COOK'S INSTINCT by @anthonyshock

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:03:18 GMT

The phrase ‘huli huli’ means ‘turn turn’, which takes its name from the repeated turning of these kebabs over the grill. The marinade is very basic, using surprisingly common ingredients that are reminiscent of both Japanese and American occupation of the Hawaiian islands. ‘Huli huli’ is often enjoyed as a street food, a party food and can often a part of the famous Hawaiian ‘plate lunch’ featuring a scoop of rice a creamy macaroni salad. Don’t underestimate the basic ingredients here, getting them in the right proportions makes a chicken kebab that absolutely hits all the spots - this is always a hit! Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2-4x)

400g diced chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
2x cloves garlic, grated
1x thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper

WALKTHROUGH

Let’s marinate the chicken. Place the 400g diced chicken thighs into a mixing bowl followed by all of the listed ingredients. Mix them into the chicken well until the sugar has dissolved. Set it aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Skewer the chicken pieces onto a skewer, making sure to pack them tightly.
Place the chicken onto a barbecue, or under a hot grill-broiler on a rack about 3-inches from the heat source. Alternatively you can cook them on a rack in a 200C/400F oven for 15-18 minutes. Turn them every 4-5 minutes. The glaze should burn and char in some places - this is ideal - but they shouldn’t scorch.
Once the chicken is cooked through, allow the sticks to cool and enjoy them while they’re hot. They’re also quite delicious cold too - enjoy!

Greek Bean Soup (φασολάδα)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:04:04 GMT

‘Fasolada’ is considered the people’s national dish in Greece, being a common staple of Greek home cooking and ‘yiayia’ (grandma) cuisine. Amazingly, it does double duty as a winter dish and as a refreshing summer dish, as it can use fresh produce of the summer or preserves throughout winter, depending what you have. It’s a great way to show off fresh oregano too if you have it, but dried will suffice just fine. The toppings give this soup the real edge. Serve it in a bowl with cubes of feta cheese and kalamata olives. Add some extra virgin olive at the table too, you’ll certainly appreciate it here. Let’s go!

Greek Candied Oranges (γλυκά του κουταλιού)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:18:52 GMT

Literally meaning ‘spoon sweet’, this delicacy belongs to a class of traditional Greek fruit preserves that use anything from oranges to cherries to figs. Traditionally it’s served to guests on a sin…

Greek Lemon Potatoes (πατάτες λεμονάτες)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:17:56 GMT

Known as ‘patatas limonates’, these potatoes have stolen the hearts of many visitors to Greece. They’re part-braised and part-roasted, often in the same roasting pan. I find simmering them in hot water for 5 minutes then roasting them in their tangy dressing produces the most flavourful result. These potatoes will exhibit some crispiness on account of the skin - do leave the skins on the potatoes for this - but they drink up and carry the dressing really nicely. They’re just too easy to eat. I have been serving them with feta cheese and honey on top which creates a complete picture of salty, sweet and sour all in one dish. It leaves you gob-smacked! Let’s go!

Indian Potatoes and Greens (साग आलू)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:10:55 GMT

This hearty yet nutritious curry dish is often known as ‘saag aloo’ or ‘palak aloo’ depending on the greens you use. If you prefer a robust taste, use mustard greens (saag) which are available in Sou…

Japanese Chicken Kinpira (鶏きんぴら)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Fri, 29 May 2026 12:06:19 GMT

Known as ‘tori kinpura’, this quick Japanese dish is often made with lotus root or burdock stems, but nowadays carrots are more popular for their vivacious colour. You could combine some parsnips in …

Thai Iced Tea (ชานมเย็น)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Mon, 25 May 2026 10:30:01 GMT

The famous Thai tea uses a specific tea type - assam - which lends a malty flavour and a natural orange stain to the drink, which most vendors enhance further with food colouring. The Thai brand tea …

Goan Chorizo Chilli Fry (Kataechim Choris)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sat, 23 May 2026 10:46:48 GMT

This delectable dish from Goa combines the flavour of chorizo sausage with potato and onions to make a scrumptious plate with bread. Naturally, chorizo is a Portuguese influence in Goan cuisine. Form…

Norwegian Plucked Fish (Plukkfisk)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Thu, 21 May 2026 13:31:50 GMT

This dish is a old-fashioned speciality of Norway’s West Coast. Whenever I visit the city of Bergen I go straight to a cosy pub called ‘Pingvinnen’ (the penguin) where they serve this dish as one of …

American Classic Cola

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Tue, 19 May 2026 07:55:36 GMT

The drink that conquered the world had humble origins back in the 19th century, developed by a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia as an energising tonic. The drink took the name ‘cola’ from the addition of kola nuts, a West African ingredient which offers a source of energising caffeine. The original recipe also used cocaine for a while, which may have solidified its reputation as an energiser! Besides these active ingredients, the original cola concoction combined a mixture of citrus essences and juices, adding a sour edge, along with warm, ‘energising’ spices. This recipe uses a brown sugar for colour, but do use a raw cane sugar (panela) or demerara sugar which would be more fitting with the sugar of that time. Furthermore, I caramelise the sugar in this recipe which builds some deep colour and also adds the crucial caramel note that cola is famous for. Do add a nip of gravy browning for the true cola depth of colour, otherwise you will have a more tawny-hued but still tasty drink to make up with soda water to your taste. Let’s go!

