Something salady

What's your opinion on salad? For people of a certain age the word “salad” is the stuff of nightmares and conjures up visions of limp lettuce leaves, a slice of boiled egg, ditto tomato and a spring onion – oh and if you're lucky salad cream too.

I have decided to make a salad more interesting – so here's a take on warm salads. I know that's a contradiction since salad is meant to be cold – rules are made to be broken. Henceforth my warm salad is a “gallimaufry” - meaning jumble or a medley if you prefer!

Chicken Gallimaufry

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, sliced at an angle

(from slow cooking a whole chicken)

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

350g red new potatoes, halved or quartered

should be 2cm ish.

Half a lemon cut in half

135g baby leeks, topped, tailed and cut into 1.5cm pieces

1 tbsp tapenade - 15ml

110g fine asparagus

Salt and pepper

Chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish

Pre-heat oven 200fan/220c/Gas 7.

Put the potatoes and lemon wedges into the foil tray you set aside after the slow cooking (or a medium roasting tin if you prefer) and toss with 1 tbsp of oil, season and roast for 20 minutes.

Turn down the oven to 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Snap the asparagus to remove the woody ends – they should be of a similar size - then blanch, plunge into ice cold water and pat dry. You can prep ahead if you wish, then box and fridge.

Toss the leeks in the remaining tbsp of oil and add to the potatoes. Add the tapenade and fold through. Bake for 10 minutes then add the blanched asparagus for 5 minutes, fold in gently.

Whilst the potatoes et al are baking warm the stock – you should get 250ml from your chicken after straining. (This recipe is based on a slow cooked whole chicken).

To assemble, divide the potatoes, leeks and asparagus between two large bowls – plates will do. Top with the sliced chicken breast – one breast per serving - and add a liberal drizzle of the stock. A sprinkle of parsley to garnish and a wedge of lemon too.

Gallimaufry photos

The comments :

“I love chicken served this way, tender small slices of breast and the gravy is delicious”.

It matters not whether it's broth, gravy, jus, or sauce – so long as it takes good – it's whatever floats your gravy boat – that is beyond bad – I apologise.

Gallimaufry – Hints and Tips

First up, the potatoes. You'll notice that the recipe calls for red new potatoes. Have a look for “Albert Bartlett Apache potatoes – great for roasting or mashing in their skins”. I've found them in 600g bags. The majority of the larger supermarkets carry more varieties these days - another example is Ruby Gem, found at Waitrose.

Next the tapenade. You can do whatever is more practical – I always have a jar of black olive tapenade in my store cupboard and my favourite is M&S Black Olive Tapenade – it also has an excellent best before date. If you're feeling adventurous have a go at making your own. It's easy.

Coarse Tapenade

1 tbsp drained capers

85g pitted olives

1 tbsp olive oil

Two anchovies, chopped finely

1 roasted garlic clove

1 dessert spoon of lemon juice

Blitz all the ingredients. The trick is to stop pulverising whilst the mixture is coarse – it gives texture to the dish and not mush.

Then there's the stock. You can thicken it if you wish – as it is it's more of a broth. If you are a “gravy” person and prefer a little more substance then mix 1 tsp of cornflour with a drop or two of water and add gradually to the stock as you're warming it through. Note to self – don't be tempted to add anything else – whether to the stock or to the gravy – your stock is already infused with garlic and oregano, not for nothing do I call it liquid gold.

Here's another idea. This recipe makes me think of the perfect supper for a duvet/box set day. How romantic to make one huge plate to share … I'll leave that with you.

Finally – you still have two chicken legs, wings etc., leftover from the slow cooking. Strip the legs and wings of meat, bag and freeze – don't forget to mark the bag. Use the chicken in cooked pasta with Alfredo Sauce or as part of a mid week frittata or last but by no means least you have your protein element for your chicken salad wrap – with mango or raita dressing for lunch the next day – there will probably be enough chicken for two wraps – just in case you're feeling generous. If you have time then tip the remaining chicken bits into a large saucepan, cover with water – bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes strain and boom – chicken stock. Freeze it in small amounts – you'll be pleased you did. If you are short of time then bag the remains and freeze it for making stock for soup whenever the mood takes.

