Ingredient of the week

• 21 Ingredient of the week: the macadamia nut
  Macadamia nuts are arriving in their droves as the new season hits South Africa and Australia. A much underused but utterly delicious nut, the macadamia lends itself incredibly well to both sweet and savoury...

• 22 Chicken and macadamia satay, asian orange salad and soya dressing
  Ingredients (Serves 4) 2g chilli powder 10ml sesame oil 15g sesame seeds 180g crunchy peanut butter 100g macadamia nuts 100ml sweet chilli sauce 2g ground pepper 25ml...

• 23 Baked pollock with Macadamia crumb and braised fennel, tomato and caper dressing
  Ingredients (Serves 4) 1 fennel bulb 6 cherry tomatoes deseeded 20g capers 4 fillets sea bream 20g flat leaf parsley chopped 40g whole roasted macadamia nuts 80g chopped...

• 24 Seared scallops, Macadamia cream, fennel slaw, sauce vierge
  Ingredients (Serves 4) 12 Scallops 1 Fennel bulb 3 Cloves garlic 20g Macadamia (nibbed) roasted 40g Macadamia nuts 30ml Olive oil 30g Shallot finely diced Juice...

• 25 Macadamia, confit duck and foie gras terrine, kumquat chutney
  Ingredients (Serves 4) 6 Slices prosciutto ham Small lobe of foie gras 100g Macadamia nuts 250g Kumquats 50ml Water 100g Sugar 160g Salad leaf Bunch of thyme ...

• 26 Ingredient of the week: the breadcrumb
  The humble breadcrumb. It might seem insignificant, an unfair inclusion on this list – battling it out against the likes of purple sprouting broccoli, cranberries and the heavyweights like beetroot....

• 27 Ingredient of the week: carrots
  The orange vegetables we’ve come to know and love were, in fact, originally purple and bred orange by the Dutch. They do exist in purple, red, white and yellow varieties alongside the common orange...

• 28 Nuts for coconuts
  A nutritious, delicious treat is the coconut. It is a misnomer though – as it is not a botanical nut. It is called by various nations “the tree of life”, “the tree of a thousand...

• 29 Lovely lentils
  Not to get high and mighty about it, but it is just about possible that some of us may have marginally overdone it over the Christmas period - and are about to do it all again for New Year's Eve or with...

• 30 Ingredient of the week: Jerusalem artichoke
  This knobbly fellow’s only relation to the more common artichoke is in name – the two are distinct and unrelated. There are a fair few stories about why the Jerusalem artichoke is named...

• 31 Ingredient of the week: sweetcorn
  The shops in September are packed with corn – every market stall is laden with the bright, sunshine coloured beauties hidden under their green sleeves and the market traders are virtually giving...

• 32 Ingredient of the week: the humble plum
  Describing the flavour of a ripe plum is a very tricky thing as they vary so hugely depending on their variety, colour and origin. You’ll eat purple ones - the flesh the colour of a red grape - deep...

• 33 Ingredient of the week: Blackcurrants
  These shiny black baubles are in full swing come July and August. So sharp they’ll make you squint your eyes and slap your knees, cooked down with a spoonful of sugar they hit the spot with their...

• 34 Ingredient of the week: cherries
  There are few fruits so full of colour, vibrancy and taste as the cherry. An explosive little gem, they pop purposefully when cooked, staining their surroundings. Choose firm fruit, exceptionally dark...

• 35 Pickled cherries by Skye Gyngell
  Ingredients 1kg/2lb cherries 250g/8oz caster sugar 250ml/8fl oz good quality red-wine vinegar 4 cloves of garlic 6 peppercorns Method Rinse, dry and pick over the cherries...

• 36 Ingredient of the week: Swiss chard
  Our resident foodie spotted the freshest chard imaginable on his recent trip to Bergerac; thick ivory stems leading to large leafy green tips were sat on trestles at the farmer’s markets, but more...

• 37 Ingredient of the week: Wild garlic
  You may have to look further afield to track down wild garlic – but take a guide book or a foraging friend and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to find it au naturel. It grows in woodlands,...

• 38 Ingredient of the week: purple sprouting broccoli
  The far prettier, lither and slender cousin of the more common variety, purple sprouting broccoli is a treat. The leafy, springy stems are delicious simply steamed and are the perfect accompaniment to...

• 39 Ingredient of the week: sticky rice
  This short grained Asian rice is also known as glutinous rice or sweet rice. Some take this to mean it contains gluten - but fear not, it is simply because it is glue-like, sticking to itself unlike basmati...

• 40 Ingredient of the week: Kale
  Kale, or curly kale, is a wintry friend indeed. It’s earthy, robust nature make a great addition to the warming soups we are all tucking into at the moment. Tossed with chestnuts and bacon (and...