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Posts Tagged ‘Chicken’

Chicken with Agrodolce Sauce

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, Italian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 April 2018| 2 Comments »

Chicken with an agrodulce sauce

A quick and healthy Italian-style sweet & sour dish for midweek. We weren’t completely sure about the celery but it smells amazing in the pan with the red onions and tastes perfect in the finished dish. Serve with new potatoes and a green salad or steamed tenderstem broccoli.

Wine Suggestion: We served this with a fuller Italian white, the l’Insolito by Michele Biancardi from Puglia. This is made from Minitolo which used to be thought of as a sub-variety of Fiano. Honeysuckle and white flower aromatics are tempered by a good citrus twist … sort of like the agrodulce.

Chicken with Agrodolce Sauce – serves 2

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp flour, well-seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • a small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Cover the 4 pieces of chicken with baking paper and flatten gently with a rolling pin. Dust the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour shaking off any excess.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and brown the chicken really well, then remove from the pan. Throw the onion and celery into the pan now and cook for about 3 minutes, then season. Add the tomatoes and cook for another few minutes or until they start to break down, then add the vinegar and sugar.

Return the chicken to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through, then stir in the parsley.

Serve with green salad or steamed broccoli and some new potatoes if you like.

(Original recipe by Jennifer Joyce IN: BBC Olive Magazine, April 2009.)

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Roast Chicken Drumsticks with Parsley & Garlic

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 22 March 2018| Leave a Comment »

Roast drumsticks with parsley and garlic

The title is a little bit deceptive as you don’t actually need to put these in the oven. They are very cheap and tasty and especially good with some potatoes and green veg. We’ve given the recipe to feed four people but we used just four drumsticks to feed two and scaled down the extra bits slightly and it worked perfectly.

Wine Suggestion: We had a simple, unoaked Viura (the grape used in white Rioja) from Castilla in Spain and the flinty texture and balance between fruit, freshness and a lighter body worked even better than we hoped.

Roast chicken drumsticks with parsley & garlic – serves 4

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 12-16 chicken drumsticks
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Season the drumsticks generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, heavy-based casserole with a lid or a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and half the butter. When the butter is foaming, add the drumsticks, and fry until browned all over.

Cover the pan with a lid and continue to fry gently for 20-25 minutes, turning often. Remove the lid and add the rest of the butter, the garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Remove the pan from the heat and rest for a few minutes before serving.

(Original recipe by Paul & Jeanne Rankin IN: BBC Good Food Magazine, March 2014.)

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Chicken Parmigiana

Posted in Cheese, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 13 December 2017| 2 Comments »

Chicken parmigiana

This is an absolute crowd pleaser and should please most children and other fussy eaters. It is easy but there are  a few steps so leave yourself plenty of time. We liked this way more than we expected to! Good with garlic bread and a big salad.

Wine Suggestion: you mustn’t overwhelm this dish with a heavy, powerful wine. It can have character though and the youthful Rocca delle Macie Chianti Vernaiolo was a good match. Unoaked and fruit driven this is a lighter red and all freshness and vitality. Other alternatives that work are light Pinot Noir, Gamay or Barbera.

Chicken Parmigiana – serves 4 (generously)

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chop 2 and peel the other
  • 100ml red wine
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 4 chicken breasts (ask your butcher to butterfly if possible)
  • 100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 75g Parmesan, grated
  • 75g breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • pinch sugar (optional)
  • 2 balls mozzarella, sliced
  • handful fresh basil leaves

Start by making the sauce. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until soft and translucent, then add the chopped garlic. Cook for another couple of minutes, then add the red wine. Allow to bubble until the wine is reduced by about half, then add the oregano and tomatoes and season well with salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce at this point and season with a pinch of sugar if necessary, then continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes, without the lid, until the sauce is well reduced – you want it to be fairly thick.

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

Butterfly the chicken then put between two sheets of cling film and flatten slightly with a rolling pin. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Mix the Parmesan with the breadcrumbs, oregano and a few finely chopped basil leaves. Put half the flour onto a plate and season. Beat one of the eggs in a bowl and spread half the Parmesan mixture on another plate.

