Latest news with #MaryBerry
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Mary Berry's 'secret' to poaching an egg gets 'perfect oval shape' every time
Poached eggs are a delicious breakfast option but can be tricky to get right - luckily, Mary Berry has shared her top tips for getting the 'perfect oval shape' every time Poached eggs are not just a healthy option for breakfast; they're also delectably appetising, but the prospect of making them can intimidate some due to the finesse required in the cooking process. Getting the technique down might appear straightforward – just boiling water, right? But achieving that perfect shape can be fiddly as the egg can disintegrate if the heat or timing is even slightly off-kilter. Yet, culinary queen Mary Berry has divulged her own method for ensuring poached eggs turn out with a "perfect oval shape" without breaking into a sweat. In her recipe for Eggs Benedict, Mary let slip that a splash of vinegar in the pan ensures the egg whites set rapidly and maintain their buoyant form, reports the Express. She said: "The secret to a poached egg is boiling water with a dash of vinegar in it." Simply start by bringing a pot of water to the boil on the hob. Lower the heat until you've got a simmer going then introduce a modest splash of vinegar to the mix. Cracking the egg into a ramekin or cup first makes it simpler to transfer it into the water. Stir the simmering water to create motion before adding the egg. Mary explained: "Whirl it around with a whisk and in the very centre drop it in the middle while it is still swirling and it will be a lovely shape." After placing the egg into the spiralled water, just allow it to poach to perfection. Mary explained: "Don't panic when first tipping an egg into the poaching water. The egg white will naturally spread out, but it comes together as it cooks, and you can tidy the edges at the end when the cooked egg is draining on kitchen paper." Once submerged, allow the egg to poach for three to four minutes, ensuring the white sets properly while keeping an eye on the pot so the water remains at a gentle simmer rather than bubbling aggressively. "If the water starts to bubble again, turn it down to stop it from disrupting the egg's shape." Mary advised, emphasising the need to maintain control of the cooking temperature. Afterwards, using a slotted spoon, gingerly remove the egg from the water, letting any excess moisture drip onto kitchen paper. She assured that with this method, the poached eggs ought to "look perfect" and are ready to be savoured atop a slice of buttery toast, or if one fancies, to attempt her benedict florentine recipe at home. "I think it is the perfect breakfast, just to die for!" she added, with evident enthusiasm for the dish.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Mary Berry's 'comforting' chicken dinner is the perfect midweek meal
Mary Berry shared her 'quick dinner classic' chicken dish on BBC's Saturday Kitchen and it's the perfect winter warmer, with just six ingredients needed to make it Chicken served with a thick, creamy sauce is arguably one of the most delightful ways to enjoy this versatile meat. However, creating a creamy sauce without it splitting can be a bit tricky. But fear not, Mary Berry has shared her foolproof recipe that ensures you avoid this culinary mishap. On the BBC's Saturday Kitchen, Mary introduced her creamy paprika chicken dish as a "quick dinner classic" that offers both creaminess and comfort. She recommends pairing it with plain boiled rice or creamy mash to "double the comfort factor". Mary's recipe is not only easy to follow but also requires just six ingredients. Plus, it's the perfect main course to precede a deliciously creamy dessert - creme caramel, reports the Express. Make Mary Berry's creamy chicken dinner Ingredients 150ml double cream For the marinade: One tbsp Worcestershire sauce One tbsp runny honey One tbsp paprika One tbsp grainy mustard Method Start by taking a rolling pin or meat mallet and gently beat the chicken breasts until they are about 1cm thick. Next, prepare the marinade by combining the ingredients on a large, flat plate. Take one chicken fillet at a time and lightly spread it on the plate to season with the mixture. Once coated, leave the chicken on the plate to marinate for 10-20 minutes if time permits. Keep the remaining mixture on the plate while the chicken cooks, as this will be added to the cream later on. To prepare the chicken, heat a large non-stick frying pan and add a splash of oil. Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan and fry for just under two minutes on each side, or until fully cooked. Check the chicken by slicing off a thin piece from each breast. If the meat is white, it's cooked; if it's pink, continue to cook for a bit longer, but be careful not to overcook it. Use a couple of kitchen towels to absorb any excess oil from the pan, then pour the cream into a jug. Combine it with the remaining paprika mixture from the plate, then pour the jug's contents around the chicken in the pan. Mary suggests waiting for bubbles to form in the mixture before reducing the heat slightly. Serve the chicken straight from the pan with a side of boiled rice and baby spinach for a well-rounded meal.
