Chicken vol-au-vent with French fries and broccoli

Chicken vol-au-vent with French fries and broccoli
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Filling
  • 400 gr boneless chicken filet
  • 125 gr mushrooms
  • 125 gr onions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
Sauce
  • 25 gr butter
  • 25 gr white flour
  • 150 gr meat stock
  • 150 gr milk
  • 100 gr double cream
  • Mustard to taste
Side dishes
  • 1 kg French fries
  • 2 broccolis
  • 4 puff pastry vol-au-vents
Instructions
Filling
  1. Dice the chicken filet. Chop the onions, mushrooms, and garlic.
  2. Stir fry the chicken until just cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. Stir fry the mushrooms, onions, and garlic until cooked. Set aside.
Sauce
  1. Melt the butter on a low heat. Add all the flour at once and stir together to form a roux using a spatula. Cook for 5 minutes on a low heat.
  2. Add the stock to the roux and stir until smooth using a whisk. Increase the heat. Continue stirring and adding the milk and cream you have a smooth sauce.
  3. Return to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice and mustard.
  4. Mix the sauce with the cooked chicken, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Keep warm until needed.
  5. Reheat the vol-au-vent briefly in the oven.
  6. Cook the French fries.
  7. Cook the broccoli in plenty of lightly salted boiling water, drain, and serve.
  8. Serve the chicken vol-au-vent with the French fries and broccolis.
Stuff to know
This quantity will make about 4 portions.
If the sauce is too thick, add some extra stock, milk, or cream.
The sauce is a close relative to a béchamel sauce. But with stock and cream and not just milk.
Make sure the stock you add to the roux is cold. The sauce will thicken when it comes to the boil again. if you start the sauce with a cold liquid, you have some time until the sauce thickens.

 

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Sweet potato curry with chick peas and spinach

Sweet potato curry with chick peas and spinach
 
Author:
Makes: 4-5 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Curry
  • 400 gr onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 50 gr fresh ginger
  • 1 kg sweet potato
  • 1 tspn pataks curry paste
  • 1 tbspn madras curry powder
  • 1 tbspn ground coriander
  • 1 tbspn ground cumin
  • 1 tspn ground ginger
  • 140 gr tomato puree
  • 400 gr chopped tomatoes
  • 400 gr coconut milk
  • 340 gr cooked chick peas
  • 150 gr fresh spinach
Garnish
  • 100 gr yoghurt
  • 2 tbspn fresh coriander
Instructions
  1. Peel and dice onion and garlic. Peel the ginger. Puree onion, garlic and ginger till smooth.
  2. Sweat onion, ginger and garlic off in oil without colouring.
  3. Wash, peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Add to the pan. Cook until soft.
  4. Add curry paste with the madras powder, ground coriander, ground cumin and ground ginger and cook on low heat until fragrant.
  5. Add the tomato puree, cook for a minute and add the chopped tomatoes. Allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender.
  6. Add coconut milk and the drained, cooked chick peas to the sauce. Cook for several minutes, check seasoning and add lemon juice, salt or pepper to taste.
  7. In the meantime, cook the rice in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and keep warm.
  8. Add the spinach to the sauce and serve with the rice. Garnish with fresh coriander and yoghurt.
Stuff to know
This quantity will feed 4-5 people.
Frying off the curry paste and spices will release their flavour but do not burn them.
Bind the sauce if need be with corn flour mixed with some cold water.
Ideally, use the pataks cumin coriander mild curry paste for this recipe.
For a non-vegetarian version of this dish, add chorizo or chicken.

 

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Chicken fajitas

Chicken fajitas
 
Author:
Makes: 10 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Sauce
  • 1 kg chicken breast fillet
  • 2 red onions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 yellow bell peppers
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 tspn chilli powder
  • 1 tbspn ground cumin
  • 1 tbspn ground coriander
  • 1 tspn ground paprika
  • 280 gr tomato puree
  • 25 gr sweet chilli sauce
Side dishes
  • 20 wraps
  • 100 gr sour cream
  • 100 gr sweet chilli sauce
  • 150 gr grated cheese
  • 5 tomatoes
  • 1 iceberg lettuce
  • 200 gr tortilla crisps
  • 25 gr fresh coriander
Instructions
  1. Cut the chicken breast fillet in strips and marinate in oil, chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and ground paprika (possibly overnight).
  2. Dice the red onion and garlic. Cut the bell peppers in strips.
  3. Stir fry the chicken breast fillet in extra oil if needed until brown. Remove and set aside for later.
  4. Stir fry the onion and garlic and cook until softened.
  5. Add the bell peppers and cook until soft.
  6. Add the chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and ground paprika and seasoning to taste.
  7. Add the tomato puree and sweet chili sauce. Stir to combine. Add some water or stock to get the right consistency without making the sauce too runny.
  8. Add the browned chicken to the sauce and allow the sauce to simmer for 15 min or until the vegetables and chicken are cooked.
  9. Reheat the wraps in the oven or steamer.
  10. Slice the tomatoes. Shred the iceberg lettuce, chop the fresh coriander and keep all the salad ingredients cold until service.
  11. Serve the chicken fajitas with the wraps. Offer on the side the sour cream, extra sweet chilli sauce, grated cheese, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, tortilla crisps and chopped coriander.
Stuff to know
This recipe will yield about 10 portions.
The spices and seasoning are to taste.
Add the pre-cooked chicken at the end to prevent them from overcooking.
Add some diced chorizo for extra flavour.

 

