Strange Taste Chicken

It was warm enough to have lunch outside today so a Sichuan dish known sometimes as Strange Taste Chicken, or Bon Bon chicken because of the pounding sound when you bash the spices. It’s served cold – well room temperature not fridge cold. The spinach is Korean but I think it works with the chicken, at room temperature. I’m not telling the boy his lunch is called Strange Taste Chicken. He’s very quick to conceive a prejudice against anything he hasn’t had before.

400g skinless chicken breasts

3 cm cube of ginger

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp sesame paste (Tahini)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

4 tsp light soy

2 ½ tsp chilli oil

½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns

Salt

1 spring onion

1 rib of celery

A handful of chopped coriander (Leaves and stems)

Start with the sauce. Put aside ½ a cm of the ginger and grate the rest. Crush the garlic and then combine it with the ginger, sesame paste, chilli oil, sesame oil, sugar and Sichuan peppercorns. Mix it really well.

Pop the chicken breasts (Sliced into strips) in a pan and just cover it with water. Add the salt, the spring onion and the ½ cm of ginger that you (hopefully set aside). Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat until it’s cooked through. It won’t take long so test regularly.

Fish out the chicken but don’t throw the poaching liquid away. Cool the chicken under cold water and then tear it into long, fairly thick shreds. Take 3 tbsp of the cooking water and add it to your sauce.

Chop the celery into very fine dice and then combine the chicken, celery and sauce. Leave it to settle for an hour or so and garnish with the coriander.

Seasoned Spinach

275g spinach leaves

1 ½ tbsp. sesame seeds

1 ½ tbsp. Japanese soy sauce

Salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

The cross over of some of these ingredients should make this work together. Wilt the spinach in whatever way suits you. I like just a sprinkle of water in a covered pan. When done, plunge into cold water which will set the colour. Drain as well as you can.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan and then give them a bash with a pestle & mortar. They should be coarsely broken, not a fine powder. Mix with the other ingredients and pour over the spinach and mix well. Check to see if it needs any more soy.

Serve both dishes at room temperature and with a big bowl of hot rice.

The boy did like both of these – we ate with chopsticks just to add a little flair to the occasion. He is surprisingly deft with them, though he is wearing a very old t-shirt which is full of holes, as insurance. We had a bottle of Gewürztraminer to go with it. We had it on the patio. After two thirds of the bottle the boy starts suggesting work he’d like to do to the garden. We shall see.

Guinea Fowl with Marzipan Stuffing

Admittedly Guinea fowl aren’t to be found everywhere but we picked these up in Sainsbury’s. The boy seems convinced that, as these are “exotic”, that they will taste like nothing he has ever had before. Hopefully the stuffing will get him there.

2 large guinea fowl

Salt

2 tbsp olive oil

250g streaky bacon

250ml sherry

150g soft pitted prunes

125g soft dried apricots

100g blanched almonds

125g caster sugar

1 tsp orange blossom water

1 large egg yolk

Butter to grease the dish

I prefer not to stuff poultry, but to cook it separately. That way it gets a crisp topping and doesn’t slow down the overall cooking time.

The boy is excited enough that he’s making the stuffing (under instruction). He’s boiling the prunes & apricots in just enough water to cover them, until they’re soft.  About 20 minutes. Then the almonds and sugar go in the food processor with the orange blossom water until a paste forms. Keep an eye on this – it may need a drop of water. Left on his own, the boy would burn the motor out!

Mix the paste with the fruit and press into a buttered oven dish. Cover with foil – it will go into the oven for the last half hour.

The boy has discovered In & Out of the Kitchen on Radio 4 – it’s very funny. I think he’s drawing parallels between me and the protagonist. Get the oven to 200/Gas 6

Put the guinea fowl in a roasting tin and cover with the streaky bacon. Pour in the sherry. Roast for about 1 hour.

Make gravy from the roasting juices and a tablespoon of brandy.  Eat with your best silver. After dinner, read chapter 1 of Out of Africa to the boy. I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong hills…

Thai Green Curry

This is the boy’s favourite – although sometimes when it's very hot we spend  ages in a restaurant as he has to eat it very slowly. We once had to ask for an extra portion of rice, but never has he not eaten all of it. Not much else shuts him up so effectively. You have to make the paste first so I suggest this is a weekend dish when you have time on your hands.  Some of the measurements are American (cups) but these are so easy once you have a set of measures.

