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Posts Tagged ‘Chicken’

Pot-Roasted Chicken with Chorizo, Leeks and Cider

Posted in Chicken, Food, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 8 December 2015| 5 Comments »

Pot-roast Chicken with Chorizo, Leek and Cider

A great array of flavours and super-moist roast chicken. Chorizo cooked in cider is often served as a tapa in Spain and it’s delicious!

Wine Suggestion: A Spanish cider would be of course be great with this or failing that a good quality dry cider from somewhere else. If you feel like wine we’d recommend a really smooth Rioja.

Pot-roasted Chicken with Chorizo, Leeks & Cider – serves 4

  • 1 x 1.75kg chicken
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cooking chorizo sausages, sliced
  • 50g butter
  • 700g leeks, washed and sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 300g baby carrots, trimmed and peeled
  • Leaves from 2 large sprigs of thyme
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 200ml dry cider

Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3.

Season the cavity and outside of the chicken with salt and black pepper.

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the chicken on all sides until golden, then set aside.

Lower the heat and add the chorizo, butter, leeks, garlic, carrots, thyme and bay leaves. Cover and cook gently until the leeks have softened.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the casserole dish, pour over the cider, then cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid from the casserole dish and turn the oven up to 200C/Gas 6. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes or until the chicken skin is browned.

Remove the chicken from the casserole and onto a carving board, cover with foil. Skim the excess fat from the surface of the vegetable juices, then place over a medium heat and simmer vigorously for 5 minutes to reduce. Season to taste with more salt if needed.

To carve the chicken, remove the legs and cut each one in half at the joint. Carve the breast in slices. Use a slotted spoon to put the chorizo and vegetables onto the centre of the plates and place the chicken on top. Spoon the cooking juices over to serve.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Spain, BBC Books, 2011.)

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Chicken Forestière

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 15 September 2015| 8 Comments »

Chicken Forestiere

Our first autumnal dish of the season. We can suffer the colder weather when it means mushrooms, pumpkin, squash, game birds, mussels… we could go on!

Wine Suggestion: Rich, creamy and earthy … we picked a German Pinot Noir, the Salwey Reserve “RS”Spätburgunder 2012 which balanced perfectly with the chicken, complimented the mushrooms and had enough freshness and earthy spice for the creamy madeira sauce. We’ve become converts to German wines over the past decade and think that the best, like Salwey from Baden, provide a great alternative to Burgundian Pinot and would recommend giving them a try.

Chicken Forestière – serves 4

  • 20g dried wild mushrooms
  • 8 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small onions, halved and sliced
  • 75ml Madeira (or dry sherry)
  • 215g carrots, peeled and cut into batons
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 150ml double cream
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
  • 1tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour over 50ml of boiling water, leave to soak for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the chicken thighs and heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Brown the chicken thighs well on both sides (don’t be tempted to turn them early or the skin will tear). When the chicken is well-browned remove it from the pan and set aside. Pour off all but 1tbsp of the chicken fat from the pan into a bowl but don’t throw it away.

Heat the fat left in the pan and sauté the onions until soft and golden. Deglaze the pan with the Madeira.

Add the carrots and the stock, plus the wild mushroom and their soaking liquid. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices, and keep it skin-side up. Cover and cook gently for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid, stir in the cream, return to a simmer again and cook for an additional 10 minutes with the lid off.

In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp of the reserved chicken fat and sauté the mushrooms until golden brown and the liquid has evaporated. Season the mushrooms and stir into the chicken. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon at this point.

Scatter over the parsley and serve with potatoes and green veg.

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

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Rosemary & Garlic Spatchcock Chicken with Bulgur Wheat Salad

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 13 July 2015| Leave a Comment »

Rosemary & garlic spatchcock chicken with bulgur wheat salad

This tastes just as good as a cold chicken and bulgur salad the following day – great for lunchboxes!