Daily Mirror
03-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Mary Berry's 'delicious' potato recipe has just five simple ingredients
Mary Berry has shared her recipe for scalloped potatoes, a comforting and easy to make side dish that pairs perfectly with roast chicken. Here's what you need to do Potatoes, the versatile root vegetable, can be transformed into a myriad of dishes, though boiling, steaming or mashing them is often the go-to for a swift supper. However, these methods can sometimes result in rather uninspiring offerings compared to the indulgent creaminess of dauphinoise or the perfect seasoning of chips. Culinary icon Mary Berry simplifies the art of creating a sumptuous potato gratin with her straightforward recipe, requiring minimal ingredients and kitchenware. Plus, it's a breeze to whip up in just a few minutes. In sharing her delicious recipe for scalloped potatoes paired with roast chicken from her cookbook 'Cook and Share', Mary advised: "Chicken is great value but always buy free-range. Get two large birds for those who have big appetites. "The scalloped potatoes are cooked in the oven at the same time, which makes it even easier." Mary Berry's scalloped potatoes Ingredients 1.2kg peeled potatoes One onion 55g (20z) butter, plus extra for greasing 600ml (one pint) of chicken stock Method To complement the potatoes with chicken, begin by stuffing the bird's cavities with aromatic bay leaves, sage, and zesty lemon, reports the Express. Mary suggests slathering the chicken with butter seasoned with a blend of paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Before roasting, place the chicken in a tin along with more sage, garlic, a splash of wine, and some stock. Turning to the potatoes, commence by peeling and finely slicing them into discs. Thinly slice the onion as well, then layer the potato slices neatly in a buttered dish. Distribute the onion slices over the potatoes and dot the surface with chilled butter cubes. If using a stock cube, dissolve it in boiling water, then pour the prepared stock over the potatoes and onions. Season with salt and pepper, then continue layering until all ingredients are used. Butter a piece of foil and cover the dish with the buttered side facing down. Next, position the chicken on the top shelf of the oven and place the potatoes on the lower shelf. Allow them to cook for an hour and a half. After 45 minutes, remove the foil from the potato dish and return it to the oven to finish cooking.
Scottish Sun
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
I'm a Gardening pro – do these 6 tasks this weekend to fill your outside space with colour plus the time to water plants
Scroll down to learn how to win a Copper & Green water feature, worth £250 CHOP CHOP I'm a Gardening pro – do these 6 tasks this weekend to fill your outside space with colour plus the time to water plants Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WITH June starting tomorrow, it brings the promise of better weather and the longest day – but it can also bring a feeling of mild panic to gardeners. Whether it is worry about having planted enough seeds or what do to with all the overgrown bits, we have got lots of June jobs to get you organised. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Tackle key gardening jobs now to keep your plants in bloom the entire summer Credit: Getty THE CHELSEA CHOP This cutback is usually done around late May or early June, the same time as the Chelsea Flower Show. It means cutting back your herbaceous perennials — flowers with non-woody stems that come back year after year — by a third. This encourages a second flush of blooms and extends the flowering season. Good plants to practice on include Asters, Echinacea, Phlox, Sedum, Rudbeckia and Helenium. SOW SEEDS As the soil has warmed up, sow your seeds straight into the ground instead of messing around with pots. Broccoli, carrots, swede, beetroot, runner and French beans and sweetcorn can all go in now. Courgette can still be grown in pots for a later harvest. You can also scatter Nigella seeds on the soil for lovely blue flowers later in the season, and plant marigold and nasturtium seeds. WEEDING June is the month in which weeds flourish. A Hori Hori tool, below, is fantastic for getting them out, especially those with long roots. Just spending five minutes getting your hands dirty will make it feel much less tiresome and out of control — and is also good for your mental health. WATERING We have finally had rain but after months of dryness your garden still needs a in the early morning or late evening and avoid sprinkling the water all over the leaves. Concentrate on watering around the roots. BEDDING Fill your gaps with summer bedding but try to protect it from slugs and snails. Lobelia brings a lovely blue while fuchsias and petunias are always good around this time too. LAWNCARE Because it has been dry and warm, you need to raise the cutting level to