BBC Lemony roast chicken pie

Reference: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1974655/lemony-roast-chicken-pie

Prep:1 hrCook:3 hrs, 15 mins

Skill level

Moderately easy

Servings

Serves 6

A pie that's worth taking the time over, crisp shortcrust pastry filled with roasted chicken and a creamy onion and fennel sauce

Ingredients

• 3 lemons, 2 halved
• 1 large chicken, about 1.85kg
• 25g softened butter
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large fennel bulb, diced
• 50g flour
• 500ml chicken stock
• 170ml pot single cream
• small pack flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 500g pack all-butter shortcrust pastry
• little flour, for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten with a fork

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Push lemon halves inside the chicken’s cavity – they should all fit if you fiddle them around. Sit chicken in a smallish roasting tin, smear butter over the breasts and season well. Roast, breast-side up, for 30 mins, then flip over and roast, breast-side down, for a further 1 hr 30 mins-1 hr 40 mins until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when you pierce the thigh with a knife.
2. With 30 mins to go, pour all juices from the tin into a jug. After juices and fat separate, spoon 50ml fat from the top into a big, wide pan. Add the celery, onion and fennel, and soften gently for 20 mins.
3. When the chicken is done, pour any more juices into the jug. Reserve an extra 2 tbsp fat (see Nearly spring greens, related recipes) and discard remaining fat. On the heat, stir the flour into the veg until absorbed, then gradually stir in the stock and chicken roasting juices, simmering to a sauce. Stir in cream and parsley, remove from the heat and season.
4. Shred chicken from the carcass in large-ish chunks, discarding skin – if the bird is still hot, use clean rubber gloves or 2 forks. Juice the roasted lemons, pick out the seeds and stir all the juices and roasted pulp into the sauce with the chicken. Taste and season with a squeeze more juice from the final lemon if it needs it. Tip into a large pie dish.
5. Roll out the pastry on a flour-dusted surface until big enough to cover the pie. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg and lift on the pastry. Trim edges, then press and crimp to seal. Brush all over with more egg and bake for 30-40 mins until golden and crisp.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2012

Spiced swede fritters

SERVES 4 as a starter, MAKES 15
PREP 20 mins
Cook 35 mins

Ingredients
1 swede (about 650g), peeled and diced into small chunks
75g/2 1/2 oz plain flour
100ml/ 3 1/2 fl oz crème fraiche
1 egg, beaten
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
small handful coriander, chopped
sunflower oil, for frying
mango chutney, to serve

1. Cook the swede in a pan of boiling water for 15 mins until tender, then drain well. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, creme fraiche and egg to make a smooth, thick batter. Stir in the chilli, onion, spices and coriander, then season generously. Very roughly mash the swede and stir in the mixture.

2. Heat a splash of the oil in a large non-stick pan and cook small, flattened spoonfuls of the mixture for 2 mins on each side until crisp and browned. Serve hot with chutney.

Chicken & Almond Pilaff

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking 1 hour
Serves 4

ingredients
240g Tilda Wholegrain Basmati rice
2 tbsp veg oil
8 chicken drumsticks, skinned and scored (approx, 1kg)
2cm piece fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp fenugreek
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2-3 cloves
50g almond flakes
600ml chicken stock
200g green beans, halved

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes until golden
3. Add ginger, garlic and dry spices and cook for 1 minute
4. Transfer to a casserole dish and stir in the remaining ingredients
5. Cover and cook for 1 hour until the rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.

Prawn Laksa

http://www.thefitnessproject.co.uk/recipe/prawn-laksa-soup/

Ingredients

• 150g (5.3oz) cooked prawns
• 2 handful’s beansprouts
• ½ cucumber (cut into matchsticks)
• 50g (1.7oz) medium rice noodles
• 400ml tin Light unsweetened coconut milk
• 500ml chicken stock
• Coriander (leaves)
• 2-3 tbs Laksa paste (or use homemade as below)
• Laksa Paste
• Dried red chilli
• 2-3 fresh red chillies (deseeded)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 inch cubed piece fresh ginger (peeled & chopped)
• 1 bunch fresh coriander stalks
• 2 limes (zest & juice)
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs Sesame oil
• Ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. To make the Laksa paste: Put into blender the chilies, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks, sesame oil, lime zest & juice and fish sauce then blend to a paste.
2. Heat a large pan or wok add olive oil and Laksa paste cook for approx one min then add the coconut milk and chicken stock.
3. Simmer gentley for 10-15 mins.
4. Add the noodles to the soup, simmer for a few minutes
5. Then add the prawns and bean sprouts and heat through.
6. Ladle soup into 2 bowls and top with cucumber ribbons and sprinkle with coriander leaves