Ella Walker grills the recipe writer on her life in food.
Known as the queen of chicken related recipes (just check any of her many recipe books), Diana Henry is an expert when it comes to putting together simple dinners that don't result in an anxiety headache.
Her latest cookbook, From The Oven To The Table, is no different. It features a collection of dishes that rely on the burnishing, "transformative" powers of chucking ingredients into a tin and then - full of hope - into the oven.
We caught up with the cook and writer about how and what she eats day-to-day...
Your death row meal would be...
"If I was really on death row I probably wouldn't care, but if I had to choose; a good roast chicken, potatoes roasted in olive oil and rosemary, a well dressed green salad and a pot of Dijon mustard."
The thing you still can't make is...
"Bloody puff pastry! All that rolling and turning and resting. I try every so often but I have warm hands so it's difficult. It was the one thing I really didn't master when I was at cookery school. I hate being defeated, which is why I keep trying. Also, there's good commercial stuff available which sort of renders making your own redundant. But still, I keep trying."
Your favourite store-cupboard essential has to be...
"Anchovies and capers. I love salty flavours and use both of these a lot."
The kitchen utensil you couldn't live without is...
"If you're talking about machinery then a food processor. If something substantial then great knives (I like Opinel and Sabatier). If you mean something small then a Microplane zester."
Your late night snack of choice has to be...
"Almost too many too mention. Cheese on toast, plain dark chocolate with dried apricots or hazelnuts, anchovies on good bread."
Your signature dish is...
"I cook so many dishes it's hard to pick one, but the two I really love are whisky cured gravlax with a fennel and apple relish, and leg of lamb marinated in yoghurt and spices with aubergine puree. The aubergine puree is actually mixed into a thick bechamel (I add feta too). It's a Turkish dish and there they have it with meatballs, but I love it with spiced roast lamb."
You like your eggs...
"I adore eggs and will eat them any way - boiled, scrambled, poached, fried - but particularly like devilled eggs and eggs Benedict (it's impossible for me not to order eggs Benedict if they are on a menu)."
Your childhood dinners featured a lot of...
"Roast chicken with stuffing."
Last night you ate...
"Chicken joints roasted with cherry tomatoes and chilli, with mozzarella and parmesan added at the end and the whole thing bunged under the grill. Fresh basil on top. Kind of like a margarita but for chicken."
If you're ordering takeout, it has to be...
"We have an Indian takeaway once every couple of weeks, usually when I'm too tired to cook. I love dal and Indian vegetable dishes."
Your ultimate hangover cure is...
"Very dull but litres of black coffee and water. Works a treat."
You really cannot stomach...
"Kidneys. I really can't understand why people like them. I have had to hide them under mashed potato in the past."
From The Oven To The Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves by Diana Henry, photography by Laura Edwards, is published by Mitchell Beazley, priced £25 (octopusbooks.co.uk). Available now.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here