Slowly cooked and stored in its own fat, duck confit can be a tender, melty delight. Its fatty skin, when pan-seared to a bronze crisp, is the most irresistible casing for salty and succulent duck meat this side of Beijing.
But like most routinely reheated meats preserved duck is prone to dryness. This is especially problematic when the leg meat is skinned and shredded for the likes of duck confit tarts, spring rolls and tacos. [Read more...]


Were a CV a sure indicator of a chef’s potential, as only gullible restaurateurs and food critics are led to believe, then
Two dear colleagues would be visiting from LA and I had to plan the meals and coffee breaks for their London stopover. The pressure I felt was considerable: Were these demanding food obsessives coming directly from California and not via Italy my task would have been difficult enough. But knowing they would be arriving with the incomparable flavours of Sicily and Piedmont fresh in their minds made my challenge all the more daunting. 
Is August a bad month for salt beef? I certainly hope so. For if the drop in form at two of London’s very best salt beef purveyors is not due to seasonal disruptions, it isn’t only my list of the 



