Tag: chicken

Marinated chicken skewers with mint, chilli and lime

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IMG_7951After bubbly and crostini we moved in to a rosé from Languedoc, barbecued chicken and vegetable skewers and my favourite potato salad with pears and blue cheese, asparagus and two cold sauces.

The chicken had marinated in the fridge for two days and really soaked up the flavours of chilli, mint and lime from the marinade. The vegetable skewers with peppers, red onion and mushrooms and a basic sweet chilli dressing were lovely too. IMG_7956The asparagus was just steamed, paired with a bit of butter and placed on top of some rocket. There were enough flavours in the potato salad and skewers not to over-complicate things. IMG_7967The dinner party went really and it was lovely to have the girls over. I just love cooking for others! 🙂

Marinated chicken skewers with mint, chilli and lime, serves 6

Adapted from Diana Henry’s recipe in A Change of Appetite: Where Healthy Meets Delicious.

12 skinless chicken thigh fillets 

zest from 4 limes, juice from 6

2 red chilli, deseeded and chopped

3 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

6 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tbsp chopped mint

3 tbsp olive oil

Remove fat and tendons from the chicken and cut into chunks. Place in a dish or bowl and season. Mix the ingredients to the marinade in a bowl and pour it over the chicken, mixing well so all the chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Cover with cling and refrigerate over night (at least). Soak wooden skewers in water 30 minutes then thread the chickens onto them and barbecue. Serve with more lime juice and chopped mint.  

Chicken a’la king, my version

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When sitting next to the same person all day every day at work, you come to know them quite well. Ria, who I sit next do, and I share most things, including recipes. One day when I found myself with a lot of leftover roast chicken she suggested I’d make chicken a’la king. Although I know it is a classic dish I had actually never eaten it before, or made it. So I got a quick run through of the recipe and added my own little touches. The result, a creamy lovely sauce with chicken, mushrooms and peppers served with pasta or rice. I have no idea if it actually resembles a proper chicken a’la king, but at least it was really tasty!

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According to Ria the original recipe contains sherry but I didn’t have any at hand and added a splash of whisky instead.

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My chicken a’la king, serves 2

100 g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters

1 red pepper, cut into pieces

1 tbsp oil for frying

2 large chicken breasts, already cooked and cut into cubes (alternatively start the recipe by frying raw cubed raw chicken) 

250 ml cream

1 tbsp whisky

2 tsp sambal oelek

a splash of concentrated chicken stock

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp maizena (or other thickening agent)

salt, white pepper

a handful chopped parsley to serve

Fry the mushrooms and peppers in oil until they’ve got some colour, about 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Add the chicken to the pan and fry for another minute. Add the cream and whisky and bring to the boil. Season to taste with sambal oelek, stock and ketchup. Add the maizena if the sauce needs thickening. Cook for another few minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper, scatter with parsley and serve with pasta or rice. 

Barbecued spatchcock chicken with lemon, honey and fresh herbs

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I’ve been wanting to try to barbecue a whole chicken spatchcocked (butterflied) as it cooks quicker than keeping the bird whole. This way the bird is still in once piece but flattened out, so it still holds the moisture but almost cuts the cooking time in half.

To insure a juicy bird I marinated it in rapeseed oil, honey, fresh rosemary, thyme and lemon zest and I grilled it with the lid on for most of the time, keeping an eye on the temperature. Afterwards I let it rest before serving and the meat was indeed moist and full of lovely flavours both from the marinade and the charcoal.

Served with barbecued corn on the cob and a potato salad with tomatoes, green beans and Dijon vinaigrette this was a lovely summer meal!

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Barbecued spatchcock chicken with lemon, honey and fresh herbs, serves 4

1 large free range chicken

50 ml rapeseed oil

2 tsp honey

zest from 1 lemon, I used a potato peeler – no need to finely grated zest

10 stalks of rosemary and thyme

salt, black pepper

Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Cut away the back bone on the chicken and butterfly it. Season with salt and pepper, put the bird in a large ziplok bag and pour the marinade into it. Massage the marinade onto the chicken and let it marinate for an hour in room temperature or up to 24 hours in the fridge, just make sure to take it out of the fridge an hour before cooking it. 

Barbecue both sides of the chicken on high heat without the lid until brown all around, about 5 mins per side. Put the lid on and barbecue in 150C for about 30 minutes (or until clear liquid from the thigh joint). Leave to rest 5-10 minutes before serving, adding a little butter while resting. 

A proper Caesar salad

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Spring is here. At least occasionally and at day time. When the sun is shining and it is around 10 degrees C. (Let’s not talk about the temperature dropping to zero or below at night.)

Like the autumn makes me crave rustic soups and hearty stews, nothing is more satisfying to eat in spring than salads or new vegetables. And the ultimate salad for me is, without a doubt, the classic Caesar. I don’t like when people play around with classic recipes too much, but I do think the addition of chicken for a supper or a more substantial lunch works really well in a Caesar.

And what makes a really good Caesar salad for me, is of course the dressing. It can’t come from a jar, it just can’t.

I have a quick cheat recipe that works if you’re in a hurry, but nothing beats the proper stuff!

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Caesar salad with chicken, serves 2

2 chicken thighs

oil for frying

salt, pepper

4 slices smoked streaky bacon

1 1/2 romaine lettuce heads

10 cm ciabatta

butter and oil for frying

1 garlic clove, pressed

Parmesan shavings

Fry the chicken thighs on both sides. Season and fry in the oven for about 15 minutes, 200C. Leave to cool slightly. Fry the bacon crispy. Mix the dressing (see below). Wash and slice the lettuce roughly.Cut the ciabatta in cubes. Fry until crisp and golden in butter and oil. Lower the heat and add the pressed garlic. Take the chicken meat off the bone and chop roughly. 

Divide the lettuce between two plates. Add the dressing. Top with chicken and croutons. Add plenty of Parmesan shavings and place two bacon slices on top of the salad. Serve!

Caesar dressing

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1 tsp dijon mustard

80 ml vegetable oil

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan

1/2 garlic clove, pressed

1 anchovy, finely chopped

salt, white pepper

Mix the yolk with the mustard in a mixing bowl. Add the oil drop by drop while whisking. Add the lemon, Parmesan, garlic, anchovy and season with salt and pepper. 

Chicken and chorizo with roasted new potatoes

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The best way to get a nice dinner in exchange for little cooking is to use the oven. A few days ago I made this utterly simple traybake of chicken thighs, chorizo, new potatoes and celeriac. The chorizo is so full of flavour and transfers it to the chicken that all you need to add is olive oil, salt and pepper. We had some of the lovely slaw with it and homemade chilli mayo. You didn’t really need the mayo and I need to tune the recipe a bit more before I am proud of it. But you can have the recipe for the chicken and chorizo already now, as it is perfect as it is, so simple and all.

Chicken and chorizo with roasted new potatoes and celeriac, serves 2  + a lunch box

800 g chicken thighs

1/2 ring chorizo

300 g new potatoes

1/4 celeriac

olive oil

lemon pepper

salt

white pepper

Line an oven tin with parchment paper. Add the potatoes whole, cut the celeriac in sticks and add them too. Sprinkle some lemon pepper and a drizzle of oil. Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, in another tin. Slice the chorizo and add it to the chicken. Add some olive oil, salt and pepper. Place both tins in the oven, 200 C for 45 mins- 1 hr.

After 15 minutes, turn the chicken pieces around, and after another 15 minutes, place them skin side up again.