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Chicken satay fried rice

Chicken satay fried rice
 
Author:
Makes: 3-5 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 250 gr rice
  • 250 gr chicken
  • 1 tbspn sweet soy sauce
  • ½ tspn ground turmeric
  • 1 tspn ground coriander
  • 250 gr onions
  • 250 gr carrots
  • 250 gr white cabbage
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 50 gr fresh ginger
  • ½ tspn ground cumin
  • 1 tspn ground curry powder
  • 1 tspn ground turmeric
  • 1 tspn ground coriander
  • 50 gr sweet soy sauce
  • 250 gr green peas
  • 75 gr bean sprouts
Satay sauce
  • 90 gr peanut butter
  • 125 gr milk
  • 25 gr sweet say sauce
  • 1 tspn sweet chilli sauce
Sides
  • 4 eggs
  • 25 gr prawn crackers
Instructions
Preparation
  1. Dice the chicken and marinade in the sweet say sauce, turmeric and ground coriander.
  2. Dice the onion and carrots, slice the cabbage and mince the garlic and ginger.
  3. Defrost the green peas if needed.
  4. Mix the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking
  1. Cook the rice in salted boiling water until done, drain and set aside until needed.
  2. Stir fry the onion, carrots and cabbage for about 10 minutes until soft.
  3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes
  4. Add the ground cumin, ground curry powder, ground turmeric and ground coriander and cook for a couple of minutes to release their flavour.
  5. Add the cooked rice together with the cooked chicken and the sweet soy sauce. Mix until combined to warm through.
  6. Add the defrosted green peas and bean sprouts and mix to warm though. Taste and correct the seasoning.
  7. Meanwhile, pour the eggs in a frying pan and cook until just set.
  8. To make the satay sauce, mix the peanut butter with the cold milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Sir in the sweet soy sauce and season to taste. Keep warm on a low heat until needed, adjusting the consistency if needed with extra peanut butter or milk.
  9. Serve the rice with the fried eggs, the satay sauce and the prawn crackers.
Stuff to know
This will be enough for 3-5 portions.
It is possible to use rice that has been cooked a day ahead.
The sweet soy sauce is already rather salty, do not use too much salt in the dish.
It is important to fry off the spices to make them much more aromatic and powerful.
Serve with a hot sauce (Tabasco or Sambal) if desired.
Pork can replace the chicken.
The quantity of spices, sweet soy sauce and sweet chili sauce can be adjusted to suit one’s taste.

 

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Jerusalem artichoke and Savoy cabbage

Jerusalem artichoke and Savoy cabbage
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 600 gr potatoes
  • 4 chicken fillets
  • 400 gr Jerusalem artichokes
  • 40 gr hazelnuts
  • ½ Savoy cabbage
  • 2 elpl mustard
  • 100 gr double cream
  • 30 gr gravy powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Wash the potatoes, do not peel them and pat them dry. Cut into chunks, sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper and roast for 45 min or until cooked and golden brown.
  2. Cut the Jerusalem artichokes in slices 5 mm thick.
  3. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage if they are too old. Remove the leaves and cut away the thick vein. Cut the cabbage in fine strips.
  4. Season the chicken breast fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Heat some oil and butter and bake the chicken breast fillets on medium high until cocked and golden.
  5. Heat some butter in a second frying pan and sauté the Jerusalem artichokes until cooked and golden.
  6. Meanwhile, bring some salted water to the boil and blanch the Savoy cabbage until just cooked. Drain and return to the pot. Add in the mustard and seasoning to taste with the cream. Allow the cream to reduce over a low heat until it clings to the cabbage. Keep warm.
  7. Chop the hazelnuts and add them to the Jerusalem artichokes.
  8. Mix the gravy powder with some cold water and add to the chicken. Cook until reduced to the right consistency and season to taste.
  9. To plate, spoon the sauce and warm plates and place the cabbage on top. Position the Jerusalem artichokes on the opposite corners and the roasted potatoes and the other ends. Place the chicken on top of the cabbage and serve.
Stuff to know
Jerusalem artichokes are a forgotten vegetable, that is also known in Dutch as aardpeer and in French as topinambour. It has a lightly sweet, nutty flavour that resembles the green artichoke.
The Jerusalem artichoke is the root of a plant that is in season in the winter. They are rough looking, mostly light brown and they pair well with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, nuts and game.

 

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Chicken risotto with butternut squash

Chicken risotto with butternut squash
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Risotto
  • 2 small butternut squash
  • 2 chicken breast
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 250 gr Arborio rice
  • 100 ml dry white wine
  • 700 ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbspn sage
  • 25 gr butter
  • 4 tbspn parmesan cheese
Spinach salad
  • 50 gr pecan nuts
  • 1 tspn sea salt
  • 2 tspn white wine vinegar
  • 6 tbspn olive oil
  • 1 tspn mustard
  • 1 tspn honey
  • 80 gr rocket and spinach
  • 50 gr Parmesan cheese
  • 50 gr raisins or sultana’s
Instructions
Chicken risotto
  1. Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle with some oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 180°C for 45 min or until just cooked.
  2. Leave them to cool for a minute, than scoop out the flesh leaving a border behind so that the squash halves can be filled later.
  3. For the risotto base, finely dice the chicken, onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Heat some butter or oil in a hot pan and add the chicken, onion, garlic and green bell pepper. Fry over a gentle heat for a couple of minutes until softened.
  4. Stir in the rice and stir fry for a minute in the oil. Pour in the wine and dried sage and simmer, stirring, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.
  5. Heat the vegetable bouillon to a simmer. Add a ladleful of the hot stock and simmer, stirring again, until the liquid has been absorbed.
  6. Continue adding the stock in this way, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, which should take about 15 to 20 min.
Spinach salad
  1. Chop the pecan nuts and toast in a dry pan until fragrant. Season with the sea salt and set aside for later. Whisk the white wine vinegar, mustard, honey and olive oil to a dressing and season to taste.
  2. Mix the rocket, spinach, raisins and pecan nuts with the dressing and the grated parmesan cheese.
Final assembly
  1. Reheat the butternut squash halves in the oven if needed.
  2. When the risotto is cooked, check the seasoning and melt the butter in the risotto to make it shine.
  3. Ladle the cooked risotto in the butternut squash halves and serve with the spinach salad. Garnish with some parmesan cheese and a balsamic reduction, if desired.
Stuff to know
Do not overcook the risotto nor let it catch.
Use special risotto rice like Arborio for this dish.
Optionally, deep fry some fresh sage leaves in some very hot oil until crisp, drain on kitchen paper and use a garnish.
It is possible to eat the skin of the squash if desired. Alternatively, scoop out most of the flesh to only leave a thin border behind, in which case the skin can be discarded after the meal.

 

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Sprouts, chicken and pineapple stir fry

Sprouts, chicken and pineapple stir fry
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 650 gr potatoes
  • 300 gr chicken breast
  • 2 onions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 70 gr tomato puree
  • 1 tbspn dried sage
  • 500 gr Brussels sprouts
  • 340 gr pineapple
  • 50 gr pineapple juice
Instructions
  1. Dice the potatoes and cook in salted boiling water until just cooked, drain and allow to dry for a minute.
  2. Het some oil in a pan and stir fry the potato cubes until light Brown.
  3. Dice the chicken breast and stir fry until just cooked.
  4. Chop the onion and red bell peppers and stir fry until coloured.
  5. Chop the garlic and fry for a minute before adding the tomato puree and pineapple juice.
  6. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sage and allow to simmer on a low heat until the vegetables and chicken are cooked.
  7. Remove the base from the sprouts and cook in salted boiling water until just cooked, drain and allow to dry for a minute.
  8. Add them with the drained pineapple chunks to the pan and mix in.
  9. Check the seasoning and serve.
Stuff to know
This quantity will be enough for 4 people.
Boiling the potato cubes and sprouts is necessary because they won’t cook sufficiently when they are only stir fried. Be careful, though, not to overcook them or they will fall apart.
Substitute turkey for the chicken.

