Dark Chocolate Banana Fudge Cake

Moist and dense with a deliciously crusty top, this easy-peasy fudgey concoction features not only the classic pairing of chocolate and banana, but the added rustic bite of roughly chopped nuts.

If you prefer making it in brownie form, feel free to double the recipe and use a larger rectangular pan. Yummy served slightly warm on its own, or with a scoop of ice cream.

Dark Chocolate and Banana Fudge Cake

Makes a small 8" round cake

Melt together and let cool:

100g dark chocolate, chopped

100g butter

150g sugar

*I do this by microwaving at 20 second intervals, stirring in between- feel free to use the more traditional bain-marie/double boiler method if you prefer.

Stir in:

2 small eggs (or 1 large egg), beaten

1 ripe banana, mashed

A handful of nuts, roughly chopped (I like walnuts/pecans but use whatever you like)

Sift and fold in:

50g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cocoa powder

Pour into an 8" round cake tin lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 160C fan-assisted (180C without) for about 30 mins or until firm.

Let cool until slightly warm before slicing.

Spiral Curry Puffs (Epok-Epok/Karipap Pusing)

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Crispy and golden on the outside with a spicy savoury potato filling, this scrumptious Malaysian snack is sort of a cross between a samosa and an empanada and is usually found sold freshly fried at roadside stalls. Some versions don't bother with the spiral crust, but I can assure you it adds a delectable flaky crunch that completely elevates this traditional teatime treat to another level.

The recipe below is easy though a little tedious with the multiple steps, but creates a pastry that stays crispy even when the puffs have cooled down. Form them as large or small as required- they also freeze well, so make ahead of time and fry straight from frozen when needed.

Spiral Curry Puffs (Epok-Epok/Karipap Pusing)

Makes about 30 small puffs

Firstly, The Two Doughs You Need For Spiralling

• Water dough

Combine and knead with your fingers until soft, pliable and non-sticky (or if you prefer, use a dough hook attachment on an electric mixer like I did, then finish off by hand):

300g flour

½ tsp salt

½ cup lukewarm water

1 small beaten egg

1 tbsp of oil

Divide and roll into two equal balls, then cover (otherwise it will dry out) and leave to rest for 30 mins.

• Grease dough

Knead 75g softened butter into 150g flour until shiny and smooth (I used to do the shortcrust pastry thing by cutting in cold butter cubes, but I've discovered room temperature butter actually works much better!). Divide and roll into two equal balls.

Water dough on the left, grease dough on the right

Next, The Potato Curry Filling

Finely chop and saute over medium heat until fragrant:

1 large onion

2 garlic cloves
2 dried chillies, soaked (omit if you don't want it spicy)

Add:

2 tbsp good curry powder (I like Baba's)

2-3 large potatoes, cut into small cubes

Salt and sugar to taste

About 1 cup water
Optional: a sprinkling of curry leaves if you have it

Simmer, stirring occasionally until all moisture is absorbed and potatoes are tender. Leave to cool thoroughly before using.

Assembling the Curry Puffs: A Step-by-Step Picture Guide

Enclose one ball of grease dough neatly in a ball of water dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out into a very thin oval with a rolling pin,
then roll up tightly from one end to the other like a Swiss roll.

Turn the rolled up tube 90 degrees (so one end faces you) and repeat the previous step- flatten it thinly again lengthwise into a long oval , then roll up tightly like a Swiss roll.

With a sharp knife, slice into 1cm discs (or thicker if making larger puffs).

The spiral layers should be clearly visible.

Flatten each disc into a thin circle with a rolling pin (as thin as

you can get it without the layers splitting apart).

Place the rolled out pastry onto a curry puff mould (or use your palm if you don't have one).
Fill with just enough potato curry in the middle- not too much or it will burst!

Fold the mould over carefully to enclose, peeling off any excess pastry from the sides.

If you prefer to crimp manually, pinch the edges flat and fold in at

a 45 degree angle to form a rope as pictured.

The assembled curry puffs- one manually crimped, one made with a mould behind it

Deep fry in hot oil over medium-high heat, tossing continuously until golden brown.

