Half roast chicken with a lemon, saffron and cream sauce recipe
“How about a poussin tonight, marinaded in lemon, thyme and olive oil?” D was enthusiastic. “That would be wonderful and quick to cook. It’s not really a proper roast is it?” Danny has been great about our “no Sunday roast for January” challenge and this seemed like a good compromise for the final Sunday. That was before I went shopping. The poussin were so miniscule that it took me a good ten minutes to spot them on the Tesco shelves. And they were £2.79 for a 450g bird (£6.20 a kilo). The Tesco Finest Corn-Fed Free Range...
read moreFragrant lemon butter poussin, baked with saffron and turmeric recipe
A few weeks ago I noticed a new ceramic pepper shaker standing in my mother’s kitchen table. The powder around the holes wasn’t pepper coloured. Intrigued I tapped a little onto the back of my hand, it smelt spicy and tasted strange. “It’s turmeric. It’s supposed to have all sort of health giving properties. I sprinkle it on my food if I remember.” My mum wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of buying a new pepper shaker and filling it with turmeric on a whim. So I cruised I few internet sites and...
read moreRoast poussin with a rich apricot stuffing recipe
I love the combination of meat and fruit. We had planned to dine on stuffed and rolled breast of lamb tonight but I couldn’t find it in the freezer. Our freezer is not large but it requires superhuman skills to pack any extra items in. The freezer always seems to be chock a bloc. In fact I need to be in “Sherlock Holmes super sleuth” mode to find anything. If I remove something it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is suddenly a bit more space. A genie seems to hop in and fill the gap with a smirk. We were out all day...
read moreBest stuffing recipe for chicken, turkey or game: Pork, cider soaked raisins and pine nuts
The Chicken Out Campaign is working. Masses of people are avoiding the cheap intensively farmed supermarket chickens and visiting their local butchers to find free range birds. When I went in to see Fred Fitzpatrick (Exning Road, Newmarket – now retired) on Saturday I had a small chicken on my shopping list. “I’m sorry Fiona but we’ve sold out of those.” “How about a medium one?” “All gone.” “Have you got any chickens at all?” “Maybe.” A small chicken from Fred is...
read moreGreat recipes for leftovers: Summery spiced chicken curry recipe
Many years ago Danny and I stopped for a curry in an Indian restaurant beyond the outskirts of Soho. When we pushed open the door we found that we were the only non Indian people in the restaurant. The meal was amazing. Hot, succulent and flavoursome. Nothing like the Indian restaurants that we know and love. A year later the yearning for their food was so overwhelming that we motored down to London to sample their food again. The restaurant had vanished, We walked up and down the street several times and eventually drove the 70 miles back...
read morePiquant pot roast chicken with chilli, garlic and thyme recipe
If you write about food a lot it is easy to keep on trying to develop new recipes rather than improve on old favourites. So last week I thought that I’d play with Emma’s garlic roast chicken recipe. This wonderful pot roast recipe produces a succulent, browned chicken with an excellent sauce. Perfect as a roast and the leftovers are suculent and full of flavour. I bought a ‘small’ (1.75 kilos) chicken from Fred Fitzpatrick (our favourite butcher – Exning Road, Newmarket). His chickens are free range and by far the...
read moreBest recipes for leftovers: Chicken with creamy mushrooms, puy lentils and cous cous recipe
Leftovers. They tend to lurk in the fridge. Danny seems to have a mental list of them. “I just wondered who is cooking tonight? We have loads of leftovers. Pork and chicken and then there’s that ham…” D gets up earlier than I do. He has hours to examine the contents of the fridge. “We MUST use these leftovers up. It’s such a waste.” I know that it’s a failing but I rarely think, “Cold roast chicken. That could be transformed into a risotto/pie/sandwich.” I spot the chicken dressed in...
read moreMushroom and chicken risotto recipe
Despite a few clouds this afternoon it has been sunny all day. Only 12 hours ago I was wrapped up like Eskimo Nell and considering collecting twigs for a fire in the igloo. On a warm summer evening I love concocting a risotto bursting with summer flavours and colour. Last night, I flicked on the heater in the kitchen and mulled over the menu for supper. I wanted deep earthy flavours and tones. Comfort and warmth were a priority. There were chestnut mushrooms in the fridge and Arborio rice on the shelf. Perfect. I enjoyed making this dish,...
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