Saturday Kitchen - Saturday Kitchens Cooking Bible: 200 Delicious Recipes Cooked in the Nations Favourite Kitchen

Contents Foreword W elcome to the Saturday Kitchen Cooking Bible ! In these pages you will find over 200 mouth-watering recipes from the last few years that have featured on the show. I have been lucky enough to present Saturday Kitchen since 2006 and in that time I have shared the hobs with hundreds of great chefs and even managed to meet some of my all-time cooking heroes along the way. The dishes in this book will give you a good flavour of the kinds of dishes we have been able to share with the viewers and their style and content should allow you to understand the passion for cooking that all of us involved in the show feel. A television show is never the work of just one man and I am merely the driver of a very well-oiled television machine. Behind the scenes there are lots of other people working hard to make the magic happen. From our incredible team of home economists, to the camera operators all the way to our egg-pun obsessed production staff.

We are a team and it is an honour and a privilege to work amongst such dedicated people. There have been so many highlights on the show but my birthday programme comes pretty close to perfection. Cooking with Alain Roux, Nathan Outlaw and Marcus Wareing with their seven Michelin stars between them made for a spectacular morning, which even ended with a car-shaped cake fresh from the kitchen at The Waterside Inn. It doesnt come any better than that! The ethos of the show is simple: the food is the star. It is this mantra that has allowed us access to some of the greatest culinary talent on the planet. Each week we aim to cook the best possible food we can while always keeping the dishes accessible and attainable to all.

This book is testament to that. The recipes in here can all be cooked at home and although some may require a little more planning than others, they all are worth the effort. People assume that I dont get nervous anymore on the show and generally thats true but there are times when even I get the odd butterfly or two, especially if I am stood next to the likes of Thomas Keller, Pierre Koffmann, Alain Roux or his dad Michel Roux Sr. I have been a fan of Thomas Kellers, in particular, since I was a student. His books and restaurants have provided me with so much inspiration over the years and when we finally convinced him to join us it was something very special indeed. I shall never forget the way he made his omelette and it has nothing to do with the fact that the show nearly crashed off the air because he took so long! Getting up close to these great chefs is one of the best bits of the show and this book is packed full of top tips and techniques from lots of our Saturday Kitchen regulars.

We have even asked everyone for their perfect five minute dessert! There are so many delicious things to try from so many top top chefs that its tricky to know where to begin, so just flick to any page and dive in. This book is very much a team effort and just like the show it is a coming together of loads of ideas and recipes from the whole culinary world. By tucking into its pages and having a go, you too can join our merry band of food heroes and put a smile on your or someone elses face when you sit down to the results. Happy cooking!

Introduction W herever possible on Saturday Kitchen, we use free-range organic chicken and eggs, higher welfare fish and meat, and the freshest seasonal ingredients (see ). As Rick Stein reminds us, There are enough fish species caught around the coasts of Britain for us to eat a different kind every week of the year. And, of course, the more we experiment with new types of fish, the more sustainable our fish eating becomes.

When it comes to cooking meat, theres something for every occasion, from Thomas Kellers extraordinary roast chicken (see ). Whatever you choose, make sure you buy the best meat you can afford, from a trusted source. As James Martin explains: It helps to make friends with your butcher as it is he who decides where your meat comes from, how it was reared and slaughtered, how long it was hung for and what cuts to select: and all those things add up to good-quality meat. With beef especially you get what you pay for. British-reared breeds such as Aberdeen Angus, Longhorn and Hereford are considered to be among the best in the world. And wagyu beef (see ), which originated in Japan, has become the last word in luxury.

Dont be afraid to use cheaper cuts of meat for stews, soups or curries thigh, belly, tongue, cheek and oxtail all make for an excellent flavoured dish when they are cooked slow and long. Store cupboard secrets Cunning store cupboard standbys mean you can throw together a feast at a moments notice. And you dont have to go shopping for every meal. With this in mind, we asked the Saturday Kitchen brigade for the food products theyre never without. Included in this list are all the good, basic ingredients that pop up throughout this book, alongside some guilty pleasures, like Rick Steins instant Aromat seasoning and Michel Rouxs shop-bought pastry. Happily, it turns out, even top chefs cheat when cooking at home! Dried pasta The ultimate store cupboard staple.

Barilla and De Cecco are good brands, says Angela Hartnett, offering a whole range of pasta shapes and flours (for when you fancy making your own pasta). Fish sauce It works with everything, according to Ken Hom. Fresh herbs Basil, mint, chives and flat-leaf parsley can all be grown from seed in a windowbox and harvested as and when they are needed. For a homemade high-end garnish you can grow coriander cress very easily, says Vivek Singh. Simply soak coriander seeds overnight, lay them on a kitchen towel and allow to sprout. As tender green shoots begin to come out, they become coriander cress.

Japanese panko breadcrumbs Low cal, low salt, lighter than traditional Western breadcrumbs, they coat food in a delicate, crispy sheath, while allowing the flavours within to shine. Ketchup Great to use as a seasoning, suggests Michel Roux Jr. Knorr Aromat Seasoning This is what I call a proper cheat ingredient, declares Rick Stein of Knorrs bright yellow, powdered blend of herbs and spices. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce A British culinary classic that gives a brilliant lift to leftovers, stocks, sauces and cocktails, Tom Kitchin Miso paste Wonderful as part of a marinade for meat, good in dressings and to add umami base flavours to soups and stews, Henry Dimbleby. Mustard Colmans is best in sauces, or fantastic smeared on top of a pork pie or sausage roll, Tom Kerridge. Sea salt and whole black peppercorns Judicious seasoning will make a dish.

The chefs favourite is Maldon sea salt, which has a wonderful texture and taste. Shop-bought pastry Perfect for stress-free, speedy desserts. As Michel Roux puts it: Entertaining at home is not a competition! Spices When it comes to adding flavour, colour and aroma, spices are the easiest way to make food exciting. Vivek Singh has the following tips for spicing up your kitchen: 1. Dont buy spices in bulk; buy what you can use in 2 or 3 months, no more. 2.