PAW's Recipe of the Month May 2015 - Chicken with Riesling

There is a joy visiting or entertaining friend’s especially in spring. An incentive of removing the shadows of winter and an opportunity to catch up and put on the thinking cap for new culinary adventures or perhaps to refresh and prepare some old favourites.

Our thoughts often drift onto lighter foods at this time of year as salad produce becomes more prolific and maybe temptations to brush down and clean the BBQ for a rather brave venture into the open air even if a little chilly – the sunshine is calling indeed.

Flavoursome foods with economical advantages are always top of the list of course if you are budget conscious or can buy in bulk for the freezer when special offers are available. The Bank Holidays are certainly a keen time to keep your eyes peeled. I have mentioned before that sometimes a cheap roasting joint of beef can prove to be cheaper to dice up for a stew or casserole than buying prime braising/stewing meat (Top Rump Joint at £5.00 per kilo or Legs of NZ Lamb at £5.00 a kilo for a Sunday Roast)

My choice, this month Chicken Thighs. You choose skin on of off – though I think with skin gives a slightly better flavour and of course prepared a day in advance also enhances the flavour. So to a twist to the traditional Coq au Vin.

Chicken with Riesling (4)

Knob of Butter

Olive Oil

Two Leeks – trimmed and chopped

1 Onion – peeled and chopped

125g Bacon or Pancetta – chopped

2 Garlic cloves – chopped

8 Chicken Thighs

250g Chestnut Mushrooms – sliced

1 Bottle Riesling

250ml Double Cream or Cream Cheese

S & P – Parsley chopped to garnish.

1. Melt a little butter and Oil in a Pan. Fry Thighs till golden on both sides and place into a pan. Add Bacon/Pancetta and cook till golden and crispy. Remove and add to Chicken.
2. Next add Leeks to pan and sweat with Garlic without colour. Pour in Riesling and boil – pour over Chicken – add Mushrooms. Then simmer gently for about 30 – 45 minutes.
3. Lift Chicken out onto a serving dish – boil liquid to reduce and thicken then add Cream - boil. Pour over Chicken on serving dish and garnish with the Parsley.
4. Serve with Noodles or New Season Potatoes and a Green Crispy Salad.

PAW's Recipe of the Month April 2015 - Thai Style Spicy Chicken

So we now enter that no man’s time of not Winter but not quite Summer. Do we abandon cuddly food in favour of lighter, fresher delicacies or do we hang on still. These warm days that turn quite chilly in the evening. The open blue skies leave the warm air to be sucked out. Oh and if you are a gardener this is when what is known as an aerial frost occurs to tender new shoots. The cold/ chill is sucked out of the ground and frost burns those little fragile shoots.

So perhaps simple interesting cooking is in order nothing complicated and of course little washing up – so back to one pot cooking.

Now this is based on the first practice that of marinating so here goes:

Thai Style Spicy Chicken

Mix together:

3 Spoons of Thai Red Curry Paste (less if you don’t want it too spicy)

150ml Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

2 Garlic Cloves – crushed

Have 6 Chicken Legs – place into a plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Leave in the fridge overnight – or for equivalent timing about 3 – 6 hours

Then into an oven proof dish add cubed pumpkin or squash and quartered / peeled red onions. (add other Mediterranean style vegetables if you wish)

Put Chicken on top and pour over the marinade. Scatter a handful of capers on the top.

Roast in a pre heated oven 9 180C – Gas 7 for about 1 hour and 15 mins. Turn the contents over from time to time so the marinade is distributed. Once cooked serve with a crunchy green salad.