The CODE team’s favourite at-home kits and takeaways this week

With restaurants still closed, every Friday the CODE team will be sharing their favourite at-home kits and takeaways from the past week.

Around the Cluck

For all the refined excellence in James Cochran’s cooking, his buttermilk fried chicken has always been a cult favourite and it’s now available to the nation via the Restaurant Kits platform. This kit does require a competent hand at frying but the tender jerk marinated chicken thighs from HG Walter are forgiving. Once done, all that’s left to do is stack up your brioche bun with the punchy blue cheese sauce, crunchy bacon bits, shredded lettuce and as much of the sticky, fiery scotch bonnet jam as you can handle. The kits serve four but you’d be forgiven for eating two apiece, and CODE members get 10% off (check the app for details).
Chloë Hamilton, head of partners & memberships
£32 (plus 10% off via CODE app), serves 4. Click here to order

Gymkhana

A January birthday called for a treat since there are no celebratory outings… The Gymkhana Club Experience box from the online Ambassador General Store was so bountiful there was enough for three meals in there. We feasted on wild muntjac biryani and all the trimmings first – as you’d expect from Gymkhana, the flavours were potent and perfectly balanced – then a lunch of kid goat keema pao with extra dal the next day and finally tandoori masala lamb chops with malabar parotta. Everything down to the final garnish has been thought of and I’m now a convert to home-made pappadums on the gas flame!
Lisa Markwell, editor
£120, serves 4. Click here to order

Patty & Bun

As one of the first to launch a DIY burger kit, Patty & Bun and HG Walter helped pave the way for everyone to enjoy (almost) restaurant quality meals during lockdown. The now ubiquitous finish-at-home meal kits have provided an invaluable alternative revenue stream to the industry that I for one hope is here to stay. Most of the CODE team have already previously ordered (and raved about) their DIY burgers, so I’m a bit late to the party – but better late than never I always say. In reality the only difference between the Ari Gold and Smokey Robinson burgers are the onions (pickled or smokey), but who cares, they’re both delicious, and so juicy that a bib wouldn’t have gone amiss…
Will Lake, COO
£25 (plus there’s 20% off via the CODE app), serves 4. Click here to order

Hoppers

I wrote about Hoppers new vegan meal kit from the Cash & Kari store at the start of the month, and this week I got to finally try it for myself. The Jaffna mix and Sri Lankan beers start you off on a good note and make for the perfect cooking accompaniment, and the breadfruit kari with a side of string hoppers (naturally) lived up to expectations. It may sound basic, but the spring rolls filled with sweet potato were some of the best I’ve eaten, so I wish I’d been greedy and eaten both myself. I’m hoping the kit will be available past January, but be quick just in case.
Harriet Prior, editorial assistant
£25, serves 2. Click here to order

Rola Wala

Having visited Rola Wala at their Spitalfields haunt for a mid-week lunchtime back when we could just pop by, I was keen to see if I could recreate the magic of ‘Indian street food with a twist’ in my own kitchen/living room/sofa/bed. Available via Restaurant Kits (10% off with your CODE app people!), we opted for the ‘meatless’ rogan josh naan roll kit which they’ve launched for world Vegan month. The kit arrived with everything we needed, from a mild but zingy mango & ginger chutney, to a deliciously thick and rich rogan josh sauce to drizzle over everything. All the ingredients worked together to make one of the most flavourful meals of our week.
Tom Pilgrim, partners & memberships
£14.95 (plus 10% off on CODE app), serves 2. Click here to order

Ojo de Dios Mezcal from MexGrocer

Ojo de Dios Mezcal is the perfect accompaniment for any takeaway or home-kit you might be thinking of for the weeks of lockdown that lie ahead, and is guaranteed to transport you to slightly sunnier climes. Mezcal is Mexico’s most traditional agave spirit, made in underground ovens rather than industrially, and as a result has a much smokier, more savoury flavour than tequila. MexGrocer sells a large selection, but Ojo de Dios has an amazing fruity, smoky flavour that works brilliantly in Mezcalitas or a Mezcal Negroni. MexGrocer also sell a huge selection of authentic Mexican groceries, perfect for lockdown cooking projects.
Minna Gabbertas, partners & memberships
£39.60, click here to buy

To read more of the best things the CODE team ate this week, click here