An old family favourite - but we have no idea where it came from! The name suggests it might be slightly Indian, but this isn't the case. We suspect it came from a magazine, probably in the 1960s or 70s.
Anyway, wherever it's from it's a lovely tasty meal, quick to make but also smart enough to serve guests.
Chicken Simla
Serves 2
2 chicken breasts
Heaped tsp cornflour, seasoned
oil
2oz butter
1 chicken stock cube
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcester Sauce
1/4 pint double cream
1/2 pint hot water
Handful of sliced almonds, toasted (optional but nice!)
Coat chicken breasts in seasoned cornflour then shallow-fry in oil and butter in a cast-iron (Le Creuset-style) pan until browned.
In a jug mix the stock cube, hot water, dijon mustard and Worcester Sauce. Add to the chicken, and simmer for an hour.
Before serving stir in the cream.
Top with toasted sliced almonds if desired.
We usually serve this with rice and a steamed green veg. The rice is useful for soaking up all that delicious sauce!
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Monday, 1 July 2013
Epic Roast Chicken Salad
I belong to a couple of 'foodie' groups on Facebook, and I love to look at other people's food photos and hear what they've been cooking. I often find that this inspires me to make something similar, and this is exactly what happened last week. A friend posted that she had made and loved Jamie Oliver's Epic Roast Chicken Salad, and as the weather was set fair (gloriously sunny actually!) an epic salad sounded just the thing! The recipe was from a Jamie book that I don't have, and I couldn't seem to find the exact recipe online. However, I did find a lovely blog by a lady called Elspeth who had also created a fabulous chicken salad, based on the Jamie recipe. I ended up using this as a basis (thanks Elspeth!) but made a few changes myself.
I actually made this using chicken leftovers as we had roasted a large chicken the night before. I had both the breasts left, so began the layering of the salad by tearing these up, cold, and putting them on a large plate.
I topped the chicken with the roasted tomato layer. I had roasted these simply in a slug of olive oil with a handful of garlic cloves, and laid slices of streaky bacon over the top so that the bacon fat would flavour the tomatoes. I also laid the leftover chicken skin on top of the tomatoes to re-crisp. For the last 10 minutes of the tomato roasting time, I tore up a small ciabatta loaf and tossed it into the tomato pan, letting it soak up all the tomatoey and bacony juices before going back into the oven to crisp up. This glorious pan-full was tipped over the chicken, breaking up the now-crispy bacon and chicken skin as I did so.
Some simply steamed green beans were added, hot, to the top of the heap, before the whole lot was dressed with the mix of wholegrain mustard, fresh mint, lemon juice (I subbed this for cider vinegar) and olive oil described in Elspeth's recipe.
To finish I scattered over the toasted salted pumpkin seeds that I had prepared earlier.
This was a fabulous supper, and was also enough for me to have leftovers for lunch the following day. I think it's important to eat the ciabatta croutons while they are still warm and crispy, so I made myself some fresh ones to go with the leftovers.
I don't know how far away this is from the 'original' Jamie Oliver recipe, but to be honest I think it's a formula that can be successfully adapted according to the ingredients you have to hand. Some chopped spring onions would be a nice addition for example, and perhaps fresh basil in place of the mint? But definitely a recipe that I will try again.
I actually made this using chicken leftovers as we had roasted a large chicken the night before. I had both the breasts left, so began the layering of the salad by tearing these up, cold, and putting them on a large plate.
I topped the chicken with the roasted tomato layer. I had roasted these simply in a slug of olive oil with a handful of garlic cloves, and laid slices of streaky bacon over the top so that the bacon fat would flavour the tomatoes. I also laid the leftover chicken skin on top of the tomatoes to re-crisp. For the last 10 minutes of the tomato roasting time, I tore up a small ciabatta loaf and tossed it into the tomato pan, letting it soak up all the tomatoey and bacony juices before going back into the oven to crisp up. This glorious pan-full was tipped over the chicken, breaking up the now-crispy bacon and chicken skin as I did so.
Some simply steamed green beans were added, hot, to the top of the heap, before the whole lot was dressed with the mix of wholegrain mustard, fresh mint, lemon juice (I subbed this for cider vinegar) and olive oil described in Elspeth's recipe.
To finish I scattered over the toasted salted pumpkin seeds that I had prepared earlier.
