The spud & the scallion gets me champing at the bit

Thank you for tuning in to Champ TV…

Happy happy joy joy… it’s been far too long since I had a big portion of champ. This is my nod to St Patrick’s Day and Irish cuisine, and a firm family favourite when we were kids.

Champ, or brúitín in the Irish, is mashed potato with scallions and butter. Over the last decade or so I’ve seen increasing references to ‘champed mashed potato’ on menus (alongside colcannon mash, also delicious) and it’s nice to see such a homely favourite crop up in eating places. Back home it was just ‘champ’, but it was often a meal in itself, not just a side order. Indeed it became more a participatory sport than a meal in our household. Not bad for a humble plate of green-flecked mash…

Read more

Salt n’ sweet ice cream

/
Despite the legendary pronouncement as a child in a huff…

Yellowman meets yellow butter…

/
Having invited some friends to Sunday brunch, I wasn't quite…

Wahaca

/
Since the authenticity of Mexican food in London seems to…

Crimp, rocket and roll… salmon ravioli

/
This weekend saw the latest round of our longstanding local…
Semlor

Semlor, or Mardi Gras with marzipan…

/
After a very long wait since Easter is so late this year,…

Duck, or strange love (adventures with a homebrew sous-vide)

/
Duck or strange love (or how I learned to stop worrying and…

Prim and Proper…

/
A childhood holiday to Norway left me with several lifelong…

Beetroot Risotto

/
Back in the days of yore when I was at home revising for…

Venison, bullets and spears

/
As it was Valentine's Day (or more precisely the evening before,…

Upside-down Rhubarb Cheesecake

/
Some people have a spirit animal that sums up their personality…

Guestrant at Electrik with Deanna Thomas*

/
I've read about Electrik Bar's 'Guestrant' sessions since…

Steak and Kidney Pudding

/
I love suet. I know it's as unfashionable as lard these days,…