CHICKEN "TABAKA" WITH WATERMELON AND BASIL SALSA

Traditionally, this dish has been tied up with Georgian cuisine, however, where we used to live (Odessa, Ukraine) this dish was on the menu of almost every eating establishment, large or small.

We most probably didn’t have all those aromatic spices that were growing on the slopes of the Georgian mountains, however we got the gist of it, i.e. the chicken needs to be pan-fried under heavy weight for the bird to be cooked through and also to achieve the maximum crispiness of the skin.

You might have heard about a recipe called “Chicken under the brick” which is an English interpretation of this quite unusual name, since “Tabaka” and tobacco has the same root.

However, the name is not that important since the final result is delicious juicy meat covered in crispy finger leaking skin.

Here is how I do it

You need:

1.5 kg free range corn fed chicken

Baking or sandwich paper

1 brick wrapped in foil

2 tbsp olive oil for frying

1 lime quartered to serve

1 tsp of fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed

1 tsp of smoked paprika

For the marinade:

3 tbsp olive oil

5 tbs soy sauce

3 tbsp fish sauce

5 garlic gloves peeled and crushed

3-5 kaffir lime leaves

Juice of half a lime

1 small red chili, lightly chopped, seeds removed

2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly fried and crushed

Method:

In order to get the maximum crispiness of the skin, you need first to spatchcock the chicken, in other words remove the backbone.  It might sound a bit scary but it’s quite easy thing to do. 

Place the bird breast on a chopping board breast side down. Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, starting at the neck, run it all along the bone on both sides all the way down.  Discard the bone. Flip the chicken over and place the palm of your hand firmly over the breastbone until you hear a crack, which is exactly what you need. The chicken is now flat and ready for the next step.  Rinse the cavity under cold water and pat dry.

Prepare the marinade by combining all of the ingredients in a big enough bowl to accommodate the chicken and check for seasoning.  It is quite important that the marinade has strong taste as it needs to penetrate the meat but by all means adjust it to your liking.  Submerge the bird in the marinade and place in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, turn the bird over to get it marinated evenly.

Remove the chicken from the fridge about half an hour before cooking.  Take it out of the marinade, pat dry, rub with olive oil, paprika and fennel seeds.

Pre-heat the pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil.  Once hot, gently lower the chicken skin side down, into the pan, tear off a piece of baking paper to loosely cover the pan so as to avoid splattering, cover it with a big flat plate or lid and place a brick wrapped in foil on top of it.  Cook the chicken on high heat for about 10 minutes, then drop the temperature to medium- low and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.

Then remove the brick, plate and the paper and gently turn the chicken over.  Continue cooking on low heat for another 20 minutes, then insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg and if the juices come out clean, remove the chicken from the pan, cover loosely with foil and rest in warm place for about 10 minutes.  I find that the microwave oven is a perfect place for the job.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and bring to the table for everyone to see.  Slice at the table and serve with some lime wedges and Watermelon and Basil Salsa on the side.

Enjoy!!!

BBQ SALMON KEBABS

When it comes to choose a method of cooking fish for, I prefer mine cooked on a barbecue. Not only it is a much healthier option, but it also eliminates the fish smell that normally lingers around your home for quite a while after the dinner has been consumed.

Having a South African husband whose love affair with the “braai” (SA term for BBQ) is a national pastime also contributes to what I describe “choosing your weapon”.  We cook our meals on a BBQ pretty much all year round, however in summer, it becomes a blessing not having to slave over the stove in the 35 degree heat.

The following recipe is one of the quickest and easiest way of cooking any fish.  Also, you've got this charred stripes on the flash that are super delicious and flavoursome.

This method of cooking is ideal for a mid-week quick dinner fix or a weekend lunch.

To feed 4 people you need:

4 salmon skinless fillets (approx 150-200 gr each)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon cut into wedges to serve

Method:

Cut about 3cm wide slices across each fillet and place in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and pour over olive oil.  You don’t need much olive oil because salmon is quite an oily fish.

Pre-heat your BBQ to 180C, thread four pieces of fish on each skewer and place them on top of the grill.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side, then turn the skewers over and cook on the other side.

 

Remove onto the serving plate, arrange the sliced lemon wedges around the fish and serve.

Enjoy!!!

TURKEY BREAST STUFFED WITH SEASONAL VEGETABLES

In my opinion, turkey meat is absolutely underrated.  I have never ever seen any turkey dishes in any establishments in which I have been eating, high or low.  You can, occasionally, find a cold turkey roll pressed between two slices of bread at the sandwich bar but that’s about it.

Yet, it is nutritious, delicious, lean and flavoursome.  Truth be told, I wasn’t using this meat myself until one day my husband decided to go on the 2:5 diet and was advised that turkey meat is leaner then chicken and much more beneficial for his purposes.

