Webchat with Nigel Slater, Tuesday 1 December, midday - 1pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Worried about cooking Christmas dinner this year? Fret not! We've got a couple of great foodie webchats coming up so you can ask the experts for their help. First up we've got NIGEL SLATER joining us on Tuesday (1st December) between midday and 1pm.

Nigel's third instalment of his Kitchen Diaries, A Year of Good Eating has just been published and everyone who joins the discussion on this thread will be entered into a draw to win a SIGNED copy.

Join Nigel on Tuesday at midday or post a question in advance on this thread.

@CatFishBait

Hi Nigel,

Very sorry to hear about your cat.

I recently returned from a trip to Whitby with rather a lot of Fortunes smoked sausages and bacon....

We've been having them just as they are, but would like to do something extra special with them- can you suggest a recipe?

Hi

Sausages and smoked bacon - you are talking in my language. How about putting them into a Yorkshire pudding mixture and baking them? Also, try them in a big casserole with onions, thyme, stock and a bit of sherry.

Thank you for answering my previous question. Another one if i may!
I love experimenting with different cuts of meat. Recently I've made a gorgeous (even if i do say so myself!) Cassoulet using pigs cheeks, and another using venison shanks. Can you suggest any other cut that would work well?
I'm an extremely lazy cook so winter is a staple diet of casseroles, cassoulets and soups in this house, though I see my butcher's eyes roll when he see's me coming!

@starlight36

Do you have tips for preparing sides and accompaniments for Christmas lunch in advance to help me spend as much time as possible socialising with my family on the big day itself?

Hi starlight

Yes it's a tricky one. But cooking for them is also being with them. I think it's one day of the year that I fully expect to have to be in the kitchen. So as a practical thing, get everything ready to go in the oven the night before but don't be tempted to cook it too soon. This is one day we just have to be in the kitchen!

Steamed treacle pudding sounds marvellous. Thank you x

@TheSpottedZebra

Ooh a sneaky other question from me.

Nigel, I salute your tidiness and minimalist aesthetic. But tell me, was the decanting of the treacle into a kilner jar just for the telly box, or do you really do that at home ?

Hi

Fair question. Being on BBC 1 I'm not allowed to show any product labels and treacle comes in a very easily recognisable tin. That said, I am a big fan of using storage jars because they keep things in good condition for quite a long time. And yes, I hate open packets in the cupboard.

@saltedcaramelhotchoc

Hi Nigel, the first cookbook I ever bought was your Real Food, and now I have hundreds of books, but still make so much from that book - grilled chicken with chilli, lemon and mint;roast chicken with lemon and basil;, pasta with spicy sausage and mustard; onion and Madeira gravy; pork with cashews and lime and mint.

Do you ever make any recipes from that book now?

Happy Christmas! I love the new book by the way. The size is handy too...

Hi

Thank you - so pleased you like the new book. Yes, I do still cook from Real Food. I'm rather fond of the potatoes with Tallegio and Nigella's mushroom sandwich.

Hi Nigel

You are my food hero, and your inspirational books taught me how to not only cook, but enjoy food.

What is your most favourite ever meal, and why?

And may I come and live in your garden too?

Oh Nigel, I've just had a vision of you with a big bag of kettle chips and dip, watching murder she wrote!

Ooh, sounds delicious, that will keep us going for a while!

Thank you Nigel x

@Tinklebinkle

Hi Nigel, Do you garden? I'm assuming you must do. If so, what is your favourite item to grow and cook with? My allotment is the place I go to relax, de-stress and grow my favourite foods. I love to try and use as much of my own crops in family meals. Sadly my family are still too obsessed with perfect looking veg and too frightened of the odd beastie lurking in the lettuce leaves. Is there any food item your family refuse to eat? [santa]

Hi Tinklebinkle

Yes there is no cheque you could write large enough to get me to eat a boiled, fried or poached egg. And my dad hated margarine - he was a very wise man!

Thank you so much for answering! I like Nigella's mushroom sandwich too though I had forgotten it was in your book! The taleggio potatoes are delicious.
Happy Christmas, and let's hope you are busy creating memories and recipes for Kitchen Diaries IV!

@Fatrascals

Hello Nigel

Just wanted to pop in and shake your hand
In our house a Slater bolognese (from The Kitchen Diaries) is a "fast food" night. We ALWAYS have various bags of your bolognese in the freezer as I make a big pan load every so often. It's a fantastic, simple but delicious recipe. My children are always delighted when it's spag Bol night. I enjoy cooking it too....I know it by heart now and find it therapeutic to cook up a massive batch.

Anyhow, .... My question is my husband's question. He is an exceptionally good and enthusiastic cook (much to my joy). However, he says to you " I have a Weakness for eating cheap, savoury crap....what is your favourite crap crisps, Nigel"

Hi Fatrascals

So pleased you love the bolognaise. My favourite crisps are good old-fashioned ready salted. Although I like them best when they came with a little blue salt bag inside but that was when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. I'm also secretly rather partial to gummy bears - we always have them on set when I'm filming.

Ha ha Steam, It would be a delicious homemade dip in a beautiful bowl though!

@SteamPunkGoth

Oh Nigel, I've just had a vision of you with a big bag of kettle chips and dip, watching murder she wrote!

Have you been peeping through my window?

@laflaca

Hi Nigel

You are my food hero, and your inspirational books taught me how to not only cook, but enjoy food.

What is your most favourite ever meal, and why?

And may I come and live in your garden too?

That's a really tricky one but to tell the truth my favourite ever meal was mum's roast chicken, roast potatoes and gravy. I miss it to this day.

Yes, come along there's room for all in the garden!

@yongnian

Oops sorry for the crafty second question but could you ever see. Yourself writing a 'growing for cooking' book for veg-growing novices like me...grow all fresh herbs etc for cooking but anything more is beyond...

Indeed I have - it's called Tender and there's two volumes. One for growing and cooking veg and the other for fruit.

Ha ha, yes Nigel! I actually do live in your garden.

Thank you Nigel xx

@cressetmama

Adding my vote to the general adoration of your books, Nigel. I've found Real Fast Food so useful, I've got it on Kindle as well as in hard copy, and copies have been supplied to all my nieces and nephews setting up home. DS will get one when he moves out.

However, this year we are taking an abbreviated version of Christmas to the kitchen of my elderly MiL. She will eat like a bird and her cooker gives me the heebie-jeebies (it's not gas!); her cooking equipment is rudimentary and her knives are so old they won't take an edge. Any thoughts for a couple of easy vegetables? And an easy pud that is just festive enough? or shall I resort to trifle again?

Merry Crimbo to the Slater household!

I've never known anyone say no to a mixture of roasted vegetables and they can be good cold the next day with a little bit of dressing.

Trifle is always welcome but have you thought of vanilla ice cream with a hot mincemeat sauce?

Oh!! I've missed that entirely....right, well adds Tender I and II to christmas then! :-))
Cheers and have a great Christmas and New Year X

So very sorry if I didn't get to your question. There was so many! Thank you all very much for joining me. You've made my Christmas.

Best wishes,

Nigel

Christmas list even...

Ahh, what a super closing message!

All best wishes to you too Nigel xx

What a lovely webchat
What a nice man

We should set up an ongoing fan thread now called 'In Nigel's garden'!!!!