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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooked Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6

This oregano seasoning is based on a Brazilian recipe using ‘queijo de coalho’ and works really well with halloumi. Serve with a selection of dipping sauces. 

Ingredients
2 x 250g blocks halloumi cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano

STEP 1
To remove excess saltiness, soak the halloumi in cold water for 2 hrs, or overnight. Cut the halloumi into 4 long pieces and thread onto metal skewers, or wooden ones that have been soaked for 10 mins. Drizzle with the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano and a good grind of cracked black pepper.

STEP 2
Heat an outdoor barbecue, or use a hot griddle pan. Grill for 2-3 mins each side, then serve with the sauces (see 'goes well with', below right).

Jamie Oliver has put together this ultimate pasta recipe. It is a total classic, delicious, and super-easy to knock together.

Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
6 rashers dry-cured higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
olive oil
500 g minced beef
200 ml red wine
1 x 280 g jar of sun-dried tomatoes
2 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes
500 g dried spaghetti
Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.

Step 2
Peel and finely chop the garlic and onions, pick and finely chop the rosemary, then finely slice the bacon.

Step 3
Heat a splash of oil in a casserole pan on a medium heat, add the bacon, rosemary, garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

Step 4
Add the minced beef, breaking it apart with the back of a spoon, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until starting to brown, then pour in the wine. Leave to bubble and cook away.

Step 5
Meanwhile, drain and tip the sun-dried tomatoes into a food processor, blitz to a paste, then add to the pan with the tomatoes. Stir well, break the plum tomatoes apart a little.

Step 6
Cover with a lid then place in the oven for 1 hour, removing the lid and giving it a stir after 30 minutes – if it looks a little dry at this stage, add a splash of water to help it along.

Step 7
About 10 minutes before the time is up, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.

Step 8
Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain, reserving a mugful of cooking water, then return to the pan with a few spoons of Bolognese, a good grating of Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Step 9
Toss to coat the spaghetti, loosening with a splash of cooking water, if needed.

Step 10
Divide the spaghetti between plates or bowls, add a good spoonful of Bolognese to each, then serve with a fine grating of Parmesan.

Light a barbie and grill these sausages with a 2 minute healthy ketchup, perfect for kids and adults alike. They're great for a family barbecue or a camping holiday. 

Ingredients
24 chipolata sausages

2 Minute Healthy Ketchup

 

270g tomato paste
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
Sea salt to taste (optional)

You will need: 
8 wooden or metal skewers (if using wooden, soak in water for at least 15 mins first)

STEP 1

To make the sauce mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Try the ketchup and adjust if you want. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months.

STEP 2

Heat a barbeque until the coals are glowing white hot. Lay six of the sausages next to each other and push one stick through one end of all the sausages and the other stick through the other ends so the sausages look like a ladder (leave a gap between each sausage). Repeat with the other sausages in batches of six.

STEP 3

Barbecue the sausages on each side until they are browned and cooked through. Serve with your healthy two minute ketchup. 

The barbecue is a versatile cooking tool, it’s an oven and smoker as well as a fierce grill, and we don’t think we’ve been harnessing its true potential. Let’s face it – most of us are terrible barbecuers. If we’re not cremating sausages, we’re probably poisoning our friends. It’s strange that we pick the method of cooking that needs possibly the most concentration on days when all we want to do is kick back and have a beer. Mastering those techniques will give you a special seat of honour among your friends. 

Get the right barbecue

It may sound basic but there are two crucial things your burner needs if you want to make great barbecue food. The first thing is, it has to be a charcoal one. There’s nothing wrong with gas barbecues, but you won’t get any extra smoky flavour. You might as well be cooking in the oven, flavour-wise! The second thing you need is a lid. It locks in flavour, keeps the temperature constant and can be used as an extra technique. 

Use the right fuel

In the UK, charcoal is usually bought in a rush from a petrol station car park as soon as the sun peeks its head around a cloud. But being prepared can make a huge difference, because the charcoal you use changes the way your food tastes.  If you’re a bit of a pro, try adding wood chips to your charcoal. Hickory and oak are great with fish and pork, while cherry and apple wood add a sweetness to most meats. Just soak half what you’ll use in water to make it last, then add it all once lit.

