How to make potato salad – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

This summer classic is the happy proof that not all things labelled as salad have to feel like penance for helping yourself to all the fried chicken or barbecued halloumi. Far fresher and zingier than gloopy, ready-made versions, this is the perfect recipe to make the most of those dense, fudgy early potatoes, and easy to customise according to taste and circumstance.Prep 15 min Cook 15-20 min Serves 4600g waxy potatoes Salt ½ tsp dijon mustard 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 115g good mayonnaise, ordinary or plant-based (see step 6 for a homemade option)3 spring onions 2 tbsp capers and/or chopped gherkins 2 anchovies (optional)1 small bunch chives 1 handful fresh parsley, leaves and soft stems 1 handful fresh mint leaves1 tbsp wholegrain mustardPotato salad demands a waxy variety, and preferably ones that are new enough that their skins are still flaky and thin, rather than spuds that have been in cold storage for months. Jersey royals are my favourite, but other good (and widely available) options include celandine, ratte, arran, pink fir apple and vivaldi, though farm shops may have even better options on offer.Choose potatoes that are fairly even in size, and preferably small enough easily to boil whole; you may need to cut any larger ones in half to ensure they all cook through in roughly the same time, but try to minimise this, because potatoes cooked whole in their skins will have a better texture

Tea-licious! 17 awesome ways to use earl grey, from ice-cream and cocktails to strudel and salad

Who’d have guessed there’s so much you can do with bergamot-flavoured tea? Apparently you can even drink itAs you may already know, the title of Britain’s Best Loaf 2025 was awarded to a brioche that was flavoured with lemon curd and earl grey tea. The inventor – Miyo Aoetsu, who runs a baking business from her home in Derbyshire – says the loaf was inspired by a recent Japanese trend for foods that combine the flavours of lemon and earl grey. But outside Japan, how many recipes can there be that use earl grey as an ingredient? Here are 17, just for starters.The first, and most basic, is for earl grey itself. The connection between the tea and the 2nd Earl Grey, in whose honour it is sometimes said to have been concocted, is sketchy and possibly nonexistent

Song He Lou, London W1: no neon, no bunting and not much jostling for tourist dollars – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

The demise of London’s Chinatown has long been predicted, what with recent rent and rate rises, and diners’ changing tastes. Yet on a spring lunchtime last week, business on Wardour Street was booming, with alfresco noodle-slurping, long queues and endless selfie sessions all in full swing.Song He Lou, a historic restaurant brand that champions Suzhou cuisine, clearly believes there are big profits to be made in this postcode, and it has put its money where its mouth is by opening a whopping 144-seater right here in the centre of Chinatown. I’m not chucking in that “historic” willy-nilly, either: Song He Lou was founded in Suzhou near Shanghai almost 270 years ago, during the reign of Emperor Qianglong, and makes Rules in nearby Covent Garden, which is a piffling 227, look like a fly-by-night pop-up.After the best part of three centuries in China, this new London branch is Song He Lou’s first overseas flagship

José Pizarro’s recipe for slow-roast pork belly with spring onion mojo verde

There’s something about its perfect balance of crunch and tenderness that makes roast pork belly such a timeless favourite, and slow-roasting fills the kitchen with comforting aromas that make you hungry long before the meat is anywhere near ready. I like to serve it with mojo verde, a vibrant sauce from the Canaries that’s often served with papas arrugadas, the island’s wonderfully salty and wrinkled take on potatoes. The sauce’s fresh, herby flavour works beautifully with roast meat, too, and brings a bright contrast to rich, crisp pork in particular.Prep 15 min Cook 3 hr 30 min Serves 4-61½kg pork belly (ideally outdoor-reared), skin scored2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp sweet smoked pimentón Salt and black pepper 2 tbsp honey 200ml dry sherry 150ml chicken stock Zest of 1 lemon, pared off in stripsFor the mojo verde1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped1 garlic clove, peeled and grated1 green chilli, stalk, pith and seeds discarded, flesh finely chopped100g fresh coriander, finely chopped50g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped2 tbsp sherry vinegar 120ml extra-virgin olive oilHeat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Rub the pork belly all over with the olive oil, pimentón and some salt, ensuring they all get right into the scores, then put it in an oven tray and roast for 30 minutes

Helen Goh’s recipe for matcha madeleines | The sweet spot

Delicate, shell-shaped madeleines are always irresistible, but their charm fades quickly, because these little cakes tend to dry out within hours. To counter that, I’ve taken an untraditional turn by incorporating a little oil and milk to keep them soft and spongy for a couple of days. Matcha, the finely ground green tea powder, comes in a range of grades; use the best you can afford, but don’t be tempted to add more for the appealing colour – the sweet, grassy notes can tip into bitterness in an instant.Prep 5 min Chill 2 hr Cook 1 hr Makes 24For the madeleines80g unsalted butter, plus 10g extra, softened, for greasing50ml sunflower oil, or other neutral oil 60ml milk1 tbsp matcha – I use Clearspring150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting1¾ tsp baking powder¼ tsp fine sea salt3 large eggs 140g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extractFor the glaze and topping120g icing sugar, sifted2 tbsp milk ¼ tsp matchaA pinch of salt 40g desiccated coconutMelt the butter in a small saucepan on a low heat. Take off the heat, whisk in the oil, milk and matcha, then set aside to cool

Core principles: the return of ‘real’ cider

“When I started out 10 years ago, only three of the makers here were even in business,” says Felix Nash, gesturing to the reams of golden bottles that line the shelves of his shop. I’m at the Fine Cider Company in London Fields, east London, with its founder, having arrived with the hope of lapping up all that fine cider has to offer inside a neat hour. (Spoiler alert: I leave thirsty and inspired.)Although much of recent cider-making history is defined by mergers and mass-market production, there’s also an exciting re-emergence of terroir-focused production, though that is something Nash claims has always been a part of the UK’s agricultural DNA: “One of the first things the Royal Society ever published was on perry and cider, when John Beale, an early fellow, recognised that an apple variety called redstreak grew particularly well in certain parts of Herefordshire, a concept we now understand as terroir.”These days, much of the UK’s cider production is mass market, which has to be only 35% apple concentrate, and the fruit can come from just about anywhere