TV champ recipe for superb dishes

Simon Wood: book launch

MASTERCHEF champion Simon Wood's debut cook book is now available to buy from the Oldham Chronicle.

"At Home with Simon Wood - Fine Dining Made Simple" features the Chadderton super cook's tips, tricks and signature recipes to take your home cooking to the next level.

It contains a host of delicious dishes such as his signature wild mushroom ravioli with sage butter and his "MasterChef" calling card, chicken and chorizo tortellini.

He also gives invaluable tips on maximising flavours and textures and shows how to present food and plate to perfection.

Wanting to share his culinary journey, and more importantly his food with the rest of the world, the book is a lesson in making the very best out of your ingredients. In it Simon teaches attention to detail and learning those crucial few tricks that can take turn a simple dish into something extraordinary.

"As well as maximising taste, I like to make my food look amazing," said Simon.

"I think it's such an important side of cooking, as it instantly tells the diner that the dish is good, and that you have put thought and effort into what you are producing for them.

"I hope that this book will pass on some of my passion for the art of plating, and the intensity of flavour you can achieve with just a few simple ingredients. My aim is to help you to lose some of your culinary inhibitions, so that eventually you'll never be scared to try anything."

With a specific section dedicated to extra flourishes that can take your dish to the next level, to super salads, perfect pasta, gluten free goodness, fabulous fish, poultry, meat, vegetarian dishes and plenty of sweet things to finish it all off, Simon's debut book ensures everything is covered to create anything from a full tasting menu to a simple dinner for two.

"At Home with Simon Wood - Fine Dining Made Simple" is available from the Chronicle promotions department at 172 Union Street, Oldham, priced £20.