Wait for the right moment to cook

Barbecuing takes patience and concentration, in that order. You need to wait for the flames to die down – flame-grilled is a very misleading term! You want the coals white hot – by which I mean grey and glowing. That’s the hottest and evenest heat.

Get the temperature bang on

Following on from that, don’t forget that what you have created is a caveman oven, so you need to control the heat just like an oven. DJ BBQ says the best way to test the heat is with your hand. Hold your hand about 12cm/5inches above the grill and see how long you can hold it there comfortably (ie. without screaming).

6 seconds = low heat
4 seconds = medium heat
2 seconds = in DJ’s words “hotter than a goat’s butt in a chilli pepper patch”
0 seconds = Hospital. Now.

You also need to control the temperature across the grill. The easiest technique is the half and half – put all the coals to one side, so you have a mega-hot side and one with no direct heat.

Get the best tools

We’ve all accidently lost a sausage down a grill or flipped a burger over the edge. Well, get yourself a decent fish slice, a heavy-duty oven glove and maybe even a fish grill (clamp/clip/basket thing – we’ve no idea what they are called). The one bit of kit you simply must have is a decent pair of tongs – they give you the most control, and reduce the chances of dropping anything between the grills.

Marinade, marinade, marinade!

We all know the phrase “leave for a few hours, ideally over night”. Well that applies doubly to barbecues, to make sure the flavours aren’t overridden by the addition of the smoke. In fact, it’s best to save some marinade when you make, and brush your meat or fish with the marinade every 10 minutes as it cooks. That way it will add moisture, trap the smoke flavour and caramelise gently as it goes. Or you can buy meat that is already marinaded from The Fat Butcher. 

Don’t ruin the vegetables

I know barbecues are an excuse for us all to turn into carnivores, but fire does wondrous things to vegetables too, if you get the technique right. What you want is that lovely charring along the bars – it looks amazing, and tastes even better. So slice thin, then grill straight away – no oil, no seasoning. Once cooked you can add the flavour in some quality olive oil and a bit of vinegar. 

Get the sides right

Sides should never be an afterthought! They will make up two-thirds of what you eat if you’re trying to have something that resembles a balanced meal. You could go for a classic potato salad or some cheeky corn on the cob.

Serves: 4

A sudden need for a dinner seasoned with tradition and nostalgia. I pick up lumps of oxtail from the butcher’s, a jumble of bones with deep maroon meat marbled with cream-coloured fat. I cook them with sweet roots and ribs of celery, letting the heat of the oven do the work. There is red wine and beef stock, tufts of thyme and twigs of bay and I serve it in the casserole in which it is cooked, with a mash of swedes and a flat, crisp cake of potatoes. 

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil 3 tbsp
Oxtail 1.5kg
Onions 3, medium
Carrots 350g
Celery 200g
Plain flour 3 heaped tbsp
Red wine 350ml, light and fruity
Beef stock 1 litre
Smoked garlic a whole head
Bay leaves 4
Thyme 6 bushy sprigs

Swede 1.5kg
Butter 50g

Potatoes 1kg, Maris Piper or similar
Olive oil 250ml
Rosemary 4 large sprigs

STEP 1 

Warm the olive oil in a very large, deep casserole over a moderate heat. Add the pieces of oxtail and let them sizzle in the hot oil, turning them as each side darkens to a rich golden brown.

STEP 2

While the oxtail is browning, peel and roughly chop the onions and carrots, and cut the celery into short pieces. Remove the oxtail from the pan to a plate then tip the onions, carrots and celery into the pan, toss them in the oil and general stickiness left by the oxtail, then leave them to cook for 5 minutes. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4.

STEP 3

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stir and continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes until the flour is no longer white, then pour in the wine and bring to a fierce but brief bubble. Slice the head of garlic in half horizontally. Pour in the stock and bring back to the boil then season with a little salt, the garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Return the oxtail to the pan.

STEP 4

Lower the heat so the liquid bubbles slowly, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 2 hours. Lift the lid, check the oxtail’s progress. If the meat still clings tightly to the bones, cover and continue cooking for a further 30 minutes or until the meat is soft and can easily be pulled from the bone. Lift the garlic out and remove the soft cloves from their skins, crush them with a fork and return them to the sauce. Check the seasoning and correct with black pepper and, if necessary, more salt.

