This is a really simple, cheap and tasty dish. The asparagus can be supplemented for other vegetables (spinach, peas and chopped green beans are all good alternatives) or simply leave them out and add the amount of leeks. If you are adding the asparagus, then cook this dish in the early summer months when the English asparagus is available. This serves 6.
You need to make a portion of chicken stock (see techniques) and reserve the flesh.
4 rashers of un-smoked streaky bacon
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large or 2 medium sized leeks finely sliced
1 onion finely sliced
75g unsalted butter
75g plain flour
Small glass of white wine (preferably something fruity)
12 asparagus stalks
6 medium sized new potatoes, boiled till cooked, but not soft
Lightly fry a knob of the butter in a small drop of vegetable oil. Sweat the onion for 5 minutes until softened and then add the rest of the butter. When this is melted add the flour a table spoon at a time and keep stirring. When all the flour is incorporated, leave this cooking lightly for another minute. Now slowly add the chicken stock, a ladel at a time. This will solidify the mixture at first, but keep adding and stirring until there is a loose sauce created.
In a separate pan, lightly fry the bacon in a little oil, when it starts lightly crisping add the garlic, cook this for a minute then add the leeks and a lot of black pepper (bacon, leeks and black pepper is one of my favourite flavour combinations.) Keep cooking until the leeks start to soften, then de-glaze the pan with the white wine and reduce to kill the alcohol; now add to the chicken stock, making sure to scrape all of the pan.
Add the chicken to this mixture and slowly warm through. Heat a griddle pan, then griddle the asparagus to give some good char marks, but retains some bite (this can be done under the grill, just don't soften too much.) The asparagus can then be added to the chicken and finished with a few more minutes cooking. Now check the salt levels, the bacon will naturally add its own salt, so this should be done at the end. For extra richness you can also add cream at this stage, although it's not a necessity.
To finish the dish, pre-heat a grill, transfer the chicken mixture to an oven proof dish, slice the new potatoes length ways, overlap on top of the dish until it covers the mixture, then season and smear on softened butter. Now place under the grill until the potatoes brown.
This is a full meal in itself, just needs some bread and the rest of the wine to enjoy.
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Monday, 27 June 2011
The world's easiest chicken and chips
This embarrassingly easy and quick and yet it tastes amazing.
2 Free range chicken legs
2 Large potatoes
Celery salt
Hellmann's mayonnaise
Turn your oven on to its highest setting. Cut the potatoes into long chips and mix them with salt and olive oil. Put a couple of slashes in the chicken and cover in olive oil and a generous amount of celery salt and black pepper. Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes or till the chicken is crisp skinned and the chips are nicely browned. Serve with dollops of mayonnaise to dip your chips in; that's it.
2 Free range chicken legs
2 Large potatoes
Celery salt
Hellmann's mayonnaise
Turn your oven on to its highest setting. Cut the potatoes into long chips and mix them with salt and olive oil. Put a couple of slashes in the chicken and cover in olive oil and a generous amount of celery salt and black pepper. Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes or till the chicken is crisp skinned and the chips are nicely browned. Serve with dollops of mayonnaise to dip your chips in; that's it.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Chicken, roast pepper & spinach risotto
A risotto, when done right, can be tasty, hearty and moreish.
Serves 2
4 chicken thighs in small strips *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
500ml chicken stock
1 onion finely diced
250g arborio rice
Small glass of white wine
1 red pepper
50g spinach chopped
2 tbsp grated Grana Padano
Put the stock in a pan and bring to a simmer. Saute the onion in olive oil and a touch of butter. When it's browning slightly, add the rice. Turn it in the oil and lightly saute for a couple of minutes. then add the white wine. Mix this into the rice and start adding the stock. Add a ladel full at a time, stir the rice occasionally until the stock is soaked in. Keep adding and stirring until the rice puffs up.
