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00:01Cook, Eat, Repeat is frankly the story of my life.
00:06Food is more than just sustenance.
00:09It brings such joy,
00:11and it has the power to make a real difference every single day.
00:15The recipes in Cook, Eat, Repeat are ones I return to again and again.
00:21So gorgeous.
00:25They're all part of the rhythms and rituals of my kitchen.
00:31Food to brighten up even the darkest day.
00:35And luxuriate in my favourite ingredients.
00:39This is bowl food at its best.
00:43In dishes that just say, home to me.
00:48We all know that cooking can be a balm in troubled times.
00:52But more, I believe that the kitchen can be both a sanctuary and a pleasure palace.
00:58And that's something I am more than happy to celebrate repeatedly.
01:31Music
01:33I am pleased to become heavily involved in sourdough.
01:36And then I remind myself, a sourdough starter needs so much attention.
01:42I mean, it's a creature to be kept alive, like a baby.
01:45And I've done that.
01:46And gratefully, I am not ready for the commitment again.
01:50Besides, you know, sometimes I just want an old fashioned sandwich loaf, soft and squidgy like this one.
01:59It also happens to make the best toast in the world.
02:04In fact, when I think of toast, the bubble I have above my head is exactly of this.
02:11Well, nearly exactly, because I favour the two-stage buttering approach.
02:17And so far, only stage one has taken place.
02:21And that's to say, the minute this came out of the toaster and still lovely and hot,
02:25I spread it with butter so that the butter has melted down into it.
02:30And it'll give it a fabulous, crumpety bite.
02:33Stage two now, ready for it.
02:36I need a little more butter.
02:41And it will stay in some golden patches on the surface.
02:49It's unsalted butter, which I always prefer to use.
02:53But what I need to do is sprinkle some sea salt flakes over.
03:02This is the platonic ideal of toast.
03:09My old fashioned sandwich loaf is relaxingly simple to make.
03:14First, you need 500 grams of strong white bread flour.
03:22So that's my flour.
03:24And on top of that, I want a couple of teaspoons of fine sea salt, just regular salt.
03:35And two teaspoons of caster sugar.
03:44And now, the yeast.
03:47You can use a sachet of instant yeast, and that's two and a half teaspoons,
03:51or I should actually be weighing it, about seven grams.
04:02So that's the dry ingredients, and now the wet.
04:06Now, I adapted this recipe from a fabulous Dan Leopard one,
04:10which uses sour cream.
04:12And I was in emergencies, and I had some spoiled milk, which works wonderfully.
04:20125 mils.
04:22And to that, I want 150 mils of cold water.
04:31And 100 mils of boiling water from a kettle, recently boiled.
04:40And 45 grams, about three tablespoons, of soft unsalted butter.
04:47I add the butter to make up for the fat of sour cream.
04:52And it's the fat that makes this loaf so lusciously soft.
04:57You can use anything to stir this together.
05:00I like a Danish dough whisk.
05:06So the wet ingredients into the dry.
05:10Just stirring until I've got a rough ball of dough.
05:18Which it will do any second now.
05:21Look.
05:30And that's all that needs doing at the moment.
05:33I mean, not that this is exactly a strenuous activity throughout.
05:37So I'm going to cover it, and let it have a nice rest for ten minutes.
05:42And after this time, the dough and I are ready to move on to the next stage.
05:52I am creating a kneading surface.
05:57Just using some vegetable oil.
06:00Just smoothing it out.
06:02Oh, every bit of this recipe is a sensory delight.
06:08I should say that I haven't actually worn this shower cap.
06:12It's just a very useful way of covering dough.
06:15Especially if you make bread a lot.
06:17This has had its ten minutes.
06:19And now, I wish it were going to be longer.
06:22It has ten seconds of kneading.
06:29You can knead any way you want.
06:31It's kind of personal.
06:33I like to push away with the heel of my hand.
06:36And bring back with my fingers, really.
06:40And it's so wonderful.
06:41I can't bear it that I'm only meant to do it for ten seconds.
06:44Right.
06:45It's already a bit smoother.
06:46Can you see?
06:47And this goes back in the bowl for ten minutes.
06:50And then I repeat the ten-second kneading at ten-minute intervals twice.
