Nice n spicy!

I cooked my first Thai green curry the other day and it was a resounding success, despite not having all the ingredients, so imagine how good it would have been if I had had a mango!

This is how I did it, and I would say that a wok is definitely the best pan to use:

1 cup coconut milk
1Tbsp chopped fresh ginger (must be fresh, not ground)
1Tbsp soy sauce
1Tbsp brown sugar
1Tbsp fish sauce (if you don't have this, mash an anchovy!)
1Tbsp cornflour
1Tblsp lime juice
1 teasp chopped fresh garlic (don't buy it ready chopped - that stuff is dreadful)
2 teasp oil (peanut, sunflower, grapeseed...)
2 teasp green curry paste (less if you don't want it too hot or more if you do)
750g of cut up chicken, no bones (I use thigh meat because I like it to have flavour)
1 red pepper cut into strips
2 or 3 large spring onions, chopped coarsely
Handful of chopped fresh basil
Handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced, if you like

Mix first 9 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Heat oil in wok and cook chicken until just done (you will have to check this yourself - timing depends entirely on the heat source), then remove and add onion and pepper to the wok, stirring for a few minutes to soften. Add sauce, basil and coriander and chicken and warm through. If you boil it to thicken the sauce, you may well find that it separates as happens with coconut milk, but if you don't mind the unattractive appearance, the enjoyment of this dish will outweigh its aesthetics. You can add the mango and warm it slightly if you like it.

I unfortunately enjoyed this so much that I had two helpings, so make sure that you only cook enough for one serving each!

More tips from my kitchen

What I put into chicken curry:  Onion (lots - it makes the gravy); fresh ginger  (1cm), garlic (2 cloves); bay leaves;  2tsp ground cumin, 2tsp ground coriander, 6 cardamoms (split - very important otherwise if you bite them they ruin the taste of the curry, but if opened will enhance it); 1tsp ground turmeric (not too much or it will be bitter); cloves - not in the picture (forgot to put them on the plate!); star anise (one star is enough); 1tsp salt; as much chilli as you like (the hot part is the bit that joins the pips to the outside - so take that out if you just want the flavour, but DO NOT touch your face and particularly your eyes after touching chilli - wash your hands extremely well. You can cheat by buying it in a jar - high quality pure chilli only.  The fresh coriander is chopped and added to the curry just before serving.

These spices will be enough for a curry for 4. If you are making more, add proportionally.

For lamb curry, leave out the cloves and add a nice blob of tamarind paste or if you do not have any, some apricot jam will do!

Here is a guaranteed way to never cry over your onions again:

No more tears! Fold back skin to root end. Hold as shown and slice down only to about 1.5cm from fold. This will ensure that you do not cut into the section where the root and the bulb are joined. I have not cried since I discovered this!

Yummy baked chicken

Baked chicken is always a favourite in our household, mainly because it's always a surprise and also because it never really comes out the same. I have various versions and like to keep everyone guessing as to which combination it will be. The accompaniments are always the same: rice, peas, carrots, squash, that kind of thing, whatever you fancy, but the chicken is as follows:

Chicken - I use thighs because I think they are the tastiest part of the chicken. Use enough for the number of people you are cooking for, according to their capacity! Place a layer of thickly sliced onion in the bottom of a shallow casserole dish. Put the chicken pieces, skin side up, on top and pour any of the following over it. Ensure that the quantity is not too skimpy - there is nothing worse than not enough sauce to pour over the whole plate!

1. Mix 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup chutney, 1/2 cup syrup, 2 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Add chilli if liked. Pour over chicken and cover with lid or tin foil, bake for 30 mins at 180 deg C, take off foil and cook another 15 mins until skin is brown and crisp.

2. Mix 1 cup orange juice (or peach or mango), 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup chutney. Cook as above.

Experience will tell you whether to cook at a lower temperature and when the cut-off point is between cooked to perfection and burnt! Never wander off and check Facebook or emails when this critical point is about to be reached.

