Jordan Bourke - Britains Best Home Cook

Ill be completely honest: they had me at Mary. That was all it took. I didnt ask if it was a programme about the history of the avocado (I would totally do that) or the new way to cut kiwi fruit (maybe less so), but I was in. Mary is our absolute favourite at home; we never miss one of her shows. My sister is her biggest fan and was cooking her recipes thirty years ago.

Britains Best Home Cook follows our three masterful judges Mary, the absolute expert on home cooking; Dan, edible and unbelievably talented chef; and Chris, adorable and quite simply the king of all produce as they set brilliant cooking tasks for our ten fantastic cooks.

Im going to be frank here. I thought home cooking was making toast and heating soup. Thats, um, my forte, you see. I thought it might be have a couple of hours to try and make a terrific egg sandwich and then well all have a bite and relax. Thats what Id assumed. Thats what was in my head.

Instead, these magnificent ten blew my tiny mind. They made dishes that were so delicious I sometimes had to have a lie-down. I chased them round the studio asking for recipes. (Fortunately, with this handy cookbook, you dont have to do that.) Unlike other shows, there was nothing fancy asked of them, nothing was served with a jus (still not sure what that is). Instead, our cooks took extremely humble ingredients and, with masterly skills, turned them into, quite simply, the tastiest food Ive ever had. Some cod and some cumin? Make a great dish out of an aubergine? I was gobsmacked by the meals they produced.

We really hope you like this book. The recipes are easy (and if Im saying that, it means something) and freakishly yummy. If you dont like anything, please call me and we can discuss. I live with Mary now; well be happy to drop by.

Claudia Winkleman

The BBC series Britains Best Home Cook is a celebration of the delicious food being cooked in households all over the UK today. There has never been a more exciting time to be a home cook, with superb-quality ingredients available everywhere, from delis and superstores to local markets and farm-to-fork delivery services. We all have our family favourites dishes that remind us of home, meals we share with loved ones, classics we return to again and again, and recipes we hand down the generations. Britains home cooks are inventive and inspiring and Britains Best Home Cook sets out to test the best.

This official book to accompany the BBC show brings together the most outstanding recipes from the series, with a collection of appetising and inspiring dishes with modern twists to go alongside. The imagination and culinary flair that went into the food created by the ten contestants was remarkable, demonstrating the immense talent of these cooks, who gave us their personal takes on well-loved dishes, celebrating their own cultural identities and backgrounds a true representation of modern Britain.

The recipes accompanied by a Best of Home Cook pot motif were selected to be featured from the show. Some recipes were adapted and simplified to make them accessible for cooks with the most basic kitchen equipment, to ensure fantastic results. All the recipes were tested and checked with the home cook in mind, ensuring that they are practical and achievable for everyone, and use ingredients that are readily available. Where a more unusual ingredient is integral to the dish, I have suggested alternatives that are easier to find, while staying true to the original contestant recipe. Tips are included throughout the book to give you ideas for easy variations or how to make a recipe vegetarian or vegan, so you can truly make each dish your own.

Britains Best Home Cook is the ultimate British cooking companion, giving you the tools and knowledge to make timeless, delicious food at home with classics such as , youll find them here.

I hope Britains Best Home Cook inspires you to get into the kitchen, even if youve never cooked a meal from scratch before (classic would be a great place to start). Its easy to get into a rut with cooking and find oneself making the same few meals again and again, but I hope the BBC series and this book will encourage you to mix up your home cooking and try out new dishes. Cooking and eating together are truly among lifes great pleasures. And theres nothing like trying a new dish to get conversation going around the family kitchen table!

Britains Best Home Cook is a book you will return to day after day, whether you are looking for a light soup or salad, a fiery curry, a hearty pie or some comforting pasta. There are sweet tarts, indulgent puddings and impress-your-friends cakes something for every mood and occasion. So, if youve seen something on the show that inspires you, look it up and get into the kitchen!

Jordan Bourke

A classic start to a leisurely weekend morning: it is hard to beat poached eggs and asparagus bathed in hollandaise sauce.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

VEGETARIAN

150g (5oz) asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off

2 eggs

2 slices of sourdough bread

salted butter

sea salt and black pepper

2 egg yolks

120g (4oz) unsalted butter, diced

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp cold water

a few ice cubes (optional)

1. For the hollandaise, put the egg yolks, butter, lemon juice and water into a heavy-based pan and place over the lowest possible heat. If you do not have a heavy-based pan, put the ingredients in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl does not come into contact with the water. Using a balloon whisk, immediately begin whisking until the butter has melted and has combined with the egg yolks and liquid. Do not increase the heat or stop whisking at any point, and make sure the sides of your pan are never too hot to touch.