Dip each chicken breast in the flour and dust off any excess, then dip into the egg. Coat the eggy chicken in the breadcrumb & Parmesan mixture – pressing it firmly onto the chicken. Repeat this again with the next chicken breast. Now you may need to start the process again with the rest of the ingredients on fresh plates. Arrange the coated chicken on a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on.

To finish the dish you will need a large shallow oven dish that can take all 4 chicken breasts in a single layer. Cut the remaining garlic clove in half and rub the dish all over with it. Spread the tomato sauce over the base of the dish, place the chicken on top and arrange the mozzarella over the chicken so it’s mostly covered. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and browned. Scatter some basil leaves over the top before serving.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers Chicken & Egg by Si King & Dave Myers, Orion Publishing Co., 2017.)

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Chicken with Crème Fraîche & Tarragon

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , on 2 November 2017| Leave a Comment »

Chicken with creme fraiche & tarragon

Try this easy chicken dish for something tasty mid-week.

Wine Suggestion: we naturally lean towards a lightly oaked Chardonnay for this dish with sensitive, light oak as you need a wine with good body to match the flavours. For a mid-week meal the Mácon-Charnay by Domaine Manciat Poncet has the balance of flavours, fruit and texture, but if you want to step it up try some of Patrick Javillier’s Bourgogne Blanc cuvée’s (Oligocene is our pick) or for a real treat his Meursault which is outstanding and a real play of light and shadow; complex, fresh and vibrant.

Creamy mustard & tarragon chicken – serves 4

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you could use thighs)
  • 200ml tub half-fat crème fraîche (full-fat is fine too)
  • ½ tbsp each Dijon and wholegrain mustard
  • ¼ tbsp dried tarragon, or 2 sprigs of fresh if you have it

Heat your oven to 200C/fan 180/gas 6.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan. Season the chicken breasts well with salt and black pepper. Brown the chicken in the oil for about a minute on each side, then remove from the pan.

Add the crème fraîche, Dijon & wholegrain mustards, and tarragon to the pan and stir together. Bring to a simmer before returning the chicken to the pan and spooning some of the sauce over them. Put the pan into the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is bubbling.

Serve with rice or new potatoes and greens.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food).

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Chicken, Red Pepper & Olive Cacciatore

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , on 8 August 2017| Leave a Comment »

Chicken with olives & tomatoes

This one-pot dish is full of Mediterranean flavours and reminiscent of summer sun. A tasty treat for mid-week and freezes well too.

Wine suggestion: try a glass of a good, dry Provençal Rosé. We had one made by Chateau Vignelaure which matched the sunny nature of this dish perfectly.

Chicken, red pepper & olive cacciatore – serves 6

  • 6 chicken thighs
  • 6 drumsticks
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 x 400g tin tomatoes
  • 2 red peppers, seeded and sliced
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary, needles chopped
  • 300ml red wine
  • 120g pitted black olives,  halved
  • a large handful of basil leaves

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

Season the chicken pieces well with salt & pepper. Heat a splash of oil in a large shallow casserole and fry the chicken until the skin is golden brown. This should take about 10 minutes and is easier to do in  a few batches. Remove the chicken onto a plate.

Pour most of the fat off the pan, then add the onions and garlic and fry for  over a low heat for about 8 minutes or until very soft.

Add the tomatoes, peppers and rosemary and simmer for another 10 minutes, breaking the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is rich and thick.

Stir the olives into the sauce and nestle the chicken pieces back into the pan. If your pan is too small to take the chicken in a single layer you can transfer everything to a baking dish at this point. Cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and comes away easily from the bone.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, July 2016.)

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How to Barbecue a Whole Chicken

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , on 24 June 2017| 1 Comment »

BBQ poached chicken

We love this! No fear of either raw or dry barbecued chicken. The chicken is tender and moist and you get lots of delicious barbecue flavour. We’re going to be cooking this all summer!

Wine Suggestion: We started with a glass of Alsace: the Bott-Geyl Pinot d’Alsace “Points Cardinale” which highlighted the ginger and chilli in a very good way.

We then followed with a juicy, medium bodied red, the Ridge Geyserville, a Zinfandel blend. Don’t be afraid of having a red with either Chicken or spice, just make sure the wine isn’t too tannic or heavy, and that there is enough juiciness to provide a foil for any chilli or ginger. In this case the Geyserville added a layer of flavour that gave the chicken extra dimension and celebrated the barbecue char.