Wine Suggestion: we drank a delicious Fiano made in Puglia by Michele Biancardi. It had delightful layers of fruit, texture from spice and minerality and a dancing freshness that worked well with the roasted chicken and still allowed the freshness of the salad to shine through. We suspect the depth and personality of this wine is helped by the biodynamic viticulture as it just had “something” extra without being weighty and forceful. If you can’t find this one do look out for Fiano, an interesting Italian white that you might not have tried.

Rosemary and Garlic Spatchcock Chicken with Bulgur Wheat Salad – serves 4 

  • 1 x 1.5kg chicken

FOR THE MARINADE:

  • 50ml olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zest finely grated
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 2 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 200g bulgur wheat
  • 1 lemon , juiced and zest finely grated
  • seeds and juice of 1 pomegranate
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 50ml olive oil

To spatchcock the chicken you need to first remove the backbone by cutting through the chicken on both side of the bone (use poultry shears if you have them or really sharp scissors). Remove the backbone and open the chicken out, then put the chicken, breast side up, onto a worktop and use your palms to flatten it. Make a few slashes in the legs with a sharp knife.

Make the marinade by mixing all of the ingredients in a bowl and seasoning well with sea salt and black pepper.

Put the chicken into a wide, shallow dish, pour over the marinade and rub in well with your hands. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Put the chicken into a roasting tin along with all the marinade and bake for about 1 hour or until cooked through (the juices need to be totally clear when pierced with a skewer and the legs should feel loose).

Meanwhile, cover the bulgur wheat with boiling water and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes or until just soft, then drain.

Mix the lemon juice and zest with the pomegranate seeds and juice, herbs and olive oil. Stir in the bulgur and season well with sea salt and black pepper.

When the chicken is cooked, cover with foil and leave to rest in the tin and leave in the switched off oven for a few minutes, then carve in to pieces and serve with the salad.

(Original recipe from Rachel Allen’s Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen, HarperCollins, 2013.)

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Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

Posted in Chicken, Food, Party Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 14 January 2015| 2 Comments »

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We love Tom Kerridge’s food but find his recipes can require a lot of work. Not so with these sticky drumsticks but you will need to find some malt extract to go in the marinade. We got ours in a good deli but health food shops should also stock it. We’re confident you’ll like the drumsticks enough to make them again and use it up.

Beer Suggestion: to complement the malt extract it makes sense to try a malty beer and we suggest searching out one of the many craft beers in your area. Our pick this time was the Five Lamps Dublin Lager which is a pilsner style but with a malty kick.

Sticky drumsticks – serves 4

  • 12 chicken drumsticks
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted lightly in a dry frying pan
  • 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely sliced
  • 1 green chilli, finely sliced (seeds left in)

For the marinade: 

  • 160g runny honey
  • 160ml dark soy sauce
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 120g malt extract

Pour the honey for the marinade into a small stainless steal pan and warm on a medium-high heat. Continue to cook until it starts to turn a deep shade of amber (easier to spot if you have a pot with a light coloured interior), then pour in the soy sauce and chicken stock to stop it cooking further. Bring the mixture to the boil and whisk in the malt extract. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

Put the drumsticks in a bowl and pour over the marinade. Mix in the garlic and ginger, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours at least or overnight if you can.

Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3.

Put the drumsticks in a roasting tin with their marinade. Cook for 45-50 minutes, basting a few times, until the chicken is cooked through and the meat comes off the bone easily. The drumsticks should be glossy and sticky.

Remove the tray from the oven and immediately drizzle with the sesame oil and toss in the sesame seeds. Throw in the scallions and the chilli. Roll the drumsticks around in the dish to make sure they are evenly coated.

Serve hot or cold.

(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes, Absolute Press, 2014.)

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Chicken Schnitzel with Apple Coleslaw

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 2 January 2015| Leave a Comment »

Chicken Schnitzel with an apple slaw

Wine Suggestion: Whatever you happen to have in the fridge will do nicely.

