Dinner

Cotechino is not hard to make, if you have a mincer and a sausage filler and a good butcher. This sausage requires a much larger casing than you would use for your humble snag, but is an easy one to master if you’re a beginner. Having said that, there are still plenty of good Italian butchers around who sell a damn fine cotechino.

In essence, pilaf is rice that is cooked in a broth. Many rice-producing countries have their own version of this. The name is borrowed from the Turkish pilav. Served straight from the pot to the table, the pilaf can be quite a dramatic ritual.

The most essential thing about cooking pasta is timing. My other rule with cooking pasta is to take the recommended cooking time and subtract two minutes.

Nduja, the ingredient du jour across the country for the past 12 months, is popular for good reason. It’s spicy as hell, highly seasoned and it packs a punch. A little goes a long way.

These dumplings are quite rich and cheesy. They would be too much with a rich ragout. I like the simplicity of burnt butter and sage with this dish but, if you wanted to add to it, some blanched broccolini or grilled ribbons of zucchini could be turned through as well.

Brisket is a favourite braising cut. Depending on the breed, it is usually well marbled and contains plenty of interconnective tissue, which transforms into a lovely gelatinous mass. Don’t attempt this if you are in a rush, though.

I’ve been making these dumplings for a while now. The recipe has been tested, developed and workshopped – more than most of the recipes I cook – and it is a recipe of which I am really proud. I was quite particular about how I wanted it to taste and how I wanted the texture.

There are various techniques to achieve the perfect, ear-like shape, with its smooth indentation and the cracked surface to hold sauce, but I won’t go into them here. The one I recommend involves the corner store. The shape of the pasta is a perfect foil for sauces, but in this recipe I’ve gone for something a little bit drier.

This potato cake of sorts is layered and slowly cooked. It can be pre-prepared and warmed later in wedges or as a large puck that can be sliced at the table. Cutting the whole thing into wedges and roasting in individual servings yields a crisp golden wedge.

For years, not much had changed in the onion world. That was until last year, when the cipollini onion arrived. These sweet little onions are tender and not as astringent as their cousins. They also have a lovely squat shape.