A bowlful for the beautiful game

It's another gallimaufry –

Asian Spiced Gallimaufry

Serves 2

The marinade

2 x 4oz fillet steak, sliced thinly

110 – 120g in grams (*see note below)

2 roasted garlic cloves

1 tsp powdered star anise or one whole star anise

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Mix together the marinade and pour over the fillet slices, ensuring that the slices are thoroughly coated. Box and leave in the fridge for an hour or so – it won't hurt to leave it longer.

The stir fry sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine (dry sherry will do)

1 dessert spoon of sweet chill sauce

mix together – can be made ahead, covered and fridged

Ahead of the game

Choose vegetables that are in season and that you love. I chose :

Cooked Jersey Royal potatoes – 500g

quartered

100g asparagus, blanched, plunged into ice

cold water, pat dry, box and fridge

100g baby broad beans – blanched and popped – box and fridge

100g small sweet mini peppers, finely sliced – bag and fridge

100g (2 large) salad onions, finely sliced - ditto

The amounts given are not set in stone – they are a guide to help you - build your own recipe.

*A note about weights – an ounce is exactly 28g but is usually written as either 25 or 30 – whichever suits you best but stick to what you decide – don't confuse yourself!

Plan of action up next!

When you're ready to cook it will take minutes. Don't forget to pre-heat your oven on low to warm the bowls.

Plan of action

Heat 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a pre-heated wok or large frying pan. I used a wok. Seal the fillet slices on either side quickly and then set aside – don't overcrowd – cook in batches. Add the onion and sweet peppers to the wok and stir fry for 2/3 minutes, then add the cooked potatoes, stir fry again for 2/3 minutes. Add the broad beans, asparagus and sealed, sliced fillet along with any residual juices. Finally add the stir fry sauce of dark soy, rice wine and sweet chilli sauce. Toss to stir fry for another 3 minutes.

Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Here's the beginning of the photo-guide :

 

I have to end with another footballing metaphor – back of the net. Actually these days I always say – courtesy of the phenomenal athlete Usain Bolt - “back of the shed”.

I wrote this with entertaining in mind so it would work for any gathering, not just football!

Food for thought …

Editor's May Pick #4: Summer Fruit Tarts

Editor's note: This recipe as the post mentions isn't a new one - but from the photos you can see it's a sweet-lovers delight. This is therapy - taking your time with the fruit size is definitely worth it and I'm intrigued to try the glaze made from apricot jam - especially with the strawberries! If you time it right with the weekend weather you can almost think Summer has come early! 

Summer Fruit Tarts is what!

This recipe is so old I can't remember when – probably as far back as 1986 ish.

Rich shortcrust pastry

as per the recipe given

Filling

250g mascarpone cheese

165g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp lemon juice

A selection of fresh fruit in season

prepped and sliced for decoration

strawberries, hulled and sliced finely, melon balls

kiwi, grapes and banana to name but a few ideas

Glaze

2 tbsp apricot jam, sieved

1 tbsp water

On a lightly floured board, roll out pastry thinly and cut into circles with a fluted 7cm cutter. Line two 12 tartlet trays – or place sweet shortcrust tart cases on a baking tray and prick bases. Bake at 160fan/180c/Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Beat together the mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Place a tablespoon of cheese mixture in each tart.

Arrange the fruits decoratively over the top.

Heat the jam and water in a small saucepan over moderate heat until smooth. Brush over tarts and allow to set before serving.

The recipe for the filling will give you sufficient for 24 tarts – perfect for a summer party dessert. Halve the filling recipe for the 12 tart cases or double the pastry recipe if you're going for 24!

These tarts are small, which is great, the size of a jam tart, so perfectly poppable into the mouth.

