Blog

Category: Chicken

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 450ml Chicken Stock
• 3 Chicken Breast
• 75g Butter
• 2 sliced Leek
• 2 cloves minced Garlic
• 50g Plain Flour
• 200ml Milk
• 3 tbs White Wine
• 150ml Double Cream
• 150g Ham
• spinkling Sea Salt
• pinch Pepper
• 350g Plain Flour
• 200g Butter
• 1 Free-range Egg, Beaten
• 1 tbls Cold Water
• 1 Free-range Egg, Beaten

Instructions:

Heat the chicken stock in a lidded saucepan. Add the chicken breast and bring to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the water with tongs and place on a plate. Pour the cooking liquor into a large jug.
Melt 25g/1oz of the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks and fry gently for two minutes, stirring occasionally until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the remaining butter and stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Slowly pour the milk into the pan, just a little at a time, stirring well between each adding. Gradually add 250ml/10fl oz of the reserved stock and the wine, if using, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
Season the mixture, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Pour into a large bowl and cover the surface of the sauce with cling ilm to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat.
For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food processor and blend on the pulse setting until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the beaten egg and water and blend until the mixture forms a ball. Portion off 250g/10oz of pastry for the lid.
Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until around 5mm/¼in thick and 4cm/1½in larger than the pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie dish. Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides.
Cut the chicken breasts into 3cm/1¼in pieces. Stir the chicken, ham and leeks into the cooled sauce. Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg. Roll out the reserved pastry for the lid.
Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry.
Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. Bake on the preheated tray in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the pie is golden-brown all over and the filling is piping hot.

Category: Seafood

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 200 g mozzarella balls
• 250 g baby plum tomatoes
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 350 g farfalle
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 40 g Green Olives
• 200 g tuna
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper

Instructions:

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil
Add the pasta, stir once and cook for about 10 minutes or as directed on the packet.
Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Slice the olives. Wash the basil.
Put the tomatoes into a salad bowl and tear the basil leaves over them. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix.
When the pasta is ready, drain into a colander and run cold water over it to cool it quickly.
Toss the pasta into the salad bowl with the tomatoes and basil.
Add the sliced olives, drained mozzarella balls, and chunks of tuna. Mix well and let the salad rest for at least half an hour to allow the flavours to mingle.
Sprinkle the pasta with a generous grind of black pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil just before serving.

Category: Chicken

Area: Japanese

Ingredients:

• 4 pounded to 1cm thickness chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 beaten egg
• 100g fine breadcrumbs
• 230ml frying vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 sliced onions
• 5 chopped cloves garlic
• 2 sliced carrot
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 4 teaspoons curry powder
• 600ml chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions:

Prep:15min › Cook:30min › Ready in:45min

For the curry sauce: Heat oil in medium non-stick saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in carrots and cook over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
Add flour and curry powder; cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in stock until combined; add honey, soy sauce and bay leaf. Slowly bring to the boil.
Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens but is still of pouring consistency. Stir in garam masala. Pour the curry sauce through a sieve; return to saucepan and keep on low heat until ready to serve.
For the chicken: Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate bowls and arrange in a row. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, then dip them into the egg, then coat in breadcrumbs, making sure you cover both sides.
Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place chicken into hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes each side. Once cooked, place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
Pour curry sauce over chicken, serve with white rice and enjoy!

Category: Beef

Area: Croatian

Ingredients:

