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Hold on, don’t chuck out your chip pan just yet. Every so often, it’s the only thing that will hit the spot

Fried food has had a bad rap. To hear some, you’d think the frying pan was the source of all earthly evils – or at least dietary problems. And if you can get past that, there are those who fear they can’t rustle up a plate of chips without setting fire to the house. Today, I’m flying in the face of fears and fashion – and giving you my favourite deep-fried treats. I don’t advocate you eat them every day, but once in a while the lure of a crisp, golden coating is too strong to resist.

You don’t need a deep-fat fryer, just a large, deep saucepan and a frying basket or a “spider” spatula (the type that has a wide, flattish basket at the end). A cooking thermometer would be handy, too, but if you don’t have one, there’s a simple temperature test – a cube of white bread browns in 60 seconds at 160C, 40 seconds at 180C and 20 seconds at 190C. And just in case, check the batteries in your smoke detector.

When it comes to selecting oils, a high smoke point is what you want. No extra-virgin – it’s too delicate, and burns. Most of the time I use sunflower or groundnut, though rapeseed works well for croquetas.

Before starting, make sure the oil doesn’t come more than a third of the way up the sides of the pan – adding moist food to hot oil makes it bubble fiercely, so give it room. And fry in small batches – throwing in too much at once makes the temperature drop dramatically so the food absorbs too much oil and becomes soggy. And we’re not interested in soggy. Crisp is what we’re after. Here, have a chip…

Churros

Dusting the churros with a little cinnamon as well as sugar isn’t strictly traditional, but it does taste good. Serve your churros with cups of hot chocolate thickened with a little cornflour. Serves four.

120g butter
A pinch of salt
130g plain flour, sifted
½ tsp baking powder
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

To make the dough, put 250ml water, the butter and salt into a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and beat in the flour and baking powder. Stir vigorously until the batter pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball – about a minute. Remove from heat, beat in the eggs until smooth, then leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Prepare to fry the churros by heating 4cm oil in a deep pan to 160C/325F.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large, star-shaped tip. Squeeze 8cm strips of dough into the hot oil. Fry four strips at a time until golden brown, turning once – about two minutes on each side – then drain on kitchen paper. Mix the sugar and the cinnamon, if using, and toss the churros in the mixture while still warm. Serve immediately.

Proper chips

If you need to, do the first frying a few hours in advance and finish off with a final fry when you’re ready to serve them. Serves four.

4 large, floury potatoes – Maris Piper, King Edward or Desiree
At least 2 litres of groundnut or vegetable oil, for deep frying
Flaky sea salt

Peel the potatoes and cut them into fairly thin chips. Put them in a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove some of the starch, then drain and pat dry on a tea towel.

Pour the oil into a deep-fat fryer or large, deep pan – it should come no more than about a third of the way up the pan. Heat to 140C/275F. Put a batch of chips into a frying basket and carefully lower them into the hot oil. Fry for five minutes, until the chips have softened but are still floppy and not coloured. Remove from the pan and drain well on kitchen paper. Fry the rest of the batch the same way.

When you’re ready to serve, reheat the fat to 190C/375F on a cooking thermometer and fry the chips, again in batches, until crisp and golden. This should take only about two minutes. Drain well on kitchen paper, sprinkle with sea salt and place in a serving dish in a low oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.

Croquetas

A good way of using up leftover ham or roast chicken, and a delicious starter or nibble. Makes 12-14.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
375ml whole milk
130g cooked ham or chicken, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few gratings of nutmeg, optional
2 eggs
100g fine white breadcrumbs
Olive oil (not extra-virgin) or rapeseed oil, for frying

Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir for a couple of minutes. Warm the milk in a separate pan and pour into the onion, stirring as you go. Cook slowly, stirring, until the sauce thickens – about three or four minutes – then add the ham or chicken. Continue to cook, stirring, until the béchamel is quite thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan as you stir, about eight minutes. Taste and season (if using ham, add a few gratings of nutmeg, too).

Pour the béchamel into a shallow dish. When cold, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for three hours or overnight.

Use two teaspoons to shape the batter into ovals about the size of large walnuts. Arrange a bowl of lightly beaten egg and another of breadcrumbs, and dip a croqueta first into the egg and then roll it in the breadcrumbs, covering the whole surface. If you want them extra crisp, dip and roll them twice.

Transfer to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter. Chill for a couple of hours, or up to 24 hours.

Pour the oil into a heavy saucepan to a depth of 5cm and heat until it reads 180C/350F on a thermometer. Fry the croquetas three or four at a time until golden on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Continue until all the croquetas are cooked. Serve hot or warm.

