Farmers' home
Variety of ideas on offer with chicken
WHEREVER I am in the world I will see chickens. Admittedly that isn't true of the Tundra, but I don't go there!
They are all shapes and sizes, and in the case of Goa, very thin, although they have vast areas to roam and lots of scraps to eat. Probably that's all they get so that's why you don't often see a fat hen there!
Nearer to home there was a lovely family that I used to see when stopping outside Misterton. They lived in a hamstone shed in the corner of a field near this busy road. There was a very proud looking cockerel in a mass of beautiful white plumage while the ladies in his life were in brown. They were locked away behind wooden doors at night, but it brought me joy to see the doors open and the inhabitants in the sun. After a long period the doors remained shut and I then realised something must have happened but what? If anyone can fill in the end of this chapter I would be grateful as I hope they had a happy ending, even in a pot rather than being attacked by Mr Fox.
Do you recall when we used to buy very cheap whole boiling fowls? Often they were old battery hens, or even free range birds, that had stopped laying. They made very tasty dishes although the cooking time was a little long. They were ideal in curries and casseroles, but the latter often needed a swig of cider to soften the flesh.
If you wish to roast a bird then you will need one that has been reared for the job and always choose the biggest you can afford. The bones will weigh roughly the same so the extra will be in the flesh. I won't go into long detail for choosing a bird, but run a mile from any that have red patches, scaly leg joints or what is called freezer burn.
COQ AU VIN
I remember eating this in a very old- fashioned restaurant on the edge of the Beaujolais area. We had been recommended to eat there if we wanted a traditional Coq au Vin. It was very good and rich, and the other thing I remembered was the old lady in the corner. Seated by a small table she spent the whole time counting money. We guessed she was the proprietor!
4lb (2kg) chicken
4oz (100g) chopped bacon
1oz (25g) butter
8oz (200g) button mushrooms
12 baby onions
2 tablespoons flour
pint (375ml) chicken stock
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 small onion, chopped
1 bouquet garni
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
seasoning
Marinade
pint (375ml) full-bodied red wine
1 thinly sliced onion
1 stick chopped celery
1 carrot, thinly sliced
6 peppercorns
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1. Cut the chicken into eight portions. Mix the marinade ingredients, and pour over the chicken portions. Leave overnight
2. Fry the bacon in the oil and butter until well browned. Remove and keep warm. Drain the pieces of chicken, pat dry with a paper towel and seal them in the oil and butter. Remove and keep warm. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan, and sauté for a few minutes. Remove and keep until the end of the cooking time. In the remaining fat, sauté the onion, carrot and celery until soft but not brown. Stir in the flour, and cook a little before adding the marinade, stock, garlic, chopped onion, chicken pieces and the bouquet garni. Season well, and simmer over a moderate heat for one hour, or until the chicken pieces are tender. 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the baby onions and mushrooms
3. Serve the Coq au Vin on a large platter, garnished with chopped parsley.
Serves six to eight portions
There are two secrets to making this wonderful dish. Firstly, you need a mature chicken or cock, and not one of those frozen, intensively reared birds. Secondly the mushrooms and baby onions must be whole and not over cooked.
ARROZ CON POLLO
A recipe from Spain where rice plays an important part in their dishes
4 chicken portions
1 tablespoon seasoned flour
4 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, sliced
1 large red pepper, sliced
2 bay leaves
10 fl oz Paella rice
1 pint chicken stock
1 large can chopped tomatoes
1 small packet powdered saffron (optional)
Seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1. Toss the chicken in the flour. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chicken pieces until golden brown. Remove and keep warm
2. In the remaining oil, cook the onion until transparent, and then add the garlic and the peppers, and cook for a few minutes
3. Dissolve the saffron (if using) in the stock, and add it to the pan with the bay leaves. Put back the chicken, add the tomatoes and seasoning, bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes
4. Sprinkle in the rice, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender, adding more liquid if required. (In the finished dish the rice should have absorbed all the liquid.) Decorate with the parsley
(Serves four portions).
CHICKEN RISOTTO
Italy is another country who likes rice as much as pasta. In this case you need to use risotto rice, such as Arborio
1 large onion, chopped
2 oz butter
2 oz sliced mushrooms
green pepper, chopped
6 oz cooked chicken, cubed
pint chicken stock
4 oz rice
Salt and pepper
1. In a large saucepan melt the butter and sauté the onion and green pepper together until the onion is transparent. Add the mushrooms, and cook together for another 2 minutes. Stir in the rice. Add the chicken and seasoning
2. Cover the saucepan with a lid, and cook over a low heat until the rice is cooked. If all the liquid has been absorbed before the rice has finished cooking, add a little water. Before serving, give the rice a stir with a fork
(Serves two portions).
THAI CHICKEN CURRY
An absolute classic that can be found wherever there are Thai dishes on the menu. It's easier using the green Thai paste, which is readily available, as sometimes the individual ingredients are difficult to find
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste
1 onion, chopped
8 oz creamed coconut dissolved in pint water
green pepper, sliced
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
The rind of 1 lime
1 stalk lemon grass or 1 teaspoon dried lemon grass
1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
1 oz chopped coriander
salt and black pepper to taste
1. Cut the chicken into one inch pieces, and fry in the oil for 10 minutes. After five minutes, add the onion, green pepper, and chilli
2. Stir in curry paste. Dissolve the creamed coconut according to the instructions on the packet, and add to the chicken together with the fish sauce. Check the seasoning. Cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes. (If it appears dry, then add a little water to prevent burning.) Add the chopped coriander just before serving
3. Serve with perfumed Thai rice
(Serves four portions).
MURGH MASALLAM
Chicken appears in so many Indian dishes, but this one is different as it uses a whole chicken
3 - 3lb roasting chicken
Marinade
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 in fresh ginger, grated
4 fl oz yoghurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt
4 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Stuffing:
cup Basmati rice, parboiled
2 tablespoons frozen peas
2 bay leaves
1 crushed cardamom
2 cloves
4 crushed peppercorns
A good pinch of salt
Spices:
teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
teaspoon ground cumin
teaspoon turmeric
1. Skin the chicken, keeping it whole but making slits in the flesh. Rub the marinade all over the chicken, inside and out. Cover, and leave for at least six hours or overnight
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and fill the cavity with the stuffing mixture
3. In a little oil, fry the spices for a few seconds (not allowing them to burn), and then add the marinade. Pour in the water and bring to the boil
4. Put the chicken in a large casserole with lid, and pour the marinade over it. Cover and cook for approximately one hour in a preheated oven at gas mark 6/ 200C/400F, basting occasionally
5. Ten minutes before the chicken is completely cooked, stir in the coriander. Leave the lid off, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes to form a crust on the bird
(Serves 6-8 Portions).
Francis Kitchen can be heard on BBC Somerset (95.5 MHz FM and 1566kHz AM
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