So here I was in the poultry aisle of the supermarket facing a dilemma of what to do with the turkey meat.  At the beginning, I was cooking it for my husband only, just simply slicing the breast into strips and letting him BBQ it, so initially twice a week I was cooking two different meals which was not practical at all.  So I decided to make an effort and cook something that the whole family would enjoy without breaking my husband’s strict diet.

So here is my take on turkey breast stuffed with seasonal vegetables

To feed 4 people you need:

2 turkey breasts

3 brown mushrooms

1 red capsicum

1 yellow capsicum

1 red onion finely diced

2 garlic cloves finely sliced

2 tbsp pine nuts

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A sprinkle of smoked paprika 

1 sprig of thyme

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Method:

Place a pan on a stove over medium heat.  Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and when warm, add sliced onions and garlic and sautee until soft and translucent.  While the onions are cooking, finely dice the mushrooms and capsicums into and add to the pan, throw in a spring of thyme and season well.  Cook the vegetables until tender, then add pine nuts and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, place one turkey breast on a chopping board between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and gently pound with a mallet until it is about 2 cm thick (it may be easier to butterfly the breast first, depending on how thick it is.)  When butterflying the breast, make sure that you don’t go all the way through.

Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle some paprika and lemons zest. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing over the breast, leaving about 2cm border around all sides. Tightly roll the breast lengthwise and using a kitchen twine, secure it in few places along the roll.

Put the same pan in which you roasted the vegetables back on a stove on a medium heat, add the remaining oil and butter and gently fry the breast turning it from side to side to get an even lovely brown colour all over.  It will take about 20 minutes to cook the meat through, depending on the thickness.  Squeeze a juice of half a lemon over the rolled breast towards the end of the cooking.

Once cooked, remove the turkey from the pan and place in a warm place to rest for 5 minutes.  Then move to a chopping board, carefully remove the twine and using an extra sharp knife slice on an angle and arrange on a serving plate.  Pour the juices from the turkey back into the pan, add a spoon of lemon juice and a bit of butter and when become hot, pour over the sliced turkey.  Serve and enjoy!!!

LAMB BURGERS+ BBQ SWEET CORN+GARLIC AIOLI

Hi everyone,

The recipe for the meal I am sharing with you today is so easy to prepare that it has become quite a staple dish on my mid-week menu.  The ingredients are easy to obtain and not as costly as in some of the previous posts I shared with you. It is not just a simple, quick but also delicious and nutritious meal.  I would describe it as a healthy blend of Jamie Oliver's "15 minutes meals" and Donna Hay’s “Simple, fresh and easy” approaches to food.  

To feed 4-6 people need:

600 gr lamb mince

1 red onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbs pine nuts

1 tsp finely chopped parsley

1 egg

100 gr breadcrumbs

A dash of Worcestershire Sauce

A dash of Tabasco Sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Place a box grater in the middle of a bowl and grate one onion, add mince and all the other ingredients.  Using your hands, mix it so that all the components are very well bound together.  If you feel that the mixture needs loosening, add a splash of cold water.  Once you are satisfied with the consistency and the seasoning, it is time to shape the patties.  Using your hands just scoop some mince into your open palm and form a ball similar to a tennis ball in size.  Then lightly press it between the palms of your hands to flatten it out to about 3cm thick.  Don’t make it too flat or the patty will be dry when cooked.  Arrange the patties on a big plate or tray and put in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Here are a few options on how to cook your burgers.  Of course,  you can fry them in a pan with olive oil but my favourite method is to BBQ them.  Just place them straight onto the griddle to give them a delicious char-infused aroma in the form of blackened caramelised stripes on their sides.  Cook for 5-8 minutes on each side and serve immediately with BBQ-grilled corn, aioli and a crunchy radish salad.

Enjoy your dinner!

BEEF STROGANOFF

Leafing through my blog the other day, I realised that something very essential was missing from my posts - amongst all the cosmopolitan dishes cooked in my kitchen, there was not one single recipe reflecting my original roots.  I have been so mesmerised by the multitude and variety of multicultural dishes that I totally forgot how tasty and flavoursome Russian dishes could be. 

And so I have decided to cook very traditional, world known and highly popular amongst Russian expats dish.  You guessed it, I am talking about Beef Stroganoff.

The truth of the matter is that one of my daughters does not really like this dish, neither is my other one , who was born here in Australia, hence it does not appear too often on my dinner table.  However, my South African husband, whose mother escaped Russia when she was very young, loves it and is always looking forward to eat it.

According to Google, the origin and history of Beef Stroganoff dates backs to the 19th century. "Although not a new recipe, at that time but it is a refined version of an even older Russian recipe, it had probably been in the family of Count Pavel Stroganoff for some years and had become well known through his love of entertaining."

Until today Beef Stroganoff remains one of the most popular dishes in Russian cuisine and is immediately associated with that part of the world.

