Recipes for scrumptious and reasonably healthy food

[Yomanze]

Roast chicken.

Don't worry about getting the rub under the skin, it causes too many complications such as the skin pulling away from the meat during cooking, and doesn't harm flavour if you season directly on top.

Get it out of the packet and pat it dry all over with kitchen roll.

Grind over the skin with sea salt and pepper, generously. Leave it for an hour or so out of the fridge.

Skin and quarter an onion, squash a whole unskinned clove of garlic. 4x of them, and squish each piece into an onion quarter before shoving each quarter + clove into the bird. 2 or 3 decent sprigs of rosemary and thyme in the bird.

Throw 5x or so shallots and 3x cloves of garlic into a roasting pan, light rub of extra virgin olive oil over the chicken skin, now, the important part.

For the first half hour at least, roast the chicken upside down in the roasting pan. This will mean that the thigh and leg cook properly whilst protecting the breast.

During the last hour to 40 mins flip the chicken over so it is breast side up. Best thing about this method apart from the flavour is that there is no need to baste.

Once done, pour some of the juices out into the pan for your gravy, and tightly wrap your chicken up in foil, rest for 20 mins, turn over every 5 mins to keep the remaining juices running over the bird.

When unwrapping, pour the rest of the juices into your gravy. Use a whisk to squash your roasted shallots and garlic that you put in the roasting pan (which you poured into your gravy pan), for sieving later.

Enjoy!

[Tim]

Drools . . . 😊

[struth]

Warm soda bread. Not much can beat it

[Yomanze]

Especially with a proper Irish stew.

[struth]

Got some Canadian bread flour in so made a 2lb freehand cob with it.... came out well...ive been busy all week making mini pizzas lol.

Looking forward to this cooling



Edit: ts delicious. Great crust with crisp and chewy, and inside its as light n fluffy as a babies nappy*(before use)* lol. .... tastes much better though Good flour this, so may get some bulk of it, as it will be cheaper

[struth]

[User211]

Looks quite good, Grant. Complement indeed, from me

Much commercial bread isn't really bread. I was looking at a Warbutons Toastie ingredients list. Soya flour indeed. Gotta say their crumpets are good, though. Nice and light and they toast well from frozen. Whatever they are made of LOL.

I think the best home made bread comes from:

1) Long ferment e.g. 12 hours using fresh or frozen baker's yeast. Not many know fresh baker's yeast freezes brilliantly and will last a year or more that way. I strongly advise buying it off ebay and freezing it.

2) Pot baking the loaf with the lid on for half the baking time, then lid off.

3) The realisation that very little kneading is required. The long ferment circumvents the need for it.

[Techno Commander]

Beef Vindaloo

Although its says Vindaloo in the title, its more of a madras heat, but has that lovely deep flavour of a vindaloo. Slow cooking in the oven makes it incredibly rich and tender.

Ingredients
25g Butter
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Medium/Large Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Honey
600g Diced Beef
20g Chopped Coriander
½ cup Stock, or Water
Spice Mix
2 Teaspoons Cumin Powder
1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
½ Teaspoon Chilli Powder
½Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Caraway Seeds
3cm Piece of Ginger (grated)
2 Bay Leaves
1 Star Anise

Blend spice mix ingredients (except star anise and bay leaves)
Heat butter and sauté onions & garlic until tender
Add tomatoes and half the spice mix and cook for 2 minutes
Add stock/water, honey and vinegar and bring to boil
Pour mix into casserole dish
Fry & brown beef in same frying pan used for onions
Once brown, add remaining spice mix
Cook for a further minute and add to casserole dish
Use splash of water to de glaze pan and pour into casserole dish
Add star anise and bay leaves, place lid on casserole dish
Place in oven (140C) for 2 hours
Remove from oven, stir add stock/water if required
Return to oven without lid for 20 – 30 minutes
Keep an eye on dish, as it will thicken quickly from this point
Serve with rice and chopped coriander

[struth]

Looks quite good, Grant. Complement indeed, from me

Much commercial bread isn't really bread. I was looking at a Warbutons Toastie ingredients list. Soya flour indeed. Gotta say their crumpets are good, though. Nice and light and they toast well from frozen. Whatever they are made of LOL.

I think the best home made bread comes from:

1) Long ferment e.g. 12 hours using fresh or frozen baker's yeast. Not many know fresh baker's yeast freezes brilliantly and will last a year or more that way. I strongly advise buying it off ebay and freezing it.

2) Pot baking the loaf with the lid on for half the baking time, then lid off.

3) The realisation that very little kneading is required. The long ferment circumvents the need for it.

I never got on with potting a loaf.. must have done something wrong. I bung it in oven with some cold water flung in bottom for steam. Improves the crust(if i want a thicker chewy one) if you pop a tea towel over it when cooling it softens it enough..leave off if you want it crusty. Prefer fresh yeast but not got any at moment so using a decent dried. You dont really get as good aroma though

[struth]

latest baby, just ready for flouring and baking.. yum today n tomorrow