Use whatever fruit takes your fancy or mix it up – my fancy was strawberries, it's worth the effort of hulling – the finished article looks like this :

If you don't like the idea of making pastry then a shortbread stack would work well. The mascarpone cream is good enough to stand alone – by that I mean it's delicious enough with a bowl of fresh fruit.

I took two pots of the cream, together with fresh strawberries, to my friend who has been on her own since the lockdown, despite our “distance” in her back garden it was worth it. I'm not sure who my friend was pleased to see more – me or the strawberries and cream!

Editor's May Pick #3: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Editor's note: Again, another selection brought about by a supermarket trip. This time it was pre-packaged stuffed mushrooms that always look a bit of a let down and that's before they've been ovened to oblivion. To avoid disappointment - and pennies - may I suggest you check out the following recipe for the Rolls Royce of stuffed mushrooms! 

The veggie option – I know this works too

The classic vegetarian option was always a bowl of pasta with a nondescript tomato sauce poured over the top – lots of care and attention – NOT!

I like to make the best of what's available and in season and I think I did.

This recipe proved to be a hit and has been repeated more than once since – so much so I committed it to paper - even the most stalwart of carnivores enjoyed it. The other plus is that it stands on its own as a vegetarian dish but also lends itself as part of a larger menu.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

4/6 large Portobello Mushrooms

1 medium onion, finely chopped with a drop of rapeseed oil and a knob of butter

85g breadcrumbs (or if you want an alternative

use an 85g packet of sage & onion stuffing mix)

Garlic paste or 2 crushed cloves of garlic

50g pine nuts (chopped walnuts or chestnuts would also work well)

Small double cream - 150ml

75g each of grated

Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese

Red Leicester

Gruyere

Salt and black pepper

100/150g grated Parmesan

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/gas 6.

Soften the onion and garlic with the oil and butter.

Remove and discard the stalks and set the mushrooms aside on a baking tray. If the mushrooms wobble slice a thin layer from the bottom – that should do the trick.

Place the breadcrumbs or stuffing mix into a mixing bowl, add the softened onion and garlic together with the pine nuts. Gradually add double cream to the mixture, it should be stiff. Add the grated Cheddar, Red Leicester and Gruyere, season well with salt and black pepper.

Dampen your hands. Take a handful of mixture and work into a firm mound and pack into each mushroom.

Sprinkle grated parmesan over each mushroom.

Bake and check after 15 minutes – depends on the size of the mushrooms, they should be nicely browned.

And my final tip - you can use the mixture, with less cream, to achieve a crumble consistency and use as a topping for roasted vegetables or fish.

This dish is a treat, rich with cream and cheeses I know - it was meant to be. It's delicious, always providing you and your guests like mushrooms!

Editor's May Pick #2: San Choy Bow

Editor's note: Coming up on Summer fast, I'm trying to cut down on the winter comfort foods and this recipe is a great idea. Full on flavour and substituting the carbs for veggies. If you're like me and impulsively change your mind at the last minute, this will absolutely go well with a side of noodles! I still am yet to hunt down the Shaoxing but am excited to try. For those of us who don't partake, Oumph! do a good line of frozen fake meats that go well in stir fries if you're all Quorned out.

Now back to reality and more ideas …

… for your multitasking working week suppers.

How about choosing roast pork for your Sunday roast? It would be perfect for my next idea – ideally choose a roast that's big enough to give you 500g of leftover pork.

A stir fry makes the best and quickest use of your leftover roast so you'll need a wok!

San Choy Bow is Chinese and here's my useless bit of information - “sang choi” means lettuce in Cantonese.

Here goes :

San Choy Bow

Little Gem lettuce cups

(if Little Gem not available use Iceberg -

smaller inner leaves) – I would say 3 per person

depending on size of appetites

500g/1lb2oz leftover roast pork, shredded

1 garlic clove or garlic paste

1 red chilli, finely chopped

150g/5oz chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

6 spring onions, finely chopped

225g/8oz water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped

200g/7oz bean sprouts, chopped

Glug of rapeseed oil

3 tbsp hoisin sauce*

1 tbsp soy sauce*

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce*

1 tbsp dry sherry or Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)*

Wash your lettuce, pat dry ready to serve.

