Saturday Kitchen - Lemon Roast Chicken

Another ridiculously easy meal ideal for a weekend family and friends roast. It tastes so good and is fool proof!



Ingredients for the roast chicken and veg for four (details from here) -

1 onion , roughly chopped
2 carrots , roughly chopped
1 free range chicken , about 1.5kg/3lb 5oz
1 lemon , halved
small bunch thyme (optional)

FOR THE GRAVY

1 tbsp plain flour
250ml chicken stock (a cube is fine)

METHOD

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Have a shelf ready in the middle of the oven without any shelves above it. Scatter the vegetables over the base of a roasting tin that fits the chicken, but doesn't swamp it.

Season the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with the lemon halves and thyme, if using. Sit the chicken on the vegetables, smother the breast and legs all over with the butter, then season the outside with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and leave, undisturbed, for 1 hr 20 mins - this will give you a perfectly roasted chicken.

To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer and the juices should run clear. Remove the tin from the oven and, using a pair of tongs, lift the chicken to a dish or board to rest for 15-20 mins. As you lift the dish, let any juices from the chicken pour out of the cavity into the roasting tin.

While the chicken is resting, make the gravy. Place the roasting tin over a low flame, then stir in the flour and sizzle until you have a light brown, sandy paste. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring all the time, until you have a thickened sauce. Simmer for 2 mins, using a wooden spoon to stir, scraping any sticky bits from the tin. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan, then simmer and season to taste. When you carve the bird, add any extra juices to the gravy.

The golden rule to roast chicken...

A 1.5kg chicken will be perfectly roasted after 1 hr 20 mins at 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. It doesn't matter what you stuff into it, rub or sprinkle over it or put around it, this timing never changes. Remember this and you will always be able to roast a chicken.

EXTRAS

Obviously you may well want some potatoes and even Yorkshire pudding which actually work well with the dish.


See here for the best potato recipe.



See here for the best Yorkshire pudding recipe.

And now enjoy your weekend roast.

Saturday Kitchen - Sicilian dish of Spaghetti and capers

This recipe is really simple, fast and tastes amazing. It is from Rick Stein. Just don't put 3 times the amount of chilli flakes in as I did first time round - not good.

Ingredients

200g spaghetti

2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive oil
3 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
8 tomatoes on the vine
Handful of mint leaves
2 tbs capers washed and drained
1/2 tsp chili flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese

Method

Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the pips and juice (you don’t need the pips or juice).

Into a pan put the olive oil and pop the garlic cloves in to cook gently. No browning we are just infusing the oil.

Remove garlic and discard.

Chop the tomatoes and add to the oil.

Chop the mint and rough chop the capers and add to the pan.

Add chili flakes and season with Salt and pepper.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti – cook until al dente.

Drain the cooked pasta and add to the sauce.

Toss together and serve. The original recipe does not have Parmesan cheese but its good stuff grated over it all.

Simple Sicilian recipe and is very tasty.

Saturday Kitchen - Slow roast shoulder of lamb

The recipe detailed below is from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The chap that now lives on TV as well as in his cottage.

It is delicious! Simply delicious and so very easy to do. Basically just put the lamb in the oven, blast it for 30 mins, then lower the temp and leave it for hours!

INGREDIENTS

1 shoulder of mature lamb, mutton or hogget, on the bone

For the spice paste

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ cinnamon stick, broken up
1 tsp black peppercorns
Pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli powder
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Leaves from 2 large rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp olive oil

METHOD

How to make slow-roast shoulder of lamb with merguez spices

1. If you have time (ie don't bother), toast the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, cinnamon and peppercorns in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a minute or so, until fragrant (this boosts the flavour but isn't essential). Crush to a coarse powder using a pestle and mortar, then combine with the cayenne or chilli powder, paprika, garlic, rosemary, salt and olive oil.

2. Lightly score the skin of the meat with a sharp knife, making shallow slashes just a few millimetres deep and 1-2cm apart. Rub half the spice paste all over the lamb shoulder, underneath as well as on top, and especially into the cuts. Put into a large roasting tin and place in an oven preheated to 220°C/Gas Mark 7. Roast for 30 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven and rub the remaining spice paste over the meat using the back of a wooden spoon. Pour a glass of water into the tin (not over the meat), cover with foil and return to the oven. Reduce the heat to 120°C/Gas Mark ½ and cook for 6 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.

4. You can add another glass of water halfway through, to keep the pan juices ticking along. Transfer the lamb to a warm serving plate. Skim the excess fat off the juices in the tin. Tear the meat into thick shreds and serve with the juices spooned over.

5. Simple accompaniments are all you need: boiled new potatoes (in summer) or some roasted squash (in winter) and a dish of shredded cabbage, greens or kale would be ideal.

The Prawn Cocktail classic is back!

I say this mainly because I just made it for lunch but only because it does seem to be back on restaurant menus.

It's damn good too.

There are loads of variations which all work, just try a few and mix and match until you find one you like.

I just tried this recipe from Heston and if I can do it anyone can.




Prawn cocktail

Ingredients
(Serve 4)

110g tomato ketchup
100g mayonnaise
¼tsp cayenne pepper
12 drops Worcestershire sauce
10g lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
400g cooked shelled prawns
1 iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
1 avocado, peeled and diced

Method

Combine the tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Add the prawns to the sauce and stir to coat.
Place the shredded lettuce on the bottom of four glasses or glass bowls, followed by the avocado, then a generous spoonful of prawns and sauce.

You're done and its great.