To commemorate 40 years of the Passage's charitable work and the homeless people they have supported over this time, the charity are launching a very special cookbook, A Taste of Home featuring a Foreword from HRH The Duke of Cambridge, and exclusive recipes from over 100 well known names including: Gino D’Acampo, Nigella Lawson, Sir Paul McCartney, Stephen Fry, Yotam Ottolenghi, and many more.

The book will include stories and recipes from people who have been helped by the charity’s services over the years, shining a light on the challenges that they have been able to overcome with the right guidance, opportunities and resources.

In celebration of the book launching on the 15 October, The Passage Head Chef, Claudette will be cooking her Jamaican Roast Chicken recipe and well known chef, Ching He Huang will be cooking spicy sweet mushroom chow mein. Both recipes are featured in the cookbook.

JAMAICAN ROAST CHICKEN with rice & peas - Claudette Dawkins

"Growing up in a Jamaican household, I had no choice but to be in the kitchen watching my mum cook.

The house was always filled with interesting smells: from her famous rum cakes, curried goat and even sausage and mash, to some not so nice smells like that of ‘cow foot’, which she used to sometimes cook for my dad!

Saturday was always soup day. Chicken soup, lamb neck soup, red pea soup, fish tea (that’s what we called fish soup). You woke up on a Saturday morning and you knew what you were getting for dinner!

Sunday usually meant chicken that was either brown-stewed, curried or baked, served along with rice and peas. Sometimes we would get roast chicken with roast potatoes. This is where the recipe I have chosen comes in. It is my twist on a traditional English roast with influences from my Jamaican background.

I took what I learned from my mum and expanded on it. Enjoy!"

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The day before roasting, put all the ingredients into a bowl, except for the chicken, oil, lemon and fresh thyme. Mix well and add enough oil to make a smooth paste.

Place the chicken into a large bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken and rub well into the chicken, including the cavity.

Put the cut lemon and thyme sprigs into the cavity of the chicken.

Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight to marinate.

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3. Place the chicken in a roasting tray.

Cover the whole tray with foil and seal around the edges of the tray, then put it into the middle of the oven to cook.

After about 1 hour, remove the foil, and turn the oven up to 180°C/Gas 4.

Put the chicken back in to brown and finish cooking. After about 30 minutes, check whether the chicken is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear. If not, return the chicken to the oven and check again after 10 minutes until done.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the roasting tray to a board or serving plate. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before carving to serve.

Serves 6-8

2 tbsp natural breadcrumbs

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp onion granules

1 tsp ground allspice

½ tsp dried thyme

1 tsp sugar

1 medium/large organic chicken

Vegetable oil

1 lemon, cut in half

Few sprigs of fresh thyme

SPICY SWEET MUSHROOM CHOW MEIN - Ching He Huang

"This is an all-round Asian Fusion dish – the miso, soy and honey works so well. A real mix of umami: the dish is salty, spicy, pungent, sweet and nutty (all the notes of Chinese cooking). It is perfect with a glass of Sancerre or your favourite white wine."

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Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl and mix well to form a paste. Add the mushrooms and marinate them for 5 minutes. Just before wokking, dust the marinated mushrooms with cornflour. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and add the rapeseed oil. Toss in the garlic and chilli and cook, stirring for a few seconds to release their aroma. Add the marinated mushrooms and wok, tossing for 1 minute and, as they start to caramelise, add the rice wine, 1 teaspoon Chiu Chow chilli oil and toss, cooking for 10 seconds. Add the cooked egg noodles and beansprouts and toss through well.

Season with light soy sauce to taste and more Chiu Chow chilli oil if you like spice.

Sprinkle in the toasted pine nuts and spring onions, spoon out onto two plates and serve immediately.

Serve 2

200g shiitake mushrooms, whole

1 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 plump garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 tbsp rice wine

1 tsp Chiu Chow chilli oil

250g cooked egg noodles medium thick (or noodles of your choice), lightly dressed in toasted sesame oil

Large handful of fresh raw beansprouts, washed

2 tbsp light soy sauce

For the marinade:-

1 tbsp peeled and grated ginger

1 tsp organic miso paste

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp good quality runny honey

To serve:-

Handful of pine nuts, toasted

2 spring onions, chopped, sliced on a deep angle (horse-ear shaped), or into rounds

To order the cookbook today visit Waterstones online

All profits will go directly towards supporting people who are street homeless and in housing crisis during a particularly testing financial time for so many.

'A Taste of Home' makes a great alternative to the usual Christmas Hamper or gift. For a bulk purchase contact fundraising@passage.org.uk

About The Passage:

The Passage has for 40 years run London's largest voluntary sector day centre for homeless and vulnerable people helping over 200 people every day to access diverse services, including primary services (showers, access to clothes, etc.), housing and welfare advice, health services and employment and training services.

The Passage have a supporting team of Street Link workers who make contact with those sleeping rough to see what can be done to help and have been running a 48-bed hostel, Passage House, since 1 March 2000. The Passage also run Montfort House, which contains 16 self-contained studio flats with on-site staff support for those preparing for independent living.

Visit www.passage.org.uk for more information

'A Taste of Home' - Cooking with Ching He Huang & Passage Chef, Claudette