Combine the four ingredients marked * to make a sauce – this can be made ahead.

Over a high heat add the oil to your wok and cook the garlic and chilli for a minute. Add the mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts and bean sprouts until mixed through and sizzling followed by the shredded pork – 2/3 minutes.

Add the sauce mixture, stirring and sizzling until completely combined for a final 2/3 minutes.

There's more!

Editor's May Pick #1: Toffee Apple Crumble

Editor's note: My first selection for May goes right back to 2017! I've been fancying a pud lately and realised that it was crumble I was after when I spotted a "crumble mix" in a supermarket. I almost bought it when I suddenly remembered that I know a place I can probably get a recipe that will be 10x as good! After having added the bits I need to my next shopping list, I think you'll agree reading through that this is bound to be a show-stopper - even though it's optional I think it would be rude not to include the Amaretto!

On location in SC.

The Sunday pudding

I'm a great fan of mixing recipes and this is a perfect example. Another plus – you can make the base and topping separately and freeze and not necessarily on the same day! Note to self – if you do freeze the toffee apple base then make sure you do so in smaller pots or bags. You can then pull out however many portions you need and assemble rather than waste it – in your dreams!

Toffee Apple Crumble

Pre-heat oven 190c/170fan/Gas 5

For the toffee apple base

6-8 large Cox's apples, peeled, cored and sliced

115g unsalted butter

125g soft dark brown sugar

1 orange, zest and juice

A slug of Amaretto - optional

Place the apples, half the unsalted butter, the soft dark brown sugar, orange zest and juice (with Amaretto if you wish) into a large frying pan and cook for 10 minutes until tender.

For the crumble topping

150g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

250g self raising flour

150g demerara sugar

200g pecans, a mixture of finely

chopped and others left larger

In a large mixing bowl rub the butter into the flour – this is one occasion where using your fingers is better than a mixer – you want a texture to the rubbed in crumb, not fine sand. Add the sugar and the nuts and set aside.

Serve in individual ramekins or make one large crumble. Bake for 25 minutes.

The toffee apple base is also delicious as a topping for home-made vanilla ice cream.

More ice cream ideas!

Remember the fudge … now for the ice cream! Having made the fudge I thought I'd mess about and make a new ice cream.

Here's the recipe for the fudge – I'd make it ahead :

Chocolate Fudge Squares

Takes 1½ hours/ make 50 pieces

400g dark or milk chocolate, broken into small

even sized pieces

25g butter

397 can condensed milk

100g icing sugar

30g cocoa powder, sifted

Line a 20cm square shallow tin with baking parchment.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. In a non-stick saucepan melt the butter and gently warm the condensed milk, then add the melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar until blended and smooth.

Put the mixture into the prepared tin, spread evenly into the corners, smooth over the top and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour. Remove and cut into small squares and dust with cocoa.

Coming next - a photo or two and a few hints and tips …

The ice cream on its own is very easy, the only extra prep is to cut your fudge into tiny pieces. Your fudge is already in 2x2cm pieces, cut each piece into four again, preferably on kitchen roll so that you preserve any cocoa dust and you're ready to roll!

Here's the basic recipe again :

Vanilla ice cream

1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk

1 x 600ml double cream

2tsp vanilla bean paste

Put the condensed milk, cream and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until the mixture is quite thick and stiff, like pipeable whipped cream.

You will need 260g of fudge cut into tiny irregular pieces

including the cocoa dust too

Fold the tiny pieces of fudge and the cocoa dust gently through the ice cream so that you achieve a ripple effect with a hidden surprise of fudge!

Spoon the mixture into a lidded freezer-proof containers and freeze for at least 6-8 hours or until firm. You might also want to consider freezing individual portions as well as larger pots, just in case you need an ice cream fix for yourself – as the cook you need to taste!

Bear in mind that you need to take the ice cream out of the freezer at least 15 minutes before serving to allow it to soften.

