36 25 MAY 2023 Weekending ORLANDO MURRIN ‘I love our Levantine Table Slow Cooked Beef with Mango Amba Sauce served with Levantine Table Freekeh, Black Rice and Chickpeas. Just warm the grains, shred the beef on top, drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle with fresh coriander’ PAUL GAMBLE Partner & senior brand development chef ‘One of the great things about having a clear-out is the endorphin rush you get’ Idecided to declutter my kitchen. The rule is that I can’t buy a new gadget or machine unless I throw an old one out tomake space for it, but the state of my drawers and cupboards would suggest I’ve been cheating. I’mparticularly irked by all the baking tins I’ve accumulated, many of which were bought for a specific recipe and used just once. It’s not di cult to scale recipes up or down using a calculator and common sense, so in future I’ll resist the urge to rush out and buy the latest shape or size. Xanthe Clay, The Telegraph’s cookery columnist, swears by parchment-lined foil, which you can fold (and if necessary staple) to improvise a tin you don’t have. When adapting a bake, watch like a hawk – shield with foil if it’s browning too fast – and if it’s a success, note down what you did for next time. I’malso surprised by howmuch equipment I’ve accumulated for sentimental reasons. One of my favourites is a gizmo given tome bymy friend Susie (once her aunt’s). You stick an apple on a prong, turn a handle and it’s peeled and spiral-sliced in 20 seconds. This lives at the back of my cupboard with a cherry stoner I bought in Germany (which comes out in clafouti season) andmy partner’s kugelhupf mould (inherited fromhis grandmother). One of the great things about having a clear-out is the endorphin rush you get, another is being reminded of dishes that have fallen out of your repertoire. On which note, tomorrow I’mmaking kugelhupf. I have just one drawer for knives and other utensils, whichmeans they have to earn their keep. I’ve been through dozens of vegetable peelers inmy day, but the one I always come back to – for practical rather than nostalgic reasons – is themetal swivel type, inexpensive and unashamedly old-school. Its only drawback is that it’s practically invisible among its colleagues. I’ve remedied this by tying on a colourful length of baler twine (as used in farmyards), so it can be easily spotted among the egg pricks, o set spatulas and chirping wine pourers (the latter being a hilarious gift frommy sister-in-law). Many cooks keep kitchenmachines on the worktop, but mine are lodged in a pair of deep drawers. I’ve downsized to amidi food processor (no regrets, except that it arrived with dozens of attachments and accessories I’ve never used and have binned). This nestles alongsidemy beloved sous vide wand (the only way to cook steaks, pork chops andmany other cuts of meat), co ee grinder (for spices) andmandoline (to slice potatoes for gratin dauphinois). Next month, I’mdemonstrating at the Foodies Festival in Exeter (16-18 June) and I’ll take along my Alligator. Designed in Sweden, this crowdpleasing plastic device has choppedmy onions for the past 20 years and invariably gets a standing ovation. Come along and I’ll let you try it. Orlando is President of the Guild of FoodWriters and author of Two’s Company: Simple. Fast & Fresh Recipes for Couples, Friends &Roommates ALL THE GEAR It’s easy for your kitchen drawers to get overcrowded Decluttering your kitchen can be a real eye-opener Salt away Weekend hack “Herby salts mixed in a ratio of 2:1 salt to fresh herbs are an excellent way to preserve fresh flavours and bright colours,” writes chef and TV presenter James Strawbridge in his book Salt and The Art of Seasoning. James says this is a great trick “if you have toomuch basil left in the fridge, or a selection of herbs you don’t knowwhat you do with.” The book also features a rundown on di erent varieties of salt and 100-plus recipes such as salted Cornish sardines, cured egg carbonara and fiery kimchi fried rice.
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