Thai chicken green curry

Ingredients

100g/4oz fresh coriander

3 fresh red chillies, halved lengthways and seeded

3 spring onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1¹⁄2  teaspoons grated lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed  lime juice

2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¹⁄2 teaspoon salt

3 large carrots, thinly sliced
450g/1lb small red potatoes, cut into chunks

900g/2lb skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks

400ml/14fl oz milk

³⁄4 teaspoon coconut essence

225g/8oz frozen peas

Directions:

• Put the fresh coriander, chillies, spring onions, garlic, oil, lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, anchovy paste, ginger, cumin, ground coriander and salt in a blender or food processor. Purée to a paste.

• In a large frying pan over a low heat, cook the paste for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes and 175ml/6fl oz water, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and coconut

essence, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked

through. Stir in the peas, and cook for 3 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot.

Chicken in peanut sauce

Ingredients

100g/4oz shelled unsalted raw peanuts

1.4kg/3lb chicken, jointed
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped

100g/4oz tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon paprika

¹⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger

¹⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander pinch of salt

450ml/3/4pt chicken stock

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

• Spread the peanuts on a baking tray, and toast in the oven for to 6-8 minutes until lightly browned, shaking and checking frequently. Cool, then grind to a powdery paste.

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken. Transfer to a

flameproof casserole dish. Sweat the onion gently in the same oil until golden. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, spices and salt. Stir for about 3 minutes, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring, then pour over the chicken. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

• Stir in the peanuts. Continue to simmer, covered, for a further

10-15 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. Skim off any fat from the surface, then check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve hot.

Chicken & ricotta in wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 medium chicken, cleaned and cut into small pieces

4 tomatoes, finely chopped

salt

For the spice paste

1 large bunch of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

1 large onion, roughly chopped 10 fresh green chillies

5 garlic cloves

5cm/2in piece of fresh root ginger, chopped

2 cinnamon sticks, about 5cm/2in each

2 teaspoons coriander seeds  
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

¹⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 cardamom pods

2 cloves

Directions:

• Put all the ingredients for the spice paste in a blender or food processor, and work to a very fine paste. Set aside.

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Stir in the spice paste, reduce the heat and cook for a further 5 minutes.

• Add the chicken, tomatoes and a little salt, and mix well. Cover and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Remove the lid from the pan and continue cooking, uncovered, for a further 5-10 minutes until the chicken is done. Serve hot.

Soy-braised chicken

Ingredients

1 chicken, about 1.4kg/3lb
1 tablespoon ground black peppercorns

2 tablespoons minced fresh root ginger

75ml/3fl oz light soy sauce

3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon light brown sugar

vegetable oil for deep-frying
600ml/1pt chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt

25g/1oz crystallized sugar

Directions:

• Rub the chicken both inside and out with the peppercorns and ginger. Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce, rice wine and brown sugar for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator, turning it several times.

• Heat a wok until very hot. Add the oil and, when the oil is hot enough,
remove the chicken from the marinade (reserving the marinade), and
deep-fry for 6 minutes or until brown all over. Remove and drain on

kitchen paper.

• Pour off any excess oil, add the marinade with the stock, salt and

crystallized sugar, and bring to the boil. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and braise the chicken in the sauce for 35-40 minutes, turning once or twice.

• Remove the chicken from the wok and allow it cool a little before

chopping it into bite-size pieces. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately

Apple-stuffed chicken

Ingredients

900g/2lb chicken, halved lengthways

75g/3oz butter, melted
175g/6oz dessert apples
¹⁄2 onion, chopped

50g/2oz celery sticks, chopped
200g/7oz croûtons

75ml/3fl oz water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the grill. Break the wing, hip and drumstick joints of the chicken so that it will remain flat during cooking. Place the chicken skin side up in a baking tray, brush with 15g/1/2oz of the butter and season with salt and pepper.

• Grill for about 20 minutes until lightly browned. Turn and brush the cavity side with 15g/1/2oz butter and season. Grill for a further 15-20 minutes until tender.

• Peel, core and chop the apples. In a small heavy saucepan, cook the apples, onion and celery in the remaining butter until tender. Add the croutons and 75ml/3fl oz water, and season with salt and pepper.

• Put the apple mixture into the chicken cavity, and grill the chicken for a further 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken with lime stuffing

Ingredients

1 chicken, about 2.3kg/5lb
vegetable oil for brushing

225g/8oz courgette, cut into strips
25g/1oz butter

juice of 1 lime

For the stuffing

100g/4oz courgettes, trimmed and coarsely grated

100g/4oz soft cheese
finely grated zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.

• To make the stuffing, mix the courgette with the cheese, lime zest, breadcrumbs and seasoning.

• Carefully ease the skin away from the breast of the chicken with your fingertips, taking care not to split the skin. Push the stuffing under the skin, to cover the breast evenly.

• Put the chicken in a roasting tin, brush with the oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes per 500g/1lb 2oz plus 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes.

• Sauté the courgettes in the butter and lime juice until just tender, then serve hot with the chicken.

Chicken & chickpea stew

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breast fillets

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  
1 onion, halved and sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, sliced

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander 
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 ⁄2 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes

2 pinches of saffron powder
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 2.5cm/1in squares

1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into 2.5cm/1in squares

100g/4oz fennel bulb,thinly sliced

50 ml / 2fl oz dry white wine
400g /14oz canned chopped plum tomatoes, drained

225 ml / 8fl oz vegetable stock
550g / 1lb 4oz canned cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
10 large green olives, pitted and cut into slivers

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

• Cut the chicken breasts on the diagonal into 5cm/2in strips and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat, and sauté the chicken in batches for 1-2 minutes until it is no longer pink on the outside. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

• Heat the remaining oil over a medium heat, and sauté the onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf and all the spices for 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the red and yellow peppers, fennel and wine, and cook for about 5 minutes until the pan is nearly dry.

• Stir in the tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and chickpeas to the pan, and continue to simmer, covered, for another 15-20 minutes until the stew has thickened.

• Just before serving, stir in the olives, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley. Serve hot on a bed of rice or couscous.