Category: Food

Stuffed Tarragon Chicken

from “Mary Berry cooks”

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 min

Cooking time: 35 min

Ingredients

  • 6x skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • 12x slices of Parma ham
  • 150g of firm black-pepper full-fat cream cheese (e.g. “Boursin”)
  • 200g of full-fat creme fraiche
  • 1x large egg yolk
  • 0.5x lemon
  • 3x table spoons of chopped tarragon + extra tarragon leaves
  • 1x table spoon of clear honey

Special Equipment

  • Small roasting tin

Preparation

  • Step 1 – Cream cheese
  • In a bowl, mix the cream cheese with the egg yolk and two table spoons of tarragon. Season well.
  • Step 2 – Miscellaneous
  • Preheat oven to 200oC / 180oC fan / Gas 6
  • Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Step 2 – Chicken breasts
  • Grease the roasting tin with butter (or oil)
  • Put the chicken breasts onto a board.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in the side of each breast, halfway up, making sure no to cut through to the other side
  • Push the cream cheese mixture into each chicken breast pocket, dividing between each breast
  • Wrap each breast in two slices of Parma ham, so that they are completely covered and the cream cheese cannot escape from the pocket
  • Arrange each breast in the roasting tin

Cooking

  • Step 1 – Chicken Breasts
  • Drizzle a little honey over each breast laying in the roasting tin
  • Put roasting tin in oven for about 30-35 minutes (chicken should no longer be pink in the centre)
  • Remove the chicken breasts from the tin and leave to rest for 5 minutes in service dish while you make the sauce (covered in foil to keep warm)
  • Step 2 – Sauce
  • Add the creme fraiche and the lemon juice to the roasting tin
  • Put the tin onto the hob and bring to boil, scraping the tin with a wooden spoon to release all of the chicken juices
  • Add the remaining table spoon of chopped tarragon and season

Presentation

  • Serve the chicken breasts in a dish with the sauce around them.
  • Sprinkled a few tarragon leaves over the chicken

Deliciously moist chicken breasts

Serve with fluffy potatoes and green beans

Pesto fettuccine with shrimps

from “Mary Berry cooks”

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 2

Prep time: 0 minute

Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients

  • 8x fettuccine balls (approx. 160g)
  • 180g of uncooked peeled king prawns
  • 140g fresh Green Pesto mixture
  • 100ml of pouring double cream
  • Parmesan cheese for grating
  • Some fresh basil leaves

Special Equipment

  • Medium frying pan
  • Large pan

Preparation

  • None required

Cooking

  • Step 1 – Shrimps
  • Put a bit of oil in a frying pan on medium heat
  • Gently fry the shrimps until they turn from grey to pink, starting on one side and then flipping them over on the other side
  • Step 2 – Fettuccine
  • Cook the pasta in a pan with boiling salted water for the time indicated on the packet (approx. 4-5 minutes)
  • When draining the pasta, keep 100ml of the cooking water
  • Step 3 – Combine
  • Put the pesto mixture and the cream together into the pasta pan and bring to the boil
  • Add the pasta, most of the chopped basil leaves and the saved pasta water
  • Toss together and season

Presentation

  • Use heated plates
  • Serve the fettuccine with grated Parmesan cheese
  • Garnish with the remaining basil leaves

Very easy and a welcomed change from the traditional bolognese

Savour it with a nice bottle of Chianti from Italy

Hake wrapped in Parma ham with Mediterranean vegetables

from “Cook with M&S Food”

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2x hake fillets
  • 4x slices Parma ham
  • 1x bag of chunky Mediterranean style mixed vegetables
  • 1x bag of puy lentils (pre-cooked)
  • 1x jar of M&S Mediterranean paste
  • Some basil leaves

Special Equipment

  • Medium frying pan
  • Large oven-proof pan

Preparation

  • Hake
  • Wrap 1 or 2 sheets of Parma ham around the hake fillets, front and back, and then put to one side

Cooking

  • Step 1 – Vegetables
  • Add 2 tbsp of oil to an ovenproof pan, saute the vegetables for 8-10 minutes on a medium heat, season to taste
  • Add 1/2 the jar of the Mediterranean paste and 100 ml of water to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 10-12 minutes
  • Step 2 – Hake
  • Preheat the oven for later at 190 degC /Fan 170 degC /Gas
  • In a separate frying pan over a medium/brisk heat, cook the wrapped hake fillets for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the ham is crisp and caramelised
  • Step 3 – Combine
  • Place the hake fillets on top of the vegetables in the ovenproof pan
  • Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking for 5-7 minutes
  • Reheat the Puy lentils for 1 minute in a 900 degC microwave

Presentation

  • Use heated plates
  • Serve the lentils in the plate, with the hake fillet on top and the vegetables around
  • Garnish with basil leaves

Nice, easy and quick recipe!