 

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Chicken with cauliflower couscous

Chicken with cauliflower couscous
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Vegetables
  • 1 cauliflower
  • 2 apples
  • 60 gr black olives
  • 150 gr walnuts
  • 1 tbspn rosemary
  • 1 tbspn lemon juice
Dressing
  • 1 tlpl mustard
  • 10 gr white-wine vinegar
  • 1 tlpl honey
  • 30 gr olive oil
Finish
  • 4 chicken breast fillets
  • some rocket
Instructions
Vegetables
  1. Cut the cauliflower into florets. In batches, chop up the cauliflower in a food processer until it resembles couscous.
  2. Dice the apples and slice the black olives.
  3. Roast the walnuts in a dry pan until fragrant and season with some salt.
Dressing
  1. Mix the vinegar with the mustard, honey and seasoning to taste.
  2. Stir in the olive oil until emulsified.
Finish
  1. Bake or grill the chicken breast filets until cooked. Season to taste
  2. Melt some butter and add a splash of water to a large, flat pan. Add the cauliflower couscous and reheat on a low heat.
  3. Add the apples, olives and season with the rosemary, lemon juice, dressing and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Scoop the couscous on the plate first, the add the walnuts and rocket and the chicken breast.
Stuff to know
The cauliflower shouldn’t be pureed but needs to have the same consistency as couscous.
The cauliflower is not really cooked but more heated through to conserve its flavour.
This dish is gluten-free and fits in a diet were starchy foods are avoided.

 

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Chinese chicken and noodles

Chinese chicken and noodles
 
Author:
Makes: 5 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Marinade
  • 400 gr chicken breasts
  • 1 tspn five-spice
  • 1 tspn ground cumin
  • 1 tspn ground coriander
  • 4 tbspn oil
Sauce
  • 200 gr carrots
  • 100 gr onions
  • 20 gr garlic
  • 100 gr white cabbage
  • 30 gr fresh ginger
  • 1 tspn five-spice
  • 1 tspn ground cumin
  • 1 tbspn ground coriander
  • 50 gr sweet soy sauce
  • 50 gr yellow bean sauce
  • 1 tbspn sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 100 gr green peas
  • 100 gr chicken stock
  • 1 tbspn corn flour
  • 250 gr noodles
Finish
  • 5 tbspn fresh coriander
  • 5 tbspn salted roasted peanuts
Instructions
Marinade
  1. Dice the chicken breast and mix with the ground cumin, ground coriander, five-spice and oil. Season to taste and allow to marinate for a few minutes or as long as you have.
  2. Stir fry the chicken breast until golden and cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside for a minute.
Sauce
  1. Peel and dice the carrot, onion, garlic, white cabbage and ginger.
  2. Sweat in some oil until soft off in the pan used for the chicken. Add the five spice, ground cumin, ground coriander and fry for a minute so the spices can release their flavours.
  3. Dice the bell pepper and add to the pot. Cook for a minute to soften.
  4. Stir in the sweet soy sauce, yellow bean sauce and sweet chilli sauce and season to taste. Simmer on a low heat until the vegetables are cooked through.
  5. Mix the defrosted garden peas and the cooked chicken into the sauce and simmer on a low heat to keep warm.
  6. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in boiling water until tender, drain and mix with the sauce and vegetables.
  7. If you need some more sauce, stir in some chicken stock or any of the sauces used earlier. To thicken the sauce if needed, mix some corn flour with cold water and add to the sauce, which will thicken when brought to the boil.
Finish
  1. Serve the sauce, vegetables and chicken together.
  2. Garnish with some fresh coriander and roasted salted peanuts.
Stuff to know
If need be, mix some corn flour with water until smooth, then add to the sauce and cook until the sauce has thickened. The amount of cornstarch will influence the thickness of the sauce.
Yellow bean sauce is available at some specialized Chinese supermarkets.

 

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Guinea fowl with beetroot risotto and spinach salad

Guinea fowl with beetroot risotto and spinach salad
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Sauce
  • 2 guinea fowls
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 onion
  • 1 stick celery
  • 70 gr tomato puree
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbspn thyme
  • 150 gr red wine
  • 100 gr red port
  • 50 gr cold butter
Red beetroot crisps
  • 3 cooked red beetroot
  • 50 gr water
  • 50 gr white sugar
Pearl barley
  • 1 onion
  • 2 clove of garlic
  • 200 gr pearl barley
  • 1 litre chicken stock
  • 6 cooked red beetroot
  • 1 tbspn thyme
Spinach salad
  • 50 gr walnuts
  • 1 tspn sea salt
  • 2 apples
  • 2 tspn white wine vinegar
  • 6 tbspn olive oil
  • 1 tspn mustard
  • 1 tspn honey
  • 80 gr rocket and spinach
  • 50 gr Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Sauce
  1. Preheat the oven to op 180 °C. Remove the wishbone and breast filets of the guinea fowl. Set aside for later. Take the legs off and debone them. Remove the wings and chop up the carcass. Roast the carcass in the oven until golden brown. Roughly cut the vegetables and cook in a large pot until golden.
  2. Lower the heat, stir in the tomato puree and cook for a minute. Add the chicken carcass to the pot, deglaze the roasting tin with water and add to the pot. Add water to just cover the bones and simmer for 2 hours, skimming regularly. Pass, discard the vegetables and keep the stock to make the sauce.
  3. For the sauce, fry off the diced onion and garlic. Add the red wine, port, thyme and bay leaf and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add the chicken stock and reduce again to a sauce consistency. Pass, season to taste and set aside for later.
Red beetroot crisp
  1. Preheat the oven to 90°C, preferably on a fan setting. Boil the water and pour this in a shallow bowl. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Let this cool down until lukewarm. Cut the beetroot in thin slices and dip in the sugar syrup to coat both sides.
  2. Place them on a wire rack (not on a tray) and transfer to the oven. Leaving the oven door ajar, dry the beetroot for 30 min or until completely dry and crispy. Remove from the oven and let the crisps cool down to room temperature. Store in an airtight container with some kitchen paper for a maximum of two days.
Pearl barley
  1. Dice the onion and garlic and sweat off. Rinse the pearl barley under cold running water and add to the pot. Add the stock, thyme and simmer for 60 until cooked.
  2. Season to taste. Keep warm or store in the fridge for later use.
Spinach salad
  1. Chop the walnuts and toast in a dry pan until fragrant. Season with the sea salt and set aside for later.
  2. Whisk the white wine vinegar, mustard, honey and olive oil to a dressing and season to taste.
Final assembly
  1. Season the breasts of the guinea fowl with salt and pepper to taste and pan fry skin side down until cooked. Flip over to cook the other side and allow to rest in a warm place.
  2. Reheat the required amount of sauce without boiling. Whisk in the cold butter, check the seasoning and keep warm.
  3. Reheat if necessary the pearl barley, check the seasoning and keep warm.
  4. Wash the apples and into thin wedges. Mix the apple wedges with the dressing. Season to taste. Mix the apple with the rocket salad melange. Grate the Parmesan cheese on top of the salad. Top with the toasted walnuts.
  5. Place the pearl barley on the place. Slice the breasts of the guinea fowl and place on top. Position the salad the sauce and spoon the sauce on the plate. Garnish with the beetroot crisps and serve.
Stuff to know
It is possible, even desirable, to make the beetroot crisps, pearl barley and sauce ahead of time.
Use a shop-bought sauce for a quicker version of this dish and leave the crisps out.
Not all the sauce will be needed for the final assembly. It is possible to freeze the rest for later use.

