Chicken and Maple Syrup

Those following me on instagram (ann.sutton.148) will have seen the regular postings of my lunchtime salads usually consisting of random fridge and greenhouse ingredients. Dressings are also becoming somewhat of a feature, blue cheese with celery, grapes and walnuts or horseradish and sour cream with left over steak being two of my favourites.

Todays salad was a selection of garden produce (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and green pepper) a handful of left over sugar snaps (from Peru I see sorry!) with chicken, bacon and a maple syrup dressing. I will say more about the dressing later it originated from an amazingly simple and delicious chicken recipe I cooked a couple of nights ago.

"Chinese Pot Roast Chook" was a recipe featured on John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen last month I followed the recipe and here it is  https://www.itv.com/john-and-lisas-weekend-kitchen/articles/chinese-pot-roast-chook

My main reflections are that the combination of spices and spring onions inside the chicken together with the simple sauce of maple syrup and soy sauce give a depth of flavour which is reminiscent of Peking duck. The chicken cooked with the lid on and turned regularly makes it meltingly tender. I did take the lid off for the last 15 minutes to crisp it up a little. Pac choi and sugar snap peas lightly blanched then dressed with soy sauce and sesame oil worked well. The sauce creates itself so Thai rice was perfect to complete the dish.

The chicken was delicious cold too hence the salad. Maple syrup is not something I have used before but I reckoned with the aromatic chicken and some bacon it would work well and it did.

Balsamic and Maple Syrup Dressing

1 part balsamic vinegar ((I used raspberry)

1 part maple syrup

1 heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 splash of oil oil

Season to taste and mix well

 

Sea Bass with Japanese Flavours

A pack of frozen sea bass that had been lurking in the freezer for sometime and a shiny green courgette fresh from the garden were the starting point for this Japanese inspired meal.

Sliced shallots and a large spring onion were fried in vegetable oil before adding plenty of chopped garlic and ginger. Add the raw sliced courgette and some broccoli cut into small florets. Cook for a few minutes then add a small amount of chicken stock (it doesn't want to be too wet) simmer for 5 minutes while you prepare the fish. 

A couple of months ago I made some 7 spice powder for this chicken dish  https://annsfooddiary.blogspot.com/2020/05/yakitori-or-grilled-chicken-skewers.html and had plenty left so decided to add some spice to the sea bass.

Mix a generous amount of cornflour with two teaspoons of 7 spice powder remembering it has quite a kick. Coat the sea bass on both sides and fry in a hot pan skin side down for 2/3 minutes then turn over for a couple more. 

Turn off the heat and while the fish is resting add some teriyaki or similar sauce to the vegetables (I used a mix of honey, soy sauce, rice wine plus a splash of sesame oil)

You can buy 7 spice seasoning ready prepared in the herb and spice section of most supermarkets.

Its Courgette Time

It is quite possible that this food diary entry will divide the crowd as courgettes do seem to be a love them or hate them thing.

Green courgettes are certainly the most popular although there are many different varieties, shapes and colours. Just a few plants will give you a steady crop throughout mid summer and into early autumn.

My recipe for stuffed courgette originates from my childhood when courgettes were far too exotic for us but instead it was the big watery beast that is a marrow. What made the marrow special (or even edible) then was the stuffing of peppery sausage meat, sage and onion and my recipe doesn't deviate far from that mix. It is also always served with frozen peas.

These round courgettes seed come from near Barcelona and seem perfectly at home in our climate and soil. On the face of is Rocalba seed seems expensive but the bag is large, the quality good and the range more interesting than many traditional variety's. My vegetable on the right bears a pretty good resemblance to the packet picture.

For preparing and baking the courgette I followed this recipe https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/stuffed-provencal-courgette-recipe while the courgette was baking I fried diced onion and garlic in a little olive oil with chopped sage and thyme. I then added a generous portion of sausage meat which came ready seasoned with nutmeg and black pepper. For slightly more bulk I added some diced green courgette.

