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Boniato fritoFried white sweet potato

Boniato, the pale, chestnut-sweet sweet potato of the Caribbean, is fried in rounds all over Cuba as an everyday side for picadillo, eggs or rice and black beans, and in Miami's Little Havana it turns up next to most lunch plates. The slices come out golden and lightly crisp outside, fluffy and floury inside. The common mistake is oil that is too hot with slices that are too thick: the outside burns while the middle stays hard, so keep the slices 5 mm and the heat steady. Ordinary orange sweet potato works too, though it is sweeter and browns faster. Chef's tip: drop the cut slices into cold water as you go, as boniato darkens quickly, then dry them very well before frying.

20 min

Cuban Sides

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SeñoritasCustard slices in puff pastry

Señoritas are a fixture of Cuban bakeries in Havana and Santiago, and of the Cuban-run ventanitas in Miami: two sheets of crisp, flattened puff pastry sandwiching a thick vanilla-and-lemon custard, with a shiny white sugar glaze on top. They are Cuba's cousin of the mille-feuille, eaten mid-morning or after lunch with a tiny cup of sweet café cubano, and they are always in the box for a birthday or a baptism. Adding the custard while it is still warm is where it goes wrong: the pastry goes limp within an hour. Chef's tip: bake the pastry under a second baking tray so it stays flat, thin and evenly crisp, which makes clean cutting far easier.

90 min

Cuban Baking

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Tortilla de plátanoRipe plantain omelette

In Havana and across the Cuban countryside, tortilla de plátano is a home supper made from what is in the kitchen: slices of very ripe plantain fried until caramelised, then set in a thick, golden omelette. The sweet fruit against salty egg is the whole point, and it is served with white rice and black beans or a simple tomato salad. The mistake people make is using a plantain that is still yellow and firm; it stays starchy and dry, so wait until the skin is mostly black and the fruit gives when pressed. Chef's tip: flip the tortilla by sliding it onto a plate, covering with the pan and turning both over together, which keeps it whole.

20 min

Cuban Breakfast & Brunch

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MariquitasGreen plantain chips

Mariquitas are the thin, glassy green-plantain chips that come in paper cones at Cuban cafeterías in Havana and Miami, always with a little bowl of garlicky mojo for dunking. They are a party and weekend snack, but with a mandoline they are ready in twenty minutes on any evening. The most common mistake is using plantains that have started to ripen: yellow ones are sweet and soft and burn before they crisp, so buy them hard and fully green. Take care with the mandoline and use its guard, and never leave hot oil unattended. Chef's tip: cut long, paper-thin slices lengthwise and drop them into the oil one at a time so they don't stick together.

20 min

Cuban Snacks & Starters

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Broyé du PoitouGiant butter biscuit

From the Poitou-Charentes region of western France, broyé is one huge, thick butter biscuit baked in a round and carried whole to the table. Tradition says you break it in the middle with a firm blow of the fist, and everyone grabs a jagged piece; farmhouse cooks served it at weddings and family lunches, and it still ends meals there with coffee or a glass of local pineau. It is crisp at the edges, slightly tender in the middle and tastes of salted butter. Some families add chopped candied angelica from Niort. The top is glazed with egg yolk for its shine; milk gives a softer sheen if you prefer no egg wash. Chef's tip: mark the top with a fork in a diamond pattern and press quite deep, because the lines spread as it bakes; a pale broyé is the common mistake, so bake on until it is evenly golden all over.

45 min

French Baking

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Tarte au fromage blancBaked cheesecake tart

Alsatians call it Käsküeche, and it is the cake their pâtisseries in Strasbourg and Colmar sell by the tall wedge on Sunday mornings, to take home for dessert after lunch. Fromage blanc, eggs and a little crème fraîche are baked in a high-sided pastry case until the filling puffs well above the rim like a soufflé, then settles into a light, creamy, gently lemony cheesecake. It is much less sweet than an American cheesecake and is eaten plain, maybe with a coffee or a glass of cold milk. Taking it out of a hot oven straight into a cold kitchen is what makes it crack and sink badly. Chef's tip: switch the oven off at the end, prop the door open with a wooden spoon and let the tart cool inside for an hour.