We liked the apple coleslaw which made this simple schnitzel dish really fresh and tasty. Great mid-week meal.

Chicken schnitzel with apple coleslaw – serves 4

  • 4 small chicken breasts
  • 3tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 100g flour
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 75g dried breadcrumbs – we always use panko
  • 75ml vegetable oil

FOR THE COLESLAW:

  • 300g white cabbage, shredded
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
  • 6 scallions, sliced diagonally
  • 1 red-skinned apple, grated
  • 150g pot natural yogurt
  • juice half lemon
  • 2 tsp English mustard

Mix all the coleslaw ingredients together in a large bowl and season.

Put the chicken fillets between two pieces of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until they are an even thickness of about 2-3mm.

Put the flour on a plate and season, then put the egg on another plate. Coat the chicken in the flour first, shake of the excess, then coat with the egg.

Mix together the Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken in the mixture until completely coated in crumbs. You can put the schnitzel in the fridge now until you’re ready to cook them.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a fairly high heat and cook the schnitzels two at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until completely golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in a warm oven while you cook the rest.

Serve with the coleslaw.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

 

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Leftover Chicken & Ham Pie

Posted in Chicken, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , on 23 October 2014| 1 Comment »

Chicken & Ham Pie

This is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken (or dare we say turkey?) and ham. Almost as good as the roast chicken dinner itself and we are definitely considering this as a dish to use Christmas leftovers.

Wine Suggestion: This dish works well with a rich white wine. We tried it with an oaked Semillon, which on it’s own was delicious but with the pie the crisp acidity made it fall a bit flat. We’d suggest a good, oaked chardonnay instead which has much better weight in the mid-palate to work with the rich creamy chicken and ham. Yum.

Leftover Chicken & Ham Pie – serves 6-8

  • 25g butter
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 400g broccoli florets
  • 25g plain flour
  • 225ml cream
  • 225ml chicken stock
  • 675g cooked chicken and ham, cut into 2cm chunks
  • 1 tbsp chopped tarragon or marjoram
  • mashed potato (made from 1kg of potatoes)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC, Gas mark 4.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and fry gently for 8-10 minutes or until completely soft.

Put a saucepan of water over a high heat and add a good pinch of salt. When the water boils, add the broccoli florets and cover until the water comes back to the boil. Remove the lid as soon as the water boils and cook the broccoli for 2-4 minutes or until just tender.

Add the flour to the onion and whisk for 1 minutes, then pour in the cream and stock, whisking all the time. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a minute or two until slightly thickened.

Stir the chicken, ham, herbs and broccoli in to the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour into an ovenproof dish (approx. 20 x 30 cm) and top with mashed potato.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

(Original recipe from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen by Rachel Allen, Harper Collins, 2013.)

 

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Creamy Madeira Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 22 April 2014| 5 Comments »

Creamy Madeira Chicken

The inspiration for this dish comes from Nigel Slater who has written a book full of ideas with very few ingredients and lots of flavour.

Wine suggestion: Madeira is a fortified Portuguese which tends to have good levels of acidity and is noted for lasting forever, even when open. This is a wine which is also nice to drink and would pair well with this dish, otherwise we would try a southern white Burgundy for a round, richer touch, or a very good New World Chardonnay where the ripeness and balance is is in great harmony.

Creamy Madeira Chicken – to serve 2

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • a little seasoned flour
  • a thick slice of butter
  • a glass of Madeira
  • 4 tbsp double cream

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin, or similar weapon, to flatten.

Dust the chicken with the seasoned flour.

Melt the butter in a shallow pan, add the chicken and cook briefly on both sides until golden. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the Madeira to the pan and let it bubble while you scrape any chicken residue from the bottom of the pan. When the liquid has reduced by half, stir in the double cream, then season and simmer briefly.

(Original recipe from Eat: the little book of fast food by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2013.)

