Meat, Poultry and Game

Tasty chicken that can be oven baked or fried. The chicken can be left marinading overnight if you want to save time.

A marinated and slow cooked duck casserole which does not have a thickened gravy. It is sweet from the fresh sun ripened tomatoes, deliciously citrussy from the orange zest and juice with a briny saltiness from the olives. It tastes even better the next day.

A hot and spicy chicken curry, originating from Durban, South Africa. Unlike traditional Indian recipes, a Durban curry does not usually include cream, milk, yoghurt or nuts, and very little butter or ghee is used. In Durban oil is used, with a lot of chilli, cumin and coriander and the vibrant colour comes from the tomatoes. Potatoes are added too. This curry is always best the next day and in Durban might be served as a Bunny Chow, in a hollowed out loaf of bread.

Succulent chicken breast pieces marinated in Indian spices and yoghurt making, a very quick and delicious summer meal. Chicken thigh meat is great to use too, and possibly more tasty and succulent than breast meat. Use less chilli powder or cayenne pepper if you prefer less kick, although the amount in this recipe won't have you gasping for water! If you do not have all the spices in your store cupboard, don't worry, just substitute all of the spices with curry powder.

Leg of lamb is perfect for these dainty little skewers. Use small woody stems of rosemary and thread with the marinated lamb and onion. Make sure that the rosemary sprigs are not too fleshy or the meat will not thread. Grill over hot coals. This recipe makes 8 mini skewers, enough for 4 people as a starter or 2 people for a main course. Delicious served in pitta bread with some tzatziki.

A traditonal spiced Moroccan lamb stew. Shoulder is the best cut to use and cooking on the bone is preferable as you will get a deeper and richer flavour to the stew. Serve with steamed cous cous or buttery mashed potato.

Fresh plum sauce really gives duck breast, or any other rich, fatty meat a lift. It's smooth, sweet yet tart. Make it as spicy as you like by adding schezwan pepper or chilli flakes.

Pork pies are much easier to make than you might imagine. Just a little time needed to prepare the filling and the pastry and some patience required with the crimping and sealing of the pies.

A simple supper dish which can be cooked in one pot.  Stir in creme fraiche or cream at the end of the cooking time for a special occasion.

Red Poll is a native breed of Suffolk producing excellent beef. Your local butcher will be able to provide a whole oxtail and cut it into sections for you. Use well sourced meat that has been hung for at least 28 days. The stew must be slow cooked until the meat falls from the bones. Try and use shin if possible as although it takes longer to cook it makes a gorgeous more gelatinous, sticky and lip smacking gravy. It's a cheaper cut too.
This recipe is great for slow cooking on a camp fire fire and I always make it in my South African Potjie over smouldering logs. It works just as well made in a casserole or saucepan and cooked in the oven.

Spice blends, commonly called dry rubs are rubbed into meat before cooking. Some say that salt should not be included in a rub as meat should be dry brined by rubbing in salt a day in advance, in order for the salt to penetrate the meat. The spices in a rub do not tend to penetrate the meat but will help form the delicious spicy crust (or bark, as they call it down South). However as we are all so short of time in our busy lives, I make an all in one rub, mixing the salt into the rub and leaving it on the meat overnight in the fridge. Sugar is a matter of taste and needed to help caramelise the crust. I use just a little on beef. Experiment with your own spice blends and store in an airtight jar. Use a whole piece of rib eye or sirloin, or if you prefer individual steaks.

This recipe comes from Head Chef Dave Wall and The Unruly Pig at Bromeswell. Suffolk.

You could cheat a little by asking your butcher for boned saddle of rabbit and even ask them to stuff it for you with pork mince.  Ask for the bones for your gravy!

Southern fried chicken, the American way, is usually deep fried but this is our shallow fried version which is finished off in the oven. Serve with blue cheese ranch dip and sweet potato wedges.

Fragrant and delicately spicy, these meatballs are quick to make in a food processor and can be steamed or fried. Serve the steamed meatballs in an Asian style vegetable broth and the fried meatballs with a dipping sauce. Makes 45 meatballs. 1 tablespoon of Thai fish sauce in the meatball mix and/or the broth will add a further depth to the flavour.