90 min

French Baking

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Velouté de courgettesSmooth courgette soup

French families make velouté de courgettes on summer and early-autumn evenings, when courgettes are cheap and plentiful, often blending in a few wedges of soft triangle cheese or a spoon of cream so children drink it happily. It is pale green, silky and mild, and ready in under half an hour; serve it with crusty bread and a piece of cheese. Some soft cheeses are made with animal rennet, so check the label or use a vegetarian cream cheese. The most common mistake is boiling the courgettes too long, which turns the soup a dull khaki; simmer only until just tender. Chef's tip: leave some of the green skin on but peel in stripes, so the colour stays bright without any bitterness.

25 min

French Soups

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Croûte aux champignonsCreamy mushrooms on toast

In the mountain villages of Savoie and the Jura, croûte aux champignons is a quick supper in autumn and through ski season: thick toasted bread topped with mushrooms cooked down in butter, a splash of dry white wine and cream, sometimes with a little melted local cheese on top. It is rich and earthy, and a green salad alongside is all it needs. The recipe uses white wine, which mostly cooks off but not entirely; for an alcohol-free version use vegetable stock with a squeeze of lemon. The most common mistake is pouring in the cream before the mushrooms have browned and the wine has reduced, which gives a thin, grey sauce. Chef's tip: rub the hot toast with a cut garlic clove so every bite is fragrant.

20 min

French Vegetarian

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Tallarines rojosSpaghetti in red sauce with chicken

Tallarines rojos is the Sunday-lunch and weeknight pasta of homes all over Peru, from Lima to Arequipa: spaghetti in a sweet, deep-red sauce of blended tomato, onion and garlic with a little ají panca and oregano, often with pieces of chicken cooked right in it. Children love it, and it is served with a sprinkle of grated cheese and sometimes a spoon of huancaína on the side. The usual mistake is cooking the sauce too briefly, so it tastes of raw onion; let the blended tomato fry until it darkens and the oil shows at the edges. Chef's tip: a bay leaf and a spoon of ají panca paste give the sauce its Peruvian character; paprika will do if you can't find the paste.

30 min

Peruvian Pasta & Noodles

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Œufs mimosaStuffed eggs with grated yolk

Œufs mimosa have been a starter in French bistros and on family tables for generations, served at Sunday lunch, on Easter platters and as a light supper with salad and bread. Hard-boiled eggs are halved, their yolks mashed with mayonnaise and mustard and piped back in, then a little yolk is grated over the top so it looks like the fluffy yellow flowers of the mimosa tree. They are naturally gluten free. The most common mistake is overboiling the eggs, which leaves a grey-green ring around the yolk and a sulphurous taste; 10 minutes and an ice bath is enough. Chef's tip: keep back one yolk just for grating, so the topping stays bright yellow and dry.

24 min

French Snacks & Starters

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Saumon en papilloteSalmon baked in paper parcel

Saumon en papillote is everyday French home cooking at its lightest: a fillet of salmon sealed in baking paper with ribbons of courgette and carrot, lemon and dill, so it steams in its own juices in the oven. Across France it is a favourite midweek dinner because there is almost no washing-up, and each person opens their own fragrant parcel at the table, ideally with boiled new potatoes or rice. The usual mistake is cutting the vegetables too thick, so the fish overcooks while they stay raw; slice them very thin. Chef's tip: fold and crimp the paper edges tightly all the way round, or the steam escapes and the salmon dries out.

25 min

French Fish

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Haricots verts persillésGreen beans with garlic and parsley

Haricots verts persillés are the green beans that sit beside roast chicken, an omelette or a plate of potatoes in homes all over France, especially in June and July when fine beans are at their best. They are blanched until just tender, then tossed in foaming butter with a little garlic and lots of chopped parsley, so they stay bright green with a slight snap. Using olive oil instead of butter makes them vegan. The most common mistake is cooking the beans in too little water, so it stops boiling and they turn olive-grey; use a big pot of well-salted water. Chef's tip: cool the beans in iced water after blanching if you want to make them ahead, then warm them in the butter just before serving.

15 min

French Sides

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Tcharek el arianeAlmond crescents with orange blossom

On the last nights of Ramadan, kitchens across Algiers and Constantine fill up with trays of tcharek el ariane, the 'naked' tcharek: crescents of thin, buttery dough wrapped around almond paste with cinnamon and orange-blossom water. Unlike their sugar-coated cousins they are left bare, so the fine dough with its pinched, lace-like pattern shows. Families give them to neighbours on Eid morning and set them out at weddings with mint tea and coffee. The dough is traditionally made with smen (aged butter); plain melted butter works well. Overbaking is the common slip, because they turn hard and dry; they should stay pale with only golden tips. Chef's tip: keep the dough under a damp cloth while you shape, as it dries in minutes and then cracks along the curve.

