Sticky Chicken Wings

Even a complete beginner can make these – they’re so easy and delicious.

Serves: 8; Prep: 5 mins; Cook: 25 mins; Cals per portion: 218

Ingredients: 16 large chicken wings; 8 tblsp runny honey; 1 tsp English mustard powder; 8 tblsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to Mark 6/400oF/200oC. Arrange chicken wings in a large roasting tin. Season them generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Brush chicken wings with honey to coat them, then sprinkle them with mustard powder and sesame seeds.
Bake wings for 25 mins, turning and basting once until golden and tender..

Pot-roasted Chicken with Onions and Tarragon

This dish is double delicious because it is almost a soup starter and a main course in one big pot! The sliced onions are packed into a braising dish with a bunch of tarragon and a chicken sitting on top. As the bird roasts, its juices flavour the onions. Add chicken stock, and you get the consistency of a rich broth or liquor. It’s up to you how much stock you add.

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 1oz (25g) butter; 6-8 onions, halved and sliced; salt and black pepper; 1 garlic clove, crushed, optional; 1 bunch of tarragon; 1 x 3 ½ – 4 lb (1.5 – 1.75kg) chicken; 10-15 fl loz (300-450ml) chicken stock; knob of butter, optional

Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF, Gas Mark 6. Using a knob of the butter, grease a large, deep braising dish and three-quarters fill with the sliced onions. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Add the garlic clove, if you’re using it, and half the bunch of tarragon.
Rub the skin of the chicken with the remaining butter. Sit the chicken on top of the onions and season with lots of salt and black pepper. Place the braising dish in the oven. The total cooking time will be between 1 ¼ – 1 ½ hours.
Halfway through the cooking time (about 40mins), add 10 fl oz (300ml) of the chicken stock. Add more stock if you prefer the liquor to have a thinner consistency and baste some of the liquor over the chicken. Return to the oven for the remaining cooking time.
The onions should cook much quicker now and the liquor should resemble onion soup.
When the chicken is golden brown and tender, remove from the oven and check the seasoning and consistency of the liquor – 10 fl oz (300ml) will be enough to serve four. Remove the tarragon. Pick and chop the remaining half bunch, and add to the liquor. For a richer, finish, add the knob of butter to the liquor.
Spoon liquor into large soup bowls, divide chicken into portions and sit them on top. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the liquor.

Sicilian Chicken

Serves: 4; Prep: 15 mins; Cook: 55 mins; Cals per portion: 485

A rich casserole flavoured with garlic, anchovies, olives and capers. Serve with freshly cooked pasta.

Ingredients: 4 chicken portions; salt and pepper; 1 tbsp/15ml plain flour; 2 tbsp/30ml olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 8oz/225g button mushrooms; 1 tbsp/15ml chopped fresh oregano; 2 tbsp/30ml capers;12 black olives; 1/2pt/300ml white wine; 1/4pt/150ml chicken stock; 4 tbsp/60ml tomato puree; 8oz/226g can tomatoes; 6 anchovy fillets, drained and halved; sprigs of oregano, to garnish

Preheat oven to Mark 5 / 375oF / 190oC. Remove skin from the chicken. Season flour and use to coat the chicken.
Heat oil in a large flameproof casserole. Add onion and garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Stir in the mushrooms, oregano, capers, olives, wine, stock and tomato puree. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 30 mins.
Remove from oven and stir in tomatoes and anchovy fillets. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Serve garnished with oregano.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Chicken recipes in the Chicken Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Chicken with garlic and tomato

A piquant and flavoursome glaze that also tastes great barbecued.

Serves 2; Prep: 5 mins; Cook: 30 mins; Cals per portion: 300

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (part-boned); 1 tbsp tomato puree; 4 tbsp tomato relish; 2 gloves of garlic, chopped; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp mustard powder or 2 tsp ready-made mustard; 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

Preheat the oven to Mark 6/200oC/400oF. Slash across each piece of chicken a few times.
Mix together the puree, relish, garlic, oil, mustard and oregano.
Thickly spread the marinade onto the chicken breasts, cover, chill and leave to marinate for 2 hours if you have time.
Cook the chicken in the oven for 35 mins until the meat is cooked right through.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Chicken recipes in the Chicken Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download .

Chicken Pie with Cream and Mushrooms

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients: 1 boiling fowl or roasting chicken, weighing 1.35-1.6kg/3-3 ½ lb, preferably free range; 2 onions, sliced; 3 carrots, sliced; 2 celery sticks, sliced into crescents; 3 sprigs of parsley, tied together; 1 bay leaf; salt and freshly ground pepper; 45g/1 ½ oz butter; 45g/1 ½ oz plain flour; 115g/4oz button mushrooms; 115g/4oz lean sausage meat, rolled into marble, size balls; 150ml / ¼ pt double cream; shortcrust or rough puff pastry made with 170g/6oz flour; 1 egg yolk, beaten (optional)

Put the fowl or chicken into a large pan with the sliced vegetables and the herbs. Cover with cold water and bring slowly to the boil, skimming off the froth and scrum. Leave to simmer for 30 min. Add a little salt, and continue simmering until the chicken is cooked – this will take 45 min – 1 hour longer. Let it cool in its broth if there is time, then remove the bird and take the meat off the bones.
Make a white sauce with the butter, flour and 450ml / ¾ pt of the strained chicken broth. Season it well. Stir in the mushrooms. Leave to cook gently while you lightly fry the sausage meatballs in a small frying pan for a few min. Drain them on kitchen paper. Stir the cream, meatballs and chicken meat very gently into the sauce. Place a pie funnel in a large pie dish, pour mixture into dish around the funnel and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas Mark 6. Roll out the pastry dough to about 5mm/¼ in thick. Use to cover the pie dish, making a hole in the pastry lid over the funnel. Brush the pastry lid with the egg yolk or the last few drops in the cream pot. Bake for 12-15 min. Then turn the oven down to 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 15-20 mins.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Chicken recipes in the Chicken Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa

