Nigella's chicken

Does the title of this post sound familiar? It's true: I named this blog in tribute to Nigella Lawson, whom I like as much for her writing as for the results of her recipes. To be honest, Nigella's recipes can be a little hit and miss. Sometimes they just plain don't work. It's an annoying feature of a cookbook, no doubt, but she makes up for it with her mouth-watering descriptions and genuine enthusiasm. Plus, she advocates eating cream as the key to glowing skin. I mean, how can you dislike someone who dispenses sage wisdome like that?

This recipe is perfect for a day like today, where freezing rain has coated every step, street and tree branch for miles around. The roads are slushy and messy and it's really the kind of day to spend inside where it's warm and dry.

Nigella claims this is her mother's "praised" chicken, one that she cooked regularly and consistently. It's plain yes, but also homey and comforting -- just the kind of dish you need when it's cold outside and spring is still three months away.


Start by prepping a few vegetables. It's not much work, as you can see.

Brown the chicken first, then add the veggies, some wine and the veggies. Off you can go for a nap while this cooks.


An hour and a bit later, this is what you get. The meat is succulent, and the veggies are tender. You won't need a knife for this meal.

I served this on brown rice, over which you can spoon the broth in which the chicken cooked. It's a bit like de-constructed chicken soup, and it may be on the bland side, but sometimes that's just what you need.

The leftovers keep well, provided you strip the chicken from the carcass and store the meat separately. The broth and veggies can be kept as well, and then you can just reassemble this meal as you like, or use the chicken for other dishes, like chicken salad, or to top a pizza. Whatever you like.

Nigella's Mother's Praised Chicken
From Nigella's Kitchen by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

•1 large chicken, preferably organic
•2 teaspoons garlic oil
•100ml white wine or dry white vermouth
•2-3 leeks, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into approx. 7cm logs
•2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into batons
•1-2 sticks celery, sliced
•approx. 2 litres cold water
•1 bouquet garni or 1 teaspoon dried herbs
•fresh parsley stalks or few sprigs, tied or banded together
•2 teaspoons sea salt flakes or 1 teaspoon pouring salt
•2 teaspoons red peppercorns, or good grinding pepper
•to serve:
•chopped leaves, from parsley stalks above
•chopped fresh dill
•English mustard

Method

Serves: 4-8

1.Get out a large, flame-safe cooking pot (with a lid) in which the chicken can fit snugly: mine is about 28cm wide x 10cm deep.

2.On a washable board, un-truss the chicken, put it breast-side down and press down until you hear the breastbone crack. (As you may imagine, I like this.) Then press down again, so that the chicken is flattened slightly. Now cut off the ankle joints below the drumstick (but keep them); I find kitchen scissors up to the task.

3.Put the oil in the pan to heat, then brown the chicken for a few minutes breast-side down, and turn up the heat and turn over the chicken, tossing in the feet as you do so. Still over a vigorous heat add the wine or vermouth to the pan and let it bubble down a little before adding the leeks, carrots and celery.

4.Pour in enough cold water to cover the chicken, though the very top of it may poke out, then pop in the bouquet garni or your herbs of choice, and the parsley stalks (if I have a bunch, I cut the stalks off to use here, but leave them tied in the rubber band) or parsley sprigs

5.The chicken should be almost completely submerged by now and if not, do add some more cold water. You want it just about covered.

6.Bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, turn the heat to very low and leave to cook for 1½–2 hours. I tend to give it 1½ hours, or 1 hour 40 minutes, then leave it to stand with the heat off, but the lid still on, for the remaining 20–30 minutes.

7.Serve the chicken and accompanying vegetables with brown basmati rice, adding a ladleful or two of liquid over each shallow bowl, as you go, and putting fresh dill and mustard on the table for the eaters to add as they wish.

8.Additional information - for gluten free serve with a gluten free mustard, such as Dijon.

Eye of the round roast

This isn't really a recipe, but more of a bragging opportunity to tell you about the amazing roast beef I made on the weekend. I had an eye of the round roast in the freezer, and was looking for an interesting way to cook it. As you may know, it's not the most exciting cut of meat, but it can be fairly inexpensive.