While the rice is cooking. Pre-heat the grill. Halve and de-seed the peppers and place under the grill, skin side up. When the skin starts to blister, turn over. Grill for another minute until they start to dry. Put half the red pepper and half the spinach into a blender with a ladel of stock. Blitz to a puree.
As the rice starts to soften, add the pepper puree. Stir this in, the same way as the rest of the stock, this allows the flavours to develop into the rice and gives it a great colour. Then add the chicken and rest of the roasted pepper and spinach. Keep stirring and a little stock until it becomes al dente, the starch starts leaking from the rice to become creamy and the chicken is warm. Stir the Grana Padano in and serve. A fruity Pinot Grigio or Kiwi sauvignon blanc will match well with the sweetness of the peppers.
Serves 2
4 chicken thighs in small strips *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
500ml chicken stock
1 onion finely diced
250g arborio rice
Small glass of white wine
1 red pepper
50g spinach chopped
2 tbsp grated Grana Padano
Put the stock in a pan and bring to a simmer. Saute the onion in olive oil and a touch of butter. When it's browning slightly, add the rice. Turn it in the oil and lightly saute for a couple of minutes. then add the white wine. Mix this into the rice and start adding the stock. Add a ladel full at a time, stir the rice occasionally until the stock is soaked in. Keep adding and stirring until the rice puffs up.
While the rice is cooking. Pre-heat the grill. Halve and de-seed the peppers and place under the grill, skin side up. When the skin starts to blister, turn over. Grill for another minute until they start to dry. Put half the red pepper and half the spinach into a blender with a ladel of stock. Blitz to a puree.
As the rice starts to soften, add the pepper puree. Stir this in, the same way as the rest of the stock, this allows the flavours to develop into the rice and gives it a great colour. Then add the chicken and rest of the roasted pepper and spinach. Keep stirring and a little stock until it becomes al dente, the starch starts leaking from the rice to become creamy and the chicken is warm. Stir the Grana Padano in and serve. A fruity Pinot Grigio or Kiwi sauvignon blanc will match well with the sweetness of the peppers.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Chicken, chorizo & chick pea stew
This is a deli classic. We make gallons of this whenever it's on the menu and take it to all the outdoor events as well. It takes a bit of prep, but it is worth it. It's cheap and damn tasty. It's better to start the day before. You can cheat, but it takes some of the natural flavours away. Serves 6
12 Chicken thighs *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
2 Chorizo sausages
1/2 bag of dried chick peas left to soak over night or 2 tins
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
Red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 Lemon
2 onions
Smoked sweet paprika
Dried chilli flakes
*If you're using dried chick peas, these will need boiling in unsalted water for an hour or so (until they're soft.) It's a bit of a hassle, but the quality is superior and you are left with a good cooking liquor.*
Chop the chicken up into large chunks. Finely slice the garlic and chop the parsley and thinly slice the onion and chorizo. Saute the onion in olive oil on a medium heat. When it starts to brown, add the chorizo and cook on a lower heat. When the oils start to run from the sausages, add the sliced garlic, dried chilli and paprika. Cook for another minute and then add the chick peas and mix in all the juices. Splash in some red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes with all the juices, season and reduce them down by half. Next come the stocks add 100ml of the chicken stock and a couple ladels of the chick pea juice. Again reduce this down by half. Then add the juice of a lemon and check for seasoning. When it's thickened (the chick peas will help this) and tastes right add the parsley and serve with good bread and a fruity red wine, maybe a Joven Navarra or Argentinian Malbec.