Poached and Barbecued Chicken – serves 6

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1-2 leeks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
  • 1 glass of red wine
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 red chillies, halved
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 large chicken

Heat a large saucepan (big enough to hold the chicken) over a moderate heat, add the oil and sauté the onion, celery, leeks, carrots and garlic together for a few minutes, then add the ginger, red wine, cinnamon, star anise, honey and soy sauce. Bring to the boil then simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Season the chicken and set it on top of the layer of vegetables in the pot, add about 1 litre of water, then cover the pan and simmer gently for an hour and a half.

Preheat the barbecue. Strain 200ml of the cooking liquid into a small pan and reduce over a high heat until it becomes thick & syrupy, remove the chicken from the pot and set onto a tray, brush the reduced liquid over the chicken. Cook the chicken on a moderate barbecue, turning, until charred all over.

If you like you can discard the vegetables boil up the remaining liquid to serve as a sauce.

Serve the chicken with barbecued veg or other nice summer salads.

(Original recipe from Cooking at the Ballymore Inn by Georgina O’Sullivan.)

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Butter Chicken Curry

Posted in Chicken, Food, Indian, tagged , , , , , , , on 29 May 2017| Leave a Comment »

 

Butter chicken

Not an authentic recipe by any means but really tasty and much healthier than anything available in the local take-away. We have also made this with leftover cooked chicken with good results.

Wine Suggestion: We want to like wine with curry but most times we prefer something cool and bubbly – like beer! With this we had a bottle of Cooper’s Original Pale Ale to remind us of recent travels in Australia.

Butter Chicken Curry – serves 4

  • 500g skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ a lemon, juiced
  • 35g butter
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • curry paste (we used half a jar of Patak’s Madras which is quite spicy but use what you like)
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds
  • 175ml full-fat natural yoghurt
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • coriander leaves
  • cooked basmati rice, to serve

Toss the chicken pieces with the turmeric, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and ½ tsp salt. Heat the butter in a large wide pan, then cook the onion for about 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the curry paste and tomato purée and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until opaque (if using cooked chicken just heat through).

Mix the almonds and yoghurt together in a bowl then stir into the curry and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Scatter over the coriander and serve with the rice.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, April, 2017.)

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Braised chicken with mustard & leeks

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 6 March 2017| 1 Comment »

Braised chicken with mustard & leeks

Another suggestion for using up a leek. Chicken, mustard and leeks are natural friends and make for a delicious mid-week dinner.

Wine suggestion: choose a classic pairing with this and go for a Chardonnay. Your choice of which one but both simple and unoaked or sophisticated and expensive white burgundy will work.

Braised chicken with mustard & leeks – serves 2

  • olive oil
  • 4 chicken thigh fillets
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 100ml white wine/chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 3 tbsp double cream
  • 1 tbsp chopped tarragon

Heat a splash of oil in a wide, deep frying pan and cook the chicken thigh fillets until golden on both sides.

Add the leek to the pan and cook until softened.

Add the wine or stock, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the Dijon mustard and double cream and continue to simmer with the lid off until slightly thickened.

Stir through the chopped tarragon, season to taste and serve with either some steamed rice or mashed potatoes.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, January 2015.)

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Spiced Yoghurt Roast Chicken with Potatoes

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Roast, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 January 2017| 1 Comment »

Spiced yoghurt roast chicken

Our local butcher, Brady’s, stocks excellent free-range chickens which are juicier and have more flavour than most super-market offerings. Being a very cheap meat overall we think it is worth spending a bit more as the benefits far outweigh the cost difference.

We never tire of roast chicken recipes as they’re usually straight forward and provide lots of leftovers. We challenge you to resist the skin on this one!

Wine Suggestion: we felt like a red so went for the Chateau de Beauregard Fleurie as it has a lighter body and a lower acidity than a Pinot Noir which matched this dish really well. The chicken was moist, but not fatty so the medium acidity was a perfect foil and neither wine nor food overwhelmed the other.

