WHAT'S YOUR GUILTY FOOD SECRET?

From sausages to eclairs

I am really not usually an impulsive buyer.  I tend to have dishes in mind when I shop as I am constantly reading food magazines and dipping into cook books new and old favourites.

Yet, this week, some on-special-offer honey and mustard mini sausages just found themselves in my bag when I popped into Waitrose the other day.  They were cold, they weren’t on sticks, they didn’t even have the pleasing tackiness of the mustard and honey glaze but they made an almighty satisfying snack, shared with TheSconeMan. 

I realised these are one of my guilty secrets that I have been denying myself for far too long.  I was one of those children who loved birthday party food even more than the games.  I would stay sitting down eating until there was no more birthday tea, my son followed suit, and, if possible I always positioned myself close to the sausages on sticks.

Sausages hold a special place in people’s affections. With little prompting, friends, acquaintances and strangers would invariably smile and tell me about their favourite type or a fond memory. My Dad almost always orders the Cumberland sausage and mash when we go to the 606 Club. Even the most sophisticated gourmet finds them nigh irresistible. 

I bought some merguez at The Ginger Pig in Borough Market and they were a marvellously satisfying blend of lamb richness, piquan sweetish spicet, warming satisfaction served with a bowl of warmed through, herby chickpeas straight out of their Belazu jar with some thyme.

I am most partial to Italian fennel seed sausages, ideal for a summer bbq and found at all good Italian delis, serve with a punchy fennel, orange and black olive salad with a little preserved lemon chopped up in the dressing.

My latest sausage discovery thanks to my lodger is Lap Cheong wind-dried, cured Cantonese sausage made with chopped pork speckled with pork fat and infused with Chinese rice wine along with sugar, salt, soy.  It has a slightly sweet and fragrant umami flavour and a smokienssthat infuses the rice. Made me some proper fried rice, the egg is cooked first so that it doesn’t make the rice (brown for a healthier fibre-rich dish and cooked in her rice cooker) mushy with prawns, edamame beans, spring onions, five spice, white pepper, soy sauce.  Really special and worth seeking out at a local Chinese supermarket.

Talking of indulgences.  Another dating back to childhood is a chocolate eclair. I had a very fine sample at Deli Robuchon King’s Road earlier this week with my lovely friend Foodie Monaco.  I liked the fact that diners can see the pastry team hard at work on the premises and the all French staff who seemed genuinely caring if a little chaotic.  I did note that scones are clearly not a strong card as they were barely risen unlike The Sconeman’s light and fluffy objects of beauty for Sketch.

I am determined to finally conquer my fear of making choux pastry this summer.  I can’t think of a better teacher than the renowned Executive Pastry Chef of Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons Benoit Blin (who is the Bake Off Judge with the wonderful accent too) whose first book ‘Baking with Benoit Blin’ was published by Quadrille this past week. 

It has a very good and clear looking detailed step-by-step guide to making choux pastry and eclairs and a huge number of other recipes from the relatively simple: classic sponge to the decidedly challenging plus gloriously enticing in-betweeners, such as double chocolate and vanilla marble cake that takes me right back to childhood and the wonderful chocolate marble cake made by my very accomplished grandma and a strawberry and pistachio cake I am looking forward to trying.  We were fortunate enough to go to the  launch at The Belmond Cadogan Hotel which has had a stylish white makeover lifting its somewhat old fashioned oak look.  They are now serving an afternoon tea designed by Benoit Blin which I can’t wait to try.