120 min

Algerian Baking

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Algerian mkhabezIced almond and lemon diamonds

No Algerian wedding tray, and few Eid tables in Algiers or Constantine, is complete without mkhabez: soft, chewy diamonds of ground almond and lemon zest under a smooth white icing, each topped with a sugar flower or a silver ball and set in its own paper case. Making them is a social affair, with sisters and aunts icing and decorating hundreds the week before a celebration. The almond base is flourless and dairy free, sweet and lemony, and the icing sets to a thin shell; serve them with mint tea or strong coffee. Overbaking is the mistake to avoid: the diamonds should come out pale and soft, or they go dry and crumbly under the icing. Chef's tip: ice them when completely cold, and get the icing so thick it only just flows; runny icing slides off the sides and never sets glossy.

105 min

Algerian Baking

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CapuchinosYolk sponge cones in spiced syrup

Named for the pointed hoods of Capuchin friars, these little cones of yolk sponge sit in neat rows in Havana dulcerías, glistening with syrup and sold by the half dozen for birthdays and Sunday visits. They're baked in small cone moulds, then dropped into warm syrup scented with lime peel, cinnamon and star anise until heavy and soaked through, so they are moist, eggy and very sweet. The syrup is often spiked with rum or anise liqueur; this one stays alcohol-free. A syrup boiled too thick won't soak in and leaves a sticky crust, so keep it at a light, pourable stage. No cone moulds? Bake them in a mini muffin tin; they just won't have the hood shape. Chef's tip: soak the sponges while they're still warm and the syrup is warm too; both at the same temperature, the syrup goes right to the centre.

75 min

Cuban Baking

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TopfengolatschenSweet quark puff pastry squares

A Topfengolatsche is what Viennese office workers grab from the bakery on the way in, and what grandparents order with a Melange in a coffee house on a Sunday afternoon. The corners of a puff pastry square are folded over a lemony, vanilla-scented filling of Topfen (Austrian quark) with plump raisins, and the top gets a thin white glaze. It is flaky, light and not too sweet. Raisins are sometimes soaked in rum; warm water or orange juice works just as well, and the recipe below is alcohol-free. Wet quark is the classic problem, because it turns the filling runny and it leaks out in the oven. Chef's tip: hang the quark in a sieve lined with a clean cloth for an hour, or squeeze it, until it is as thick as soft cream cheese.

57 min

Austrian Baking

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Pejerrey arrebozadoBattered fish fillets with onion salsa

Pejerrey arrebozado is a Lima classic from the cevicherías and home kitchens of the coast, eaten at lunch on a plate with white rice, a heap of sharp salsa criolla and sometimes boiled potato. The pejerrey, a small silverside, is opened into butterflied fillets, dipped in a light egg-and-flour batter and fried golden. Outside Peru, use small fillets of whiting, sole, haddock or tilapia. The batter here uses sparkling water, not beer, so it is alcohol free. The common mistake is frying in oil that isn't hot enough: the batter drinks the oil and turns greasy, so test with a drop of batter first. Chef's tip: make the salsa criolla first and let the onion sit in lime for ten minutes; it softens its bite and turns a pretty pink.

25 min

Peruvian Fish

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Chicharrón de pescadoCrisp fried fish chunks

Up and down the Peruvian coast, from Chorrillos in Lima to the beaches of Piura, chicharrón de pescado is the crunchy plate ordered alongside ceviche at a long seafood lunch: bite-size chunks of firm white fish marinated briefly in garlic and lime, dusted in flour and fried, then served with fried cassava, salsa criolla and tartar or rocoto sauce. Using frozen peeled cassava keeps it to half an hour. The common mistake is leaving the fish in the lime too long: after about ten minutes the acid starts to 'cook' the outside and the coating slips off. Chef's tip: toss the floured pieces in a sieve to shake off every bit of loose flour; a thin coat fries crisp, a thick one turns pasty.

