Here’s a little photo essay of me making Ainsley Harriott’s prawn and chilli ginger cakes (you can find the ingredients and method here).

I’ve assembled all the raw ingredients. (Not my usual method – I normally just bung things in as I go along.)

Mr Not Delia got the prawns from the local market a couple of hours ago and they’re still intact. It took about 20 minutes to decapitate, de-shell, and clean them. You’d save a lot of time if you could buy ready cleaned raw prawns – frozen perhaps?

 
Here’s everything prepped up and ready to go. It didn’t look like there’d be enough chillies so I added another one. We like spicy food.

 
Next the ingredients go into the blender and are pulsed until mixed. Here’s the result. The mixture looks wet and unlikely to make the desired result…

 
…but I pop it into the wok anyway, a spoonful at a time. You can trust Ainsley. Meanwhile I get the salad garnish ready.

 
Here they are coming out of the wok and onto kitchen paper to drain.

 

The finished result! And I have to be quick with the photos before Mr Not Delia scoffs them all. They’re pretty good, though I say it myself. I’ve also put a bit of chilli jam on the side – from another Ainsley recipe (from Ainsley’s Big Cook Out). He describes the chilli jam as “…always a winner. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll be back for more – and it goes with absolutely anything.” He’s right! Try it on a cheese sarnie. Wow!

There are loads more wonderful recipes in Gourmet Express. I’ve maybe done it a disservice by choosing one of the more complicated ones, especially with all the prep involved in cleaning prawns, but I can’t emphasise enough how great this book is. Apparently there’s now a Gourmet Express Book 2 available. I can hardly wait to check it out.

Ainsley Harriott’s Gourmet Express

Ainsley Harriott
Hardback, 178 pages
2000, BBC Worldwide
ISBN 0 563 55179 8
RRP: £16.99

Read my review

 

Ainsley Harriott is one of Britain’s most popular TV chefs. Multi-talented, this former comedian and musician returned to his first love, cooking, as the presenter of several high-profile BBC cookery programmes. He’s invariably described as “flamboyant”. I think he’s a little OTT sometimes, and Ramsay certainly isn’t a fan of his. But despite his zaniness he really is an excellent cook. Fast, simple, delicious food – I think that sums him up.

I own three of his books but the one I’m about to review here is Gourmet Express. This is one of my all-time favourite cookbooks and would probably accompany me to the proverbial Desert Island.

The book really does do what it says on the tin: gourmet food to make at home quicker than you could order a take-away. There are six chapters, covering: snacks; soups; mains; side orders; sauces and relishes; and sweets and drinks. Something for every occasion.

I use this book a lot for two main purposes. If I’m hungry and can’t be bothered spending time in the kitchen it’s easy to pick a recipe from here and knock up a delicious meal in 20 minutes or so. Other times I’ll flip through it to find a new idea and put the ingredients on the weekly shopping list. The variety is quite astonishing and includes many cuisines.

The photography in the book is second to none – it’s superb! And if that doesn’t inspire you, nothing will. I’m finding it difficult to write about this book because I like it so much! It’s all delicious. It’s all easy to make. And it’s quick to do. Buy it!

I’ll try to curb my excitement about this book and give you a sample recipe so you can judge for yourself.

Please also see my photo essay of how to cook Ainsley’s prawn and chilli ginger cakes.

Ainsley Harriott’s Gourmet Express

Ainsley Harriott
Hardback, 178 pages
2000, BBC Worldwide
ISBN 0 563 55179 8
RRP: £16.99