After 30 minutes in the oven the courgette was cooked through and still holding its shape. Fill with the sausage stuffing letting some fall into the cooking dish to flavour the sauce. There is no need to add liquid as the vegetable creates its own. I did however add half a pod of my favourite the chicken https://www.knorr.com/uk/knorr-products/stock-pots.html

Pop back into the oven for about 40 minutes I left the lid on the casserole dish as that way the "sauce" is generated. 

It is extremely hot once cooked so allow to stand for a few minutes while you cook the peas. I literally just bring them to the boil then serve.

Speedy Salmon Soup

As you know I love a fish soup and a left over piece of salmon gave me the perfect opportunity for another experiment.

Preparing all the ingredients in advance is clearly my attempt to look professional but it does also save time at the cooking stage.

First I cooked spring onion, celery, red pepper and leek on a very low heat in a mix of butter and olive oil. This takes around 15 minutes for the vegetables to soften but not go brown. 

A crushed clove of garlic was next and after a minute I added tomato puree, and a small amount of cumin, saffron and mild smoked paprika. I also put in a (optional) teaspoon of flour at this stage just to thicken it slightly.

For the stock I always use https://www.knorr.com/uk/knorr-products/stock-pots.html in this case it was the remains of a chicken pot and a fish pot. I see from their web site that there is a new kaffir lime and ginger which would be a great match for the salmon.

Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Add the diced salmon and let it heat through being careful not to overcook.

Finish with a swirl of cream, or some yogurt or milk will be fine too and complete with chopped chives, parsley or thyme.

Search Ann's Food Diary for more variations on the fishy theme including Creamy Fish Soup August 2017 and Seafood Soup October 2018

Gathered Botanicals

There is something special and exhilarating about exploring the countryside to discover and collect seasonal edible delicacies. Young wild garlic leaves for soup are at their best in March, late May brings elderflowers for cordial and in October sloes on Blackthorn bushes for that perfect Christmas tipple of sloe gin.

I recently discovered Gathered Botanicals https://www.gatheredbotanicals.co.uk Based in Cornwall their range of jams, jellies and syrups are made in small batches with freshly gathered, local, seasonal ingredients.

It was the Fig Leaf Syrup that I sampled. Gathered Botanicals description was just right "a little bit fig, maybe some coconut, slightly woody" 

It is recommended you try the syrup to transform a drink it being delicious with gin and tonic or Prosecco or to liven up tonic or sparkling water. Mine was with gin, elderflower tonic, fresh mint and lime.

Other ideas for using the syrup are as a salad dressing or as a drizzle for a cake.

Last Christmas my gift to some friends was a gathered subscription. This is a selection of 4 or 6 new season flavour jellies sent out periodically during the year. The gorse flower jelly was tried on toast as suggested in the tasting notes and has been described by Heather of Shropshire as "a nice light refreshing jam". 

The range makes a gratifying and unique present for friends who enjoy trying something new. 

Yakitori or Grilled Chicken Skewers

Japanese food is not something I prepare often but this speedy and delicious chicken and spring onion dish is certainly going to become a regular.

Yakitori, rice and asian slaw

This is a recipe from London based Japanese food expert Aya Nishimura it is tasty and remarkably simple to prepare https://www.telegraph.co.uk/recipes/0/yakitori-grilled-chicken-skewers-recipe/

The ingredients are straightforward boneless chicken thighs, the white part of a bunch of spring onions, some vegetable oil for frying, a bottle of supermarket teriyaki sauce and some shichimi togarashi (7 spice powder)

I hadn't heard of 7 spice powder which is sprinkled over the finished dish and is described as giving a fiery, savoury kick. I certainly didn't have any in my extensive herb and spice cupboard. I did however have most of the ingredients (bar the poppy seeds) so followed a simple recipe. This included a sheet of nori (dried seaweed) sesame seeds and Szechuan pepper (use sparingly its hot) briefly dry fried, chopped dried chilli, powdered ginger and orange peel dried in the oven for 20 minutes. Blitz all in a spice grinder until course not so well ground it becomes a powder.

