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Archive for the ‘Chicken’ Category

Chicken with Pineapple and ‘Nduja

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 16 March 2024| Leave a Comment »

A recipe from Ixta Belfrage’s excellent book, Mezcla. Pinapple has developed a bad reputation in savoury dishes but we love it … including on pizzas sometimes. Serve some steamed white rice on the side.

Wine Suggestion: we’re having an Italian moment, so chose the La Pruina Salice Salentino to go with this dish. A blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Negra it had a suprising elegance and didn’t overwhelm the flavours despite an obvious juiciness to the fruit. Balanced and surprisingly medium bodied; we’ll be revisitng this wine again.

Chicken with pineapple and ‘nduja – serves 4

  • 4 chicken thighs, at room temperature
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 medium onion, halved and very thinly sliced, ideally with a mandoline if you have one
  • 300g fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into rounds, then quartered and hard core removed
  • 4 tangerines or 2 oranges, squeezed to give 100g of juice
  • 100g chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp double cream
  • 5g coriander
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

FOR THE ‘NDUJA AND CHIPOTLE PASTE:

  • 50g ‘nduja paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp tomato purée
  • ½ tsp chipotle flakes
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¾ tsp fine salt
  • 20 twists of black pepper

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan.

Put the ingredients for the ‘nduja and chipotle paste into a large bowl and mix together. Add the chicken thighs, garlic, and about ¾ of the onion and mix together well. Tip everything into a large oven-proof cast-iron frying pan or a baking dish. Make sure the chicken is skin-side up on top of the onions and garlic.

Add the pineapple to the mixing bowl and toss in any leftover paste, then arrange around the chicken.

Pour the orange juice around the chicken but make sure you don’t pour it over the chicken skin, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour in the chicken stock – again avoiding the chicken skin. Put back into the oven for another 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is browned and crispy.

Rest the dish for 5-10 minutes, then drizzle over the cream. Toss the coriander with the rest of the sliced onion and a little oil and salt, then sprinkle over the top. Serve with lime wedges.

(Original recipe from Mezlca by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)

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BBQ Drumsticks

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 29 January 2024| 3 Comments »

Who doesnt love a chicken drumstick? These ones have a delicious Spanish inspired marinade. Serve with some alioli if you like.

Wine suggestion: when choosing wines to go with dishes we often start with the idea that the origin of the dish lends itself to similar wines, in this case Spain. So on this note we went for Edetària’s via Edetana Red which is a joyful and deep expression of Garnacha Fina and Garnatxa Peluda, two very closely related varieties of Grenache. It has both a purity and freshness alongside an earthiness and rounded, velvety spices; medium bodied so it didn’t overwhelm the chicken and worked alongside the marinade. An interesting aside, the very rare Garnatxa Peluda found only in Terra Alta is also called “Hairy Grenache” as the leaves are velvety.

BBQ Drumsticks – serves 4

  • 8 chicken drumsticks
  • lemon wedges, to serve

For the marinade:

  • 50ml olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
  • 100ml fino sherry
  • salt

Mix all the marinade ingredients together and add plenty of salt.

Add the drumsticks and rub the marinade in with your hands. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight or for at least 3 hours.

Remove the chicken from the fridge an hour before you want to cook it. Brush the marinade off the chicken and reserve it for later.

Prep your barbecue to allow for indirect and direct cooking. Put the chicken pieces over the indirect heat to start and cover with a lid. Allow to cook for 30 minutes, turning regularly.

Move the chicken onto the direct heat and cook for another 15-20 minutes until cooked through and nicely charred. Baste often with the reserved marinade.

Serve with the lemon wedges and some alioli if you like.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)

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Spicy Coconut and Chicken Noodles

Posted in Asian, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 23 January 2024| 2 Comments »

We made these noodles on the day we got our new puppy, Remy. We can barely remember what they tasted like as we were too busy congratulating ourselves on picking the best little dog ever. However we wrote, usefully, on the recipe that they tasted very good indeed … so we’ll go with that.

Wine Suggestion: The coconut and turmeric elements to this dish work really well with an off-dry Riesling, like those from the Mosel in Germany. The Dr Loosen “L” Riesling is an inexpensive, but very well made option with charming fruit and a very good balance, finishing clean and fresh.

