Sticky Maple Chicken

I hardly ever follow recipes, but this one is a winner. The recipe in from Nigella Express and it truely is my favourite type of food: a glorious pile of sticky meat to devour with friends and family.



Sticky Maple Chicken

250ml apple juice
30ml soy sauce
60ml maple syrup
30ml vegetable oil
2 star anise
1 cinamon stick, halved
6 garlic cloves
600g chicken pieces (ribs are good too, or a mixture)

1. Put everything in a large bowl or freezer bag and squish it all around with your fingers
2. Leave to marinade for as long as possible, although tonight I used it straight away and it still tasted good
3. Cook at 200 oC for an hour and a quarter. I did mine in foil on the BBQ for a similar time tonight.

Enjoy with green salad, coleslaw and hunks of crusty bread. A cold beer goes down well, too!

Spring supper

It was an evening to pull on a cardi, fire up the barbeque and prepare a lazy, tasy supper to enjoy in the warmth of the evening sun.


Gurnard with salsa verde and horseradish potato salad

4 gurnard fillets
1 tablespoon as many different green herbs as you can get your hands on: in the garden I found rosemary, parsley, mint, lemon thyme, thyme and chives
Juice 1/2 lemon
2 anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove
1 onion
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

8 potoatoes
1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
2 tablespoons mayo
Salt and pepper

1. Put everything in the food processor except the fish and olive oil. Blitz until everything is finely chopped.
2. With the processor still running, slowly add enough olive oil to emulsify and turn the whole mixture into a dropable consistancy. I used 2-3 tablespoons in total.
3. Check for seasoning
4. Season your fish, smear the salsa onto the fleshy side.
5. Wrap in foil parcels and leave to marinade for up to two hours.
6. Put the potatoes on to boil, whole and unpeeled. When boiled, drain and cool.
7. Make dressing for potato by mixing together horseradish, mayo and seasoning.
8. Mix dressing with diced, cooked potatoes. Check seasoning.
9. Cook fish parcels on BBQ or in oven at 180 degrees for 5-7 minutes, until falky and cooked.

Enjoy with a green salad, glass of Pinot Grigio and the sun setting.

Turnip Pie

Now, turnip pie doesn't sound very exciting, but I found a turnip rolling round the fridge last night, and this is what I created.



It was a really rich, tasty pie that I'll definately be making again come Autumn.

Turnip pie

2 onions, sliced
2 gloves garlic, minced
100ml balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp lea & perrins
1 tin choppedtomatoes
1/2 pint vegtable stock (I use Mariold powder here)
1 turnip/swede, cubed
4 bacon rashers, cut into lardons

8 potatoes
3 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Large knob butter
Splash milk
Salt and pepper

1. In a large fryin pan, cook the onion and garlic in the balsamic vinegar on a low heat until soft, sticky and the onion is translucent
2. Add the bacon bits, and cook until the bacon is cooked through
3. Add the turnip and turn up the heat a little, fry for a few minutes.
4. Add enough stock to cover the turnip, add lea & perrins
5. Cover with lid and simmer over a low heat until the turnip cubes are soft. It took mine almost half an hour, but I was having Aga problems, so hopefully won't normally take so long.
6. While turnip is cooking, boil potatoes
7. Mash potatoes with mustard, butter, milk, salt and pepper, and set to one side
8. When your turnip is cooked, take off lid and reduce liquid. Check for seasoning.
9. Use turnip mixture to line the bottom of a pie dish
10. Top with mash and bake for half an hour, or until the top is golden

I think it would also be nice with cheese on top, and I served it with peas and french beans.