Serves: 4; Takes: 50 mins plus marinating; Calories/Fat: 415 cals/30g; Sodium/Added sugar: 0.2g/none

Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs; Salt

For the jerk paste: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 shallots finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 tbsp Dunn’s River Jerk Seasoning; Zest and juice of 1 lime

For the salsa: 1 mango, peeled and cubed; 2 tbsp chopped coriander; 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped; 1 shallot, finely chopped; Juice of 1 lime; 2 tbsp olive oil.

Mix all the ingredients for the jerk paste together and rub onto the chicken thighs. Leave to marinate for at least 30 mins or overnight in the fridge.
To make the salsa, simply mix the ingredients together and season with salt.
Season the chicken thighs with salt and barbecue them, turning them occasionally, for 35-40 mins until thoroughly cooked through.

TIP: Use large plastic bags to marinade food. They make it easier to rub the marinade evenly and don’t use much fridge space.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Chicken recipes in the Chicken Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Chicken and Olive Bake

Serves: 4; Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 8 minutes; Cals per portion: 342

Served with a side salad these cheesy chicken toasts make a really appetising meal.

Ingredients: 4 thin slices crusty bread; 3 tbsp/45ml olive oil; 4 boned and skinned chicken thighs; 1 courgette, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp/15ml pesto; 2oz/50g black olives; 5oz/150g mozzarella cheese, sliced; salt and pepper

Place the bread on a foil lined grill rack and drizzle with 1 tbsp/15ml of the olive oil. Thinly slice the chicken.
Heat remaining oil in a frying pan. Add chicken and fry, stirring for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through. Add courgettes and fry for a further 1 minute. Stir in the pesto and olives. Spoon mixture over the toasts and top with the cheese. Season to taste and cook under a moderate grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve immediately with a side salad.

Tip: If you don’t like olives, you could stir halved tomatoes, diced peppers or sauteed mushrooms into the chicken mixture instead.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Chicken recipes in the Chicken Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Mustard Seed, Inverness

I had a wonderful lunch today at the Mustard Seed in Inverness. Situated right on the river in Inverness town centre. Very reasonably priced at £6.95 for two courses. I had the Smoked Salmon tart to start followed by Chicken in a coconutty sauce with mashed potato. Dishes of accompanying vegetables came free of charge as well. Also on the menu posh chicken goujons with garlic sauce, Broccoli and blue cheese soup for starters. Roast pork, beef steak with peppercorn sauce and sea bass. Didn’t try the desserts this visit but definitely will next time. We were a party of 18 and the food was served quickly and hot! The restaurant is spread over 2 floors, has a wood burner in the downstairs part of the restaurant and has as a lovely balcony upstairs as well for al fresco dining during the summer months. Well worth a visit if you are ever in Inverness.

Red Thai Chicken

A subtle blend of spices combine perfectly with coconut milk and chicken for a wonderfully fragrant mild and creamy curry.

Serves 4; Prep 15 mins; cook: 50 mins; Cals per portion: 333

Ingredients: Red curry paste:- 2 red chillies, chopped; 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped; 2.5cm / 1in root ginger, peeled and chopped; 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 2 tbsp stir-fry oil
Chicken curry: 4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, sliced; 1 onion sliced; 400ml can Thai coconut milk; 1 tbsp mango chutney; 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped; 225g/8oz potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped; handful of freeze dried Kaffir lime leaves

Put the chopped chillies, lemongrass, root ginger and garlic cloves with the cumin, coriander and stir-fry oil into a pestle and mortar or food processor and work the mixture to a paste.
Fry the curry paste for about three minutes, stirring it continuously. Then add the sliced chicken breasts and sliced onions, and stir-fry until all the chicken pieces have turned white.
Gradually pour the Thai coconut milk into the chicken mixture and then stir in the mango chutney. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped peppers and potatoes, and the Kaffir lime leaves, then simmer for a further 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Serve immediately with Thai fragrant rice.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Chicken recipes in the Chicken Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.

Cheat’s Chicken Biryani

A mildly spiced dish that cunningly combines two ready-cooked convenience foods to create a delicious meal. It will look as through it’s taken ages to prepare – hide the packets and nobody will ever know!

Serves: 2; Prep: 3 mins; Cook: 8 mins; Cals per portion: 400

Ingredients: 45ml / 3 tbsp sunflower oil; 2 onions, sliced; 1 clove of garlic, crushed; 225g (8oz) chunks of cooked chicken tikka, sliced into strips; juice of half a lemon; 25g (1oz) flaked almonds; 400g (14oz) packet ready-cooked Indian-style pilau rice; 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh chopped mint; 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh chopped coriander; 25g (1oz) sultanas

Heat the oil, add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the chicken tikka strips and then squeeze over the lemon juice. Cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add the almonds, rice, mint, coriander and sultanas. Cook, stirring from time to time until just warmed through. Serve with warm naan bread.

Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Chicken recipes in the Chicken Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.