Essential reads
- Incredible fried chicken, the 'perfect' brunch and a Michelin toastie: Eight cheap recipes from best chefs in UK
- Experts reveal the wines they swear by that are under a tenner
- 'There's a reason there are so many pizza restaurants': TV chef points finger on hospitality woes
- Where on Earth do you start with a stocks and shares ISA?
- Landlord withholding your deposit? Here's how you can fight it
- 'I only have two bills and get a pension after 12 years': Soldier reveals financial benefits of army
Incredible fried chicken, the 'perfect' brunch and a Michelin toastie: Eight cheap recipes from best chefs in UK
Throughout the past year, the very best chefs in the UK have shared their favourite budget recipes in our weekly Cheap Eats feature.
Here, we've rounded up our favourite eight recipes...
Sat Bains's 'perfect' brunch: Shiitake mushrooms, beluga lentils and fried eggs
Ingredients - serves one
- 200g shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean
- 50ml olive oil
- 40g salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 x 100g pouch of pre-cooked beluga lentils
- 2 large organic eggs, cracked into 2 small bowls
- Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- Start with a nice hot pan with olive oil, slice the mushrooms and sauté. They take on a highly toasted flavour where they caramelise and release this amazing aroma. That's what you're after. The secret word is toasted. That takes a few minutes;
- Add the shallots to give it a lovely lift, then lentils, pre-cooked from a bag. You're trying to toast the lentils, dry fry almost;
- Add the garlic, spread it out so it doesn't burn, then a couple of springs of thyme;
- Then the butter. There's a misconception about cooking with butter with healthy food - you want to use whole foods; used in moderation, a little bit of butter is good for you, and it's got a bit of flavour in there;
- Cook that gently, then add the eggs. The egg, the white, soaks up all the lentils and mushrooms so you end up with these incredibly crispy shiitake mushrooms and lentils;
- You notice I don't put any salt in this dish anywhere in the initial stage. You always season the egg at the end of frying, otherwise you get white specks on the yolk;
- Add a little olive oil, serve with toast and kimchi.
Alex Dilling's fried chicken
Ingredients
- Two boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 350g gluten-free flour
- 300g buttermilk
- 16g salt
- 12g garlic powder
- 12g onion powder
- 10g smoked paprika
- Black pepper
- Oil for frying
Method
- Cut the chicken breast lengthways to achieve three flat pieces per breast of even thickness;
- Add the flour in one bowl and buttermilk in another. Divide the seasonings evenly between the two bowls and mix well;
- Add the chicken to the buttermilk and leave to marinate for three hours;
- Take a few spoons of the buttermilk and add to the flour and whisk. This will help create the little crunchy bits;
- One by one, add a piece of chicken to the flour, coating evenly and all over;
- Once all have been coated, fry in batches at 175C until deep golden and cooked through, around three minutes. Drain on absorbent paper.
Meedu Saad's taro and lamb stew
Ingredients
- 400g lamb neck
- 1x large taro
- 4x large garlic cloves
- 100g spinach
- 200g Swiss chard
- 50g coriander
- 20g dill
- 50g flat-leaf parsley
- 3lt chicken stock
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 40g ghee
Method
- Start by lightly browning the lamb neck in the ghee, then add two cloves of garlic, finely sliced, and the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste;
- Next, in a blender or pestle and mortar, process the other two cloves of garlic, the greens and herbs to a fine paste and set aside;
- Peel the taro and roughly dice it into one-inch pieces. Add this to the pot once the lamb neck has simmered and has become tender. Simmer again until the taro's edges have become slightly rounded and is spoon soft. It will take around 45 minutes;
- In a separate pan, heat 100ml of oil and fry the herbal paste until fragrant and rich in colour. Add this to the pot and season. Allow the stew to cook until the bright green becomes muted. Check the seasoning and adjust as the taro and herbs will have softened the flavour;
- Let it sit for as long as you can bear, then serve with either rice or crusty bread.