So let’s cook it.

To feed 6-8 people you need:

1 kg of beef fillet

3 tbsp olive oil

1 medium size brown onion

3 cloves of garlic

200gr button mushrooms

150gr sour cream

2 tsp American mustard

200ml beef stock

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Note 1:  Buying sliced for a stir-fry beef from the butcher saves a lot of time and is perfect for this dish.

Note 2:It is better to cook this dish in a pot rather than in a pan since it is cooked in plenty of sauce. 

Method:

Pre-heat your cooking pot on medium heat and pour in the oil.  Peal and slice the onion into small cubes and once the oil is hot, sauté it until it becomes golden brown. It will add a warm colour to the final dish.  While the onion is cooking, slice the meat into thin 1 cm strips approx 5 cm long, combine with the onion and continue cooking. 

While this is happening, slice the mushrooms and garlic and add them to the pot.  Let the meat release a bit of moisture and allow all the ingredients to brown together for about 10-20 minutes.

Then, add sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper, pour in the stock and reduce the heat to low.  The meat and mushrooms should be almost submerged in the sauce.

It should not take long to cook since the beef is sliced quite finely, approximately another 10 minutes.  Taste the meat and the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  If the meat is still slightly chewy, let it cook for another 10 minutes until tender and it is ready to serve.

Traditionally, Beef Stroganoff is served with mashed potatoes or with buckwheat "kasha" that is cooked buckwheat.

Scoop some mash or "kasha" on a plate, place a generous portion of meat on top and liberally pour the sauce over.

Enjoy!!!

SINGAPOREAN FISH (ASSAM FISH)

There are not many cooking shows that I watch but I always make sure to watch Food Safari presented by “trendy and funky host Maeve O'Meara teaches viewers about a new culture in each episode of this Australia-based series, including how to prepare recipes from that episode's featured region”.  Each episode explores a new cuisine with the help of professional chefs and home cooks who show us their tips and secrets, chef’s recipes and classic favourites. 

It is quite an eye opener as she discovers and shares with you some places right here in Sydney that you never heard of nor visited before.  On the few occasions that we followed her story and paid homage to the show by eating at a place that was featured on Food Safari, we were never disappointed.

What I also like about this show is that because the recipes are shared by home cooks they are very easy to follow.  You can just envisage yourself walking around your own kitchen at a comfortable pace cooking a delicious dish that will be thoroughly enjoyed around the dinner table later on.

It was during an episode about Singaporean cuisine that one dish caught my attention, Tamarind or Assam Fish.  It was a mention of tamarind paste that gave my test buds a jump-start as the combination of sweet and sour tastes is one of my favourites.   Despite the fact that you can only find this condiment in the Asian aisle of most super-market, I quite often use it as a substitute for lime juice in salads or whenever sourness is required.  It is great for dipping sauces, however, be mindful of how much you add as it is quite strong.

I dutifully scribbled down the ingredients and watched the episode closely in order to re-create it later in my own kitchen and to share it with you, my dear readers.  I, however, have tweaked the recipe to make it more suitable for our palates and simplified the process without compromising the flavours.

To feed 4 people you need:

800 gr of Spanish mackerel cutlets

2-3 tbsp of plain white flower

2 tsp tumeric powder

3 tbsp of olive oil

2 tbsp of brown sugar

1 lemongrass stalk

3 tomatoes, chopped into cubes

½ L water

2 tsp tamarind paste

2 long green chilies

For the spice paste:

2 red onions peeled and quartered

1 red chili (deseeded)

3 cm piece of ginger

3 tbsp fish sauce

½ head of garlic

Method:

 Place all the ingredients for the spice paste into the food processor and blend into a paste.  To maker a tamarind water, just pour water into a bowl, add tamarind paste and mix well.

Spread the flour on a big plate, sprinkle with tumeric powder, salt and pepper and mix. Dip each piece of fish into the mixture on both sides shaking off the excess.  Pre-heat the frying pan over medium heat, add oil and when hot, fry the fish for about 3 minutes on each side until slightly golden.  Remove and place on a paper towel to draw away the extra oil.

In the same pan, fry the spice paste for a couple of minutes until fragrant then add tomatoes, pour over the tamarind water, throw in lemongrass, green chilies, some salt and sugar.  Bring slowly to the boil and have a little taste - the flavour should be a mix of hot, sweet and sour and salty.  Gently slip the fish back into the pan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

Serve with brown rice (healthier version) and Asian Slaw 

Enjoy!!!

WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN + YOUNG POTATOES

Who does not like roast chicken? It must have been one of the most often cooked dishes of all times.   It is definitely very popular in my neighborhood considering that there are three chicken shops around the corner where we live, all within 100 steps from each other, all doing very well selling roast chickens to the hungry crowd, or so it seems.