Chorizo scotch eggs

A great twist on an old favourite. Makes six.

For the chorizo
600g minced pork
2 tsp each finely chopped thyme, sage, chives and parsley
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tsp hot smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp red wine
Freshly ground black pepper
Plus…
7-8 eggs, room temperature
Plain flour, for dusting and coating
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A couple of handfuls of fine white breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil, for frying

Mix together all the ingredients for the chorizo, cover and refrigerate overnight. Divide the mixture into six, place a piece between two sheets of baking parchment and press with the bottom of a pan until it’s about 5-7mm thick. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and chill for 30 minutes.

Boil six of the eggs (reserve one or two for the coating) for seven minutes, drain and cool under the cold tap. Shell the eggs. Lay out a bowl containing flour seasoned with salt and pepper, the chorizo mixture, a bowl of beaten egg and a bowl of breadcrumbs. Coat each egg with seasoned flour, then place it in the centre of a flattened piece of chorizo mix and carefully gather up the meat, pressing it firmly between your palms to wrap and cover the egg completely. Seal the joins well. Next, dip it in beaten egg and roll it in breadcrumbs until it is completely covered. To give an extra crisp coating, repeat the process, though you will need to use an extra, lightly beaten egg. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Heat about 5cm of oil in a deep pan up to a temperature of 180C. Carefully lower the eggs into the oil and fry for six to eight minutes, turning frequently, until they are a nice brown colour. Drain on kitchen paper.

• Learn new skills on River Cottage’s four-day cookery courses; go to rivercottage.net for details.

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Pep up your cooking in these last days of winter with a scattering of dried fruit here and there. And please, try to buy Fairtrade

As primates, I reckon we’re pretty much hard-wired to yearn for fruit whatever the season. Call me demanding, but I need more than apples and pears to keep me going until the first gooseberry of summer, which is why I grab the year’s earliest sticks of forced rhubarb (the vegetable that thinks it’s a fruit) like a man possessed. Even so, I long for greater variety.

And that’s when I reach for dried fruit. Fat raisins, plump apricots and perfumed mangoes add a fruity lift to compotes, tea breads, cakes and muesli. And in savoury dishes, too – apricots add a juicy tang to tagines, stuffings and pilafs; raisins are delicious sautéed with radicchio in a winter salad or in a piquant pasta sauce with capers and pine nuts; and dried mango makes a great chutney.

Of course, all these ingredients are “exotic”, the very opposite of local, so are hardly stand-bys of the River Cottage repertoire, which is why we give a little thought to their sourcing. Fairtrade Fortnight starts a week on Monday, and provides a good opportunity to reflect on where our food comes from, how it’s produced and by whom. The power of the shopping basket is mighty – in 1999 we spent £21m on Fairtrade products; in 2009 it was £799m. This is a growing movement that makes a real difference to some of the world’s poorest farming communities. In all, around 7.5 million people from 58 developing countries – farmers, their families and communities – benefit from the Fairtrade system.

I know there are some who criticise Fairtrade, and I’ve heard all the arguments about protectionism ad nauseam, but the fact is, traditional trading arrangements push some of the poorest communities on our planet to the brink of destitution. And that is an irrefutable argument for change, for a fairer deal and for trading structures that encourage and foster sustainable development.

So I hope you choose Fairtrade dried fruit when shopping for today’s recipes. There’s a hearteningly wide range available, but if you have trouble tracking them down, tropicalwholefoods.com does a great range by mail order.

Dried fruit compote

This makes a great breakfast with thick, Greek-style yoghurt. It keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. This makes enough for eight to 10 servings.

200g dried apricots
200g dried mangoes
100g raisins
150ml freshly squeezed orange juice
80g honey
Zest of 1 lemon, pared with vegetable peeler
Zest of ½ orange, pared with vegetable peeler
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 star anise (optional)
Thick yoghurt, to serve

Pour 500ml warm water into a large bowl, tip in the dried fruit and leave to soak for an hour.

Pour 500ml water into a large saucepan along with the orange juice, honey, lemon and orange zest, cinnamon, cloves and star anise (if using). Bring to a boil, then add the fruit and its soaking liquid. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has softened and the liquid has thickened slightly. Serve warm or cold, with a big dollop of thick yoghurt.

Raisin pie

You can give this homely, delicious pie a decadent kick by soaking the raisins in a slug of rum or brandy, draining and adding them to the filling. Serves six to eight.