Spicy Coconut and Chicken Noodles – serves 4

  • vegetable oil
  • 2 onions, roughly chopped
  • 600g boneless and skinless chicken thighs
  • 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp rose harissa
  • 400ml tin coconut milk
  • 300g medium egg noodles

TO SERVE:

  • a handful of bean sprouts
  • lime wedges
  • coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Put a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, drizzle in some vegetable oil and fry the onions until soft. Add the chicken and dry spices along with lots of salt and pepper and stir to coat the chicken in the mixture, then stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the harrisa and stir-fry for a few more minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium, then pour in the coconut milk and some water so that the chicken is just covered. Stir, then cover the pan with a lid and cook gently for an hour, stirring now and then to make sure it hasn’t stuck. You can top up the liquid a little if needed.

Cook the noodles according to the pack instructions, then drain and divide between 4 bowls.

Pour the chicken over the cooked noodles, then add the bean sprouts, lime wedges and coriander.

(Original recipe from Flavour by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster*, 2023.)

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Chicken Dippers!

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 3 December 2023| Leave a Comment »

All they want to eat is chicken nuggets – at least you know what’s in this version and they’re baked in the oven. Little wins!

Chicken dippers – serves 3 to 4

  • rapeseed oil spray
  • 90g panko breadcrumbs
  • 500g chicken breasts, cut into 1½ cm strips
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt

FOR THE BATTER:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan.

Spread the panko breadcrumbs onto a baking tray, spray with oil and bake for 7 minutes or until golden, then transfer to a bowl.

Get a grill pan and spray the metal rack with oil.

Put the batter ingredients in a bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat in the batter.

Pick the chicken pieces up with tongs and put into the breadcrumb bowl. Sprinkle the surface with the breadcrumbs and press with your fingers to make sure they stick. Transfer the breadcrumbed chicken to the metal rack and repeat until the chicken is all coated.

Spray the chicken pieces generously with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

Serve with ketchup or mayonnaise.

(Original recipe from Recipetineats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, Pan Macmillan, 2022.)

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Roast Chicken with Preserved Lemon

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 18 October 2023| Leave a Comment »

It’s the classic roast chicken but this time with fresh and preserved lemon. Yummy!

Wine Suggestion: We have a bit of a thing for dry Loire Chenin Blanc and were fortunate to visit Jacky Blot from Domaine de la Taille aux Loups earlier this year. Although he passed away not long after our visit, being able to taste the results of his work in a glass really keeps his memory alive. We opened a bottle of his Vin de France “Clos de la Bretonniere” with this dinner and were transported back to the tasting room and the couple of hours we spent with Jacky. A vibrantly dry Vouvray with tension and tautness in abundance and layers of minerally fruit, it paired beautifully with the roast chicken. Salut Jacky!

Roast chicken with preserved lemon – serves 4

  • 70g butter, softened
  • 3 tbsp thyme leaves
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 small preserved lemon, pips discarded and flesh and skin roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon, zest finely grated, plus 1½ tbsp of juice
  • 1 whole chicken

Heat the oven to 190C fan.

Put the butter, thyme, garlic, preserved lemon, lemon zest, ¼ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper in a food proessor and blitz to combine.

Loosen the chicken skin over the breasts (careful not to tear it) and spread most of the butter mixture underneath. Spread the rest over the legs.

Put the chicken into a roasting tin and drizzle with the lemon juice and sprinkle over ½ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper.

Roast the chicken for 20 minutes per 500g plus an extra 10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear. Baste every 20 minutes as it cooks.

Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi, Tara Wigley and Esme Howarth, Ebury Press, 2018.)

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Chicken, Chorizo & Spinach Pie

Posted in Cheese, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 1 October 2023| Leave a Comment »

There are a few bits to this but it’s not complicated – trust the process and start the night before, dinner will be easy tomorrow. Serve with a green salad.

Wine Suggestion: We think this dish works really well with a fruit forward, medium bodied red like a Grenache. We’re particularly enamoured at the moment by Jesus Romero’s Rubus, a Garnacha Tempranillo blend made with minimal intervention. Good grapes that ferment themselves in tank, then left to settle for a few months and bottled with a touch of sulphur to keep it stable. Pure brambly red fruits with a purple fruited core, gentle spices and tannins and an easy, but complex nonetheless, finish.

Chicken, chorizo & spinach pie – serves 6

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 125g cooking chorizo or chorizo ring, skin removed and chopped
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 250g baby spinach
  • 200g leftover roast chicken, shredded
  • 4 tbsp crème fraîche
  • 500g Maris Piper or similar potatoes
  • 2 x 320g sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
  • plain flour, for dusting
  • 125g mature cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 egg, beaten

Make the filling first. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook the chorizo for a few minutes or until the oil is released. Add the onions, season and cook for 10 minutes or until soft and starting to caramelise.

Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the spinach in batches, stirring until wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chicken and crème fraîche. Season to taste, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge.

Peel the potatoes and thinly slice. Boil in salted water for about 5 minutes or until tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potato slices from the water and set onto a cloth-lined tray to dry and cool.

Unroll one of the pastry sheets on a floured surface and roll out to make a square shape, transfer to a lined baking sheet and cut out a 28cm diameter circle (a dinner plate will help with this). Chill in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.

Season the potatoes and lay a quarter of them onto the pastry circle, leaving a 2.5cm border around the edge. Next add a thrid of the chicken and chorizo mixture, then a third of the cheese. Repeat these layers, gradually forming a dome shape and finishing with a layer of potatoes.

Brush beaten egg all around the border.

Next, roll out the second sheet of pastry and drape over the top. Smooth over the filling and press the edges together to seal, then trim off the excess pastry and crimp the border. Brush with the egg and chill again – you can cook the pie at this stage or you can leave it in the fridge until tomorrow.

Heat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.

When the oven is heated, brush the pie again with the remaining egg and score gently down the sides with a sharp knife. Cut a small hole in the top to let out the steam.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4 and bake for a further 40 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot throughout (especially important if you’ve had it in the fridge for a long time). Rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

(Original recipe by Tom Mitchell-Dawson in Sainsbury’s Magazine, September 2023.)

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Chicken Fried Rice

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 16 September 2023| Leave a Comment »

A ‘magic’ recipe inspired by the lovely book Recipetineats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi. The magic is that you bake the whole thing in one tray and it tastes just like any excellent chicken fried rice. Give it a go.

Wine Suggestion: This dish was well enjoyed with an Au Bon Climat Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc from Santa Barbara in California, though we suspect a good Alsace Pinto Gris, or German Grauburgunder will work just as well. A generosity and breadth in the palate, underscored by a lovely texture allowing this wine to work with, but not overpower.

Chicken fried rice – serves 4

  • 300g basmati rice (or long-grain rice)
  • 400ml chicken stock (from a stock pot will be fine)
  • 2 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed (save 1 to add a bit later)
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 100g frozen sweetcorn
  • 100g bacon lardons, or chop up some bacon yourself
  • 500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into small pieces – about 1.5cm
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 4 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 eggs, scrambled
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped

You will need a deep metal roasting tin – about 23 x 33cm.

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan.

Put the rice, chicken stock, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 2 of the crushed garlic cloves, and the white pepper into the roasting tin. Give the tin a gentle shake to make sure the rice is distributed evenly and that it’s submerged in the stock. Sprinkle the frozen peas and sweetcorn over the top in an even layer, then sprinkle the bacon on top of that. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the chicken into a bowl and add 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tsp of sesame oil and the last clove of crushed garlic. Stir to combine then set aside to marinate.

Remove the tray from the oven after the initial 25 minutes, gently remove the tinfoil and set it aside for later.

Spread the chicken in an even layer over the contents of the baking tray, then return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, uncovered.

Remove the tray from the oven and cover with the reserved tin foil. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Gently break up the rice with a wooden spoon and mix with the other ingredients.

Add the scrambled egg and sprinkle with 2 tsp sesame oil and the chopped scallion, then gently toss again before serving.

(Original recipe from Recipetineats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, Bluebird, 2023.)

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Casarecce with Chicken, Pancetta, Peas & Cream

Posted in Chicken, Food, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 7 August 2023| Leave a Comment »

This is a great dish for some leftover roast chicken.

Wine Suggestion: This is great with a fun Chardonnay like from Domaine Gayda’s Sphere range. Serious, but light hearted and with a fresh, minerality at it’s heart this suits a creamy and summery pasta dish like this.

Casarecce with chicken, pancetta, peas & cream – serves 4

  • 225g casarecce pasta
  • 15g butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 70g pancetta, cubed
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 200g cooked chicken, torn into pieces
  • 175g frozen peas
  • 250ml double cream
  • finely grated zest of half a lemon
  • leaves from 6 sprigs of mint, roughly torn
  • freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season generously with salt. Cook the pasta in the water according to the timings on the pack. Make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.

Melt the butter in a deep frying pan, then add the onion and pancetta and cook gently until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, then stir in the chicken, peas, cream and lemon zest. Bring the sauce just to the boil and then turn down and add the mint. Season with salt and pepper and allow to mingle over a low heat for a minute or two.