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Chicken Baked with Green Pepper and Cinnamon Butter

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 14 April 2014| 1 Comment »

Roast Chicken with a green peppercorn and cinnamon butter

With Julie not being a massive fan of cinnamon, we were a bit hesitant about trying this recipe, but fear not –  the green pepper and cinnamon butter is fabulous and a great way to jazz up roast chicken. The spice and pepper adds depth and personality but does not dominate in the slightest, rather allowing the succulent chicken to shine. If you’re really not convinced by cinnamon you can replace it with ground coriander, cumin or ginger.

Wine Suggestion: We drank an highly unusual white, Foradori’s Manzoni Bianco, and were blown away by both the delicious taste of the wine and the good match with the chicken. The Manzoni grape is a rare and unusual hybrid of Riesling and Pinot Bianco grown in the North East of Italy. There has been an obvious attention to detail in the vineyards and winery with a very complex yellow fruit flavour with layers of spice, flowers, smoke and an exotic hint of incense. This may sound heavy and cloying but the wine is fresh as a daisy and refreshing.

Chicken Baked with Green Pepper & Cinnamon Butter – to serve 4

  • 1 chicken
  • a few bay leaves
  • 2 tsp green peppercorns
  • a small sliver of garlic
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 45g soft butter
  • salt
  • lemon quarters and watercress, to serve

To make the butter:

Crush the green peppercorns with the garlic and cinnamon in a pestle and mortar. Thoroughly combine the spice paste with the butter, then add 1 tsp of salt.

Lift the skin of the chicken and rub with salt and then some spiced butter. Slash the drumsticks and thick part of the legs before spreading with the butter. Save a little bit of butter and put it inside the chicken. If you have time you can leave the chicken for a couple of hours before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

Put the chicken and bay leaves into a shallow baking dish into which it fits neatly. Cook, uncovered, on the middle shelf, allowing 20 minutes on each side. Continue to cook breast upwards until the juices run clear and the skin is golden and crisp.

Serve with the lemon quarters, watercress and the buttery juices.

(Original recipe from At Elizabeth David’s Table: Her very best everyday recipes, Penguin, 2010.)

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Humble Chicken Stew

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 30 March 2014| Leave a Comment »

Humble Chicken Stew

This is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken – including the carcass. Too often we guiltily put the bones in the bin.

Wine Suggestion: Our natural instinct when cooking chicken is to plump for a Chardonnay as it goes so well, but instead we drank a delightful German Pinot Noir from Villa Wolf, which is made by Ernie Loosen. He’s managed to get a real charm and ripeness in the aroma that tempts you to think this comes from a warmer country, with even a few hints of new World. It, however, is true to it’s roots and had a rounded earthiness and real charm along with an easiness and gentle weight that didn’t overwhelm the chicken; plus the earthy spice complemented the “humble” nature of this dish too.

Chicken Stew – to serve 4

  • 300g leftover roast chicken
  • 1 chicken carcass
  • 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, finely sliced
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 3 large carrots, chopped
  • 2 potatoes, chopped
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 200g button mushrooms, halved
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain flour

Place the chicken carcass in a large pan and bash with a rolling pin to break it up. Cover with 1 litre of water, bring to the boil and simmer for at least half an hour, skimming off any scum.

Meanwhile, heat a lug of olive oil in a casserole over a medium heat and add the bacon. Cook for a few minutes before adding the onions, carrots and potatoes along with the thyme and bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms, chicken and flour.

Pour the stock through a sieve straight into the pan (add a bit of water if necessary). Simmer for 4o minutes and season to taste before serving.

(Original recipe from Save with Jamie, Penguin Books Ltd, 2013.)

 

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Leftover Chicken & Veg Pie

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 15 November 2013| 2 Comments »

This is a really simple recipe for using up leftover chicken and is easily adjusted to suit what you have in the cupboard. We seem to serve almost every pie with peas and this was no exception.