For the pastry
225g plain flour
A pinch of salt
150g chilled butter, cut into cubes
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg yolk

For the filling
4 eggs, slightly beaten
380ml sour cream
200g caster sugar, plus a little extra
Juice of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of ½ orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
200g raisins

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mix resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Whisk the egg yolk with three tablespoons of chilled water, sprinkle over the flour and mix in with a knife. Knead very gently into a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out two-thirds of the dough and use it to line a 22cm x 4cm pie dish. Chill for 15 minutes. Keep the remaining dough in clingfilm.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs. (Set aside a tablespoon’s worth for glazing the top of the pie.) Now whisk them with sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and zest, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Stir in the raisins. Roll out the remaining dough into a circle large enough to cover the pie. Pour the filling into the pie, cover with the lid, seal the edges and trim with a sharp knife.

Beat together the reserved egg and a tablespoon of water, and brush this over the top of the pie. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and bake for a further 10-15 minutes – the middle will still wobble a bit as the custardy filling thickens up as it cools. Serve just warm or cold.

Amaretti biscuits

Crisp on the outside and chewy in the centre, these are addictively good and very easy. Makes about 16.

180g apricot kernels (or use ground almonds)
100g caster sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp almond extract
1 pinch salt
2 egg whites
1 tbsp runny honey
50g flaked almonds
Icing sugar

Heat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.

Grind the apricot kernels to a fine meal in a food processor or clean coffee mill, then mix with the caster sugar, lemon zest, almond extract and salt in a bowl, ensuring the zest and extract are evenly distributed.

Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form, then whisk in the honey. With a large metal spoon, gently fold the meringue into the kernel mixture until you have a soft dough. Roll the dough into balls the size of large walnuts, flatten each ball a little, then roll in flaked almonds. Finally, roll them in icing sugar.

Place the biscuits on the baking tray and bake for 14-18 minutes – they should turn a very light golden colour and remain soft and chewy in the centre. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then store in a sealed jar or tin.

Dried mango chutney

Dried fruit makes a delicious chutney and is a terrific stand-by when fresh fruit is in short supply. Makes five 240ml jars.

500g dried mango slices (roughly chopped, if on the large side)
4 onions, peeled and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
250g raisins
350g light muscovado sugar
1 tbsp mustard seeds
2 small red chillies, halved, membranes removed, finely diced
500ml cider vinegar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 small orange
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin

Put the mango slices in a bowl, pour over 1.5 litres of water, cover and leave to soak overnight.

Tip the mangoes and their soaking water into a large, stainless-steel saucepan or preserving pan. Add all the other ingredients and, over a low heat, stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring up to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour and a half. You should stir the mixture frequently, particularly towards the end of the cooking time, to ensure it doesn’t stick – it’s done when a spoon drawn through the centre of the chutney leaves a clear line for a second or two before the chutney comes back together.

Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal with vinegar-proof lids. Store in a cool, dry place and leave to mature for eight weeks before using. Use within two years.

• Learn new skills on River Cottage’s four-day cookery courses; go to rivercottage.net for details.

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The differences between organic and conventionally farmed pork are about a whole lot more than just taste

If there’s one thing I find almost as tiresome as climate change deniers, it’s organic bashers. “It’s cruel, it is. They’re not allowed to treat animals even when they’re sick, except with herbs and that. And the animals are forced to stay outside, even when it’s snowing. My mate’s friend lives near an organic pig farm, and he says it’s a scandal the way they treat their animals ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì they’re wandering about outside, covered in mud and everything?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?Ǭ¶”

It’s all bollocks, of course. And in case you’re ever on the receiving end of this kind of ignorant rant, allow me to clarify. Almost all the same veterinary interventions are available to organic farmers as to conventional ones. What doesn’t happen often ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì because it isn’t usually necessary in the natural, extensively outdoor environment of organic farming ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì is the automatic dosing of whole flocks and herds with strong prophylactic antibiotics and other drugs. Rather, the animals are treated according to their needs and symptoms. Having said that, if an organic farmer has a persistent worm problem in his sheep, say, he may decide to treat the entire flock, but they will then not be allowed to go to slaughter for three times longer than in conventional farming. This is an extra precaution to ensure that the medicines involved do not enter the human food chain.

Given concerns about the possible long-term effects of agricultural antibiotics in our meat (not to mention chemical pesticide residues in fruit and veg), it’s hardly surprising so many of us buy organic these days, though the argument over whether organic ingredients “taste better” or “are healthier” is so often poorly expressed (on both sides, to be fair). The issues for me are animal welfare (organic standards are the highest we have), chemical residues (almost nonexistent in organic produce) and the protection of our environment (land under organic, chemical-free cultivation is the only insurance we have against the polluting, soil-degrading effects of industrially produced agrochemicals).

