Crunchy Cheesy Chicken

Chicken breasts can be boring. There I've said it. I KNOW they are low fat and a good food when trying to control calories but purlease! It the sauces them make it tolerable in my book - sorry. So I am aways on the lookout for ways to tart up a chicken breast that are, preferably, not loaded with cream and butter - although there is nothing wrong with a nice cream, mushroom and brandy sauce (with maybe a little parmesan in there...).

Anyhow, here is a coating that gives the breast a tasty, crispy coat whilst keeping the meat moist - and best of all this is a baked recipe so no frying involved.

I have only used this on whole breasts but I certainly intend to use this on chicken pieces - maybe thigh meat - the best of both worlds for me!

Crunchy Cheesy Chicken
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 chicken breast (I normally aim for free range chicken as, darnit, it just tastes better.)
Flour
1 egg
1/4 cup of milk
1 finely chopped clove of garlic (or 2 if you're a garlic fan)
1 tspn ground chilli (fresh or dried is fine)
2 cups breadcrumbs (preferably either fresh or Japanese Panko breadcrumbs - not golden though)
1 cup finely grated cheddar
Salt
Pepper

METHOD

1. Ensure chicken breast are clean of any skin etc and dry with kitchen towel
2. Take three bowls.
3. In bowl 1 place enough flour to dredge the breasts
4. In bowl 2 beat the egg and milk together then add garlic, chilli and seasoning
5. In bowl 3 mix cheese and breadcrumbs.
6. Dredge chicken through flour, then egg mix and then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs.
7. Put on a lightly oiled baking sheet
8. Place in middle of oven, preheated to gas mark 6
9. Cook for 35 mins
10. Serve with buttered noodles and green salad.

Very easy for a summer lunch. I imagine that the chicken pieces version would work well on a buffet - I shall wheel it out at the next opportunity.

Heston's Tagliata with Rocket & Parmesan Salad

The entire universe knows I am a massive fan of Waitrose and could probably bore for England and the USA combined about their virtues. Their fresh produce is impeccable, customer service unfailingly spot on and the whole shopping experience is superb. I am also a fan of Heston Blumenthal - OK, some of the more out there ideas leave me hiding behind the sofa, peeking at the TV (just like Dr Who used to when I was a kid - hmmm, now THERE'S an idea...) but I love his passion for perfection even if I'd probably rather chew glass than eat some of the results. Have to admit though, last Christmas I was one of the dissapointed many who trawled any Waitrose within reach trying to find a Heston's christmas pudding.

My husband is a massive, unashamed Heston fan though and the Fat Duck is probably top of his list of places he'd really like to eat. So moved was he, one Saturday he decided to make 'Heston's Chips' to go with lunch. Problem was he only went to start them at lunchtime so by the time they'd been cooked and cooled three times (well, cooled twice) lunch was served around 7pm. But the chips were amazing. And he did make the Heston's Banana Eton Mess last summer again, truly outstanding.

A year or so ago the Waitrose Recipe Collection started doing recipes by Heston and Delia Smith. Nice idea, pick up the recipes in store, buy the ingredients then go home and enjoy. I have many of these cards, but must admit I have made few of them yet. Until last week. I found myself watching a TV ad for Waitrose that featured this Heston recipe and found mysef dribbling in an unseemly manner. I thus resolved to gather the card and ingredients to try it, and oh my dear, dear reader - adjectives fail me. I can only say if you try nothing else, you MUST try this. The only thing I would take issue with is the fact that it says it serves 4. Not a chance. Two of us cleared the lot.


Heston's Tagliata with Rocket & Parmesan Salad
Serves 4


INGREDIENTS

Olive oil for cooking the steaks
2 essential Waitrose British Beef Steaks (I used rump as I think it's more flavourful, approx 300g each)
120 ml 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
100g of thinly sliced chestnut mushrooms (OK, this is NOT in the original recipe so you can ignore this if you wish but I love mushrooms)
3 garlic cloves
4-6 sprigs of rosemary
2 strips of lemon peel (use a potato peeler to peel 2 shallow strips from an unwaxed lemon)
Juice of 1 lemon
Table salt, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
To serve:
60 g Waitrose Wild Rocket
40 g Ferrari Parmigiano Reggiano Fresh Flakes