This was a fabulous supper, and was also enough for me to have leftovers for lunch the following day. I think it's important to eat the ciabatta croutons while they are still warm and crispy, so I made myself some fresh ones to go with the leftovers.
I don't know how far away this is from the 'original' Jamie Oliver recipe, but to be honest I think it's a formula that can be successfully adapted according to the ingredients you have to hand. Some chopped spring onions would be a nice addition for example, and perhaps fresh basil in place of the mint? But definitely a recipe that I will try again.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Stir-Fried Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Long long ago we owned a granite pestle and mortar, but it's one of those things that has mysteriously disappeared in one of our regular house-moves. I sometimes have visions of all the 'lost' items turning up one day, perhaps in a forgotten packing-box in the attic? Anyway, because I know we already own one, I've never bought another. Daft really, they're so cheap here, but there you go.
Well, I've never bought another... until I was seduced by this recipe that has been winking at me from the pages of Bill's Everyday Asian ever since I purchased it. The thing is, a pestle and mortar is pretty much essential for this recipe, requiring as it does the pounding up of lemongrass stalks. Fine chopping just won't do it here. So I succumbed, and a mere $8 later in Soon Lee I have a new stone pestle and mortar.
The following photo was the only one I managed to take during the preparation of this dish, as when I went to take another shot the camera batteries died so that was that until I could recharge them (I think my multiple spare sets of rechargeable batteries are hiding with the old pestle and mortar...) so you'll have to take my word for it, this dish was great.
I was about to type out the recipe for you (the book is open at my side as I write) but a quick google search reveals that the recipe was reproduced in The Telegraph last month (along with an appetising photograph) so HERE it is.
As ever the odd adjustment was made - I was unable to find any non-rotting asparagus so used a packet of sugar-snap peas instead. They worked fabulously well, but I'm keen to try the asparagus option too so I'll try to use that next time.
Well, I've never bought another... until I was seduced by this recipe that has been winking at me from the pages of Bill's Everyday Asian ever since I purchased it. The thing is, a pestle and mortar is pretty much essential for this recipe, requiring as it does the pounding up of lemongrass stalks. Fine chopping just won't do it here. So I succumbed, and a mere $8 later in Soon Lee I have a new stone pestle and mortar.
The following photo was the only one I managed to take during the preparation of this dish, as when I went to take another shot the camera batteries died so that was that until I could recharge them (I think my multiple spare sets of rechargeable batteries are hiding with the old pestle and mortar...) so you'll have to take my word for it, this dish was great.
I was about to type out the recipe for you (the book is open at my side as I write) but a quick google search reveals that the recipe was reproduced in The Telegraph last month (along with an appetising photograph) so HERE it is.
As ever the odd adjustment was made - I was unable to find any non-rotting asparagus so used a packet of sugar-snap peas instead. They worked fabulously well, but I'm keen to try the asparagus option too so I'll try to use that next time.
Friday, 24 September 2010
Laab
We have always eaten quite a lot of Thai food even back in the UK; it's a cuisine we both enjoy. Here in Brunei of course the necessary ingredients are much easier to find, so we're able to cook and eat Thai meals more often.
Laab is one of our favourite Thai dishes, but it requires no special or unusual ingredients, so is simple to prepare in whatever country you find yourself cooking!
I say there are no 'unusual' ingredients, but perhaps the addition of toasted and ground uncooked rice might seem odd to many! It does give the finished dish a somewhat gritty texture, but that's not something we object to. Try it and see. I think of the toasted rice as giving the finished dish a slightly 'nutty' taste.
We serve it in one of two ways - either with some crisp lettuce leaves (Little Gem work well) or wedges of steamed white cabbage. You spoon some Laab onto the leaf and then use the leaf like a sort of shovel to transport the Laab mouthwards! Not the most elegant way of eating perhaps, but extremely satisfying.
Ingredients
half a pound of pork or chicken mince
4 tbsp water (or stock, or water with chicken stock from concentrate)
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped - we like to cut them into approximately 2cm lengths, cut on the diagonal
large handful of mint leaves
1 chopped red chili (Thai birdseye)
small handful of uncooked rice, toasted and pulverised in a blender or food processor
glug of fish sauce, to taste
1 lime - juice of half a lime to go into the laab, and serve the other half cut into wedges on each plate to squeeze over as you wish
To serve - crisp lettuce, or wedges of steamed cabbage
Toast the uncooked rice in a dry frying pan until medium-brown. Let it cool then blitz in a blender or food processor until well-ground.