07:00After the third knead, I put the now smooth dough back in the bowl for an hour.
07:09Until it's at least doubled in size.
07:13Then I pat it out into a puffy mattress about two centimeters thick.
07:19And roll it into a scroll, which I tenderly place seam-side down in a lined and buttered two-pound
07:27loaf tin.
07:28Where I leave it for another hour.
07:32Then I dust with flour and bake it for 45 minutes in a 200 degrees Celsius oven.
07:39Or 180 if using the fan.
07:43Until cooked through with a golden crust.
08:04It's not only about the toast.
08:06This gorgeous loaf is also, as its name suggests, a sandwich maker supreme.
08:15There are three words, such important words, that when I hear them, my pulse quickens and my heart gladdens.
08:25And they are, of course, fried chicken sandwich.
08:31Such a wonderful thing.
08:34And the chicken is only one part of the equation.
08:37Because when it comes to sandwiches, the condiment is queen.
08:43So where should I start?
08:45It has to be gherkins, I think.
08:46I couldn't do without gherkins.
08:48I know it's very personal how you make a sandwich.
08:51This is my way.
08:52Now, I'm going to cut them lengthways into very thin tongues.
08:57So I get that whisper of acidity equally distributed in every bite.
09:04And kimchi.
09:06Now, this is a late addition, really, to my chicken sandwich.
09:09Kimchi is fermented cabbage.
09:12It's like Korean sauerkraut, in a manner of speaking.
09:16And what this brings is both added crunch, but also a sort of funky sourness that becomes absolutely addictive.
09:27But not just acidity needed, because what we also need, I always need, is heat.
09:33And for this, I want some smoked hot paprika.
09:37And as ever, I'm back for that Chinese condiment of condiments, crispy chilli oil.
09:46I'm going to park the condiments just for a moment.
09:51I've got a chicken to fry.
09:59Well, I don't have a chicken to fry.
10:01I've got a chicken thigh to fry.
10:03And that's what makes this so, kind of, doable.
10:07Well, deep frying is never relaxing, but I like that bit of frisson sphere.
10:11But one chicken thigh is very easy to do.
10:18The first thing I'm going to do is make a marinade for the chicken.
10:23I'm using kefir.
10:25I think it's meant to be kefir, which is sort of cultured milk.
10:30You can use buttermilk or plain yoghurt.
10:35Into that goes a fat clothe of garlic.
10:41I want this to have a bit of punch.
10:45Right, my Jailer's spoons.
10:51First, salt, always important.
10:57Ah, now the hot smoked paprika, which really is smoky.
11:02Bit of fireside warmth.
11:08Maybe a bit more than warmth.
11:16Dijon.
11:23Beautiful amber maple syrup.
11:26Teeny bit.
11:38And a bit of lemon.
11:39I mean, the kefir is quite tangy anyway, but I love adding a bit more lemon.
11:51It's all ready for the chicken.
11:54I use a skinless bone chicken thigh, which is just perfect for one person.
12:01And it fries quickly because it sort of opens out a bit, as you can almost see at this stage.
12:08And obviously, before the chicken goes in the oil, it does have to have a wonderful crunchy coating.
12:15And that comes simply from flour.
12:28Hot smoked paprika again.
12:34And some salt.
12:37There is quite a lot of flour, but I want a very, very crunchy coating.
12:46There we are, my little chickadee.
12:49What makes this chicken so crunchy on the outside is getting a good shaggy coating of flour.
12:58And that means double dredging.
13:02I'm trying to be patient.
13:04I'm getting hungrier.
13:08Every last bit.
13:12And I think we are ready to fry.
13:19That's the right noise.
13:22So I reckon it'll need about three minutes a side at 180.
13:29This is just about as low stress as deep frying ever can be.
13:34One pan.
13:36One chicken thigh.
13:37Easy.
13:42Look at this beauty.
13:44Look at it. So golden brown.
13:47And that wonderful craggy carapace.
13:50That's what's going to give me crunch.
13:52I'm going to let it stand for a bit on the kitchen paper because I have learnt the hard way.
13:58I nearly always burn my mouth.
14:00And that just ruins everything.
14:02I love the building of a sandwich.
14:09First layer has to be mayo.
14:13This is garlic mayo.