Very hot 7 Spice Power

I served the skewers with plain rice and a quick asian slaw comprising white cabbage, carrot, red pepper and the remaining green part of the spring onions. The slaw was lightly dressed with sesame oil, soy sauce and lime juice.

The slaw takes minutes to put together especially if you have a set of these brilliant peelers made by Swiss firm Kisag and available on line for around £19.

Top tip though, when you serve up the skewers and sprinkle over the 7 spice powder it is extremely hot so don't overdo it!

Food and Fitness

A Pilates Retreat might not immediately strike you as a food diary experience but the day at Champneys Eastwell Manor https://www.champneys.com/spa-resorts/eastwell-manor/ organised and run by the knowledgeable and talented Evelyn Duro (Assistant Fitness Manager) proved to be just that and more.

Pilates Retreat Programme

We started with a delicious wake up smoothie. After a pilates class the extensive Champneys Spa healthy buffet breakfast was devoured. Breakfast is served every morning to Spa guests and is excellent value in a very beautiful recently renovated setting.

A walk was certainly then needed so we avoided the mud and visited the ruined St Marys Church Eastwell by the lake where snowdrops are already in full bloom.

Back to the Spa it was time for talks on health and nutrition from Evelyn who is well informed and passionate about her subject.

A late lunch was chosen from the two course menu again in the Spa restaurant. Every plate was beautifully presented and there was plenty of choice including duck, chicken, seabass and pasta all cooked in modern and imaginative ways.

Mine was Cauliflower served in a variety of styles, topped with crunchy dukkah (roasted nuts, seeds and spices) and pomegranate. Followed by a generously sized vanilla and raspberry panna cotta. Winter fruit crumble with ice cream was also a very popular choice.

Cauliflower with dukkah and beans

Free time followed with some opting for relaxation by the pool, some for beauty treatments and the rest engaging in more lively health talks with Evelyn.

The day ended with another pilates class this time focusing on stretch and relax. Tea and rich chocolate brownies were then offered and our group of eight each left with a bountiful goody bag full of food and beauty treats.

Top goody bag gift!

More goody bag treats

We all loved the day and the time spent making new acquaintances.  It was exceptional value at £49 for members and £99 for guests. It is worth keeping an eye on the Eastwell web site for future dates. I certainly have a number of friends who will want to be there.

No such thing as a free lunch, or is there?

There really is such a thing as a free lunch or free tasty snacks anyway. The provinces of Almeria and Granada in Andalucia Spain still follow the tradition of each time you buy a drink you get a free tapas. This is not only with the first drink but with every single one.

On a recent mini road trip totalling just five days to the cities of Almeria and Granada and town of Nijar we experienced this brilliant hospitality at every stop.

From iberico ham served over crunchy patatas frites, melted cheese on crispy toasted bread to slow cooked pork in a curry sauce served in tiny bowls with couscous the variety was exceptional. Then in Granada we were offered generous portions of bread olives and meat which appeared just on ordering two glasses of vino blanco.

Bread, olives and cold meats

We also experienced a some delicious full meals. Fresh sardines and vibrant crunchy salad eaten by the sea in the sunshine in San Jose Almeria.

Sardinas Asadas

Ensalada Mixta

Two days later it was mussels in sauce in a cosy taberna in Granada where temperatures outside were closer to zero with snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains closing roads and causing us to alter our route back to the coast.

Mejillones

At breakfast or more usually brunch we made the most of the delicious bread with crushed tomatoes topped with ham and cheese. This impressive "breakfast boat" took first prize

Jambon Iberico & Queso

Then at our final stop Nijar a typical small town in the foothills  (incredibly well located for Almeria airport) and famous for its contemporary pottery we ate a dish translated as "Neighbours Potatoes" I think this is a bit like a set menu we once had in France supposedly "What the chef has found in the market today" but really whatever there was a glut of in the restaurant. However the potato dish was delicious. It included roast potatoes, chips, various sausages, mushrooms, liver and the famous padron peppers topped with fried egg. Perfect for a rainy day in Nigar.

Papas Vecinas