THE PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN RECIPE

In the 3rd episode of my Perfect Chicken recipes series, I share my hacks on how I achieve a moist and perfectly roasted Chicken. 

The first episode covered 'Washing your Chicken'; ‘How to Brine your Chicken’ for more flavour was covered in the second episode. Video links have left below for your convenience.

INGREDIENTS 

1.2kg of a whole Organic or Free Range Chicken

1 litre of lukewarm water

5-10 Organic Carrots (keep the leaves as they can be used for various recipes - coming soon)

2-3 tablespoonful of Honey

1 tablespoonful of whole AllSpice

1 teaspoonful of freshly milled Black Peppercorns 

4 Bay leaves 

30g of Tarragon (you can substitute it with a tablespoonful of Aniseed or 1 teaspoonful of Caraway seeds)

2 Sprigs of Lavender flowers (optional)

20 unpeeled Garlic Cloves

4 tablespoonful of Olive oil

30g of Butter

250ml of White Wine / Prosecco / Palm Wine

500ml of Chicken stock (I omitted this as I roasted my Chicken in a ClayPot, which traps in all the juices of the Chicken)

5 large peeled whole Shallots( in the absence of Shallots you can increase the amount of normal Onions you use)

2 large peeled whole Onions 

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR CHICKEN

SPICES & HERBS FOR THE BRINE

1 Habanero Chilli 

1 tablespoonful of whole AllSpice

1 tablespoonful of whole Black Peppercorns 

4 Bay leaves 

30g of Tarragon (you can substitute it with a tablespoonful of Aniseed or 1 teaspoonful of Caraway seeds)

HOW MAKE YOUR CHICKEN BRINE

NOTES

• Use the herbs and spices in the Brine when roasting your Chicken
• Cook the Chicken for 20 minutes (breast side up), then turn it over and roast for a further 30 minutes). 
• Your cooking time depends on the weight of your Chicken
• Use a thermometer to check the temperature of thickest part of the Chicken. Its should read a minimum of 75*c
• Serve your Chicken with any vegetables of your choosing
• Please don't forget to like the video and leave your comments below. 

METHOD

Watch how to prepare the perfectly moist Chicken below; 

Please don't forget to subscribe,  try the recipe, like the video and share with your family and friends. 

All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog. 

TASTIEST GRILLED CHICKEN KEBAB RECIPE

In the first episode of how to 'Create New Flavour' Rosemary, Sumac, Lavender, Mint and Bay leaf were used in a creative way to marinate and infuse flavours into Lamb shanks. 

The Lamb shanks were then used to prepare a stew in the second episode. The stew was flavoured with Black Lime, Cumin and Shiitake Mushrooms. 

In this concluding episode, I have used the stew as a marinade for this grilled Chicken recipe and served it with a warm, tangy Red/ Purple Cabbage Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 large Chicken breast with the skin taken off and cut into sizeable chunks

3 tablespoonful of the Lamb stew (without the Lamb)

Juice of 1 Lime

1 teaspoonful of Smoked Paprika

I teaspoonful of Chinese Five Spice Mix

2 tablespoonfuls of Olive oil

1 teaspoonful of Chilli powder (reduce the quantity to suit your personal preference)

PURPLE CABBAGE SALAD

200g of shredded Purple or Savoy Cabbage

1 medium sized sliced Onion

3 cloves of thinly sliced Garlic

2 tablespoonfuls of Olive oil

1 tablespoonful of Apple Cider  Vinegar 

1 teaspoonful of Honey (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste 

METHOD

Watch how to prepare this incredible grilled Chicken recipe with a Warm Purple Cabbage Salad below ;

Don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave comments with your feedback and share. All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.

CRISPY BEEF RECIPE

INGREDIENTS 

250g of Sirloin steak cut into thin strips

650ml of water

1 tablespoonful of salt

400g of Corn starch

1 teaspoonful of milled black peppercorns 

1 tablespoonful of Onion powder (optional)

A pinch of salt 

(Mix the corn starch, peppercorns, onion powder and salt together and divide into two equal portions).

1 large egg

70g of chopped spring onions (you can also add a few fresh leaves of Coriander).

600ml of your preferred oil

DRESSING 

1 tablespoonful of icing sugar

2 tablespoonfuls of Dark Soy sauce

1.5 teaspoonful of Fish sauce

3 tablespoonfuls of Sesame oil

2 tablespoonfuls of Sesame seeds

1 tablespoonful of Chilli flakes

Salt to taste

TIPS

1. Ensure each Beef strip is coated in the corn starch mixture 
2. Do not overload your pot/wok with the Beef strips to prevent an oil filled crispy Beef.
3. Best to use a Wok or a bigger pot 

METHOD 

Watch how to. Relate this amazing snack packed with flavours and textures below;

Do not forget to subscribe, try the recipe and leave comments with your feedback.

All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.

PORK PIE RECIPE

Homemade pies are my quick fix for a busy day. This is a perfect recipe for the busy family, lunch boxes, dinner and can be kept frozen for 2 weeks and bake when needed. You can substitute the filling with either fish, vegetables, poultry or meat. 

