Kitchen expert
Andrew Maxwell is the principal of Gordon Ramsay’s Tante Marie School of Cookery in Woking. Andrew has worked in some of the world’s top restaurants and now trains the next generation of chefs to follow in his footsteps
Strawberry Jam
Grow your own I don’t have a garden at home, but I do have a good sunny windowsill where I can grow herbs. The space is limited, so I can realistically only grow four or fi ve herbs. What would you recommend as being the most versatile selection? George, Cobham
A
Set point Last year I made strawberry jam, but I just couldn’t get it to set properly. It seemed like I cooked it for ages. I’m going to try again this year. What can I do to make sure it sets? Jen, Byfl eet
A
Making jam at home could not be easier or more rewarding, but
strawberries are notoriously low in pectin. This is the naturally occurring agent in many fruits that makes jam set. So with strawberry jam you need to add pectin. You can actually buy it in bottles, but I am a fi rm believer in keeping food natural and real, and if you’re making jam at home, it is a shame to fi ll it with additives. Redcurrants are naturally very high
in pectin, so if you add a small amount of redcurrant juice (about 150ml for 2kg strawberries) this will help ensure a good set. Lemon juice is also high in pectin, so the
juice of two lemons for 2kg of strawberries will work, but will give your jam a lemony tang.
38 JULY 2011 Andrew’s tip
Use frozen fruit instead of ice in your Pimms. Strawberries, nectarines and blueberries all freeze really well and don’t dilute your Pimms with water as they defrost.
It’s a matter of personal taste. I do have a garden myself, but it is quite
small, so I’m restricted in what I can grow. However, as a rule I always have basil, fl at-leaf parsley, thyme, chives and mint. (If you’re planting mint in a bed with other herbs, plant it with its entire plastic pot in your fl ower bed – this will stop it from spreading out of control.) As a basic selection, this will give you a lovely range of herbs that can be added to most dishes. Ed’s note: To learn more, turn to our herb masterclass on page 36.
Homemade bread
FLAVOURS OF THE MONTH
Gooseberries Elderfl ower
These two are a classic example of mother nature at her best. Both have very short seasons – just a few weeks – and they are magic together. Poach some gooseberries gently in sugar syrup until they just burst, then turn the heat off and throw in a couple of heads of elderfl ower tied in a muslin bag (or a couple of tablespoons of elderfl ower cordial) and allow to cool. Serve with shortbread biscuits and softly whipped cream. Heaven.
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Made to measure I love homemade bread to the extent that I never really buy it. I have a great selection of diff erent breads that I make regularly, but when I double (or even triple the recipe) to stock up the freezer, it never turns out as well, tasting ‘yeasty’ and lacking consistency. What am I doing wrong? Penny, Reigate
A
With fresh yeast in particular, it’s not necessary to increase the amount in
proportion to the rest of the recipe. This is because yeast is a living, multiplying thing. Its nature is to increase in volume of its own accord, so if you are doing three times the volume of fl our when making large batches of rolls for the freezer, double the weight of yeast, rather than tripling it.
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