Chorizo carbonara

A bit of a cross-cultural recipe this one, using a classic Spanish sausage in a classic Italian pasta sauce. This dish is incredibly easy to put together, extremely satisfying and absolutely delicious...perfect for when you're in a hurry or don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen!


Serves 2

150g spaghetti or linguine
1 tbsp olive oil
150-175g chorizo, chopped into small-ish chunks
2 large egg yolks
100ml double cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


1. Add the pasta to a large pan of boiling, salted water and cook for about 10 minutes, or according to the instructions on the pack.

2. Meanwhile heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the chorizo and fry briskly for about 10 minutes, until crisp and cooked through.

3. Beat the egg yolks and cream together and season lightly.

4. When the pasta is done, drain thoroughly and return to the hot pan. Tip in the chorizo and then the egg mixture. Using two forks, mix the eggy cream into the pasta. It will cook in the heat of the pasta, coating each strand in a light, creamy sauce. Serve straight away with a final twist of black pepper on top.

 

This recipe comes from River Cottage Everyday, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Jamie's Jammie Dodgers

I hardly ever make biscuits but was inspired to have a go after seeing some incredible looking recipes in the latest Jamie magazine. Britain seems to be a nation of biscuit lovers and there are hundreds of different varieties on the supermarket shelves. We all have our favourites but nothing compares to those that are homemade and the pleasure of stocking up a tin full of buttery, crumbly biscuits that you have made yourself is pretty hard to beat. For my first attempt I decided to go for jammie dodgers...they have always been one of my favourites. You know those big tins of biscuits that you get, especially at Christmas, that, when you take the lid off, are laden with all sorts of amazing delights? I always used to pick out the jammie dodgers first. There was something about the thickness and the sticky jamminess that set them apart from the rest. Another reason for making them is that they are traditionally made in Cwmbran, Wales, which is where my Grandmother comes from, so the dodger has an extra special place in my heart.

The recipe for these biscuits can be found here

I used a lower oven temperature when baking these biscuits (170 degs C/fan oven) and only baked them for 7-10 minutes. You need to keep a careful eye on them as they can be quick to over cook and a couple of minutes can make all the difference between a pale dodger and an overcooked dodger! You can also make them as large or as small as you want...I went for a slightly larger biscuit than stated in the recipe. Whatever you decide, enjoy!