Techniques | delicious. Magazine

How to

How To make marmalade

Making marmalade is a pure joy and brings with it that warm feeling of having several jars sitting in the larder to see you through the year. As well as giving a luxurious start to the day, it’s as cheap as chips to make.

How to

How to make jam

You don’t need any special culinary skills for this: making jam is a wonderful task and a relatively simple process.

Jam recipes

How to

How to make Danish pastries

Follow our step-by-step guide to mastering the art of how to make Danish pastries – they’re well worth the effort. As you bite into the warm, butter-rich dough, crisp with almonds or melting with vanilla custard, you’ll thank us.

How to

How To make choux pastry

If you’re afraid of making choux pastry – the classic buns used for profiteroles and éclairs – don't be; it's simple.

How to

How To prepare squid and cuttlefish

Tom Norrington-Davies teaches us not to fear cephalopods – it is not a dirty word (it's just a hard one to pronounce).

Demystifying fish

Julian Biggs’ guide to cooking fish

The head chef of the Hix Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis demystifies piscine cuisine by sharing some tried and tested methods for cooking fish.

How to

How to make Mexican

Here's our definitive guide to the best chilli con carne recipe, plus chicken fajitas, sticky chipotle lamb, and those essential extras for a Mexican fiesta, including the all-important Margarita. Plus our quick guide to chillies and essential ingredients.

How to

How To make Thai

Don’t be afraid to try your hand at Thai cooking. With this simple guide, you’ll soon be wowing loved ones with authentic-tasting dishes.

How to make pad Thai

Make your own: granola

How To make granola

Bring out your inner earth mother by whipping up a batch of wholesome granola. Many ready-made versions are high in fat and sugar, but a few simple tweaks make ours a healthier but no less special breakfast.

How to

How To make soufflés

Soufflés can strike fear into the most accomplished cook, but follow our step-by-step guide and once you know the rules, they’ll rise to the occasion every time.

How to

How to make sushi

Sushi is more fashionable than ever, and makes a great starter or canapé. With Japanese ingredients now easily available, you can impress friends by making your own.

How to

How To make tagine

Central to North African cuisine, tagines are easy to make but use ingredients that may be unfamiliar to you. Our simple guide unlocks the mystery of this Moroccan classic.

How to

How To make cakes from vegetables

Carrot cake is such a popular recipe we thought we’d give you the ultimate version, plus more moist and moreish cakes – all using garden vegetables. Don't knock them until you've tried them.

How to

How To make pancakes

Once you learn the basic rules, you’ll be able to create perfect wafer-thin crepes every time.

How to

How To make a swiss roll

Swiss roll is an ingenious cake: it has the ‘ah’ factor worthy of the most elaborate gateau, yet it’s simply a light-as-air sponge rolled up with jam. Like a lot of good things, less is more, and it requires just four everyday ingredients – caster sugar, plain flour, eggs and jam. But it’s how you use them that counts.

How to

How To pick cheese and drinks for a party

From creating a cheeseboard to serving stilton, from choosing which colour wine to drink to lifesaving tips for warm whites, we have the advice you need to effortlessly impress your guests.

How to

How To make biryani

Biryani is an aromatic oven-baked, pilau-style Indian dish with meat or vegetables. It requires overnight marinating to achieve its wonderful flavour but it’s well worth it.

How to

How To make compote

Around autumn, make the most of the ripe, soft fruits that abound at this time of year by preserving them as gorgeous compotes.

How to

How To make harissa

This Moroccan chilli paste is very popular now, and is used to add flavour and kick to tagines and stews, and as a condiment. There are several brands but none as good as your own.

How to

How To skin peppers

Peppers are wonderfully versatile, whether raw in a salad or cooked in a dish, but searing them and removing their skins takes them to another level – the flesh becomes soft and charred with a slight smoky flavour.

How to

How to make roast tomato sauce

Knock up a batch of intensely flavoursome roasted tomato sauce and use it to produce a variety of dishes.

How to

How to make pasta (the Giorgio Locatelli way)

"When you make fresh egg pasta at home, you have the satisfaction of knowing all the ingredients that went into it.”

How to

How to make tomato preserves

Fill your shopping basket with the last of the season’s plentiful glut of rich, ripe tomatoes and preserve them for a taste of summer sunshine throughout the year.

Christmas

A guide to Christmas techniques

Whether you want get ahead, cook the best turkey in Christendom, make mouthwatering mince pies, or flame the pud, these tips and techniques are just the thing to take the stress out of Christmas.

How to

How to cook the perfect steak

Jason Atherton, executive chef of Gordon Ramsay's Maze Grill, shares his secrets on how to cook the perfect sirloin steak and accompaniments to make it into a magnificent meal.

Great steaks

How to

How To make white sauce

Step-by-step we'll show you how to master culinary techniques, such as perfecting a white sauce. Knowing how to create quick creamy sauces is a godsend for regular cooks.

How to

How To make mayonnaise

You can’t beat homemade mayonnaise. It’s quick and easy to make and goes brilliantly with seafood, cold or barbecued meats and salads.

How to

How To make hollandaise sauce

Hollandaise sauce is a great trick to have up your sleeve. The ingredients are likely to be loitering in your fridge and store cupboard.

How to

How to make chutney

Commercially produced jars of ‘English-style’ chutney have been known to put people off for life, but a proper homemade chutney will have you hooked (and never fails to impress). Check out this step-by-step guide.

Pickles, chutneys and relishes

How to

How to make bread

Nothing beats homemade bread, and it’s a lot easier to make than you might think. Master the basic white loaf, then try the easy flavoured breads. Before you know it, you'll be giving Delia a run for her money!

Home-made bread recipes

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How To make egg custard

Otherwise known as creme anglaise or 'posh custard'...

How to

How to make ice cream

Nothing says summer more than melting scoops of ice cream, so learn to make a batch of classic vanilla, and once you’ve got the knack, adapt the recipe by swirling in luxurious flavourings.

How to

How to choose the right chocolate, melt it, pipe it, and make chocolate curls

Have no fear, delicious. is here to dish out chocolate advice. Here are some golden rules.

Chocolate cakes

How to

Barbecuing fish and shellfish

First, choose the freshest fish...

Barbecuing hot tips

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How To make fish stew

We love the way Mitch Tonks of FishWorks – and restaurateur of the charming seafood restaurant, The Seahorse, in Dartmouth – makes fish stew.

How to

How To buy poultry and understand ethical eating terms

What do the words on the label mean? Go to the chiller cabinet in any supermarket, and you’ll be faced with an array of descriptive words on chicken packaging. But some phrases can give a misleading impression of the conditions a bird has been kept in. Here's how to decipher the words on the packaging.

How to