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Got your own appetizer recipe you’d like to share with all our readers? You can! Just go to the Submit menu at the top of the page.
Whole Barbecued Seabass
A really simple way to barbecue a whole seabass and add a little extra flavour that really compliments it. Now all you need is the sun!
Jules and Stephen’s Seared Tuna
A recipe for seared tuna – An Oriental recipe that makes a great starter and can be made well in advance of a dinner party.
Lazy Pea Soup
A recipe for Lazy Pea Soup made with some Very Lazy Garlic. This is a great soup and perfect when you need a quick lunch, or are feeling lazy! There’s a lovely flavour of sweet peas, a hint of mint and a final taste of garlic, which makes it something special.
Easy Okonomiyaki
An easy recipe for Osaka-style Okonomiyaki, which is basically a Japanese omelette, but much tastier. The taste is pretty similar to the classic Okonomiyaki, and very much open to experimentation. You could add different meats, prawns, or make it Vegetarian.
Mussels in a white wine sauce
A quick and easy recipe for Moules Marinieres, a classic French dish. Includes tips on choosing and cleaning your mussels!
Ham & Cheese savoury pancakes
This is similar to my sweet pancake recipe, only it has the addition of buckwheat flour which gives the pancakes a richer, nutty flavour, similar to a crêpe – perfect for topping with your favourite filling, which for me is ham and cheese.
Lentil & basil savoury pate
Lentil & basil savoury pate is made from brown lentils and despite it looking somewhat bland, it screams with flavour. I wanted to share this to dispel that myth of lentils being boring veggie food for ageing hippies.
It is easy to make and full of protein and fibre. Absolutely fab on homemade crusty bread or as a sandwich filler.
Tomato soup
This is a really quick recipe for tomato soup that you can make and serve within half an hour. It’s a beautiful colour, tastes great and is healthy! There’s no need to make this more complicated than it has to be…
Mushroom and gesier bouchee
This is probably the first of several experimental recipes using gesiers – what the British call gizzards, part of the giblets that go into a good chicken stock. They are a speciality here in South West France and I have just opened a 5 kilo tin!
My neighbour taught me how to confit gesiers by salting overnight, rinsing and drying, then simmering in duck fat for ¾ hour before being packed into glass “Kilner Jars” covered with duck fat and then sterilised. They become tender and packed with flavour and can be kept in a cool place for several years.
You will frequently find them as a starter served warm on a bed of lettuce so if you see Salade de Gesiers on a menu, take the plunge, it is a delicious experience.
Chinese Lemon Chicken
An easy to follow recipe for a classic Chinese dish. Chicken pieces are battered and fried, then drizzled in a homemade tangy lemon sauce.