Remove with a pair of wooden chopsticks or a slotted spoon, shake off excess oil

and drain on kitchen towels before serving.

Enjoy!

Buttery Golden Northern Cornbread

Thicker, lighter and a little sweeter than its traditional Southern counterpart (where adding flour and sugar is considered blasphemous), this super easy Northern cornbread recipe produces a moist and hearty accompaniment to American soul food classics like barbecued meat, chilli con carne, hot soups and jambalaya.

If your preference is for the richer Southern version, use all cornmeal instead of flour and bake in a well-greased cast iron skillet- only bacon fat will do if you want to be REALLY authentic. For a deeper flavour try toasting the cornmeal before using or sprinkling cornmeal on the pan for a crunchier crust.

Buttery Golden Northern Cornbread

Makes one 12" x 9" pan

Combine all in a large bowl:

100g butter, melted then cooled

2 eggs, beaten

480ml milk

Fold in:

375g plain flour

225g finely ground cornmeal/polenta

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

100g sugar (or for a bit of variety try some honey or maple syrup)

Stir in a small tin of sweetcorn kernels or whatever else you want- jalapeno peppers, chillies, onions, cheese, fried bacon bits, some coarse cornmeal for texture, sage, roasted tomatoes...

Grease the pan with butter (or line with baking paper if you prefer) and pour the batter in. Bake for 20 mins at 200 C (180C fan-assisted) or until golden and springy.

Allow to cool a bit before cutting. If having with a barbecue, pop briefly on the grill and toast each side until browned before eating. Serve warm with slatherings of extra butter.

Rich Chicken and Bacon Cacciatore with Buttered Couscous

By no means an authentic version of the Italian classic (of which a million variations exist anyway), this impromptu version of pollo alla cacciatore or "Hunter's chicken" was something I quickly whipped up using leftover ingredients for a warming lunch earlier today.

Chopped bacon gives the rich tomato gravy an added intensity and smoky flavour that really elevates it in my opinion- feel free to go the more traditional route with wine, olives, mushrooms and peppers, or splash in some balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce if desired.

Serve with lots of gravy alongside buttered couscous (recipe below-by far the fastest easiest thing to cook ever!), rice, rustic bread or pasta.

Rich Chicken and Bacon Cacciatore

Serves 2-3

Cut up about 250g cooking bacon (or use pancetta/any other fatty bacon you prefer) into small cubes. Dry fry without oil (both the bacon and chicken will be oily enough) over high heat in a large pot, stirring constantly until the fat starts to render and the cubes begin to go golden.

Turn the heat down to medium and add:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large cooking onion, cut into thin strips

A few bay leaves

Stir and allow to cook in the bacon fat (sinful I know!) until fragrant. Don't worry if at this point things stick to the pan- the addition of chopped tomatoes and water later will deglaze everything nicely.

Throw in 1 kg skin-on chicken thighs/ drumsticks and brown for about 5 mins on both sides, then add:

1 can (400ml) peeled plum tomatoes (bash them a bit to break up the whole pieces). If preferred, regular chopped tomatoes or sieved tomato passata works great too

1 tbsp tomato puree (I used double concentrated)

A bit of water

Good sprinkle of dried mixed herbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sliced carrots (or whatever vegetables/beans you desire)

Cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occassionally for 15-20 mins or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is thickened to a deep rich red.

Serve hot with plenty of gravy alongside buttered couscous (below) or your carb of choice :)

Buttered Couscous with Herbs and Raisins

Serves 2-3

Stir together in a small pot:

About 150g dried couscous (roughly 50-80g per person)

Sprinkling of dried mixed herbs

1 bay leaf

Small handful of raisins

Salt and pepper

Pour in enough boiling water to cover the entire mixture (water level should be about 1 cm above the surface of the couscous), then cover and leave to stand for about 3 mins until all liquid is absorbed.

Add a knob of butter (which will melt in nicely as you stir) and fluff up the couscous grains with a fork. Done!

Catering for Student Film "Y3llow"

SAM TAN'S KITCHEN HAS MOVED! Please visit the new website/online store at www.samtanskitchen.com for all catering enquiries. You can also follow Sam on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Thank you!

