Chicken Basque with Blaen-y-Nant Chorizo

Chicken Basque with Blaen-y-Nant Chorizo

Chicken Basque ready for the oven

My mother-in-law is an exceptionally good cook and every time we go to stay with them we are spoilt by an array of excellent meals.  But occasionally my father-in-law takes over cooking duties and even though he does not have a wide range of dishes this recipe is one he conjures up and always goes down well. 

Even though this dish has a long list of ingredients it is quite easy to put together and does not take long to prepare.

I have used free range chicken pieces but also a locally produced chorizo from Blaen-y-Nant Farm which is located in the Hearathog Hills just above where I live. The farm is home to the Howatson family business, where livestock is lovingly cared for by the family.  The animals are then used to creat artisan cured meats ensuring full tractability, product provenance, low food miles and from experience superior taste.

Ingredients

8 pieces of Free Range chicken pieces

1 tbs Welsh Rapeseed Oil (Blodyn Aur)

1 red pepper

2 small onions

50g sun-dried tomatoes

3 garlic cloves chopped

200g Blaen-y-Nant chorizo sausage thinly sliced

220g brown balsamic rice

Either 300 ml of home made chicken stock or 1 Chicken stock cube dissolved in about 300 mls of water

1 tbs tomato puree

1 tsp Herbes de Provence 

1 tsp paprika

40g black olives (optional)

1 orange cut into thin slices

pinch of salt and pepper to season

Add the oil to a large heavy duty casserole pan.  

On a medium heat gently fry the onions and peppers for about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, tomato puree, chorizo and sun dried tomatoes and fry for a further minute.

Add the uncooked rice.

Place the chicken on top of the rice.

Sprinkle the herbs and paprika onto the chicken, add pinch of salt and pepper to season.

Add the olives and oranges.

Pour the chicken stock over the chicken and rice.  The stock should just about cover the chicken, if not add some more water.

Chicken Basque ready to be served.

You can either cook this on the hob on a medium heat for about an hour, check occasionally and if it is becoming to dry add some more water or place in the oven on 180C for about 1 hour then turn down to 170C for about 30 minutes. Again check after 1 hour that it isn't to dry, add about 100ml of water.  When ready place in a bowl and goes well with some rustic bread.

Served and ready to be eaten and enjoyed

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Italian Style Welsh Lamb Chops

Italian Style Welsh Lamb Chops

This is an excellent, easy dish to prepare for an evening meal. Again I have used my local butcher, J. H. Jones in Denbigh who only sources lamb from local farms no more than 5 or 6 miles from his shop.  The sauce works well with this dish and for an additional option for a slight fiery kick add some bird's eye chillies.  When I served this with some couscous to my family there was nothing left on the plate except the bones.

When done the lamb is succulent and just falls off the bone.

Ingredients

8 Welsh Lamb Chops

1 tin 400g chopped tomatoes

2 small shallot onions chopped

4 cloves of garlic chopped

4 pieces of sundried tomatoes

1 tbs tomato puree

3 pieces of anchovies

1 birds eye chilli diced finely (optional

3 sprigs of rosemary (or 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary)

1 sprig of mint (or 1 tsp dried mint)

pinch of black pepper and salt to season

1 tbs Welsh Rapeseed oil (Blodyn Aur)

1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar

200ml water

Add the oil to a heavy duty casserole pan placed on a medium heat on the hob.

Add the onion and garlic and gently fry for about 5 minutes.

Add the sun dried tomatoes. chilli, anchovies and puree and fry for a further minute.

Arrange the chops on top of the onions.

Add the chopped tomatoes, rosemary, mint, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Top up with water until the lamb is just covered.

Place in a preheated oven on 180C and allow to cook for about 1 hour.

The lamb goes well with either couscous or mashed potatoes.

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Salt and Pepper Squid

Salt and Pepper Squid

Salt and Pepper Squid ready to eat

These are easy to make and excellent as a side dish for a Chinese or Thai meal.  Ask your fishmonger to clean the squid for you if you prefer not to do it yourself.  Once prepared the squid takes less than a minute to cook but are sensational to eat.


