Agony Chef

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: chicken liver parfait - light in texture but rich and beautiful on toast

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: Thai green curry sauce does take a fair bit of effort - but it’s worth it

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: perfect pudding to put with pasta

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: try to buy your pork from a local butcher and ask if it comes from free range pigs

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: never found the right recipe to make a prawn dish?

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: making baklava at home can be tricky but immensely rewarding

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: a chick pea curry makes a perfect midweek meal - healthy, cheap and filling

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: winter stew with heaps of flavour

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: you need to make something fantastic to serve with the flat bread

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: beetroot is normally paired with chocolate for a super rich cake

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: be careful not to overcook your halibut as it can dry out

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: use ready-made puff pastry sheets then concentrate on making a great filling

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: vegetarian food can be as varied and interesting as non-vegetarian food

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: dry turkey is always caused by over cooking

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: first give your pumpkin a good roast in the oven

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

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AGONY CHEF: frittata is an egg-based Italian dish, similar to an open faced omelette

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: I can recommend an orange and polenta cake which has great flavour and is also gluten free

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: make sure that you use a good quality mature cheddar cheese for the pie filling

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: making desserts for vegans can be a bit tricky

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: try this recipe that pays homage to sisters who accidentally made an upside down tart

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: keep it fairly simple do one type of curry and one type of noodle dish

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: I've been trying to make a tasty vegetarian quiche but it just comes out mushy

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: if you've surplus cooking apples try making a celeriac and apple soup

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: can't decide on a pudding to go with a chicken dinner for ten?

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: one of our great British dishes

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: some people detest blue cheeses but for me the bluer the better

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: peaches and nectarines are superb to use in pies

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: get a decent amount of filling into your quiche case and some distinctive flavours

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: dips should be colourful and fun but also delicious

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: purists claim it must contain exactly 12 spices

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: salmon is an oily fish and a great source of Omega 3 and vitamin D

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: muffins are a great addition to the breakfast table or delicious eaten warm on their own

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: if you really want to push the culinary boat out, look on the internet for some Japanese school lunch box ideas

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: Yorkshire puddings can drop quickly if not cooked through

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

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AGONY CHEF: soups can lack flavour due to a lack of seasoning

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: the problem with vegetarian burgers is making them so that they are firm enough to grill but soft enough to be pleasant to eat

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AGONY CHEF: prawns are quick to prepare and quick to cook

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: homemade ice cream can be a complicated business

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

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AGONY CHEF: roasted cauliflower has an amazing taste

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: classic chocolate tart should be rich and decadent

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

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AGONY CHEF: try giving your pasta sauce a slightly smoky flavour

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: for a good sized frittata, peel and blanch eight asparagus spears

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: to cook a shoulder of lamb you need plenty of time and patience

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AGONY CHEF: for those with a penchant for a traditional dessert, think summer berries, bread and clotted cream

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: I do love a piece of cake but I'm not an amazing baker

Agony chef Justin Woods

Agony chef Justin Woods

AGONY CHEF: fish in a stir fry can be difficult because it is easily overcooked

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: my kids love pancakes but I try to get them to have fruit instead of sugar or syrup

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: I love my tapas

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

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AGONY CHEF: love it or loathe it - it really has to be haggis on Burns Night

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: baking a white chocolate cheesecake

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: how about a ham frittata, an Italian based egg dish similar to an omelette

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

AGONY CHEF: I am a big fan of slow cooked meats

Agony chef Justin Woods

Agony chef Justin Woods

AGONY CHEF: salmon does dry out if it gets over cooked so be careful with cooking times

Agony chef Justin Woods

Agony chef Justin Woods

AGONY CHEF: pork can be a difficult meat to cook and really falls into two types of cooking

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