12 Chicken thighs *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
2 Chorizo sausages
1/2 bag of dried chick peas left to soak over night or 2 tins
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
Red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 Lemon
2 onions
Smoked sweet paprika
Dried chilli flakes
*If you're using dried chick peas, these will need boiling in unsalted water for an hour or so (until they're soft.) It's a bit of a hassle, but the quality is superior and you are left with a good cooking liquor.*
Chop the chicken up into large chunks. Finely slice the garlic and chop the parsley and thinly slice the onion and chorizo. Saute the onion in olive oil on a medium heat. When it starts to brown, add the chorizo and cook on a lower heat. When the oils start to run from the sausages, add the sliced garlic, dried chilli and paprika. Cook for another minute and then add the chick peas and mix in all the juices. Splash in some red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes with all the juices, season and reduce them down by half. Next come the stocks add 100ml of the chicken stock and a couple ladels of the chick pea juice. Again reduce this down by half. Then add the juice of a lemon and check for seasoning. When it's thickened (the chick peas will help this) and tastes right add the parsley and serve with good bread and a fruity red wine, maybe a Joven Navarra or Argentinian Malbec.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Chicken fajitas and Mexican side dishes
This is one of my favourite meals when you've got friends coming over. Spicy chicken with Guacamole, pickled vegetables, fragrant rice and all the accompaniments for a fajita. A lot of the work can be done before hand and finished at the end, and it looks and tastes amazing.
Recipe for 6
12 Chicken thighs *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
Wraps (plain)
Basmati rice
Tin of chopped tomatoes
Mild cheddar/Lancashire grated
Sour cream
Lemon
2 ripe avocado
2 onions
6 spring onion
Bunch of coriander
6 garlic cloves
6 red chillies
Cauliflower
Red pepper
Green pepper
Yellow pepper
6 carrots
2 stalks of celery
Red wine vinegar
Cumin seeds - dry fried and crushed
Sweet smoked paprika
Oregano (dried is fine)
2 bay leaves
Turmeric
To start, prep the veg for pickling. Turn the cauliflower into small florets, de-seed and slice 2 chillies, roughly chop the celery, slice the peppers and the onions thinly, slice the garlic as thinly as possible and peel and slice the carrots. This can all then be softened in a large pan with a little olive oil, a pinch of the cumin and plenty of seasoning. After a minute or 2 add the oregano and bay leaves and a 50/50 mix of red wine vinegar and water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Check the veg at this point, you want it to be slightly softened but still al dente. Check it now for seasoning and acidity and adjust accordingly. When it's ready transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Next the guacamole. Skin, de-stone and chop the avocados, slice the onion, de-seed and chop 2 chillies and chop 1 table spoon of the coriander leaves. Add all of these to a blender and add a pinch of cumin, olive oil, red wine vinegar and the juice of 2 limes. Then pulse until it is smooth, but with a few lumps left (this adds texture.)
Finally pick all the leaves off the coriander. Chop roughly and put in a bowl for later. Next chop the coriander stalks very finely, it's criminal to throw this part away. Add this to finely sliced spring onions and chopped garlic (I prefer not to crush garlic to retain the oil) and put in a bowl for later.
All of these jobs can be done in the morning, leaving you just to prepare the last parts as people arrive. For the final stage - start with the rice. I always use basmati rice in Mexican/Chinese/Indian cooking. I find it the easiest to work with. This way with rice is a version of Ken Hom's and is almost faultless. Wash the rice until the water comes clear, this can take about 10 minutes. In a saucepan, add some olive oil and lightly fry a table spoon of the coriander/onion/garlic mix. Then add the rice and coat it well in the flavoured oil. add enough water to come 1 inch above the rice and add seasoning and a table spoon of Turmeric. Bring to the boil with the lid off and don't be tempted to turn the down the gas. Keep it boiling ferociously until the water cooks below the level of the rice (you should see little craters.) Then turn the gas to its lowest setting and put a lid on top (this needs to be tight fitting, if not add a tea towel and then the lid.) Cook it like this for 5 - 10 minutes until the rest of the water has disapearred, then simply turn off the heat and leave it to stand for 5 minutes - perfect rice every time.