Mashed swede and potatoes with rosemary and olive oil

Peel the swede then cut into small pieces. Pile into a steamer basket and leave to steam over a pan of boiling water, covered with a lid, until soft. Check for tenderness from 15 minutes.

Put the swede into a bowl or empty pan, add the butter in pieces and crush roughly with a potato masher or fork. Keep warm and covered.

Potatoes with rosemary and olive oil

Should the oxtail be ready before the potatoes, remove it from the oven (it will come to no harm, with its lid in place) and turn the heat up to 220C/gas mark 8, until the potatoes are the requisite golden brown.

You will need a 25cm ovenproof frying pan that doesn’t stick. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Scrub the potatoes (I don’t think you should feel the need to peel them) and slice very thinly. Pour the olive oil into a mixing bowl. Finely chop half of the rosemary, leaving the rest on their stems and add to the bowl. Grind in a little black pepper then add the potatoes and gently turn them over in the seasoned oil. Cover the base of the pan with a single layer of slices, each overlapping the other and adding a little salt as you go. Place a second layer on top, then another and so on, until all the potatoes are used up. Pour any remaining oil over the top.

Bake the potatoes in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until the top layer is golden and lightly crisp at the edges.

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes 

This chicken dish with sweetcorn, green beans and a creamy sauce is an easy dinner for two, but it’s also good enough for date night.

Ingredients 

Drizzle of olive oil
2 large, chicken breasts 
300ml fresh chicken stock
200g sweetcorn kernels
150g green beans
Splash of cream
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Small bunch spring onions, trimmed

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Heat a drizzle of oil in an ovenproof frying pan. Fry the chicken breasts, skin-side down, for 3 minutes or until the skin is crisp. Turn the chicken over, then put the pan in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until the meat is cooked.

STEP 2

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a pan until simmering. Add the sweetcorn kernels and green beans, simmer until tender, then remove with a slotted spoon and divide among two warmed dishes (leave the pan on the heat). Add a splash of cream and the wholegrain mustard to the stock, then bubble to thicken slightly. Season to taste.

STEP 3

Slice the spring onions and stir into the sauce. Cut each chicken breast in half and divide among the plates, then spoon over the sauce.

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 45-55 minutes

This impressive pork loin steak recipe, with a garlic and sage calvados sauce, is the perfect romantic meal for two on Valentine’s Day or just wanting a romantic meal. 

Ingredients 

Pork loin Steaks 800g
1 tsp sea salt flakes
Vegetable oil
Large bunch spring onions, roots trimmed
30g butter
200g shallots, peeled and halved
3 garlic cloves, sliced
200ml calvados or British cider brandy (or see tip)
150ml chicken stock
½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
Handful fresh sage leaves
1 large bunch watercress

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Remove the skin along with most of the attached layer of fat from the pork. Rub the salt into the score marks in the skin, then set aside.

STEP 2

Heat a glug of oil in a large ovenproof frying pan. When hot, season the chop, then add it to the pan and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side, including the fatty part where the skin was attached, until caramelised and browned.

STEP 3

Transfer the chop, in the pan, to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Add the spring onions around the chop and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until cooked through and a digital probe inserted into the thickest part reads 65°C (the temperature will continue to rise to 75°C after you take it out). Remove the pork and onions from the pan and rest on a board, covered in foil. Turn up the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/ gas 9. Put the salted skin on a wire rack on top of a roasting tray lined with baking paper and roast for 15-20 minutes until crisp and puffed.

STEP 4

Meanwhile, in another deep frying pan, melt the butter and add the shallots. Gently fry for 10 minutes, then add the garlic and cook gently, stirring, for another 2 minutes.

STEP 5

Carefully pour in the calvados or cider brandy (or see tip) and stock, then bubble to reduce by half. Taste, season with salt and pepper and stir in the mustard and sage. In a bowl, toss the roasted spring onions through the watercress. Cut the joint into 2 chops and serve with the crackling, sauce and greens.

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 50 minutes 

Cooking Time: 50 minutes 

This recipe is maximum-pleasure, minimum-fuss, bistro-style take on steak and chips. It’s perfect for a night in when you want to cook and serve a Saturday-night meal to remember – or impress a date or Valentine.

