Don’t cook it too quickly – and skim, skim, skim, says our expert culinary panel

Why is my chicken stock always cloudy?
Ryan, by email
From broths and risottos to sauces and braises, there’s no question that a good, flavourful stock will stand you in good stead. “It’s an underestimated kitchen job,” says Adam Byatt, chef/owner of Trinity, in southwest London, and author of Trinity: The Cookbook, which is published next week. “I love stock: it’s wholesome and fruitful, frugal and delicious.”

Ryan’s clarity issue, Byatt says, is “only ever caused by cooking the stock too quickly or by allowing the fat to boil back into the base liquid”. So it’s crucial to take things low and slow. You will also need a pan that’s “big and heavy enough to give the bones enough room for movement, as well as a very fine sieve for straining the stock”.

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© Photograph: photovs/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: photovs/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: photovs/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Roast chicken thighs with roast squash, leeks and two punchy dressings

I’m delighted that it’s roasting tin season once again, and what better way to kick it off than with this chuck-it-in-the-oven sticky miso chilli chicken with squash and leeks? The sesame, miso, garlic and ginger marinade can go on the chicken ahead of time if you like (in which case, I’d include a squeeze of lime juice), but if you’re short on time, five minutes before cooking will do the trick. The vegetables cook under the chicken, in the manner of potatoes sitting under a rotisserie chicken, but with the added hit of flavour from the miso. Then, to make it really sing, there’s a punchy sesame, chilli and coriander dressing to finish.

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© Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/Photographs: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian, food Styling: Rosie Reynolds, prop styling: Florence Blair

© Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/Photographs: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian, food Styling: Rosie Reynolds, prop styling: Florence Blair

© Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/Photographs: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian, food Styling: Rosie Reynolds, prop styling: Florence Blair

Nutty in flavour and creamy in texture, autumn’s bounty of squash and pumpkin has many uses, both sweet and savoury

The shops are heaving with pumpkins and squash, and though there are so many different varieties to choose from, most of them are interchangeable. My favourites are kabocha, crown prince and delicata, for their deeply nutty flavour and creamy texture, plus they hold their shape well when roasted or braised. And if you’re carving a pumpkin for Halloween over the coming weeks, don’t waste the flesh: chop it up and throw into a risotto. It’s hard to imagine that such deliciousness could come from such a ghoulish grimace.

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© Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Aya Nishimura. Food styling assistant: Alex Jorge.

© Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Aya Nishimura. Food styling assistant: Alex Jorge.

© Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Aya Nishimura. Food styling assistant: Alex Jorge.

Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and Republican Senate candidate, has alleged a sprawling profit-driven conspiracy. Pediatricians say the accusations are an attempt at intimidation.

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