Put the mince into a pan - no need to add oil, just add the water (or stock). Simmer until cooked through and the liquid mostly evaporated. You don't need the mince to brown at all.
Turn off the heat. Add all the other ingredients and stir well. The mint leaves will wilt and the spring onion soften slightly though still retain most of its crispness. You could also add coriander leaves if you wish, although I prefer to let the flavour of the mint come through unimpeded by other herbs.
Taste to see if you have the right balance of lime juice and fish sauce, then serve with a wedge of lime on the plate and a bottle of fish sauce on the table.
As this is so quick to cook you need to start steaming the wedges of cabbage (if you serve that instead of lettuce) at about the same time as you start cooking the meat.
This could be made a little in advance, but we have learnt from experience that the toasted rice mustn't be added until the very end of the preparation, as it goes very stodgy as it absorbs the liquid in the dish.
As you can see, it's a pretty healthy dish with no fat other than what is in the meat. I always feel quite virtuous eating it - and yet it doesn't feel like you're doing without, it's so tasty and zingy.
A similar recipe can be found here at the excellent Thaitable.com website.
Excuse the slightly too-dark photos, the lighting in our kitchen isn't great, and I was keen to get the Laab to the table so we could eat! I can't be doing with 'styling' my food when I'm that hungry. :-)
Laab is one of our favourite Thai dishes, but it requires no special or unusual ingredients, so is simple to prepare in whatever country you find yourself cooking!
I say there are no 'unusual' ingredients, but perhaps the addition of toasted and ground uncooked rice might seem odd to many! It does give the finished dish a somewhat gritty texture, but that's not something we object to. Try it and see. I think of the toasted rice as giving the finished dish a slightly 'nutty' taste.
We serve it in one of two ways - either with some crisp lettuce leaves (Little Gem work well) or wedges of steamed white cabbage. You spoon some Laab onto the leaf and then use the leaf like a sort of shovel to transport the Laab mouthwards! Not the most elegant way of eating perhaps, but extremely satisfying.
Ingredients
half a pound of pork or chicken mince
4 tbsp water (or stock, or water with chicken stock from concentrate)
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped - we like to cut them into approximately 2cm lengths, cut on the diagonal
large handful of mint leaves
1 chopped red chili (Thai birdseye)
small handful of uncooked rice, toasted and pulverised in a blender or food processor
glug of fish sauce, to taste
1 lime - juice of half a lime to go into the laab, and serve the other half cut into wedges on each plate to squeeze over as you wish
To serve - crisp lettuce, or wedges of steamed cabbage
Toast the uncooked rice in a dry frying pan until medium-brown. Let it cool then blitz in a blender or food processor until well-ground.
Put the mince into a pan - no need to add oil, just add the water (or stock). Simmer until cooked through and the liquid mostly evaporated. You don't need the mince to brown at all.
Turn off the heat. Add all the other ingredients and stir well. The mint leaves will wilt and the spring onion soften slightly though still retain most of its crispness. You could also add coriander leaves if you wish, although I prefer to let the flavour of the mint come through unimpeded by other herbs.
Taste to see if you have the right balance of lime juice and fish sauce, then serve with a wedge of lime on the plate and a bottle of fish sauce on the table.
As this is so quick to cook you need to start steaming the wedges of cabbage (if you serve that instead of lettuce) at about the same time as you start cooking the meat.
This could be made a little in advance, but we have learnt from experience that the toasted rice mustn't be added until the very end of the preparation, as it goes very stodgy as it absorbs the liquid in the dish.
As you can see, it's a pretty healthy dish with no fat other than what is in the meat. I always feel quite virtuous eating it - and yet it doesn't feel like you're doing without, it's so tasty and zingy.
A similar recipe can be found here at the excellent Thaitable.com website.
