Teriyaki Roast Chicken with Oriental Potatoes.

Teriyaki Roast Chicken with Oriental Potatoes.

Another of my East meets West with the most mouth watering result. The chicken is sweet, moist and delicious, benefiting from having been marinated for a couple of hours in aromatic and delicate Japanese flavours. The roast potatoes have been given subtle Far Eastern tastes to echo the chicken. I hope you'll try this recipe, the ingredients are readily available in every supermarket.

In a large roasting tin, place

-2kg free range whole chicken, with

-2tbsp grated ginger,

-3-4 cloves grated garlic,

-2tbsp honey,

-2tbsp Mirin,

-4tbsp soy sauce,

-1tbsp sesame oil,

-1tsp sea salt.

Rub the marinade over the chicken. Leave to marinate for a couple of hours.

Roast in 180c fan forced for around 1:20 hours.

Leave to rest before carving.

Serve with any cooking juices.

   For the potatoes.

In a large stock pot, put in

-1.5kg potatoes, cut into large chunks, with

-2 star anise,

-1 stick cinnamon,

-sea salt.

Cook for around 20-25 minutes.

Place a roasting tin with 100ml of vegetable oil to pre-heat in 180c fan forced oven for 10 minutes.

Carefully add the boiled potatoes.

Sprinkle over 1/2-1tsp ground ginger.

Cook, turning once or twice until golden brown, around 45 minutes.

Bacon and Scallop Paella.

Bacon and Scallop Paella.

Deliciously spicy and comforting paella with the added decadence of sweet and juicy scallops. 

Serves 4.

   The base.

1 sliced pepper.

2 sliced onions.

4 sliced tomatoes.

2 cloves chopped garlic.

4 rashers sliced bacon.

   Seasoning.

-1tbsp paprika.

-1tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

   Rice.

-400g paella rice.

  Chicken stock.

-700ml- 800ml.

   Vegetables.

100g blanched sugar snap peas, finely sliced.

2tbsp chopped chives.

Lemon or lime wedges.

In a large frying pan, with a tablespoon of olive oil, fry

-250g scallops, add

-salt/pepper,

-1tsp paprika,

-1/2tsp cayenne pepper.

Continue to cook for 30 seconds or so on each side.

Leave aside.

In a large saucepan, with a tablespoon of olive oil, add

-the base ingredients.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, add

-paella rice,

-seasoning.

 Cook, stirring constantly to coat the rice in the spices, add

-700ml stock.

Stir to combine.

Cover with a lid and leave to simmer on a low-medium heat, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Give the paella a stir.

Taste the rice to see how much more stock you think it will need, add more stock as needed.

When the rice is cooked through, stir through,

-sugar snap peas, 

-scallops,

-chives.

Spoon onto a serving dish, serve with lime or lemon wedges.

Pork Cakes with Sweet and Sour Relish ทอดมันหมู

Pork Cakes with Sweet and Sour Relish ทอดมันหมู

Delicious as snacks or with hot steaming rice. These pork cakes are fragrant and full of medicinal Thai herbs and spices. The crispy outside, soft inside cakes are made with spicy and aromatic homemade curry paste with added vegetables for crunch and texture. The sweet and sour relish provides freshness and a real palate cleanser. I wish you could smell the amazing aroma.

These pork cakes are normally deep fried but I have once again cooked them in my AirFryer.

Makes 45-46.

   The pork cakes.

In a large bowl, put in

-850g pork cakes,

-2tbsp red curry paste,

-2tbsp cornflour,

-1tsp bicarbonate of soda,

-2tbsp water,

-1tbsp fish sauce,

-1tsp caste sugar,

-5-6 finely sliced lime leaves,

-50g chopped sugar snap peas.

Mix well to combine. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes or so.

I normally fry a little piece to test for seasoning.

Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture, flatten slightly.

Cook in the AirFryer at 180c for 8 minutes.

   The Relish.

In small saucepan, put in 

-3tbsp water,

-2tbsp caster sugar,

-1tsp sea salt.

-5tbsp malt vinegar.

Cook, stirring occasionally on low heat the sugar has melted.

Leave to cool completely.

Pour into a bowl, add

-5 sliced shallots,

-4-5 sliced chillies,

-150g cucumber, cut into chunks,

-1tbsp chopped coriander.

Stir well.

Victoria Sponge with Gooseberry Cream.

Victoria Sponge with Gooseberry Cream.

The delicious, moist Victoria sponge has been given a new pairing. The sweet and sour stewed gooseberries are used instead of the traditional jam. Another well-turned-out invention and it couldn't possibly get any more British. 

I am growing fond of my gooseberries. My older daughter made the cake and mum the filling.

