Roast Chicken Risotto with paprika

This incredibly addictive version of a chicken risotto came to me after roasting chicken pieces for a party.   I tried this method with chicken which had gone cold but it didn't quite hit the right spot.  Freshly roasted however, and roasted for purpose, makes this recipe sing.

Any addition to a basic risotto needs careful consideration, as the you don't want the result to be too salty or to overpower the silky quality of the risotto itself.  In this case, instead of salted butter for your base recipe, use unsalted as the dressing for the chicken, before it goes into this oven will have salt already added.

25 mls of olive oil
800 grams of chicken thighs (with the skin left on)
4 teaspoons of sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of salt

Pre-heat your oven to 220c, it needs to be this hot for chicken to cook to the crispy(ness) that this recipe demands.

In a roasting pan, add your oil to cover its bottom completely.  Add the chicken pieces skin down and sprinkle half the paprika and salt as evenly as possible.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes and when ready, take out, turn over and repeat the process with the remaining paprika and salt.  Returning the chicken to the oven and starting on your risotto, which with luck will take about the 30 minutes that the chicken will need to finish up.

When the chicken is ready, take out of the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes.  The skin should be crispy and highly spiced.  Start shredding the chicken away from the bones, and together with the skin, fold these glorious pieces into the risotto at the end of it's cooking time and serve immediately.

Risotto - my simple Zen moment

My friend Anna insists that Risotto is a dish of patience. 

I would disagree, it is more a recipe of contemplation, or if you are me, it's all about having a Zen moment.  You have all the ingredients to hand before you start so that you don't have to leave the hob for the 30 minutes it takes to make.

You're world is your deep saute pan (which will need a lid) and your ingredients.

25 grams of salted butter
10 mls of good olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of elephant garlic, chopped
6 grams of marjoram (or oregano, parsley or thyme), chopped
250 grams of arborio rice
approximately 1 litre of liquid (normally in the form of a good vegetable, chicken or fish stock)

On a medium heat and in the deep pan mentioned above, melt the butter along with the olive oil.  Add the onions, garlic and chopped herbs until the onions start to turn translucent.

Add the rice and mix in with the herby onions until well coated. 

Slowly, at about a cupful at a time, add your liquid, stirring continuously.  This is where you get to your Zen contemplative mode, as the liquid is absorbed into the rice, you start to automatically top up the liquid.  If you aren't careful, you will have cooked your rice without realising the time has passed.

If you are adding vegetables (for an asparagus risotto, for example) you need to add these after two thirds of your liquid has been absorbed.

Turning the heat slightly lower, continue the process as before the vegetables were added, and use half the remaining liquid.  Then, add all the remaining liquid and cover with your lid.  Checking every few minutes, but if the heat is turned to its lowest setting, this should provide sufficient time to just cook the vegetables int he remaining cooking time, of about six or seven minutes.

The rice should have just a little "bite" remaining. 

Just before serving, you may add your grated hard cheese of choice if you wish, but this creamy, simple risotto is good on its own.

Pea shoot potato cakes

A great addition to the Sunday breakfast or a mid-week brunch - the pea shoots give a modern twist on an Irish classic.

The flavours here are enhanced with smoked paprika, giving it an earthy undertone.

I've also used rocket in exactly the same way.  The sharpness is more suited for a later meal and is an ideal accompaniment for steamed salmon or pan-fried blackened cod.


Ingredients

• 250 grams of cold cooked potato, crumbled into small pieces
• 75 grams of pea shoots, chopped roughly
• 2 large eggs, lightly whipped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 level teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons of corn oil

Method

Mix the potato and pea shoot thoroughly and add the eggs and seasonings.  Combine and the resulting green salad takes on the more familiar thick potato batter like consistency.  Finally, add the sweet smoked paprika to taste. 

Allow the mixture to rest for five minutes. 

Heat a medium sized frying pan over a medium to high heat and add the first tablespoon of oil.  At the same time, turn your oven onto it's lowest warming setting and place an oven proof plate to warm.

Using a dessert spoon, add four spoons of the batter to the hot oil in four separate piles.  Flatten each one slightly and then add a further spoonful on top of each and again flatten each of them.

The potato cakes will take a few minutes to brown.  You may want to lower the heat slightly - depending upon the intensity of your hob.

Turn the cakes over to brown the other sides and add to your warm plate/oven whilst you do your second batch.

Great with strips of bacon, or using the same pan, slices of haloumi and/or a poached egg.  Just what you need on Winter's morning.

Linguine Cabonara

Wonderfully creamy dish which is always a show stopper - I have my own version which at least has the feel of something a little lighter than the traditional cabonara and with the addition of asparagus, gives a little freshness.

We had the pleasure of a great twice-cooked ham over the weekend and some of the leftovers are ideal for this.  Especially this "light" version.

• 200 grams of chopped ham (or cooked bacon)
• 15 grams of butter
• 2 dessert spoons of olive oil
• 2 cloves of smoked garlic
• 2 dessert spoons of plain flour
• 50 mls of cold water
• 150 grams of fine asparagus - with the last three to four centimetres of stalk cut off the end
• 75 grams of cooked linguine - set aside after drizzling and tossing with a little olive oil so that the strands do not stick together
• 1 large egg
• 75 grams of fromage frais        

In the bottom of a deep pan, warm through the ham in the butter and olive oil, adding the garlic and then the flour after a few minutes.  The heat shouldn't be too intense so leave the heat to medium throughout.  As the aroma of the garlic comes through, add the water a little at time, stirring constantly so that the mixture doesn't catch on the bottom.  Add the asparagus, stir thoroughly and then cover for a few minutes.  If concerned about the level of heat, turn this down to low. 

Add the linguine and the raw egg and stir thoroughly once more.  Covering the pan again for a few more minutes.

Almost at the end, add the fromage frais and stir once more, again leaving covered for a few minutes.

Serve immediately.

Sweet pepper and sour tomato Frittata

This is a generous six egg Frittata which for a 22 cm frying pan is a good size.  Fresh and extremely good either on its own, with buttered toast or served with herbed mushrooms or crispy bacon on the side.

A great cold weather breakfast.  The mild heat of ground spices make this very attractive to the palette. 

Cook's note:  If you can't find the tomatoes, try pickled ones - I know a little bizarre for an omelet but I also came across these recently in a Turkish grocery store and they are pretty amazing!

• Two medium green (or under ripe) tomatoes, or sour North African ones (these latter ones tend to be "dry" in the middle as well as having a sharp "green" taste).  If small, halve on the round.  If larger, halve the tomatoes, deseed and slice them diagonally.  Set aside on some kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt.  Rinse when ready use and pat dry.
• A selection of sweet peppers (approximately 150/175 grams) sliced relatively thinly, on the round if quite narrow, halved and sliced on the diagonal if larger.
• 5mls of olive oil & a large knob of butter
• One large clove of garlic, chopped finely
• A generous pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon of ground fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• Six large eggs, lightly whipped with a fork
• Three tablespoons of single cream or full fat milk

Pre-heat the grill to medium/hot.

On a medium heat, add your oil & butter and your vegetables, along with the garlic and spices.  Cook until the vegetables have only just started to soften.

In separate bowl, mix together the eggs and the cream or milk along with the thyme and add this mixture to vegetables.  Using a light touch with the back of a fork, start tracing the bottom so that this starts to set.  Place under the grill until just turning golden.

Savoury Potatoes with Mahon cheese

A little number that's always a good tasty reminder of how well potatoes and cheese go together.

 

Discovering this cheese whilst on holiday, its the Menorcan equivalent of English cheddar, and the islanders are just as proud of this as their Menorcan Gin. 

• 250 grams of waxy potatoes - cut into rough dice/small wedges
• 25 grams of butter or 25 mls of olive oil
• A half teaspoon salt
• A teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 2 heaped teaspoons of dried thyme
• A teaspoon of ground cumin
• A teaspoon of dried oregano

Finishing:

• 50 grams of mature Mahon cheese - cut into small cubes
• A large egg - whisked lightly with a fork
• Two handfuls of baby spinach

Preheat your oven to 175c.

In a medium sized oven proof dish add the potatoes butter/oil and place in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Taking out of the oven, add the salt, spices and herbs and mix thoroughly.

Place back into the oven for approximately 30 minutes, checking and stirring half way through. 

Taking the dish out of the oven, stir through the cheese and egg and place back into the oven for a further five minutes to warm through.  On its penultimate exit out of the oven, fold in the spinach and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes so that the leaves are wilted.

This should be enough for two generous portions.