Farmers' home
I’m making no bones about a little chatter
I'VE had a very exciting time in the last few months and as this is a cookery page and not a social diary I will tell you only about two events.
The first being I was invited to a service of thanksgiving for the life and work of Ned Sherrin, CBE, at the Actors Church in Covent Garden. Ned was my second cousin once removed, as I came into this world as Frances Sherrin. The Sherrin family can be traced back to pre-Reformation and for donkeys' years they farmed on the Somerset Levels around Stoke St Gregory. In latter years they went their own ways, Ned's to Kingweston and my father, Charles, went to Witcombe, where later I was born. Enough of the family history and more about the service, which involved so many famous actors that it was a mixture of a church service and an excellent variety show! The address was given by David Frost, Judi Dench, and Timothy West, and many other well-known people took part, singing songs that Ned was associated with and readings from his shows. It was very beautifully done with lots of taste.
While we were waiting to go into church, we were very amused to see Christine and Neil Hamilton serving coffee from large flasks on a pasting table and guests such as Barbara Winsor and Stephanie Coles posing for the press photographers.
After the service Johnnie and I were invited to The Garrick Club by Carol Thatcher (who was great and told me "a cousin is a cousin however distant"), Victoria Mather (who writes "Social Stereotypes" in the weekend Telegraph Magazine) and Emma Freud (whom I reminded we last met with Ned on Loose Ends from Taunton when Garry Glitter was one of other guests).
Ned was a member of this wonderful old establishment, and here we drank champagne, and nibbled on oysters and bangers served from large silver salvers. It was crowded but I was able to speak to many familiar faces including Diana Rigg, whose brother and family I knew years ago but had lost touch with. She told me she would put things right again.
It was a wonderful send off for Ned and we ended the day by going to see "Mamma Mia" which was a terrific show and the perfect ending to an exciting day. The next day we found our names on the Court Pages in both the Telegraph and Times and I can't see that happening again until we announce our own funerals!
The other event was that I gave Johnnie, as a Christmas present, dinner at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's new place, River Cottage HQ (Park Farm). We had visited his other place in the past and we often see him locally at markets or going out in his boat in West Bay. This place is in the depth of the country and seemed even more remote the night we visited it as we had gales and torrential rain.
We were told to park at the top, and we would be taken down to the farm in a huge covered wagon pulled by a tractor. This we did and were very thankful as besides the rain we journeyed down a very steep road. On approaching a huge yurt (where we were given nibbles and a welcoming drink based on cider from Julian Temperley) we passed hams hanging up in the open. We were told when they first hung them up to the elements to cure nothing happened so the local butcher had to bring one of his so the "culture" could start.
We ate in a huge barn on two long tables. Unfortunately this was the week when Hugh had hit the press with his free range chickens and although I could see some of his points I refused to spend my whole meal taking about chickens! Fortunately, other diners had the same idea so it was all very friendly and the main course was saddleback of roast pork!
This had been cooked in a slow oven for a day and a half. When served it came as a pile on my plate as it was too tender to carve, but certainly didn't lack taste. This was served with a green herb sauce and celeriac purée. We had started the meal with winter leaves and hazelnut salad with roast duck and artichokes. This was followed by squash and garlic soup with the most delicious slivers of crispy air dried ham. Fortunately, the sweet was a light ginger and lemon syllabub with homemade ginger nut biscuits. It was an excellent meal using local ingredients and made a lovely Christmas present for Johnnie.
No more chatter about me, but I have to tell you that I meet a lot of men who tell me they like to read this page but get the women to make the recipes! So for both, we are going to cook chickens. As it is a large subject, next month I will include chicken dishes from afar.
You can't beat a good old- fashioned roast chicken with stuffing, roast potatoes and gravy. When making the latter add a little cream or milk instead of stock and you will get a lovely "sauce". Another tip to make a bird a little more interesting is to loosen the flesh over the breast and to slide in a few sliced mushrooms. I then love to pour a little oil over the bird, season well and sprinkle on some dried tarragon leaves.
Here are some other ideas.
CHICKEN ON A BED OF VEGETABLES
Here is a meal in one huge pan and the vegetables have the flavour of the juices from the roasting chicken.
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons oil
1 oz butter
2 - 3 courgettes, cubed
2 oz mushrooms, chopped
green pepper, chopped
pint water or stock
salt and black pepper
3 - 4 lb chicken
2 tablespoons oil
teaspoon dried tarragon
6 oz long grain rice.
1. Heat the oil and butter in a large ovenproof dish and sauté the onion and garlic together for 5 minutes. Add the courgettes, mushrooms and pepper. Pour in the water or stock, and season well.
2. Place the chicken on top, pour over the oil, and sprinkle over the tarragon.
3. Cover and bake for 1 hour at gas mark 6/200c/400f. Then stir in the rice and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. You might need to add more liquid during the cooking process.
(Serves 4 good portions).
CHICKEN IN A PEACH SAUCE
This is a way to serve chicken with an interesting twist. I like to use chicken thighs rather than drumsticks.
8 small portions of chicken
A little oil
pint dry white wine
pint chicken stock
1 tablespoon white vinegar
6 shallots, chopped
teaspoon tarragon
2 14oz tins of halved peaches
Seasoning.
1. Skin the chicken.
2. Place the wine, stock, vinegar, shallots, tarragon and seasoning into a flat dish. Place the chicken portions on top and brush with oil. Cover with foil, and bake in an oven at gas mark 6 (200c, 400f) for 20 - 30 minutes, or until the chicken is really cooked.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven, place it on a serving dish, and keep it warm. Pour off the juices from the pan into a food processor, leaving the fat behind. Drain one of the tins of peaches, retaining the juice. Add the contents of the other tin and liquidise until smooth, adding the retained juice if necessary. Reheat this sauce and check that it has a piquant taste; if not, add a little more vinegar.
3. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and garnish with the warmed peach halves. Serve at once.
(Serves 4 Portions).
SESAME DRUMSTICKS
These seeds make a very interesting coating.
5 lb pack chicken drumsticks
5 tablespoons oil
3 fl oz soy sauce
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
2 tablespoons made mustard
8 oz sesame seeds.
1. Mix the oil with the soy sauce, tarragon and mustard.
2. Place the mixture in a large bowl, add the chicken drumsticks, cover them thoroughly with the marinade, and leave for 3 - 4 hours.
3. Cook the drumsticks in a preheated oven (gas mark 5/190c/375f) for 20-30 minutes.
4. Pour a little marinade over the drumsticks, sprinkle them with sesame seeds, and return them to the oven for another 5 minutes.
(Serves 20 portions as part of a buffet).
DRUNKEN CHICKEN
This is good way of dealing with an old hen that has spent years wandering around the barton.
1 fresh chicken
3 tablespoons seasoned flour
4ozs (100g) butter
1 large sliced onion
2 cooking apples
1 stick of celery chopped
pint (300ml) chicken stock
1/4 (125ml) pint cider
2 dessert apples, sliced
2ozs (50g) butter
4 tablespoons thick cream
seasoning.
1. Joint the chicken and dip in the seasoned flour. In a sauté pan melt the butter and cook the portions until well sealed. Remove and place in a casserole dish. Cook the onion and celery in the remaining butter and add these to the casserole. Shake in the flour and cook in the remaining butter for a few minutes before stir in the stock and cider.
2. Cover and cook for an hour in a moderate oven. When the chicken is done remove the portions onto a serving dish and keep warm. Remove any excess fat, stir in the cream and check the seasoning. When heated pour over the portions.
(Serves 4 - 6 Portions).
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