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I don’t make puddings (or desserts or whatever you’re supposed to call them) - it’s not because I don’t like them but because they feel quite fiddly. Problem solved. There’s one bit of pre-preparation required - ramekins. I managed to get 4 for a fiver from my local cheap shop (be warned department stores can charge £5 each - robbers!)

Blueberry Crumble

Ingredients

• Blueberries - 300g is enough for 3-4 people
• Demerara Sugar
• Self-raising flour - 40g per ramekin
• Butter - 30g per ramekin. Must be cold/hard. Spreadable is okay but will need more flour and need to be careful to avoid making pastry…
• Small pot of double cream

Method

• Preheat oven to 180/200C
• Make the crumble mixture - get a mixing bowl, add flour and (cubes of) butter, and a couple of tablespoons of sugar
• Mix gently using finger tips (if you do it too hard you end up with pastry, if so, don’t panic just add more flour at the end)
• Once it’s like porridge you’re done, should only take a minute
• Refridgerate for 15 mins (doesn’t matter if it’s a bit more or less)
• Grease your ramekins (I just use a finger which I’ve just smeared in the spreadable butter and wipe it round)
• Add blueberries to half way
• Add a large sprinkle of brown sugar to each one
• Add crumble mixture (add more flour here if mixture has gone a bit pastry)
• Shake ramekin side to side to get everything nicely mixed in
• Put in oven (200C) for 15 mins
• Serve with double cream

You can use other soft fruit which don’t require pre-cooking - plums, gooseberries, any-berries but blueberries are a million times nicer than you’d expect and are still quite unusual so they’re my new favourite.

This is a recipe from a friend of mine and is brilliant - this is the first, and to date only, risotto I have ever made and it’s a piece of piss - even my Mum could make it. It is delicious and savoury and wholesome and comforting and impressive - if you’re inviting girls over for dinner this should do the job.

Ingredients for 2 (same for 1)

• 1/2 jar of artichoke hearts in oil
• 1 x Cubetti di Pancetta (in all supermarkets near ham/salami/chorizo) - little sachets of salty goodness
• 1 onion
• 2-3 garlic
• handful of rosemary
• 150g (75g for 1) risotto rice (eg. arborio)
• glass of white wine
• 500ml of vegetable stock (I like swiss vegetable bouillon - as recommended by celebrity chefs)
• butter (dollop)
• parmesan (sprinkling)

Method

• Fry the pancetta (med-high) in some olive oil. I like to use a wok style frying pan for this.
• When brown and crispy take out of pan and put to one side - taste a couple of pieces, they’re delicious
• Fry some onion gently in the same oil on a low heat to avoid colouring until soft
• Add garlic
• Add finely chopped rosemary (if you hold the stalk upside down you can remove most of the leaves in one go)
• Add knob of butter, melt
• Add rice, stir quite a bit to get every grain of rice covered (2 mins?)
• Add a glass of wine, keep stirring (1 min)
• Once liquid is absorbed, add 1/2 the stock, give it a quick stir and leave for 10 mins (keep checking every 3-5 mins to avoid accidents)
• Once liquid is absorbed, add 1/2 (of the rest of the) stock, give it a quick stir and leave for 5 mins (keep checking every 2-3 mins to avoid accidents)
• Once liquid is absorbed, add rest of stock, give it a quick stir and leave for 5 mins (keep checking every 2-3 mins to avoid accidents)
• Once the rice tastes cooked (start tasting after 15 mins and keep checking every 2-3 mins) you’re done. It doesn’t need constant stirring and attention but don’t run a bath either.
• Turn off the heat
• Chop up the artichoke hearts into quarters (may already be chopped) and add to pan
• Add cooked pancetta
• Add knob of butter
• Quick stir, leave (covered if possible) for a couple of minutes
• Serve with crusty bread, salad leaves (or nothing)

I promise you it sounds more fiddly than it is - there’s nearly no preparation and it’s 30 mins from start to finish - and it’s bloody delicious.