cook(ed)book

Quick Turkey Curry

This is a perfect recipe for leftover turkey, but it also works with cooked chicken breasts or any other kind of poultry.

The customized toppings are what makes this meal.  See below.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1.5 Cups chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp chopped ginger (or more)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cubed
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2.5 Tbsp curry powder
• 1.5 Tsp cumin
• 3 Cups chicken broth
• 1 Cup apple juice (or apple cider)
• 3/4 Cup whipping cream (or coconut milk)
• 1/4 Cup mango chutney
• 1/4 Cup chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 Cups coarsely chopped turkey

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt butter in a large pot. 
2. Add onion, ginger and garlic and saute 10 minutes, until onions are soft.
3. Add apple, flour, curry and cumin and saute 3 minutes. 
4. Slowly whisk in broth.
5. Add juice, cream, chutney, cilantro and tomato paste. 
6. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until thick, approx. 20 minutes.
7. Add turkey and stir until heated.

TOPPINGS

This curry is best served with rice, and a selection of toppings.  I like any of the following:

• green onions
• grated cheddar cheese
• boiled egg, chopped
• cashews
• almonds
• sour cream
• coconut

Lemon in the Butt Roast Chicken (with Potatoes)

This is the best way to do a roast chicken.  Period.

• 1 x 2kg/4½lb free-range organic chicken
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2kg/4½lb potatoes, peeled
• 1 large, preferably unwaxed, lemon
• 1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
• a handful of fresh thyme
• olive oil
• a handful of fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
• optional: 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

Method

Rub the chicken inside and out with a generous amount of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Do this in the morning if possible, then cover the chicken and leave in the fridge until you’re ready to start cooking it for lunch or dinner. By doing this, you’ll make the meat really tasty when cooked. Preheat your oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cut the potatoes into golf-ball-sized pieces, put them into the water with the whole lemon and the garlic cloves, and cook for 12 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for 1 minute (this will give you crispier potatoes), then remove the lemon and garlic. Toss the potatoes in the pan while still hot so their outsides get chuffed up and fluffy – this will make them lovely and crispy when they roast.

While the lemon is still hot, carefully stab it about 10 times. Take the chicken out of the fridge, pat it with kitchen paper and rub it all over with olive oil. Push the garlic cloves, the whole lemon and the thyme into the cavity, then put the chicken into a roasting tray and cook in the preheated oven for around 45 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. Some lovely fat should have cooked out of it into the roasting tray, so toss the potatoes into this with the rosemary leaves. Shake the tray around, then make a gap in the centre of the potatoes and put the chicken back in. If using the bacon, lay the rashers over the chicken breast and cook for a further 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are nice and golden. (You can tell the chicken is cooked when the thigh meat pulls easily away from the bone and the juices run clear.)

I like to remove the bacon from the chicken and crumble it up over the potatoes. Then I remove the lemon and garlic from inside the chicken, squeeze all the garlic flesh out of the skin, mush it up and smear it all over the chicken, discard the lemon and rosemary and carve the chicken at the table. Heaven!

Surrey Honey Mustard BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients:

* 12 fresh chicken drumsticks skin on, rinsed and patted dry

(note: eating 12 drumsticks in a single sitting is insane! Scale entire recipe for smaller batches)

Marinade…

* 1/2 cup (125 mL) of liquid honey
* 1/4 cup (60 mL) Dijon mustard
* 1 tsp (5 mL) mustard seeds
* 2 tsp (10 mL) chopped garlic
* Juice and zest of one lemon
* 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Oil for brushing

Method:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together all marinade ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 mL) for basting later.
2. Place rinsed chicken in a large sealable plastic bag.
3. Pour marinade over chicken and toss the contents in the bag so everything is nicely coated.
4. Refrigerate for at least four hours (do this in the morning before you go to work).
5. Bring your barbecue to 350 F/175 C leaving left burners on and right burners off.
6. Oil the grill.
7. Place chicken on the left side (with heat) and grill for four minutes, turning now and then for char marks. Brush with reserved marinade
8. Move drumsticks to right side (heat off ), close lid and continue cooking for about 20 minutes or until skin is golden brown and juices run clear when poked in the thickest part of drumstick.
9. Remove, tent with foil and let rest for five minutes.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch saffron
salt and pepper to taste
1 whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces, or chicken thighs or breasts)
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1/2 cup water (or chicken stock)
1 preserved lemon (sliced)
1 cup olives
1 tablespoon harissa
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

Directions:

1. Mix the paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper and rub it into the chicken.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan.
3. Add the chicken and brown on all sides and set aside.
4. Add the onion, and saute for 3 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Add the water and chicken, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add the preserved lemon, olives, harissa and honey and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and mix in the parsley and cilantro.

We substituted chili paste for harissa.  We use slices of regular lemons (deseeded) instead of pickeld ones.  Not an exact substitute, but it works!