• 600g Potatoes
• 1 chopped Courgettes
• 1 chopped Carrots
• 1 chopped Green Pepper
• 1 small Aubergine
• 1 Large Chopped Onion
• 800g Lamb Shoulder
• 1 tbs Garlic Sauce
• 1 tbs Tomato Puree
• 80 ml Olive Oil
• Sprinking Thyme
• 250ml White Wine
• Pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200°C fan / 220°C / 425°F / Gas mark 7
If you have not bought diced lamb, cut your lamb shoulder or leg into large chunks and place to one side.
Chunks of chopped lamb of a red chopping board
Make oil marinade –
Mix 80ml of olive oil in a bowl with garlic puree, sundried tomato puree ,black pepper and salt.
olive oil, gia sundried tomato puree and gia garlic puree and black pepper mixed together in a silver bowl to make Croatian peka
Add potatoes and vegetables into a large lidded casserole dish.
Chopped up vegetables which consist of chopped up red onion, courgette, potatoes red peppers in a cast iron pan
Place diced lamb on top of the vegetables, pour the marinade and wine over the top.
Chunks of lamb covered in in a sundried tomato oil sauce which is on top of chopped red onion, aubergine, courgette and potatoes in a cast iron pan
Add the rosemary, thyme and sage, trying to keep the herbs on top.
So you can easily remove the herb stalks once cooked.
Chunks of lamb coated in a sundried tomato oil sauce and covered with thyme, rosemary and sage which is on top of chopped red onion, aubergine, courgette and potatoes in a cast iron pan
Place lid on the casserole dish and cook for 1hr 30 minute
If you do not have a lid cover very well with kitchen foil
Cast iron dish with lid on in the oven
Take the lid off, remove any thick herb stems. Stir in 2 tbsp of olive oil.
Cook for a further 20-30 mins.
Cooked Croatian Lamb Peka in a cast iron pan in the oven
Serve with fresh homemade bread to dip into the juices.

Category: Beef

Area: Polish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 Yolk Egg
• 1 Egg
• 5 tbs Butter
• 6 tblsp Butter
• 1/3 cup Onion
• 1/2 cup Swede
• 1/2 lb Beef Brisket
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper

Instructions:

Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Use a spoon to push the egg yolk through a fine sieve into the flour.
Add the raw egg and mix well.
Beat in butter 1 tablespoon at a time.
Place dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, then wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate until firm (at least 30 minutes).
In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat; saute the onion and rutabaga until the onion is soft and transparent (5 minutes).
Put the onions, rutabaga, and beef through a meat grinder twice if you have one, if not just chop them up as fine as possible.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and add the meat mixture.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape.
Remove from heat and let cool, then stir in 1 egg, and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 13×8" rectangle (1/8" thick).
Spoon the filling down the center of the rectangle lengthwise, leaving about an inch of space on each end.
Lightly brush the long sides with cold water, then fold one of the long sides over the filling and the other side over the top of that.
Brush the short ends with cold water and fold them over the top, enclosing the filling.
Place pastry seam side down on a baking sheet and brush the top evenly with the remaining scrambled egg.
Bake in preheated oven until rich golden brown (30 minutes).
Slice pastry diagonally into 1.5" long pieces and serve as an appetizer or with soup.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 250g Plain Flour
• 135g Butter
• 400g Golden Syrup
• 150g Breadcrumbs
• Zest of 2 Lemons
• 1 beaten Eggs

Instructions:

First make the short crust pastry: measure the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (alternatively, this can be done in a food processor). Add about three tablespoons of cold water and mix to a firm dough, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a heavy baking tray in the oven to heat up. Grease a deep 18cm/7in loose-bottomed fluted flan tin with butter.
Remove about 150g/5½oz of pastry from the main ball and set aside for the lattice top.
Roll the rest of the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured work surface and line the prepared flan tin with the pastry.
Prick the base with a fork, to stop the base rising up during baking.
Place the reserved pastry for the lattice top on cling film and roll out thinly. Egg wash the pastry and set aside to chill in the fridge (the cling film makes it easier to move about). Do not cut into strips at this stage. Do not egg wash the strips once they are on the tart as it will drip into the treacle mixture.
To make the filling, heat the syrup gently in a large pan but do not boil.
Once melted, add the breadcrumbs, lemon juice and zest to the syrup. (You can add less lemon if you would prefer less citrus taste.) If the mixture looks runny, add a few more breadcrumbs.
Pour the syrup mixture into the lined tin and level the surface.
Remove the reserved pastry from the fridge and cut into long strips, 1cm/½in wide. Make sure they are all longer than the edges of the tart tin.
Egg wash the edge of the pastry in the tin, and start to make the woven laying lattice pattern over the mixture, leave the strips hanging over the edge of the tin.
Once the lattice is in place, use the tin edge to cut off the strips by pressing down with your hands, creating a neat finish.
Bake on the pre-heated baking tray in the hot oven for about 10 minutes until the pastry has started to colour, and then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4. If at this stage the lattice seems to be getting too dark brown, cover the tart with tin foil.
Bake for a further 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling set.
Remove the tart from the oven and leave to firm up in the tin. Serve warm or cold.