30 min

Peruvian Fish

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ChaplasHollow puffed Andean bread

Walk through Ayacucho's central market at seven in the morning and you will see women selling stacks of chaplas from cloth-lined baskets, still warm from the wood-fired ovens of the Andes. These round wheat breads puff up like pita in the fierce heat, leaving a hollow pocket inside a thin, soft, lightly floury crust. In Ayacucho and Huancavelica they are eaten with sweet coffee or hot emoliente for breakfast, or split and filled with queso fresco, avocado or a spoonful of rocoto sauce. Highland bakers traditionally work in a little lard; vegetable shortening gives the same tenderness and keeps the bread vegan. A cool baking tray is the reason chaplas stay flat, so preheat it thoroughly. Chef's tip: let the rolled rounds rest before baking and flip them upside down onto the tray, so the smooth, dry side meets the heat first and the pocket opens evenly.

149 min

Peruvian Breads & Parathas

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Baguette

Four ingredients and nothing else: since a 1993 decree, a loaf sold in France as a baguette de tradition may contain only flour, water, salt and leavening. Parisians buy one or two a day, warm from the boulangerie, and the end of the loaf rarely makes it home uneaten. A good one has a thin, shattering, deep golden crust, an open, creamy crumb and a faint nutty sweetness from a long, slow rise. Tear it for butter and jam at breakfast, split it for a jambon-beurre or a cheese sandwich, or put it on the table with soup, salad and a cheese board. Shaping is where most home bakers go wrong: pressing all the air out while rolling the dough long gives a tight, cottony crumb, so handle it lightly and let the bench rest do the work. Chef's tip: cut the slashes almost lengthways, at a shallow angle with the blade nearly flat, and overlap each one by a third; straight-down, crosswise cuts just open into flat scars instead of the raised 'ears' you want.

445 min

French Breads & Parathas

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Œuf et mouillettes (egg and soldiers for toddlers)

In France, l'œuf à la coque with mouillettes, buttered bread fingers, is the gentle supper or Sunday breakfast every child knows. For babies and toddlers the egg is boiled a little longer, until the white is firm and the yolk is set but still soft and fudgy, so little ones can scoop and spread it rather than dip into a runny centre. It contains egg, gluten (wheat) and milk (butter). Chef's tip: start with eggs at room temperature so they don't crack in the hot water, and lower them in gently on a spoon.

11 min

French Breakfast & Brunch

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Pain de mieSoft square sandwich loaf

Ask a Paris café what goes into a croque-monsieur and the answer is pain de mie, the 'crumb bread' baked in a lidded tin so it comes out as a neat square block. Shut away from the oven's heat, the dough rises against the lid into a fine, soft, close crumb with a thin, pale golden crust that barely needs trimming. French children take it to school as tartines with butter and chocolate spread, it makes the best croques, French toast and canapés, and it is the loaf to choose for neat cucumber sandwiches. Milk and butter keep it tender for several days. The tricky moment is the final rise: if the dough reaches the rim before the lid goes on, it squeezes out of the seams and bakes with a dense band; too little rise and the corners come out rounded. Chef's tip: put the lid on when the dough is about 1 cm below the rim, and grease the underside of the lid as well as the tin so the block turns out cleanly.

190 min

French Breads & Parathas

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Bouillie (French baby cereal porridge)

In France, la bouillie is the warm cereal porridge that joins a baby's morning or evening milk at around six months. It is simply the baby's usual milk, breast milk or formula, thickened with plain infant cereal or fine oat or rice flour, and given from a spoon, or thinner from a bottle as many French families do at bedtime. It is creamy and mild. It contains milk from the formula, and gluten if you use oat or wheat cereal; there is no egg, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: choose a cereal with no added sugar or flavourings; you can add a spoon of fruit purée for sweetness later.

7 min

French Breakfast & Brunch

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Kärntner ReindlingCinnamon raisin yeast cake

Carinthia's Easter loaf takes its name from the Reindl, the round, deep pan it is baked in, and in southern Austria no Easter basket goes to church without one. Inside the golden yeast crust is a spiral of butter, cinnamon sugar and plump raisins, so every slice shows a dark swirl. Locals eat it two ways: sweet with coffee on Easter morning, or alongside the savoury Easter platter with horseradish. Many bakers soak the raisins in rum overnight; warm water or tea works just as well and keeps it alcohol-free. A dry, crumbly Reindling usually means too much flour went in during kneading, so keep the dough soft and only lightly floured. Chef's tip: butter the pan well and dust it with sugar, which caramelises into a thin crunchy shell.

180 min

Austrian Baking

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