COOK'S INSTINCT by @anthonyshock

French Madeleines (Madeleines Natures)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:44:04 GMT

One of the core items of any French patisserie showcase, madeleines have a deep and elusive history in French baking. They were first served a sweet finger treat for the king Stanisław Leszczyński of Poland while he resided at his court in Commercy, France. Allegedly these bakes are named after the girl who baked them for him. Though not many French people would consider baking madeleines at home, they are one of the easiest items to make if you decide to. They also make a very easy, quite classy make-ahead dessert when served with fresh fruit and whipped cream. A great tip is to the rest the batter before baking. This maximises the hydration of the flour and creates a moist, toothsome bite, and also goes some way to producing the famous hump (‘la bosse’) once they’re baked. Enjoy these dipped in tea of coffee within a couple of days of baking. Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (makes 12x)

100g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons honey
2 tsps vanilla extract
2x large eggs
100g butter, melted
100g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

WALKTHROUGH

In a mixing bowl, combine the 100g caster sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, zest of 1/2 lemon and 2 tablespoons of honey. Whisk the mixture well for one minute until the sugar is slushy and fragrant.
Add the 2x large eggs and 2 tsps vanilla extract and whisk the mixture well for 2-3 minutes, until airy and no grittiness of the sugar remains.
In a small microwavable jug, melt the 100g butter until it is just liquified but still creamy. Allow it to cool slightly and add it to the foamy mixture. Whisk it well until the butter is combined.
Add the 100g plain flour along with the 1/2 tsp baking powder. Fold these dry ingredients into the mixture until combine and no dry streaks remain.
Allow the mixture to sit and rest at room temperature, covered, for at least 1 hour to hydrate.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a madeleine pan (metal or silicone) generously with butter and set it aside.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a measuring jug with a pointed spout. Gently pour the batter into the madeleine pan, filling each slot about 2/3 full. Once they are all filled, tap the tray on the counter 2-3 times to help the batter settle.
Transfer the madeleines to a middle rack of the oven and bake at 180C/350F for 13-15 minutes, or until the centres have developed a small hump that is springy to touch.
Remove the madeleines from the oven and allow them to cool for 15-20 minutes before tipping them out of their tray. Allow them to cool completely before transferring them to a lidded container for storage.
Serve your madeleines with tea or coffee, or dip into melted, tempered chocolate for an extra luxurious touch! Enjoy!

Greek Sesame Bread (Κουλούρι Θεσσαλονίκης)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:55:19 GMT

One of Greece’s oldest breads, these seed-encurusted hoops offer a delicious bite and a satisfying sesame flavour. ‘Kolouri’ is a famous product of Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, but they have a long history dating back to the Byzantine empire. Ring-shaped breads aren’t unusual in the East Mediterranean, but these offer a wonderful addition to a sunny breakfast or served alongside Greek stews and salads. They’re irresistible dipped in honey and eaten with nice feta cheese. Let’s go!

Greek Village Salad (Χωριάτικη Σαλάτα)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:40:14 GMT

Known as ‘horiatiki salata’ or ‘village-style salad’, the world-famous Greek salad has strayed far from its humble origins. Originally using mid-summer produce, you’ll traditionally find a mixture of tomato, cucumber, green bell pepper and red onion along with a hearty punch of kalamata olives. This is your opportunity to use the best vegetables you can get, particularly tomatoes, as the salad’s simple dressing frames them beautifully. Even if you hate them, don’t leave out the green bell pepper. It’s vegetal, slightly bitter taste counters the sweet vegetables and the acidic dressing really well. And finally, use the best feta cheese you can get, particularly ‘barrel-aged’ which has a milder, smoother taste than the regular stuff. Just don’t crumble it into your salad; that drives the Greeks crazy! Instead, enjoy it as a single wedge on top of your salad, almost treating it as a centrepiece. If you’d prefer to make this salad ahead, you can combine the chopped vegetables and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before adding your dressing. Just make sure your vegetables are absolutely room temperature before serving. Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of sugar, or to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
5-6 ripe, medium-size vine-on tomatoes
1/2 cucumber or 4-5 baby cucumbers
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
handful of kalamata olives (ideally marinated olives)
small handful of fresh dill or parsley
75g good quality feta cheese (barrel-aged if possible)
5-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (Greek if possible)

WALKTHROUGH

First, we will make the dressing. This can be made in advance. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and pinch of sugar. Mix well until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
Now we’ll prepare the salad. The vegetables can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Remove the ‘eye’ from the top of the 5-6 tomatoes and slice them into halves or quarters, depending on the size of your tomatoes. The pieces should be big but still bitesize. Add them to the bowl.
Slice the cucumber into large but bitesize chunks. You may peel the cucumber and remove the seeds if desired, particularly if using a large cucumber, but this is a matter of taste. Add these to the bowl.
Slice the 1/2 green bell pepper into large but bitesize pieces, removing any seeds or white, rib-like membrane. Add these to the bowl.
Slice the 1/2 red onion thinly, slicing from pole-to-pole to the onions hold their shape. Add these to the salad along with a handful of kalamata olives, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp dried oregano. There is no need to toss the salad here. If making this in advance, you can store the vegetables like this for up to 24 hours in the fridge, covered well.
Before serving, add the vinegar mixture to the vegetables and briefly toss them until coated. Add the 5-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and briefly toss until the vegetables are glossed.
Serve the salad in your serving bowls accompanies with a piece of feta cheese. Resist the urge to crumble it! Add a drizzle of olive oil on top of the cheese followed by the torn dill or parsley. Enjoy it immediately!

