Master Recipes

The following recipes for traditional sauces, pastries, cakes and biscuits are used in many recipes throughout this book. To get the most satisfying result from these recipes it is important to use the best possible quality ingredients. Good fresh butter and cream, free-range eggs and the best bread you can afford or make yourself.

For those of you living outside of Britain, or even far removed from the West Country – also known as ‘Clotted Cream Central’ – you will be happy to know that I have included a recipe to make this most divine buttery cream yourself. You don’t need a cow, you don’t need special bacteria or an open fire, just good thick cream, a tray, time and the recipe on these pages.