Daniel Clifford's pea and ham risotto
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 20g butter
- 200ml white wine
- 300g risotto rice
- 600ml chicken stock
- 60g frozen garden peas
- 100g cooked ham hock
- 50ml double cream
- 20g Parmesan, grated
- Salt and lemon juice to taste
- Parsley, finely chopped
Method
- Sweat the onion in the butter until translucent. Add the white wine and reduce;
- Put the risotto rice and chicken stock in the pan and bring everything to the boil;
- Cook for seven minutes on a high heat and then drain the risotto base in a sieve, keeping the liquid;
- Blast chill the cooked rice. When ready to serve, gently heat equal quantities of rice and cooking liquid together;
- Reduce the liquid by half, gently fold the peas and ham through, add the cream, Parmesan and chopped parsley, then season with salt and lemon juice to finish. Chef tip: microwave the lemon for 10 seconds to get more juice out of it.
James Mackenzie's Yorkshire puddings
Ingredients (makes 10)
- Six eggs
- 300ml full fat milk
- 260g plain flour
- Goose or duck fat or beef dripping, or rapeseed oil if preferred
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4;
- Place the eggs and milk into a mixing bowl and whisk together, sieve the flour in and mix with a hand blender until you've got a smooth batter. Leave to stand for at least 10 minutes;
- In a 12-hole baking tray place a tablespoon of fat into each mould and put in the oven until smoking hot;
- Season the batter immediately before you pour it into the smoking hot tray - this will stop the salt breaking down the egg and your puddings will rise really well;
- Fill up 10 moulds nearly full around the edge of the tray, leaving two moulds in the middle free to allow the heat to circulate evenly;
- Bake for 35 minutes and don't be tempted to open the oven door earlier or they will collapse.
Dave Wall's anchovy pasta
Ingredients
- 250g butter
- 250g water
- 70g brown anchovies (ideally Cantabrian)
- 1 clove garlic
- 30g double cream
- 25 g of brined anchovies
- Three bread slices with crusts removed (stale better)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lemon zest
- Pinch salt and pepper
- 125g of fresh spaghetti per person
- Grated Parmesan
- Celery leaf to garnish
Method
- Set aside the bread, lemon zest, salt and pepper and Parmesan. Add all the other ingredients to a pan. Bring to a slow simmer on a low heat. Once the mixture starts to boil, remove and transfer to blender. Blend for two minutes until the mixture is well-emulsified. Set aside;
- Blend the bread, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a food processor, making sure the crumb is fine. On a low heat, gently toast the crumbs until they become golden;
- Gently cook the pasta in simmering boiling water, add plenty of salt to the pasta water so it tastes like seawater. Cook for 1-2 minutes;
- Meanwhile, gently heat the anchovy pasta sauce in a large pan so it becomes warm. Be careful not to boil;
- Once the pasta is cooked, gently remove and put it straight into the warmed anchovy sauce, add a splash of the pasta water to retain some of the starch (as this will help thicken your sauce);
- Gently cook the pasta in the anchovy sauce until it becomes thick and creamy and the sauce coats the pasta;
- Serve into a bowl and add the Parmesan, fresh anchovies and celery leaf on top;
- Generously sprinkle the pasta with the golden breadcrumbs or pangrattato to add a wonderful texture and crunch.
Lisa Goodwin-Allen's cheese toastie
Tomato relish ingredients
- 25g onion, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 250g good quality, soft, ripe plum tomatoes chopped
- 20g olive oil
- 10g tomato puree
- 50g tomato juice
- 1/4 tsp red chilli, finely diced
- 1 tsp lime juice
- Good pinch of salt and sugar
Method
- In a medium-sized pan, heat the olive oil and add the finely sliced onion;
- Season with salt and cover the pan with cling film or a lid;
- Cook the onion down until it is completely soft but with no colour;
- Once soft, remove the lid and continue to cook on a medium heat until the onion is nicely caramelised;
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato juice garlic and chilli.