 

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Chicken and squash strudel

Chicken and squash strudel
 
Author:
Makes: 6 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 250 gr chicken breast
  • 200 gr risotto rice
  • 250 gr white wine
  • 400 gr chicken stock
  • 500 gr squash
  • 250 gr aubergine
  • 2 tbspn sage
  • 50 gr pecan nuts
  • ½ tspn ground coriander
  • 50 gr dried apricots
  • 16 sheets filo pastry
  • 125 gr melted butter
Instructions
  1. Dice the onion and garlic and sweat off in some oil.
  2. Add the rice and stir fry for a minute. Add the white wine and cook until absorbed by the rice.
  3. Add the hot chicken stock ladle by ladle until the rice is half-cooked.
  4. Dice the chicken breast, season with salt and pepper and add to the rice.
  5. Continue cooking until both the rice and chicken are cooked, seasoning to taste with the sage and salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  6. Dice the aubergine and squash and add with the pecan nuts to the filling. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  7. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a tray with baking paper.
  8. Cover the bench with some plastic foil. Place a sheet of filo pastry on it, brush lightly with melted butter and place a second sheet on top. Brush again with butter and top with some of the filling.
  9. Using the plastic film, roll the pastry over itself into a cylinder, tucking the sides in. Place on the baking tray and repeat until the filo pastry is used up.
  10. Brush the strudels with melted butter and bake in the preheated oven for 25 min or until cooked and brown. Brush again with the melted butter and sprinkle the flaked almonds on tp. Return to the oven to toast the almonds and serve.
Stuff to know
Make the filling ahead to time to allow it to cool.
Serve the strudel with a side salad made with shaved raw fennel, orange segments, tarragon and mixed leaves.
Keep the filo pastry from drying out by covering it with a damp tea towel.

 

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Oriental duck two ways

Oriental duck two ways
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Duck leg spring rolls
  • 2 duck legs
  • 1 tbspn salt
  • 1 tspn pepper
  • 400 gr duck fat
  • 1 spring onion
  • ½ carrot
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tspn five spice
  • 1 tspn ground cumin
  • 1 tspn ground coriander
  • 1 tbspn sweet soy sauce
  • 1 tspn sweet chilli sauce
  • 4 spring roll sheets
  • 1 eggs
Duck breast
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 onions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 200 gr white cabbage
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 1 tspn five-spice
  • 1 tbspn ground cumin
  • 1 tbspn ground coriander
  • 4 tbspn sweet soy sauce
  • 2 tbspn sweet chilli sauce
  • 50 gr green peas
  • 300 gr noodles
  • 2 duck breasts
  • 1 tbspn fresh coriander
  • 1 tbspn salted roasted peanuts
Instructions
Duck leg spring rolls
  1. Lay the duck legs on a tray, flesh-side upwards, and rub with the salt and pepper. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. The next day, rinse the marinade off the duck legs and pat them dry with a cloth.
  2. Preheat the oven to 90°C. On a gentle heat, bring the fat to just below simmering point; there should be no bubbles breaking the surface. Put the duck legs in a large flameproof casserole and totally cover with the melted duck fat.
  3. Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours, until the duck legs are very tender. Leave to cool in the fat until cool enough to handle, drain the meat and and pick the meat from the bones.
  4. Peel and grate the carrot and chop the spring onion and garlic. Mix the shredded duck leg meat with the five spice, ground cumin, ground coriander, sweet soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce and carrot. Taste for seasoning.
  5. Egg wash a square of spring roll pastry, place some filling on one end, leaving space at the sides to fold over. Roll the pastry into spring roll shapes and egg wash the seal, top and bottom of the roll. Set aside for later.
Sauce and vegetables
  1. Peel and dice the carrot, onion, garlic, white cabbage and ginger. Sweat off in some oil until soft.
  2. Add the five spice, ground cumin, ground coriander and fry for a minute so the spices can release their flavours.
  3. Stir in the sweet soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce and season to taste. Leave on a low heat until the vegetables are cooked through and the sauce is thickened.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in boiling water until tender, drain and mix with the sauce and vegetables.
  5. Mix some garden peas into the sauce and set aside on a low heat to keep warm.
Duck breast
  1. Meanwhile, season the duck breasts with salt and pepper and place, skin side down, in a hot and dry frying pan.
  2. Cook on the fat side until crispy, then turn the breast over and leave on the heat until it is cooked to the desired doneness. Rest the duck in a warm place.
To plate
  1. Heat some oil in a frying pan and deep fry the duck leg spring rolls until the filling is warm and the pastry is cooked.
  2. Place the warm noodles with the sauce and vegetables in the centre of the plate.
  3. Slice the duck breast and place on top of the noodles.
  4. Slice the spring rolls diagonally and place them upright next to the noodles.
  5. Place a little of the Asian red cabbage coleslaw with sesame ginger dressing on the other side of the noodles.
  6. Garnish with some fresh coriander and roasted salted peanuts.
Stuff to know
This quantity will feed 4 people.
Although the recipe requires quite a few steps, most of it can be prepared ahead of time.
It is possible to pass the duck fat and use it again for another confit.
If need be, mix some corn flour with water until smooth, then add to the sauce and cook until the sauce has thickened. The amount of cornstarch will influence the thickness of the sauce.
Click here for the recipe of the Asian red cabbage coleslaw with sesame-ginger dressing.