Wine Suggestion: This went perfectly with a glass of Domaine Saint Denis, Macon-Lugny 2010; a great little white burgundy that has much more presence and character than others from this area in the Mâconnais achieve. I think this has something to do with the extra care that is made in the domaine’s vineyards and it really shows – delightful round flavours and a structured mid-palate of minerally apple fruits. A wine to look out for and really versatile with food. If this domaine is hard to find, look out for a St-Véran, or Pouilly-Fuissé instead!

Leftover Chicken & Veg Pie – serves 3-4

  • 350g cooked chicken, torn into pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 carrot, chopped quite small
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 4 sliced mushrooms
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • fresh herbs, chopped (tarragon or parsley would be good or use 1 tsp dried)
  • 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten

Heat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7.

Heat the oil in a large pot and add the carrot, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the carrots and onions are almost soft.

Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two before adding the chicken stock. Stir continually until the sauce boils, then turn down the heat and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the veg is completely cooked through.

Add the cooked chicken, along with your herbs and plenty of seasoning. Stir briefly to heat through then transfer to a pie dish.

Brush the rim of the pie dish with the beaten egg. Then cover the dish with the pastry sheet and trim off any excess. Decorate the top with some leaves made from the pastry scraps and brush the top with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes or until well browned.

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Spicy Chicken Meatballs

Posted in Chicken, Food, Pasta, tagged , , , , , on 9 October 2013| Leave a Comment »

We found these to be a surprisingly tasty alternative to traditional spaghetti and meatballs. We loved these for their freshness and verve; it really hit the spot for a weeknight dinner. It was also usefully quick and easy as well as being very cost effective.

Wine Suggestion: try some of Italy’s thoroughly modern whites that are being rejuvenated and reinvented. If you can find a good Pecorino from the Marche you’ll be in for a treat. We had a glass of Umani Ronchi’s Vellodoro which had good freshness of fruit and terrific depth of minerality and nutty savouriness; showing what can be done with a forgotten grape variety when love and attention are given.

Spicy Chicken Meatballs – to serve 4

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 500g chicken mince
  • 3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
  • 50g pancetta, chopped
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 500g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 125ml chicken stock
  • 500g fusilli  pasta, cooked, to serve
  • Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the coriander and chilli and cook for another minute.

Put the chicken in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, pancetta, parsley and some salt. Add the spiced onion and mix well with your hands. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then wet your hands with cold water and roll the mixture into small meatballs.

Put the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season. Put the meatballs on another lined tray and drizzle with the remaining oil. Roast the tomatoes and meatballs for 15-20 minute, or until the meatballs are golden and the tomatoes are starting to burst.

Put the stock and tomatoes in a saucepan and add the meatballs. Simmer for 5 minutes and season.

Serve with the cooked pasta and some Parmesan shavings.

(Original recipe from Bill Granger Every Day, Murdoch Books, 2006)

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Turkish Sautéed Chicken with a Tomato Pilaf

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 26 August 2013| 2 Comments »

This dish was divine.  The moist chicken pieces perfectly match the pilaf with the whole combination epitomising Turkish cuisine – sitting comfortably on the European / Middle East divide. Try to find the sumac as it gives the dish an authentic sharp lemony tang.

Wine Suggestion: Look for a good quality Albariño or Godello from Spain that has seen a small amount of oak for structure. These will provide a good balance of citrus/zestiness, medium body and tangy minerality to complement the chicken and sumac.

Sautéed Chicken with Tomato Pilfaf – to serve 4

  • 4 chicken fillets, breast or thigh, cut into cubes
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 35g butter
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • lemon quarters or sumac to garnish

FOR THE TOMATO PILAF 

  • 300g basmati rice
  • 500g ripe tomatoes, peeled
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 75g butter, cut into small cubes

Make the pilaf first. Pour cold water over the rice and leave to soak in a bowl for a few minutes, then strain and rinse under cold water.

Quarter the tomatoes, remove the core, then liquefy in a food processor. Add enough water to the tomato juice to make it up to 650ml. Pour into a pan, add the crumbled stock cube, the sugar and some salt and pepper and bring to the boil.