Sam Tan's Kitchen caters home-cooked food made from scratch for just about anything, from intimate romantic dinners to low-budget film shoots to canapé-style receptions. If you are a filmmaker looking to inspire your crew through their stomachs, please get in touch at samtanskitchen@gmail.com (and drop a comment here in cast it goes to Spam). 

A well-fed film crew is a happy, efficient, productive film crew. Whilst most student, indie and low-budget films don't provide anything more than a measly sandwich to see you through your 12-hour day, my belief is that good food provides good motivation for good work, particularly when the crew are working on an expenses-only or low-paid basis.

Thank you to Yee Sien from the University of Westminster for hiring me to feed her cast and crew throughout the 5 days that she shot her graduation short "Y3llow"- it's been a pleasure and I am thrilled that your team found my food a suitable reward for their hard work! :)

Catering on "Y3llow"- The Menu

DAY 1

Buttered herby couscous

Dessert of the day- chunky chocolate brownies

Breakfast (on-the-go):

Egg, bacon and tomato roll

Vegetarian option- Egg and tomato roll

Orange and apple juice

Lunch (packed):

Grilled honey lemon marinated chicken chunks

V option- Roasted butternut squash, courgette and mushrooms

Buttered herby couscous

Crisp leaf salad with dressing

Dessert- Chunky chocolate brownies

Tea:

Selection of finger sandwiches (egg mayo, tuna and ham)

Mixed crisps

*Hot tea/coffee, bottled water and mixed biscuits supplied throughout the day

DAY 2

Beef ragu lasagne- forgot to photograph it on the day so here's one made previously!

Hot dessert- bread and butter pudding

Breakfast (hot):

Bakes beans

White and wholemeal toast with butter

Scrambled eggs

Orange and apple juice

Lunch:

Beef ragu lasagne

V option- vegetarian lasagne

Garlic bread

Crisp leaf salad with dressing

Dessert- Hot bread and butter pudding

*Hot tea/coffee and bottled water supplied throughout the day

DAY 3

Breakfast:

Crunchy strawberry granola

Cornflakes

Baked beans

White and wholemeal toast with butter

Buttered hot cross buns

Egg and tomato baps

Lunch:

Chicken and bacon casserole with olive oil, potatoes and mushrooms

V option- Quorn sausage casserole with courgettes, potatoes and mushrooms

Bruschetta salad (grilled bread chunks, tomato salsa and tender lettuce)

Mixed crisps

Dessert- Sponge cake

Dinner:

Cheeseburgers with tomato and lettuce

V option- Quorn cheeseburgers with tomato and lettuce

Finger sandwiches

Mixed crisps

*Hot tea/coffee, bottled water and mixed biscuits supplied throughout the day

DAY 4

Breakfast:

Crunchy strawberry granola

Cornflakes

Baked beans

White and wholemeal toast with butter

Orange and apple juice

Lunch:

Lincolnshire sausage tomato stew with bacon and mushroom

V option- Quorn sausage tomato stew with onions and mushroom

Buttered herb couscous with raisins

Mixed crisps

Dessert- Chunky chocolate brownies

Tea:

Mini scones with strawberry jam and vanilla cream

Selection of finger sandwiches- egg mayo, tuna sweetcorn and ham

Mixed crisps

*Hot tea/coffee, bottled water and Coke supplied throughout the day

DAY 5

Breakfast (on-the-go):

Egg mayo and bacon toasted rolls

V option- egg mayo with shredded carrot toasted roll

Lunch (on-the-go):

Sandwiches with shredded ham and spring onion, egg mayo with bacon bits, tomato, lettuce and cucumber

V option- Sandwich with sliced Quorn sausage, egg mayo, tomato, lettuce and cucumber

Shredded ham and spring onion salad filling

The sandwich assembly line

Tea:

Mini pizza toasts with roasted pepper, tomato puree and cheese

Iced finger buns

Mixed crisps

*Hot tea/coffee and bottled water supplied throughout the day

The director eating her lunch- thanks Yee Sien!:)