30 days / 30 things Day 14

A sleb chef recipe today. I guess I have to be careful after my comments about some sleb chefs but I am sticking resolutely to Delia for this one.

Whatever I have said before I do love Delia and her recipes are generally very reliable. This one is a family favourite passed down to me from my Mum who swears by it. It's also very in keeping with the weather we're having currently. This rainy, cold and windy weather always makes me want to cook stews and casseroles.

DELIA'S BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
serves 4-6

900g braising steak cubed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion sliced

1 heaped tablespoon flour

425ml red wine

2 cloves garlic

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

350g shallots

260g cubed pancetta

100g dark gilled mushrooms sliced

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 140C

Heat 1 1/4 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy based casserole dish

Sear the beef a few pieces at a time until brown and then remove to a plate

Then add the sliced onion and quickly brown that too

Add the meat back to the pan and sprinkle over the flour so it absorbs any juices

Next add the wine, herbs, garlic and seasoning. Put a lid on the casserole and cook for 2 hours

Using a bit more olive oil colour the shallots and bacon before adding to the casserole with the mushrooms

Cook for another hour

Delia suggests potatoes boulangere and a green salad but I often do mash and green beans instead. I am almost salivating reading this, it is utterly beyond gorgeous !

30 days / 30 things Day 9

Ok, getting closer to today's post ! Day 9 (see, only 3 days behind now !) is a sleb chef that I like.

There really is little competition for this crown despite what my tag cloud might think  ! Now yes, I do like Jamie Oliver and on the whole I love his recipes but I do think he's become a bit evangelical recently. I think his projects are good, Fifteen and the School Dinners ones especially but it all seems very all or nothing at times.

I suppose also coming from Norwich I have to have a nod to good old Delia Smith ! She is great, a true legend. Her recipes rarely let me down and even as a relatively decent cook I still have a copy of her How to Cook. The only issue I have with her is how prescriptive she can be.

So, move over Jamie & Delia. My favourite sleb chef has to be Gordon Ramsay - not only from the eye candy aspect !!

I know I have a post about sleb chef recipes coming up but I have to post this recipe by GR which I do love - and so do the kids which is always a bonus.

So with all credit to Gordon Ramsay but with a few tweaks to suit my tastes ;-)

STICKY LEMON CHICKEN

serves 2

4 bone in chicken thighs with skin
Sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic crushed
Few thyme sprigs
Splash of sherry vinegar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1.5 tbsp honey
1/2 lemon, finely sliced (ideally with a mandolin)
Bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper and heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Brown the chicken pieces (in batches if necessary) over a high heat with the thyme for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Return all the chicken to the pan, add the sherry vinegar and bubble until reduced by half. Drizzle over the soy sauce and honey and shake the pan to mix, add the crushed garlic now.

2 Pour in a good splash of hot water and add the lemon slices. Let the liquid bubble and reduce down until syrupy, which will take about 10 minutes or so. By now the chicken should be cooked through.

3 Transfer the chicken to a platter and sprinkle over the chopped parsley.

I served this with the champ that he suggests and broccoli but I think again I'd serve it with rice.

Pesto rice salad

Oh I love pesto. The smell of torn basil is heavenly and mixed with parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil - well it's a marriage made in heaven. I never used to like it, it's something that's either come with age - or with better quality ingredients - one of the two. Both my boys love it "green pasta" is a quick favourite for tea here.

We had a large family BBQ at the weekend and while my Mum provided the meat, I had to make the side dishes. I've done this Delia Smith recipe before and it always goes down a storm. I suppose basically it's like a cold risotto but it is so tasty. I've always served it cold but I'd guess that it could also work as a warm starter. I will have to admit to cheating here - but I'm sure Delia wouldn't mind, after all she is the Queen of cheating !!

DELIA'S PESTO RICE SALAD
serves 4-6


1 pot Waitrose fresh green pesto
Arborio rice measured to 225ml in a jug
450ml boiling vegetable stock
juice 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
few fresh basil leaves
4 spring onions chopped
25g grated parmesan

Measure the rice in a jug and mix 1/4 of the pesto through
Tip into a saucepan and then add the stock and some salt if wished
Put the lid on the pan and cook until the water absorbed and the rice is tender
When it's ready tip into a bowl and stir through the olive oil and lemon juice
If serving straight away add the garnishes now, otherwise add just before serving.

This is seriously lovely and son no 2 went back for 3 helpings ! Praise indeed.