A meatless meal

Sometimes I just get tired of meat and long for a big plate of vegetables! I'm sure you do too, and here is the easiest way to solve that:

Lightly steam a selection of your favourite vegetables. My preference is: carrots, butternut, peas, beans, broccoli, celery and chopped spinach. Make a cheese sauce with plenty of mustard, or a white sauce to which a teaspoon of cayenne pepper has been added. Cayenne is exceptionally good for a variety of ailments and you should use it at every opportunity. There should be enough sauce to completely coat the cooked vegetables - there is nothing worse than a thin layer on top! I also add onions which have first been softened in a little grapeseed or olive oil, as the flavour is much better when a little brown. These should be added to the vegetables which you have placed in a suitable ovenproof dish and then the sauce poured over and cajoled into all the gaps with a spoon. You can see strips of streaky bacon on top - this is for the meat-eaters, or alternatively you can spread a layer of mashed potatoes like a pie crust, brushed with melted butter before putting into a hot oven for about 15 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp or the potato golden brown.

If you don't fancy a rich sauce, rather put big chunks of feta cheese all over the place to give it a bit of body before putting in the oven.

Delicious!

Traditional South African Bobotie

This is a couple of steps up from plain old meatloaf! You can add as much curry powder as you like, but it is actually the taste of the lemon leaves that gives it the memorable flavour.

1kg mince (beef or lamb, or you can use leftover minced roast meat)
Mix 1 slice white bread with milk (most recipes tell you to pour a cup of milk over the bread then squeeze it out. This is totally unnecessary. Just use enough milk to wet the bread.
Slice 2 onions thinly and simmer briefly in water to soften, then drain.

Combine these ingredients with the following:
1 egg
1 Tablesp curry powder or more if you like
2 teasp salt and 1/2 teasp pepper
1/2 (Tablesp turmeric
2 Tablesp vinegar
1/2 cup roughly chopped raw almonds
1/2 cup seedless raisins (I prefer unbleached sultanas)

Wet your hands with cold water and mix everything thoroughly with your hands. The water will prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands and it is more effective and creatively satisfying to get involved with your ingredients rather than poking around with utensils. Our hands were designed as the original utensils.

Pat into an ovenproof dish not more than 3 inches deep. Roll up 6 or 8 fresh lemon leaves and press them upright into the meat. Bake at 180 deg C for 45 minutes (adapt according to the size of the dish), then remove from oven. Beat 1 egg with 1/2 cup milk and pour over the bobotie. Return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes until  slightly browned.

Serve with rice and plenty of chutney.

One of our most traditional  and well-loved dishes here in South Africa.

Comfort food

When the days start to grow cooler, my thoughts turn to comfort food - one-dish, multiple ingredient recipes that are full of rich flavour and satisfyingly filling. If minced lamb is available, that is best, but otherwise leftover roast lamb, finely chopped or minced can be used and the cooking time reduced.

Chop 2 onions and fry until softened in oil of your choice - I prefer grapeseed oil which is healthy and has a higher flashpoint than sunflower.
Add 500g minced lamb and fry until crumbly and browned.
Add 2 grated carrots, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon each of thyme and rosemary and 300ml beef stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add any other vegetables you like, but then adjust the seasoning upwards. I like to add peas.
Simmer for about 40 minutes. Better if made in morning so that flavour can develop.

Put in baking dish and cover with a layer of fluffy mashed potato - no recipe needed for that!

Brush with milk and bake at 180 deg. C for about 30 mins or until topping is crisp and golden.

A delicious, tummy-warming treat!

At last! A recipe.

If any one has been relying on this blog to feed themselves, they will doubtless be starving by now! I will endeavour to redeem myself by sharing one of my favourite chicken dishes that requires almost no effort but may contain ingredients that won't be in your pantry. They should be, as they are a versatile addition to many otherwise plain dishes.

CHICKEN WITH CAPERS, PRUNES AND RED WINE

Feeds 4.

8 chicken pieces - I always use thighs as I find them the meatiest and most even shaped for cooking. Breast meat is best left for those who enjoy being martyrs.
3 cloves garlic - or to taste.
1 cup pitted prunes - buy unpitted, much cheaper and slice open very easily to remove stones. Never leave a stone in a prune (or an olive) unless you enjoy being at the dentist.
2 Tblespoons capers - children are unlikely to enjoy these, so don't waste this delectable dish on them.
2 bay leaves
2 Tblespoons brown sugar (don't know why - plenty sugar in prunes).
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 of fresh
1 cup red wine - nothing you wouldn't drink on its own.
Salt and pepper to taste.

If you like, you can brown the chicken skin in a hot pan for aesthetic appeal, but completely unnecessary. Put all ingredients in ovenproof casserole, cover and bake at 180 deg C for 40 minutes, then remove lid, baste chicken with sauce and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until appetisingly browned.

A taste sensation!