avoid scorching. If you haven't already, apply a spring/summer lawn feed to provide nutrients for healthy growth. Or you could consider using a weed and feed fertilizer to control weeds while feeding your lawn. Saving tip 5 £42 Niwaki Mainichi Secateurs Credit: Niwaki Mainichi 5 Burgon & Ball's Flora brite version for £18 from B&Q Credit: B&Q BE precise in your Chelsea chop with these £42 Niwaki Mainichi Secateurs, top, or cut the price with Burgon & Ball's Flora brite version, below, for £18 from B&Q. Alan is garden chief 5 Alan Titchmarsh is set to take over a prestigious role from Dame Mary Berry Credit: Getty DAME Mary Berry is stepping down as the president of the National Garden Scheme after ten years – handing the baton to Alan Titchmarsh. The NGS helps gives visitors unique access to more than 3,300 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Alan said: 'There is nothing quite like the National Garden Scheme, either in the world of gardens and horticulture or beyond. 'Not only does it offer thoroughly affordable enjoyment and education – while championing the varied gardening skills of the British nation – it also raises and distributes quite extraordinary sums of money.' To find out what National Gardening Scheme gardens are open this month or inquire about opening up your own garden, see Win! WE'VE got a stunning Copper & Green water feature, worth £250, to giveaway. It is handcrafted in the UK using traditional, power-free techniques – and showcases Copper & Green's signature copper lily, cascading bowls and leaves. To enter, visit or write to Sun Copper & Green Competition, Sun PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. Open to UK residents aged 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm, June 14, 2025. T&Cs apply. Kate is so rosy 5 A rose endorsed by Princess Kate will go on sale at B&Q later this year Credit: Splash News B&Q will be the main stockist of Catherine's Rose, bred by Harkness Roses and named after Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales. Launching in stores in late September, the rose seeks to raise awareness of the important role that spending time outdoors plays in bringing us joy. Funds from every sale of the rose will go to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. - JOIN Hever Castle & Garden's historic rose tours – taking place June 23 to July 6. See
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mirror
Mary Berry's 5-ingredient potato dish is 'really good' for Sunday lunch
Mary Berry's dauphinoise potatoes recipe is a delicious side dish that's perfect for serving up at a Sunday lunch or any other special occasion - the whole family will love it While roast potatoes are a classic accompaniment to a Sunday roast, culinary queen Mary Berry has proposed a "really good" creamier option. Dauphinoise potatoes, a French delicacy known as the ultimate comfort food, are crafted with cream and cheese and pair splendidly with any roasted meat. In her cookbook 'Family Sunday Lunches,' Mary Berry wrote: "Dauphinoise potatoes make a nice change with a Sunday lunch, especially if you are serving duck (try them with Duck breasts with cherry sauce), or if you are preparing a slighter smarter lunch than usual." Not only are dauphinoise potatoes rich and scrumptious, but this recipe is also remarkably simple to prepare, requiring just five basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. Mary Berry's secret to perfect dauphinoise potatoes is to use floury varieties like King Edward or Russet, which soak up more flavour and break down effortlessly when baked, resulting in a creamier consistency for this succulent dish, reports the Express. How to make Mary Berry's dauphinoise potatoes Ingredients 750g of King Edward potatoes (or other floury potatoes) 300ml of double cream 150ml of chicken or vegetable stock 50g of grated parmesan cheese Knob of butter Kitchen equipment needed Oven proof dish Instructions Start by peeling the potatoes, rinsing them under cold water, and then drying them thoroughly with kitchen paper. Next, slice the potatoes very thinly, either manually or using the slicer attachment on a food processor. Combine the stock and cream in a jug. In a buttered dish, arrange a layer of potato slices, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle over some of the creamy stock mixture. Continue the layering process, gradually adding the creamy stock mixture until all ingredients are used. Ensure the potatoes are fully submerged in the liquid by pressing them down with your fingers. Next, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and securely cover the dish with foil. Place the dish in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and continue cooking for an additional 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Once done, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for five minutes. Your delectable dauphinoise potatoes are now ready to be served.
