Aromatic Spiced Chicken and Apricots with Giant Couscous

I think I prefer giant couscous to the usual fine grained type, it has an interesting texture with plenty of bite. I've never cooked it myself before and have only previously enjoyed it as a pre-prepared salad, so when I received a packet from Merchant Gourmet to try, I couldn't wait to make a full meal out of it.
Merchant Gourmet have an extensive recipe section on their website which gave me the opportunity to cook a dish recommended by them.
It was easy and very tasty, reminiscent of something Moroccan with the moist apricots adding sweetness to the earthy and zingy spices.

Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 onions, sliced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp mild paprika
1 tsp chilli flakes
4 chicken breast fillets, cut into chunks
300ml warm chicken stock
200ml boiling water
250g pack dried apricots, halved
300g giant couscous
200g fine green beans
bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
juice of half a lemon
grated lemon zest of 1 lemon

Method
Coat the chicken in all the spices, and leave to marinade for 20 minutes.
Heat the oil in a medium pan and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes on a gentle heat until softened.
Add the chicken and fry for a further 3 minutes.
Pour in half of the stock, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the apricots, giant couscous and remaining stock and simmer for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the couscous doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the beans and boiling water and cook with the lid on for a further 5 minutes until the beans are cooked to an al dente texture.
Season with salt and pepper, lemon juice, and then sprinkle the chopped coriander and lemon zest on top. Serve.

For more information about Merchant Gourmet's products, visit their website:
www.merchant-gourmet.com

Food photos: ©childsdesign 2011

Bacon and Chestnut Risotto

Risotto is one of my favourite comfort foods, it's also so versatile, the creamy rice being the perfect foil for a variety of additional ingredients.

Recently, I received a pack of ready-cooked and peeled chestnuts from Merchant Gourmet, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to pull out one of my favourite recipes.
Preparing chestnuts yourself can be tricky and dare I say, a dangerous business. Before cooking it is essential to make a good slit in the side of the chestnut otherwise they can explode on heating. I discovered that they are capable of nearly blowing the oven door off its hinges!
With Merchant Gourmet's chestnuts being peeled too, it saves time as well as preventing painful bits of shell getting stuck down the back of your fingernails.

Here I've combined smoky bacon with the sweetest of chestnuts – these two ingredients have always been perfect partners on the Christmas table, so why not give them a chance any other time of the year too.
Don't be put off by the use of red wine as it gives a good flavour – the colour may be a little suspect but this dish is all about the taste.

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
112g smoked streaky bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely crushed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
170g arborio rice
freshly ground black pepper
half a glass red wine
500ml hot chicken stock, it's fine to use a stock cube
knob of butter
20 (approx) ready cooked and peeled chestnuts
grated Parmesan, to serve

Method
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan and add the bacon, fry for a couple of minutes and then add the onion and garlic, cook until the raw smell disappears from the onions. Be careful not to let them burn – you just want them to be pale and translucent.

Stir in the thyme and tip in the rice, fry gently, whilst stirring, so that the rice becomes completely coated. Then add the wine, keep stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed. Season generously with black pepper.

Now add a little of the stock and on a gentle heat keep stirring the rice as it cooks to release its starch and give a creamy texture. When the rice has absorbed all the liquid, add more stock. Continue to stir. You will need to repeat this process until all the stock is used up. The risotto is done when the rice has increased in volume. It should have a lightly nutty bite to it and also be moist with a liquid creamy sauce.

Keep the risotto on a low heat while you melt the knob of butter in a frying pan. Add the chestnuts and sauté them until golden, tip them into the risotto along with the butter and mix in well.

Serve in bowls topped with grated parmesan.

For more information about Merchant Gourmet's products, visit their website:
www.merchant-gourmet.com





Food photos: ©childsdesign 2010

Kedgeree

This is my version of the old colonial Anglo-Indian breakfast dish. I have never actually eaten it for breakfast, but it does make a very good evening meal.
The combination of smoked haddock, gently spiced rice and boiled eggs is equally good on a summer's day or as a comforting autumnal meal.

Serves 2

Ingredients
250g smoked haddock fillets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely crushed and chopped
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 whole green cardamom pods
half teaspoon cumin seeds
half teaspoon fennel seeds
quarter teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
half teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch ground cayenne pepper
half teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
142g basmati rice
boiling water

2 eggs, free-range

good handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
mango chutney, to serve

Method
Bring some water to a simmer in frying pan and place in the haddock. Poach the fish gently for about 8 minutes, until firm to the touch and slightly opaque.
Remove the fish carefully and transfer to a plate. Peel off the skin and flake the fish into largish pieces, taking care to remove any bones. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large lidded saucepan.
Add the onion and fry gently for a minute or so, add the garlic and ginger and continue to fry gently.
Crush the cardamom pods just enough so that they split. Add them to the pan with the rest of the whole spices and the turmeric and cayenne and stir. Then add the rice and stir until coated. Put in the bouillon powder and pour in enough boiling water to cover the rice. Put on the lid and turn down the heat to the lowest setting. It is best to cook on the smallest ring on your hob.

Boil the eggs for about 5-6 mins so that they still have fairly soft yolks.
When the eggs are done, remove from the heat, drain away the hot water and place the pan under the cold tap. Leave to stand for a few minutes before peeling the eggs and halving them lengthways.
After 15 minutes remove the lid from the pan.The rice should have completely absorbed the water and be fluffy. Add the fish and gently stir in, using a fork, until it is warmed through, then stir in the chopped coriander.
Spoon into large bowls top with the eggs and serve with mango chutney.

Photo: ©childsdesign 2010