Excuse the slightly too-dark photos, the lighting in our kitchen isn't great, and I was keen to get the Laab to the table so we could eat! I can't be doing with 'styling' my food when I'm that hungry. :-)
Monday, 20 September 2010
Slow-Roast Asian Chicken
A while back, whilst still in the UK, I picked up a free recipe leaflet in Waitrose. One of the recipes included was for a slow-roast Asian chicken. We went through a phase of cooking it often, but then stopped as it slipped our minds and other recipes were discovered.
However, since being in Brunei we're finding that chicken is our main source of protein and we're eating it a lot. We had a sudden flashback to this chicken recipe, but as our shipping from the UK (including all my recipe books...) has yet to arrive - and I couldn't find the recipe online - I had to work from memory.
Fortunately it worked - better than worked, it was even nicer than we had remembered it! The key to its success is, I think, the addition of toasted sesame oil. Be sure to buy toasted as it has the most incredible flavour - the untoasted oil is bland in comparison. Of course when we were searching for it here, none of the sesame oils were labelled as 'toasted' but we went for one labelled 'fragrant' and it was perfect.
Here - again from memory! - is what you do.
Slow Roast Asian Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
an inch of ginger root, sliced (don't bother to peel it)
6 cloves of garlic (just slightly crushed, no need to peel)
3 star anise
2 onions
250ml chicken stock (from concentrate) - or just boiling water
2 or 3 tsp toasted sesame oil
Slice the onions and place them in the bottom of a roasting tray.
Place the chicken on top of the onions, and put the slice ginger, garlic cloves and star anise inside the cavity of the chicken.
Pour over the hot chicken stock - or boiling water.
Tent the chicken with foil and place into a low oven (150C - lower for a fan oven) for about 3 hours. A little longer won't hurt at all, that's the joy of slow-roasting.
Half an hour before you want to serve it, remove the foil, drizzle over the sesame oil and turn the oven up to 190 degrees C. Put the chicken back in the oven for half an hour or so, until the skin is burnished and crispy.
Serve with plain rice and a vegetable of your choice. We like to shred cabbage finely and then steam it with a very small amount of water. When still al dente we strain it and stir through a chopped chili and a teaspoon of sesame oil.
OK, it's not beautiful - far from it! I forgot to even take a photo until I had served it up, hence it looks like it's been in a fight. But it's what it tastes like that matters, and this tastes great.
A spoonful or so of the flavourful juice made this meal complete. And it made enough for 2 evening meals for the 2 of us. Simple and delicious!
However, since being in Brunei we're finding that chicken is our main source of protein and we're eating it a lot. We had a sudden flashback to this chicken recipe, but as our shipping from the UK (including all my recipe books...) has yet to arrive - and I couldn't find the recipe online - I had to work from memory.
Fortunately it worked - better than worked, it was even nicer than we had remembered it! The key to its success is, I think, the addition of toasted sesame oil. Be sure to buy toasted as it has the most incredible flavour - the untoasted oil is bland in comparison. Of course when we were searching for it here, none of the sesame oils were labelled as 'toasted' but we went for one labelled 'fragrant' and it was perfect.
Here - again from memory! - is what you do.
Slow Roast Asian Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
an inch of ginger root, sliced (don't bother to peel it)
6 cloves of garlic (just slightly crushed, no need to peel)
3 star anise
2 onions
250ml chicken stock (from concentrate) - or just boiling water
2 or 3 tsp toasted sesame oil
Slice the onions and place them in the bottom of a roasting tray.
Place the chicken on top of the onions, and put the slice ginger, garlic cloves and star anise inside the cavity of the chicken.
Pour over the hot chicken stock - or boiling water.
Tent the chicken with foil and place into a low oven (150C - lower for a fan oven) for about 3 hours. A little longer won't hurt at all, that's the joy of slow-roasting.
Half an hour before you want to serve it, remove the foil, drizzle over the sesame oil and turn the oven up to 190 degrees C. Put the chicken back in the oven for half an hour or so, until the skin is burnished and crispy.
Serve with plain rice and a vegetable of your choice. We like to shred cabbage finely and then steam it with a very small amount of water. When still al dente we strain it and stir through a chopped chili and a teaspoon of sesame oil.
OK, it's not beautiful - far from it! I forgot to even take a photo until I had served it up, hence it looks like it's been in a fight. But it's what it tastes like that matters, and this tastes great.
A spoonful or so of the flavourful juice made this meal complete. And it made enough for 2 evening meals for the 2 of us. Simple and delicious!
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