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Grilled Chicken Breasts

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A nice way to use chicken breasts. Naturally, the herb can be varied; tarragon would work very well.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 2 hrs
cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, boned & skinned
  • 2 heaped tbs chopped fresh oregano
  • 1½ tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbs olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbs Dijon mustard
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Remove the inner fillets from the chicken breasts. Between sheets of cling film, beat the main chicken breasts to about 1cm thickness. (This makes them cook more quickly and stops them shrinking too much in the pan.) The fillets don’t need bashing.

Now make the marinade. Add the chopped fresh oregano, vinegar, oil, crushed garlic, mustard and a few twists of salt and pepper to a small glass bowl. Whisk everything together.

Marinate the chicken breasts and fillets for about two hours, turning once or twice.

When you’re ready to eat, put a skillet over medium high heat and, when it’s hot, lift the chicken breasts out of the marinade and add them to the pan complete with the marinade clinging to them. (You don’t need any more oil, there’s enough on the chicken.) Brown them for 3-4 minutes on one side, then flip them over and brown the other side similarly. When you flip them, add the chicken fillets to the pan and turn them over after two minutes (these take less time to cook through).

Once the chicken is cooked (juices clear when pierced), rescue them to two warmed plates. Add the remaining marinade to the pan and bubble it for a minute or two to cook off the garlic. Pour this sauce over the chicken.


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Posted in Poultry Tagged with:

Arroz con Verduras

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As a full fat carnivore, this was the second vegetarian recipe in two weeks that I’d been attracted to. This is the second incarnation.

The original was in the Telegraph Magazine under the crappy title of Spanish Rice. Look that up and you’d get hits about bomba and Calasparra rices or basic rice recipes not swamped with vegetables. So, I’ve retitled it. Being cooked in the oven, this is not a paella. Rather it is what I believe the Spanish would refer to as an Arroz dish. So, the title I’ve settled on, which I hope to be more appropriate, is Arroz con Verduras.

I found I needed to increase the proportion of liquid to rice, compared to the original. Additionally, I’ve ditched chilli flakes in favour of hot smoked paprika. The original also fretted about cut fennel discolouring, which I have never experienced, so I ditched the “rubbing with lemon juice” idea as being unnecessary. Artichokes, on the other hand, which would make a very pleasant alternative ingredient …

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients

  • 1 fennel bulb
  • olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 large red pepper
  • 2 large vine tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)
  • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 400g tin butter beans, drained
  • 1 small sweet potato, peeled & chunked
  • 800ml vegetable stock
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 150g paella rice
  • 2 chicons red chicory, trimmed & halved
  • 100g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Heat your oven to 180°C (fan)/gas 5.

Trim the fennel bulb removing any discoloured outer leaves, then halve it. Now halve the halves so you have four quarter wedges. Cut out most of the hard core but leave enough to keep the quarters intact. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a shallow casserole and brown the cut sides of the fennel wedges – you aren’t cooking them, just browning. Set aside.

Heat another tablespoon of oil and fry the onion and peppers for about 10 minutes until the onion is lightly tinged golden. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the garlic and both smoked paprikas and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the beans, sweet potato, stock and rosemary. Bring all to the boil, reduce the heat and cook gently for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the rice in and around the veggies, working it under the liquid. Add the fennel and chicory, let the stock come to the boil, season well then transfer (uncovered) to the oven.

Cook for 15 minutes before laying the broccoli evenly on top and drizzling with a little olive oil. Check to see that there is enough liquid to keep the rice just covered; add a little water if not. Bake for another 15 minutes when the rice should be cooked. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the dish.

Saffron allioli is supposedly a good accompaniment, though my “saffron is pointless alongside other strong flavours” thing kicks in there. Regular allioli would be fine.


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Posted in Vegetarian Tagged with:

Vegetable Tagine

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I remain a commited carnivore but this was a decent vegetable-only dish. It is based on something found on Jamie Oliver’s website but it needed some modification, in my opinion. First of all, the original used expensive saffron which I can never see the point of in something naturally strongly flovoured – saffron is very mildly flavoured and with 2kg of spicy vegetables you’ll never taste it. Secondly, some of the spices in the original needed doubling (which I’ve done) to get a decent Moroccan flavour.

Clearly the choice of veggies is yours and you will undoubtedly have some of your purchases left over for another use. Butternut squash, for example, is large so roast the remaining half with your Sunday joint. If you are like me, you could double up on the chickpeas.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4cm piece ginger
  • olive oil
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ras el hanout
  • 1 tbs tomato paste
  • 2½kg mixed vegetables (e.g. aubergine, courgette, cherry tomatoes, red onion, butternut squash, sweet peppers)
  • 400g tin chickpeas
  • 100g dried (soft) apricots, chopped
  • 1 preserved lemon (rind only), chopped
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Peel and finely slice the garlic and ginger, then place in a large casserole over medium heat with the oil, cumin, cinnamon and ras el hanout. Add the tomato paste and fry for a few minutes, stirring regularly.

