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Habanero chillies

Habanero chillies are hot, hot, hot! There is a scale of heat in chillies from 1 to 10 and the habanero scores a whopping 10 out of 10, so beware! Try using them whole so that the flavour infuses dishes such as fish stews, chillies, jerk sauces and Caribbean curries. They are also good for making chutneys and chilli sauces. They are very similar to Scotch bonnets and Jamaican hot chillies (both of which score 9/10). It is very important to avoid contact with the eyes or any sensitive skin - even washing the hands after preparing chillis may not be enough to remove all the capsaicin, the volatile oil in the fruit that gives it its hot taste.

Haddock

White sea fish similar to cod, with flaky flesh, available fresh or frozen, whole or as steaks and fillets. Can be poached, baked, fried, smoked or grilled and served with or without sauce.

Haggis

Scottish dish of a sheep

Hake

Various members of the cod family are known as hake and are available fresh or frozen, whole or as steaks and fillets. Mild, subtle flavour suitable for frying, poaching and in soups.

Halibut

Flat sea fish available mostly in steaks, fillets and cutlets. Its firm white flesh is greatly valued; probably best prepared with a sauce.

Halva

A Middle Eastern sweet based on ground roasted sesame seeds and honey.

Harissa

This north African hot paste, usually served with couscous, is a fiery mixture of chillies, garlic, cumin, coriander, mint and oil.

Hazelnut

A hard-shelled nut with an oval or round kernel, high in dietary fibre, also known as cob nut. Used whole, grated or ground to flavour savoury and sweet dishes.

Heavy cream

Heavy cream is the American term for double cream (48 per cent fat, the most versatile cream as it withstands boiling, whips and freezes well).

Herbes de Provence

A mixture of heady herbs from the south of France made up of any combination of thyme, oregano, marjoram, bay, basil, rosemary and hyssop. The Mediterranean flavour of these herbs is essential to flavour meat, poultry, game and vegetables and especially tomato-based and grilled dishes.

Herring

An oil-rich fish usually sold whole. Can be poached, fried or grilled as well as pickled, marinated, salted and smoked.

Hoisin sauce

A thick, reddish-brown sweet and spicy sauce, widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chilli peppers and various spices. Hoisin sauce is mainly used as a table condiment and as a flavouring for meat, poultry and shellfish dishes.

Hollandaise

Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of egg yolks, a vinegar reduction and hot melted butter. It is the basic sauce from which other sauces, such as b

Honey

Naturally sweet, viscous liquid produced by bees. Used as a sweetener to replace sugar in sweets, drinks and baking. Can also be used as a glaze for roasts.

Horn of plenty

A common woodland mushroom in the shape of a long horn or funnel.

Horseradish

A perennial plant originating in eastern Europe, horseradish is cultivated for its tough, twisted root. Once peeled, this is grated and mixed with cream and other ingredients to provide a hot-flavoured sauce to accompany roast beef or fish such as trout. Care must be taken when grating as the vapours can make the eyes sting.

Hot water crust pastry

A heavy dough pastry made of flour, water and lard, bound together by heating. It can be moulded, when still warm, for pork, ham and raised game pies.

Hummus

A puree or dip of crushed cooked chickpeas flavoured with tahini (pounded sesame seeds), oil, garlic and lemon juice.

Hunza apricots

Very sweet and scented apricots that come from the Hunza valley in Pakistan.

Hyssop

An aromatic perennial herb from the Mediterranean region. During the Middle Ages it was popular as a flavouring for soups and stuffings but now its main use is in the distillation of liqueurs, such as Chartreuse. However, the young leaves can be used in cooking to aid digestion of fatty or rich foods, eg as a seasoning for oily fish or to flavour stuffings.