Cheese toastie ingredients
- 125g semi-skimmed milk
- 15g egg yolk
- 12g cornflour
- 50g cheddar, grated
- 5g Tunworth cheese cut into two chunks
- 4 slices thick white bread
- 50g Black Cow cheddar to garnish
Method
- In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolk and corn flour;
- Pour the milk into a medium pan, bring to the boil. Once boiled, pour on to the egg mix, mix well, then pour back into the pan;
- Cook on a medium heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens;
- Once thickened, whisk in the grated cheese and Tunworth;
- Spoon the mix into semi-spear moulds (3cm) and freeze. If you don't have spear moulds, you can use an ice cube tray and fill halfway up;
- Take one slice of bread and brush with melted butter on one side, place the buttered side of bread on to the toastie maker. Place two domes of frozen cheese on to the bread in each triangle, then place a slice of bread on top, brush with more melted butter, close the lid;
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown;
- Remove, then put a good spoonful of tomato compote on top, cover with more grated cheddar and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of salt.
Chris Cleghorn's cornflake-coated chicken salad
Chicken ingredients
- 2 chicken breast
- 100g plain flour
- 2 large egg
- 200g cornflakes, broken up
Dressing ingredients
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 200ml olive oil
- Pinch of sea salt
Method
- Cut the chicken breast into long thin strips, approximately 2cm thick;
- Lightly coat in the flour, dust off excess. Dip into egg mixture and then straight into the broken cornflakes;
- Place on to grease-proof paper on a flat tray and cook in a pre-heated oven at 220C until cooked;
- For the honey and mustard dressing, can be batch-made and stored in the fridge for a week.
- Combine the dressing ingredients with salad of your choice.
A week of an unpredictable Trump, crypto and supermarket job cuts
By Jess Sharp, Money blogger
New US President Donald Trump made all sorts of headlines this week, but for us here in the money sphere, it was his threat of tariffs on the EU - as well as him and his wife launching cryptocurrencies - that garnered most attention.
Ahead of him taking a seat in the White House, Bitcoin raced to an all-time high, reaching $109,000 (£89,000). Many analysts think a Trump presidency is going to be great for crypto.
That said, Trump's own cryptocurrency wasn't worth nearly as much - one TRUMP Token was valued at around £5 when it launched, before shooting up to highs of £62 and then plummeting by around 45%.
After the president was sworn in, it was a good day for the pound. The lack of an executive order imposing tariffs on imported goods meant the currency reached its highest level in 10 days.
But this had the inverse effect on the dollar, which weakened off the back of the news (or lack of).
As the president started threatening tariffs on the likes of China and the EU, trade economists were left with a more unsettled situation.
Here, our economics and data editor Ed Conway explains why...
Trump's inauguration bolstered the FTSE 100, which - to some surprise - reached an all-time high earlier in the week.
But as the week went on, markets continued to shift in response to the unpredictable president's return.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, delegates were made aware of the disruption that lies ahead. Our business and economics correspondent Paul Kelso was there, and had a closer look at the reaction to Trump's speech...
Back on UK soil and away from the impact of Trump, we saw more retailers announcing job cuts as they struggle to cope with rising costs and upcoming tax changes.
Sainsbury's announced it was scrapping 3,000 jobs and closing all of its remaining in-store cafes in a bid to save £1bn over the next three years.
A day later, Morrisons confirmed it was getting rid of 201 roles as part of a major cost-cutting exercise.
The retailer's CEO, Rami Baitieh, has previously bemoaned the "avalanche of costs" for his business off the back of the government's budget.
We're signing off for the week now - but don't forget to check out our Saturday long read from 8am. This week, we're bringing you eight cheap recipes to cook at home from some of the best chefs in the UK...
Iceland invites sacked supermarket staff to apply for jobs
Iceland has invited Sainsbury's and Morrisons staff who are at risk of redundancy to apply for one of the 600 roles it is advertising, Retail Gazette reports.
The retailer is on the hunt for both full and part-time staff, including management roles at its head office in North Wales.
It's also looking for shop workers and home delivery drivers.
Sainsbury's and Morrisons have become the latest supermarkets to announce job cuts as they look to reduce costs.
Sainsbury's has said it is axing 3,000 jobs and closing its remaining in-store cafes, while Morrisons is looking to cut 201 roles.
An Iceland spokesperson told Retail Gazette: "While many in the retail sector are facing tough decisions, we're proud to be creating opportunities and expanding our team as we grow across the UK."
