Category Archives: meat and fish

The answer is pie – Part 2 – The Glorious Pie

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Chicken and Leek pie
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Who can resist a good pie?- and this is a very good one. If you have made your own pastry that's all to the good, but if not, it will still be a thing of beauty and everyone will love you for it. Poaching the chicken is a really good wheeze as it not only gives you really tender meat but the stock is sublime. You will have too much so plenty leftover to make a wintry soup, sauce or base for risotto.
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Chicken and Leek pie
Print Recipe
Who can resist a good pie?- and this is a very good one. If you have made your own pastry that's all to the good, but if not, it will still be a thing of beauty and everyone will love you for it. Poaching the chicken is a really good wheeze as it not only gives you really tender meat but the stock is sublime. You will have too much so plenty leftover to make a wintry soup, sauce or base for risotto.
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Ingredients
Servings: depending on greed
Instructions
  1. Put the chicken in a heavy pan with the carrots, celery, onion, bay, rosemary, peppercorns and salt. Pour over cold water to come halfway up the chicken. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover tightly and cook for 1-1/4 hours until the chicken is very tender.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pot, then strain the stock. Measure 450ml of the stock (the rest can be cooled, then kept in the fridge for up to 2 days for another dish, or frozen)
  3. Remove all the meat from the chicken and cut into bite sized chunks.
  4. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6. Put a baking sheet in the oven. Heat the butter in a large pan, add the leeks and cook gently for 2-3 mins until slightly softened. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time until the sauce is thickened and smooth.
  5. Simmer for 2 mins, then remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, crème fraiche, tarragon and lemon juice and zest. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Stir in the chicken, then transfer to a 11/5 litre deep pie dish. Put a pie funnel in the centre of the pie, if you have one.
  6. Roll out the pastry to about 5cm all round than the top of the pie dish. Cut a strip all round the rolled out pastry, about 2cm wide.
  7. Brush the rim of the pie dish with a little beaten egg, then press the pastry strip onto it.
  8. Brush the pastry strip with egg, then lift up the main piece of pastry to cover the pie. Press the edges firmly to seal the pie, then pinch the edges all round between your fingers.
  9. Make a hole in the centre of the pastry with the tip of a knife, then brush the pastry all over with egg. Use the trimmings to decorate the pie as you wish, then brush the trimmings with egg. Bake for 25-35 mins, until the pastry is crisp and deep golden. Serve with a good seasonal green veg such as buttered cabbage, kale or broccoli. A pile of carrots or some roasted sweet potato chips on the side are also good.
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Something for the weekend?

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When we lived in France one of our favourite easy meals was confit of duck legs with a pile of garlicy sautes and a big green salad. You would find ready prepared confit in every market, either vacuum packed or in jars, or in an emergency in tins from the supermarket where they would invariably be on special offer. Now we are back in Somerset this is not a treat I can get hold of easily but I have found that if I slow roast duck legs for a couple of hours the resulting meat is almost as meltingly tender as confit and the skin is as crisp as shattered glass. Duck legs tend to be much cheaper than breast and to my mind have a better flavour and are much more forgiving to cook. Teamed with a pile of spiced red cabbage, which incidentally can be made a day ahead if this suits you, this makes a perfect weekend supper to share with friends.

Duck legs with red,red,red cabbage
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Servings Prep Time
4 25 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 25 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Duck legs with red,red,red cabbage
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 25 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 25 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/Gas 3. Put the duck legs in a large roasting tin and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and the five spice powder. Put in the oven to roast for 2 hours.
  2. Prepare the vegetables. Thinly slice the red onion. Finely shred the red cabbage. Grate the ginger and chop the apple. When the duck has been cooking for 1 hour, spoon about 3 tbsp of the fat off into a large heavy based pan.
  3. Reheat the duck fat, add the onion and cabbage and cook briskly, stirring for a few mins until the onion and cabbage have started to soften. Add the cranberries, ginger, apple and cinnamon stick and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and add the sugar and vinegar.
  4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and cook gently for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. if the liquid starts to dry out add a splash of water.
  5. When the duck has been cooking for 11/4 hours add the potatoes to the roasting pan and stir well to coat in the duck fat. Return the duck and potatoes to the oven for 45 mins.If there is too much fat in the pan spoon some off into a bowl to use another time for roasties. It will keep in a jar in the fridge for weeks.
  6. When the duck and potatoes are tender reheat the cabbage. Spoon someonto four warmed plates and top each with a duck leg. Add the potatoes around the cabbage and serve. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley if you have it.
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Cracking good crackling

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Of all the cuts of pork to choose from I have to say that  belly is my all-time favourite. I know it’s a fatty cut but if you roast it slowly much of the fat melts away leaving a fabulously juicy and flavoursome meat. Choosing very lean cuts can be a disappointment as fat means flavour every time. This week I picked up my meat and veggies from our local Food Assembly which is always a pleasure. Not only do I know that the produce is grown and reared locally but I also get to meet the producers and get a few tips from them. Bill the Butcher recommended that I unwrap the belly 24 hours before cooking it to give the skin plenty of time to dry out to ensure good crackling. Finishing off this slow cooked piece of pork on the Barbie gives you the most delicious crunchy crackling. The pork can be oven roasted several hours ahead, cooled, then chilled. Bring it back to room temperature for half an hour before cooking it on the Barbie.

Crackling 5 spice pork

2-21/2kg piece belly pork

4 tsp five spice powder

sea salt and pepper

1 Heat the oven to 160C/140fan/Gas 3. Put the pork in a roasting tin and rub all over with the five spice powder, sea salt and pepper. Cook for 21/2-3hours, until the pork is very tender.

2 Have the barbecue ready with the coals not too hot(wait for them to turn grey with no flames) Put the pork on the barbecue skin side down and cook until the skin crackles, about 15-20 mins. Turn it over and cook on the other side for the same time. Spray the coals with a little water if they start to flare. Transfer the pork to a board and cover tightly with foil. Leave to rest for 15 mins, then cut into thick slices to serve.

Serves 6-8