Tag: entertaining at home

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Chicken parcels cooked in vermouth with carrots, leek and fennel

Chicken parcels cooked in vermouth with carrots, leek and fennel

image of a terracotta pot on a wooden table containing four meat parcels in a tomato sauce. You can find the recipe on the blog of cookery school Gourmandises Academie in Cottenham, Cambridge

Ingredients:

4 chicken parcels ( I get mine from my local butcher)

One leek chopped

One carrot chopped

One fennel chopped

3 cloves of garlic

Fresh thyme

Fresh parsley

80 ml of vermouth

600 ml of boiling water

2 TBSP of tomato puree

Method:

In a pan, add 2 TBSP of olive oil and start by gently browning your parcels on both sides, once they are brown take them out of the pan and add your leek and the thyme, once the leek has softened add the garlic, the carrot and the fennel, stir for 2 minutes. Then add your vermouth, let the alcohol evaporate and then add 2 TBSP of tomato puree and 600 ml of boiling water, stir. Put your parcels back in the pan, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 2 hours on your stove. Add freshly chopped parsley before serving. I have mine with polenta, but mashed potatoes works just as well. Et voilà,

If you live in Cambridge, you can get your chicken parcels from Longhorn farmshop or Leech and Sons

Corrine x

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Mum’s chicken chasseur

Mum's chicken chasseur

image with a dish containing pieces of chicken, mushrooms and a bit of parsley on top, you can find the recipe on the blog of Gourmandises Academie

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs

One onion (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (crushed and chopped)

Thyme

Bay leaves (2 leaves is enough)

Parsley (chopped)

80 g of green pitted olives

150 g Lardons

A bottle of dry white wine

300 g closed cup mushrooms (sliced)

Turmeric

You will need a heavy based pan with a lid for this dish

Method:

Start by browning your chicken legs in two TBSP of vegetable oil. Once brown, take the chicken out of the pan and add your lardons and your mushrooms and stir them around constantly in your pan until all the water has gone. Then add your chopped onion and stir again until they’re soft, add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves and stir for a minute. Then put your chicken back in the pan, season with salt and pepper, but not too much salt as you already have some from your lardons. At that point add your olives and a bit of turmeric (less than a 1/4 of tsp) and stir, pour your wine. Bring it to the boil, then turn the heat right down, lid on and let your chicken cook for an hour. The sauce should have reduced and be velvety by then, if it’s still runny, live it to cook a little longer. Before serving add the fresh parsley on top. Et voilà!

Chef’s tip: this meal is actually best enjoyed the next day.

 Good quality farm shops to get your chicken from: Longhorn or Leech and Sons

Corrine x

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Financiers filled with chocolate and hazelnut

Financiers filled with chocolate and hazelnut

Financiers filled with chocolate and hazelnut

Ingredients:

I used a financier mould for mine, but no need to buy one, just use a muffin or cupcake tray, it will work just as well.

260 g of icing sugar

300 g butter

180 g egg whites (the equivalent of 6 eggs)

160 g ground almonds

100 g plain flour

2 TBSP of chopped hazelnuts

100 g of dark chocolate, no need for an expensive chocolate for this.

Pre-heat your oven to 180° C

Method:

Melt your butter in a pan until it becomes brown butter, it is important to get it brown as it will enhance the nutty flavour of the financiers. Let it cool.

In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, sugar, almond, flour and hazelnut, then add the egg whites. Once the butter is cool add it to your dry mix. Pour your mix in your tray, not all the way to the top only half way, then add a square of chocolate on top and pop in your oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until brown on top. Et voilà, as simple as this!

Other suggestions: you could replace the chocolate with raspberry or even bits of bananas or even pineapple

If you enjoy baking do check out my latest online baking classes

Corrine x

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Padrón peppers, chorizo and poached eggs

Padrón peppers, chorizo and poached eggs

Ingredients:

Padrón peppers (about 4 to 6 per person)

Chorizo ( you don’t need a lot, about 50 g or so cut into cubes)

1 or 2 poached eggs per person

Your favourite slice of bread

A non stick pan

One tbsp of olive oil

Method:

Start by poaching your eggs. While they are poaching, in a pan, fry the padrón peppers until they become soft and a bit char on top. Then, add your chorizo and lightly fry for a minute or so.

For this recipe I like to use either a piece of sourdough or a chunky piece of multi-seed loaf that I toast.

I don’t butter my toast, that’s just me but please feel free to do so. Place your padrón peppers on top first then the poached eggs and the pieces of chorizo.

P.S: you can replace the chorizo with cottage cheese or even a beautiful goat cheese, if you are vegetarian. Also, if you don’t have padrón, you can use normal peppers sliced in quarters.

Bakeries: Cambridge is lucky to have a good variety of bakeries, here are some that I use, Balzano’s, Stir and Burwash Larder.

Corrine x

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recipe

Perfect comfort food: my mediterranean style chicken

Perfect comfort food: my mediterranean style chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs with the skin

100 g of chorizo sliced

100 g of black olives

300 g of green beans sliced, either fresh or frozen

One TBSP of tomatoe puree

Parsley

1 onion, sliced finely

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 TBSP of olive oil

1 tsp of oregano

Method:

In a non stick pan with one TBSP of olive oil, start frying your chicken, the skin side first then turn them around until nice and brown. Chicken thighs tend to release quite a bit of fat, so once your pieces of chicken are brown, take them out of the pan and then get rid of the excess fat. Put the pan back on the stove. Then, add your onion, let them cook 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Then add your chorizo slices, fry them for a minute. Add garlic and stir for 40 to 50 seconds, add your chicken thighs, beans, tomatoe puree, olives and a tsp of oregano, give everything a good stir. Pour some boiling water to cover the chicken, turn the heat down, and let all this cook for 30 to 40 minutes until your chicken is completely cooked and your sauce has thickened. Add some parsley before serving.

Serving suggestion: with mash potatoes or rice

Corrine x