Green Curry Paste

1 tbsp coriander seed

1 tbsp cumin seed

5 black peppercorns
3 stalks lemongrass

½ cup chopped coriander, roots and all

1 tbsp fresh galangal or ginger if you can’t find it

1 tsp grated lime peel

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

½ cup Thai chillies, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Nam Pla (fish sauce)

Grating lime peel is really easy if you have a zester. If you can’t see Thai chillies where you shop, look for the small birds eye chillies. This paste uses a lot. Reduce to suit your threshold, but don’t take out too many if you want it to remain authentic. Trim the green grassy bit of the lemongrass, so you end up with about 5-6cm of bulbous stalk. Cut off the hard bit at the white (root) end.

Roast the coriander and cumin seed in a dry frying pan. If the boy was home I would do as you’re meant to do and bash all the ingredients together (adding each, one by one), in a pestle & mortar. As I’m on my own, I’m putting them in the mini processor. Either way, you end up with Green Curry Paste.

Thai Green Curry

6 boneless chicken thighs, cubed

1 can coconut milk

¼ to ½ cup Green Curry Paste, depending on your taste for heat

1 small pack of baby sweet corn (about 10)

½ cup Thai Pea Aubergine*

1 tbsp brown sugar (ideally palm sugar)

½ tsp salt

!/2 cup Thai Basil leaves (or regular basil)

¼ lime squeezed.

I can’t find pea aubergines without travelling to Chinatown so I’m just using green beans chopped into 1 cm pieces. You could also use regular aubergine diced, though I think the texture is nothing like the crunch of pea aubergines. I’m not convinced the boy likes pea aubergines anyway; they are quite bitter.

So, assume you need about ½ cup of the curry paste though add a bit more if you like it hot. The boy is cautious of heat but as this is tempered by coconut, and served with lots of jasmine rice, you can go for it.

You should have 400g or so of meat. Thai diners vastly prefer thigh meat to breast due to the flavour, but many western restaurants use breast so you must make your own mind up – especially if you have to skin and fillet your thighs.

Warm the curry paste in a wok, for a few minutes. The boy comes in and can smell what he’s sure is Green Curry. (Well done him to have missed out on all the grinding!). “Mister Dudwey!!” he shouts, doing his best impression of Ting Tong Macadangdang from Little Britain.  Add the chicken, stirring to coat, and cook for a few minutes.

Increase the heat and add the pea aubergines (or substitutes) and any other veg, along with all the other ingredients.

Cook for 10 minutes or so. Taste to adjust for anything, including the green curry paste if it needs it.

Serve with Jasmine rice – easy if you have a rice cooker.  I’ve never seen Green Curry served with anything but rice, but we’re having a tablespoon of lime pickle served on top of some of the rice – just to cut through the creaminess of the coconut.

The boy is in heaven – as you hoped. We’re having this in wide bowls with loads of torn coriander as garnish. We’re watching TV together which is a rare pleasure. This is a dish for spoons and slurping.

Quick Pasta with Greens, Garlic & Chilli

A quick easy Friday night supper. Your boy will want to go out drinking with his mates so it needs to be fast and filling. Hopefully pasta will give him the slow burn he needs.

2 heads Spring greens (or Savoy cabbage)

6 tbsp olive oil

1 Onion, finely sliced

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

300g penne pasta

Salt & pepper

Olive oil to drizzle over

Grated cheese

This is super quick and simple. Get a large pan of salted water on to boil, as you’re going to be cooking everything at the same time (It’s not only Jamie Oliver who can do 30 minute suppers). 

Remove the core of the cabbage and any thick outer stems and then shred fairly finely.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion. After a minute or two, add the garlic and chilli. Stir from tiem to time so it doesn’t catch. You want it softened but not browned.

After 3 or 4 minutes of onion frying, add the pasta to the boiling water. About 3 minutes before the pasta is done, tip in the cabbage.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and the cabbage well. Pour it into the onion mixture in the frying pan, season and mix well.

Plate it up, and drizzle with olive oil and add a good handful of grated cheese. We’re just using cheddar and it’s none the worse for that but some pecorino would be great.

You don’t mind the boy handing you his bowl and giving you an oily kiss before sailing out the front door. He’s left you with the washing up but he won’t be back until midnight so you’ve a night to do whatever you wish with.

Jerk Chicken with Mango Salad

This is an after work version so I’m not making the jerk marinade from scratch.

8 large boneless chicken thighs (with skin)

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp Walkerswood Jerk seasoning

Salt & pepper

1 head of pak choi

4 heads of baby gem lettuce

2 ripe mangoes

3 tbsp chopped coriander

2 tbsp olive oil

Thigh meat is tastier than breast and has the extra fat that jerk chicken needs. I didn’t get home until 8 and the boy won’t be fed until 9 if I try to make the jerk seasoning. It’s midweek so  I think short cuts are okay. I like Walkerswood, but use what you can find. When I do see Walkerswood  I usually buy 2 jars so I have a spare in the cupboard.

