9 PAGES OF TIPS AND KNOW-HOW TO GET YOU COOKING SMARTER, FASTER AND WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE

MEET OUR EXPERTS

JEN BEDLOE Food editor

SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH Deputy food editor

OLIVIA SPURRELL Cookery assistant

LUCAS HOLLWEG Chef and food writer

THANE PRINCE Food writer, cook and queen of preserving

THE GAME CHANGER p108

Use aromatic vermouth to add a layer of flavour to griddled king prawns

delicious. KITCHEN p104

Our guide will help you get to grips with preparing scallops for the barbecue

WEEKEND PROJECT p110

Ready to hit refresh? Create your very own elderflower fizz

THIS MONTH IN THE delicious. KITCHEN…

When the delicious. team test recipes they often debate the best new ways to do things as well as answering questions that arise in the test kitchen. Is venison available all year round? What’s so special about Greek feta? Which combinations of fruit and nuts give the most flavour impact to dishes? Can you use a loaf tin instead of a round cake tin? It’s the kind of information you won’t find anywhere else and it can help take your skills and knowledge to the next level

SEASONAL STAR

USE UP A GLUT OF…

SUMMER HERBS

BY THANE PRINCE

Keep enjoying summer’s bounty of flavour and aroma all year with these simple preserving ideas for herbs

HERB SUGARS Make wonderful aromatic sugars with lavender, lemon verbena, rose or thyme. Rosemary works well too, as does sage, although I find sage a little antiseptic. Pick flowers or herbs on the morning of a dry day then, in a sterilised jar, layer up the herb leaves with white sugar (there’s no need to chop the leaves). Leave for a week before using in baking.

HERB VINEGARS Vinegar also holds on to the aroma and flavour of herbs. I use a good quality mild white wine vinegar (6 per cent acidity), but cider vinegar works well too. Infuse the vinegar and chopped herbs in a sterilised bottle/jar for a week, then strain (discard the herbs). Wonderful for dressings and marinades.

VENISON

The meat of deer is lean, full of flavour and, depending on the breed it comes from, available throughout the year, wild or farmed (if buying the latter, choose deer culled from parks or reared naturally in large herds). Some cuts are best for braising and stewing (see the pot roast on p54), others for hot, fast cooking – on a barbecue, perhaps. Give these cuts a try: