Chicken Shoe

Wednesday 24th March 2010

B&B Dinner

(Chicken) Chasseur doesn’t really mean footwear (though it could have referred to meat which was tough as ‘old boots’) anyway, it means ‘hunter’ in this case, and it was probably made with some tough old game bird, so imagine the even better results with a pert juicy young (but not cruely young) organic local chicken… more than 10/10 was awarded. It tastes quite smart and expensive, but cunningly uses the cheaper cuts. By cooking with the bones on and skimming the fat at the end, it’s not unhealthy either. If there is any chicken left, it is nice cold the next day (without the gravy, of course).

Chicken Shoe

Preparation time 2 minutes

Cooking Time +4 hours

chicken, thighs, wings, legs, skin on

butter, 60g

onions, x2, finely chopped

mushrooms, button 125g

white wine, ¼ bottle

brandy, 2 tbsp

tomato paste, 2 tsp

chicken stock, 250ml

herbs de provence, 1 tbsp (or chopped fresh tarragon & parsley)

flour, 1 tbsp mixed with a little cold water to a paste

Bung it all in the pot, put lid on firmly and bring to gentle simmer and bake on 200°C for half an hour. Reduce heat to 100°C for rest of baking time (a few hours). Half an hour before you want it ready, carefully lift the (extremely tender) chicken pieces onto a baking tray and pour the gravy into a jug. The fat will rise to the top. After 15 mins or so skim the fat off and place kitchen towel over the top to clear the rest of the grease. Meanwhile, heat the grill and grill the chicken pieces on both sides until brown and crisp – approx 5 minutes each side. Serve with the (reheated) gravy, sauté garlic (roasted) potatoes and greens.

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

Spotted Dick

Wednesday 24th March 2010
B&B Dinner

It wasn’t the spotted bit - it was the dick bit that caused the stir. The children were so disgusted with the name they became quite hyper and I had to firmly hand them the dish towel which sobered them right up – they had been quite raucous and were disturbing the visitors romantic night out… The dishtowel did the trick, AND got the washing up done too! I have to hand this one to Gary Rhodes, thanks Gazzer, I had to drop the suet tho’, couldn’t fancy it (and I added an egg, as it was there and broken and all). I used to do a chocolate version of this (without the spots) for Cai when he was allergic to dairy & egg. It was the only vegan cake that held together, I made a turtle birthday cake once, but that’s another recipe for another day….

Spotted Dick

butter (or suet if you must), 5oz,
flour, self raising, 10oz
sugar, 3oz
egg, 1 (optional)

Mix ingredients in Magimix until fine powder is reached, add:

currants, 4oz
lemon, finely grated zest of 1
milk, 185ml approx

Pulse (do not mix as the currants will crush) until soggy blob. Line bowl with non-stick baking parchment, blob in the blob. Cover with more parchment and put lid on (saucepan lid). Steam on trivet for 1 or 2 hours – a slow simmer is OK. Serve with custard or cream. Naughty, but nice.

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

Carrot Cake

Sunday 14th March 2010
Mother’s Day

We took this on our picnic. It would have been better without the nuts for the kids, but with the nuts, meant more for us! They had pink panthers so no guilt from me.

Carrot Cake
oil, sunflower or butter, 8oz
sugar, soft brown, 5oz
flour, wholemeal, self-raising, 7oz
eggs, 3
cinnamon, 1½ tsp
baking powder, 1tsp
salt, ½ tsp

Mix in food processor or mixer until blended. Gently pulse in, or stir in:

carrots, 7oz grated
walnuts, chopped, 3oz (optional)

Put into large deep dish or tin (20cms), lined with non-stick silicone parchment. Bake 160°C fan oven for approximately 45 mins until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.

Icing (optional)
crème fraiche, 250ml
icing sugar, 4oz
vanilla extract, 1tsp

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

Ocean Pie

Sunday 14th March 2010
Mother’s Day

I thought this would be a real treat to have on “my special day”. It would have been more of a treat to not have to cook it, but I decided that if I didn’t make it and handed the food over to someone else, it would be a disappointment because I had such a fixed idea of what I wanted. (Perhaps this is insulting or just a token of my control freakiness). Anyway, it was a bit of a faff, it probably took over an hour to prepare, but I did do a dairy free version and a separate one for mum, as it was mother’s day and she had supplied the coley….. it followed a rather splendid day at Castell Henllys, the iron-age fort with the family, 3 mums included. We had a winter picnic of Olly’s leek and potato soup with crusty bread, sprinkles of bacon and cheese, followed by coffee and carrot cake. It was a Victorian style picnic, without the servants, complete with gas cooker, mugs, and blessed weather – snow drops and the beginning of daffodils (at last).