Photo guide up next …

The ice cream fudge fotos

the tiny pieces of fudge and cocoa

dust, ready to incorporate

the ice cream base and folding in

the fudge and cocoa dust

tiny pots of ice cream – ready for the

freezer

Strawberry Miso Ripple

First, the compote :

A strawberry compote

500g ripe strawberries, hulled

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the strawberries in half – or quarters if large – place in a large saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer. Cover and cook for 3/5 minutes until dark in colour and syrupy. Compote can be store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. I'd suggest you divide in half and freeze one for a rainy day.

If you prefer a smooth compote blitz and pass through a sieve.

As you can see it's not a difficult recipe, hulling the berries, i.e. removing the green leaf on the top and the stalk below, takes a little time but it's worth every second. You can buy a kitchen implement to do the job if you wish but using a paring knife and cutting in a circular motion will do the job just as well.

Instead of keeping the whole fruit or blitzing and passing for a smooth version why not have half and half?

When your compote has cooled :

Gently poor the compote into a large mixing bowl

and weigh the total amount

In my case this was 512g precisely!

Take 256g of the whole fruits and place in

a jar and fridge

Blitz and pass the remaining half and set

aside ready for use

Add the smooth compote to your batch of ice cream and fold gently through creating a ripple effect, then freeze in containers to suit.

Say hello to Strawberry Miso Ripple!

Strawberry Miso Ripple – the photos

the sweet white miso in the mixing bowl

the ice cream whipped, ready to ripple

adding the compote

rippled!

Et voila :

                                                                       one scoop or two?

the ripple topped with the whole fruit compote

Most importantly … the verdict.

Silence is always a good sign, followed by the scraping of the dish, finally two words “beautiful” and “gorgeous” - not words you'd normally associate with strawberries and ice cream but hey I'll take them!

Speaking of seasonal fresh fruit

I don't think there is a more evocative scent of summer than that of a bowl of strawberries, it's just divine and makes your mouth water. Sadly these days shop bought fruit can bring disappointment since a lot of strawberries are forced and taste, quite honestly, of nothing. Buy locally at farm shops or pick your own if you can.

No-churn strawberry ice cream

The recipe will give you 960g

750g/1½lb strawberries

juice of two lemons

1 x 397g condensed milk

300g light brown muscovado sugar

Top the strawberries, cut in half or quarters if large then blitz to a purée, add the lemon juice. Tip the blitzed berries into a large sieve and allow the purée to pass through. As you're passing the strawberries there's no need to hull the berries.

Place the condensed milk and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk on high for 10 minutes. I used a hand whisk. Eventually the sugar is beaten into the condensed milk and will give you a ribbon effect. Set your timer and have patience – it's worth it. You can help your strawberry pulp through the sieve with the back of a metal spoon. Fold into your sugar and condensed milk and mix until combined. I split the mixture into two boxes. Freeze for at least 6 hours. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving – no longer – it softens very quickly.

If you want a perfect scoop dip the scoop into boiling water and pat dry.

As the cook I think you're entitled to taste the ice cream ahead of serving. I confess I'm not a huge fan as a rule but I was intrigued so I took a teaspoonful as I boxed it – one word - “wow” - I ditched the spoon and took another, just to be sure.

Another ice cream of the no churn variety

I cannot claim the credit for this addition to our ice cream repertoire – it is courtesy of delicious. Magazine – consistently brilliant in my humble opinion!

Mascarpone no-churn ice cream

Whisk 150g mascarpone with 170g condensed

milk and ½ tsp vanilla extract (or bean paste).

Pour into a container suitable for the freezer

fold in 1 tbsp of your favourite fruit purée, then

freeze for an easy ripple ice cream.

Freeze for minimum of 4 hours and allow to soften

for 10/15 minutes before serving

I added 1.5 tbsps of good quality lemon curd and served the ice cream with raspberries and then added a shortbread biscuit or two.