  Ingredients

400g Squid cleaned
60g cornflour
60g plain flour
2 tsp black pepper cracked
2 tbs ground szechuan peppercorns
2 tsp salt (Halen Mon)
Welsh Rapeseed Oil (Blodyn Aur)

Cut the squid into rings and cut the tentacles if they are too long.

Grind the pepper and peppercorns and add to the flour and salt.  Mix well together. Add the squid to the flour mixture and toss until they are coated all over.

Prepared Squid

I sallow fried the squid in enough oil to cover them once they were placed in the wok.  I cooked these in small batches for about 30 to 40 seconds each time.  I removed them and placed them in an oven proof dish and put them in the oven to keep warm on 120C until they are all cooked.

I served these with some sweet chilli sauce.  My children are my biggest critics but these were a big hit. 

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Sa Va Tu'o'ng O't Prawn and Noodles Soup

Sa Va Tu'o'ng O't Prawn and Noodles Soup

Sa Va Tu'orn ot Prawn and Noodles Soup

I have gone Posh with this recipe.  Posh Pickles http://www.poshpicklesandpreserves.com/ based in Cheshire recently sent me a jar of Vietnamese Sa Va Tu'o'ng O't relish to try out.

I enjoy using new ingredients also mixing and matching ingredients from different countries.  This lemongrass and chilli relish had a lot to prove being a Great Taste 2015 award winner plus Silver at the World Hot Sauce Awards.  It definitely did not disappoint with it's delicate lemony essence balanced by the chilli to give it a slight kick.

I am sure this relish would work well in a more robust dish but I wanted to see if it faired as well in a more delicate seafood dish using prawns and noodles.  I have also used a dash of mirin and teriyaki sauce which go well with seafood plus some sugar snap peas and baby sweetcorn.

The combination worked exceptionally well and it was a thumbs up from the family when I made it. I can highly recommend this relish and will definitely be using it again.

Ingredients Serves 4

350g Prawns
250g Noodles
2 tsp Sa Va Tu'o'ng O't
1 tsp Teriyaki sauce
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Mirin
75g Sugar snap peas
100g Baby sweetcorn
Sprig of coriander
Lime quartered (optional)
1000ml water


I buy my prawns from our local asian food store as they are much cheaper than the supermarkets.  I have to peel and devein them myself but this does not take long.

Prawns peeled and deveined

Chop up the vegetables ready to be cooked.

Baby sweetcorn and sugar snap peas ready to be chopped

In a large saucepan add the water, Sa Va Tu'o'ng O't relish, teriyaki, Mirin and soy sauce and vegetables.  Bring to the boil then Sa Va Tu'o'ng O't turn down and allow to simmer gentle for a few minutes.  In another saucepan with plenty of water cook the noodles for 5 to 6 minutes.

About 2 minutes before the noodles are ready pop the prawns into the Sa Va Tu'o'ng O't broth.

Once the prawns are ready drain the noodles and serve into 4 separate bowls.  Using a ladle add the prawn and Sa Va Tu'o'ng O't broth to each dish and serve with some chopped coriander and a quarter of lime which can be squeezed onto the dish.

The finished dish ready to be eaten

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Kedgeree with Smoked Haddock

Kedgeree with Smoked Haddock

Kedgeree is thought to have originated with an Indian rice-and bean or rice and lentil dish Khichri, traced back to 1340 or earlier. It is widely believed that the dish was brought to to the UK by returning British colonials who had enjoyed it in India and introduced it to the UK as a breakfast dish in Victorian times, part of the fashionable Anglo-Indian cuisine.  It is a firm favorite in our house but more at supper time than breakfast.

Kedgeree

Ingredients Serves 2

300g undyed smoked haddock

150g peeled prawns

200ml milk to cover fish

1tsp parsley

2 bay leaves

250g pre cooked rice

1 small onion finely chopped

2 tsp mild curry powder

1 tsp English mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt and pepper

2 eggs

Cut the haddock into 3 or 4 pieces and place in a microwavable dish

Add the milk, parsley and bay leaves and cover with cling film.