Drain the pasta and return to the saucepan. Pour the sauce into the pasta pan and add some grated Parmesan. Stir to combine, then serve in warm pasta bowls with extra Parmesan.

(Original recipe from A Bird in the Hand by Diana Henry, Mitchel Beazley, 2015.)

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BBQ Chicken & Corn Salad with Chipotle Yoghurt Dressing

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 4 August 2023| 2 Comments »

Yes, we know it’s like November outside but here’s a barbecue recipe for the next time the sun shines.

Wine Suggestion: We think the smokiness of Chipotle works well with the gentle and velvety spices of Grenache, or blends with this the dominant grape. From Jesus Romero in the obscure central Spanish village of Teruel is his Rubus which is grown on old terraced vineyards. A project of rediscovering and unearthing an old Roman tradition in an area depopulated and abandoned during the Spanish civil war. Bravo for the effort and idea, and bravo for the delicious wine: minimal intervention, just careful guidance to an expressive and joyous fruit.

BBQ Chicken & Corn Salad with Chipotle Yoghurt Dressing – serves 4

  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika, plus ½ tsp
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp chipotle paste, plus 1 tsp
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 limes, 1 zested and juiced, cut the other into wedges to serve
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
  • 6 chicken thigh fillets
  • 150g natural yoghurt
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 corn cobs, husks removed
  • 2 little gem lettuces, halved and leaves separated
  • 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 avocados, cut into chunks
  • 2 corn tortilla wraps
  • a small bunch of coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Mix the parika, oregano, 1 tbsp chipotle paste, cinnamon, garlic, lime zest and 2 tbsp oil in a bowl with some seasoning. Pour this mixture over the chicken thighs, then cover and chill for a few hours or overnight.

Get your barbecue ready for cooking, or heat a griddle pan over a high heat.

Mix the yoghurt, lime juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp chipotle paste and the honey with a pinch of salt, set aside.

Brush the corn cobs with a little oil, then cook it and the chicken on the barbecue (or griddle) for about 10 minutes, turning often, until cooked through.

Transfer the chicken and corn to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Arrange the lettuce, beans, tomatoes and avocado on a large platter.

Cut the tortilla wraps into strips and heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan. Fry the strips until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with salt.

Slice the cooked chicken into strips and cut the corn from the cobs. Add the chicken and corn to the salad, then drizzle over the dressing and any juice from the chicken. Toss everything gently together. Scatter over the coriander and tortilla strips, and serve with the lime wedges on the side.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Barbecued Chicken with Coconut & Soy

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 17 June 2023| Leave a Comment »

Cooking a whole chicken on the barbecue can be a bit tricky but it is much easier if you spatchcock the chicken. This is quite easy and we do this ourselves; cutting out the backbone with poultry shears and then turning over and flattening out by pushing down on the breast. There are plenty of videos online to help, or just ask your butcher to do it, they never mind.

A temperature probe is also an essential piece of kit when barbecuing all meat as its the best way of determing if the meat is cooked underneath any charring. They are relatively inexpensive, but a worthwhile investment. There’s a reason professionals use them and they help remove the risk of being under-done. Cooking over fire (or gas) is inexact and using the probe has meant that any timings are just a guide; sometimes the dish is done early as it’s hotter than last time, or takes more time than planned. The probe can help you get this right.

We served this sesame sticky rice and and a Thai salad.

Wine Suggestion: As it’s summer barbecue time, a good Provençal rosé, the Love by Léoube, was opened to great success. With the thai aromatic flavours and chilli you need to avoid to much tannin especially, but with charry barbecue chicken a bit of body is still needed which these rosés give, despite their light colour and freshness. The hints of gentle strawberry and raspberry flavours really picked up on the mint and lime too.

Barbecued chicken with coconut & soy – serves 4

  • 2kg free-range chicken
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g tin coconut milk (you can buy little tins or just use half a regular tin and freeze the rest for later)
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • zest and juice of 1 lime
  • a few sprigs of mint, leaves chopped
  • 2 red chillies, chopped

You need to get your barbecue ready for both direct and indirect cooking (i.e. hot coals on one side only).

Slash the breast and legs of the chicken with a sharp knife.

Rub the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Lay the chicken on the indirect side of the barbeuce. Put something heavy on top to weight it down, we used a cast-iron frying pan, then shut the lid and leave to cook for 45 minutes. Rotate the chicken a couple of times to make sure it cooks evenly but keep the skin-side up.