It's now (slightly) more affordable to get on the property ladder - here are the cheapest and most expensive places to buy
Housing affordability has seen a "modest improvement" in the last year - but people are still spending more of their take-home pay on mortgage payments than in previous decades, a building society has found.
Research by Nationwide found earnings growth had slightly outpaced house price increases in the last year, and combined with a slight reduction in average borrowing costs, it had become more affordable to get on the property ladder.
However, by longer-term standards, affordability continues to be "stretched" with first-time buyers with a 20% deposit spending around 36% of their take-home pay on mortgage payments.
That's well above the long-running average of 30%.
Andrew Harvey, a senior economist at Nationwide Building Society, said the "deposit hurdle remains high", with the challenge of saving made worse by record rent rises in recent years.
In 2023-24, around 40% of first-time buyers had some help raising a deposit, either in the form of a gift or loan from family or friends, or through an inheritance, the report said.
Mr Harvey added: "Despite these affordability challenges, mortgage market activity and house prices proved surprisingly resilient in 2024.
"Annual house price growth ended the year at 4.7%, a marked improvement from the small declines seen at the start of 2024.
"The number of mortgage approvals returned to 2019 levels, despite typical mortgage rates being around three times higher. Perhaps even more remarkably, first-time buyers' share of house purchase mortgages was actually higher in 2024 (54%) than it was pre-pandemic (51%)."
"Looking ahead, providing the economy recovers steadily, as we expect, the underlying pace of housing market activity is likely to continue to strengthen gradually as affordability constraints ease through a combination of modestly lower interest rates and earnings outpacing house price growth."
Nationwide also looked at the most and least affordable local authorities across the UK.
Kensington and Chelsea in London was found to be the least affordable with a house price-to-earnings ratio of 13.6.
This means the average house price is 13.6 times higher than the average annual income for someone living there.
The ratio is often used to measure how expensive housing is relative to what people earn.
Here are the least affordable authorities per nation or region:
The most affordable place to buy a property was found to be Aberdeen in Scotland, where the house price-to-earnings ratio came in at 2.5.
This was followed by Burnley in the North West, with a 2.8 ratio.
The UK's 20 biggest taxpayers revealed
One of Britain's richest hedge funders has paid the most tax in the last year, according to the 2024 Sunday Times Tax List.
Sir Chris Hohn paid more than £339m to the taxman in the last 12 months - that works out at more than £930,137 a day or £38,756 an hour.
The youngest taxpayer to make the list of the top 100 contributors was 33-year-old singer Ed Sheeran, who paid £19.9m to the exchequer.
That doesn't come close to the amount paid by the country's richest self-made woman - Denise Coates - who along with her family paid £273.4m in tax.
She co-launched gambling site Bet365 from a car park in Stoke in 2000.
Also making the list are the founders of Betfred, Fred and Peter Done, Harry Potter author JK Rowling and the boss of JD WetherspoonSir Tim Martin.
Here's a look at who made the top 20:
In total, the 100 wealthiest people in the country contributed £4.985bn to UK tax in the last year.
While the figure sounds like a lot, it's actually 7% less than last year.
Robert Watts, who compiled The Sunday Times Tax List, said this year's findings pose questions for Chancellor Rachel Reeves and her Treasury team.
He explained that the 7% decline in tax paid was largely because many companies owned by the "super rich performed less well while the economy was sluggish".
"We often find that it's not the owners of tech firms and other high-profile businesses who contribute the most. This year the tax list includes entrepreneurs and families behind companies selling pasties, pet food and pillows," he added.
The tax list rankings include corporation tax, dividend tax, capital gains tax, income tax and some payroll taxes as well as gambling and alcohol duties, according to the most recently filed company accounts.
Working 'completely changed' my quality of life, says former benefits claimant
A former disability benefits claimant now working at Coca-Cola says his life has transformed from "surviving" to "living".
Safety and health coordinator Mohammad Koheeallee told Sky News' Business Live presenter Darren McCaffrey that living on benefits had become harder and harder as costs rose.
His comments come as Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced a review aimed at supporting people with long-term illnesses or disabilities to return to work.
"My quality of life is completely different," said Mr Koheeallee.
"Whereas before I was surviving, now I'm living. There's a big difference."
