Chicken and Cauliflower Curry

Diced Chicken Thighs or Breasts
Cauliflower Florets
Yogurt
Ground Black Pepper
Mustard Seeds
Cumin seeds
Grated Nutmeg
Finely chopped Onions
Finely sliced Ginger
Finely sliced Garlic
Vegetable Oil
Green Peas
Rice

1] Dry fry the Cumin and Mustard Seeds then grind them in a pestle and mortar.

2] Marinade the Chicken and Cauliflower together for two hours in the Yogurt, Cumin, Mustad Seeds, grated Nutmeg and Black Pepper.

3] Heat the Oil in a pan and gently fry off the Onion. When it starts to colour add in the finely chopped Garlic and Ginger, and cook for a few minutes.

4] Turn up the heat, add in all the marinade and stir until the Chicken and Cauliflower takes on a little colour.

5] Pour in some boiling water until it just covers the Chicken and Cauliflower.

6] Place in the oven at Gas Mark 5 for about 20 minutes.

7] Stir in some frozen Peas and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

8] If the sauce is still to wet, reduce on the hob.

Serve with Rice.

Leftover Chicken with Oranges and Herbs

Orange Chicken with Herbs

Cut orange in half and hollow it out as best as you can. Trim pulp so no white pith is showing. Set aside with accumulated juice.

½ individual cup of Mandarin orange sections, reserving liquid
1 c cooked diced chicken
salt and pepper to taste
¼ - ½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp crushed rosemary
2 T mayonnaise (or to taste)

Mix spices into may and add chicken and half of orange slices (the Mandarin and the pieces from the orange shell) Mix well. Add more oranges as you’d like. Spoon into orange half, drizzle with a bit of juice to keep moist and top with a pretty orange piece.

Lamb Liver Casserole

Bacon or Chorizo
Plain Flour
Salt
Black Pepper
1 lb. Lamb Liver, trimmed of nasty tubes etc
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed beef bouillon
6 med. potatoes, pared and halved
6 carrots, cut in 2 inch pieces

Saute bacon in skillet until crisp. Drain and crumble. Reserve drippings. Combine 4 tablespoons of the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Dredge liver with this mixture until well coated. Saute liver, celery and onion in bacon drippings until liver is brown. Place in 2 quart casserole. Top with crumbled bacon. Add bouillon and remaining salt. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and bake, covered, for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables to a warm platter. Add the remaining flour to the skillet. Stir in liquid from casserole. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Pour over liver and vegetables and serve.

Pigeon Breast ‘Sandwiches’ with Leek and Mustard Sauce

Pigeon Breast ‘Sandwiches’ with Leek and Mustard Sauce

Serves 4

8 pigeon breasts
6 rashers streaky bacon
1 medium sized onion
40g (1½ oz) butter
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
6 pepperdew peppers. Waitrose sells these mildly spicy miniature peppers in jars, as perhaps do other stores.
1 tablespoon well chopped parsley

Sauce:
1 good sized leek
50g (2 oz) butter
1 crushed clove of garlic
1 heaped tablespoon flour
300 ml (½ pt) stock
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

Method

Place the pigeon breasts between 2 layers of cling film and beat them with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin until well flattened and of a more or less similar size. This isn’t always easy and if some turn out larger than others keep these for the bottom part of the ‘sandwich’.

Chop the bacon and the onion finely and cook them in the butter. Chop the peppers and add them to the mixture together with two tablespoons of parmesan. Spread the mixture evenly on the four larger of the flattened pigeon breasts and press the remaining breasts on top. Cook in a medium hot oven for about 10 minutes until a sharp fork will pierce the meat easily.
Mix the remaining parmesan with the parsley and sprinkle on top.

To make the sauce, chop the leek well and cook until soft in the butter and garlic. Stir in the flour and add the stock, stirring until thickened. Stir in the mustard and season to taste. Serve the sauce separately.