Mix the coconut milk, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime zest together to make a baste for the chicen.

Once the initial 45 mintues is up, turn the chicken skin-side down and cook for another 10 minutes, with the lid on.

Now move the chicken over the coals to cook over a direct heat and start basting with the coconut mixture. Keep basting and turning for 10 to 15 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through. A probe should read 74C.

Chop the cooked chicken into large pieces, then squeeze over the lime and scatter over the mint and chilli.

(Recipe inspiration from Foolproof BBQ by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2021.)

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Chicken & Spinach Lasagne

Posted in Chicken, Food, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 25 April 2023| 1 Comment »

Make this with your roast chicken leftovers. It will generously serve 6 people and is very rich so you will only need a green salad on the side. Make sure you season all the components separately.

Wine Suggestion: We are big fans of Chardonnay, especially judiciously oaked and handled, no matter where they are grown. Tonight a hidden gem from Burgundy, the Patrick Javillier Bourgogne Côte d’Or Cuvée des Forgets which is grown on clay very close to Meursault. Quite vigorous and toasty with yellow and red apples poking through, plus layers of nuts. Generous and fleshy with a fresh, vibrant core that helps balance the richness of the dish.

Chicken and spinach lasagne – serves 6 to 8

  • 40g butter
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 100g button mushrooms, finely sliced
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 600ml milk
  • 100g cream cheese
  • 50g grated Parmesan
  • 150g baby spinach
  • 1 large egg
  • 250g ricotta cheese
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • no-cook lasagne sheets, about 8
  • 400g cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 200g grated mozzarella cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Season and cook gently for a few minutes or until the mushrooms have softened.

Stir in the flour and cook for another minute, then gradually add the milk. Season generously, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for a few minutes, until thickened. Stir in the cream cheese and half of the Parmesan, then remove from the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted.

Whisk the egg, ricotta and parsley together in a bowl and season generously.

Spoon a quarter of the sauce into a large, deep, rectangular dish. Cover with lasagne sheets. Add a third of the ricotta mix, then add a third of the chicken, a third of the mozzarella and a small sprinkling of Parmesan. Repeat these layers twice more, then finish with a layer of lasagne sheets and the last of the sauce and remaining Parmesan.

Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling and browned. Leave to settle before cutting into squares and serving with salad.

(Original recipe from More Midweek Meals by Neven Maguire, Gill Books, 2022.)

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Butter Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Indian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 23 April 2023| Leave a Comment »

This is Dishoom’s Chicken Ruby and it’s by far the best recipe for butter chicken that we’ve made. There’s definitely quite a bit to do but you can marinate the chicken and make the sauce in advance, so the last bit is very easy. Serve with rice.

Butter chicken – serves 4

  • 700g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 20g unsalted butter, melted
  • 50ml double cream

FOR THE MARINADE:

  • 10g fresh ginger, chopped
  • 20g garlic, chopped
  • 5g fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 2 tsp veg oil
  • 75g full-fat Greek yoghurt

FOR THE MAKHANI SAUCE:

  • 35g garlic
  • 175ml vegetable oil
  • 20g fresh ginger
  • 2 x tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 2 black cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1½ tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
  • 30g butter
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 20g granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crumbled
  • ½ tsp dill fronds
  • 80ml double cream

TO GARNISH:

  • coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds

You need to marinate the chicken for 6-24 hours. To make the marinade, whizz the ingredients together in a blender to a smooth paste, then transfer to a bowl.

Cut the chicken into 4cm pieces, add to the marinade and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge.

Next make the makhani sauce.

Finely chop 15g of the garlic. Warm a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chopped garlic and fry until light golden brown and slightly crispy, about 7-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Finely grate the rest of the garlic and the ginger.

Blitz the tomatoes in a blender until smooth.

Put the saucepan with the garlicky oil back over a medium-high heat and add the bay leaves, all of the cardamom pods and the cinnamon sticks. Let them crackle for a minute, stirring.

Turn down the heat and add the garlic and ginger paste. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing it to brown, but not burn.

Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli powder and bring to a fast simmer, then cook until reduced by half, stirring regularly – about 30 minutes.

Add the butter and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the garam masala, sugar, honey, cumin, crispy garlic, dried fenugreek and fresh dill and cook for another 15 minutes.

If you are using the sauce straight away, add the cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes. If not, allow to cool and chill in the fridge until needed. Add the cream when you reheat the sauce.

