Mary Berry – Love to Cook episode 5: Mary has spent most of her life teaching new cooks foolproof recipes. She shows us recipes that will build confidence in the kitchen, including an easy stir-fry hoisin chicken, a mouthwatering salmon and dill burger that even the most inexperienced cooks can master, and the secrets behind her best ginger biscuits. But she starts with a delectable Victoria sponge sandwich, filled with jam and topped with cream.
Mary is not alone in her desire to get people cooking. In Newcastle, she meets the Men’s Pie Club, a group set up to combat male social isolation. With beautiful views over the River Tyne, the group meet at Newcastle Castle to impress Mary with their spiced chicken and apricot tagine pie. This groundbreaking group, which has around 120 local members, has ignited a spark for cooking and helped the men surround themselves with like-minded people who care.
In south London, Mary meets brothers Shaun and Craig McAnuff, successful food bloggers whose passion lies in bringing delicious, authentic Caribbean recipes to life. Original Flava was inspired by their mother Blossom, their grandmother Lurleen and the family recipes they grew up cooking and eating. Dedicated to passing on these recipes, they show their cousins how to make jerk chicken on a traditional jerk pan made from an old oil drum, before Mary pops in to join the celebrations at the family BBQ.
Mary also reveals some of her favourite kitchen shortcuts, perfect for beginners but just as useful to those with a bit more experience under their belt.
Mary Berry – Love to Cook episode 5 recipes:
Hoisin chicken with cashews
This recipe was my go-to in lockdown! Great for a quick supper on a warm summer’s evening. Place the chicken breasts in the freezer for an hour or so before you start, so they are firmer when you cut them into strips.
Method:
- To make the marinade, place the hoisin, ginger, honey and lemon juice in a bowl and stir well.
- Add the chicken strips to the bowl of marinade. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the marinade. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes, or longer if possible.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. Fry the chicken for a few minutes in two batches, until golden brown and just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper, if needed, then add a dash of oil, the cashew nuts and spring onions and fry for 1 minute. Return the chicken and juices to the pan and toss until warmed through. Serve in a bowl with rice or salad on the side.
The best ginger biscuits – Mary Berry – Love to Cook episode 5
You know your favourite crisp, thick, moreish ginger biscuit? Well, this is it! Restraint is needed to keep the lid on the tin.
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Place the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until melted.
- Place the flour, ground ginger, chopped ginger, bicarbonate of soda and sugars in a mixing bowl. Mix well, then stir in the melted ingredients. Add the egg and bring the mixture together to form a dough.
- Divide into 16 equal pieces and roll with your hands into small balls. Place on the baking trays and slightly flatten to about 1cm/½in thick. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and firm around the edges.
- Leave to firm up on the baking trays for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Salmon and dill burger with lemon and caper mayonnaise
Salmon and dill are the perfect combination as the dill gently compliments the delicate salmon. Adding the smoked salmon enhances the poached salmon flavour and the topping makes the burger extra special. These are ‘open burgers’, but you can always buy double the amount of rolls and have them as a more traditional burger. If you want something lighter still, just serve as a naked fish burger with no bun.
Method:
- Place the smoked salmon in a food processor and whizz for a few moments until roughly chopped. Add the remaining burger ingredients, except the oil, and a little salt and pepper. Whizz again for a moment until the mixture has come together but still has texture. Shape into eight patties.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a fairly low heat, add the burgers and fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through.
- To make the serving ingredients, heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan over a high heat and fry the fennel slices for about 5 minutes, until softened and golden.
- Meanwhile, to make the mayonnaise, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and season well with salt and pepper.
- Place half a lettuce leaf on each bun half and top with a salmon burger, some fennel, dill cucumber and a spoonful of lemon and caper mayonnaise.