Spaghetti Carbonara (Spaghetti alla Carbonara)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:23:52 GMT

Born in the Italian capital, spaghetti alla carbonara was designed as a pasta dish of the working class. The name ‘carbonara’ potentially hints at local charcoal workers who would be famously covered…

Italian Pasta Amatriciana (Bucatini all'Amatriciana)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sat, 16 May 2026 09:58:28 GMT

One of the four pillars of Roman pasta dishes, Amatriciana comes from the small town of Amatrice up in Lazio’s hills. Sadly the town suffered a devastating earthquake about a decade ago, and around t…

Strawberry Milkshake Cake

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sun, 10 May 2026 09:10:55 GMT

I first made this cake about 8 years ago. I had just started renting a flat in Leeds and the landlord had come to do some paperwork when he spotted this cake sitting on the counter. I wouldn’t have finished it all by myself so I let him have half of it. Later that night I got a message saying he enjoyed it so much and he wanted to knock £50 off my rent. So here we are. This cake uses a milkshake powder, which is essentially just flavoured sugar, often with some malt added. It goes without saying, use any flavour milkshake powder in this cake. Depending which brand you use, you may get some variation in colour, but if its important for you then you can touch it up with some food colouring. This works excellently as cupcakes too! Let’s go!

Indonesian Avocado Juice (Jus Alpukat)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Fri, 08 May 2026 08:33:04 GMT

Literally known as ‘jus alpukat’ or ‘avocado juice’, this drink isn’t technically a juice, but rather a milkshake. Avocados are combined with water and condensed milk - plus ice if you want it cold -…

South Indian Tomato Rassam (தக்காளி ரசம்)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:38:21 GMT

‘Rassam’ is a family of simple, broth-based dishes that are usually served with rice and Indian pickle. It’s a staple of both hot and cold seasons in South India, and the spice blend in it is used ac…

French Chocolate Marble Cake (Gâteau Marbré)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sun, 03 May 2026 08:17:09 GMT

The marble cake is enjoying a renaissance this year, and with that comes agonising over creating the perfect swirl. Marbling cakes has been around for a while, particularly in Germany where cakes - such as ‘Marmorkuchen’ - were marbled with dark molasses, the natural choice before the arrival of cocoa from the Americas. This marble cake takes the form of a loaf, and has a 50:50 swirl of chocolate and vanilla cake batter. As usual, I use a soured milk mixture which can be simply made with milk and lemon juice, owing a tender, light texture to cakes superior to buttermilk. Once baked, the loaf is good for slicing, but I highly recommend making a spectacle of it with a decadent rocher ganache, originally named after the rocky ‘rocher’ grotto of Lourdes, France, which simply combines chocolate, hot water and toasted hazelnuts. It’s too good to pass up! Let’s go!

Hyderabadi Chicken Majestic (चिकन माजेस्टिक)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:43:36 GMT

A classic Hyderabadi street food, ‘chicken majestic’ is a tantilising dry chicken curry dish tossed in a tangy yoghurt sauce. It’s not considered a main dish in Hyderabad. Though substantial and pack…

Scottish Highland-Style Shortbread (Aran Milis Àrdchreige)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 08:29:19 GMT

Scottish shortbread is a coveted treat for any visitor to Scotland. Proper shortbread is a very simple recipe with no bells and whistles. The butter does most of the heavy lifting, and there’s no vanilla to hide behind either. I use cornflour in this recipe, though some Scots will insist on rice flour. This recipe also picks up some historic details from the last century, particularly in sort of sugar used. Sugar in the last few centuries wasn’t as refined as the white sort we get now, and it would often have traces of flavourful molasses that made the sugar taste…like sugar! In this recipe I capture that essence with a small addition of brown sugar. The highland style shortbread often uses a mixture of oats and wheat flour, as wheat would struggle to ripen in the colder climate of Northern Scotland. Feel encouraged to explore other regional varieties of shortbread too, such as Ayrshire-style shortbread [GET THE RECIPE] which adds eggs and cream, and the classic style which is the pure essence of Scottish shortbread [GET THE RECIPE] which adds milled, toasted oats. Wonderful with a hot cup of tea. Let’s go!

Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:02:55 GMT

These chocolate balls are commonly served in cafés up and down Sweden and are regularly enjoyed within the ‘fika’ afternoon coffee tradition. They’re made with oats, once the staple Swedish grain, wh…

Persian Crispy Rice with Barberries (ته‌دیگ با زرشک)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:29:38 GMT

This traditional rice dish, often referred to as ‘tahdiig’ or ‘bottom of the pot, is a common fixture of Persian celebrations and feasts. The rice is par-cooked and combined with a golden mixture of saffron and butter, before being steamed to perfection in a separate pot. The addition of barberries at the end adds a pop of sourness, a favoured taste to many Iranians. You may find barberries in many Middle-Eastern supermarkets, or you can use regular currants, or frankly use nothing at all. The key to a good, crispy tahdiig is the temperature control. This takes practice. Use a good, solid-based pot and you will get a consistently gold crust across the base of your tahdiig. Don’t worry if it doesn’t release from the pot in one perfectly-moulded swoop, this is greatly determined by the doneness of your rice and the sort of pot you use. If you need to remove the crust in sections - like many Iranians actually do - it is just as good. Enjoy this with any other dishes as part of a wider feast, but honestly some days this dish is good enough to make and eat all on its own! Let’s go!