 

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Chicken stew with green beans and sweet potato

Chicken stew with green beans and sweet potato
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 400 gr chicken
  • 1 tspn ground ginger
  • 1 tspn ground cumin
  • 1 tspn ground coriander
  • 2 tbspn olive oil
  • 3 onions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 thumb fresh ginger
  • 1 tbspn ground ginger
  • 1 tbspn ground cumin
  • 1 tspn ground coriander
  • 300 gr sweet potato
  • ½ aubergine
  • 1 tspn honey
  • 300 gr chicken stock
  • 100 gr dried raisins
  • 200 gr green beans
  • 2 pears
  • 4 tbspn fresh coriander
Instructions
  1. Dice the chicken and season with the ground ginger, ground cumin, ground coriander and salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Heat the oil and stir fry the chicken until coloured.
  3. Chop finely the onion, garlic and ginger. Add to the chicken and cook until soft.
  4. Add the ground ginger, ground cumin, ground coriander and cook until they release their flavour.
  5. Peel and dice the sweet potato. Dice the aubergine. Add to the pan and cook several minutes until softened.
  6. Add the honey, chicken stock, dried raisins and seasoning to taste.
  7. Simmer the stew on a low heat for 20 min or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked.
  8. Mix the corn flour with some cold water and stir into the sauce, which will thicken when boiling again. Taste for seasoning.
  9. Peel the pears and cut them into wedges. Stir into the sauce to warm up but do not overcook them.
  10. Boil the green beans in salted boiling water and drain.
  11. Chop the fresh coriander.
  12. Serve the chicken stew with the green beans and give some couscous or rice. Garnish with the fresh coriander.
Stuff to know
Do not add too much stock or the sauce with be watery. If so, mix some corn flour with cold water and add that to the sauce. It will thicken when boiling again.
The amount of corn flour will determine how thick the sauce is.
This dish can very well be prepared in a tajine, a traditional earthenware North-African slow cooker.
Use chicken breasts or thighs for this dish.

 

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Chicken chasseur

Chicken chasseur
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 350 gr mushroom
  • 2 rashers of bacon
  • 100 ml white wine
  • 75 gr tomato paste
  • 200 ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbspn tarragon
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a tray with baking paper.
  2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  3. Chop the onion and garlic. Quarter the mushrooms. Finely chop the bacon.
  4. Heat a little vegetable oil in a hot pan and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan. Set aside for later.
  5. Place the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown in the fat that came from the bacon. Turn over to cook the other side until coloured. Remove the chicken from the pan. Place the chicken on the tray to finish cooking in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 75°C, which should take about 10 min.
  6. In the pan that was used to cook the chicken, cook the onion, garlic and mushrooms until half cooked.
  7. Add the wine and scrape off any juicy bits at the bottom of the pan. Reduce by half.
  8. Add the tomato paste and stir in to the wine to create a sauce.
  9. Add the chicken stock and cook the sauce until it has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with tarragon, salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Add the crispy bacon to the sauce just before serving.
  11. Spoon the sauce on the plate and place the cooked chicken on top. Serve with new potatoes and a suitable green vegetable.
Stuff to know
Do not overcook the chicken or it will be dry.
The chicken doesn’t need to cook through when you cook it in the pan, since it will finish cooking in the oven. All you are looking for is a good colour and crust.
Reducing the cooking liquid until it becomes a sauce will both concentrate the flavour and provides the proper thickness.
Traditionally, a chicken chasseur is a whole chicken cut up in leg meat and breast meat, that is stewed in the sauce for a long time until cooked. This recipe is a more modern version.

 

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Chicken galantine

Chicken galantine
 
Author:
Makes: 8 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Filling
  • 454 gr chicken meat
  • 3 gr salt
  • 1 egg white
  • 240 ml cold cream
  • 100 gr spinach
Also
  • 1 whole chicken
Instructions
Filling
  1. Cut the chicken for the filling into a dice. Keep it very cold. Grind the meat to a paste in a food processor.
  2. Add the egg whites, and pulse the machine on and off to incorporate them into the meat. Season.
  3. With the machine running, add cold heavy cream in a thin stream. Process the mixture just until the cream is incorporated. Push the forcemeat through a drum sieve in a clean bowl set over ice. Keep cool until needed.
Chicken
  1. For the galantine, remove the wishbone. Place the bird on its back side breast side up.
  2. Cut the skin along the breast bone and work your way down along the breast bone following the ribs to free one side of the bird.
  3. Disjoint the wing and leg but leave them attached to the bird, just break them free of the carcass. Repeat this on the other side of the bird.
  4. Remove the wing bones and debone the thighs and drumstick. You end up with a deboned whole chicken, skin on.
Stuffing
  1. Place the chicken skin side down on the board. Season and spread the forcemeat on.
  2. Place the spinach on the forcemeat. Roll up the chicken and ty up with string.
  3. Roast in a preheated oven at 160°C on a trivet of vegetables for about 1 hour or until core temperature of chicken reaches 72°C.
  4. Rest for 10-15mins before carving.
Stuff to know
This quantity will feed 6-8 people, depending on the size of the chicken
In the culinary arts, a traditional galantine is a deboned chicken wrapped in its own skin along with ground meat and other ingredients, and then cooked. A galantine is cooked either by poaching it in stock or roasting it.
Make sure the bowls, the meat and the cream are super cold when making the forcemeat or it will split.

 

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Chicken stew with apricots and almonds

Chicken stew with apricots and almonds
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 400 gr chicken
  • 1 tspn cinnamon
  • 1 tspn ground ginger
  • ½ tspn turmeric
  • 1 tbspn olive oil
  • 2 onions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 courgette
  • ½ tbspn ground ginger
  • ½ tbspn ground cumin
  • ½ tspn ground coriander
  • 300 gr vegetable stock
  • ½ tspn honey
  • 12 dried apricots
  • 75 gr whole almonds
Instructions
  1. Dice the chicken and season with the cinnamon, ground ginger, turmeric and salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Heat the oil and stir fry the chicken until coloured.
  3. Dice the onion, garlic, carrots and courgette. Add to the chicken and cook until soft.
  4. Add the ground ginger, ground cumin, ground coriander and honey and cook until they release their flavour.
  5. Add the vegetable stock, dried apricots, honey and whole almonds.
  6. Simmer on a low heat for 20 min or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked.
  7. Serve with couscous and extra vegetables if desired.
Stuff to know
Do not too much stock or the sauce with be watery. If so, mix some corn flour with cold water and add that to the sauce. It will thicken when boiling again.