Make slashes in the chicken, squeeze over the lime juice and add the jerk seasoning and salt and pepper. Rub it all in and leave it marinade for as long as you can. The boy is hungry though, so they won’t get that long!

Separate the leaves from the pak choi and blanch in boiling water for 30 seonds before refreshing in ice cold water. Drain well. Peel the mangoes and cut the sides into slices. Accept that the nearer you get to the stone you’ll just get pulp.

Place the lettuce, pak choi and mango in a bowl, along with the coriander leaf and oil and toss.  Place some on each plate.

Get  a griddle pan hot and place the chicken thighs in, skin side down. Turn from time to time until the skin is crisp and the chicken is coked through. You may want to finish these off in a hot oven.

Once cooked, cut the chicken into thick slices and place on the salad. The boy is bound to want to try out his awful version of a Jamaican accent – you may just have to put up with this.

Rifat's Great Mutton & Potato Curry

Today I was given a really tempting recipe, by my friend Rifat. Mutton is a much under rated meat and so full of flavour. I get it from the Pakistani butcher on the high street. I'm giving Rifat's recipe verbatim - I can't wait to try it. She gave me a really nice recipe for Karela (Bitter Gourd) too, which I'll share as soon as I've made it.

Rifat’s Great Mutton & Potato Recipe

The following instructions are for 2 Lbs (in weight) or approximately just under a kilo of medium sized cut shoulder pieces of mutton.

2.5  large onions

3 large tomatoes (or half a tin of tomatoes)

Coriander

Garlic 3-5 cloves (personal preference)

Ginger (size of a lychee) (personal preference)

8 baby new potatoes (or as many as you like)

Fresh green chilli (amount personal preference) – or scotch bonnet peppers

Turmeric ¾ teaspoon

Paprika  1 teaspoon

Chilli powder 1 teaspoon

Garam masala ¾ teaspoon

Coriander powder ¾ teaspoon

Salt 2 teaspoons

Pepper ½ teaspoon

Oil – you will have to use your initiative on this one - I have no idea what measurements to would suggest – best to use sunflower oil avoid vegetable oil – a good curry does require a decent amount of oil.

The above seasoning is only a suggestion add more is required 

Chop onions into small pieces (the smaller the better)

Chop tomatoes into small pieces (the smaller the better)

Chop coriander

Chop garlic and ginger into tiny pieces

It is important to use a big cooking pot for this dish; so all the ingredients get the same amount of heat.

Boiling meat with just water for 4 -5 mins to clean it – drain and wash.(OPTIONAL)

Place the washed meat, onions, garlic, ginger and salt in the pot.

Add in warm water and make sure there is about 2 inches of water above the meat.

Bring to boil and then lower heat and allow simmering for 25 -35 minutes depending on your taste.

Keep in mind that the meat will continue to cook as the sauce is being made, so you don’t want it completely ready at this point.

If meat is not ready and water has evaporated add in water.

If meat is ready but the water has not all evaporated turn up the heat.

When onions have turned to slush add oil …. The oil will cook the tomatoes and seasoning; do not be tight with oil. You should be able to see oil in the pot with the slushed onions swimming around in it.

The heat needs to be high.

Add in all seasoning and tomatoes and you will now stir for the next 15-20mins.

As the sauce starts to stick to the pan add a little water to loosen it but the key is to cook it medium high to high heat – Add potatoes about 3 minutes after the tomatoes.

Add half the chopped coriander and continue to stir.

When the sauce is done (oil will have separated from the sauce) add the rest of the coriander and add cold water (not fridge cold - the amount depends on how much how thick you want your sauce and how much the potatoes need cooking) – allow to boil and then bring down the heat and simmer until you are happy with the thickness. Remember the sauce continues to thicken after removed from the heat.

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon & Olives

I’ve been clearing out cupboards and have to admit this dish is in part an excuse to use some preserved lemons I made a year ago. We don’t have chicken that often, though the boy loves it.

3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ tsp saffron threads

½ tsp ground ginger

6 chicken pieces

Salt & pepper

A glass white wine

Juice of ½ a lemon

A small handful each chopped coriander and parsley

Peel of a preserved lemon (or 2 small ones)

16 green or purple olives

As I said, I came across the salty preserved lemons by accident. I’ll make some more this Summer, when they’re cheap. The boy loves the flavour of this as it's intense , but doesn't have any chilli heat.

This dish needs a large flame proof casserole dish, big enough to fit the chicken in the bottom . Heat the oil and soften the onion, then add in the garlic, saffron and ginger powder.

Put the chicken pieces in and season well with salt & pepper. Pour in 300ml water and the white wine and simmer for 35 mins. Turn the pieces from time to time

Add the lemon juice, the preserves lemon peel, cut into strips, the olives, and the chopped herbs (save a little for garnish). Cook another 10 minutes. If there is too much liquid, remove the chicken and boil the liquid down.