Category: Chicken

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 5 Potatoes
• 1 Broccoli
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 Chicken Breast
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Honey
• Chicken Stock
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions:

2 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss on one side of a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, spread potatoes out across entire sheet.) Roast on top rack for 5 minutes (we'll add the broccoli then).

2. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces, if necessary. Peel and finely chop garlic. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 TBSP olive oil (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and half the garlic. Microwave until garlic sizzles, 30 seconds.

3. Once potatoes have roasted 5 minutes, remove sheet from oven and add broccoli to empty side; carefully toss with garlic oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, add broccoli to a second sheet.) Continue roasting until potatoes and broccoli are browned and crispy, 15-20 minutes more.

4. While veggies roast, pat chicken dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes per side. (If chicken browns too quickly, reduce heat to medium.) Turn off heat; set chicken aside to rest. Wash out pan.

5. Heat pan used for chicken over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and remaining garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, honey, stock concentrate, and 1/4 cup water (1/3 cup for 4 servings). Simmer until thick and glossy, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4). Season with salt and pepper.

6. Return chicken to pan and turn to coat in glaze. Divide chicken, broccoli, and potatoes between plates. Spoon any remaining glaze over chicken and serve.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 200g Butter
• 1 large Egg
• 4 tbs Milk
• 200g Golden Syrup
• 85g Black Treacle
• 85g Brown Sugar
• 100g Oatmeal
• 250g Self-raising Flour
• 1 tbs Ground Ginger

Instructions:

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a deep 22cm/9in square cake tin and line with baking parchment. Beat the egg and milk together with a fork.

Gently melt the syrup, treacle, sugar and butter together in a large pan until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Mix together the oatmeal, flour and ginger and stir into the syrup mixture, followed by the egg and milk.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 mins – 1 hr until the cake feels firm and a little crusty on top. Cool in the tin then wrap in more parchment and foil and keep for 3-5 days before eating if you can – it’ll become softer and stickier the longer you leave it, up to 2 weeks.

Category: Dessert

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 300g Digestive Biscuits
• 150g Butter
• 400g Condensed Milk
• 3 Egg Yolks
• 4 Lime
• 300ml Double Cream
• 1 tbls Icing Sugar
• to serve Lime

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Whizz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor (or put in a strong plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the melted butter and press into the base and up the sides of a 22cm loose-based tart tin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk for a minute with electric beaters. Add the condensed milk and whisk for 3 minutes then add the zest and juice and whisk again for 3 minutes. Pour the filling into the cooled base then put back in the oven for 15 minutes. Cool then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight if you like.
When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the pie from the tin and put on a serving plate. To decorate, softly whip together the cream and icing sugar. Dollop or pipe the cream onto the top of the pie and finish with extra lime zest.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 175g/6oz digestive biscuits
• 75g/3oz butter
• 200g/7oz Bramley apples
• 75g/3oz Salted Butter
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 75g/3oz ground almonds
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 50g/1¾oz flaked almonds

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Put the biscuits in a large re-sealable freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin into fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the biscuit crumbs and stir until coated with butter. Tip into the tart tin and, using the back of a spoon, press over the base and sides of the tin to give an even layer. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can do this in a food processor if you have one. Process for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, then add the ground almonds and almond extract and blend until well combined.
Peel the apples, and cut thin slices of apple. Do this at the last minute to prevent the apple going brown. Arrange the slices over the biscuit base. Spread the frangipane filling evenly on top. Level the surface and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden-brown and set.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the tin. An easy way to do this is to stand the tin on a can of beans and push down gently on the edges of the tin.
Transfer the tart, with the tin base attached, to a serving plate. Serve warm with cream, crème fraiche or ice cream.