To assemble / finish:

When you’re ready for the curry, heat the grill to medium-high. Place the marinated chicken on a rack in the grill pan, then brush with the melted butter and grill for 8-10 minutes or until cooked and nicely charred.

Warm a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the makhani sauce, cream and grilled chicken and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Serve the curry garnished with the chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds with steamed rice on the side.

(Original recipe from Dishoom by Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar & Naved Nasir, Bloomsbury, 2019.)

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Spicy Chicken Bake with a Blue Cheese Dressing

Posted in Cheese, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 April 2023| 1 Comment »

There’s a few different ingredients in this Ottolenghi dish but they are worth seeking out. We’ve served this to friends a few times and it’s very popular. Serve with steamed rice and corn tortillas.

Wine Suggestion: A juicy red with gentle, warm, velvety spices is what we’d recommend, like a Grenache blend from the Southern Rhône. Romain Roche’s Cairanne is a current favourite; so smooth and effortless, but with great depth and expression. All velvety southern French sunshine and joie de vie.

Spicy chicken bake with blue cheese dressing – serves 4

  • 15 dried cascabel chillies, stems and seeds removed
  • 15g dried chipotle chillies, stems and seeds removed
  • 3 limes, 2 tbsp juice and 1 cut into wedges to serve
  • 150g celery, peeled and very thinly cliced
  • 1 red chilli, roughly chopped with seeds left in
  • 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 450g cooked rotisserie chicken, discard the skin and roughly tear into large pieces
  • 20g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • 5 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 150g buffalo mozzarella, roughly torn

FOR THE BLUE CHEESE DRESSING:

  • 150g soured cream
  • 100g cream cheese
  • 100g Roquefort cheese or Gorgonzola, finely crumbled
  • 1 tbsp whole milk

Put the chillies into a small bowl and pour boiling water over to cover. Weigh down with a saucer and set aside for 10 minutes.

Put the lime juice, celery and a pinch of salt into a small bowl, mix well and set aside to pickle.

Drain the chillies and roughly chop. Put into a food processor with the fresh chilli, garlic and tomatoes, then blitz until smooth.

Heat the oven to 240C, or as high as your oven goes.

Put the oil into a large, shallow cast-iron pan and place over a medim-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and deeply browned. Add the whizzed chilli mixture, 100ml of water and 1½ tsp of salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add the cooked chicken and another 100ml of water and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander and two-thirds of the scallions.

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the blue cheese dressing along with a pinch of salt and mix to combine. Reserve half the mixture and dollop the rest over the chicken mixture. Top with the torn mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes or until browned and bubbling. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Stir the rest of the scallions into the pickled celery and spoon half over the chicken bake. Serve the rest of the celery, the blue cheese dressing and lime wedges on the side.

(Original recipe from Ottolentghi Test Kitchen Extra Good Things by Noor Murad & Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2022.)

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Roast Chicken with Coconut Rice and Beans

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 21 March 2023| Leave a Comment »

This is all cooked in the oven in one tray and it’s super tasty.

Wine Suggestion: This works really well with Viognier, especially if it has a bit more depth than some entry level ones. We would have loved to open a Condrieu, but in the absence of that it was Jean-Michel Gerin’s Le Champine Viognier from the slopes near the more famed appellation. So well balanced with a purity of stone fruit flavours and a hint of nuttiness that lends itself to this food pairing.

Roast chicken with coconut rice and beans – serves 4

  • 8 chicken drumsticks
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tbsp jerk seasoning
  • 25g butter
  • 275g basmati rice, rinsed
  • 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
  • 350ml hot chicken stock
  • a bunch of scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 x 400g tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

Rub the chicken drumsticks with the oil and jerk seasoning.

Generously grease a large roasting tin with the butter.

Add the rice, then pour in the cococnut milk and chicken stock.

Scatter over half the scallions, then the kidney beans, garlic and thyme and stir gently.

Arrange the drumsticks on top, then cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and roast for another 15 minutes or until the drumsticks are golden brown and cooked through.

Garnish with the rest of the scallions and serve.

(Original recipe from More Midweek Meals by Neven Maguire, Gill Books, 2022.)

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Alphabeto in Brodo

Posted in Chicken, Food, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 15 March 2023| Leave a Comment »

Comfort food at its best. Don’t be tempted to strain the chicken broth of fat, it adds to the flavour and don’t skimp on the salt. You can use the poached chicken meat for sandwiches, or something else.

