Tomatoes are widely available in a variety of shapes and sizes, from large beefsteak tomatoes through plum and salad varieties to cherry tomatoes. They have endless uses, both raw and cooked. Choose firm tomatoes with deep red skins and a definite tomato aroma.
Also known as Dublin Bay prawns or scampi, langoustines are orangey-pink in colour when live.
This versatile root adds sweetness to stocks and stews; is steamed, sautéed or roasted as a side dish; or served raw grated in salads. Carrots work well with parsley and thyme, and aromatic spices such as cumin, coriander and cinnamon.
An efficient rolling technique helps to ensure pastry is not stretched or overworked (which can cause excessive shrinkage during baking). It also helps to prevent the pastry from warming up during the shaping and lining process, which makes it difficult to handle and can result in greasy pastry.
Egg whites should usually be whisked just before you need to use them; once whisked they should not be left to sit for any length of time or they will separate and begin to collapse.
Rack of lamb is an expensive but elegant cut, ideal for entertaining. It can be sliced into cutlets for presentation or cut into 3-bone portions. This is the classic way of preparing a rack of lamb.
This method of carving a rib of beef can be used for all types of roast on the rib/ bone, such as a roast pork loin. This is the technique for a chined joint with the chine (back) bone already removed.
Round fish are characterised by the back bone running along the length of the body with a single fillet located on either side.
As the name implies, shortcrust has a short, tender crumb, and it is used in sweet and savoury recipes. The most important element of the technique is rubbing the fat into the flour, which coats the flour with fat and creates a fine crumb.
