Month: February 2022

Prepare the marinade and marinate the chicken well in advance. This dish tastes great and looks even better.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 lemongrass stalks (there are only two in a Waitrose pack!)
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 pink grapefruit – zest and juice
• 1 tbsp nam pla
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 chicken legs or leg quarters (skin on)
• 300g tenderstem broccoli (cut thicker ones in half lengthways)
• 2 x 250g pouches of ready-cooked Thai black rice
• 8 spring onions or salad onions, finely chopped
• 25g pack coriander leaves, roughly chopped

METHOD:

• Blitz two of the lemongrass stalks (reserve the other two) together with the garlic, nam pla, soy sauce, maple syrup, grapefruit juice and sunflower oil. (Be generous with these liquid ingredients).
• Pour this marinade into a large baking dish (large enough to hold the chicken in one layer). Add the grapefruit zest.
• Deeply slash each chicken leg three times with a sharp knife and lay in the baking dish. Spoon over the marinade so that they are well coated. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably much longer.
• Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly crush the two remaining lemongrass sticks with a rolling pin and add to the baking dish. Turn the chicken skin side up.
• Roast until cooked through and juices run clear (at least 45 minutes, perhaps 60 minutes, depending on size of the chicken pieces). Baste with the juices halfway through this time.
• Meanwhile, put the broccoli in a large bowl or saucepan. Pour over with freshly-boiled water from the kettle. Leave for 5 minutes, then drain.
• Lift the chicken from the roasting dish, rest on a plate and keep warm.
• Discard the whole lemongrass stalks. Stir the rice into the juices. Add the broccoli and return to the oven for 8 minutes until piping hot.
• Stir in the spring onion and coriander, then divide the rice between serving plates. Lay the chicken on top and arrange the broccoli artistically.

Modified Waitrose recipe. Serves three heartily, perhaps with some green beans or fine broccoli. Goes well with a good red wine. Takes two hours to prepare and cook.

Ingredients:

• 450g – 500g lamb leg steak, cut into large dice
• one large onion, finely chopped
• two sprigs of rosemary – leaves finely chopped
• half teaspoon ground allspice
• two bay leaves
• one can chopped tomatoes
• two garlic cloves
• 200ml chicken stock
• three teaspoons honey
• 250g orzo
• 150g spinach leaves
• 100g feta, crumbled
• salt
• olive oil for frying

Method:

• Heat some olive oil in a large casserole pan and brown the lamb in batches until golden; set aside.
• Sauté the onion in the pan for 5-10 minutes until soft.
• Return the lamb to the pan, then stir in the rosemary, allspice and bay leaves. Cook for a minute.
• Crush the garlic and stir in.
• Add the tomatoes, honey, stock and several twists of the salt grinder.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer and cook for 60-90 minutes, the longer the better.
• Rinse the orzo under cold water and then cook according to the packet. Then rinse again before adding to the casserole. Remove the bay leaves and stir.
• Rinse the spinach and stir into the casserole, then put the lid on and leave for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
• Divide into bowls and then sprinkle over the crumbled feta. Serve.