I, on the other hand, like to eat the one that is cooked in my own kitchen.  It could be because it is not such a difficult thing to do or because I like the delightful aromas that fill our house tantalizing our taste buds and firing up our appetites.  And if you have never roasted a chicken in your life, I strongly suggest you try.

Preparation:  20 min, cooking time:  1- 1.20 minutes

To feed 6 people you need:

1.5 kg corn fed whole chicken

1 fennel bulb

50 ml olive oil

50 go butter chopped into small pieces

1 lemon

1 garlic head

1 kg small potatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Remove the bird out of the fridge half hour before cooking.

Pre-heat the oven to180C.  Wash and pat to dry the chicken, remove all the bits from its cavity, snip off the wing tips and pluck out any remaining feathers.  Gently pry the skin off the breast meat and bone and carefully slide pieces of butter under the skin spreading it evenly.

Cut off the tips from the fennel bulb and place them inside the chicken’s cavity.  Slice the fennel into rounds about 1 cm thick and spread them on the baking tray.  Place the chicken on top, pour over olive oil and sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

Separate the garlic head and using the flat side of your knife, flatten each clove and then place them into the bird’s cavity.  Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice of one half all over the chicken and massage it into the skin so the olive oil and the seasoning are well spread.  Slice the other half into rounds and place them around the chicken.

Wash and pat dry the potatoes and place them in a plastic bag.  Add some olive oil, salt and pepper and give the potatoes a good shake and mix and then arrange them evenly around the chicken.

Pour one cup of hot water into a tray and place it in the oven.  When the chicken skin on one side is started to get brown, reduce the temperature to 150C and let it roast basting occasionally using the liquid formed on the bottom of the tray.  Also don’t forget to move the potatoes around so they get a nice crispy skin all over.

I like my chicken to be brown on all sides, so after cooking it for half hour, gently turn it over to cook the other side and continue basting it every now and then.

After cooking the chicken for one hour, insert a skewer into the thigh and if the juices come out clear, the bird is cooked.  If the juices are still running slightly pink, continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.  If by that time the skin of the chicken gets too brown, cover it with foil to prevent from burning.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and rest for about 10 minutes covered with foil.

Carefully slice the bird, place it in the middle of a big serving plate and arrange the potatoes and fennel all around it.  Pour over the juices and serve with a simple green salad on the side.

Enjoy!!!

MOROCCAN LAMB STEW

A delicious winter dish full of the exotic flavours of the Moroccan souks that will fill your kitchen with wonderful aromas and put happy smiles on the faces of your fellow diners. 

Although it is extremely tasty when just cooked, however, prepare it the day in advance to let the flavours develop and penetrate deeper into the lamb.

To feed 8 people you need:

1.2 kg of lamb shoulder deboned

50 ml olive oil

1 big brown onion cubed

5 garlic cloves peeled and lightly flattened

1 small red chili deseeded

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp sumac

5 cloves

3 star anise

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Topping:

3 tbsp coriander chopped

3 tbsp almond flakes for extra crunch

3 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)

Method:

Cut the meat into similar sized cubes around 6cm each.  Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan on medium-high heat (I use one that I brought with me from Russia many years ago) and fry onions until they turn dark brown but make sure you don’t burn them.  The dark colour is vital because that’s what gives the whole dish a dark rich brown colour.

While the onions are cooking, warm up a small frying pan and gently fry coriander and fennel seeds for about 5 minutes until they release their flavours, then grind in a pestle and mortar and add to the onions together with all other spices and mix well.

Once the onions are dark, add the meat, stir and let it release the juices, turning over as it gets darker.  Once all the liquid is evaporated, reduce the heat and add about half a cup of water and cover with the lid but place it slightly askew to let the steam out.  It will help to brown the meat and thicken the sauce.  After cooking it for about 20 minutes, check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.  It is very important to get the taste right while the meat is still cooking.  Make sure that the sauce is salty enough for meat to absorb.  When the meat is almost cooked, throw in the garlic

After cooking it for about 20 minutes, check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.  It is very important to get the taste right while the meat is still cooking.  Make sure that the sauce is salty enough for meat to absorb.  When the meat is almost cooked, throw in the garlic. 

Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally and topping up with some water, leaving small tips of meat uncovered.   Continue cooking until the meat becomes very soft and quite dark.

When the meat is cooked and you are ready to serve, ladle it on an attractive looking big plate or a bowl (think about presentation) and place in the middle of a table for everyone to share.  To add some nice crunch and texture to the dish, sprinkle over with freshly chopped coriander, lightly toasted almond flakes and pink jewels of pomegranate.  

This dish is traditionally served with fluffy couscous but a creamy mash potatoes or your favourite pasta work equally well with the meat.

I also like to serve it with a Spicy Carrot Salad that beautifully complements the flavours of the main dish.

Enjoy!!!