Spiced-yoghurt Roast Chicken with Potatoes – serves 4

  • 1 whole chicken, approximately 1.5kg
  • salad potatoes e.g. Charlotte
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the marinade:

  • small chunk of ginger, finely grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced, keep the squeezed out halves to put inside the chicken
  • 100g natural yoghurt

Heat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5.

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together and season with some salt and pepper.

Put the chicken into a large roasting tray and rub the marinade all over the skin with your hands. Put the squeezed lemon halves inside the cavity and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes, then rest for 20 minutes under some foil before carving.

Cut the potatoes in half and toss with the cumin seeds, chilli flakes, 2 tbsp olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Tip into a shallow roasting tray and put in the oven above the chicken for the last 20 minutes. Turn over once during cooking and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes while the chicken is resting.

Delicious served with some coleslaw on the side.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, December 2016.)

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Circassian Chicken

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 5 December 2016| 2 Comments »

Circassian chicken

We’re not sure if we would would have ever made this except for having a load of walnuts and red peppers that needed used. Definitely one of the most interesting dishes we’ve cooked this year. We’ve had it warm and also cold; as a side dish and in a floury bap for lunch; a tasty starter and a midnight snack. Delicious every time.

Wine Suggestion: If you decide to eat this warm or cold you need the spice a red wine gives and a chill for freshness and vitality; 30 minutes in the fridge is sufficient, so chilled, not freezing! We’d recommend either a Spanish red, the Jesus Romero Rubus, a rarity from Teruel in Aragon or if you’d like to push the boat out Laurent Combier’s Cap Nord, one of the best Crozes-Hermitage we’ve tried in a long while. The link between these is Syrah, so if you find another one you like try chilling this and giving it a go with this dish.

Circassian Chicken – serves 3-4

  • 2 large skinless chicken breasts
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 200g walnuts halves
  • 1 slice stale white bread, made into breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • small handful of coriander, chopped

FOR THE PEPPER DRESSING:

  • 1 tbsp red pepper paste/½ tsp sweet paprika & ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp salt

Put the chicken stock into a large pot with the chicken breasts. Bring to the boil, then simmer and poach for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Blitz 150g of the walnuts in a food processor to make a powder, then add the breadcrumbs and garlic with enough of the poaching stock to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until combined.

Pull the cooked chicken into long pieces and combine with the walnut sauce and chopped coriander. Drizzle with the red pepper dressing and decorate with the reserved walnuts.

(Original recipe from Venice to Istanbul by Rick Stein, BBC Books, 2015.)

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Herb-roast Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 14 November 2016| Leave a Comment »

Herb roast chicken

This is an easy solution for feeding a crowd and almost everyone likes roast chicken. All you need is some new potatoes or creamy mash on the side. We love the fresh tarragon with the peas but you could use mint if you prefer. The combination of the peas, shallots, herbs and pancetta really add extra depth to the chicken and lift even ordinary chickens to feast-like levels. Of course, if the budget allows, get a good, free-range one as the extra flavour is really worth it.

Wine Suggestion: As this dish is a bit richer than your standard roast chicken it demands more than most white wines can deliver. We find Pinot Noir a good choice. This time we chose the Justin Girardin Santenay 1er Clos Rousseau and the earthy flavours danced with the salty, crispy pancetta and sweet peas. The tarragon made it all the more reminiscent of holidays in France.

Herb-Roast Chicken – serves 8-10 (easily halved)

  • 200g cubetti di pancetta
  • 800g shallots, trimmed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 chickens (about 1.5kg each)
  • 500ml hot chicken stock
  • 800g peas (frozen will be fine)
  • small pack tarragon, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 190C/170C/gas 5.

Fry the pancetta gently in a heavy frying pan until crisp – if you start with a cold pan you shouldn’t need to add any oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the shallots to the pan and fry in the pancetta fat for 10-15 minutes or until golden and starting to soften. Tip the shallots into a very large roasting tin.

Rub the olive oil over the chickens and season well with salt and pepper, then place the chickens into the roasting tin with the shallots. Roast for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove the chickens from the tin and cover with foil.

Put the roasting tin directly onto the hob and stir in the stock. Bubble for a few minutes and scrape any sticky bits off the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon. Add the peas, pancetta and most of the tarragon to the stock and bubble for a few minutes or until the peas are cooked, then season.

Meanwhile carve the chicken into large pieces. Transfer the peas to a warm serving platter and serve the chicken on top with the rest of the tarragon sprinkled over.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2010.)

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Coronation Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Party Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 20 October 2016| 1 Comment »

Coronation Chicken

This is great for when you’re asked to bring a dish to a garden or other party. It feeds lots of people and is easy to transport and serve cold when you get there. Coronation Chicken might seem a bit old fashioned but watch it disappear – a favourite of adults and kids alike and well worth a bit of effort earlier in the day. Only perfectly ripe mangoes will do!

Wine Suggestion: There are a few options to match with this dish but our favourites are a good, but fruity Beaujolais, slightly chilled; Domaine Rochette’s Brouilly comes to mind. Alternately we also like a good, youthful Viognier and we’ve been enjoying Jean-Michel Gerin’s le Champine Viognier from the Northern Rhone where the exuberant fruit is balanced with texture and a fresh joie-de-vivre.

Coronation Chicken with Mango & Roasted Cashews – serves 8-10

  • 1.3kg chicken breasts
  • 1.2 litres chicken stock (home-made preferably for this dish)
  • 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces
  • 175g celery, chopped
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 125ml natural yoghurt
  • 125ml mayonnaise
  • 1 ½ tsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 150g roasted cashew nuts
  • 2 tbsp coriander, chopped

Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and simmer gently in the hot stock for 5-7 minutes, depending on how big they are. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and allow the chicken to cool in the liquid. When cooled, remove with a slotted spoon and cut the chicken into small dice.

Mix the chicken with the lemon juice in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Add the mango, celery and scallions.

Whisk the yoghurt and mayonnaise together.

Toast the cumin seeds in a hot frying pan for a few seconds, add the curry powder and cook for another couple of seconds. Grind, cool and add to the yoghurt and mayonnaise. Pour the sauce over the other ingredients and toss gently. Taste and season if necessary.

Just before serving, add the roasted cashew nuts, scatter with coriander and serve.

(Original recipe from Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course, Kyle Cathie Limited, 2001.)

 

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Chicken Patties with Rosemary & Pancetta

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 8 October 2016| Leave a Comment »

Chicken patties with rosemary & pancetta

Try these delicious chicken patties by Nigel Slater. Some of our favourite dishes are those where a sticky caramelised crust forms in the pan. Nigel suggests some lemon wedges and a spinach salad to serve.

Wine Suggestion: a 100% Grenache red actually is the business with this dish. While we see Grenache in quite a lot of blends when on it’s own it has a lovely spice, and if not too alcoholic and jammy (it ripens to high levels if untamed) a wonderful lightness of touch with soft, velvety tannins. If you’re exceptionally lucky an old (15-20yo) Chateau Rayas would be a treat. We drank, instead, the delightful l’O du Joncier Cotes du Rhone made by Marine Roussel in Lirac; a biodynamic, wild yeast treat that both treads lightly on the earth and tastes great.

Chicken patties with rosemary & pancetta – serves 2-3

  • 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • a thick slice of butter
  • 100g cubed pancetta
  • leaves from 3 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
  • 450g chicken mince (if you have a mincer buy some chicken thighs and mince your own)
  • groundnut oil for frying
  • 250ml chicken stock

Warm the butter over a medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the onions and cook until softened and golden. Stir in the pancetta and rosemary and cook for a few minutes or until coloured. Empty the contents of the pan into a large bowl and allow to cool a bit.

Add the chicken mince to the onion mixture, season generously with pepper and a little salt, and mix well (your hands are the best tool for this). Shape the mixture into six little burgers and set aside for about 30 minutes to rest.

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas 5.

Wipe the onion pan clean with a piece of kitchen towel and put back on the heat until hot. Add a small amount of oil and brown the patties for about 3 minutes on each side, then transfer to an ovenproof dish. Pour the stock into the dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the patties are sizzling and the stock bubbling. Serve with some of the hot stock spooned over.

(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2005.)

 

 

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Chicken Noodle Laksa

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , on 18 September 2016| Leave a Comment »

Easy laksa

Rice noodles often get forgotten in the back of our larder. Much better to use them up in a soup or laksa like this one which is substantial enough for a main course. This recipe is gluten-free – the only reason we’re telling you that is because from now on we are going to add a gluten-free tag to any recipes that are gluten-free. So very soon you will be able to search JonoandJules for gluten-free recipes.

Wine Suggestion: We quite often plump for a Riesling when eating aromatic Thai dishes but have found another gem that works superbly for this hot, spicy, creamy, coconut dish: Alsace Pinot Gris. Often overlooked the richer styles favoured in Alsace provide a counterpoint to the heat and bring spices and texture of its own to the mix. For this dish we had a Bott-Geyl Points Cardinale, which is a Pinot d’Alsace, that is a blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Auxerrois and Pinot Noir. We found it both elegant and rich with a fresh attractive fruit and a breadth of flavour to match the Laksa. We’re on the lookout for more Pinot Gris and dishes to try now after the success of this match.

Chicken Noodle Laksa – serves 4

  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
  • 100g medium rice noodles
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 6 scallions, finely sliced
  • 2 x 400g tins coconut milk
  • 2 tsp Thai fish sauce
  • 1 lemon grass stalk, bashed
  • juice of ½ lime
  • coriander leaves, to serve

FOR THE PASTE:

  • 6 scallions, sliced
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar

Make the paste by putting all the ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor or mini food processor and whizz until finely chopped (if you don’t have one of these you can grind them with a pestle and mortar).

Spoon 2 tbsp of the paste into a bowl. Add the chicken strips, season well with salt and pepper and stir until evenly coated with the paste.

Put the rice noodles into a shallow dish and pour over boiling water from the kettle to cover. Leave for 10-15 minutes or until softened. Drain and refresh under cold running water, then snip into short lengths with kitchen scissors and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add 2 tbsp of sunflower oil and when hot, tip in the chicken and fry quickly for about 3 minutes or until nicely coloured and just cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan, then add the scallions and the remaining paste and fry for a minute. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and lemon grass. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the soup and simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Divide the noodles between 4 deep bowls. Remove the lemon grass stalk from the soup and add the lime juice. Ladle the soup over the noodles and sprinkle with coriander leaves to serve.

(Original recipe from Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking, BBC Books, 2016.)

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Creamy Chicken & Green Bean Pesto Pasta

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 20 August 2016| Leave a Comment »

Creamy chicken & green bean pesto pasta

Our garden is producing copious quantities of green beans, so we’re eating them with everything at the moment. This is also a great dish for using leftover roast chicken breasts – the legs, thighs and wings are more popular in our house!

Wine Suggestion: We really enjoyed a glass of the Domaine d’Albas Blanc with this dish, a less than usual combination of Vermentino, Viognier and Roussanne that really works; fresh and textured with nice stone fruit flavours and hints of exotic spice while remaining thirst quenching and moreish. From Minervois it is yet again another white from southern France that we’ve tasted recently showing how good white wines can be from this area – they’re often overlooked in favour of the reds. In good vineyards and with the right producer we’ve had a few crackers like this one, so we suggest keeping an eye out for more.

Creamy chicken & green beans pesto pasta – serves 4

  • 400g penne pasta
  • 250g green beans, trimmed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 bunch of scallions, finely sliced
  • 2 large roast chicken breasts, shredded
  • 5 tbsp pesto
  • 3 tbsp double cream
  • a handful of grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack and add the green beans 6 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Drain and reserve a few tablespoons of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions for a couple of minutes or until soft. Add the shredded chicken and warm through before stirring in the pesto and cream. Add the cooked pasta and beans to the chicken mixture and add a little of the cooking water to make a sauce. Season and serve with the Parmesan.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Chicken with Caramelised Onion and Cardamon Rice

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 24 July 2016| 3 Comments »

Chicken Caramelised Onion & Cardamon Rice

Another Ottolenghi success which  has that comforting combination of crispy chicken skin and warm spices. Always a crowd pleaser in our house!

Wine Suggestion: we went for a Viognier made in the northern Rhone valley by Jean-Michel Gerin. It was just his “La Champine” IGP Collines Rhodaniennes but it was delicious and had exotic fruit and spice hints that matched and complemented the cardamon and cinnamon.

