Ken Skinner Chef

03/03/2024

01/03/2024

Made pork samosas and chilli-tofu dip out of leftover Mapo Tofu (a spicy Chinese dish from the Sichuan province). Very tasty, might delete later!

26/12/2023

And we’re back in Italy (or rather Sicily) for a timely reminder that simpler is better. Leftover pizza dough, repurposed as bread as a base for a boiled egg this morning. Then for dinner, trofie pasta (made with just semolina and water) tossed in Pesto alla Trapanese (almond and tomato pesto) then garnished with lightly-fried black olives. Would have been nice to have a pestle & mortar to grind the almonds, but, in a pinch, a wine bottle works well!

04/12/2023

I saw this combo on an episode of MasterChef Australia 2023 and thought I'd give it a go.

The borscht was absolutely lovely (both hot then chilled the day after), but the star of the show was the warm, fluffy pampushky. Tearable, shareable garlic bread on steroids! Perfect for mopping the plate clean.

01/12/2023

Oeuf Parfait in a Caper & Grapefruit Sauce, served with Smoked Trout, Grapefruit Slivers & a Dill Cracker. I’m blaming Margie for this one

03/11/2023

Because you’re worth it…

02/11/2023

A day off means a lazy brunch: Croque Monsieur with a pair of “Mesdames” on the side - slightly twisted by replacing the mustard with garlic relish from the Kingston Lacy gift shop. Lunch not required!

26/10/2023

Galettes! So French, so tasty, and such a great way to repurpose leftovers. Today’s were built from puff pastry, caramelised onions and rosemary potato slices on a chipotle yoghurt base, topped off with a generous crumble of stilton. Spicy, sweet, crumbly and decadent without being heavy… I’ve had two so far this afternoon and have my eye on a third for supper.

23/10/2023

Today, I'm feeling "Cucina Povera" vibes.

Season 2 of "Sophie Grigson: Slice of Italy" has been released, directed by our lovely friend Stu and starring of . It has us daydreaming about our 2024 travels. Maybe next year we’ll make it to the heel and toe of the boot!

On the menu was orecchiette with caviolo nero, anchovies, garlic, and a sprinkle of chili flakes. This simple yet delicious dish starts with a 2:1 mix of semolina and hot water, resulting in a sturdy dough, perfect for shaped pasta. With just a serrated knife - and a little practice - you can bash out these “Little Ears” in no time. Sophie gives a great demo of the classic Orecchiette Con Cime di Rapa in Season 1.

28/09/2023

The focaccia gods were smiling today. Holes, holes and more holes.

23/09/2023

I was looking through my Instagram feed today and realised I rarely post desserts. I guess I just prefer savoury dishes! The exception is pavlova. My mum used to make huge meringue sandwiches filled with a banana-studded cream. I still remember them being the most moreish of things - no leftovers! These days I prefer to dial down the sweetness by including aromatic or tart elements. This version features a cardamom-infused meringue filled with Chantilly cream and a topped off with balsamic and thyme baked plums. Almost zero calories? More like several zeroes…

16/09/2023

Blue balls, anyone? Playing around with canapé ideas today . This one needs work but it’s headed in a good direction. The filling is cream cheese and bramble-habanero jelly but the show-stealer is the shell! Instead of a breadcrumb coating I used blue masa harina, the Mexican flour used for corn tortillas. When deep fried it delivers a lovely toasted popcorn flavour! Next time I’ll blend in a stronger cheese and use jalapeño jam but otherwise I’m pretty happy with this one!