Cook for 15 minutes, stirring, or until the potatoes are tender and the dish is almost dry Sprinkle with coriander. Serve with rice.SILVERSIDE WITH SALSA VERDEI’ve traded recipes for this good old Anglo silverside with supermarket millionaires and taxi drivers. Drain and return to the heat for a moment with half the butter and the nutmeg, stirring Season and blend in a processor or mash until smooth. Spoon into a medium ovenproof baking dish.Melt the remaining butter in the pan, and add the breadcrumbs gradually, stopping when the butter has been fully absorbed Add the parsley, stirring.Top the potato with breadcrumbs. Bake at 400F/200C/Gas 6 for 20 to 30 minutes until golden.INDIAN SPICED POTATOESA charming, well-balanced Indian recipe, adapted from a recipe by the charming and well-balanced Madhur Jaffrey.Feeds 4 as a side dish12 cauliflower3 medium potatoes, peeled4 tablespoons peanut oil1 tablespoon black mustard seeds8 curry leaves1 green chilli, chopped, or 12 a teaspoon chilli powder1 teaspoon each ground turmeric, ground coriander and ground cumin1 teaspoon each salt and sugar250ml/9fI oz water2 tablespoons chopped fresh corianderCut the cauliflower into small florets, cut the potatoes into small dice, and cook both in a large pot of simmering, salted water for two minutes Drain.Heat the oil in a frying pan.

Bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat to the lowest possible Simmer gently for at least six hours preferably eight, topping up the water if necessary. Remove eggs and cool to room temperature.Mix the sea salt, coriander, cumin and paprika to taste. Serve the eggs with lightly grilled Turkish bread and a bowl of the spice mix, for dipping.SWEET POTATO CRUMBLEAccording to John Gerard’s Herball of 1597, this orange tuber used to be eaten “roasted in the ashes” then dressed with oil, vinegar and salt: “They comfort, nourish and strengthen the body.” If you tire of roasting them in the ashes, try this humble crumble with a crisp and buttery breadcrumb topping.Feeds 4 as a side dish3 large sweet potatoes60g/2oz butter12 a teaspoon grated nutmeg50g/112 oz soft, fresh breadcrumbs1 teaspoon very finely chopped parsleyPeel and roughly chop the potatoes Cook in simmering salted water until tender. Simmered for hours, the eggs end up with a dusky brown colour, an indefinable fragrance, and a sweet, soft and creamy body.Feeds 48 eggsskins from 6 brown onions1 tablespoon ground coffee2 teaspoons sea salt flakesI teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon ground cumin12 a teaspoon sweet paprikaPlace eggs, onion skins and ground coffee in a large, heavy-bottomed pan and fill with water.

Heat the oil, up to 2cm (34in) deep, in a heavy-based frying pan. Dip each fennel slice first in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs and fry, a few slices at a time, until golden, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little sea salt.BEID HAMINEYou can forget your three-minute boiled egg. This ancient Moroccan technique is one of the slowest ways to cook eggs in the world, and yet one of the nic- est, sweetest and easiest. This is also brilliant with thick slices of blanched celeriac.Feeds 62 fennel bulbs2 eggs115g/4oz fine dry breadcrumbssea saltblack peppervegetable oil for fryingTrim the tops of each fennel bulb and cut off any nasty looking bits of outer skin. Cut down through the fennel bulbs into very thin, neat cross-sections. Rinse and pat dry.Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly Place the breadcrumbs in a second bowl and season.

The fewer machines you use, the better the food will be2 Make friends with your shopkeepers2 Tell them what you are going to cook Give them feedback. Give them a hard time, if you have to2 Hot food should be served hot and cold food should be served cold2 A little butter is a wonderful thing2 Preserve your heritage. Get the best three recipes out of your grandmother now2 Something will always go wrong when you cook It’s not your fault Keep going. Just don’t kill anyone2 Think twice before you chop everything up into little bits2 Some things are beautiful when served whole2 Parsley is a herb, not a garnish2 Food that survives the ages is food that is good for us2 Save your string2 Re-use your plastic bags2 Take a basket to the shops2 Let your children watch you cook2 Do not serve anything that involves celery and cream cheese2 Never slave over a hot stove2 Do the dishes as you go along2 Cook your favourite food for your favourite people2 Eat well2 Lick your fingersFENNEL SCHNITZELIn Italy, sweet aniseedy fennel used to be served at the end of the meal, as refreshing as fresh fruit. Here, golden breadcrumbs give a crisp coating on zesty fennel, to be served with roast chicken or grilled fish, or just as part of an antipasto platter.