Pierce the cling film before placing the dish in the microwave and cook for 3 to 4 minutes depending on the power of your microwave.  Remove and set aside leaving the clingfilm on the dish.

In a wok or frying pan placed over a moderate heat, pour in one tablespoon of oil and add the onions, mustard, curry powder and cayenne pepper.  Fry gently until the onions are soft.

Add the rice and the milk you used to cook the haddock.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir gently.  Then add the prawns and haddock removing any skin. The haddock should easily flake away from the skin.

Cover and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

Place the ingredients into a serving dish and add 2 or 3 hard boiled eggs sliced in half.

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Welsh Leek and Sweet Potato Soup

Welsh Leek and Sweet Potato Soup

Those that follow this blog might have seen a bit of a trend recently. Leeks are quintessentially associated with Wales and are used widely in Welsh dishes.

The leek is proudly sported every St. David's day in Wales on March 1st and of course at every international rugby match.  But the history of the leek in Wales goes back much further. In 589 AD as the story goes St. David himself ordered his soldiers to wear the leek on their helmets in a battle against the 'hated' pagan Saxon invaders of Britain. This might be a myth but demonstrates the close association there is between the Welsh and the leek.

Ingredients Serves 4

3 medium Welsh Leeks sliced

1 tbs Welsh rapeseed oil

4 180g sweet potatoes diced

pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of dry chilli (optional)

2 tbs cream

water to cover 

1 cube of vegetable stock

Pour the oil into a thick based saucepan and place on a medium heat.  

Add the leeks and sweat gently for about 4 to 5 minutes.  

Add the diced potatoes and enough water just to cover all the vegetables.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft to cut.

Once ready, blitz the ingredients and spoon in the cream.

When serving sprinkle a pinch of chillies onto the surface of the soup.

When serving sprinkle a pinch of chillies onto the surface of the soup.

Enjoy with some fresh crusty bread.  If you enjoy this dish please share.

Welsh Luing Beef Casserole

Welsh Luing Beef Casserole

Cooked with Dark Side of the Moose Bitter, Denbigh Plumbs and Welsh Leeks

Welsh Luing Beef Casserole

I don't think you will get a more Welsh dish than this one. I have used Braising Luing Beef Steak from my friends farm which is located high in the Welsh Hills, a dark bitter from the Purple Moose Brewery based in Porthmadog in West Wales, Denbigh Plumbs which is specific to the area where I live and finally some homegrown Welsh Leeks.

I hadn't seen Iwan and Eleanor for a few years until I bumped into them in a local food festival.  We got chatting and they showed me the beef they had for sale which comes from their own herd of Welsh Luing Beef.  I use to work on a farm many moons ago near to where they now live (Hafod y Maidd, Glasfryn near to Corwen) and you have to be a hardy sole to live and work there all year round.  Even in the summer it never really gets warm.  This is why they have opted for rearing Luing cattle on their farm. This breed is a cross between a hardy native breed of Shorthorn cross Highland cow, originally from the Isle of Luing in Scotland.  They explained to me that these home bred animals graze on the mountain heather and grass which results in a delicious, sweet tasting meat with natural marbling. (To contact Iwan and Eleanor Davies you can email them INFO@WELSHLUINGBEEF.CO.UK or visit their website http://www.welshluingbeef.co.uk/ )

I was looking for a good quality braising steak to go into a recipe I was developing and after their explanation I was sold and took a kilo of their finest cut.

The recipe I was looking to develop would incorporates local plumbs which are specific to the area where I live.  Each year, around October time, there is even a festival specifically organised to celebrate the Denbigh Plumb.  This plumb is sweet and juicy and would be ideal to use in a casserole to give it some sweetness to counteract the bitterness of the ale I was using but also give the dish a bit of depth.