While the rice is cooking prep the spicy chicken. De-seed and slice 2 chillies. Add the rest of the coriander/onion/garlic mix, a large pinch of the cumin and the chillies to some olive oil and bring slowly to a light sizzle. Add the tomatoes, season and let it bubble away at a medium heat. When the tomato liquid reduces a little, add a dash of red wine vinegar. Then add your chicken and the juice of a lemon. Let the chicken warm in the sauce and check it for seasoning. When it is ready add the coriander leaves and transfer to a warm bowl.
Serve the chicken with a pile of tortilla wraps, sour cream, grated cheese, the rice, Guacamole and pickled vegetables. With all the different bowls and colours, it looks and tastes amazing.
Recipe for 6
12 Chicken thighs *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
Wraps (plain)
Basmati rice
Tin of chopped tomatoes
Mild cheddar/Lancashire grated
Sour cream
Lemon
2 ripe avocado
2 onions
6 spring onion
Bunch of coriander
6 garlic cloves
6 red chillies
Cauliflower
Red pepper
Green pepper
Yellow pepper
6 carrots
2 stalks of celery
Red wine vinegar
Cumin seeds - dry fried and crushed
Sweet smoked paprika
Oregano (dried is fine)
2 bay leaves
Turmeric
To start, prep the veg for pickling. Turn the cauliflower into small florets, de-seed and slice 2 chillies, roughly chop the celery, slice the peppers and the onions thinly, slice the garlic as thinly as possible and peel and slice the carrots. This can all then be softened in a large pan with a little olive oil, a pinch of the cumin and plenty of seasoning. After a minute or 2 add the oregano and bay leaves and a 50/50 mix of red wine vinegar and water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Check the veg at this point, you want it to be slightly softened but still al dente. Check it now for seasoning and acidity and adjust accordingly. When it's ready transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Next the guacamole. Skin, de-stone and chop the avocados, slice the onion, de-seed and chop 2 chillies and chop 1 table spoon of the coriander leaves. Add all of these to a blender and add a pinch of cumin, olive oil, red wine vinegar and the juice of 2 limes. Then pulse until it is smooth, but with a few lumps left (this adds texture.)
Finally pick all the leaves off the coriander. Chop roughly and put in a bowl for later. Next chop the coriander stalks very finely, it's criminal to throw this part away. Add this to finely sliced spring onions and chopped garlic (I prefer not to crush garlic to retain the oil) and put in a bowl for later.
All of these jobs can be done in the morning, leaving you just to prepare the last parts as people arrive. For the final stage - start with the rice. I always use basmati rice in Mexican/Chinese/Indian cooking. I find it the easiest to work with. This way with rice is a version of Ken Hom's and is almost faultless. Wash the rice until the water comes clear, this can take about 10 minutes. In a saucepan, add some olive oil and lightly fry a table spoon of the coriander/onion/garlic mix. Then add the rice and coat it well in the flavoured oil. add enough water to come 1 inch above the rice and add seasoning and a table spoon of Turmeric. Bring to the boil with the lid off and don't be tempted to turn the down the gas. Keep it boiling ferociously until the water cooks below the level of the rice (you should see little craters.) Then turn the gas to its lowest setting and put a lid on top (this needs to be tight fitting, if not add a tea towel and then the lid.) Cook it like this for 5 - 10 minutes until the rest of the water has disapearred, then simply turn off the heat and leave it to stand for 5 minutes - perfect rice every time.
While the rice is cooking prep the spicy chicken. De-seed and slice 2 chillies. Add the rest of the coriander/onion/garlic mix, a large pinch of the cumin and the chillies to some olive oil and bring slowly to a light sizzle. Add the tomatoes, season and let it bubble away at a medium heat. When the tomato liquid reduces a little, add a dash of red wine vinegar. Then add your chicken and the juice of a lemon. Let the chicken warm in the sauce and check it for seasoning. When it is ready add the coriander leaves and transfer to a warm bowl.
Serve the chicken with a pile of tortilla wraps, sour cream, grated cheese, the rice, Guacamole and pickled vegetables. With all the different bowls and colours, it looks and tastes amazing.
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