Duck, Pork and Chicken Terrine

This recipe was from Gordon Ramsey on the BBC Food website. I have modified it and it is still fabulous. Serve with mild cornichons and a glass of sweet wine.

Ingredients:

• 200g skinless duck breast
• 200g skinless chicken breast
• 150g pork tenderloin
• fillet
• 2plump garlic cloves
• peeled
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp Armagnac
• brandy
• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter, plus extra for greasing terrine
• about thinly sliced rindless streaky bacon (dry cure is best) or pancetta
• 1kg best quality sausage meat
• 150ml double cream
• 4 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme or rosemary

Prepare duck and chicken breasts and the pork fillet by trimming off any sinews and fat. Smash the garlic with the back of a knife to crush roughly. Mix the meats in a bowl with the garlic, thyme, Armagnac, oil and pepper (no salt at this stage). Cover and marinate in the fridge for 24 hrs.

Drain the meats from the marinade, which can be discarded, and cut into chunks of about 1.5cm then season slightly.

Grease a 1kg terrine or loaf tin well. I tend to use two small loaf tins as this does make a decent quantity of  terrine. Arrange strips of bacon on the base and up both sides with enough overhanging to fold over. You will have a double layer of bacon on the base. Set aside.

Soften the sausage meat in a big bowl with a wooden spoon, then work in the cream and chopped herbs. To check the seasoning, shape a tbsp of the mixture into a patty and fry in a little oil for 2-3 mins, then taste and add more salt and pepper to the bowl, if needed.

Mix the marinated meats into the sausage meat. (if you can, use 85% fat free sausage meat but don't worry if you can't. Scoop the mixture into the terrine, pressing down well. Pull the overhanging bacon strips up and over to cover or cover with strips if the strips are a little short.

Heat oven to 180C/fan. Double-wrap the terrine top in foil, pressing well into the sides and twisting the ends to seal. Place in a large, deep-sided roasting pan and pour in boiling water to reach halfway up the sides. Bake for 1.5 hrs, until the meat feels firm on top when pressed - keep an eye on the water level! Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill overnight. (Depending on the meat, there will be liquid and you can pour this off into a bowl and discard) If you use 2 tins like me, freeze one and enjoy the other as soon as you want!!

Serve in slices with cornichons,  chunks of crusty bread and a glass of desert wine!

Chicken Pasta Bake

This is a relatively simple dish to cook but is very good!

Ingredients:

• 110g of Smoked Pancetta Lardons
• 300g of Macaroni
• 2 large chicken breasts (chopped into pieces)
• 500ml of chicken stock
• 1 x tbsp of white wine vinegar
• 320g of frozen peas
• 2 little gem lettuce
• 50g of grated parmesan cheese (more for serving)
• 4 x tbsp of creme fraiche
• 15g of chopped chives

In an oven proof deep pan (that has a tight fitting lid) fry the lardons until cooked and almost crispy.

Then stir in the pasta, the chicken stock and some extra hot water (say 200ml) and bring to the boil. The pasta must be covered by the stock/water.

Fit the lid (use foil is necessary) and place in a hot oven (200 deg C) for 30 mins. Reduce to 180 degC for fan ovens)

Remove from the oven and add the vinegar, peas and quartered lettuce (wedges) and cooked uncovered for 5 to 8 mins but don't burn the lettuce.

Remove from the oven and add the cheese, creme fraiche and most of the chives amd season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve by adding more cheese and some pepper.

Chicken and Chorizo - Catalan Style

(photo to follow!!)


Well, it’s what I perceive it to be!! This dish is simple to do and can be left to simmer away to ensure the flavours permeate out. It is real soul food. There is a variety of chorizo to use but use a soft cured or uncooked type – it will be much more tender in the dish. I prefer the softer cured type as it has a little bite when you eat the dish and is a good contrast to the soft chicken. Plenty of paprika and off you go…

Ingredients: (Serves 2/4 depending on how hungry you are!)

• 250gms of boned chicken thighs
• 250gms of chicken breast
• Half a horseshoe shaped chorizo - diced
• 1 tbsp light olive oil
• Half a large red pepper (or one small one) deseeded and chopped
• 1 onion – chopped
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic – sliced or chopped
• 1 heaped tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 tsp of regular paprika
• 1 tin of chopped tomoatoes
• 500ml of decent chicken stock
• 1 tin of cannelloni beans or butter beans
• Sugar to taste – I usually use a teaspoon but it depends on the tomatoes
• A little salt and pepper

Dice the chicken pieces and brown in a the oil. Set to one side. Add the chorizo and  then add the onions and cook for a little until softened over a medium heat. Then add the garlic and red pepper and soften a little. Now add the paprika and mix well. When mixed add the chopped tomatoes and stock together with the browned chicken and then simmer for about 40 minutes (covered). At this stage, check the liquid and taste – add salt, pepper and sugar to taste and uncover to allow the liquid to reduce. At this stage you can add the beans. Do not add the liquid the beans are in but I really see no reason in washing them.  When you have a reduced sauce (not too thick) the dish is probably ready. Serve with plain basmati rice and a  large glass or Rioja!!