Goes well with a crisp Semillon Sauvignon Blanc from Australia

Pork loins with mushroom sauce and beans

from “Cook with M&S Food”

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 2

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2x lean pork loins
  • 1x packet of brown mushrooms
  • 1x packet of green beans
  • 1x bag of shallots or onions
  • 150 ml of double cream
  • 1x jar of M&S mushroom & roasted garlic paste

Special Equipment

  • Large frying pan
  • Medium frying pan

Preparation

  • Vegetables
  • Wash mushrooms thoroughly and then cut them into thick slices
  • Peel the shallots, slice them in half (length-ways) and then cut them into 1 cm thick half moon slices
  • Cut ends off the green beans and then cut the beans in half

Cooking

  • Step 1 – Vegetables
  • Add 2 tbsp of oil to a large frying pan, sauté the mushrooms for 8-10 minutes on a medium/high heat, until golden and caramelised. Season to taste
  • Remover the mushrooms from pan and set to one side, cover to retain heat
  • Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and sauté the shallots for 6-7 minutes or until softened
  • Step 2 – Pork
  • Season the pork loins to taste on both sides
  • Using a separate frying pan, add 2 tsp of oil and cook the pork on medium heat, 4-5 minutes on each side
  • Step 3 – Combine
  • While the pork is cooking
  • Return the mushrooms to the large frying pan with the shallots
  • add 150 ml of double cream and 100 ml of water to the pan along with the green beans
  • Stir thoroughly and simmer for 5-6 minutes (or until beans are no longer crunchy), stirring regularly

Presentation

  • Use heated plates
  • Serve the pork loins surrounded by the creamy mushroom/shallots/bean mix

Nice and easy Friday night recipe!

Goes well with a nice bottle of red wine to start the week-end…

Cotes de porc aux lentilles

From “The Encyclopedia of French Cooking” by Elisabeth Scotto

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4-6

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 pork loins (or chops)
  • 6 small pork sausages
  • 450 g (1 lb/ 2.25 cups) of Puy lentils, already pre-soaked and cooked
  • 2 onions
  • 4 large carrots
  • 4 fresh sage leaves (or ground sage)
  • 600 ml (1 pint / 20  oz/ 2.5 cups) of chicken stock

Special Equipment

  • Large frying pan
  • Casserole dish

Preparation

  • Peel the onions and chop in small pieces
  • Peel the carrots and dice/slice them
  • Chop the fresh sage leaves into small pieces

Cooking

  • Step 1
  • Sprinkle the pork loins/chops with the chopped sage leaves and add salt and pepper to taste
  • Fry over brisk heat in a pan, 5 minutes each side or until brown
  • Remove pork loins/chops and set aside
  • Step 2
  • Add the pork loin/chops to the casserole dish
  • Add the lentils on top
  • Pour the stock in
  • Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and cover
  • Cook gently for 1 hour or until the chops are tender

Presentation

  • Remove the loins/chops and sausages from the casserole
  • Arrange around the edge of a warm plate
  • Add the lentils and sausage
  • Serve with some greens ( Brussels sprouts for example) on the side

The pork will be ever so tender !

Goes well with… a 2014 Woodstock “Deep Sands” 
Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon  from the McLaren Vale region of South Australia

Gremolata fish with tartare sauce

From “Fresh Start” by Tom Kerridge

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4

Prep time: 32 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 skinless (preferably) plaice fillets, 180g (6 oz) each
  • 100g (3.5 oz) sourdough bread
  • 1 large free-range egg
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 6 tbsp flatleaf parsley
  • 4 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
  • 4 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt (0% fat)
  • 2 tbsp cornichons
  • 2 tbsp baby capers
  • Olive oil

Special Equipment

  • Baking tray
  • Small food processor
  • Small pan

Preparation

  • Step 1 – Boiled egg
  • Hard-boil the egg

K’s tip: by putting the egg in a pan with cold water, heating the pan to boil and boiling for 5 minutes, you avoid the cold egg (coming from the fridge) splitting open if plunged in hot water

  • Step 2 – Gremolata
  • Wash lemon and then peel skin of a whole lemon
  • Remove crust from sourdough bread slices
  • Break bread in small pieces
  • Place bread in food processor and pulse to small crumbs
  • Add 2 tbsp of chopped parsley
  • Add the lemon skins
  • Pulse together with bread in food processor to fine crumbs
  • Place into bowl and set aside
  • Step 3 – Tartare Sauce
  • Place mayonnaise and yoghurt into a bowl
  • Peel the hard boiled egg, chop in small pieces and add
  • Add drained and washed cornichons, finely chopped
  • Add drained and washed cappers
  • Add 2 tbsp flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Season with a little black pepper
  • Stir with a spoon until well mixed

Cooking

  • Turn the oven to the grill setting
  • Put plates in bottom of oven to warm up
  • Oil a baking tray (use olive oil)
  • Place the plaice fillets on the tray (skin down if there is skin)
  • Paint some olive oil on the fish
  • Season with salt and pepper
  • Cover fish with an even layer of Gremolata crumb
  • Grill on top shelf of oven for 5-8 minutes or until Gremolata crumb is crispy and the fish is cooked
  • Keep an eye on it to make sure the topping does not burn

Presentation

  • Use heated plates
  • Display the fish fillets with the tartare sauce to the side
  • Serve with baked potato wedges and green beans

The star of the show in my view is the home-made tartare sauce

Watch out for “my”(!) baked potato wedges recipe coming soon…