Alpabetto in Brodo – serves 4 (the recipe makes double the quanity of broth needed and it will keep in the freezer)

  • 800kg chicken thighs (skin on and bone-in)
  • 1 onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 carrot, peeled and halved
  • 1 stick of celery, halved
  • 1 bay leaf
  • a few peppercorns
  • 200g alfabeto
  • grated Parmesan, to serve

Put the chicken into a large heavy pan, cover with 2.5 litres of cold water and add a large pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and use a slotted spoon to spoon off any scum.

Add the vegetables, bring back to the boil, then turn the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Strain through a fine sieve, pressing down on the veg and chicken to extract all the flavor. You won’t need the chicken after this but you should strip the meat from the bones and keep it for something else.

Bring 1 litre of the broth to the boil, add the alfabeto and cook until al dente. Ladle into bowl and add grated Parmesan.

(Original recipe from An A-Z of Pasta by Rachel Roddy, Penguin: Fig Tree, 2021.)

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Cajun Chicken Melts

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 26 February 2023| Leave a Comment »

Perfect Saturday lunch – if the sun would shine it would be nice to eat outside.

Cajun chicken melts – serves 4

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 heaped tsp Cajun spice
  • 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 4 slices sourdough
  • 150g mature Cheddar, grated
  • 200g green salad leaves

FOR THE SALAD DRESSING:

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Put the chicken into a baking dish and rub with the oil, then sprinkle over the Cajun spice and season with salt and pepper. Pour about 4 tbsp of water into the dish around the chicken, then roast for 18-20 minutes or until just cooked. Leave to cool, then slice.

Mix half the chilli sauce in a small bowl with the mayonnaise and season.

Put the sourdough onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Spread the chilli mayo over the bread and arrange the chicken slices on top. Cover with the grated cheese and drizzle the rest of the chilli sauce on top, then finish with the pesto. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Meanwhile make the salad dressing by putting the oil, vinegar, honey and mustard into a container with 2 tbsp of water and blending until smooth, then season. Putt the salad leaves into a bowl and use enough of the dressing to lightly coat the leaves.

Arrange the Cajun chicken melts on plates with the dressed salad on the side.

(Original recipe from More Midweek Meals by Neven Maguire, Gill Books, 2022.)

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Chicken with Mozzarella, Parma Ham and Pesto Potatoes

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 4 February 2023| Leave a Comment »

If there are children around there’s nearly always a half-used tub of pesto. Too expensive to go to waste, and a good reason we’re always on the lookout for anything other than pesto pasta. This dish is a bit of summer in winter.

Wine Suggestion: Choose a fun and fresh red, preferably with a moderate alcohol. Fortunately we had a red blend from the Sebestyén family in the Szekszárd region of south-eastern Hungary. Their Szekszárdi Cuvée is a delightful blend of Kékfrankos, Merlot and Cabernet Franc; youthful, fresh and characterful.

Chicken with mozzarella, Parma ham and roast pesto potatoes, serves 4

  • 125g ball of mozzarella cheese (not buffalo), sliced
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 24 basil leaves
  • 4 slices of Parma ham
  • 24 cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 450g baby potatoes
  • 3 tbsp pesto
  • 2 tbsp thick balsamic vinegar

Heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.

Grease a baking sheet.

Season the mozzarella slices with salt and pepper.

Slice a small pocket in each chicken breast (we asked our butcher to do this) and fill with a slice of mozzarella and 6 basil leaves. Wrap each piece of chicken in a slice of Parma ham and set onto the greased baking sheet. Scatter the tomatoes around the chicken.

Drizzle everything with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then roast for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until cooked through, about 20 minutes, then drain and toss with the pesto.

Put the chicken, potatoes and tomatoes onto warm plates and drizzle the tomatoes with the thick balsmic vinegar.

(Original recipe from Herbs by Judith Hann, Watkins Media Ltd, 2017.)

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Sticky Miso Chicken on Sesame Pumpkin

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 28 January 2023| Leave a Comment »

We love pretty much anything with miso. This miso chicken roasted on a bed of sesame pumpkin is an excellent combination.

Wine Suggestion: We’re on a sherry so for this dish we pulled La Gitana Manzanilla out to find if it worked and were delighted to find it really does. If you have a Manzanilla/Fino to hand give it a go, otherwise find a textural Chardonnay which balances the flavours with an extra stalkiness and more time in bottle.