Reproduced from 'The Empty Larder' by Judy Malleson

Seared Pigeon Breasts

Pork loin braised in milk

By: Gioconda Scott From: Gioconda Scott's Paradise Kitchen

1 kg Loin of Pork

Black Pepper

6 tbsp Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic, sliced lengthways

1 Onion, sliced

2 Carrots, finely chopped

6 Peppercorns

2 Bay Leaves

Milk, to cover

1. Season the pork loin with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a casserole dish. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Remove the pork and set aside.

3. Add the remaining olive oil in the casserole dish. Add the garlic, onion and carrot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes until softened.

4. Return the pork loin to the casserole dish. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves.

5. Pour in enough milk to come three-quarters of the way up the pork loin. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

6. Bring the milk to the boil, cover the dish, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 1 and a half hours, turning the pork over halfway through.

7. Once the pork is so tender that it is practically falling apart, remove it from the casserole dish and let it rest for 5 minutes, keeping warm.

8. Meanwhile, transfer the cooking liquor and the vegetables to a blender and blend until smooth.

9. Finely slice the pork loin and serve with the sauce made from the cooking liquor.

Roast Pork Loin with Mustard Butter

Serves 4

3 Garlic Cloves
1/2 Spanish Onion, finely chopped and mixed with 30 ml (2 tbsp) Olive Oil
50 g (2 oz) softened Butter
5 ml (1 tsp) crumbled fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf, crumbled
15 - 30 ml (1 - 2 tbsp) Dijon Mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
25 g (1 oz) Flour
25 g (1 oz) Butter
White Wine


1] Remove the pork from the refrigerator 4 hours before you plan to cook it.

2] Cut each garlic clove into 4 slices. Pierce the pork loin in 12 places and insert a garlic slice and a little chopped onion mixture into each hole.

3] Mix the softened butter, crumbled thyme, bay leaf and mustard to a smooth paste and rub this well into the pork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and let the meat stand at room temperature for 4 hours.

4] Heat the oven to 230°C (450°F) gas 8. Brown the meat for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) gas 4 and continue to roast until the meat is done, about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours.

5] Deglazed the pan with some white wine. Mash together the flour with the butter and add this a little at a time to the pan. Stir constantly over a low heat until the sauce thickens. Pour this mustard butter into a small serving dish.

6] Garnish the pork with sprigs of watercress and serve with mashed celeriac/potatoes and the mustard butter.

Pork Stuffed Peppers

Based on a recipe by Lizzie Kamenetzky

Serves 4
Takes 10 minutes to prep, 45 minutes to cook

Olive Oil
Ciabatta, torn into small pieces
1 Onion, finely diced
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
500g Pork Mince
150ml chicken stock
4 Romano Peppers
4 Spring Onions, sliced
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
Large handful of fresh coriander leaves, plus extra to serve

1] Heat some Olive Oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and
fry until the Ciabatta pieces start to crisp and colour. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bread and set aside on kitchen paper.
2] Add some more Oil id needed and add the Onion. Gently fry for 10 minutes until soft and golden.
3] Add the Garlic and mince and fry, stirring, until browned.
4] Add the stock and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Put aside to cool.
5] Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6.
6] Halve the Peppers, de-seed them and place cut-side up on an oiled baking tray.
7] Add the Spring Onion, Sweet Chilli, Soy and Coriander to the mince. Adjust the seasoning and stir in the Ciabatta pieces.
8] Spoon into the Pepper halves and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
9] Scatter with the extra coriander leaves and serve.

Notes: I had some offcuts of Pork Loin, so I roughly minced that with some Chorizo instead of using plain Pork mince.
I didn't have any Romano Peppers and I imagine they would be a lot sweeter than regular Bell Peppers.

Spicy gammon steak with crisp potato stack

By Gino D'Acampo
From Ready Steady Cook

Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins
Serves 1
Ingredients
For the spicy gammon steak
• ½ gammon steak
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the crisp potato stack
• 30g/1oz butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 potato, peeled and grated
•salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the apple sauce
• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ apple, peeled, cored and grated
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• sprig fresh parsley, to garnish

1. For the spicy gammon steak, use a 7.5cm/3in chefs' ring to cut out a disc of gammon, then dust the gammon with the cayenne pepper and chilli powder.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the gammon for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until completely cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
3. For the crisp potato stack, heat the butter and oil together in a non-stick frying pan.
4. Mix the egg, flour and grated potato together in a small bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5 .Divide the potato mixture in half and press into two chefs' rings the same size as that used for the gammon. Fry for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through to cook on the other side, until crisp and golden-brown.
6. For the apple sauce, heat the butter, grated apple and lemon juice together in a small saucepan until the apple has broken down to a pulp. Stir in the mustard.
7. To serve, place one potato cake in the centre of a serving plate and top with the disc of gammon. Finish with the second potato cake and garnish with parsley.