The dark bitter used for this dish comes from one of my favorite breweries, Purple Moose, and they have a range of ales from a light ale to a dark bitter. http://www.purplemoose.co.uk/

Ingredients for the casserole

 Ingredients Serves 4

1Kg Diced Luing Beef
500ml Dark Side of the Moose Bitter
3 Denbigh Plumbs diced
2 Carrots diced
1 medium size onion chopped and diced
3 medium size Welsh Leeks diced
1 beef stock cube crumbled
1 tsp pepper corns
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon Anglesey Sea Salt
11/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 tbs flour
2 tbs Welsh Rapeseed Oil (BlodynAur)

Diced Luing Beef

Dice the beef and vegetables.

Diced Carrots and Welsh Leeks

Pour 1tbs of rapeseed oil into a large casserole pan and add the onions.  Fry gently for about 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove the onions and set aside on a plate.

Add the remaining oil and beef in small batches and brown them off in the pan.

Add all the beef and onions back to the pan and add the flour, stir until the flour has disappeared.

Now add all the remaining vegetables.  

Pour in the bitter and it should froth up slightly.

Add the remaining ingredients and a bit of water until the beef and vegetables are covered.

Place a lid on the dish and place in a pre-heated oven at 160C and allow to cook slowly for 3 to 4 hours. Top up with water if required.

As I had time to spare until the dish was ready I took the family up a local mountain called Siabod.

By the time we had been up and down this mountain we were ready for some tasty melt in the mouth beef casserole and this dish did not let us down.  The beef was superb and there was an excellent balance between the slightly bitter sweet taste from the ale and plumbs. This dish would be excellent with either mash or jacket potatoes, enjoy.

Casserole ready to serve

Scotch Egg with Hint of Spice

Scotch Egg with Cumin, Coriander and 

Edwards of Conwy Sausage Meat

Scotch Egg with Edwards of Conwy Sausage Meat

Recently my children have taken a liking to Scotch Eggs bought in our local Supermarket.  Not that this is a bad thing as Scotch Eggs are very taste but as anything massed produced they can be full of preservatives etc.  I decided to make my own and they were much easier to make and according to my children much tastier.

Edwards of Conwy Sausages

For these scotch eggs I have used sausage meat from a local company Edwards of Conwy.  I have known the owner, Ieuan Edwards, for a few years and I know he only uses the best quality cuts for his sausages.

Ingredients makes 4 Scotch Eggs

For the Sausage Mixture
6 sausages (400g skin removed)
parsley about 10g chopped finely
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds

I have added cumin and coriander to add a little bit of spice to my scotch eggs.  I roasted the seeds then ground them to a powder.

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and use your hands to mix the ingredients together well

Sausage Meat mix

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and place 4 Free Range eggs into the boiling water. Remove after 5 minutes and place in a bowl of cold water.  After they have cooled the egg shells should easily peel off.  Once you have done this place to one side.

You will now need to prepare the coating to the scotch eggs.

I used 6 slices of bread, lightly toasted and then blitzed in a food mixer to prepare the breadcrumbs. Once done place in a bowl.

In a second bowl place three table spoons of flour in a bowl and add a teaspoon of salt and pepper and mix together.

Finally in a third bowl I cracked two eggs and then mix well.

Now you are ready to make the scotch eggs.  Separate the sausage mix into 4 equal parts then place the first lot of sausage meat in one hand and flatten out to make a patty.  With your other hand dip the egg into the flour and roll about until all the surface area is covered in flour.  Then place the egg into the centre of your patty.  Fold the sausage meat around the egg.

Now dip the scotch egg into the egg mixture and roll around to ensure the whole surface is coated.  Then dip into the bread crumbs.  Repeat the egg and bread crumbs process until you have a good covering for your scotch egg.

Scotch Eggs coated with breadcrumbs

Repeat the process for the remaining three eggs.

I deep fried my scotch eggs at a temperature of 180C for 4 minutes and served them with some home made chips, scummy was my daughter's comment.

Scotch Eggs ready to be eaten with some home made chips