Of course, farming organically doesn’t make you a good farmer or a good stockman any more than farming conventionally makes you a bad one. You can be incompetent within either system. But what’s vital about organic farming ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì and especially the Soil Association certification system that upholds it ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì is that it gives us one of the very few food labels that actually mean anything. And that’s why I’m proud to support Organic Fortnight, which began yesterday. For me, now’s a good time to restate my commitment to this massively important approach to growing our food, and to acknowledge and applaud the fantastic work done over the last 15 years by the Soil Association’s director Patrick Holden, who steps down later this year.

I’d urge you to go to one of the events (especially the Organic Food Festival in Bristol next weekend), visit an organic farm or just enjoy a spectacularly tasty organic lunch.

I’m cooking pork this week, because pigs (along with chickens, about which I’ve said plenty) are the most intensively farmed ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì and, I’d say, most abused ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì of all our farm animals. In the intensive system, these intelligent, complex creatures are routinely treated with such an indifferent disregard for their natural behaviour that it can only be described as cruel. (If you’ve seen Tracy Worcester’s remarkable film, Pig Business, you’ll know just how bad it can be.) Organic pigs, by contrast, flourish in conditions that allow them to express a full range of natural behaviours. They are kept in family groups, have access to soil and vegetation, they can root in the earth and wallow in the mud.

So this week, if you’re buying pork, I really hope you’ll choose organic. And that you’ll enjoy every morsel.

Pork and Puy lentil salad

Vary the vegetables depending on what you have to hand. Fennel, roast baby carrots or beetroot, broad beans or peas all work well. Serves four.

150g puy lentils
2 unpeeled garlic cloves, bashed
1 bouquet garni, made from 2 sprigs thyme and 2 parsley stalks tied together with a bay leaf
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? small onion
4 free-range eggs
150g french beans, topped
200g leftover roast pork, roughly shredded
250-300g cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful of rocket (optional)
1 small handful chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the vinaigrette
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil

Rinse the lentils and put them in a pan with the garlic, bouquet garni, onion and enough cold water to cover by about 5cm. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes until the lentils are just tender, or according to the package instructions.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the garlic, mustard and vinegar with a pinch of salt, then whisk in the oil until emulsified. Drain the lentils and toss them, while still warm, in the dressing.

Place the eggs in a pan of hand-hot water, bring to a boil and simmer for six minutes. Drain and plunge into iced water. Cook the beans until just tender in boiling, salted water, then drain and refresh under the cold tap.

When the lentils are room temperature, toss with the pork, beans, tomatoes, rocket and parsley. Adjust the seasoning. Peel the eggs, halve them and arrange over the salad.

Slow-cooked aromatic shoulder of pork

I call this deliciously tender, succulent slow-roast pork “Donnie Brasco” because you put it in the oven and “fugeddaboutit”. Leftovers are great in all manner of salads, pasta sauces and sandwiches. Serves six-plus.

1 boned, rolled shoulder of pork (aka a spare rib joint), about 2.5-3kg
5 large garlic cloves, peeled
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tbsp flaky sea salt
1 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
For the five-spice mix
2 star anise
2 tsp fennel seeds
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 glass white or red wine

Heat the oven to 230C/450F/gas mark 8. With a craft knife, score the pork rind in parallel lines about 1cm apart and to a depth of 0.5-1cm (or get the butcher to do it for you).

Grate the garlic and fresh ginger into a small bowl, and mix to a paste with the chilli, ground ginger, sugar, salt, oil and soy sauce. Pound the five spices in a mortar (or grind in a clean coffee grinder) and mix a tablespoon into the paste (the rest will keep in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place for a month or so).

Put the joint skin-side up on a rack over a large roasting tin. Using your fingertips, rub just over half the spice rub into the scored rind. Roast the joint for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and, using oven gloves or a thick, dry, cloth, carefully turn it over to expose the underside. Using a knife or wooden spoon (the meat will be very hot), smear the remaining spice rub over the underside of the meat, which should now be facing up. Pour the glass of wine and a glass of water into the roasting tin, cover with foil (you won’t get any crackling, but you will get “chewling” ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì tender, chewable skin with a lovely, spicy flavour) and turn down the heat to 120C/250F/ gas mark ?É‚Äö?Ǭº and return to the oven for five to six hours, turning it skin-side up and basting with the fat and juices in the tin about halfway through.

To serve, don’t so much carve the joint as scoop the tender, melting, aromatic meat on to warmed plates.

