Tuesday 22 July 2014

Stuffed Roasted Chicken Legs

This is my 'standby' meal.

I usually brine the chicken legs overnight  and then let them drain skin up in the fridge for the next day.

Stuffing: Basically, what you like but my standbys are:
           1                                                     2
  Chopped onion                              Chopped onion
  Chopped mushroom                       Chopped mushroom
  Chopped garlic                               Chopped Chorizo
  Herbs of choice
  Fresh Breadcrumbs                         Fresh Breadcrumbs
  Oil &/or butter                                Oil &/or butter
  Chili as desired

 1) Softly cook the onion then add the garlic and then the mushrooms. Cook on a low/medium heat until the mushrooms are well cooked but wet from the juices. Add hard herbs (if using) and cook a little more before adding the oil/butter and breadcrumbs. Make a mouldable stuffing.

Push your fingers under the skin on the chicken legs and manouver them to release it all the way round including the drum stick. Gently push the stuffing under the skin squeezing to get it over all the leg.

Roast for 35 to 45 minutes depending on size at 180c

If you only use a small amount of breadcrumbs, you can add a beaten egg which will result in a lovely formed stuffing when cooked.


Tuesday 15 July 2014

Ways with potatoes

I'm going to do a continuous blog of different ways with potatoes - much as the standard chips, mash, saute etc are nice, it's good to have a variety of cooking methods.

POTATOES EN PAPILLOTE
   Small new potatoes with the skin still on. Lightly oil and season, and envelope in parchment paper with finely chopped onions and sprigs of thyme. Bake for 45 minutes at 180c.


COTTAGE FRIES from http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2012/04/cottage-fries-americas-forgotten-fry.html
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
Combine potatoes, salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and herbes de provence in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and stir to evenly coat.
Place potatoes on baking sheet, spaced evenly, and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, flip over each potato slice, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Continue cooking and flipping until potatoes are well browned, about 30 minutes. Potatoes should be crispy around edges, but still soft in the centre.

PAPRIKA & TURMERIC

Cut potatoes into about 1 inch cubes and dust heavily with smoked paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper.
Pressure cook above water for about 9 minutes.
Drain and dry
Shallow fry until crispy.
The pressure cooking allows the flavours to get into the potatoes and the frying removes some of the seasoning.

Friday 27 June 2014

Strawberry Sorbet

Measurements to fit my little ice cream machine (700ml)

400 gr Strawberries roughly chopped
75 gr sugar
Juice 1 lemon or 50/50 lemon/lime or orange etc

Add all to blender.
Add 160 ml boiling water, stir around and leave until cool. Refrigerate.

When needed, stick in the ice cream machine approx 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sunday 13 April 2014

Pork stew

I'm not a great lover of stews but this really hit the spot for me. Although I did it earlier today, a few beers watching the footie and a couple of wines with the meal (and after) may have dulled my memory!

250 gram of cubed pork shoulder. Grind up cumin and coriander seeds, add paprika and turmeric, salt and pepper. Rub all over the meat and leave to marinade for a few hours.

About 6 dried apricot halves chopped.
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 onion sliced
A few sage leaves chopped
1 medium potato in small cubes

Flour the pork

I used a tagine as it seems to maintain a lovely moist low heat and softened the onions then added the garlic and apricots for a few minutes.
 I removed this and then sauteed the pork for a few minutes before adding the potatoes, onions etc, a bay leaf and some chicken stock.

This was left to look after itself on a low simmer for 2 hours.

Lid removed and heat increased to take the liquid to required consistency.

Will be done again.  (As I've included it here, I can remember what I did!!!)




Scotch eggs with chorizo

A few years ago I had a lovely Chideock Egg at The George Inn  http://www.georgeinnchideock.co.uk/ at Chideock and it has stuck in my memory. It was described as a chorizo scotch egg.

The other day, I suddenly had a fancy for a scotch egg. Here is what developed.

For 2 people (3 eggs) OK, we were going to have one each but...

3 medium eggs. Put in a pan of cold water, just covering, bring to a light boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs into iced water. Sometime later, peel them. Much to my frustration, I have learnt that fresh eggs do not lend themselves to easy peeling.

I used 4 sausages ( approx 200gr?) which were red onion and sun ripened tomato but there must be lots of different varieties which could suit.
I finely chopped about 25 gram of chorizo finely chopped and mixed all together.

The rest is pretty standard as regards wrapping the mixture round the eggs  ( use 2 layers of cling film to roll out the mixture), flour egg, wrap meat round, flour, egg and breadcrumb (breadcrumb 2x if you like but I found it good with 1 layer).

Deep fry at 170c for 7 minutes and ENJOY!!!

Thursday 30 January 2014

Beef burger - simply good

I've never been a great fan of burgers but found these lovely -  and easy.

For 4

1 lb decent minced beef
Small grated onion
Grated garlic clove
Small egg
2 cracker biscuits (eg Jacobs) finely ground
Ground pepper
Tbsp oyster sauce (this negates the need for salt)
Tbsp tomato ketchup

Gently fry the onion and garlic to remove the excess moisture but do not colour. Allow to cool.

Mix all ingredients together using some or all of the ground crackers to attain a shapeable consistency.

Shape into four pats and refrigerate for an hour. Alternatively divide into about 45grm pats for sliders

Cook!