METHOD

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a high heat, then add 2mm of olive oil and heat until it is smoking hot. It is vital that the pan is extremely hot before adding the steaks.
2. Remove the steaks from the fridge. Season them with a little salt and place them in the smoking-hot pan for 15-20 seconds. Then turn the steaks over and fry for a further 15-20 seconds. Repeat this, turning the steaks for 2½ minutes.
3. Remove from the pan and allow to rest on a cake rack set over a plate to catch the juices.
4. Pop the sliced mushrooms into the pan and cook until beginning to brown
5. Remove mushrooms and place onto kitchen towel and pat to remove any remaining oil.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and discard most of the used oil (but don’t clean the pan).
7. Allow the pan to cool for 2 minutes, then add the 100% Italian olive oil to the pan.
8. Bash the garlic with the palm of your hand or the side of a knife and add it to the oil.
9. Add 4-6 rosemary sprigs.
10. Rub the strips of lemon zest between your finger and thumb to release the oils and add them to the pan, too.
11. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes while the meat is resting, then squeeze in the lemon juice.
12. Strain the dressing through a sieve and add any juices that have come from the steak.
13. Slice the steaks thinly (0.5cm wide) with a sharp knife.
14. Season with table salt and black pepper and place on the serving dish.
15. Place mushrooms over steaks.
16. Spoon over half the dressing.
17. Season the rocket leaves with salt and mix with the remaining dressing.
18. Place the rocket leaves on the beef and finish with the Parmesan flakes and a sprinkling of sea salt crystals.
19. Serve with Heston from Waitrose Horseradish Sauce.

Copyright © Heston Blumenthal 2010

I served this with freshly baked bread and it was truly amazingly scrummy. The steak was pink and succulent (if you don't like rare steak add to the frying time), the dressing was tart and flavourful and the horseradish sauce was creamy and light - I would warn you to be careful of the salt as you are adding it in four different places. Next time, and oh yes there will be a next time, I will probably not add the table salt to the rocket leaves, just the sprinkling of sea salt crystals.

My admiration of Heston remains undimmed, but I do wonder where he hides that sonic screwdriver...

Useful tip: If you don't live near a Waitrose all of the recipes from the cards can be found at Waitrose.com

Danny's Slow Roast Belly of Pork to Die For

Actually this should be renamed 'to Kill For'. Absolutely not kidding. I don't know who Danny is but this evening he is my hero. I found this way of doing belly of pork on http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/ - go there NOW and check it out. If their other recipes are anywhere near as good you will not be disappointed.

But back to the pork.

Pork belly is a cheap cut (as far as any meat is cheap these days!) and to be honest I normally get mine from a farm shop near my parents, just outside New Milton (Danestream if you're in the neighbourhood on Sway Road - http://www.danestreamfarmshop.co.uk/). The staff are friendly and no matter how busy are always willing to help and advise. Not cheap but I'd rather have a smaller piece of great meat than lots of tasteless, chewy grey stuff on my plate.

I have purchased and cooked many a pork belly from them - rub garlic and salt into the scored skin, pop onto a roasting rack on Gas Mark 5 for an hour and a half (approx 1 kilo in weight) with potatoes beneath the rack. Crisp up potatoes and crackling at the end and voila.

Now this has not always served me well with supermarket meat, still tasty but has been a bit tough from time to time. And this week, for reason too complicated to go into, the only shop I could get to was a Lidl.

Anyone who knows me will, at this point, be rolling around on the floor clutching their cramping gizzards because dear reader, and here is my guilty secret, I am a famous meat snob. It is a story for another time but it is the truth.

My normal behaviour would be to serve a mushroom omelette for Sunday lunch but those pork joints did look remarkable nice and were on special offer. So I bought one. I was certain, however, that my normal method was Not Going To Do so spent a while surfing and found this recipe. The resulting joint was soft as butter, and the crackling was everything it ought to be. Probably more.

So here it is:

Danny's Slow Roast Belly of Pork to Die For

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo pork belly joint
6 large sage leaves
3 small cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
Kettle of boiling water
Pieced of silver foil large enough to make nest around meat