Ingredients; 

Serves 4

Short crust pastry

250g of plain flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder 

125g of cubed cold butter 

60ml cold water 

Salt to taste

Method;

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.

Add the salt, cubed butter and rub between your fingers till you have a breadcrumb consistency.

Alternatively add the flour , baking powder, salt and butter to a food processor and pulse to a breadcrumb consistency. This should take less than a minute.

Add the cold water to the flour to form a dough

Please don't overwork the dough. You want it crumbly, crunchy and moist, when cooked. 

Wrap the dough in a cling film and place it in the fridge for about 45min

On a floured surface, roll your pastry out and cut into 4 squares 

or use a bowl for a circular shape.

For the filling;

150g of black pudding sausage 

200g of Chorizo sausage 

2 finely diced shallots 

2 chopped yellow peppers

40g of fresh thyme

2 finely chopped garlic

Remove the sausages from their skin and finely dice the black pudding

Place the sausages, peppers, shallots, yellow peppers, thyme and garlic in a bowl and mix well.

Leave the mixture for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

A smoked fish filling

You can cut the rolled pastry into squares  or circles (using a medium sized bowl to cut into circles).

Be creative with the filling, use diced potatoes, Kale, Fish, Chicken, Turkey or meat etc (whatever you prefer).

Place a tablespoon of the filling in the middle of each cut pastry. Pick a corner of the pastry and fold to meet the opposite end (as shown below).

Use your thumb or a fork to seal the ends. Use the fork to insert 3 holes on top of each pastry (as shown below). This helps the heat circulate evenly and cooks the filling perfectly. 

A thumb sealed pastry

Pre heat your oven to 180*c

Using a silicone baking sheet (alternatively you can grease a baking tray and sprinkle with flour). 

Whisk the egg till well mixed and using a cooking brush, wash the surface with the egg. The egg wash enables the pie to brown beautifully.

Bake the pie for about 10-12 minutes or until golden. 

Baked thumb printed pork pie

Fork sealed, baked Pork pie

Serve with steamed vegetables or mixed onion and tomatoes salad. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

SCOTCH EGG RECIPE

In the name of Easter and all things yellow and eggs, I made this scotch egg influenced by the day. When buying your sausages, please read the label and go for one with a minimum of 90% meat. This makes a difference to this recipe. 

Ingredients;

Serves 4

4 large free range eggs

300g Toulouse sausage 

2 medium sized diced shallots

3 medium sized diced Chiquito peppers or any peppers you prefer. 

1 teaspoon of chopped fresh Sage or Tarragon

1 teaspoon of freshly milled black peppercorns 

For Frying

1 litre of Sunflower oil

1 egg

160g of Panko breadcrumbs  or any breadcrumbs you prefer ( I like the Japanese Panko breadcrumbs as they are light and don't soak too much oil)

Method;

Carefully place your 4 eggs in a saucepan, fill with enough water to cover the eggs and cook for 4 minutes. 

Remove the eggs from the saucepan and quickly place it in a bowl of cold water filled with ice cubes. 

Remove the sausage skins and place the meat in a bowl. 

Add the Shallots , Peppers , milled Peppercorns  and Tarragon  /Sage. 

Mix every thing together with your clean hands, till you have a firm mixture. 

Wash your hands thoroughly and take the shells off the egg. 

Divide your mixture into four equal parts. Using a cling film, spread one part of your sausage mix, as shown above.

  

Place your peeled egg in the middle, scoop the edges of the cling film and wrap it around the egg. 

I prefer this process as the meat is evenly distributed and cooks perfectly. 

Repeat the process till you have 4 perfectly wrapped eggs. 

Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk till combined. In a separate bowl, add the breadcrumbs. 

Place a saucepan with the sunflower oil on a medium heat. Heat the oil to 160*c, using a food thermometer or for 4-5 minutes. 

Dip each Scotch egg into your beaten egg. Make sure the egg mixture covers all surfaces of the Scotch eggs.

Then dip your scotch egg into your breadcrumbs, making sure all surfaces are coated. 

If you're lucky enough to own a deep fat fryer, place your Scotch egg in the basket  and deep fry for 4 minutes or until golden. 

Alternatively, if you're using a saucepan, place the Scotch egg on a slotted spoon and lower it gently into your pan. Fry it for  4 minutes, remove with your slotted spoon and place it in a colander covered with kitchen paper napkins ( soak any excess oil).

Repeat the above process till you've fried all the Scotch eggs.

Citrus Mustard Dressing 

In a bowl add, 

Half  a teaspoon of Tumeric, 

1 tablespoon of English mustard, 

1 teaspoon of whole grain Mustard a

2 tablespoonfuls of Olive oil, 

3 tablespoonfuls of orange or passion fruit juice

Pepper to taste

 Mix all the ingredients till perfectly combined. 

To serve;

Best served with any green salad of your choosing. 

Let the Scotch egg rest a bit before cutting in two or alternatively serve whole. 

Drizzle the mustard sauce over the Scotch egg and serve.