large boxes of iced cold beer ready for the end of the day.

Meanwhile back at base the team regrouped after an early start to prepare for the evenings feast.

When the victors returned it was fun hearing as they all tumbled back in how their day went and how they got on with the supplies…

“oooh your sausage rolls, the thought of them at the next stop helped me up that last 20 km”

“Gosh it really is all about power balls isn’t it ?”

or my favourite feedback

“ I basically rewarded myself with a jelly baby every km” (that’s 110)

I confess having seen the pictures of the ride, hearing the stories of team work and camaraderie, observing the joy of triumph and achievement… I still have zero desire to ever do it myself.

For this weeks postcard I will give you a carb happy recipe for potato salad.

This week

Pasta eaten: 7.2 kilo

Potatoes eaten: 8.1 kilos

Cocktails drunk: xxx

Admiration levels: 100 %

Inclination to do it myself: 0 %

Every home should have: 30 bicycle pumps

Problems caused by corroded spoke nipples: 1

Potato salad

Serves 10

1 kilo waxy potatoes

Mayonnaise

2 egg yolks

squeeze of lemon

150 ml sunflower oil

150 ml olive oil

1 dsp Dijon mustard

30 gherkins roughly chopped

6 spring onions finely chopped

3 tbs roughly chopped parsley

Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water, drain and cool.

To make the mayonnaise

Whizz the eggs yolks in a blender with lemon juice until thick and pale.

Slowly pour in the two oils, then add the mustard and season with salt and pepper.

Mix the mayo through the cold potatoes along with the gherkins, spring onions and parsley. Serve room temperature at least a day before a big cycle as potatoes are a slow release carbohydrate.

Next stop… Greece

Some photos from this postcard recipe have been given and used with kind permission of the group

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The wild salmon and I were both caught leaping for joy at the prospect of spending some jolly time on the river Findhorn, though clearly with very different motives.

My annual journey to the Highland river banks to cook for these fisherman is undoubtedly one of my favourite jobs.  Not only is the setting outrageously pretty with the wild flowers and sparkling, ever changing river and the company fascinating for various reasons but in my opinion there is nothing that comes even close in salmon perfection as cooking and eating the Scottish wild variety.

Its texture, colour and above all flavour cannot be beaten. Like a child impatiently waiting for Christmas morning I can hardly bare the wait until I am handed the first one and there is such poetic beauty in knowing it was hatched, matched and dispatched in pretty much the same spot.

Cooking for a fishing party often seems much more relaxed than other field sports jobs I do as daylight hours are less scarce and timings do not revolve around an army of others, the number sometimes required for a days shoot is something to be seen! I noted my fishermen this year clearly felt very relaxed and I had to restrain myself from shooing them out of the lodge in the morning to maximise their time on the river bank and therefore increase the chances of them bringing me back a salmon to cook with.

‘Extra bacon and sausages for those slipping in a pre breakfast fish” I joked ( but not really)  as we got to day two and no one had bought me back so much as a story of how they wrestled and put back a tiddler.

Fortunately the  competitive streak amongst the group began to kick in and by day three the after dinner fishing trips had started.  The gentle evening light is particularly good for the sport apparently as its harder for the fish to see you and not as some think because they are feeding as they do not eat while back in the river.

My previous postcard Quite the Catch explains more about the wild salmon’s incredible life and journeys from river bed to ocean and back.

This year on the Findhorn river there is a 70 % catch and release policy with anything caught over 9 lb, basically meaning you need to catch two over 9 lb before you can keep one, which also basically meant they had to get their fingers (rods) out.

Day four after breakfast the trail of 4 x4’s  headed off to their various beats ( sections of river they can fish) and I was on red alert as we had all agreed, today must be the day.

The tradition is to beep the horn of your vehicle as you return to the lodge if you have been successful, so my ears spent all morning being  as pricked as a spaniel’s. The horn was also the signal for those in the group already back to dash out with a wee dram ( it was G and T’s if you returned empty netted so a pretty win-win situation if you ask me).

I am delighted to report that during the second half of the week  the wild salmon became more compliant and so the horns more frequent. The weather too also started to play ball and created perfect conditions for BBQ lunches on the river bank.

Relatively obsessed (ok, totally), with BBQ s from my years as a chef at Moro restaurant where I fiercely fought off all the boy chefs from the charcoal pit I have firmed up some strong opinions about how to properly grill as well as tips and techniques.

