Me and my big mouth, no sooner have I mentioned about the change in the weather to warmer temperatures, the winds change direction and it turns cold again. I think something we forget is that Great Britain is an island, separate from mainland Europe so we always going to get sudden changes in weather. There has been a record of a snow falling in June, albeit rare, it is certainly not unheard of. On June 2, 1975, sleet and snow showers were reported across many parts of the country. Snow settled on hills just south of Birmingham, and was spotted further east and south, notably in Cambridge and London. There was also snow in Colchester at the time, where it interrupted the county cricket match between Essex and Kent. More recently, on June 7, 1985, a sleet shower fell on Birmingham airport. And going way, way back in the history books, there are reports of snow as far south as the Sussex Downs on June 12, 1791. But one thing that will never change is the most versatile food source available in the UK, chicken, having being used worldwide as a food source since before the 500BC and bought into Britain by the Romans in 55BC.
This week’s recipes are Chicken and Leek Pie with Filo and Chicken Bourguignon.
My first recipe is Chicken and Leek Pie with Filo Recipe by Simon Rimmer, courtesy of www.uktv.co.uk/food
Serves:6, Prep time: 30 min, Cook time: 50 min
1 tbsp x Olive Oil
4 x Large Chicken Breasts, cubed, or 375g x Cooked Chicken from a Roast
1 tsp x Butter
3 x Large Leeks, washed and cut into 1cm thick rounds
1 tbsp x Plain Flour
125ml x White Wine
200ml x Chicken Stock
100g x Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese
1 tbsp x Chopped Parsley
1 tbsp x Olive Oil
2 x Filo Pastry Sheets
1 tbsp x Butter
Heat the olive oil in a sturdy frying pan and cook the chicken until tender for about 5-10 minutes until cooked, stirring often. Remove from the pan and leave on one side. Omit this stage if you are using cooked chicken. Add 1 teaspoon of butter to the same pan and soften the leeks, without colouring, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring all the time, for a further 2 minutes.
Stir in the wine and chicken stock and bring to a simmer – cook for about 5 minutes – until lightly thickened. Add the Philadelphia and stir until it has melted into the sauce. Add a dash of water if it looks a tad too thick. Return the chicken to the pan and add the parsley. Then spoon the mixture into a shallow, 1 litre ovenproof pie dish and leave to cool. Brush the edge of the pie dish with olive oil. Unroll the filo pastry and lay a sheet of pastry over the pie dish. Brush with olive oil then repeat with the other sheet. Scrunch up the overhanging pastry, fold onto the pie’s surface, and brush with olive oil. Bake in a pre heated over at 190c/gas 5 for about 30-35 minutes, until golden and serve straight from the dish.
My final recipe is Chicken Bourguignon Courtesy of www.recipetips.com
Serves 6, Prep Time 20mins, Cooking Time 35mins
120g x Flour for dredging and also to use for the thickened agent
2 tbsp x Lemon Thyme, chopped
1 tbsp x Sea Salt
2 x Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into one inch pieces
150ml x Vegetable Oil
700ml x Chicken Stock
2 tbsp x Unsalted Butter
230g x Button Mushrooms, sliced
2 x Garlic Cloves, finely minced
2 x Carrots, peeled & sliced into ¼” pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste
100g X Snap Peas, cut in half
100g x Pearl Onions, skinned
150g x Orzo Pasta, cooked according to package directions
Combine 2tbsp of flour with 2 tbsp of lemon thyme and the sea salt. Coat the chicken pieces with the mixture, shaking off any excess. Heat 1/2 of the oil in a large pan, add the chicken to the pan in a single layer. Cook until browned on all sides, then remove to a plate. Remove the oil and add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melt over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 7-10 minutes or until tender and slightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.
Sprinkle 3 tbsp of leftover seasoned flour from dredging the chicken and whisk to combine with the mushrooms. Raise the heat to medium high and while whisking, add in the chicken stock.
Keep stirring until it thickens, approximately 2-3 minutes. Lower heat to medium low and add in the carrots, pearl onions and snap peas. Salt and pepper to taste and stir occasionally. Add the chicken back to the large pan and warm it all the way through. Serve over hot orzo pasta.
Chef’s note: – You can replace the chicken stock with either, red or white wine or alternatively you could use 350ml of wine along with 350ml of chicken stock.
Tune into my show on 6 Towns Radio Sunday morning 8-10am “Under the Covers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It’s what your Sunday’s were made for.
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Hope you enjoy!!….. ChefGarfy =D
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