Sticky miso chicken on sesame pumpkin – serves 3

  • 1.5kg pumpkin, thinly sliced (we used crown prince)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds, plus extra to garnish
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced, to serve
  • coriander leaves, to serve

FOR THE STICKY MISO CHICKEN:

  • 95g white miso paste
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 60ml mirin
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
  • 6 skinless and boneless chicken thigh fillets

Heat the oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9 and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Toss the pumpkin slices in a large bowl with the olive oil, sesame seeds and a good pinch of salt. Spread the pumpkin out over the baking tray and bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes.

To make the chicken, put the miso, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar and brown rice vinegar into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat, then set aside.

After 20 minutes, top the pumpkin with the chicken fillets and pour over any remaining marinade. Roast for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Sprinkle over sliced scallions, coriander leaves and sesame seeds to serve.

(Original recipe by Donna Hay in Olive Magazine, Christmas 2020.)

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Soy Sauce Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 22 January 2023| Leave a Comment »

Happy Chinese New Year and all good fortune in the year of the rabbit. We celebrated with this simple version of a classic, super tender chicken with a delicous sauce.

Wine Suggestion: If you feel like a white, go for a Marsanne like Andre Perret’s VdP version from the Northern Rhone. That’s what we did.

Soy sauce chicken – serves 4

  • 1kg chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 4 scallions, 3 cut in half, 1 finely slice on an angle, to serve
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
  • 3 star anise
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 240ml light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water
  • steamed jasmine rice and steamed greens to serve

Season the chicken with salt and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok, then add the 3 halved scallions, ginger, star anise and bay leaves. Toss for about 5 minutes until fragrant.

Pour in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, 2 tbsp of the sugar and 480ml of water. Turn the heat up to hight and bring to the boil.

Slide in the chicken thighs, skin side down, in a single layer. Add more water if need to just about cover the chicken.

Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 35 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the bones and slice. Arrange on a serving dish.

Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid and discard the solids. Put 150ml into a small pan and put the pan over a medium heat. Just before it boils, add the cornflower mixture and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Remove from the heat once it’s at a nice thickness (you can add a bit more of the reserved cooking liquor if it gets too thick – you want it coating the back of a spoon).

Pour the sauce over the sliced chicken and sprinkle over the sliced scallion. Serve with jasmine rice and lots of steamed greens.

(Original recipe by Thy Lundkvist in BBC Good Food Magazine, January 2022.)

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Guisado de Pollo

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 4 December 2022| Leave a Comment »

A Diana Henry recipe inspired by but not quite the same as the Dominican dish. This is perfect for a weeknight despite the long list of ingredients. Most will be in your cupboard and it’s really easy to put together. Lovely bright colours and flavours. This works on it’s own or with some crusty bread or rice.

Wine Suggestion: despite the inclination to go for a richer white, we felt in the mood for a red instead so chose Domaine Gayda’s Cepage Grenache. A brambly, dark red fruited wine with a juicy core and gentle, ripe tannins. We served it slightly cool to great effect and it made a delightful counterpoint to the chipotles (ours were very hot!).

Guisado de Pollo – serves 6

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 800g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 75g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2.5cm chunks
  • 400g waxy potatoes, cut into 1cm chunks – you can peel them if you like, we didn’t bother
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 6 cloves of garlic, finely grated
  • 4 tsp ground cumin
  • a small tin of pineapple in natural juice, drained and cut into small chunks
  • 400g tin plum tomatoes
  • 1 tsp soft dark brown sugar
  • 2 tinned chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, or 3 tbsp chipotle paste (reduce if your chipotles are very hot)
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 1 jalapeño chilli, halved lengthways and deseeded
  • 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
  • juice of 1 lime
  • a small bunch of coriander, chopped, to serve

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large casserole and fry the chicken in batches until browned on both sides. It doesn’t need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the chopped pumpkin and potato to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until starting to colour. Remove and set aside.

Add the onion and pepper to the pan and cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic cand cumin and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the pineapple, tomatoes, sugar, chipotles, thyme, chicken stock. Season and bring slowly to a simmer.

Cut the chicken into thick strips, then add to the casserole along with any juices from the plate. Add the potatoes, pumpkin and the jalapeño. Stir gently then leave to simmer for 25 minutes without a lid. Give it a stir now and again. It’s ready when the vegetables are soft and the sauce thickened.

Add the capers and lime juice and season to taste. Stir in the coriander and serve.

(Original recipe from A Bird in the Hand by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2015.)

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