I stumbled on a foodie forum where folks were talking about a cooking method from Cook's Illustrated that transforms this mundane cut of meat into a tasty, juicy roast. I gave it a try, and the results were amazing. I can't even find a written recipe to share with you, but here are the general instructions.

1. Coat meat in kosher salt (I used about a teaspoon and a half), and rub in well. Wrap meat in plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.

2. The next day, bring meat to room temperature. Preheat oven to 225F. Unwrap and dry well (the salting process will draw out a bit of juice). Coat lightly in olive oil and sprinkle all over with black pepper. No need to add more salt.

3. Sear all sides in a hot pan for about 10 minutes. Once seared, put in oven for about an hour to an hour and a half, until the internal temperature reaches 120. Then, turn oven off and leave meat until temperature raises to 130. I skipped this last part, because my meat was already at 125 when I checked it at just over the hour mark. Ovens are notoriously different, so you'll have to gauge yours.

4. Let meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. The resulting roast is tender, moist and has an excellent beefy flavour. I'll definitely be using this method again.

Coconut butter

Did you spend the holidays lounging around in your pyjamas, eating lots of hot toast and drinking tea? Me too! This incredibly complex recipe kept the toast company on many a morning (and afternoon, if I'm honest). Who knew that such a thing as coconut butter existed? And better still, that it's a breeze to make? All you need is some unsweetened coconut, and about 10 minutes. Seriously! Here's how....

Start by dumping your coconut in the food processor. Easy, right?

Blend for about two minutes, and the mix starts to get a bit sticky. You'll have to scrape down the sides at this point.

Blend blend blend again. This is what it looks like at the 7 minute mark. Scrape down and blend again. Put on some Beyonce while you wait. Try to come up with names for her new baby (Lil' Z, Zeyonce, Destiny's Child child etc.) while you dance to Single Ladies.

After about 10 minutes, the mixture completely liquifies and all you need to do it pour it into a jar. (And skip the "take a blurry picture" step.)

Coconut Butter
makes 1 cup
(recipe found on Shutterbean)

-3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Place coconut in a food processor and process for 8-10 minutes until the coconut liquefies. Be sure to scrape down the sides at least 3 times while processing. If you want to add sweetness, put a tablespoon of honey in your mixture while processing. A pinch of salt is a nice addition too.

Coconut butter will remain semi-hard at room temperature and will easily melt on hot toast. Keep it in the fridge, and slightly heat it up before using.

Books of 2011

Happy new year!

I did a fair bit of cooking over the holidays and will post some of the results in the coming days. But first, I wanted to look back on 2011 with some of the reading I enjoyed. In no particular order, here are a few highlights.

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of a Century – Sam Kashner
A great, gossipy telling of a Hollywood romance in the pre-TMZ days. I didn’t know much about these two before I read this, but it was utterly fascinating, and well written too.

Bossy Pants – Tina Fey
Disconnected stories from Fey’s youth and early career on SNL. Very funny and quick to read.

To Be Sung Underwater – Tom McNeal
Twenty years after they parted, a man and a woman re-connect in Nebraska to re-live and remember their young love.

So Much for That – Lionel Shriver
A man who has worked his whole life so he can retire to an island off the coast of Tanzania, has a wrench thrown into his plans when his wife becomes ill, forcing the nest egg to be used for health-care treatments rather than a hut on the beach.

The Help – Kathryn Stockett
A snapshot of life in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s, with a focus on the divide between the black maids who work for, and raise the children of, white wealthy families. An okay, but not life-changing, read.

Your Voice in My Head – Emma Forrest
A memoir of a young British journalist (and former girlfriend of Colin Farrell) who is set adrift when her trusted psychiatrist suddenly dies.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand – Helen Simonson
A retired, widowed British major takes up with the local Pakistani shopkeeper, much to the shock and distain of their families and fellow townsfolk.

Paris Wife – Paula McLain
The story of the life of Ernest Hemmingway’s first wife, and their life together in 1920s Paris. Interesting, but a pale comparison to Loving Frank.