Drunken Chicken Stew

I chucked this one out for a dinner party recently, didn't have a clue what to cook, was making a starter and dessert as well so I wanted a main course that would just bugger off and do it's own thing, the end result: Drunken Chicken Stew (so named as the chicken is drunk, not just the chef!). It goes without saying that the end result is only as good as the wine that you use, not that I mean you should throw a €100 bottle in but don't use glorified paint-stripper either!

You can serve this with potatoes, though I personally prefer dumplings (only because I never had them until this year so I'm going a little dumpling crazy at the moment!)

Serves 4

Ingredients


500g diced boneless chicken meat
500ml white wine
2 sticks of celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Oil
1 tbsp plain flour
1 can chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
3 spring of fresh thyme

Method

1. Put a large saucepan over a medium heat and warm your oil. Put all your chopped vegetables and your thyme in the pan and fry for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the chicken and flour, stir, and allow to cook for a minute, before adding the white wine and chopped tomatoes.
3. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a low heat and leave to simmer for at least an hour and a half, stirring occasionally, and adding water if it looks very dry.
4. Your stew is done when the meat is tender and falling apart.

Slow-roast Duck and gravy

I love duck, and I love slow-roasted meats so this is the only way I could consider cooking a whole duck. It gets rid of all that fattiness that you get with duck and instead you have this wonderful melt-in-your-mouth duck meat and astonishingly crispy skin. It does serve four but I cook a whole roast duck for 2 and then use the leftovers for many treats over the following days.

Most whole ducks will come with a bag of giblets inside. I use them to make giblet stock for the gravy but you can also make giblet soup or duck liver pate, whatever takes your fancy!

Serves 4

Ingredients


1 x 2.2-2.5kg oven-ready duck
Sea salt
A handful each of fresh sage, rosemary and thyme
90ml port
2tsp plain flour
300ml stock (chicken or giblet)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas mark 3.
2. Rub the duck skin all over with the sea salt, and stuff the duck with the fresh herbs. Place the duck, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting tray and roast for 3 hours, draining the fat that comes off into a bowl about once an hour.
3. Turn the oven up to 220C/425F/Gas mark 7 and roast for another 15 minutes to really crisp up the skin.
4. Transfer the duck from the rack to a warm plate and leave to rest for a few minutes whilst you make the gravy.
5. Skim the fat off the bowl of juices you have set aside until just the duck 'jelly' remains. Add the port and simmer for a few minutes until it is well reduced. Stir in the flour and allow to boil rapidly for a few seconds, then gradually stir in the stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for a few minutes until rich and thick. Season to taste and strain into a warm jug.

There you have it, slow roasted duck with it's own gravy. Delicious with any vegetable accompaniment, but especially with the saute potatoes recipe you can find here.

Spiced Squash Soup

I adore squash. Seriously, there's nothing that you can't use it for, from starters all the way through to dessert and it's always good! I can't believe I've only discovered it in the last few years. We grew some squash this year in our garden before we moved and it was great to have it there all the time. However, it's so easy to pick up squash in the supermarket these days that you don't have to grow your own, though you will find the varieties somewhat limited. Try your local farmers market though, they will have lots more options for you. This recipe works with all types of squash once you keep the quantities the same.

Serves 4

Ingredients


2tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (I use Harbanero chillies myself but it makes for hot soup. Try your own favourite chilli)
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 bay leaf
1kg squash, peeled, deseeded, and diced
600ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Single cream, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the ginger, chilli, coriander, bay leaf and squash and cook for another 5 minutes.
2. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about half an hour, or until the squash is tender. remove from the heat, take out the bay leaf and leave the soup to cool a little.
3. Transfer the soup to a food processor and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper and reheat gently, stirring.
4. Remove from the heat, pour into warmed bowls and serve garnished with a swirl of cream.

Coq Au Vin

I love chicken. It's so versatile and delicious. I had been planning on making this dinner for ages, for one of our dinner parties or for when we had people over but every time I cooked something else. Recently one evening I decided screw it and I cooked it just for us, no fancy dinner party needed and it was so good! It is a great dish to serve up to guests but it's equally good as a mid-week normal dinner, economical, filling and no harder to make than a stew!

Serves 4

Ingredients


4tbsp butter
2tbsp olive oil
4lb chicken pieces (on the bone)
Big handful of streaky bacon, diced
2 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tbsp brandy
225ml red wine
300ml chicken stock
1 bouquet garni
salt and pepper
2tbsp plain flour
4 bay leaves

Method

1. Melt half the butter with the olive oil in a large, flameproof, casserole dish. Add the chicken and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning continually until golden brown all over. Add the bacon, onions and garlic.
2. Pour in the brandy and set it alight with a match or taper. When the flames have died down add the red wine, stock, bay leaves and bouquet garni, and season to taste with the salt and pepper.
3. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, or until the chicken pieces are cooked through and tender.
4. Meanwhile, make a beurre manie by mashing the butter that's left with the plain flour in a small bowl.
5. Remove the bouquet garni and bay leaves and discard. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and keep warm. Stir the beurre manie into the casserole, a little at a time. Bring to the boil, return the chicken to the casserole and serve immediately.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ah the good old reliable, and one of the Mr's favourite dishes! Funny to think that the man wouldn't eat sauces or foreign foods until recently and this was one of the things that won him over. Definitely a delight for the taste buds, and an eternal fall back dinner when we don't feel like making an effort but still want a great filling dinner.

Serves 4

Ingredients


Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
Handful of diced streaky bacon
1lb fresh mince beef
1 can chopped tomatoes
2tsp dried oregano
1 glass of red wine
2tbsp tomato puree
Salt and pepper
1lb dried spaghetti (you can get those handy little sizer things for spaghetti, great stuff!)
Freshly grated hard cheese to serve (eg Parmesan)

Method

1. Heat a drop of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, carrot, celery and diced bacon to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until just starting to brown.
3. Add the beef and cook over a high heat, or until the mince is cooked through.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano and red wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally so ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. Stir in the tomato puree and season to taste with the salt and pepper.
6. Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes (until tender but still firm to the bite). Drain throughly.
7. Transfer the pasta to your plates, add the bolognese and serve with the cheese (if using) and a big glass of red wine (because you deserve it!).

**Garlic bread is a must for bolognese in our house, useful as a mop for all those little bits of bolognese left behind on your plate!

Toad In The Hole

I can't believe it's November already! I've been so bad about keeping the blog updated, apologies! On the upside, I have been cooking everyday (well, I need to eat) so I have lots of yummy things to share with you!

Toad in the hole is ovbiously dependent on the type of sausages you use. Personally I love Nolans of Kilcullens sausages but since they're based in Kildare and not Cork I'm trying to find a good replacement. Of course, you'll always find an amazing selection of sausages down at The English Market, but any normal breakfast sausage will do. You could also try meatballs instead of sausage if you want!

Serves 4

Ingredients


Oil (for greasing)
115g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
300ml whole milk
450g good quality sausages

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.
2. Grease a 8x10 inch ovenproof dish or roasting tin.
3. Make the batter by sifting the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten egg and half the milk. Carefully beat together until the mixture is smooth. Gradually beat in the rest of the milk and then cover, and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
4. Prick the sausages and place them in your roasting dish. Cook the sausages for 10-15 minutes or until they have coloured and the fat has started to run and sizzle.
5. Remove the sausage tray from the oven and quickly pour the batter over the sausages.
6. Return to the oven and cook for 35-45 minutes or until the batter is well risen and golden brown.
7. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes and lashings of rich onion gravy.

Kezz's Steak Pie

Well, more truthfully, my steak pie that I make for Kezz. This is rib-stickingly good eating, and definitely something that will light up the eyes of anyone coming in on a cold, wet winters evening. Pop off your shoes, relax by the fire, and enjoy with a glass of red wine.

Will serve 4 very hungry, cold men

Ingredients

1 lb cubed beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 large carrots, chopped

1 stick of celery, diced

1.5 litres water

2 heaped tablespoon original Bisto powder

100ml red wine

Bouquet garni

4 large waxy potatoes

500g shortcrust pastry (plain or savoury, not sweet!)

1 egg, beaten

Method

1.       In a small saucepan put your cubed beef. Pour in just enough cold water to cover the beef, and place over a high heat. It will quickly come to the boil, and see that foam that rises? That’s excess fat, we’re not going to need that. Now that’s sorted, drain your beef, and run it under a cold tap just to cool it off again. Leave aside to rest.

2.       Take the biggest pot you have. It needs to hold the entire stew so you need a big pot here. Drizzle a little oil onto the bottom, enough to coat it, and place over a high heat. Add your onions, carrots, and celery and let them sizzle for 2-3 minutes, stirring them around.

3.       Next add your beef, water, Bisto, red wine and bouquet garni and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Once it has started to boil reduce to a low heat and cover. Leave to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

4.       At this point peel your potatoes and cut them into very large chunks. Think 2cm thick slices. Pop them into the pot, cover, and leave for another 45 mins to an hour, or until you can knock the beef and potatoes apart with a wooden spoon. You should preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 about now too.

5.       Now, the dish can actually be eaten at this point as a perfectly lovely stew, just so you know!

6.        Roll half your shortcrust pastry out to a thickness of just under 1cm, and line the base of a large, deep, buttered overproof dish.

7.       Spoon in your stewed steak and vegetables (remember to remove the bouquet garni!) and a little of the gravy (about half should do it). Keep the rest of the gravy covered and aside for now.

8.       Roll out the rest of your pastry, and cover the pie with it. Remember to press down on the edges to get a really good seal on your pie. Glaze the top of the pastry with the beaten egg, and slash a few vents with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape.

9.       Pop the pie in the lower part of the oven and bake for 35-40 mins, or until the top is golden and crispy. You might want to place a baking tray underneath it to stop any juices that escape from becoming a smoky, charred mess on the bottom of your oven.

10.   Once the pie is baked remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool slightly whilst you re-heat the leftover gravy. Serve in thick slices, with a generous splash of the extra gravy.

*This is a great use also for leftover roast beef, though be sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

**Although there’s already potatoes in the dish, if you wanted to stretch it that little bit further, you could serve smaller portions with mashed potatoes and lashings of gravy.

*** As pie this doesn’t really keep, it’s always best fresh, but as stew it’s actually at it best after 2 days of sitting in the fridge. I don’t know why, it just is how it is

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

This was born out of the need to use of the last of a leftover roast chicken, and half a butternut squash that we had floating around. I know there’s loads of recipes floating around for Jamaican jerk but Levi Roots Reggae-Reggae sauce is gorgeous, but quite hot. You have been warned!

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, diced, or the leftover pickings from a roast chicken

1 red onion, chopped

100g garden peas, fresh or frozen

2 carrots, chopped

1 bottle Levi Roots Reggae-Reggae sauce (or another Jamaican jerk sauce)

½ butternut squash, cubed

250g rice

Method

1)      Mix your chicken with two thirds of the sauce in a bowl, cover, and leave to marinade whilst you chop the other veg etc.

2)      Put a frying pan on a high heat, and bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Wash your rice but putting it in a fine sieve and running cold water over it until the water runs clear. Leave it aside.

3)      Add a teaspoon of oil (I use rapeseed) to the pan and allow it to heat. Add your onion and carrots to the pan, and let them sweat until softened.

4)      Add your marinated chicken, reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Put your rice on to boil, and your butternut squash in with it.

5)      Keep an eye on your chicken, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and the sauce is starting to get a little sticky. At this point add the rest of your sauce and the peas.

6)      After your rice and butternut squash has been boiling for about 10 minutes it should be cooked through so remove from the heat and strain the water off. Split the rice/squash mix between two plates.

7)      Once your rice is arranged give your chicken and veg mix one last quick stir and ladle it onto the plates.

8)      Eat!

*This dish is HOT. I know I’m repeating myself but trust me, very spicy. Don’t let it catch you by surprise. If you don’t like spicy food you will not like this dinner. I’d advise a pint of cold milk as the beverage of choice for this one. And maybe a fire extinguisher!