Equipment:

2x20cm springform cake tins lined with baking paper.

Oven 180c fan forced.

Use an electric mixer, beat,

-250g self raising flour, with

-250g butter, at room temperature,

-250g caster sugar,

-4 eggs, 

-2tsp baking powder,

-1tsp vanilla bean paste,

-pinch of salt.

Beat well to combine the ingredients.

Spoon into the prepared tins.

Bake 20- 25 minutes, skewer should come out clean.

Cool completely in tins.

   For the cream filling.

Use an electric mixer, to beat,

-2tbsp icing sugar,

-1tsp vanilla bean paste,

-300ml double cream.

Beat until the cream just holds its shape.

Refrigerate until needed.

   For the gooseberries.

In a large saucepan, put in,

-300g topped and tailed gooseberries,

-3tbsp caster sugar,

-pinch of salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally until the fruits have broken down.

Dissolve 1tsp arrowroot with 1tbsp water, add that to the pan.

Stir and turn the heat off.

Leave to cool completely.

   To assemble.

Place the first layer of cake onto a serving platter.

Spoon on the cream, spread evenly.

Spoon on the stewed fruits.

Top with the second layer of cake.

Shake over some icing sugar.

North-eastern Pork Stewed หมูใต้น้ำ

North-eastern Pork Stewed หมูใต้น้ำ

Not for the faint hearted. This is a bold, gutsy, hot and spicy Northeastern Thai dish. The food reflects its culture and people where hardship required great resilience and stamina. Northeastern dishes are extreme in flavours not just in heat but also in pungency. Traditionally poor, Northeastern meals are made spicy so little is needed, with sticky rice making up the bulk of the meal.

This dish is normally made with chicken but I used belly pork here.

   Preparation:

1.3pork belly, cut into 2cm slices, seasoned with salt and pepper.

4-5 cloves crushed garlic.

8 sliced shallots.

12cm galangal, sliced.

4 stalks lemongrass, cut into chunks.

A small bunch coriander.

8-10 kaffir lime leaves.

10-15 dry chillies.

10-15 fresh chopped chillies.

   Sauces.

5-6 anchovy fillets.

400ml pork stock.

1-2tbsp fish sauce.

In a casserole pan, cook, without oil,

-pork pieces, with

-anchovy fillets,

-garlic,

-shallots.

-galangal,

-lemongrass,

-1tsp salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat pieces have brown, add

-the remaining vegetables, 

-pork stock,

-fish sauce.

Cover with a lid.

Leave to simmer for around 2 hours or until the meat is tender and flaking.

Add 1tsp palm or brown sugar.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Stir through chopped spring onions.

Sticky Ribs.

Sticky Ribs.

The ribs are sweet, sticky, succulent and falling off the bone. They do take a long time to cook but barely need any attention, so you are free to get on with other important matters, such as, watching tennis.

In a large stock pot, put in

-3 litres water (I put in more water than needed as the cooking liquid is kept to use as stock)

-1kg pork ribs,

-2 celery stalks, cut into chunks,

-2 carrots cut, into chunks,

-1 large onion,

-2cm sliced ginger,

-4-5 sprigs coriander,

-2tsp salt,

-3tbsp soy sauce.

Leave to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

Oven 150c fan forced.

Use tongs to fish out the ribs and place them on a baking tray, add

-2tbsp oyster sauce,

-2tbsp plum jam.

-1tbsp soy sauce,

-2tsp sesame oil.

Mix well to combine.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the meat is flaking and coming off the bone.

Belly Pork with Thai Herbs สามชั้นผัดสมุนไพร

Belly Pork with Thai Herbs สามชั้นผัดสมุนไพร

Stir fried leftover pork belly with medicinal, fragrant and aromatic Thai herbs. This is a deliciously spicy, smoky, salty, sweet and sour Thai meal. Goes so well with hot, fluffy and perfumed Jasmine Thai rice....I have attached a picture of my magic sauces.

   The Herbs.

3 cloves chopped garlic.

5 chopped shallots.

2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only.

5-6 Thai chillies.

5-6 sliced kaffir lime leaves.

   The protein.

600g sliced cooked pork belly (you can substitute with pork fillet or chicken beast)

   The seasoning.

-1tbsp oyster sauce.

-2tbsp soy sauce.

-1tbsp fish sauce.

-2tsp sesame oil.

-1tsp caster sugar.

In a large wok, with a tablespoon of vegetable oil, stir fry

-the herbs.

Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened, add

-sliced pork belly.

Stir well to coat the pork in the herbs and spices, add

-the seasoning.

Cook, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Stir through 3 sliced spring onions.