Livers Explained

I was doing some research on Lambs Liver today, and came across this post from the Argalinks Cookery Doctor, Richard Maggs, which I think is a great explaination of the different types of liver and how to treat them.
Thank you Richard, great stuff. Check out the link in the title above to jump to his page.

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Calves' liver is the finest - tender, juicy and rich, with lambs' liver nearly of a similar quality. Pigs' and ox liver by contrast are strong and quite tough, fine for flavouring casseroles where the flavour is diluted with other ingredients such as vegetables or mushrooms. Incidentally, take a look at the prices at your butcher's. The prices reflect the type of product: calves' liver is nearly three times as expensive as pigs' or ox liver. Finally we have poultry livers which are cheaper still, and I am a great fan of these too. They are terrific value fresh or frozen - I must buy chicken livers at least twice a month - either to turn into everyday pâté which is really easy and absolutely delicious, or to pan-fry for a quick supper by the method I give below. Sometimes, especially in the run-up to Christmas, tubs of frozen duck livers also appear so I stock up when I see them. These are best saved for luxury pâtés. Both types can also be pan-fried and then served on a plate of dressed salad with peeled grapes and a simple walnut or hazelnut oil and lemon juice dressing.

The main fact to always bear in mind is that the two different types of liver require completely different cooking techniques to render them tender and delicious. As with cheap and expensive cuts of meat, typically the rule is to cook the better cuts for a short time at a high temperature, never for too long, and to leave cheaper cuts for a long slow sojourn at a very low temperature to magically transform them.

To Prepare Liver
Carefully snip and peel away the fine membrane covering the liver. Use a sharp knife to cut the liver diagonally into thin and even slices. To ensure success and even cooking for cooking calves' and lambs' liver, it is important to always have it sliced into very even, thin strips, just under ½ an inch (9mm) thick is considered perfection. If you want, ask your butcher to do this is you are at all worried. They like to be asked. Support your local butcher and he will look after you. At the same time snip out any tough internal tubes using strong kitchen scissors.

Before cooking, some books recommend soaking liver in milk to soften the flavour. In the past, liver often had a stronger taste than it does now; modern breeding produces much milder flavoured liver, certainly calves' and lambs' liver would never need this treatment. It is a matter of personal taste with the other types. However, if in doubt, I'd suggest you also try that next time.

Cooking Calves' Liver, Lambs' Liver and Chicken Livers
Calves' and lambs' liver only need a very short cooking time to keep them meltingly tender; cook for too long and the texture changes horribly and they become progressively more and more bitter. Some chefs maintain that sprinkling with lemon juice before cooking helps prevent this, but I think it is better to learn how to cook them for the correct length of time, as below. Lemon juice can also be applied afterwards to liver that has turned bitter, but it is rather a case of shutting the stable door... I'm not really convinced it does anything but confuse the palate away from some of the bitterness frankly. Chicken livers require the same cooking techniques as calves' and lambs' liver, but cook even more quickly. Most authorities recommend serving them quite pink but it is a matter of taste.

Dust lightly in seasoned flour then sauté very lightly in butter starting with the pan over quite a high heat. On the Aga I would start off on the Boiling Plate, add the liver and then transfer to the Simmering Plate or more probably to the floor of the Roasting Oven. All it needs is for it to be sealed to keep the juices in, then cooked gently, but not for too long. A couple of minutes on either side should be enough to cook it yet still keep the middle a juicy pink. I usually find that after 2 minutes when I check, the blood is starting to bubble through on the top showing that it is time to turn it. Leave to rest on a warmed plate and deglaze the pan with some wine and/or stock etc. A spoonful of redcurrant, rowan, sloe, crabapple, plum or quince jelly/jam may be used here to good effect if you any to hand. Stick to one, though; always keep flavours focused, never confused. Boil up to make a sauce, add a little cream if you like (I don't think it works as well personally), season and then serve with a little of the sauce coating the liver.