Chicken Thai Green Curry

Yes, I know, there are plenty of recipes out there but I think mine takes some beating – well I would, wouldn’t I !! It has, of course, been extensively honed and fashioned into what Mrs H. approves of!

The secret is a good paste – I don’t have to time to make mine from first principles but you don’t need to if you get a good one.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp of Vegetable oil
• 2 plump chicken breasts – deskinned and boned
• One large onion – chopped
• 2 ½ Tbsp of Thai Green Curry Paste
• 2 Tbsp of Thai Fish Sauce
• 1 small pack of Coconut cream – not creamed coconut!
• 500ml of good chicken stock
• 7 Kaffier lime leaves
• 2 Tbsp of Palm sugar
• Pinch of salt (if required)
• 1 small red Bird’s eye chilli (if required)
• Vegetable of your choice – bamboo shoots, French beans, broccoli etc etc

(Serves 2 or 3)

Fry the onion in the oil until soft then add the breasts, chopped into 2cm chunks. When just cooked, add the paste and stir continuously until it is fragrant and has covered all of the meat. Add the remaining ingredients (except the vegetables) stir and simmer for about 40 minutes – allowing the sauce to reduce slightly. During the simmering process, check the chilli heat to see if it is up to scratch! You don’t have to ad the veg! Just serve with boiled rice if you prefer…..

Chicken Breast with Beetroot Sauce - Farewell Floyd!

As a tribute to Keith Floyd, I thought I would dust off a copy of ‘Floyd on France’ that I had on the shelf. Like a lot of people, Keith managed to get me to raise my level of cooking back then. Maybe, even subliminally, I really love a glass of wine or 2 whilst cooking in the kitchen….. This dish was my first real dinner party dish that made people raise their eyebrows – it looks different but tastes great. (I have copied the reciped exactly as in the book)

The inspiration for this has come about from 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' blog and 'Back to the Chopping Board' blog.

Ingredients:

• 4 Small Chicken breasts – boned and skinned
• Salt & Pepper
• Butter
• 1 shallot – finely chopped
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• 1 medium beetroot – cooked and pureed with its own weight in butter
• 150ml (5fl.oz) double cream
• Fresh Chervil and julienne strips of cooked beetroot to garnish

Season the chicken and sauté gently in butter for about 4 minutes on each side. Keep warm and covered.

Boil the shallot in the wine until almost reduced to nothing. Now stir in the beetroot butter into the remaining wine and shallot until melted. Add the cream until you have a smooth consistency and a bright purple sauce. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

There should be a little juice from the chicken that has been resting: pour thid into the sauce. Then slice each breast into thin scallops and reconstruct into its original shape. Pour a little sauce on to each plate, lay the chicken on top of the sauce and decorate with strips of beetroot and chervil.

Oh, by the way - don't serve it with dauphinoise potatoes - just too much! I think crushed new potatoes would be much better.

Chicken, Chorizo and Bacon

Sounds like I’m using up left overs – well sort of. I didn’t want to waste items in the fridge and came up with this recipe. I make no apologies for the poor photos - but at least I am trying! It can only get better!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• Chorizo – say 150cm x 2.5cm piece - chopped
• 2 chicken breasts
• Pack of Bacon lardons or similar
• 1Tbsp of Tomato Paste
• 1 Chilli - chopped
• 1 Onion – diced
• ½ Tsp of Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tsp of Sugar
• 1 440gms tin of chopped tomatoes
• Salt & Pepper

Heat oil in a pan and add the chorizo, onions, bacon and chilli. Stir constantly making sure nothing burns. As the chorizo cooks it will release oil. When it is looking cooked – ie onions are soft, add tomato paste and paprika and stir for a few minutes. Chop the chicken breast and add for a few minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper and reduce the heat and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes until chicken is well cooked. Serve with rice or pasta – either way it was very good!

Thai Style Chicken Salad Starter!

I lost my way trying to decide what to do as a starter yesterday, so made up something that turned out to be really enjoyed by everybody (Mrs H wants it again this week!)

Ingredients (serves 4 – 6):

• 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
• 1 Tbsp of palm sugar
• 1 large red chilli – chopped
• 1.5 Tsps of ground dried shrimp
• Handful of Chopped Mint
• Handful of chopped coriander – a little more than the mint
• 4 shallots – finely sliced
• 6in length of cucumber – peeled and deseeded then sliced
• 4 spring onions chopped – include some of the green bits
• 4 decent chicken breasts
• Half an Iceberg lettuce

Mix the fish sauce, lime, sugar, chilli, shrimp in a bowl and ensure the sugar is dissolved. This is kept to one side and added to the salad just before serving.

Fry the chicken until golden and then allow to cool. Slice/chop and add to the coriander, onions, cucumber and mint. Mix well. Just before serving, arrange chopped iceberg onto plate and then add sauce to the salad mixture, mix well again and spoon onto lettuce pre plated.

I also made another sauce similar to the above but with a few extra spices and some hotter chillis together with a little rice wine vinegar and a little more palm sugar – this can then be added to the salad for the braver ones! Enjoy!