Pork tonnato

An unconventional take on the classic veal tonnato ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì it turns leftover roast pork into a quick and delicious lunch or supper. Serves four.

120g tinned tuna in oil, drained (I use Fish-4-Ever)
50g tinned anchovies, drained and chopped (again, I use Fish-4-Ever)
2-3 tbsp good mayonnaise
1 lemon
1-2 tbsp capers, rinsed
1-2 tbsp finely chopped parsley (optional)
2 thick slices leftover roast pork per person

Flake the tuna into a bowl and mix with the anchovies, mayo, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a few gratings of the zest. Smear this over the pork, then sprinkle with capers and parsley, if using, and serve.

Go to rivercottage.net for the latest news from River Cottage HQ.

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American muffins don’t have to be heavy and sugary. Made well, they can be tasty, light and, best of all, a cinch. What’s more, they don’t have to be sweet, either

I feel a bit sorry for the muffin. Not the yeasty, bready, English ones ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì the centrepiece of many a jammy afternoon tea ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì but their cakey American counterparts. Too often, we associate them with the sweet, cellophane-wrapped offerings on many a coffee-chain counter, cloying with too much sugar and sticky with cheap oil, or worthily stuffed with bran and heavy enough to take out a bear at 20 paces, if you have a half-decent throwing arm.

But it doesn’t have to be so. They can be tasty, light and flavoursome, and, better yet, they’re incredibly easy to make. Personally, I’m particularly partial to a savoury muffin. You can whip up a batch in half an hour and have a perfect homemade offering to tuck into lunchboxes and picnic baskets, to enjoy as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, or to serve with soup as a quirky alternative to a bread roll.

Savoury muffins are a great way of using up the garden’s bounty, too. If you have abundant courgettes, carrots, beetroot, spinach (or even a few handfuls wallowing in the salad drawer, about to expire from neglect), whip them into a batch of muffins. I’m not saying this because it’s a good way of ensuring your five a day ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì though it is ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì but because grated or pur?É?í?Ǭ©ed vegetables are delicious and help to keep a savoury muffin moist, light and, well, savoury.

I hope you’ll try my recipes today, but I hope you’ll also use them as a blueprint to create your own. It’s kind of like fancy bread-making without all the hassle of proving dough. So, experiment with different flours ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì substitute a third of the flours used here with cornmeal, buckwheat or spelt. Toss some grated apple in with grated carrot, try them with different cheeses ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì dollops of soft goat’s cheese or cubed feta stirred into the mix work well. Add a handful of toasted nuts and be generous with the herbs. Stir in some chopped olives or strips of roasted red pepper. Roasted and pur?É?í?Ǭ©ed squash or sweet potato with a few grinds of nutmeg are delicious later in the year, too.

I have a few tips to avoid the bear-missile situation. First, and perhaps most importantly, work quickly. Fold the ingredients in with a spatula until only just combined. This will ensure the finished result is light, not rubbery. I use yoghurt or buttermilk to moisten, because it gives a good flavour and pleasing texture. If you don’t have buttermilk, just add a good squeeze of lemon juice to whole milk and leave it for 10 minutes or so before adding to the mix.

When it comes to ladling the batter into the muffin tin (you will need a proper, deep-cupped muffin tin, but they’re easy to get hold of and pretty cheap), use an ice-cream scoop if you have one. It ensures you get evenly-sized muffins that bake at the same rate. Alternatively, use a large spoon and rub it with a little cooking oil, which helps the batter slip off easily. When you get them out of the oven, leave them to cool in a tin for a few minutes, so they firm up a bit, then transfer to a rack. They’re best eaten on the day you make them ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì while they’re still warm, if possible ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì but will freeze quite well for a month, too.

Courgette and pine nut muffins

In summer, I like to toss hot pasta with saut?É?í?Ǭ©ed courgettes, pine nuts and parmesan. The combination works very well in a muffin, too. Makes 12.

200g plain flour
40g jumbo oats
2 tsp baking powder
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tsp bicarbonate of soda
1-2 tsp flaky sea salt (depending on how salty your parmesan is)
A few grinds of black pepper
8 large basil leaves, shredded
60g parmesan, coarsely grated, plus another 20g or so to sprinkle on top
2 eggs
250g whole milk yoghurt
4 tbsps olive or rapeseed oil
200g courgettes, coarsely grated
40g cup pine nuts, toasted
40g sultanas

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarb, salt, pepper, basil and parmesan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yoghurt and oil, pour this over the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until roughly combined ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì don’t overmix. Add the courgettes, pine nuts and sultanas, and stir just until evenly distributed.