Add some water, say 250 ml to get things going. Trim and chop your veggies into sizeable chunks, adding them to the pan as you go. (Don’t peel butternut squash; it isn’t necessary.) Add the apricots along with the preserved lemon rind, then tip in the chickpeas, juice and all.

Season with some salt and pepper (you can always add more later) and give everything a good stir being careful not to throw your veg all over the top of the cooker (my pan was pretty full). Simmer gently for about 40 minutes.

Rose harissa rippled through some natural Greek yoghurt made a very pleasant accompaniment and you can, of course, serve it all with couscous.


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Posted in Vegetarian Tagged with:

Seafood Stock

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A classic seafood stock, perhaps for seafood rice dishes, made ideally from langoustines or, failing that given the lack of availability in the UK (most are exported to Spain or France), large prawns can be substituted. This is required for Arroz Roja with Langoustines.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 1 mins
cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients

  • 8 langoustines or large prawns
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stick, chopped
  • 60ml white wine
  • 1.5 litres fish stock or water
  • fresh tarragon sprig
  • 150g tomatoes roughly chopped
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Start by peeling the langoustines/prawns and set the flesh aside for your main purpose. Roughly chop the heads and shells for the stock.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Gently fry the onion, carrot and celery for a few minutes until softened. Add the chopped langoustine/prawn heads and shells and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the white wine, bring to the boil and cook for a minute, then add the fish stock or water, tarragon and tomatoes.

Cook for 40 minutes, then push everything through a fine sieve over a large pan, pressing with a wooden spoon to extract as much flavour as you can.


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Posted in Starters

Arroz Roja with Langoustines

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Langoustines can be difficult to source in the UK since most of our excellent examples from Scotland are exported to Spain or France, tragically. Large Prawns make a decent substitute. Use the shells and heads to make the seafood stock.

This is essentially a seafood paella. I’m clearly collecting coloured paella recipes. I got hooked on Arroz Negro (black rice) some years ago nad now here is Arroz Roja (red rice). In a departure from normal practice, here the seafod is cooked separately, though. Mr. Stein’s original uses, in his inimitable fashion, a pinch of chilli flakes but I’ve gone for some hot-smoked paprika instead, to supplement the sweet paprika.

I usually write my paella recipes for two because that’s the number most suited to my domestic paella pan, though scaling up is a simple affair.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients

  • 8 langoustines or large prawns, flesh of
  • 4 tbs olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 1 tbs tomato purée
  • 200g tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 roasted red pepper (bottled or freshly roasted), chopped into 1cm pieces
  • 200g paella rice
  • 600 ml seafood stock
  • 200g haddock fillet, skin on, cut into 4 pieces
  • 3 tbs allioli (to serve)
  • 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped (to serve)
  • 2 fresh lemon wedges (to serve)
  • Salt & pepper

Method

In a paella, large skillet or shallow flameproof casserole dish (28-30cm/11-12in), heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for a minute without browning. Stir in both paprikas, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, chopped red pepper, shellfish stock and rice, then season with salt and pepper. Stir once, then bring up to the boil and simmer vigorously for about 6 minutes. Turn the heat down and cook for a further 12 minutes, until the stock is absorbed and the rice is pitted with small holes. [Standard paella practice.]

A few minutes before the rice is due to finish cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a separate pan over a medium-high heat. Add the haddock, skin-side down, and cook until the flesh is opaque. Add the langoustine/prawn meat and cook for about 30 seconds or so until pink, turning them once.

Divide the rice between two plates and top each with two pieces of haddock and four langoustines/prawns. Garnish with allioli, chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon, if you like.


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Posted in Fish, Seafood Tagged with:

Coleslaw

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Here’s my basic Coleslaw using equal quantities of white and red cabbage. I like to use a mandolin to finely shred teh cabbages but a good sharp knife in teh right hands would suffice. This can be given a little twist with the addition of grated celeriac.

To avoid having loads of leftover cabbage, organize a party and scale it and the dressing up to industrial proportions.

Planning

serves: 4-6
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: n/a

Ingredients

  • ¼ white cabbage, very finely shredded
  • ¼ red cabbage, very finely shredded
  • ½ red onion, finely sliced
  • 1 medium-large carrot, peeled & grated
  • ¼ celeriac, peeled & grated (optional)
  • 1 qty Coleslaw Dressing

Method

In a very large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients thoroughly to distribute them. Now add the dressing and give it another thorough mixing. You want the salad dressed but not swimming – certainly not like the pots of the stuff bought in supermarkets.


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Posted in Accompaniments, Salads Tagged with:

Coleslaw Dressing

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I seem to have to look this up whenever I make Coleslaw, which I do quite regularly but relatively infrequently. So, I thought I should make a note of it. The Dijon mustard could be regarded as optional but I think a little more mustard flavour than the wholegrain provides is helpful.

These are the basic ratios of the ingredients but the actual quantities will need adjusting according to how much Coleslaw you are making.