Add the rice and stir well. Simmer, covered, over a low heat, for 18-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Don’t be tempted to stir it during this time but you can add a bit more water if it looks dry. Fold in the butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

While the rice is cooking, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and sauté the chicken for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Sprinkle the chicken with the parsley and serve with lemon quarters or sprinkle with sumac, along with the rice.

(Original recipe from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque, Penguin 2005.)

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Chicken with Apricots and Coconut Milk

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , on 31 July 2013| 2 Comments »

This is creamy, salty and tangy with little jewels of soft juicy apricots. Definitely the best cookers of the soft summer fruits.

You will have too much spice paste but it will keep (covered with a film of oil) in the fridge for a week.

Wine Suggestion:  A Pinot Gris will give you hints of sweetness to complement the heat from the chillies and enough weight to balance the rich coconut milk. It will also be slightly aromatic to match the lime and coriander on the nose.

Chicken with apricots and coconut milk – to serve 4

  • 3 short stalks lemongrass
  • 50g ginger
  • 2 small hot red chillies
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • a bunch of coriander
  • 2 limes, zested and juiced
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil, plus extra for the paste
  • 200g tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 8 apricots, halved and stoned
  • 400ml tin coconut milk

Peel the outer leaves of the lemongrass and discard. Cut into short lengths and put into a food processor. Peel the ginger, slice into thin pieces and add to the lemongrass. Chop the chillies and add to the ginger with the garlic and roughly chopped stems and half the leaves of the coriander. Add the lime zest, then chop everything to a coarse paste, adding a little oil. Add the tomatoes, fish sauce and soy sauce and continue to blitz.

Warm the oil in a deep pan over a high-ish heat and brown the chicken pieces lightly. Lift the chicken out and pour away most of the oil, leaving about a tablespoon.

Add half the spice paste and fry over a low to moderate heat for a couple of minutes or until fragrant, then return the chicken to the pan. Pour in the coconut milk and leave to simmer gently over a low heat for 10 minutes.

Add the apricots and cook for another 10 minutes or until soft.

Check that the chicken is cooked, then add the lime juice and the remaining coriander, roughly chopped. Season to taste with salt and serve with rice.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries II, Fourth Estate, 2012.)

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Chicken & Leek Pie

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 17 June 2013| 1 Comment »

Delicious chicken pie. Prepare the filling ahead, then add the pastry and bake to feed a crowd.

Chicken & Leek Pie – serves 6-8

  • 1.2kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
  • 2 large leeks, quartered lengthwise and sliced
  • 150g unsalted butter
  • large handful of chopped parsley
  • 170ml milk
  • 250ml cream
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • puff pastry or mashed potato

Chop each chicken thigh into about 12 pieces and toss with the flour. Melt half the butter in a large frying pan and sauté the leeks for about 10 minutes or until softened. Tip into a bowl and set aside.

Melt half the remaining butter in the same pan and sauté half the chicken pieces until golden and barely cooked. Add to the bowl with the leeks. Repeat with the rest of the butter and chicken.

Mix the chicken and leeks together along with the parsley. Return half of the mixture to the pan, add half the milk and half the cream and bubble for 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl and repeat with the rest of the chicken, cream and milk. Combine the batches, check the seasoning and cool.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Put the chicken filling into a 1.5 litre pie dish and cover with the puff pastry or mashed potato. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

Wine Suggestion: We are big fans of good Bordeaux white wine and this dish works well with the balance of flavours of oaked Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The toasty buttery character complements the flavours and the clean and fresh texture balances any richness of the dish. Look out for some of the smaller Chateau that are up and coming like Chateau Bouscaut; the 2010 worked a treat here.

(Original recipe from The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander, Lantern, 1996.)

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Nigel’s Five-spice Chicken and Pea Shoot Salad

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 June 2013| 3 Comments »

A really quick and tasty dish from Nigel Slater to add a bit of excitement to a pack of chicken thighs.