Ocean Pie
potatoes, boil and mash with:
salt
pepper
butter

milk, approx 1.5 pints, warmed and infused for half an hour with:
celery
carrot
onion
salt
pepper
bay leaf
parsley stalks (or dried parsley)
fish skin/bones

Thawed fish:
Coley, or other plain fish 1 or 2 large fillets, remove any bones, cut into 2cm cubes
Prawns, 1 pack, large uncooked
Seafood Mix, 1 pack, mussels, squid, prawns, scallops etc
Smoked Haddock, optional, 1 fillet, I didn’t have any but it would

Make a béchamel sauce with the infused milk above and boil for 2 minutes, stirring all the time.
butter, 60g
flour, plain, 4 tbsp approx
parsley, chives & wild garlic leaves(optional), chopped finely, mix into sauce when thickened.

Turn on oven to 190°C fan. Place the thawed, drained seafood in the bottom of the dish, pour over the sauce, mash next and optional garnish with :
egg, beaten
butter, knobs

Bake 30 minutes until crisp and brown.

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

Butter Short Biscuits

Thursday 4^th February 2010

These are great because they are very simple, easy, reliable and tasty. You can roll them into shapes (and they hold their shapes well), eat the (play) dough, have a bit of fun. Even a kid could do it (and they do). The quantities are 1 third sugar, 2 thirds butter and 3 thirds plain flour. Easy peasy pudsticks.

Butter Short Biscuits

flour, plain fine, 6oz

butter, 4oz

sugar, caster, 2oz (I whiz my granulated sugar first to make finer – good cost saving exercise)

Turn on oven to 150°C fan. Put all ingredients in Magimix (or work by hand). When it goes into a soft ball it is ready. Roll out 1/8^th inch thick or half cm. Cut into shapes, Cai did stars, I did rounds. Prick with a fork a few times. Place on non-stick parchment (or greased) roasting tin. They grow a little so non too close together. Bake 15 minutes until biscuits are a little brown round edges. Serve to B&B guests and drizzle with melted chocolate for special occasions (it’s Thursday, that’s special enough for me).

A jar of these would make a nice present for someone. They keep 10 days.

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

Red Cabbage

Wednesday 3^rd January 2010

A winter’s roast and a sausage and mash meal are not complete in February without red cabbage. Locally grown, seasonal, and best if you allow a couple of hours for it to slowly release its finest.

Red Cabbage

red cabbge, 1

butter, dob

apple juice concentrate, splash or 1tsp sugar

cloves, ground, sprinkle or a few whole

salt

pepper

onion, 1 sliced in rings

apple, chopped fine

cardamon, 4 whole pods (optional – but very good)

orange, freshly squeezed juice and zest (optional)

Put all ingredients in your heaviest based saucepan with lid firmly on. Set on lowest setting for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally. If it catches, it is too hot.

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

Fillet Steak & Creamy Pepper Sauce

Tuesday 2^nd January 2010

I was taught this recipe by carefully observing the flamboyant (excuse pun) waiters near Oludenis in Turkey. I was very young and very impressed. They would flambé the steaks at the table and I think we had this dish every night as it was so great!

Fillet Steak & Creamy Pepper Sauce

This would have been even quicker if I had been organised (aspiration) and actually defrosted the steaks in time….. My excuse is that having been out eating all day (thanks Jude), and then cramming GCSE chemistry with the girls, and distant husband at badminton, had to rustle up something easy, but motivation was purely greed driven, and because I thought the packaging on the steaks was a bit shabby for my nice clean shop …

It’s a pretty quick, tho’ a completely extravagant, meal to have when you have company…. The family love it.

fillet Steak, 1 each (organic, Welsh Black, happy kind - tastes best)

butter

olive oil

mustard, French’s squirt

brandy, slosh

pepper, black, coarse

salt, coarse, sea kind

crème fraiche, large dollop or cream is fine too

Heat the pan, melt butter and olive oil (stops the butter burning). Slap on steaks, which have salt and pepper on them. A few minutes each side, depending on rareness needed. Take out pan and ‘rest’ on plate covered in foil (important). Meanwhile, add more butter to pan, squirt on mustard, tons of black pepper and brandy. Light with match (have a lid ready to douse flames). Add crème fraiche, melt, heat, done.

(You may find your finger wondering along the edge of the pan when no-one is watching!)