It started with a text message. "Chris says can you pack a tie. You're off to a wedding or something". I looked down at the carefully packed bags at my feet and realised that 'bring a tie' actually meant 'bring a whole set of smart clothes, including shoes, not just a tie', and started to [...]
Writing about food is an odd occupation. To get it right, to write a post that really hits the mark, certain things need to line up perfectly. There has to be a decent subject, maybe a recipe that really worked, or a good angle on something or other. There has to be a little spark [...]
Most of the time, I use fairly standard cuts of meat, the usual things that you find anywhere and everywhere, but the advantage of shopping at a proper butcher's is that there'll often be some odd bits on offer. This dish revolves around one of those oddities - neck of lamb. Neck isn't used that [...]
Curries made with cream have a richer, silkier feel than those made with yoghurt. The sauce tends to be reduced so that it clings to the meat, a thick coating of intensely flavoured cream encasing chunks of tender lamb or mutton. This is a good curry for those who don't really like the fire of [...]
This version of the classic rogan josh includes ground almonds to both thicken the sauce and give it texture and substance. The curry is made with lamb or mutton shoulder, cut into one inch chunks and browned in hot oil. Before you start to brown the meat, add ten whole cloves, twelve peppercorns, one or [...]