Before you cook your liver however I would suggest you get everything else apart from any green vegetables on to cook first. I would sauté lots of thinly sliced sweet onions in some butter and a little oil right at the start, transfer the pan to the Simmering Oven for 30 minutes to soften, then return to the Simmering Plate to drive off excess water. These will keep hot, covered, in the Simmering Oven until ready to serve. I prefer them soft and light golden like this, if you prefer darker onions, now stir constantly on the top of the cooker until they are how you like them. Your patience and thoroughness will be rewarded with a really delicious flavour, rather than resorting to adding some sugar and having a sweet mixture as is sometimes suggested. These will again keep hot in the Simmering Oven. Have the other parts of the meal already cooked or prepared ready to cook so that once it is ready the liver doesn't overcook waiting for you. I would perhaps have creamy mashed potatoes cooked and then keeping hot in the Simmering Oven with perhaps another root vegetable, and then only have to fast boil say some prepared broccoli on the Boiling Plate as soon as I transfer the liver to the oven to finish cooking. Boil the kettle first just before you start on the liver too so that the vegetable water jumps to attention when you need it. This way everything will be served in perfect condition and it will be really easy to do.

Since these types of liver are quite rich, remember to keep the accompaniments simple and some kind of piquant ingredient is a good idea. I like streaky bacon that has been placed on Bake-O-Glide on a baking sheet on the floor of the Aga Roasting Oven. Here is frizzes up to a delectable crispness. Apple rings sautéed in a little butter then flambéed with a slug of Calvados also elevate proceedings if you are cooking à deux for someone special (remember to check that they like liver first or your romantic evening could go horribly wrong!). Used judiciously, balsamic vinegar is also a good foil to experiment with.

Cooking Pigs' and Ox Liver
Pigs' and ox liver as I have said, require the reverse to the above technique. No high temperatures, just long, slow cooking for several hours at the merest blip of a simmer. Executed well, and this is easy of course in the Aga Simmering Oven, these types of liver can also be transformed into delicious, nourishing and cheap casseroles, but they are pretty horrible pan-fried on their own.

Aga Cookery Doctor's Easy Slow-braised Liver
Once you have mastered the other types listed above, please do give this recipe a try. It really works very well and has surprised quite a few people over the years. It started out life as one from the brilliant Stella Atterbury's (the famous doyenne of slow cookery, who had an Aga herself, on which of course she developed many of her brilliant slow cooking techniques). It has now evolved over the years (Jocasta Innes' variation on it with orange is a winner too) and it is quite forgiving and flexible. The conclusion I have come to is that the only thing which it is a mistake to cut down on is the bacon in and on the top. Pears or quinces make delicious variations at this time of year in place of the apple.

Serves 4

8 oz (225g) pig or ox liver
6 tbsp stock (made from Marigold vegetable bouillon powder is fine)
salt and freshly milled black pepper
4 oz (100g) rindless smoked bacon pieces or similar
1 medium onion, very finely sliced
½ clove of garlic, finely crushed
1 medium Bramley apple
1 oz (25g) demerara sugar
¼ pt (150ml) fresh breadcrumbs
2 oz (50g) rindless streaky bacon, thinly sliced

Prepare the liver as above, cut into slices and soak in milk for at least 2 hours. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Lay the strips in a small greased baking dish. Add the liquid and season. Place the bacon pieces in a dry, heavy pan and place on the Simmering Plate. Once the fat starts to run, transfer to the floor of the Roasting Oven to crispen the pieces. Alternatively this may be done on the Boiling Plate, but it will need constant stirring. Add the onion and cook, covered, for 3 minutes on the Simmering Plate. Transfer to the Simmering Oven for 30 minutes. Return to the Simmering Plate, uncover, and add the apple, breadcrumbs and sugar. Pat the stuffing over the liver, covering it completely. Lay the streaky bacon over the top, with each rasher overlapping slightly. The aim is to seal in the liquid as much as possible. If in doubt, wrap in foil.