Chicken with caramelised onion & cardamom rice – serves 4

  • 25g currants soaked in a little lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely sliced
  • 1kg chicken thighs
  • 10 cardamom pods
  • ½ tsp whole cloves
  • 2 long cinnamon sticks, broken in two
  • 300g basmati rice
  • 550ml boiling water
  • 5g parsley, chopped
  • 5g dill, chopped
  • 5g coriander, chopped
  • 100g Greek yoghurt, mixed with 2 tbsp of olive oil (optional)

Heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a bowl and wipe the pan clean.

Put the chicken into a large bowl and season with 1½ tsp of salt and black pepper. Add the rest of the olive oil, cardamom, cloves & cinnamon and mix well together with your hands. Heat up the pan again and add the chicken and spices. Sear for 5 minutes per side and remove from the pan. Don’t worry about any spices that stay in the pan. Remove all but a millimetre of oil form the bottom of the pan. Add the rice, caramelised onion, 1 tsp of salt & lots of black pepper. Strain the currants and add them too. Stir well and return the seared chicken and push it into the rice.

Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover and cook on a very low heat for 50 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, take the lid off briefly and cover the dish with a clean tea towel before replacing the lid. Leave untouched for 10 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice. Taste and season if necessary. Serve hot or warm with the yoghurt if you like.

(Original recipe from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi, Ebury Press, 2012.)

 

Chicken with caramelised onion & cardamon

Chicken with caramelised onion & cardamon

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Greek Lemon Roast Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 11 March 2016| Leave a Comment »

Greek Lemon roast chicken

Sooo delicious! We never tire of variations on a roast chicken dinner and the potatoes are the best bit here which doesn’t take away from the delicious chicken! This variation has been made multiple times in our kitchen which says something as we’re always trying something new.

You need to roast chicken for 20 minutes at 190C/375F/gas 5 for each 500g, plus an extra 10 minutes.

Wine Suggestion: a rich white is the business with chicken, and Chardonnay is the usual go-to variety. For this dish, however, we’ve successfully opened oaked Godello from Spain, the Dominio de Tares Bierzo; and an oaked Alvarinho from Portugal, the Soalheiro Alvarinho Reserva. Both brought delicious nuances to the chicken and are really worth seeking out.

Greek lemon roast chicken with potatoes & oregano

  • 2.2kg chicken
  • 4 lemons
  • bay leaves
  • 2 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1kg small waxy potatoes, halved
  • 2 heads of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
  • dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.

Season the outside and the cavity of the chicken. Put half a lemon and a few bay leaves inside and place in a very large roasting tin.

Drizzle some olive oil over the skin, squeeze over the other lemon half and roast for about 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Cut 2 of the lemons into wedges and put in a bowl with the onions, potatoes and garlic cloves. Add some olive oil, salt and pepper, ½ tbsp dried oregano and the juice of half a lemon. Toss everything together until well coated.

45 minutes before the roasting time is up, put the vegetables around the chicken, sprinkle another 2 tsps of oregano over the top and return to the oven.

(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)

 

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Pomegranate Molasses Chicken with Bulgar Wheat Salad

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 3 March 2016| 4 Comments »

Pomegranate molasses chicken

Oh my goodness, how lovely this is. We bought Honey & Co., by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, after reading many a rave review and every time we try one of their recipes we are impressed all over again. This is just delicious and you can make your work colleagues very jealous if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers for your lunchbox.

Pomegranate Molasses Chicken with Bulgar Wheat Salad – Serves 4

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying

FOR THE MARINADE: 

  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1 green chilli, sliced
  • 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 200g bulgar wheat
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 200ml boiling water
  • 50g shelled pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped (half reserved to sprinkle over before serving)
  • 75g currants
  • 2 tsp dried mint
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 50g fresh pomegranate seeds (1 tbsp reserved to sprinkle over before serving)
  • 15-20g mint, roughly chopped
  • 15-20g parsley, roughly chopped

Mix the marinade ingredients together, add the chicken and stir to coat completely with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (You can do this and refrigerate for up to 48 hours in advance.)

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.