 

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Chicken risotto with samphire and roasted red pepper

Chicken risotto with samphire and roasted red pepper
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 2 red peppers
  • 600 ml vegetable stock
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bulb of fennel
  • 250 gr arborio rice
  • 2 tbspn tarragon
  • 100 ml dry white wine
  • 2 chicken breast
  • 160 gr samphire
  • 30 gr hazelnuts
  • 25 gr butter
  • 50 gr grated parmesan
Instructions
  1. Cut the peppers into quarters, take the seeds out and brush with some oil. Grill in the oven until the skin is black. Remove from the oven, place inside a plastic bag for 10 min to soften and peel the black skin off.
  2. Heat the vegetable bouillon to a simmer.
  3. For the risotto base, finely dice the onion, garlic and bulb of fennel. Heat some butter and oil in a hot pan and add the onion, garlic and fennel. Fry over a gentle heat for a couple of minutes until softened.
  4. Stir in the rice and coat in the oil. Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.
  5. Add a ladleful of the hot stock and simmer, stirring again, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, which should take about 15 to 20 min.
  6. Meanwhile, toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan until they smell nice, chop, and set aside for later.
  7. Boil the samphire 2 min in boiling water, drain, and add to the risotto.
  8. Chop the roasted red peppers and stir in the risotto. Check for seasoning.
  9. Butterfly the chicken breast. Season and brush with oil. Grill on both sides until cooked.
  10. When cooked, stir some melted butter and grated parmesan in the risotto to make it shine.
  11. Check the seasoning and serve the risotto with the grilled chicken and toasted hazelnuts.
Stuff to know
Do not overcook the risotto nor let it catch.
Go easy on the salt since samphire is salt by itself. Also, some stocks are really salty.
Use special risotto rice like Arborio for this dish.
Replace the samphire by green asparagus when in season.

 

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Chicken pie

Chicken pie
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 300 gr chicken
  • 40 gr butter
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 300 gr carrots
  • 40 gr flour
  • 400 ml milk
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tspn lemon juice
  • 1 tspn mustard
  • 250 gr green peas
  • 3 tbspn fresh parsley
  • 90 gr sweet corn
  • 300 gr puff pastry
  • 1 egg
Instructions
  1. Dice the chicken and stir fry in some oil until almost cooked. Season to taste, remove and set aside.
  2. Chop the onion and garlic. Peel and dice the carrot.
  3. Melt the butter. Cook the onion, carrot and garlic until soft.
  4. Add all the flour at once and stir together (a roux). Cook on a low heat for a couple of minutes. Add some of the cold milk to the roux and stir until smooth. Continue adding the milk while stirring until you have a smooth sauce.
  5. Return to a simmer and add the bay leaves, lemon juice to taste and mustard. Season to taste.
  6. Simmer for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour and to finish cooking the vegetables.
  7. Add the green peas and the sweet corn and remove the bay leaves.
  8. Return the cooked chicken to the sauce.
  9. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease an ovenproof dish. Spread the sauce, chicken and vegetables in the dish.
  10. Roll the puff pastry out to the size of your dish. Place on top of the filling and press down the rim to seal it to the dish.
  11. Brush with the beaten egg and bake the chicken pie in the oven for 30 min or until golden and cooked through.
  12. Serve the chicken pie with a vegetable of your choice.
Stuff to know
It is possible to make the sauce and filling ahead and refrigerate until needed. The baking time will be longer though if the dish comes straight from the fridge.
Replace some of the milk by dry white wine.

 

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Stuffed chicken breast with hazelnuts and broccoli

Stuffed chicken breast with hazelnuts and broccoli
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breast
  • 4 tbspn pesto
  • 8 sundried tomatoes
  • 6 slices dry ham
  • 600 gr broccoli
  • 50 gr hazelnuts
Instructions
  1. Butterfly the chicken breast by cutting into the thick side to open it up like a book without cutting through.
  2. Spread half of the pesto on the inside of the chicken breast and place the sundried tomatoes on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Fold the chicken back over and coat the top lightly with the pesto.
  4. Roll the parcels in the slices of dry ham and secure if needed with a small skewer. Place the chicken on a tray lined with baking paper
  5. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake the chicken in the oven for 15-20 min or until cooked through.
  6. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan until they start to smell nice.
  8. When ready to serve, sprinkle the hazelnuts on the broccoli and serve with the chicken and a suitable potato garnish.
Stuff to know
This quantity will feed 4 people.
It is possible to make the chicken parcels ahead of time and to keep them in the fridge. Bring back to room temperature before baking.
Do not overcook the chicken or it will be dry.
Only add the hazelnuts when ready to serve or they will become soggy. Add some diced fresh tomatoes if desired
Replace chicken by turkey and hazelnuts by almonds.

 

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Chicken tikka massala

Chicken tikka massala
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Marinade
  • 500 gr chicken
  • 125 gr yoghurt
  • 60 gr oil
  • ½ lemon
  • 2 cm fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ½ tspn garam massala
  • ½ tspn tumeric
  • 2 tspn ground coriander
  • 1 tspn ground cumin
  • ½ tspn chilli powder
Sauce
  • 1 cm fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 onions
  • 30 gr oil
  • ½ tspn tumeric
  • 1 tspn ground coriander
  • ½ tspn garam massala
  • 2 tbspn tomato puree
  • 400 gr tinned tomatoes
  • 2 tbspn fresh coriander
Instructions
Marinade
  1. Dice the chicken. Chop the garlic and ginger. Marinade the chicken in the yoghurt, oil, lemon juice, fresh ginger, cloves of garlic, garam massala, turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin and chilli powder, preferably overnight.
Sauce
  1. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Keep the marinade for later.
  2. Stir fry the chicken until cooked and add to the pan. Remove and set aside for later.
  3. Dice the ginger, garlic and onion. Puree in a kitchen machine. Fry off in some oil until fragrant in the pan used for the chicken.
  4. Add the turmeric, ground coriander and garam massala and fry off until fragrant.
  5. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute.
  6. Add the tinned tomatoes and marinade and bring the sauce to a simmer.
  7. Stir the marinade in the sauce and reheat until hot.
  8. Add the chicken and serve the sauce with rice and a suitable vegetable if desired.
Stuff to know
Do not overcook the chicken or it will be dry.
Use the spices according to personal taste.
Frying the spices of releases their flavour. Be carefull not to burn them.
Serve the curry with naan bread (click here for the recipe).