Five-spice Chicken and Pea Shoot Salad – to serve 2

For the salad: 

  • A few handfuls of young salad leaves

For the chicken: 

  • 40g fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 small red chilli, finely sliced
  • 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp groundnut or other flavourless oil
  • 400g diced raw chicken meat (we used thighs)
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • juice of a lime

Stir the ginger, chilli and 5-spice powder together in a large bowl. Crush in the garlic, pour in the oil, and mix well. Add the chicken and toss together.

Heat a wok to very hot. Add the chicken and dressing and fry over a high heat for 6-7 minutes or until cooked through (put a lid on to ensure the chicken cooks through). Add the sugar, stir-fry for another minute, then add the lime juice and a generous amount of salt.

Add the salad leaves to the wok, and toss for a few seconds, or until starting to wilt, then tip everything out onto plates.

Nigel suggests scattering with sprouting seeds or cress before serving (we didn’t have any).

Wine Suggestion: To balance the 5-spice but not overwhelm the flavours, we’d suggest a New World Pinot Noir from a good area, like California or Oregon. You’ll get lots of juicy fruit and a wine that’s not too heavy for this light dish.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries II, Fourth Estate, 2012.)

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Barbecue Satay Skewers

Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 9 April 2013| 4 Comments »

This chicken marinade is great for the barbecue as it really tenderises the meat. You should serve these satay skewers with some peanut sauce. The sauce in the picture is our friend Thaiba’s satay sauce that she kindly sent home with us in a takeaway box last time we were over. This is a secret family recipe, but we are very glad she makes it for us!

Barbecue Satay Skewers – to serve 8

  • 450g chicken meat, skinned and boned
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp freshly ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • juice of 1 lemon

Mix all the ingredients (except the chicken) together in a large bowl. Cut the chicken into cubes and add to the bowl. Marinate overnight.

Thread the meat onto skewers and cook on a hot barbecue.

Serve with peanut sauce and rice.

Wine Suggestion: balance the bold flavours and richness with a bold Greco di Tufo from southern Italy. We love the minerality and freshness combined with the body and weight of a good example. We drank one made by Vesevo recently which was very good but look out for Mastroberardino, who helped save the appellation and grape.

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

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Chicken, Butter Bean and Red Onion Stew

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 14 March 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is one of our hearty dinners from the 5:2 diet we are on and it was very welcome this evening after getting in from the rain and cold. Full of flavour and filling despite the low calories!

Chicken, Red Onion and Mushroom Stew with Sherry and Butterbeans, serves 4

  • 6 Chicken thighs, skinned and boned then quartered
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 2 red onions, cut into thick wedges
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
  • 100ml dry sherry
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400g tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
  • small bunch parsley, chopped

Heat a little olive oil to a medium-high heat in a pan and add the chicken, browning until golden on all sides.

Add the paprika, garlic onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions and mushrooms have softened. This should take about 5 minutes.

Add the sherry and scrape the bottom of the pan for a second to deglaze, then add the chicken stock, tomatoes and butterbeans.

Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with the parsley sprinkled over the top and some crusty bread if you like.

Wine suggestion: If you feel like a glass with this we’d suggest trying a red from Navarra, an under-rated region in Spain. The balance of juiciness and structure would work with the simple, smokey and rustic flavours of the dish.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Roast Chicken with Clementines and Arak

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 12 March 2013| Leave a Comment »

This dish has proved so delicious we’ve had it for dinner twice already this week and plan for another night with friends on Friday. Strictly speaking it isn’t as described as we substituted Pernod for Arak which was what we had to hand; you could also use Ouzo if you have some of this instead. The dish is bursting with flavour so some plain rice is all that’s needed on the side. Start ahead of time if you can so the chicken has time to marinate.