Place the bulgar in a bowl with the salt and oil, pour over boiling water and cover with cling film for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff up with a fork. Add the rest of the salad ingredients except those needed for the garnish and stir.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat and put the chicken thighs in smooth-side down. Season with salt and pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes or until the thighs have taken on a good colour, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Put the frying pan in the oven for 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Spoon the salad onto plates or a large platter and top with the chicken and any juices from the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining pistachios & pomegranate seeds before serving.

(Original recipe from Honey & Co. by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)

 

 

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Chicken, ham & leek pie

Posted in Cheese, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 8 February 2016| Leave a Comment »

Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie

We love a chicken pie, particularly with sweet leeks and a rich creamy sauce.

Wine Suggestion: the classic suggestion, and our first thought, was to drink a lighter chardonnay with this, but we found a great alternative in the Salwey Weissburgunder “RS” which is a Pinot Blanc from Baden in Germany. An amazing wine with lovely fruit and a texture that holds it all together giving it a long finish and makes a good match with the creamy sauce and pastry. Every time we taste this wine we are impressed and think it is one to put Pinot Blanc back on the wine drinkers lists.

Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie – serves 4

For the filling: 

  • 450ml chicken stock
  • 3 chicken breasts fillets
  • 75g butter
  • 2 leeks, cut into 1cm slices
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 50g plain flour
  • 200ml milk
  • 2-3 tbsp white wine
  • 150ml double cream
  • 150g piece thickly carved ham, cut into 2cm chunks

For the pastry: 

  • 350g plain flour
  • 200g butter
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp cold water, plus an additional egg, beaten, to glaze

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan. Add the chicken breasts and bring a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside, then pour the stock into a jug.

Melt 25g of the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the chopped leeks and fry gently for a couple of minutes, stirring now and then, until softened. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute, then set aside. Add the rest of the butter and stir in the flour as soon as it has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Slowly add the milk to the pan, stirring well between each addition. Then gradually add 250ml of the reserved stock and the wine until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.

Season the sauce, remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Pour into a large bowl and cover with cling film to stop a skin forming on the top. Set aside until cool.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a baking tray into heat.

To make the pastry, put the flour and butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Keep the motor running while you add the beaten egg with water and blend until the mixture comes together in a ball. Carefully remove from the processor and set aside about 250g of the pastry to make your lid.

Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning frequently until about 5mm thick and larger than your pie dish. Lift the pastry over your rolling pin and gently place into the pie dish. Press firmly up the sides of the dish and make sure no air bubbles remain. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the sides.

Cut the cooked chicken into 3cm pieces. Stir the chicken, ham & leeks into the cooled sauce, then pour into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg and roll out the reserved pastry to make a lid.

Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim off any excess pastry.

Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top with beaten egg. Bake on the hot baking tray in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Best of British).

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Chiang Mai Turkey Noodles

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 2 January 2016| 2 Comments »

Chiang Mai Turkey Noodles

We really meant to post this recipe before now, but we’re sure some of you still have a bit of turkey lurking in the freezer. Such a revitalising boost to the tastebuds after all the Christmas feasts. If the turkey is all done then try this the next time you have leftover roast chicken. Tone down the curry paste if you’re not so mad on the heat. The recipe comes from our obligatory Christmas cookbook which this year was ‘Food from Plenty’, by Diana Henry, and we highly recommend it!

Chiang Mai turkey noodles – serves 4 

  • groundnut or other flavourless oil
  • 1 onion or 6 shallots, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
  • 400ml tin coconut milk
  • 200ml chicken stock (from a cube or stock pot is fine)
  • 350g leftover cooked turkey or chicken, in chunks
  • ½ tsp soft light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 400g egg noodles

To Serve:

  • 2 scallions, chopped fine on the diagonal
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and shredded
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • lime wedges

Put a tbsp of the oil into a saucepan and sauté the onions until golden. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the turmeric and curry paste. Stir for about a minute or until the spices are fragrant. Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

Add the turkey and heat thoroughly.

Season with the sugar and fish sauce to taste (you may need to adjust the amount of lime/sugar).

Cook the noodles according to the pack. Divide between 4 bowls and spoon over the turkey and garnish with scallions, chilli and coriander. Serve lime wedges on the side.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchel Beazley, 2010.)

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