INGREDIENTS

2 large Maris Piper potatoes, sliced into thin fries
2 tbsp Munns Duck Fat (buy it in a jar or use leftovers from roasting a duck)
2 tbsp fine Polenta
850g Rib Eye Steak at room temperature
Rapeseed oil for frying

INGREDIENTS- Pesto hollandaise

1 garlic clove, chopped
Small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Small bunch fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tsp sea salt flakes
Zest and juice 1 lemon
40g Parmesan, grated
50ml olive oil
2 medium free-range egg yolks
1 tsp white wine vinegar
110g unsalted butter, cubed

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 6. Put the fries in cold water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Put the duck fat in a large roasting tin and heat in the oven for 5 minutes until very hot but not smoking.

STEP 2

Add the chips to the hot fat, toss to coat, then sprinkle over the polenta, season with salt and toss again. Roast for 50 minutes, turning now and then, or until golden and crisp.

STEP 3 

Meanwhile, make the pesto hollandaise (see tip). In the small bowl of a food processor (or in a pestle and mortar), whizz/pound the garlic, herbs, salt, lemon zest and juice and parmesan, then drizzle in the olive oil and whizz/pound again.

STEP 4

Put the egg yolks and vinegar in a small glass/ceramic bowl and set over a pan of simmering water over a low heat (don’t let the base of the bowl touch the water). Using a wooden spoon, beat the egg yolks for a minute, then start adding the butter a cube at a time, beating all the time with the wooden spoon until the mixture has emulsified into a smooth sauce. Turn off the heat but leave the bowl over the pan. Just before serving, stir in the pesto.

STEP 5

Once the chips have had 
20 minutes in the oven, heat an ovenproof griddle pan (or frying pan), rub the steak on each side with a little rapeseed oil and season with salt. When the pan is smoking hot, cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until deep brown all over. Put the pan in the oven below the chips and roast for 15-20 minutes until the thermometer reads 55°C (for medium-rare). Take out of the oven and rest on a warm plate, turning once, for 5-10 minutes. Serve on a platter with the chips and a bowl of the pesto hollandaise. Slice the steak and enjoy.

This pulled pork recipe is fall apart tender, juicy, and packed with flavour from the perfect seasoning! This pulled pork can be made in the slow cooker or oven.

INGREDIENTS

2½ kg boneless pork shoulder, skin removed

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion salt

TO SERVE

Brioche buns

Coleslaw

STEP 1

Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.

STEP 2

Rub the pork with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Heat a large non-stick pan until very hot and sear the pork on all sides until golden brown.

STEP 3

Place the meat on a wire rack in a roasting tin. Mix the paprika, mustard powder, garlic and onion salt, and some black pepper with the liquid smoke, if using. Brush all over the meat.

STEP 4 

Add 1 cup of water to the roasting tin, cover very tightly with foil and cook for 5 hrs or until almost falling apart.

STEP 5

Drain the juices from the meat into a measuring jug. Shred the pork using 2 forks, discarding the fat. Skim off the fat from the juices.

STEP 6

Mix 125ml of the juices with 4 tbsp BBQ and pour over the meat. Keep warm until serving, or reheat.

STEP 7 

To assemble, pile the meat into the halved brioche buns, spoon over the BBQ sauce, top with coleslaw and pickles, and sandwich together. Serve. 

Serves: 8 

This melt-in-your-mouth marinated beef fillet will be the star of your next summer spread. 

Although a beef fillet is an expensive cut of meat, there is not a morsel of waste and every mouthful will melt in your mouth. Preparation time is minimal with a simple marinade which doesn't overpower the fillet and allows it to keep its delightful flavour. Don’t forget to rest the meat before serving to allow all the juices to be absorbed and to ensure the meat is even more succulent.

INGREDIENTS 

32g soy
32g mirin
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seed
1kg (approx.) piece beef fillet
1 Tbsp oil
Watercress and extra sesame seeds to serve

STEP 1

Into a small bowl place the soy, mirin, sesame oil, ginger, honey, garlic and sesame seeds, mixing well.

STEP 2

Place the beef into a sealable plastic bag. Add the marinade tossing to combine well. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

STEP 3

Preheat an oven to 200C.

STEP 4

Remove the fillet from the bag, reserving the marinade, and pat the fillet dry. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Sear all sides of the fillet, then place into the oven for 18 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

STEP 5

Slice thinly with a dribble of the marinade on top, watercress and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

 

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Calories: 640kcal