Trusted British chef recipes, tested at home
Delia Smith’s leek and potato soup sweats leeks, onion and potato in butter, then simmers them in vegetable stock and milk before blending to a smooth purée. It’s finished with a swirl of cream and a scatter of chives. There’s no cream cooked into the body, which keeps it light. It serves four to six …
Damson jam is a deep ruby, sharp-sweet preserve made from just damsons, sugar and water. Damsons are naturally high in pectin, so it sets firmly without any bottled pectin or special jam sugar. This version follows Delia Smith’s preserving techniques, and it takes about an hour plus potting, filling five to six jars. Delia doesn’t …
Delia Smith’s dauphinoise potatoes are thin slices of floury potato baked slowly in cream, milk and garlic until meltingly soft, with a golden top and a little nutmeg. There’s no cheese and no par-boiling. It bakes low at 150C for an hour and a half and serves three to four as a rich side. This …
Coronation chicken is cold poached chicken folded through a mild, fruity curried mayonnaise, scattered with toasted almonds and sultanas. This version cooks the chicken using Delia Smith’s own gentle poaching method, which keeps the breast meat moist for a cold salad. It serves six and needs about 40 minutes plus chilling. Delia doesn’t have a …
Delia Smith’s all-in-one Victoria sponge puts equal weights of self-raising flour, spreadable butter, golden caster sugar and eggs into one bowl, whisked together for a minute and split between two tins. No creaming, no rubbing in. It bakes at 170C for about 25 minutes and gives you a light, even sponge to fill with jam …
Mary Berry’s carrot cake is a moist two-layer sponge made with sunflower oil, grated carrot, walnuts, coconut and pineapple, sandwiched and topped with vanilla cream cheese icing. Warm cinnamon runs through it. It bakes at 180C for 45 to 50 minutes and serves eight. This is her Ashburton Carrot Cake from Mary Berry & Lucy …
Mary Berry’s potato salad is made with waxy new potatoes dressed twice: first tossed warm in a mustard vinaigrette, then folded in mayonnaise once cool. Spring onions, gherkins, tarragon and chives run through it. It serves four and needs about an hour of chilling before it’s ready. The two-stage dressing is what sets her version …
Mary Berry’s roast potatoes are floury main crop potatoes, parboiled and roughed up, then roasted in a mix of smoking-hot goose fat and vegetable oil until crisp and golden. The inside stays soft and fluffy, the outside shatters. They serve six and take about 50 minutes at a hot 220C. She lays out her method …
Mary Berry’s leek and potato soup is a smooth, gently savoury blend of sweated leeks, onion and potato in chicken stock, finished with single cream and a squeeze of lemon. Nutmeg and the green of the leeks give it colour and warmth. It serves four and takes about 55 minutes from board to bowl. This …
Mary Berry’s dauphinoise potatoes layer two kinds of potato, sweet and King Edward, in cream and stock under a Parmesan crust. The result is soft, savoury and just rich enough, with the sweet potato adding colour and a mellow edge. It bakes at a hot 220C and takes about an hour and five minutes, serving …