2, 3 and 4 oven Aga: Place the baking dish on the grid shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven for no longer than 8 minutes to get it hot. Transfer to the Simmering Oven for 2-3 hours. If necessary, moisten with a little extra stock before serving (not usually necessary).

I like to serve this with whole onions baked in foil, drizzled with a little olive oil, slow braised red cabbage and plain steamed old potatoes with a little butter and freshly chopped parsley.

Murgh Makhani (Old Delhi style chicken curry)

Serves 4

For the Chicken
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
Salt
1 tsp Chilli Powder
Juice of half a Lemon
100g Plain Yogurt
800g boned Chicken Thighs, skinned and cubed
Pinch of Garam Masala

For the Sauce
1.25 kg Tomatoes halved
Root Ginger crushed
4 Garlic Cloves crushed
4 Green Cardamom pods
2 Cloves
1 Bay Leaf
1 tbsp Chilli Powder

60g Butter
2cm Root Ginger, finely chopped
2 Green Chillies, slit into four, but still whole
75ml Single Cream
Salt
Pinch of Garam Masala

First start to make the sauce.
1] Put the Tomatoes in a pan with 125ml of water, the Ginger, Garlic, Cardomom, Cloves and Bay Leaf. Gently cook until the Tomatoes are completely broken down.
2] Remove the pan from the heat and puree the sauce.
3] Work the sauce through a sieve to get rid of the Tomato pips and spice husks.
4] Bring back to the boil and add the Chilli powder.
5] Turn the heat off and let the sauce sit.

Marinade the Chicken
6] Mix the Ginger, Garlic, Salt, Chilli Powder and Lemon Juice in a glass bowl.
7] Chop the Chicken into skewable pieces and add to the marinade. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
8] Add the Garam Masala and Yogurt. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
9] Thread the Chicken on skewers and grill for 15 minutes turning once. (the Chicken should still be slightly undercooked to finish cooking in the sauce).

10] While the Chicken grills reduce the sauce a little and slowly whisk in the Butter.
11] Add the Chicken and any juices to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
12] As the sauce thickens, add the cream and Chillies.
13] Gently simmer while stirring until it has a nice rich texture.
14] Sprinkle some Garam Masala over and serve with rice.

Carrot and Orange Soup

Serves 4

50g Unsalted Butter
3 Leeks or 2 big Onions, sliced
500g Carrots
Fresh Garlic, finely chopped
1 litres Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Grated Zest and Juice of 2 Oranges
Freshly grated Nutmeg
Sea Salt and fresh Black Pepper
Yoghurt or Cream
Bacon

1] Gently melt the Butter and add the Leek or Onions. Let them sweat for about 10 minutes, but don't let them colour.

2] Add the Garlic and cook for a few minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.

3] Warm the Stock and Orange Zest/Juice, and add it to the pan.

4] Taste and season with Nutmeg, Salt and Pepper. Taste again.

5] Bring just to the boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

6] Get some Bacon frying to garnish the soup.

7] Turn off the heat and let it cool. Purée the soup in the pan. Reheat gently and taste adding more seasoning if required.

8] Serve and swirl some Yoghurt or Cream.

Pork Tenderloin in Milk

Pork Tenderloin
Vegetable Oil
3 Cloves
Ground Cinnamon, or a stick
A sprig of fresh Rosemary
2 Garlic Cloves, bruised
Sea Salt
Black Peppercorns, cracked
1 fresh Bay Leaf
Unsalted Butter
300 ml Milk
Chicken Stock

1] Marinade the Pork in some Oil, the Cloves, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Garlic, Bay Leaf, some Salt and the cracked Black Pepper. Let it sit for 4 - 8 hours, tuning it occasionally.
2] Heat some Butter and Oil in a thick bottomed pan. When the Butter has stopped foaming, add the Pork leaving the marinade mixture to one side.
3] Gently brown of the meat on all sides.
4] Meanwhile gently heat the milk, adding in the marinade mixture.
5] Bring the Milk to the boil and gently add it to the Pork.
6] Get the liquid simmering gently and put on a lid slightly askew.
7] Cook for an hour or so until the Pork is cooked and the cooking liquid is reduced.
8] Take the Pork out and let it rest.
9] Stain the cooking juices to remove the herbs and spices into a small sauce pan.
10] Add warm Chicken Stock and reduce the sauce to your liking.
11] You may have a fair amount of Oil in your sauce so either skim it off, or use a separator.
12] Slice the Pork and serve with the sauce and roasted vegetables.

