Home dinner parties don’t have to be stressful. That’s the message from BBC Farm to Feast: Best Menu Wins champion Ricky Robinson.
The Co Tyrone-based home cook believes that anyone can host a successful and stress-free dinner party, with the key ingredient being a “relaxed host”.
“When it comes to preparing meals at home, you are not trying to replicate a fine dining restaurant experience.
“Don't worry about impressing your guests. You’re inviting them into your home and your space, and you need to be relaxed for your guests to be relaxed,” says the 38-year-old.
Born and raised in Belfast, the kitchen was always the most important room in the house for Ricky.
“My earliest memories are of sitting in the kitchen putting my fingers in food mixtures and licking them,” he laughs.
“I was always helping my mum. As a child, I would watch as the crisp, tart apples were peeled and sliced. Flour-dusted hands meticulously rubbing butter into the flour and sugar mixture to create the crumbly topping was a welcoming sight, and I couldn’t wait for the final masterpiece to emerge from the oven,” adds Ricky, whose apple crumble has become his go-to comfort dessert.
In his teens, Nigella’s How to Eat quickly became Ricky’s bible, guiding him through hours of practice.
Then, in his twenties, Ricky discovered his love for meticulously planning and hosting dinner parties, themed for every occasion you can think of.
Bringing together friends and family to enjoy great food, drinks, and each other’s company has been a huge driving force in his passion for cooking.
It was his popular Instagram foodie page @tantrumsandsaucepans which first gained the attention of the Farm to Feast production team.
When approached to interview for the TV cooking show, Ricky was apprehensive, but coming shortly after the frustrations of Covid, he decided to go for it.
A few interviews and Zoom audition later, he found himself competing with six other talented cooks in a kitchen in Co Fermanagh’s stunning Crom Castle.
Hosted by Eamonn Holmes, the competition involved using award-winning produce from local farms and fisheries to make two dishes – a starter and a main – each week.
Ricky, who now lives in Sixmilecross, is still in shock about his success.
“I never thought in a million years I would have done the show, let alone win it. With every round I was convinced I was going out. It’s been a crazy journey.”
Viewers initially saw Ricky struggle, but when he got into his stride, his creative flair, talent and utter passion for food and local produce, shone through.
“I was really nervous at the start. The first thing I cooked was beetroot and I think I was too busy living my TV fantasy that I forgot to cook the beetroot and it was almost raw.
“I came as an amateur cook and I wanted to stay true to that, making simple, rustic dishes. You were under time pressure and had to concentrate hard on getting something on the plate, so after a while the TV cameras didn’t faze you.”
In the final, Ricky impressed the judging panel of Michelin star chef, Danni Barry and food critic, Joris Minne, with his small dish of whipped feta and oyster mushrooms on toast with poached eggs and almonds, followed by a main of Dexter’s beef with red wine gravy, wilted spinach, nutmeg potato gratin and cherry tomatoes.
Since winning BBC’s Farm to Feast, Ricky has been building his Instagram content filled with helpful cooking tips and foodie delights, as well as setting up his recipe blog tantrumsandsaucepans.com.
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“The programme gave me the confidence to believe in my own ability more. Before, I would have relied on cookbooks and following recipes. Now I like to go off script with my own recipes.
“I am passionate about crafting recipes that embody simplicity and convenience, ensuring that anyone, regardless of their expertise, can whip up delicious dishes effortlessly.”
Ricky shares many of his creations on his blog, from snacks such as spicy roasted butter beans and tempting cocktails to time-saving mains.
He also borrows flavours and inspiration from his travels when creating new dishes.
“When I go on holidays, I always like to do food tours or find restaurants off the beaten track. I also love to bring local ingredients or gadgets back,” adds Ricky, whose favourites include a rice mould from Tokyo and a cheese grater from Italy.
Renowned within his own friendship circle for his dinner parties, increasingly Ricky is much sought after as a private cook, creating, and serving personalised menus in people’s own homes.
“I just love bringing people together for that intimate shared experience around food,” says Ricky, who, despite his success, isn’t ready to make food his full-time career.
Ricky’s other passion is animals. He is the manager of Grovehill Animal Trust, near Omagh, which rescues and rehomes abandoned or unwanted animals and shares his home with numerous adopted friends – including cats, dogs, goats, chickens and a pot-bellied pig named George Wellington.
“I don't know if I would want to work in a kitchen full-time. To make it my career would take my hobby away. My job is quite stressful, and I find cooking fun and relaxing,” adds Ricky, who has also been doing some public food demonstrations this summer.
When it comes to people hosting their own dinner parties for friends and family, his advice is “just do it” and “don’t expect too much” of yourself.
“Practice makes perfect. I've had loads of disasters, but you learn from them. There were many pavlovas that became Eton mess and apple pies that became an apple crumble. I’ve burnt everything – even myself.”
Rather than choose a recipe you’ve never cooked before or try to impress others with something new every time you have guests around, Ricky stresses you should “cook something you’re good at and do it again”.
And rather than slave away in the kitchen whilst your guests are enjoying themselves, his other big tip is to ditch the starters.
“I have sharing platters and cheese boards and cocktails when guests arrive. I think a starter kind of breaks up the energy of the party because you must get up and go back to the kitchen. The dinner party must be enjoyable for the host too.”
With so many ideas to share, Ricky’s “ultimate dream” is his own cookbook.
“I’m thinking of making a year-long book from January to December with meal plans for all the events and occasions throughout the year.”
Farm to Feast: Best Menu Wins is available on the BBC iPlayer. Ricky will be doing a cooking demo at Moira Speciality Food Fair at 10.30am on Saturday August 19.
Ricky’s Proper Homemade Apple Crumble and Custard
SERVINGS: 8
For the filling
6 bramley apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 tbsp ground almonds
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
For the crumble
175g plain flour
110g golden caster sugar
110g cold butter cut into cubes
50g ground almonds
1 tbsp light brown sugar
Handful flaked almonds
For the custard
400ml double cream
500ml whole milk
100g caster sugar
4 large egg yolks
3 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Put the cubed butter into the freezer for about 20 minutes.
Put the peeled, cored and sliced apples into a dish, sprinkle over the two tablespoons of golden caster sugar, and add the vanilla extract.
Next, sprinkle over the ground almonds and cinnamon, and flatten down with a spoon.
Make the crumble topping by combining the plain flour, caster sugar, and ground almonds in a bowl. Take the butter out of the fridge and add the flour. Run it together between your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Cover the apples with the crumble mix, sprinkle over the light brown sugar, followed by the flaked almonds.
Set the dish on a baking tray (to catch any spills during baking) and put in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden and the apples feel very soft.
To make the custard, heat the milk and cream together in a large pan and gently bring to just below boiling point. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla together. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Clean your pan (which will help prevent burning), then pour the custard mixture back into it. On a medium heat, whisk constantly until the custard has thickened.
When the crumble is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving with homemade custard and a scoop of your favourite ice cream.
Ricky’s Friday Night Prawns with Pancetta
SERVINGS: 2
400g prawns butterflied
50g cubed pancetta
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp chilli oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp white wine
1 tsp chilli flakes
Fresh parsley
Directions
Heat the oil in a pan and add the pancetta, cook for 5 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside for now.
Reduce the heat and cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes.
Increase the heat and add the prawns, white wine and the chilli flakes and cook for a few minutes, stirring everything together.
Sprinkle in the zest of the lemon and parsley and toss for a minute. By this stage, the prawns should be nice and opaque.
Serve immediately from the pan with crusty bread.
For more recipes, visit Tantrumsandsaucepans.com