This ice cream is full of flavour and a silky texture, not sickly as with some ice creams. I've already mentioned that my friend is over from the USA – who has become an enthusiastic student. He does not do desserts other than ice cream and so considers himself to be a connoisseur in this field – a perfect taster! The recipe is winging its way to the USA as we speak – enough said I think.

Note to self – you might want to consider doubling the recipe – I think you'll be glad you did.

    

Yum!

Let the summer begin!

Summer is coming and whether al fresco dining or a BBQ is your bag – what do you for dessert? Ice cream! Here's a few ideas from the back catalogue that will suit every occasion and they are all easy peasy.

This ice cream combines my old favourite, the basic vanilla no-churn recipe, with an added surprise folded through.

The vanilla ice cream recipe is repeated for ease of reference later on, but first comes the element that needs to be made ahead - toasted, salted pecans, dipped in dark chocolate.

Toasted, salted pecans

75g unsalted butter

100g pecan halves, blitzed to a crumb

sea salt flakes

Heat a small knob of butter in a pan and when foaming, tip in the pecans with a pinch of sea salt flakes. Stir over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes or till toasted – you will smell them when they are ready. Tip the nuts into a bowl and leave to cool.

Here's a photo of blitzed toasted, salted pecans :

ready for the chocolate!

You'll need :

150g dark chocolate, minimum 50% cocoa solids

¼ tsp measuring spoon

a baking sheet lined with parchment

But first a quick reminder about melting chocolate.

You can melt your chocolate in a microwave – I prefer to create washing up by melting it in a large, squeaky clean glass bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. It's important that the simmering water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. It should be the steam from the water that melts the chocolate.

Resist the urge to prod and stir, leave it be. You can use a heatproof spatula when you can see that the chocolate is melting. Taking care to use oven gloves, lift the bowl onto a heat resistant non-slip mat – you may also find it useful to lay a tea towel on top of the mat so that you can dry the bowl – leave the chocolate to cool slightly.

Your chocolate choices!

Here's my usual tip at this stage – to prevent your baking parchment from sliding on to the floor glue it into place using a tiny blob of the melted chocolate in each corner of the baking sheet.

When your melted chocolate has cooled slightly, add the pecans and fold in.

Using your ¼ tsp measuring spoon place tiny blobs of the mixture onto the parchment and pop the sheet into the fridge to chill. I can hear you saying, that'll take ages – I suppose it depends on your definition of “ages”.

If you'd like to see the result of the laborious task I'm recommending, take a look :

I think it's worth the effort!

There is a “plan B”. Instead of creating the blobs tip the mixture onto your glued parchment. If you're using this plan you may need two baking sheets. As a guide I'd suggest a size 30x30cms/12x12” approximately x 2 sheets and the parchment should be a similar size. Using a palette knife divide the mixture between the two sheets and then spread it, as thinly as you can, over the parchment. It matters not if it's irregular shapes and sizes. Fridge the sheets for at least 2 hours, to cool and set properly.

Lift the parchment from the sheet and place on a large chopping board or similar surface. I used a Chef's knife to cut random shards of the mixture, as small as possible.

Alternatively you could gather up the parchment and crumple into tiny bits and pieces.

I wouldn't recommend using your hands to break up the mixture bearing in mind that the heat from your hands will cause it to warm and bend!

Have a look at the result of plan B :

The world is your ice cream here -

you could combine the blobs and the shards

As promised, here's the basic ice cream recipe :

Vanilla ice cream

Prep – 5 minutes

Total time – 5 minutes

plus freezing at least 6-8 hours

or until firm

Gives you 1.6 litres of ice cream is equal

to 18 scoops

1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk

1 x 600ml double cream

2tsp vanilla bean paste

Put the condensed milk, cream and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and using an electric hand whisk, whisk until the mixture is quite thick and stiff, like pipeable whipped cream. Fold in the chocolate dipped pecans.

At this point you need to decide on size of pots and a small individual version would be a really good idea. Here are a couple of examples :

                                       

easy peasy for serving!

the perfect treat in the perfect size pot!

Freeze for at least 6-8 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer and allow to soften for 10 minutes before serving.