I had some Beetroot juice from the roasted veg, so I added that to the sauce for a nice earthy element.

Summer Herb Focaccia

Preparation: 60 minutes

Cooking: 20 minutes

Ingredients
Focaccia
200g OO Tipo Flour or use all strong flour (bread flour)
200g Strong flour (Bread flour)
15g fresh yeast of 7g or 1 sachet of dried yeast
50ml olive oil
300ml warm water
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 tbps basil, shredded
a couple of handfuls of rocket leaves
maldon salt

Yeast: Place the yeast in a container with the olive oil and add the warm water and stir it together until the yeast has dissolved, if you are using dried yeast leave it to foam before using.
Dough: Place the flour, herbs and a little salt in a mixing bowl or on a work top. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture and gradually work the flour into the yeast mixture and knead it until it is smooth or mix it with a dough hook on a low speed until it forms a ball and comes away from the sides (this should take around 5 minutes). The dough should be moist but not wet.
Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in it, cover the bowl with cling film or a clean tea towel. Leave it in a warm place until it has risen to double its size.
Preheat an oven to 220°C. Remove the risen dough from the bowl and knead it into a ball. Roll the dough out so that you have a round about 1cm thick. Oil a baking tray and place the dough on it, drizzle over a little oil and set it aside in a warm place for 15-20 minutes to rise.
Toss the rocket in a little olive oil and press it in into the dough making thumb marks all over the bread. Sprinkle over lightly crushed maldon salt.
Place the baking tray in the center of the preheated oven and cook it for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 190°C and leave it to cook for a further 10-15 minutes until it has risen and is golden brown.
To Serve: Serve focaccia with plenty of olive oil for dipping or if you like butter.

Leftover Chicken Fried Rice

Shredded cooked Chicken
Soy Sauce
Uncooked Long Grain Rice
Chicken Stock
Star Anise
Sea Salt
Vegetable Oil
1 coarsely Chopped Onion
Chopped Green or Yellow Pepper
Thinly Sliced vegetables of your choice.
Fresh Ginger
2 Garlic cloves
1 Beaten Egg
If you like, Bean Sprouts.

1] Combine Chicken, 1/2 tsp Salt, and Soy Sauce. Let stand 15 minutes. After that, add the Stock while you do the Rice.
2] Cook the Rice in hot pan over medium heat till starting to brown stirring frequently.
3] Reduce the heat and add the Chicken mix. Throw in a bit of Star Anise. Simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove the cover for the last few minutes. (You will have to judge how reduced you want this, but as long as the Rice is almost cooked).
4] Heat your wok with some Oil and stir fry the Veg. Onion first, then Pepper and other Veg, then Garlic/Ginger in swift order, moving them around all the time.
5] Add the Chicken and Rice mix and get to the right consistency for your liking.
6] Scramble Egg in 1 tablespoon of hot Oil until almost set. Stir into the wok, and then stir in Bean Sprouts if you have some (I forgot to buy mine...)
7] Serve with Soy Sauce.

Chinese Roast Duck

Ingredients:
1 whole Duck
4 tb Onions, chopped
4 tb Ginger, minced
Cinnamon, ground or just a stick
1 Star anise, broken up
Dark Soy sauce
2 ts Sugar
2 tb Dry sherry
1 tb Salt
Honey
2 tb Chinese black vinegar or
2 tb Red wine vinegar

Instructions:

1] Clean duck, removing as much fat from the neck as possible. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Tie the neck closed, I used a butchers hook to do this.
2] Combine onion, celery, ginger, cinnamon, anise, soy sauce, sugar and wine.
3] Bring to a boil and pour into duck. Use another butchers hook to seal up the opening.
4] Rub skin with the salt.
5] Place duck on a rack over a baking tray.
6] Roast in a 425 F oven 30 minutes turning once, pouring off any fat and cooking juices.
7] Prick the skin lightly with a fork. Brush the duck with honey, vinegar and soy sauce mixture. Reduce the heat to 375F and roast 1 1/2 hours longer or until done, turning several times and brushing with the basting mixture every half hour.
8] Take off the butchers hooks and drain the duck.
9} Let the duck stand for 10 minutes while you reduce the filling with any cooking juices.

