2kg chicken, portioned 1 fresh chilli 2 cloves of garlic, minced 5ml chilli flakes 15ml smoked paprika 10ml dried oreganum 2,5ml dried thyme or 5ml fresh thyme leaves 60ml lemon juice 30ml vegetable oil 30ml brown sugar 2 red onions 500g potatoes a handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Preheat your oven to 200℃. Place the chicken pieces in a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Chop the chilli finely and add it to a small bowl with the garlic, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, lemon juice, vegetable oil and sugar. Stir to combine. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken pieces. Turn the pieces and smear the spices over the chicken with your hands. Peel the onions and cut into wedges. Cut the potato into quarters. Add the onion and potato to the roasting dish and mix through with your hands. Place in the oven and roast for 50minutes. Take the chicken from the oven, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with a crisp salad.
Beignets are French doughnuts that are really easy and straightforward to make. Once you have tasted a fresh, warm beignet it will become your favourite in-between treat!
190ml warm water 62ml + 62ml sugar 10g instant yeast 1 egg 125ml milk 10ml vanilla 4 X 250ml flour 5ml salt 45ml butter, very soft vegetable oil for frying icing sugar to dust
Pour the warm water into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 62ml sugar and sprinkle the yeast on the water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk the egg, milk, vanilla and remaining 62ml sugar together in a small mixing bowl and add it to the yeast mixture. Turn the mixer to a slow speed and gradually add the flour and salt. Add the butter and incorporate. Increase the speed to medium and mix/knead for about 4 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball. Place the dough, which will be very soft, in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Pour about 5cm of oil into a saucepan and place on the heat. The ideal temperature is 179 – 180℃. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough to a thickness of about 1,5cm. Cut into 5cm X 5cm squares and fry until golden. Dust the warm beignets with icing sugar. Serve with another dusting of icing sugar and a cup of coffee.
These pork sausages in an apple and marmelade gravy makes the ideal weeknight dinner: quick, easy and delicious!
16 pork sausages 3 red onions 3 apples 1 head of garlic 15ml wholegrain mustard 125ml marmelade 200ml apple juice 20ml cornstarch 200ml chicken stock a handful of sage leaves
Preheat your oven to 180℃. Pour some vegetable oil into a shallow casserole dish, add the sausages and brown them over a medium heat. Remove the sausages and set aside. Peel the onions and apples, cut into quarters and remove the cove from the apple. How half each quarter onion and apple. Keep about 8 apple pieces aside. Half the head of garlic horizontally and place it cut-side down in the casserole. Add the onion, apple and mustard and fry for about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside with the sausages. Add the marmelade and apple juice to the casserole and stir until the marmelade has melted. Add the cornstarch to a small bowl and add a small amount of the chicken stock to it, while stirring to dissolve. Pour the cornstarch mixture and the rest of the chicken stock into the casserole and add the rest of the ingredients, except the extra apple pieces, that you have kept aside. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, stir the dish and cook for another 15 minutes. Take the casserole from the oven and add the rest of the apple pieces and sage leaves. Stir through. Serve the marmelade and apple sausages on a creamy mashed potato or steamed couscous.
This is a refreshing drink to have on a summer’s day and a real crowd pleaser. Add a shot of vodka or tequila and serve with aperitifs!
500ml water 2 sprigs rosemary about 15cm long 125ml sugar 125ml honey 300ml fresh lemon juice 1,5 litre cold water
Pour the water into a small sauce and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary, cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce to a simmer, for 10 minutes. Take from the heat and remove the rosemary. Stir in the sugar and honey. Pour the mixture into a jug and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice and 1,5 litres cold water. Chill the lemonade for at least an hour. Serve over ice and top with fresh lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary.
Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the sugar and turn the heat to medium. Warm the milk to just before boiling point. Turn down the heat to the lowest setting and add the chopped chocolate. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes while whisking/stirring continuously. Take the saucepan from the heat and add the hot espresso and vanilla. Stir through and serve hot.
about 1,8 litre chicken or vegetable stock 15ml + 30ml butter 10ml vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced 3 x 250ml butternut, cubed 500ml arborio rice 125ml white wine 125ml parmesan cheese, grated 30 sage leaves, chopped
Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Put another saucepan on medium heat and add 15ml butter and the vegetable oil. Add the onion and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cubed butternut and cook until the butternut begins to colour around the edges – about 7 minutes. Add the 30ml butter and the rice and stir through to coat the rice for about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until most of it is absorbed by the rice. Add about 250ml (a cup) of the hot stock to the rice and stir continuously until most of the stock is absorbed. Add the remaining stok 250ml at a time but allow the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Stir the risotto often and cook until the butternut is tender – about 25 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and sage and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot!
Chocolate ganache: 160g dark chocolate, chopped 180ml coconut and cows milk 30ml honey 15ml coconut oil a pinch of salt
Making the pastry: Melt the chocolate and set it aside. Add the butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and milk to the bowl of a food processor and process to mix. Add the chocolate in a thin stream while the engine is running. Add the sifted cocoa and flour to the mixture and process until the mixture forms a smooth ball of pastry. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 3mm. Line a loose bottom tart tin and then line the pastry case with tin foil. Freeze for one hour. Preheat your oven to 180℃. Bake the pastry case with the foil lining for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Making the blueberry custard: Add the berries, lemon juice, 250ml coconut milk and honey to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the 30ml coconut milk into a small bowl and add the cornstarch and agar-agar. Stir to dissolve. Pour the blueberry mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the blueberry mixture while whisking continuously until smooth and it starts to thicken. Pour the blueberry custard into the cooled tart shell and allow to cool. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Making the ganache: Add the chocolate, milk (pour whatever you have left of the coconut milk into a measuring jug and then fill up with dairy milk to 180ml), honey and coconut oil to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and you are left with a smooth mixture. Pour over the blueberry custard. Refrigerate the tart for 4 hours before serving.
Pour the brandy into the pan in which you have cook the steak. If you barbecued your steak, pour it into a small saucepan. Turn the heat up to high and simmer the brandy for about 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add the beef stock and cook until reduced by half – about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cream and peppercorns. Gently simmer the sauce for 2 minutes, while stirring. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over steak and serve.
500g spaghetti 45ml butter 200g mixed mushrooms 200g bacon, cut into pieces 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced 65ml dry white wine 250ml cream 125ml chicken stock 50g parmesan cheese, grated a handful of parsley, chopped
Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet and keep warm while you make the sauce. Put a cast-iron pan on to a high heat and add the butter to it. Fry the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and slightly caramelised. Spoon into a bowl and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium and add the bacon to the same pan. Fry for about 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and the cooked mushroom and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and allow the wine to reduce to half. Now add the cream, stock and grated parmesan and turn the heat down to low. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add the cooked and drained spaghetti to the sauce, mix through and taste for seasoning. Scatter a handful of chopped parsley over the spaghetti and serve.
This is a fail-proof hollandaise sauce for this classic breakfast. Be adventurous and add some spice and interest with Chorizo sausage!
3 hamburger rolls 1 chorizo sausage 6 eggs
For the Hollandaise sauce: 3 egg yolks 15ml lemon juice 5ml Dijon mustard 1,2ml salt 125ml melted butter
Cut the rolls in half and lightly toast them. Set aside. Slice the chorizo sausage into 0,5cm thick discs and place the slices flat in a dry frying pan over high heat. Cook for 2 minutes, flip the slices and cook 2 minutes more. Cook all the chorizo and keep the slices warm in your oven. For the Hollandaise sauce: Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard and salt to a blender and blitz to mix the ingredients. (30 seconds) Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. The butter should be completely melted and very hot! Run the blender while drizzling in the hot butter in a thin, steady stream. Assemble the dish by putting half a toasted roll on a dinner plate. Cover the surface of the roll with 4-5 slices of chorizo. Poach the eggs and place one egg on each chorizo-topped roll. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the Hollandaise sauce onto the egg and serve.
My Whisk and I 