Cooking BBQ s on river banks in Scotland has also perfected my skills at lightening them up as bursts of wind and rain are not uncommon. I confess one weather challenged day 2 packs of firelighters and the entire Sunday Times were invaluable.

At this point ,with summer coming up, I would like to take this opportunity to say my main concern if ever asked to go and cook a BBQ for a client is when they lead me down the garden path and unveil…the gas fuelled beast.

My views are if you are planning a BBQ and have a gas one, don’t bother.  You are better off just cooking inside. Gas adds very little in terms of flavour to your meal and they rarely stay hot enough, even the really expensive ones and believe me I know.

Swiftly moving on ( and off my very high horse) with BBQs now on the agenda my days were anything but relaxed but were certainly a lot of fun. Balancing breakfast cook and clear up with lunch prep and packing it was a fast and furious start to the day.  Once the trusty Range Rover was loaded chock-a-block with food, drinks, tables, charcoal and fire lighters I headed to the assigned fishing hut. Upon arrival at the chosen bucolic spot the boxes and kit were unloaded, a makeshift outdoor kitchen erected, the table laid, BBQ lit and the final bits of prep started before the hungry and often slightly chilled fisherman began to surface.

They would be welcomed with a tin cup of warming home made soup then the grill themed lunch would follow. Over the week they had fillets and legs of estate venison, grilled crispy skinned chicken, pork chops, whole bass, bream, squid and of course wild salmon.

Packing for these BBQs is like a memory game, you couldn’t forget anything and if you did ,well you had to get creative. The week confirmed my approach that with BBQ’s, simple is generally best and at bare minimum all I critically needed to remember to pack was;

The meat or fish

Olive oil

A lemon

And some fresh herbs.

I feel sauces are always important as you generally don’t create much gravy / juice with this method of cooking so jars of fresh horseradish, salsa verde, chilli sauce, home made mayonnaise and tartar sauce made a fair few appearances.

One of my favourite foods I cooked over the week, that came a close second to the grilled and whole foil baked salmon was the fresh flatbreads, that helped make ‘posh’ kebabs. Home made flatbreads at a BBQ is pretty much a must for me as not only is it a fun activity that a few people can get involved with but they are also the perfect vehicle for grilled fish meat, veg and sauces so I have made them this weeks postcard recipe.

This week

Eggs: 157

Butter: 19 packs

Salmon caught: 9

Salmon caught leaping: 23

Kilos of charcoal used: 18

Every home should have: access to a few beats ( and I don’t mean a ghetto blaster).

I learnt : You can tell a Findhorn salmon as they are the prettiest ( possibly source slightly biased).

Barbequed Flatbread

Makes about 8 large circles

You can knead and rest the dough then transport it to the riverbank / bbq to grill in a bowl with some lightly oil cling film on top. 

500g White Bread Flour plus a few handfuls extra for rolling

2 tsp. Dried Yeast

1 tsp. Fine sea salt

300ml – 350ml Warm water

1 tbs. runny honey

1 tbs Olive oil plus a little extra

1 tbs plain yogurt

2 -3 tbs of Sprinkles e.g. sumac, poppy seeds, zatar or crushed salted cumin

1)In a large bowl mix the flour and sea salt

2)In a jug stir the yeast into 300ml of the water with the honey, leave for 5 minutes (it should have started to foam) then pour into the flour and start to mix.

3)Add the olive oil and yogurt and knead on a clean surface for about 10 minutes.  The dough should be quite wet so if it feels stiff add a little more warm water.

4)When smooth and elastic place it back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to double in size, this will take about an hour in a warm kitchen.

5)To roll the flatbread make sure you have a hot clean grill. Roll all the dough into equal sized balls (in-between a golf and a tennis ball is good).

6)Lightly flour your work surface and one by one roll the balls into circles or ovals about 2 – 3 mm thick. Lightly brush one side with olive oil and then scatter on your choice of sprinkle ( my current favourite is sumac mixed with ground cumin).

7)Grill on both sides on a high heat for a couple of minutes till golden. Serve as soon as possible.

If doing a batch you can lightly wrap them in foil and give them a quick flash on the bbq to warm them up.

These are delicious with juicy grilled meats, vegetables or fish or with dipping sauced like labneh, hummus, salsa verde ect.

Next stop…cooking for a group cycling the Pyrenees.

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