Spoon or scoop the batter into the muffin tin and sprinkle over the rest of the parmesan. Bake for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Red onion, cheddar and bacon muffins

These strong flavours work well together, but you can always play around with the combinations. Try spring onions instead of red, pancetta instead of bacon, and any strong cheese in place of the cheddar. Makes 12.

1 tsp oil
100g streaky bacon, cut into 1cm pieces
1 red onion, finely diced
250g wholemeal self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tsp bicarbonate of soda
?É‚Äö?Ǭº tsp salt
2 eggs
80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
200ml buttermilk
1 tbsp finely chopped chives (optional)
150g strong cheddar, grated

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.

Warm the oil over a medium heat and fry the bacon in it until just crisp. Lift the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. In the same fat, saut?É?í?Ǭ© the onion until just softened, about five minutes, then set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a jug, whisk the eggs, butter and buttermilk, stir them into the flour mixture with a spatula until just combined, then fold in the cooled bacon, onion, chives, if using, and two-thirds of the cheese until just evenly distributed.

Spoon or scoop the mixture into the muffin tin, sprinkle on the rest of the cheese, and bake for about 18 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Carrot, spinach and cumin muffins

Cumin adds great flavour to these muffins, and the seeds add a little crunch. If you don’t have pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds make a good substitute, or use a combination of the two. Makes 12.

80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 10g for frying
1 onion, finely diced
2 tsp ground cumin
150g spinach, tough stalks removed and very finely shredded
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tsp bicarbonate of soda
1?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tsp salt
2 eggs
275g whole milk yoghurt
150g carrots, grated
40g pumpkin seeds, toasted

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.

Warm the 10g of butter in a large frying pan and saut?É?í?Ǭ© the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, stir for a minute, then add the spinach and stir until wilted and soft. Cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a jug, whisk the melted butter, eggs and yoghurt. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour and stir with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the cooled onions and spinach, the carrots and seeds. Spoon into the cases and bake for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?Ǭ¢ Visit River Cottage in August for just ?É‚Äö?Ǭ£11 ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì go to rivercottage.net for details.

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Forget all those fancy dan modern upstarts ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì where teatime treats are concerned, there is only one contender as the cake of champions

Hard though it may be for me to admit, we live in a world where even cakes, apparently, are ruled by the fickle, tyrannical hand of fashion. Whether you choose a cupcake or a macaroon, even a whoopie pie or a cake pop, says as much about you as the car you drive or the shoes you wear. Exhausting, isn’t it?

Well, today I’m standing firm against the vagaries of cake cultism, letting the baking bandwagon roll right on by, and celebrating the unsurpassed joys of the Victoria sandwich. Yes, the cake that launched a thousand afternoon teas and church fetes, and the subject of hotly contested baking competitions at many a country show.

You’ll notice in my recipe’s ingredients list that I’m a little light on numbers. This isn’t some dreadful error on my part, nor some go-as-you-please hippyishness. No, I’m following in the path of that quintessentially Victorian figure Mrs Beeton, who laid out the classic recipe for the Victoria sponge in her 1861 Book Of Household Management. In her recipe, the cake is made from equal quantities of eggs, butter, sugar and flour. You simply weigh the eggs in their shells and then measure out the same amount of butter, sugar and flour. So if the eggs just happen to weigh 250g, then you want a 250g block of butter and 250g of everything else. They won’t, of course, but you must do what the eggs tell you ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì that’s the fun of it.

If you have a reasonably accurate weighing contraption, it couldn’t be easier, or more delicious. There is a wonderful rightness about this, a simplicity reflected in the cake itself. Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate, and yet it’s one of the finest cakes ever to grace a plate.

Even better, you can use the same batter to make fairy or butterfly cakes, too. If you’d like to ring the changes a bit, add the zest of a lemon in place of the vanilla and use the lemon juice instead of milk to lighten the batter, then sandwich it together with a slick of lemon curd. You can use it as a base for coffee and walnut cake, or even my rather more exotic cardamom and orange cake.

While other cakes might come and go, usurped by more boastful, trendier confections, I can proudly say I’m glad to live in the kingdom of Victoria Regina.

Victoria sandwich

The classic. What teatime was made for. Remember, weigh the eggs first, then use the same amount of butter, sugar and flour. Makes a 20cm cake.

Unsalted butter, softened, plus a little more for greasing
4 eggs
Golden caster sugar
Self-raising flour, sieved with a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
A little milk, if necessary
Raspberry jam
Whipping cream
Icing sugar or caster sugar, for dusting

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease two 20cm sandwich cake tins with butter, and line the bases of each with baking parchment.