14:14And in it, the crispy chilli oil.
14:20And a teeny bit of honey.
14:22It just balances it.
14:31Slather city.
14:37Iceberg has to be.
14:39Iceberg has to be.
14:40When you want crunch, you want iceberg.
14:43So, on top of the iceberg, the chicken.
14:48All that talk about my gherkin earlier.
14:52But I haven't sliced it yet.
15:03And the kimchi.
15:05A slight ceremonial hush has fallen over me.
15:09It's partly just the anticipation of biting into this.
15:15And I'm never without my pink pickled onions.
15:18Lovely and mild.
15:21And beautiful.
15:23Okay, roof on.
15:30I'm going in.
15:36Ah, that sound.
15:38See?
15:39I know that's going to be good.
15:45It's hot.
15:46But not too hot, I think.
15:50Mmm.
15:53Mmm.
15:58Bye.
16:01This is so delicious.
16:18My fear-free fish stew, followed by cheesecake ice cream with a fiery flourish, is a favourite double bill of
16:27mine.
16:27I mean, both recipes are relaxingly low effort.
16:31But what you end up with is a smile-inducing treat of a dinner.
16:38This ice cream is a breeze to make.
16:42I start off with 250ml of double cream, to which I add half a tin, 175g to be precise, of
16:52condensed milk,
16:53and whisk both together until airily voluminous.
17:02Then I beat in one and a half tablespoons of lemon juice.
17:09Then the same of lime.
17:12And finally, oh joy of joys, three tablespoons of that retro-classic liqueur, Advocat.
17:33No churning required, just fill it up and freeze till needed.
17:46With part of my pudding underway, I begin my fish stew by cutting a sweet potato into small dice and
17:54chopping an onion.
17:56This is the kind of cooking that really helps me unwind.
18:00A bit of contemplative chopping at the beginning, and then nothing more than a bit of stove-side stirring.
18:08Plus the prospect of a fabulous dinner.
18:13It starts with a little olive oil, nothing fancy, not extra virgin olive oil.
18:20In go the onions.
18:24I'm going to try and cook them fairly low, so they really become sweet and soft, and sort of add
18:32body to the stew.
18:35I call this my fear-free fish stew, because I do think that cooking fish can be frightening.
18:42You feel like you've got one point in the whole cooking process to get it right.
18:47And then if it's overcooked, it's such a waste.
18:50So I cook the sauce, and then I just have to drop the fish in at the last moment, and
18:55it cooks gently.
18:56It won't overcook, and it turns it from being stressful to being like the most relaxing thing I can think
19:03of cooking.
19:08While those cook gently, aha, coriander.
19:12I'm using, first of all, the stems.
19:16Because if the stems are tender, you can use them, you get another layer of flavour, and you're not wasting
19:23them.
19:27And since I'm waiting for the onions, I'm going to get my spices together.
19:32So, some ground cumin.
19:37And then going on to a bit of ground ginger.
19:40Warmth, a lot of warmth here.
19:42And then some turmeric, which apart from giving that gorgeous golden colour, also gives a slightly sharp edge.
19:54And, of course, heat.
19:56Hot smoked paprika.
20:00And this may sound a bit odd, but just a bit of cinnamon.
20:04And some mace.
20:06God, I think mace is so underused.
20:09It comes from, what is it, like the overcoat on nutmeg.
20:13So, it has some of that cosiness of nutmeg, but it's much more lemony.
20:18Very beautiful colours.
20:21It's like an artist's palette, really.
20:25See, look, the onions have really softened, beginning to go pale gold and caramelly.
20:33First thing I need to add, some orange zest.
20:38Just seems to make everything sing.
20:48Now for my chopped coriander stalks, which hit the pan fragrantly.
20:56Then I grate in garlic.
21:07Followed by ginger, stirring everything together.
21:20I've lost my aromatics.
21:24A beautiful bowl of spices.
21:31And I have, I know, cut the sweet potatoes a bit like dolly mixtures, but it's for a reason.
21:38I want the sweetness, but I also want them to add body and thicken the sauce.
21:47They also really temper the acidity of the tomatoes and, you know, cooking life, everything balance.
22:02I half fill the empty tomato tins with cold water and swill them out into the pan.