He said he can now afford to take his mum on holiday and can spend money on his nephews and nieces.
"Things that I could never do back in the day," he added.
"Don't give up. Just because someone has told you you can't do something doesn't mean that is actually the truth."
He continued: "Think outside the box about what you can do. Don't just think you have to be stuck in an office job.
"Look at me. I work in supply chain on a manufacturing site as a wheelchair user - not really heard of every single day."
The government review comes at a time when around 3.7 million people of working age receive health-related benefits, which is 1.2 million more than in February 2020.
Britain is now spending more on incapacity and disability benefits (almost £65bn) than defence - and that figure is set to rise.
Scotland's first ever tourist tax could be approved today
Scotland's first ever tourist tax could be agreed by councillors today.
Members of Edinburgh's city council are expected to approve plans to bring in the charge on those staying in the area overnight.
If approved, it is thought the levy could raise up to £50m a year for the authority.
Council leader Jane Meagher has previously described the proposals as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to invest in the city.
The tax would see a 5% charge applied to those staying in hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other forms of accommodation, including holiday lets.
Under the council's plans, it will be applied on bookings made after 1 May this year, for accommodation stays from 24 July 2026.
Last week, the authority's policy and sustainability committee backed the plan.
Chief executive of Lloyds expects three interest rate cuts this year
Base rates will come down slowly over the next few years, but there will be three cuts this year - that's the prediction from the chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group.
Charlie Nunn told our business and economics correspondent Paul Kelso that the UK economy is "very resilient" but more growth is needed.
Speaking to him at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nunn said some Lloyds' customers were "struggling to make ends meet" but deposits and savings in households has increased by 6% year-on-year.
"The household and business part of the economy is really resilient. What we haven't yet got is an investment in growth and we continue to have quite a tight labour market with quite high wage inflation," he said.
"We should see rates continue to stabilise and come down over time but we shouldn't expect either a massive fall or hopefully any significant increase."
There has been some negativity around the UK economy in recent weeks, but Nunn said growth is going to be fixed with support from the international community.
"The UK is building its own path as a place where people want to invest, employ people and grow. The UK is well placed," he added.
Car backed by Victoria Beckham and Jamie Oliver named as nation's least loved vehicle
A car that has counted Victoria Beckham and Jamie Oliver as fans has been named as the nation's "least loved" car by Which?.
The Range Rover Evoque hybrid, a stylish SUV that costs around £51,000, scored the lowest customer rating in the consumer champion's annual drivers survey.
The vehicle, which became Land Rover's fastest-selling car after its launch in 2011, spent more time off the road for repairs than any other car, according to the survey.
Owners also reported issues with the vehicle due to its electric range, size and problems sourcing spare parts.
An owner from Manchester said: "The car has been less than reliable, particularly in the first two years of ownership. This car has been the most frustrating that I have ever owned."
Jaguar Land Rover told Which? that its move to a new logistics hub had caused disruption for customers but that issues had since been resolved.
At the other end of the scale, a full hybrid car that was discontinued a decade ago emerged as the most-loved car, beating petrol, diesel and electric models.
Clinching the top spot was the 2009-2015 Lexus RX Hybrid, with a customer satisfaction core of 97%.
Owners loved it for its reliability and comfort.
A used model can be found for around £7,000, depending on age and condition.
In the petrol and diesel section, a Mazda MX-5 RF Convertible was the most loved, receiving a customer score of 93%.
The least loved was a Vauxhall Crossland X (2018-2020), which got a score of 65%.
Lakeland's family owners hoist 'for sale' sign ahead of tax rises
The family behind Lakeland, one of Britain's most prominent privately held retailers, is exploring a sale after more than 60 years amid growing cost pressures sweeping the industry.
Sky News has learned that Lakeland, which is controlled by the three sons of founder Alan Rayner, has appointed advisers to gauge the appetite of prospective buyers for a deal.
Lakeland, which was established in 1964 as Lakeland Plastics, employs roughly 1,000 people across a chain of 59 stores, at its head office in Windermere, and its distribution centres.
City sources said today that the company had engaged Teneo as financial advisers, with potential bidders having been contacted in recent days.