French Yoghurt Cake (Gâteau au Yaourt)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:54:05 GMT

Interestingly, France is not really a country of home bakers. One of the few cakes that French people would attempt at home, instead of paying a visit to the pâtisserie, is the ‘gâteau au yaourt’, or ‘yoghurt cake’. This recipe applies the tendering power of natural yoghurt to make a tender-crumbed loaf cake. The use of oil instead of butter also keeps this keep impeccably moist even for days after baking. Feel free to add any matter of fresh berries too - summer raspberries or blueberries work very well - to add smacks of fruity joy, or keep it plain. A dusting of icing sugar is the only dressing this cake needs, so you can spend more time frolicking in the summer sun! Let’s go!

Provençal Tomato Tart (Galette à la Tomate)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:41:13 GMT

The term ‘galette’ in French is pretty general, meaning any sort of round-shaped pastry, sweet or savoury. This particular style of galette is popular throughout France and is a favourite in home kit…

Northern Irish Biscuit Cake (Fifteens)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:59:04 GMT

Although not a very old tradition, ‘fifteens’ have become a modern staple sweet treat of many church events and parties throughout Northern Ireland. ‘Fifteens’ take their name from their ingredient l…

Brazilian Cheese Breads (Pão de Queijo)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:36:10 GMT

These little cheese breads are beloved amongst Brazilians and form an integral part of any traditional feast. Unlike your typical bread, these are naturally gluten-free and are the perfect remedy to Brazil’s lack of wheat production. Instead of wheat, these breads use tapioca flour, made from the cassava, a native vegetable to Brazil. You can buy tapioca flour in any Asian supermarkets or online [BEST BUY]. These cheese breads traditionally use a Brazilian cheese called ‘meia cura’ which is hard to pin down outside of South America, so this recipe uses a combination of parmesan and pecorino to approximate the ‘cured’ flavour of the traditional cheese. Throw all bread-making instincts out of the window, this bread is truly a different creature, and a very delicious one at that. There’s no kneading either. Enjoy them with stew dishes or salads - Brazilians often enjoy them with coffee for breakfast! Let’s go!

Italian Chocolate Pavlova (Pavlova Stracciatella)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 09:04:34 GMT

Pavlovas are now popular on restaurant menus and in home kitchens across the world. Italy is no exception. This favourite pavlova celebrates the Italian love for ‘stracciatella’, one of the country’s most popular ice cream flavours. ‘Stracciatella’ features a milky base of ice cream or gelato that’s flurried with grated dark chocolate. ‘Stracciatella’ was originally a clever trick to using less chocolate - once a rare luxury in Italy - and it allowed people to enjoy chocolate flavour for a fraction of the cost. It works incredibly well in a pavlova too. This recipe features chocolate throughout the meringue, the cream topping and extra grated on top for good measure. Even if you don’t like dark chocolate, you’d be surprised how much it settles down once it’s padded out by meringue and cream. Let’s go!

Vietnamese Meatball Wet Noodles (Bún Chả)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:15:04 GMT

This wonderful street dish is a very easy find in Vietnam’s bustling urban centres. ‘Bún’ refers to rice noodles, often the thin rice vermicelli kind, and the ‘chả‘ refers to some version of grilled …

French Strawberry Charlotte (Charlotte aux Fraises)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 09:06:10 GMT

The classic French ‘Charlotte’ is an iconic dessert that frames any seasonal fruits; strawberries are often the key fruit in this but any delicate berries work well here, perhaps adjusting for sweetness. A ‘Charlotte’ is formed of sponge layers, macerated strawberries and a silky strawberry Bavarian cream for the most part. Purists would argue that the ladyfinger sponges should be baked fresh, but the dried savoiardi sponges (used for tiramisu) work quite well and save switching the oven on entirely. This Charlotte does use gelatine to give the filling a steady set, however I use a little less gelatine than is standard which provides a more pleasurable flavour and melting mouthfeel at the cost of the stiff, perfect razor-neat patisserie slice. I also don’t sieve the strawberry puree for the filling to guarantee a more natural, flecked strawberry cream which looks more rustic; it’s nice to get a real sense of the fruit in a dessert like this. This recipe makes a nice change from the patisserie standard Charlotte which often favours ease of portioning over good flavour and texture. Either way, this a great patisserie icon to enjoy casually at home and celebrate the best strawberries you can get. Let’s go!

French Gardener's Chicken (Poulet Jardinière)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:38:25 GMT

The classic French home dish celebrates the harvest of a summer’s garden, or at least what your gardener has available! Naturally, the contents depend entirely on what you have and what’s in season. …

Hawaiian-style Ice Cream (Goody Goody)

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 08:56:59 GMT

Originally created by a Japanese man who relocated to Hawaii - Jokichi Tasaka - this frozen dessert has become a beloved treat in Maui, where is is still prepared in Tasaka’s own shop to a secret recipe. It sits somewhere between an ice cream and a sorbet. Many Hawaiians have a refined taste for frozen, slush-like desserts and this is one that is often made at home by Hawaiians too. The key flavours of Tasaka’s goody goody are strawberry or pineapple, usually served together, but you can substitute the fruit juice for any juice you prefer. Overall, it’s just three ingredients: condensed milk, lemon-lime soda (7-Up) and your chosen juice. It churns up best in an ice cream machine, but many Hawaiians get away with beating the mixture 2-3 times as it freezes to create a smooth result. It’s not meant to be pristine smooth, so the pressure is off! Let’s go!

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Anthony O'Shaughnessy — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:55:59 GMT

Often known as ‘mac salad’ in Hawaii, this dish forms a part of the holy ‘plate lunch’. The plate lunch is an institution in Hawaiian cuisine. Originally created as a standard lunch ration for planta…

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 rem…

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 …