Never let it be said that I don't try to think of everyone and cover every base.

One of my favourite additions to the standard vanilla ice cream is to add salted caramel sauce. Some may say it might be a step too far and they may be right, however I think it's personal choice and after all, it is meant to be a summer treat!

The fast option - use a jar of salted caramel sauce (260g) – easily available at most large supermarkets – fold into the mixture to give a marbled effect.

The “fastish” option. If you'd like to make your own salted caramel sauce here's my recipe :

Salted Caramel Sauce

110g/4oz unsalted butter

225g/8oz soft dark brown sugar

275ml/10 fl oz double cream (or whipping cream)

1½ tsp salt

Heat together the butter and sugar. When dissolved add the salt and whisk in the cream.

Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring.

One batch of the recipe produces approximately 539g of the sauce and you can portion and freeze for convenience. Yippee – more for another time!

Then there's the sprinkles.

My favourite home-made sprinkle is praline – used largely for adding to and flavouring cream, ice cream, butter cream or whatever takes your fancy. You can use it in large pieces or shards or blitzed into a coarse powder. It keeps well so long as you transfer it into an air-tight jar. Should the mood take you it can even be blitzed into a paste.

Praline

75g/3oz almonds, unblanched

75g/3oz caster sugar

Place the sugar into a frying pan (I used a pan measuring 28cms/11” in diameter) and then the almonds on top. Heat the sugar and almonds on as low a heat as possible. Resist the urge to prod/stir/mess with! Patience is eventually rewarded the sugar begins to melt and when the almonds begin to “pop”, and your sugar is a good colour - turn it out onto a non-stick sheet (or oiled slab if you want to be posh). The melting of the sugar takes approximately 20 minutes.

Leave the praline sheet where it is until it is well and truly set. You can then break it up and blitz into a coarse powder or as you wish. It's stating the obvious I know – you'll get 150g/6oz of praline.

Please note that when blitzing you will need ear plugs and warn anyone nearby that isn't totally deaf they soon will be – it's worth the noise – the result - tiny bits of twinkling toffee – the ultimate sprinkle.

For those who like to experiment :

Another miso moment, this time sweet

If you've never used sweet white miso before and want to have a go the following two recipes are a great place to start – they are both easy.

To begin, a no-churn ice cream – using sweet white miso paste – to explain, it's a Japanese seasoning – fermented soybeans with salt and koji, the resulting paste is used in savoury and sweet dishes. There are different types of miso the sweeter white version includes rice, barley and a smaller quantity of soybeans.

Here goes :

Sweet white miso ice cream

Makes 1 litre of ice cream

100g sweet white miso paste

397g tin condensed milk

300ml double cream

Combine the miso paste and condensed milk in a bowl, mix well so that it loosens. A tip – put the paste in the bowl first and then add the condensed milk gradually. If it doesn't comply then use your hand whisk until smooth. Add the cream and whisk until it begins to thicken.

Decant into suitable containers – I'd suggest you decide on portion control that suits you, so a mixture of small and medium pots. Remember you can always take out more if you need it! Freeze overnight.

Allow the ice cream to soften for 10 minutes before serving.

If you're a fan of the salted caramel flavour you'll like that sweet and salty “hit” the miso gives.

Now for the second recipe – Miso Caramel Sauce ...

You might think that there's too much miso going on here but I can assure you it works. Just think salted caramel. This recipe isn't mine but it rang a bell because of the miso ice cream I'd made back in 2019. I like recipes that fit together but that play well with other ingredients too!

Here it is :

Miso Caramel Sauce

260g dark brown sugar

250ml double cream

100g unsalted butter

2 tsp sweet white miso – saikyo

Heat the sugar, cream and butter in a small pan over a medium heat, stirring regularly. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2/3 minutes until slightly thickened. Take off the heat then stir in the miso.

Make the miso caramel up to a week in advance, chill until needed, then gently warm to a pouring consistency.

I've frozen this sauce too so another candidate for your emergency dessert stash, what's not to love.

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