Week 4 Your Cookalong food questions answered - week 4

Week 4 menu

Date Published:

13/10/2008

Our cookery expert answers all your questions about the menu for Cookalong Live - week 4.

Note: The Cookalong isn’t being repeated on Saturday, but you can watch it all again on Channel 4 Catch-up

Why not try using cooked chicken breast instead and make a chicken and avocado cocktail? Just two cooked breasts will be enough to serve four people. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and use in place of the prawns. You could even add some fried streaky bacon pieces to the salad – they’ll only take a couple of minutes to cook if you have the bacon chopped and a small pan on the hob ready to go at the start of the show. Alternatively, why not simply use extra avocado? Allow for half an avocado per person.

Yes, but you’ll need to choose a mild variety. Red onions tend to be less pungent, and one small-medium onion should do the trick. Make sure you chop it finely and have it peeled well before the start of the show, so you’re ready to prepare it at the same time as Gordon slices his shallots.

Charlotte potatoes are particularly suitable because they hold their shape well when cooked, but any other small waxy potato would do the job. Just make sure they are cut to similar sizes so they cook evenly on the night. And don't forget to have a pan of water on the boil ready to part cook them before sautéing.

Yes, you could try using ginger nut biscuits or even crunchy oat biscuits. Just keep the quantity the same and make sure you blend them to a fine crumb before adding the melted butter.

Yes, absolutely. Simply break them into chunky pieces and put in a strong, clean freezer bag. Place on a board and bash with a rolling pin until they turn to fine crumbs. Make sure you only use digestive biscuits though, as any cookies containing large pieces of nuts or fruit won’t break down as easily.

No, I’m afraid not. Low fat cheeses tend to be very soft and are often thickened with stabilisers that won’t allow the cheesecake to firm up without the addition of a setting agent such as gelatine. You could try making the cheesecake in ramekins or dessert dishes instead though – that way they won’t need to be turned out.

You could try other canned fruits, such as apricots, or even bottled cherries, just make sure you drain them really well. Or, how about cutting out the orange zest, topping the cheesecake with sliced bananas, drizzling with toffee sauce and sprinkling with flaked chocolate for a quick banoffee-style dessert?

Find out what's on week 4's menu

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