A Leg Up

31/07 A LEG UP

Absolute comfort. I feel the best culinary route to extreme contentment is a chicken. In any form it brings instant gratification and warmth. This recipe is a kick-off-your-shoes and get seriously comfortable. It is packed with mellow flavour, only lightly salted. It is in essence a baked casserole, but using drumsticks means that extracting the meat from the sauce is incredible clean and easy. 

The mean on the drumsticks remains so incredibly moist, cooked submerged in a light and heady sauce. The mellowness of a charred leafy vegetable is a heady compliment to the lightness of the meat. Together they are warm, delicious and mellow. I feel serving this to friends you can truly exclaim Bon appetit!

Ingredients (all approximate) - 

1kg Chicken Drumsticks
1 Can Chopped Tomato
50g Olives
Thyme
1 Carrot
1 Fennell
2 Chicory
Preserved Lemons (or plain old Lemon)
Salt + Pepper
Olive Oil


What I did - Preheat Oven to 200

Evening fiddling. Not an involved recipe at all. Start by browning the chicken on a griddle or dry pan.
When they colour lightly gold transfer them into a deep baking dish - bones up. Peel and chop the carrot and tumble across the chicken with the olives. Open the tomatoes and drown the dish. The chicken should be half covered. Liberally add pepper, thyme and a couple of slices of preserved Lemons. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours until bubbling away (don't worry you can't overcook this).

While the chicken is cooking prepare the charred greens. Divide the Fennel and Chicory lengthways and char on the same griddle as the chicken. Shouldn't need any oil as the chicken will have left enough. Once wilted and blackened transfer to a shallow baking tray. Salt & Pepper lightly and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Throw into the oven for the last hour or so with the chicken. Once it's all ready, leave to sit for about 15 minutes. This is best on the hot side of warm, rather than scalding. Serve up a half charred vegetable with a couple of drumsticks and some broiling sauce. Best eaten watching a storm outside.

JG

Summer Catch

26/07 SUMMER CATCH

Returning to something after a time away is always approached tentatively. Seeing your past again. Returning home. Restarting a project. Can seem daunting. But you have to start somewhere, and where better than in the midst of summer. Not a scorching, skin melting summer - a light breezy ethereal afternoon.

This dish is inspired by the soothing comfort retreating to a cool room after a day in the sun. It is both light yet filling, cool and full of heady flavour. Paired with a bottle of wine and some company there isn't much else I would rather - altogether cheekily playful.

Ingredients (all approximate) - 

2 Salmon Fillets
1/2 Cucumber
1 Romaine Lettuce
1 Avocado
1/2 Fennell (or celery if preferred)
Bunch Fresh Dill
1tbls Hot Mustard
1tbls Mayonaise
1/2 tsp sugar
1tbls Gin
Preserved Lemons
Salt + Pepper
Olive Oil


What I did - 

Nothing too involved, simply salt and pepper the two Salmon fillets. Place a couple of slices of preserved lemons (or thin fresh if you don't have - I mean who really does) on top and then lightly oil. Wrap the top of each fillet with a leaf of lettuce - this will help the fish heat all the way through but retain the moisture.

grill under a hot grill for about 20 minutes until the lettuce is charred and the fish coral-pink. Leave out of the grill to cool while you prepare the salad.

Which is so easy it barely needs instruction. Shred the lettuce into a bowl, scoop curls of avocado, slice the cucumber and fennel (medically thin) and then dice the dill over the top. In a jar shake the mustard, mayonaise, gin, sugar, pepper violently together until it has emulsified into a pale gold.
Turn the dressing through the salad well and spread in a serving dish.

Add the two Salmon fillets to the top. Eat relaxed, on the floor (indoor picnic) with a glass of wine.
Summer bliss.

JG