Hands up if you know why this dish is called baker's potatoes?

1kg potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
2 onions sliced thin
100g streaky bacon, diced
600ml boiling stock (chicken, beef, veg - whatever)
50g butter
thyme leaves
crumbled bay leaf

Pre-heat your oven to 180C gas 4

Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the bacon and onions until golden.

Layer the spuds, bacon, onions and herbs in a gratin dish or...

Like all good peasant recipes, it's labour intensive. If you think it's too much work, open a Homepride cook-in-sauce. You chav

A great big cock. Or a large chicken, quartered, legs, wings, you get the idea

Litre of red wine
3 carrots, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
Bouquet garni (not one of those teabag things, make your own. It ain't exactly difficult, PM me if you're too embarrassed to ask here)
10 black peppercorns
150g of fatty bacon...

Adjust as required

500 g mince
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tins red kidney beans
half a stick of cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato puree
black pepper and salt

Chop the onions and garlic, fry in olive oil until soften. Add the cumin, chilli and chilli powder, season with salt and pepper and mix it around to coat the onions. Sling the mince in and cook...

Another one that goes on a bit, if you want quick and easy open a Homepride cook-in sauce <shudder>

1.5kg stewing beef
200g thick cut streaky bacon, rindless (or thick pancetta)
400g baby onions
400g small button mushrooms
Onion, finely chopped
Carrot, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bottle of red wine. Pref. Burgundy
750ml beef stock
about 50g unsalted butter
2 tbsp tomato puree
...

By popular request (well, go_slow mentioned it)


200g of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 shallots, finely chopped
6 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped tarragon
1 tbsp whipping cream (optional)

Use a stainless steel or enamelled saucepan

Vinegar and shallots into pan, boil over a high heat until there's about a tablespoon of liquid left, stir in the cream if you're using it

Reduce the heat to medium...