Planning

serves: n/a
preparation time: 5 mins
cooking time: n/a

Ingredients

  • 4 tbs mayonnaise
  • 1 tbs wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp runny honey
  • Salt & pepper

Method

It you are desperate, you could go to the lengths of making your own mayonnaise. If you do, use a little extra virgin olive oil for flavour but use mainly sunflower oil for lightness. However, I find Hellmans does a perfectly respectable job.

Adding a little salt and pepper to taste, just put everything into a suitable glass bowl and whisk together using a balloon whisk. Be gentle otherwise the vinegar may end up outside the bowl, to start with.


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Posted in Basics Tagged with:

Maureen’s Nutty Wheat Bread

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One from Carol’s friend, Maureen, who hails from South Africa originally. The South African main ingredient was “Nutty Wheat” which I suspect is not available over here; apparently 4/5ths flour and 1/5th wheat bran is an equivalent. Apologies for the horrendous American cup measures.

Planning

serves: n/a
preparation time: 1 hr
cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients

  • 4 cups Nutty Wheat
  • 1 cup oats
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 tbs oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 2½ cups warm water
  • 3 tbs dried yeast
  • Poppy seeds to sprinkle

Method

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup warm water with the honey. Sprinkle the yeast on top and place it in a warm place for 10 minutes until it’s fluffy.

In another bowl, mix together the nutty wheat, oats, sunflower seeds, oil and salt. Mix in the now active yeast mixture together with the remaining water (1½ cups).

Place the dough in a greased loaf tin and sprinkle the top with poppy seeds. Leave this in a warm place to rise – about an hour or until doubled in size.

Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/gas 6 and bake the loaf for an hour.


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Posted in Basics Tagged with:

Sesame Crusted Tuna with Avocado

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This feels oriental but let’s call it an eclectic mix that bears repetition. It comes from one of the Waitrose recipe cards supposedly ready in 30 minutes (if you work uninterrupted). Its mix of two colours of sesame seeds was interesting and the rice noodles made a refreshing change.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs white sesame seeds
  • 2 tbs black sesame seeds
  • 2 yellowfin tuna steaks
  • 2 tbs light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp clear honey
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • 1 large avocado
  • 4 salad onions, finely sliced
  • 1 mild green chilli, seeded & finely chopped
  • Sunflower oil
  • 200g dried rice noodles
  • Salt & pepper

Method

On a dinner plate, mix the sesame seeds together. Lightly season your tuna steaks with salt and pepper then press them into the sesame seed mixture to coat them well on both sides. Set them aside.

Make the dressing by combining in a small bowl the soy sauce, sesame oil and honey with half the lime juice and zest. Give it a good whisk together to dissolve the honey.

In another bowl, make the avocado salsa mixture. Halve the avocado and remove the stone. Scoop out small chunks of the avocado flesh into the bowl and add half the salad onions. Add the chopped chilli with the remaining half of the lime juice and a sprinkle of salt. Stir to combine (the lime juice should preserve the colour of the avocado).

Follow your rice noodle instructions. My dried fine ribbon noodles just wanted soaking in boiling water for four minutes. Drain and stir through the remaining salad onions and lime zest. Divide them between two wide, shallow bowls This could be done while the tuna steaks are frying (next).

Heat to almost smoking a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil in a suitable frying pan. Fry the sesame-coated tuna steaks to your liking, about two minutes on each side depending on thickness and pinkness.

Sit the tuna steaks on the rice noodles and spoon around the avocado salsa. Drizzle the soy dressing over the lot.


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Posted in Fish Tagged with:

Steak a l’Echalote

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From Claude Bosi: this is an absolute staple at any French bistro. There are variations, but this uses caramelised shallots and red wine which creates a beautiful glossy sauce for the meat.

I was getting there when I did my Guineafowl Breast with a shallot sauce on holiday in France. That uses a rose wine and I really don’t think the garlic is necessary or, indeed, helps.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 50 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 4 échalion shallots
  • 3 cloves garlic (not sure)
  • a few sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 375ml Beaujolais red wine
  • 200ml beef stock
  • 25g salted butter
  • 2 ribeye or rump steaks
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 25g salted butter
  • 1 clove garlic, bashed
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • Salt & pepper

Method

For the sauce, put 1 tbsp oil in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic and herbs; season. Cover with a lid and sweat over a low heat for 10-12 minutes until soft.

Take the lid off the shallots, pour in the red wine, then turn up the heat to medium-high and reduce to a glaze (12-15 minutes). Pour in the stock and simmer for a further 10 minutes, until reduced and slightly syrupy: strain through a sieve into a measuring Jug. You should have about 100ml sauce: set aside.

Brush the steaks with 1 tbsp oil and season. Heat a frying pan over a high heat, add the steaks and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Add 25g butter plus the garlic, thyme and rosemary; baste for 1-2 minutes (for medium-rare), ensuring all cut edges are browned. Transfer the steaks to a warm plate to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, set the pan back over a low-medium heat, pour in the sauce and add the butter. Heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring until the butter is melted.

Slice the steaks against the grain and arrange on plates with the shaltot sauce poured over. Serve with a dressed salad (Little Gem Lettuce works well).


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Posted in Meat Tagged with: