Food And Nutrition
Roast chicken and stuffing
Ingredients
For the chicken and stuffing
- 4 onions, peeled, quartered
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 125g/4½oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 40g/1½oz butter, plus extra for brushing
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100ml/3½fl oz water
- 2 x 1kg/2lb 2oz free-range chickens
For the gooseberry sauce
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 100ml/3½fl oz water
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 250g/9oz gooseberries, topped and tailed
- 300ml/10½fl oz white wine
- 300ml/10½fl oz chicken juices, (reserved from cooking the roast chicken), or chicken stock
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
Method
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For the chicken and stuffing, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
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Cook the onions in a pan of boiling water for four minutes, then add the sage leaves and continue to boil for a further minute. Drain well and place into the bowl of a food processor. Add the breadcrumbs, butter, egg yolk, nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend until the mixture is just combined and resembles large breadcrumbs (do not blend to a paste).
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Stuff the chickens with equal quantities of the stuffing mixture. Rub the extra butter over the outside of the chickens, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Place the chickens into a roasting tin, breast-sides up, and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the roasting tin. Cover the roasting tin with aluminium foil.
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Cook the chickens in the oven for 1½-2 hours (cook the chickens for 1 hour per kg, allowing the weight of the stuffing to factor in as well). Remove the foil 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time and strain off the juices, reserving it for the gooseberry sauce. Return the chicken to the oven uncovered for the final 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden-brown and crisp. (To check if the chicken is cooked, the juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced between the leg and the body).
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For the gooseberry sauce, place the sugar and water into a non-reactive pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the lemon zest and bring to the boil, cooking for 2-3 minutes until reduced slightly.
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Add the gooseberries to the pan, reduce the heat and and gently poach for 4-5 minutes, or until the gooseberries are tender. Remove from the heat and allow the gooseberries to cool in the syrup.
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When cool, strain the gooseberries through a sieve and reserve the syrup. Push the gooseberries through a sieve into a separate bowl. Discard the skins and solids left behind in the sieve.
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In a clean pan, bring the white wine to the boil with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half in volume.
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Add the chicken juices (or stock) and continue boiling until the liquid has again reduced by half in volume. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Stir in the gooseberry purée and season, to taste, with a little of the reserved syrup, the salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Use fresh sockeye salmon to make these delicious burgers. Cilantro, ginger, and sesame oil give them Asian flavor.
Serve the salmon burgers with a spicy chili mayonnaise or sweet chili mayonnaise (see directions, below). Cook the burgers on the grill, an electric grill, or in a grill pan on the stovetop.
Butternut squash makes a lovely vegetarian stew when mixed with a few store cupboard ingredients. A great dinner for busy days where you want something cheap and healthy. If you add plant-based yoghurt, it’s also vegan.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 750g/1lb 10oz), peeled, deseeded and cut into 2.5cm/1in pieces
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 300ml/½ pint boiling water
- plain yoghurt (any variety), to serve (optional)
Method
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Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened. Add the squash and cook over a high heat for 8–10 minutes until starting to colour on the edges. Add the salt, spices, chopped tomatoes and 200ml/7fl oz boiling water. Cover and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes until the squash is soft.
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Add the chickpeas with the remaining 200ml/7fl oz boiling water, cover and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with some yoghurt, if you like.
All the flavours of the Caribbean are here in this delicious celebration dish that is perfect for a summer dinner party or special occasion meal.
Serve with Andi’s sweet potato roti .
Ingredients
For the rundown sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Scotch Bonnet, left whole
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2½ tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 400ml tin coconut milk
- 100g/3½oz coconut cream, grated
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 200ml/7fl oz vegetable stock
For the fried chicken
- 1 free-range egg
- 50ml/2fl oz milk
- 100g/3½oz plain flour
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 2 chicken thighs, skin on, boneless and cut into 3 pieces each
- 100g/3½oz breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil, for frying
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the ital vegetables
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, cut into quarters
- 1 red onion, cut into quarters
- 2 large carrots, peeled, diced and par-boiled
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 125g/4½oz spinach, wilted and chopped
- 125g/4½oz rainbow chard, wilted and chopped
For the mango pickle
- 100ml/3½fl oz white vinegar
- 100g/3½oz caster sugar
- 6 black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 mango, peeled and chopped
- 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
To serve
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Method
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To make the rundown sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion and garlic. Add the scotch bonnet and fry until the onions are softened. Add all of the spices, stir gently and let it sizzle for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk and coconut cream and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer gently for a further 30 minutes to reduce and thicken.
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To make the fried chicken, beat the egg and milk together in a small jug. Mix the flour, cumin, paprika, coriander and allspice in a wide bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken piece into the egg mixture, then the flour mixture, then back into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Fry the chicken pieces in the deep fat fryer for 3 minutes on each side until golden. Carefully transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
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To make the ital vegetables, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until slightly softened. Add the carrots and spices to the pan and stir to mix. Transfer to a roasting tin and drizzle the remaining oil over the vegetables. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and stir through the greens.
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To make the pickle, place the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns in a saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Leave to cool a little and add the mango and chilli. Leave to pickle for 10 minutes.
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Serve the chicken and ital vegetables on plates and pour the rundown sauce on top. Garnish with coriander, spring onion, and parsley. Finish with the mango pickle.