 

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Quiche with chicken, leek and tarragon

Quiche with chicken, leek and tarragon
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Pastry
  • 200 gr flour
  • 4 gr salt
  • 100 gr cold butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbspn cold water
Filling
  • 200 gr chicken
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 300 gr leek
  • 1 tspn mustard
  • 1 tbspn tarragon
Topping
  • 3 eggs
  • 300 ml cream
Instructions
  1. Mix the flour and salt. Dice the butter. Rub the butter in to the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and just enough cold water to bring the dough together. Knead briefly until smooth bit do not overwork it. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling out.
  2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit into the tart or pie pan. When the pastry is rolled to the desired size, lightly roll the pastry around your rolling pin. Unroll onto the top of your tart or pie pan. Pres gently the dough into the corners. Roll your rolling pin over the top of pan to get rid of excess pastry.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill the butter and to rest the pastry.
  4. With a fork, prick the bottom of the dough. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and place rack in centre of oven. Line the unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper. Fill the quiche with uncooked rice or dried beans to weigh down during baking.
  5. Bake the quiche for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is dry and lightly browned. Remove weights and cool crust in the tin on a wire rack.
  6. Dice the chicken and stir fry until cooked. Chop the onion and garlic and add to the pan. Cut the leek in semi-circles and sweat off until translucent. Stir in the mustard and tarragon with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Add the cooked filling to the prebaked pastry cases. Mix the eggs with the cream and seasoning and pour in the pastry case. Bake the quiche in the oven at 180 °C for about 20 to 25 min or until the eggs have set.
Stuff to know
This quantity will feed 4 people and fill a pan with a 26 cm Ø.
It is easier to crumble the butter in the flour when it is cold.
Do not overwork the pastry or it will be tough.
Resting and refrigerating the dough makes rolling it out easier. It is less sticky.
Pricking the base with a fork before baking blind will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes.
Prebake the pastry case to keep it from becoming soggy. Use uncooked rice or beans to weigh the pastry down. You can't eat them anymore but they can be reused for this same purpose.

 

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Quiche with chicken and green beans

Quiche with chicken and green beans
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Pastry
  • 200 gr flour
  • 4 gr salt
  • 100 gr cold butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbspn cold water
Filling
  • 300 gr green beans
  • 300 gr chicken breast
  • 2 tspn curry powder
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tspn oregano
  • 4 tomatoes
Topping
  • 3 eggs
  • 300 ml cream
Instructions
  1. Mix flour and salt. Dice the butter. Rub the butter in to the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and just enough cold water to bring the dough together. Knead briefly until smooth bit do not overwork it. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling out.
  2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit into the tart or pie pan. When the pastry is rolled to the desired size, lightly roll the pastry around your rolling pin. Unroll onto the top of your tart or pie pan. Pres gently the dough into the corners. Roll your rolling pin over the top of pan to get rid of excess pastry.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill the butter and to rest the pastry.
  4. With a fork, prick the bottom of the dough. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and place rack in centre of oven. Line the unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper. Fill the quiche with uncooked rice or dried beans to weigh down during baking.
  5. Bake the quiche for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is dry and lightly browned. Remove weights and cool crust in the tin on a wire rack.
  6. Blanch the green beans in salted boiling water, drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain and set aside. Dice the chicken and stir fry until cooked. Chop the onion and garlic and add to the pan. Sweat off until translucent. Stir in the curry powder and oregano to taste. Quarter the tomatoes, deseed them and cut into a fine dice. Add them to the pan.
  7. Add the cooked green beans and chicken to the prebaked pastry cases. Mix the eggs with cream and seasoning and pour in the pastry case. Bake the quiche in the oven at 180 °C about 20 to 25 min or until the eggs have set and the pastry is cooked.
Stuff to know
This quantity will feed 4 people and fill a pan with a 26 cm Ø.
It is easier to crumble the butter in the flour when it is cold.
Do not overwork the pastry or it will be tough.
Resting and refrigerating the dough makes rolling it out easier. It is less sticky.
Pricking the base with a fork before baking blind will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes.
Prebake the pastry case to keep it from becoming soggy. Use uncooked rice or beans to weigh the pastry down. You can't eat them anymore but they can be reused for this same purpose.
Add some diced apple to the filling.

 

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Chicken and mushroom risotto

Chicken and mushroom risotto
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 carrot
  • 300 gr Arborio rice
  • 75 ml dry white wine
  • 800 ml vegetable stock
  • 350 gr chicken breast
  • 500 gr mushrooms
  • 1 leek
  • 100 gr green peas
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 25 gr butter
  • 1 tbspn grated parmesan
Instructions
  1. For the risotto base, finely dice the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Heat some butter and oil in a hot pan and add the onion, celery and garlic.
  2. Fry over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
  3. Stir in the rice and coat in the oil. Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed.
  4. Add a ladleful of the hot stock and simmer, stirring again, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, which should take about 15 to 20 min.
  5. Slice the leek and mushrooms. Chop the parsley.
  6. Dice the chicken breast. When ready to serve, stir fry the chicken, mushroom and leek in some butter until almost cooked. When the and chicken vegetables are cooked, mix them with the cooked risotto and add the green peas. Stir together until combined and hot.
  7. When warm, stir in the parsley and some melted butter to make the risotto shine. Check the seasoning and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
Stuff to know
Do not overcook the risotto nor let it catch.
You can cool down the risotto base and store in the fridge until later and reheat when needed.
Replace some of the mushroom by wild mushrooms.
Soak some dried mushrooms in hot water for 15 min, drain and the liquid to the risotto. Stir in the soaked mushrooms just before serving.
Omit the chicken for a vegetarian version.