Stuffed Tenderloin of Pork

We got some lovely Pork Tenderloin the other day, so this is one I played with.
Smiles all around ;)

Pork Filling:
Olive Oil
Chorizo (Finely diced)
Onion (Finely diced)
Garlic (As much as you like)
Unsalted Butter
Fresh Rosemary (Cut finely, as small as you can)
Lemon Juice
Single Cream

Potatoes (Leave the skins on, diced)
Some fresh Herbs for the Potatoes (I used Lemon Thyme)
Beetroot (Precooked from a pack, easy to chunk and nice and sweet)

Pork Tenderloin

1] Get the oven on, full heat. This is to get the Potatoes going before you turn the heat down for the Pork.
2] Warm a little Olive Oil in a pan and gently fry the diced Chorizo. 5 minutes or so.
3] Spoon out the Chorizo, holding back that lovely oil.
4] Add a little Butter and throw in the Onions and let them colour a little, then add the Garlic... Stir so the Garlic doesn't burn. Throw in the Rosemary, 30 Seconds! Then take off the heat while stiring and adding in the Cream. (You could try adding the Cream while on the heat to reduce it a little).
5] Splash the Lemon Juice in, stir the Chorizo in and put the pan aside to let the filling cool off.
6] Massage the diced Potatoes in some herbs (I used Lemon Thyme)and Olive Oil in the baking tray, throw the chunked Beetroot at the other end of the tray. Get them in the oven on the top shelf for a few minutes while you prep the Loin.
7] Get the Pork Loin on a board and cut it in, almost, in half... (Butterfly it?)
8] Get messy and fill the Pork Sandwich with the half the filling mix.
9] Tie the pork with string and put in the oven on a lightly oiled baking tray. Reduce heat to Gas 4. Give the Potatoes an Beetroot a quick stir at this point.
10] At Gas 4 the Pork is going to take about 60 minutes. But the Beetroot and Potatoes will be done before that.
11] Set your timer for 20 minutes and put two serving dishes to warm, one for the Beetroot, one for the Potatoes.
12] After the 20 minute timer the Beetroot should be done. Move them to the serving dish and mix up the Potatoes to finish off. Set the timer for how long you think they will take, about 15 minutes.
13] I had some trimmings from the Pork to start off a nice sauce.
14] Gently fry off the Pork trimmings in some Olive Oil.
15] Splash in some White Wine and let it reduce.
16] Add the rest of your filling mix, stir and reduce while the Pork finishes cooking.
17] Let the Pork rest for 5 minutes on a board before you slice it and plate up.
18] Deglaze the roasting tray with some White Wine and add it to your sauce pan.
18] Add the Beetroot and any juices from the vegetable baking tray into the sauce mix to serve.



Fry off the Chorizo in a little Olive Oil.



Get the Chorizo nicely crisped, but not burnt...



Spoon the Chorizo out leaving the lovely coloured oil. Add a little Butter.



Gently colour the Onions.



Add your Garlic being careful not to burn them. Add the Rosemary.



Stir in the cooked Chorizo.



Mix the Cream into the filling mix. Let it cool.



Cut the Pork Loin.



Fill the Pork with half the filling mix and tie up with string.



Get the Potatoes and Beet in the oven.



For the sauce, fry off any Pork trimmings in some Olive Oil.



Add the rest of your filling mix.



Deglaze the Pork pan and add to the sauce mix.



Add some more White Wine and/or Cream to the sauce if you wish.



Let the Pork rest for 5 minutes.



Add the Beetroot to the sauce.



Slice the Pork and serve.