22:08I don't want to waste even a bit of flavour.
22:15I add a little tomato puree for depth.
22:19Followed by a glinting drizzle of honey.
22:24Then I squeeze in half my zested orange.
22:31And sprinkle in salt.
22:33Generous with salt.
22:35The tomatoes really need it.
22:38Don't be timid.
22:39This is a fear-free fish stew.
22:41Be bold with your seasoning.
22:45Now that it's beginning to bubble, all I have to do is let it simmer covered gently until the flavours
22:52have really mellowed and the sweet potatoes are soft.
22:58You can use any firm white fish for this, and I've got here a beautiful piece of cod, which I
23:05cut into bite-sized pieces, then drop into the simmering sauce.
23:11The key to keeping the fish lusciously tender is to cook it gently with a lid on for three to
23:17five minutes before leaving the pan to stand uncovered and off the heat for a couple more.
23:28I absolutely love the drama of black venus rice with this.
23:33And it's easy enough to cook in a saucepan.
23:35In fact, you can cook it like pasta.
23:37As you can see, I have gone the rice cooker route.
23:40ached cake musIGHta- it was toxic.
23:48Ready to glow in a leaf?
23:50Perfect.
23:55The fish look so tender.
24:01It's luscious.
24:10Okay, I'm being greedy, it's too much
24:12Oh dear
24:19I feel suffused with calm
24:22And I haven't even started eating it yet
24:50I know I'm irredeemably camp
24:54But every now and then I am filled with the deep need to make Cherries Jubilee
24:59And this, it would appear, is one of those times
25:04So I have the cherries frozen
25:08And some lemon juice
25:11In the 50s in America, because I'm something of an obsessive about old menus
25:16Cherries Jubilee was the great dessert
25:21But in fact, it's more retro than that
25:25It was invented, created I should say
25:28By Escoffier for Queen Victoria
25:31Either her golden jubilee or a diamond one
25:33No one can quite agree
25:35So that's either 1887 or 1897
25:42It really makes fruit sing
25:45A bit of lemon juice
25:46And sugar, which is not really so much to sweeten the cherries
25:52It's to help make a little light syrup
25:55I want them to cook just enough so they've mostly thawed
25:59And I prefer cooking them from frozen
26:02Not just thawing them out on the counter
26:06I'm a great fan of them
26:09I keep a stash of frozen cherries in the freezer
26:11And I must tell you, they make an excellent crumble as well
26:16Right
26:17Just, I think, about three minutes with a lid on
26:21About low, medium low
26:24Just to help them on their way
26:27And I have some ice cream to get
26:32Although I have to say, ice cream wasn't a feature of the original cherries Jubilee
26:38It just came in, I think, sometime in the 50s
26:44Perfect
26:45They're wonderfully hot now
26:47They've given out most of their glossy garnet juices
26:51Right
26:52We're ready
26:54I've got some kirsch
26:57Cherry liqueur
26:58Well, cherry fire water
27:02Flame off
27:03A moment
27:06Don't go anywhere
27:15After the fear-free stew
27:17Just a little excitement
27:18Of a culinary conflagration
27:26Right
27:27Lights on
27:30We've had
27:31Our after-dinner drama
27:33So
27:34Get the cherries
27:36In their bowl
27:44I have my glass ready
27:47My coupe
27:47No less
27:50I'm going to try and scoop out this ice cream
27:53As best I can
27:57This is such a smooth ice cream
28:00This cheesecake ice cream
28:01It's heaven
28:06Spoon some of the cherries over
28:08Baby
28:09Baby
28:11Oh baby
28:11I love to call you baby
28:15Baby
28:17Oh
28:18Look, I know it's a bit kitsch
28:20But it's also beautiful
28:22And it tastes wonderful
28:25So I'm happy
28:26Baby
28:27Oh baby
28:28You are so good to me, baby
28:32Just one look in your eyes
28:36Just one look in your eyes
28:37And my temperature goes sky high
28:41You know you make wrong things right
28:45And I can't stop loving you
28:50And I won't stop calling you
28:54Baby
28:55Baby
28:56Oh baby
28:59He's so sweet
29:02He's mine
29:03Baby
29:04Baby
29:05Why, baby
29:07I like it
29:08I like it
29:09I like you calling