Top 10s 4Food's top 10 recipes

Date Published:

03/10/2008

4Food has been inspiring you to get cookin’ in the kitchen for a year now. Peruse 4Food’s choice of our top 10 recipes

The centrepiece from Gordon's Cookalong Live menu was this glorious steak and chips recipe. With scallops to start and chocolate mousse to finish, this steak recipe provided the focal point for the nation, who tuned in in their thousands to cook along with Gordon in January 2008. Steak – done!
Watch the video of Gordon a-sizzlin’ his steak.

Sure, we all want to shed that spare tyre. But giving up chocolate is another matter entirely. Enter Cook Yourself Thin, the show that taught us how to eat healthily whilst still enjoying our favourites – serving up these spiced winter chocolate brownies. Don’t let the pumpkin and pink peppercorns in the recipe ingredients scare you – the girls know what they’re doing.

She came, she saw, she licked spoons seductively. Nigella demonstrated this pasta with meatballs in tomato sauce in her popular Channel 4 series Nigella Bites. Her top tip: "The trick to these meatballs is to keep them small. Don't actually use a teaspoon, but use about a teaspoon's amount of mince to roll each ball. If there are children around, so much the better; they tend to like making these."

Back in again is sweary Gordon with perennial favourite shepherd’s pie. Hailing from the F Word kitchen, this pie comes out perfectly – using (unusually) egg yolks in the mash.

Fancy a curry without the fat? This Cook Yourself Thin chicken tikka masala delivers on taste and looks like it came from your local curry house. By simply removing the ghee (clarified butter) and swapping the cream for coconut milk, the girls serve up this lighter, tastier version. Be warned, however: the recipe requires meat marinating time.

When Italians make a lasagne they use chopped steak, not mince, says Michelin-starred chef-of-the-moment Angela Hartnett. Try her authentic lasagne recipe and you'll understand why. Serve with a fresh rocket side salad.

Says Jamie about his unique take on traditional French onion soup: "There's something so incredibly humble about onion soup. It's absolutely one of my favourites but unfortunately I only ever get to make it in the restaurant or for myself as the missus thinks she's allergic to onions. (She's not, because I whiz them up into loads of dishes without her knowing!). If you have the opportunity, get hold of as many different types of onion for this soup as you can - you need about 1kg in total. Sweat them gently and you'll be amazed at all the flavours going on."

Gordon takes the humble cup of cocoa to new heights in this impressive hot chocolate fondant recipe. Baked in individual ramekins, these little puds are perfect dinner party fodder. Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream.

Mr Oliver rejigs our favourite late-night-after-pub staple with his grilled lamb koftas recipe. These pack a real flavour punch, as Jamie strives for authenticity in his ingredients: "In this recipe I’m using a spice called sumac - it has a lovely flavour - but if you can’t find it, try lemon zest instead. Buy really good minced lamb, or else a cut of trimmed shoulder or neck fillet and mince it up at home in a food processor."

This tuna pasta bake a great standby. All the ingredients can be found in your store cupboard or freezer. Use any pasta but bows, penne or macaroni work best.

Did we miss any? Have you tried any of the above? Let us know in the user comments below.

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