The boy is getting the big cushions out (We're eating this at floor level) and he’s put a CD on called ‘North African Café’. It’s nice to see him getting into the mood.

Serve with couscous.  Pile the chicken on each plate and pour the sauce over, along with the olives and lemon. We’re having a simple salad of sliced onion, cucumber and orange with torn parsley leaves. In a small bowl I’ve loosened some readymade harissa with a little olive oil and some rosewater. A sprinkle of caraway seeds means it will soon look as if it didn’t come in a can.

Thai Beef Salad

350g topside beef

2 fresh chillies

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)

1 tbsp oil

3 tbsp lime juice

½ tsp grated ginger

1 tsp sugar

50g cucumber, sliced

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

½ red onion, thinly sliced

A handful of radishes, halved

2 spring onions, chopped

Coriander leaves to garlic

This is a late lunch. The boy is going out tonight so this is meant to keep him going, rather than fill him up. It’s a warm day for a change so something light and fresh seems the right thing.

Cook the meat ahead of time so it can cool completely before being added to the salad.

Grill the meat for 4 minutes on each side – it should be slightly pink in the middle. Set it aside to rest and cool. In a mortar, crush the chillies, garlic and garlic until you have a smooth paste. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and oil.

When it comes to the cucumber, do something fun with it. Either:

·         Peel it and slice it along its middle. Scoop out the seeds with a tea spoon and slice thickly.

·         Leave it whole but peel strips a cm apart so you get a stripy effect. Slice thinly.

·         Leave whole, peel it, and run a fork down each side for a ridged effect. Slice

No reason for messing about with the cucumber other than that you love him. Add to a bowl with the tomatoes, onion, radishes and spring onion. (A combination of red and yellow tomatoes would be pretty but I only have red ones).

Add the steak and the dressing and toss gently. Garnish with the coriander.  The boy is dashing about. I’m leaving it on the table for him to pick at as he chooses. I’m having mine listening to the new Inspector Rebus Mystery on Radio 4. I’ve left him a fork but I’m using chopsticks for the fun of having a salad with them!

Lebanese Green Vegetable Soup

It’s been a lovely warm day – I spent my lunch hour without a jacket, wandering round the Dickens museum with some old friends. But this evening it’s chilly again. Time for soup. The boy loves soup, especially when served with fresh crusty bread and Normandy butter. We’re doing something a little different tonight.

200g basmati rice

2 litres chicken stock

2 leeks

1 head of celery, with the leaves

Salt and white pepper

4 cloves garlic, crushed

Juice of a lemon

1 tsp sugar

200g courgettes

2 tbsp dried mint

Brown bread of some interesting kind – rye would be nice

A log of goats cheese

This makes enough for one of you to have some for lunch tomorrow. I’m cooking the rice in a rice cooker, but if you don’t have one, just cook in the way that suits you best and set it aside.

Heat the stock in a large pan (Knorr stockpots are being used in our house) and slice the leeks and celery into slices just under a centimetre thick. Simmer in the stock for about 30 minutes, until tender.

The boy arrives at this point and he’s not in the best mood. He’s been out without his jacket for hours and now he’s freezing. No he doesn’t want to help finish off dinner.

Season the stock and add the garlic and lemon juice. Slice the courgettes in half lengthways and then cut into half-moons about the same thickness as you did the leeks and celery. Give it 5 minutes.

The boy is watching one of his sitcoms. He’s chuckling so you know the evening’s going to be okay. Add the dried mint and give it a final 3 minutes. Toast the bread – I hope you found a nice kind.

Spoon some rice into each bowl and then ladle the soup on top. Spread each piece of toast with some of the goats cheese.

The boy looks over my shoulder, expecting to see his salad. There isn’t one but it’s interesting that he’s expecting one.

Deconstructed Egg Salad

He fancies egg salad. I can’t face the usual version of this but it’s rare for the boy to actually say what he fancies for supper so I want to try to make him what he would like. And he does ask incredibly sweetly.

2 eggs each (so 4 for this recipe)

6 tbsp. good quality mayonnaise

The zest and a good squeeze of juice from 1 lemon

A handful of cress

4 pieces of streaky bacon, cooked crisp

Hot buttered toast

The eggs are key – they must be free range organic – you will taste the difference. Cook for 8 minutes and then plunge into iced water to stop them cooking. Drain them, peel them and cut them in half. Place them on a plate, yolk side up.

Mix the mayo with the lemon zest and juice and season well. It will be quite loose so drizzle a spoonful of each egg half.

Serve with a little pile each of broken up bacon and the cress, with the toast on the side. It’s egg salad but not quite what he was expecting. He calls it egg salad for grown ups.