Roasted chicken with clementines & arak – to serve 4

  • 100ml Pernod (or arak or ouzo)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp grainy mustard
  • 3 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs
  • 1.3kg chicken thighs (with skin and bone in)
  • 4 clementines, unpeeled, sliced horizontally into ½cm slices
  • 1 tbsp thyme leaves
  • 2½ tsp fennel seeds, slightly crushe
  • salt and black pepper
  • chopped flat parsley, to garnish

Put the first six ingredients in a large bowl and add 2½ tsp of salt and 1½ tsp of black pepper. Whisk well.

Trim the fennel and cut each in half lengthways. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the fennel to the liquid, along with the chicken, clementine slices, thyme and fennel seeds. Combine with your hands then leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight (or skip this stage if you don’t have the time).

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas Mark 7.

Transfer the chicken and marinade to a large oven-proof tray that can hold everything in a single layer; make sure the chicken skin is facing up.

Put the tray in the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes, or until the chicken is well browned and cooked through.

Remove the chicken, fennel and clementines from the tray and arrange on a serving plate; cover and keep warm. Pour the cooking liquids into a small pan, place on a medium-high heat, bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by a third – you should have about 80ml left. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken, garnish with some chopped parsley and serve with plain steamed rice.

Wine Suggestion: There’s lots of flavour going on in this dish so beware of going too neutral with the wine. A richer Vermentino from Sardinia would work well, where they have really mastered this grape.

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

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Pappardelle with Chicken Liver Ragù

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , on 25 February 2013| 5 Comments »

Wholesome and earthy, obviously don’t try this if you don’t like liver. We do and it was delicious.

Pappardelle with Chicken Liver Ragù – to serve 2 as a main or 4 as a starter

  • 200g dried pappardelle 
  • Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

FOR THE RAGU: 

  • 200g chicken livers
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ small onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 150ml dry Marsala
  • 100ml white wine
  • 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 40g butter

Heat a wide frying pan over a high heat until super hot and smoking. Toss the chicken livers in a bowl with 1 tbsp of the oil and some salt and pepper, then pour into the hot pan in a single layer. Fry for a couple of minutes without moving, until well browned on one side. Turn and fry the second side for 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, chop the livers finely, reserving any juices.

Fry the onion, celery and garlic in the rest of the oil with salt and pepper in a small saucepan over a lowish heat. When very soft (about 10 minutes), add the chopped liver and its juices and fry for a couple of minutes until heated through. Add the Marsala and wine and cook at a very gentle simmer until the sauce is very thick (almost like a pâté) with a little oil risen to the surface, at least an hour. Add about 100ml of water during the cooking if it starts to dry out. Stir in the rosemary and remove from the heat.

Cook the pasta according to the pack and re-heat the sauce in a wide frying pan. Add a splash of water to the sauce if you need to thin it slightly (the liquid part should be creamy). Drain the pasta and add to the sauce with the parsley and butter. Cook together for a few minutes or until the butter has melted and the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Serve with the Parmesan.

Wine Suggestion: Chicken livers have a really strong and rich flavour which should pair well with a good quality Rioja with a little age, such as one of  La Rioja Alta Gran Reservas.

(Original recipe from Bocca Cookbook by Jacob Kennedy, Bloomsbury, 2011.)

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Chicken & Sage Skewers

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 6 February 2013| Leave a Comment »

This chicken in this is so juicy and flavoursome and would be great for crowds as well as a quiet night at home. You could grill them but we recommend you get the barbecue out – it will warm your hands against all this cold winter weather!

Sage & Lemon Chicken Skewers – to serve 4

  • 3 skinless chicken breasts
  • olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • a handful of sage leaves

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes and toss with a little olive oil, the garlic and the lemon zest and juice. Season well. Thread onto 4 metal skewers, alternating chicken with sage.

Grill for about 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked.

Wine Suggestion: Something simple, light and lemony is all that is required here. We had an Italian white, made from the Falanghina grape, which was yummy.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, January 2013)

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