METHOD

1. Remove pork from fridge several hours before cooking so it reach room temperature. I personally remove mine first thing in the morning for Sunday lunch - as we have marauding cats I pop it into the microwave with the door shut.
2. Score skin in a diamond pattern (smile nicely at your butcher or make sure you have a VERY sharp knife. And remember to NOT score down to the meat - just to the layer of fat beneath the skin)
3. Boil kettle of water and carefully pour over skin side - I used a cooling rack for the meat so I don't boil my fingers
4. Dry meat off with kitchen towel
5. Turn skin side DOWN
6. Finely chop garlic
7. Rub sage leaves into small pieces (I varied here from original recipe as they suggest rosemary)
8. Rub garlic and sage into underside of joint
9. Press foil over the belly to make sure that the herbs will not shift
10. Turn the whole lot over, crackling side up, and form the foil into a nest
11. Leave the crackling exposed
12. Pop into roasting tin
13. Roast at gas mark 4 for 3 hours and then turn down to gas mark 3 for another hour
    If roasting potatoes, pop them in (having part boiled them) when turning oven down
14. When time is up remove meat and bump up oven to gas mark 7
15. Remove crackling from joint and put back into oven for 20 minutes (alongside potatoes)
16. Serve (with Danestream apple sauce naturally)

I don't know if it was this recipe that made the pork so tender and tasty or if my snobbery is misplaced, but I am crediting the recipe. Way to go Danny!

Pan's Prawns

About 20 years ago there used to be a Chinese restaurant round the corner from Holborn station - long gone regretfully. It was relatively inexpensive but had many dishes I had never seen before (or since).

My two faves were a dish with broad beans (which I really cannot stand in any other way but have never managed to duplicate) and this prawn concoction which is pretty easy even for somebody as reluctant to deep fry as I am (and it's not on health grounds - I nearly started a kitchen fire many, many years ago and have been pretty much terrified to by the concept ever since).

For this, I scale the deep frying experience down into an un-scary experience I can go through without hyperventilation kicking in.

I remember the restaurant being called Pan's, but others recall different names. But hey, this is my blog so I'm going with the name I remember. (If you know what the restuarant was REALLY called, do let me know - it was under the strange arch where the office building goes over the road)


Pan's Prawns

INGREDIENTS

Prawns - about 6-8 king prawns per person
1 egg
Cornflour
Ginger
Garlic
Honey
Sesame seeds

METHOD

1. Finely slice one garlic clove per person
2. Chop ginger into small pieces
3. Break egg into bowl and beat
4. Put cornflour into second bowl
5. Dip prawns into egg and the roll around in cornflour to coat thoroughly
6. Using the smallest saucepan available to you, put 2" of oil into the bottom (OK, if you are happy deep frying in a proper pan, go ahead)
7. When oil is hot place garlic and ginger into pan
8. Once the 'chips' are golden brown remove with a slotted spoon and place onto kitchen towel to drain any remaining oil
9. Fry the floured prawns until coating is light golden brown (about 3 mins) and add to kitchen towel
10. Once all prawns are cooked, remove oil from heat (OK, I'm paranoid)
11. Place prawns onto serving dish and drizzle honey over the top
12. Sprinkle sesame seeds over prawns and honey then add crispy ginger and garlic to top
13. Serve with rice

In it's original form, it was served nestled into a couple of leaves of iceberg lettuce - I must admit that I only serve it that way for a party - this tends to be served dished up on plates to prevent unseemly violence over that last prawn...

Honeyed Carrot Soup

I think everyone has a carrot soup recipe. Let's face it, if you buy prepacked carrots there are always too many in the bag and carrot soup is a good way to use 'em up. I have several, from a very thin, almost broth-like soup, to a s0-thick-your-spoon-stands-up version. This is somewhere in between and has a lovely sweetness combined with a tiny chilli kick to keep your tastebuds interested.

This one is perfect for winter days when the sun is refusing to shine, like today. In fact I have a pot of this cooking on my stove right now. Here in my corner of Surrey it's grey, overcast and threatening to rain so in an hour so this will be my dose of sunshine - best served with fresh, crusty bread - OK, I have no intention of making my own bread today; Waitrose is going to have to be my baker (they do a wonderful finish-baking-at-home loaf).

Honeyed Carrot Soup
(serves 6)

INGREDIENTS

3 large carrots - approx 900gms (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons runny honey
Sprinkle of chilli flakes
Dried thyme 2 pints of chicken stock (can use vegetable if wanting vegetarian option)
Pinch of salt

METHOD

1. Melt butter in large pan
2. Chop garlic and butter and place into pan
3. Cook over a low heat until onion/garlic mix is translucent
4. Whilst this is cooking, peel and chop carrots (You don't have peel the carrots, skins are good for you, but for this soup I do)
5. Place carrots into pan
6. Add honey, stir well and cook for 5 mins
7. Add salt, chilli flakes and thyme then stir
8. Add stock and bring to boil (Confession: I have no hesitation on using stock cubes if no fresh is to hand, in fact even as I type, 2 Knorr chicken stock cubes are doing sterling work in the soup pot)
9. Bring to boil, then simmer for 45 mins
10. Pour into liquidiser and blend thoroughly
11. Serve

My soup will be ready in around five mins, my mug is ready and a late lunch beckons. Any soup left over can be cooled and chilled and reheated in the microwave or on the hob with no loss of flavour. Bring on the sunshine!

Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken

Last night I was having supper with friends but as our lovely hostess has more than a bit on her hands just now with a new job, plus a hospitalised beloved, I offered to cook. Which meant preparing all the food here in Surrey then driving into West Central London with minimum futzing around once there. Those of you who have read some of my previous blogs will be unsurprised at my menu - Cauliflower Cheese Soup, Cold Sesame Noodles, Yeast-free Cheesy Biscuits but I added in another longtime favourite, Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken.

I got this recipe from a friend back in my NYC days and it is a complete godsend when you need a family style dinner in under 30 mins.

Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken
(serves 6 normal people, about 4 in my house)

INGREDIENTS
1 medium chicken (approx 3lbs)
2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on the level of your garlic addiction)
1 large lemon
4oz softened butter
Thyme
Salt
Pepper

METHOD

1. Wash chicken and place breast down in pyrex bowl (with lid) remembering to pierce skin in several places
2. Peel garlic cloves and place in chicken
3. Cut lemon in half, squeeze juice over chicken and place one half in chicken
4. Spread softened butter over chicken
5. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper
6. Cover bowl and place in microwave (yes, you heard that correctly, the chicken is getting microzapped)
7. Cook for 10 mins on full power (this is based on a 700 watt microwave)
8. Let stand for about 5 mins
9. Cook for another 10 mins on full power
10. Test to see if chicken is done - either by spearing chicken and checking juices are running clear or by trying to break of the end of the wing/leg - if come away easily the chicken is done
11. The skin can be easily taken off (warning - the bird will be very pale as no browning will have taken place)
12. Carve and place on dish
13. Take juices from casserole
14. If worried about your arteries pour off some of the butter
15. Whisk the juices together and pour a small amount over the carved chicken, pop rest into jug

If you want to serve this as a roasted-style chicken, pop into a hot oven for a few mins to brown - or use a blowtorch because you don't really want the chicken to cook any more. Seriously - you can get kitchen blowtorches, very handy for such times.

Once the food was delivered all that was needed to do was heat the soup on the hob, warm the biscuits (1 min in microwave), warm and whisk lemon butter mix, serve up and tuck in.

As it turned out, last night there were only three of us and as I had catered for 5 (one friend missing in action and the other one poorly) there was probably too much food (OK, DEFINTELY too much food). But hey, everybody needs a challenge from time to time and even though we stuffed outselves silly when I dropped my passenger off she was happily clutching a doggie bag to share with her partner.

It was a relaxed evening in great company and having all the food pretty much done in advance meant there was more time to hang out, gossip and hit the bubbly (I was driving so only had one glass of champagne but stayed in the spirit with sparkling mineral water!) Supper with friends as it SHOULD be.

Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

There are no real memories for this (yet) as it is a relatively new discovery but, believe me, it's a perfect soup for a winter's day. I found the recipe online (by John Webber - a tutor at Nairn's Food School) and fiddled with it until it was to my taste. I doubled the garlic and cheese and used Dijon mustard instead of grain. It was velvety, delicious and can be dressed up for a dinner party (home made croutons) or served in a mug by the fire (crusty toast as an accompaniment).

It can be frozen and reheated in the microwave with no loss of flavour too, making it a fab standby for unexpected visitors.


Cauliflower and Cheese Soup
(sufficient for four people):

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

40g (1.5 ounces or one-third US stick) butter

1 medium cauliflower

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

900 ml boiling water

50 ml double cream

100g (4oz) grated strong cheddar cheese

METHOD

1. Heat the butter in a large pan.
2. Add the onion and the garlic and leave on a medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes, until they are soft and clear.
3. Whilst the onion and garlic are softening, chop the cauliflower as fine as possible.
4. Add the cauliflower into the onion mix then stir in the boiling water.
5. Bring back to the boil.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Stir the soup well and add the mustard and the grated cheese.
8. Adjust seasoning to taste.
9. Blend the soup with the cream in a liquidiser.