Weigh the eggs in their shells and weigh out the same amount of butter, sugar and flour. In a bowl, beat the butter until creamy, then beat in the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, adding a tablespoon of sifted flour if the mix looks as if it’s going to curdle. Beat in the vanilla extract, then gently but thoroughly fold in the flour. Now check the consistency of the batter. Scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture and hold it over the bowl. If it drops down fairly easily, it’s just right. If it sticks stubbornly in the spoon, fold a tablespoon or two of milk into the mixture.

Divide the batter equally between the two tins and gently smooth the tops with a knife. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a couple of minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Turn one of the cakes upside down on a plate, so the flat surface is uppermost. Spread generously with raspberry jam. Spread a good layer of whipped cream on the flat surface of the second cake and sandwich the two together. If you like, dust the surface with icing sugar or caster sugar before serving.

Coffee and walnut cake

A darling of village fetes and church fairs everywhere, and with very good reason. Makes one 20cm cake.

Victoria sponge ingredients, as listed in the master recipe (above), apart from the milk
2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tbsp hot water, or 2 tbsp espresso
100g walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
For the icing
100g unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water, or 1?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tbsp espresso
300g golden icing sugar, sieved
12 walnut halves, lightly toasted

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease two 20cm sandwich cake tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.

Prepare the batter as in the master recipe on the previous page, adding the coffee liquid along with the vanilla and gently folding in the walnuts after the flour. Spoon the batter equally into the prepared tins, smooth the tops and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool completely, as in the master recipe.

While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Beat the butter until very smooth, then beat in the coffee and icing sugar until smooth. When the cake is cold, sandwich it together with half of the icing, spread the remaining icing on top and decorate with the walnut halves..

Orange cardamom loaf cake

The addition of the orange and cardamom syrup makes this loaf cake wonderfully moist. Makes one 1kg loaf cake.

8 cardamom pods
2 small oranges, zested, plus the juice of 1 of the oranges
Victoria sponge ingredients, as listed in the master recipe (above), apart from the vanilla and milk
For the syrup
Juice and zest of 2 small oranges
6 cardamom pods, bashed
2 tsp honey
3-4 tbsp orange curd

Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and discard the husks. Chop the seeds, or pound them with a pestle and mortar, until roughly broken up. Put them in a small pan with the orange juice and warm until just simmering. Cool and strain through a fine sieve.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Butter a 1kg loaf tin and line the bottom and sides with buttered baking parchment.

Prepare the sponge as in the Victoria sandwich recipe above, beating the orange zest into the batter along with the flour and lightening the mixture with the cardamom-infused orange juice. Spoon into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Put the orange zest, juice, cardamom and honey into a pan, simmer for three to four minutes, then leave to cool in the pan. Strain out the cardamom pods.

When you take the cake out of the oven, immediately pierce the top all over with a skewer and pour over the syrup, letting it trickle all over the surface and down the sides. When the cake is completely cold, remove from the tin and remove the paper. Cut it in half horizontally, and sandwich it together with a good layer of orange curd. Dust with caster or icing sugar, and serve in fat slices. ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?Ǭ¢

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There are few dishes that can’t be improved by the addition of a small handful of seeds

I’m feeling seedy today, but there’s no three-day stubble or whiff of cheap booze involved, I promise. In fact, it couldn’t be more wholesome. I’m simply hungry for the reproductive organs of plants ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì the sort of seeds you might throw into a pan or mixing bowl. These microdots of flavour punch way above their weight in the kitchen, though that’s hardly surprising when you consider that a whole future plant ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì and all of its potential, flavour and promise ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì is contained within their gritty carapaces.

The happy crunch of poppy, the aniseedy bite of fennel, the creamy sweetness of sesame are what’s preoccupying me in today’s recipes, but these aren’t the only seeds in my larder. Cumin and coriander are scattered liberally throughout some of my favourite spice blends, pastes and rubs, while pumpkin and sunflower find their way into my breads, salads and breakfast muesli.

Of course, you can sprinkle, pound and stir seeds just as they are, but their flavour is magnified by toasting. Think of coriander seeds, grassy and almost soapy in their natural state, yet given a much greater depth of flavour with the introduction of a little heat. Or, indeed, pine nuts. Raw, they’re more of a texture than a flavour. It takes toasting to bring out their true complexity and richness. To toast seeds, warm them gently in a dry frying pan until they just begin to release their aroma, then tip them on to a plate to stop them cooking. Don’t be tempted to multitask at this point. They can burn in the time it takes to turn on the dishwasher or take out the rubbish.

Many seeds turn rancid quickly because they are so rich in oils, so buy them only in small quantities and/or store them in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer so you don’t lose a scrap of flavour.

Once you have your stash, the possibilities are limitless. Sprinkle toasted pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds on to salads, or enjoy them speckled over the surface of, or mixed into, the dough of your bread, bun or scone. Toss them into stir-fries or pilaffs, or scatter them over roasted or steamed veg. Pounded and mixed with chopped herbs, perhaps with some citrus zest and breadcrumbs, too, some seeds make a good coating for grilled fish or meat ?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ?ì try coriander seeds with some thyme and lemon zest on pork, or sesame seeds, breadcrumbs and lemon zest on meaty fish fillets.

Experiment, play, scatter with abandon?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?Ǭ¶ Some may land on thorny ground, but most will thrive and prosper. At least until you scoff them, that is.

Poppyseed lemon cake

This is a deliciously moist and tangy cake, speckled with a blizzard of poppy seeds. It keeps really well, too, if you’re the self-restrained sort. Makes one 23cm cake.

170g plain flour
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tsp baking powder
50g poppy seeds
Zest of 2 large lemons
170g unsalted butter, softened
170g caster sugar
4 eggs, separated
170g wholemilk yoghurt
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the syrup
Juice of 2 large lemons
5 tbsp icing sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, pared off with vegetable peeler and cut into thin strips
1 tbsp icing sugar, for sifting

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Butter a 23cm springform cake tin and dust with flour.

Sieve together the flour, salt, bicarb and baking powder. Stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest. Beat together the butter and 120g of sugar until light and fluffy. In a jug, whisk together the egg yolks, yoghurt and vanilla

In a scrupulously clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar a spoonful at a time, beating until the meringue mix holds stiff peaks.

Beat the flour mixture and the egg mixture alternately into the butter and sugar, starting and ending with the flour (ie, flour/eggs/flour/eggs/flour). Stir about a third of the meringue mixture into the batter to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest. Spoon the cake mix into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Combine the juice, sugar and zest in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for two minutes, then remove from the heat.

Take the cake out of the oven and spike all over the top with a skewer. Pour the syrup over, letting it trickle over the top and down the sides. Leave to cool in the tin, then dust with icing sugar before serving.

Fennel meatballs

The Italians love the combination of pork and fennel, and I think they’re on to a winner. Try this mixture as meatballs, or turn it into burgers. Serves six.

200g bread from a good white loaf, crusts removed and torn into rough pieces
200ml whole milk
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted
?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tsp freshly ground black pepper
1?É‚Äö?Ǭ? tbsp salt
500g minced beef
750g minced pork, coarse if possible
1 onion, finely diced
8 tbsp minced flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp minced fresh oregano
60g parmesan, finely grated
1 egg, plus 1 yolk
2 tbsp olive oil
Tagliatelle, to serve

For the tomato sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 small celery stick, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 800g tins good-quality chopped tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sugar

First make the sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat and saut?É?í?Ǭ© the onion until softened and just beginning to turn golden. Add the carrot and celery, fry for five minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes more. Tip in the tomatoes, season and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, and add a pinch of sugar if it’s a touch acidic.

To make the meatballs, put the bread into a bowl, pour the milk over the top and leave to soak for 15 minutes. While it’s soaking, pound the garlic, fennel, salt and pepper in a pestle and mortar until you have a rough paste.

Mix the beef and pork in a large bowl with the bread, onion, fennel paste, parsley, oregano and parmesan until well combined. Stir in the eggs until just incorporated. Fry off a small piece of the meatball mix to test for seasoning, and adjust accordingly. Using your hands, roll the mix into meatballs of about 5cm in diameter.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Brown the meatballs well on all sides (you may have to do this in batches), then transfer them to a heavy casserole. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs, give the pan a gentle shake and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for about an hour, stirring from time to time. Serve with tagliatelle.

Sesame dressing

This is great trickled over roasted, grilled or barbecued steak, chicken or asparagus.

3 tbsp tahini
Juice of ?É‚Äö?Ǭ? lemon
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley or coriander

In a pestle and mortar, pound the tahini, lemon juice, soy, ginger and garlic (or blitz them in a blender). Thin with about 80ml of hot water, or as much as is needed to get the mix to the consistency of double cream. Now either stir in the sesame seeds and parsley or coriander and use within a couple of hours, or store for a few days, sealed in a jar in the fridge, and add the sesame and herbs an hour or so before serving

?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?Ǭ¢ Desperate to grow your own but no space to do it in? Hugh may be able to help. Go to landshare.net for details.

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