 

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Chicken sweet sour

Chicken sweet sour
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Marinade
  • 400 gr chicken
  • 20 gr sweet soy sauce (ketjap manis)
  • 40 gr oil
  • 8 gr ginger powder
  • 5 gr ground coriander
Vegetables
  • 300 gr carrots
  • 150 gr white cabbage
  • 8 gr ginger powder
  • 4 gr ground coriander
  • 1 tspn paprika powder
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 onions
  • 30 gr ginger root
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 200 gr tinned tomatoes
  • 100 gr pineapple bits
  • 125 gr green peas
Sauce:
  • 40 gr lemon juice
  • 150 gr tomato ketchup
  • 60 gr honey
  • 40 gr sweet chilli sauce
  • 120 gr reserved pineapple juice
  • cornflour
Instructions
Marinade
  1. Dice the chicken and marinate for a couple of hours or overnight in the sweet soy sauce, oil, ginger powder and ground coriander, salt and pepper to taste.
Vegetables
  1. Dice carrot and white cabbage and stir fry until soft but not yet cooked through.
  2. Add the ginger powder, ground coriander and paprika powder and stir fry until they release their flavour.
  3. Dice the onion, garlic, ginger root and bell peppers and add them to the pot. Cook on a medium heat until soft.
Sauce
  1. Drain the tinned pineapple but keep the syrup.
  2. Mix the lemon juice, tomato ketchup, honey, sweet chilli sauce and pineapple juice.
Finish
  1. Stir fry the chicken with its marinade until cooked. Check for seasoning and keep warm if needed.
  2. Add the green peas and the drained pineapple bits to the vegetables.
  3. Stir in the sauce and allow to simmer to finish cooking the vegetables. Check the seasoning. If there is not enough sauce to accommodate the vegetables, add some extra tinned tomatoes or water.
  4. If the sauce is too thin, mix some cornstarch with cold water, stir though the sauce and bring to the boil until the sauce has thickened.
  5. Check the seasoning again and serve with the cooked chicken and boiled rice.
Stuff to know
Adjust the balance in the sauce if needed to suit your taste.
Do not overcook the pineapple and peas. They just need to be warmed through.
The amount of cornstarch will influence the thickness of the sauce.
Replace chicken by pork.

 

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Chicken in Yellow Bean Sauce

Chicken in Yellow Bean Sauce
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 tspn five-spice
  • 2 peppers
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 tbspn yellow bean paste
  • 1 tbspn sweet soy sauce
  • 1 tbspn sweet chilli sauce
  • 2 tspn corn flour
  • 3 tbspn water
  • 2 tbspn olive oil
  • 50 gr peanuts
Instructions
  1. Cut the chicken into thin, even strips. Dice peppers, garlic and onion.
  2. Add the oil to the pan and stir fry the chicken for 2 - 3 minutes until brown on all sides. Add the peppers, garlic, carrot and onion and cook until almost done.
  3. Stir in the yellow bean sauce, five-spice, sweet soy sauce sweet chilli sauce. Stir over a medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened.
  4. If need be, mix the corn flour with water until smooth, then add to the sauce and cook until the sauce has thickened.
  5. Add the peanuts and serve with boiled rice.
Stuff to know
Replace chicken by duck.
Serve with an Asian red cabbage coleslaw
Do not overcook the chicken.
The amount of cornstarch you use will influence the thickness of the sauce.
Yellow bean sauce is available at a Chinese supermarkets.

 

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Chicken palava

Chicken palava
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 onion
  • 400 gr tinned tomatoes
  • 2 tbspn peanut butter
  • 75 gr chicken stock or water
  • 100 ml milk
  • 1 tspn thyme
  • 250 gr fresh spinach
  • 2 bell peppers
Instructions
  1. Dice the chicken breasts. Slice the bell pepper, dice the onion and garlic.
  2. Roast the sesames seeds in a dry pan without oil and set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in the same pan and stir fry the chicken.
  4. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper and stir fry them until halfway done.
  5. Season with paprika and ground coriander.
  6. Turn down the heat, add the peanut butter, the canned tomatoes, milk and enough chicken stock to make a sauce and stir well to mix.
  7. Let the sauce simmer on low heat and stir regularly until the vegetables are cooked through.
  8. Add the thyme and spinach to the sauce. Let it simmer until the spinach has wilted somewhat.
  9. Taste and correct the seasoning.
  10. Serve the sauce with rice. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the sauce.
Stuff to know
Add some milk if the sauce is too thick.
Garnish with some sesame oil just before serving.
Palaver sauce or Palava sauce is a type of stew widely eaten in West Africa, including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. It is served with boiled rice.

 

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Chicken curry madras

Chicken curry madras
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Marinade
  • 400 gr chicken breast
  • 50 gr yoghurt
  • 10 gr madras curry powder
  • 45 ml oil
Sauce
  • 2 onions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 30 gr fresh ginger
  • 1 tbspn pataks curry paste
  • 2 carrots
  • 25 gr lemon juice
  • 400 gr chopped tomatoes (tin)
  • 1 tbspn ketchup
  • 100 gr coconut milk
  • 1 tbspn fresh coriander
Instructions
  1. Dice the chicken and marinate in the yoghurt, madras curry powder and oil, if you can overnight.
  2. Peel and dice onion and garlic. Peel and grate ginger. Puree onion, garlic and ginger till smooth.
  3. Sweat onion, ginger and garlic off in oil without colouring.
  4. Wash, peel and dice carrots. Add to the pan. Cook until soft.
  5. Add curry paste with the madras powder and cook on low heat until fragrant.
  6. Add chopped tomatoes and let simmer until the vegetables are tender.
  7. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Keep the marinade for later.
  8. Stir fry the chicken in a separate pan until cooked.
  9. Add marinade, coconut milk and ketchup to the sauce. Cook for several minutes, check seasoning and add lemon juice, salt or pepper to taste.
  10. In the meantime, cook the rice in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and keep warm.
  11. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and serve with the rice. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Stuff to know
Frying off the curry paste and spices will release their flavour but do not burn them.
Bind the sauce if need be with corn flour mixed with some cold water. The sauce will thicken when boiling.
Ideally, use the pataks cumin coriander mild curry paste for this recipe.
Spice up the dish by adding ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric and/or ground chilli powder to your liking.
Serve with naan bread (click here for the recipe).

 

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Chicken broccoli coconut rice

Chicken broccoli coconut rice
 
Author:
Makes: 4 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 200 ml water
  • 300 gr rice
  • 2 tbspn oil
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 red onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 600 gr broccoli
  • 2 tbspn sweet soy sauce
  • 1 tbpsn peanuts
Instructions
  1. Dice the onion, garlic and chicken.
  2. Stir fry the red onion and chicken.
  3. For the rice, bring the coconut milk with water and some salt to the boil.
  4. Add the rice and simmer until the rice is done and all the liquid has been adsorbed.
  5. Boil the broccoli in boiling water with salt until just cooked.
  6. Add the sweet soy sauce to the chicken and cook until cooked through.
  7. Toss in the broccoli, season and keep warm.
  8. Serve the coconut rice with the chicken and the broccoli. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.
Stuff to know
The rice will drink during the cooking two times as much liquid (in weight) as its own weight. That will be just enough to cook the rice and be absorbed when the rice is done.
Don't overcook the broccoli.

 

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