MAIN DISHES

'BUTTER'  CURRIED CHICKEN

Before chicken Tikka Masala became the British nation's favourite, from the 1970's, this was a family dish.
I think it is an amalgam of the Australian BBQ favourite, 'butter chicken', chicken tikka and it is 'Latvianised' with cream.
This is very delicious and good to eat with a dressed green salad.

Serves 6 to 8.
The chicken needs to marinate in the 'fridge overnight.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large chicken breasts, cut into four (or 8 chicken thighs, whole)
  

For the overnight marinade:

• Juice of two limes or lemons
  
• 1 tsp chilli powder
  
• 1 tsp salt
  

For the second marinade:

• 50 gm yoghurt
  
• 50 gm double cream
  
• 4 chopped garlic cloves
  
• 25 gm chopped ginger
  
• 1 tsp garam masala
  
• ½ tsp turmeric
  
• 1 tsp ground cumin
  

For the sauce:

• 50 gm butter
  
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  
• 25 gm finely grated ginger
  
• 400 gm tomato passata
  
• ½ tsp chilli powder
  
• ½ tsp ground coriander
  
• ½ tsp ground cumin
  
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  
• ½ tsp garam masala
  
• 1 tsp dessicated coconut
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 200 ml water
  
• 25 gm cashew nuts
  
• 25 gm pumpkin seeds
  
• 2 tbsp boiling water
  
• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek
  
• ½ tbsp. caster sugar
  
• 45 ml double cream
  

Coriander and shredded ginger to garnish (optional)

METHOD:
For the first marinade:
Mix the lime juice, chilli powder and salt together in a large bowl. 
Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, then cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for 1 hour.

For the second marinade:
Put all the ingredients into a mini food processor.
Blend until smooth, then add this to the marinated chicken and stir well to coat.
Cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas 9 (or 220°C).

Thread the chicken on to lightly oiled metal skewers, then suspend the skewers above a roasting tin. 
Alternatively place them on a wire rack over a roasting tin.
Roast for 15–20 minutes, or until lightly charred in places but not completely cooked through, 
as you’ll finish cooking them in the sauce.

For the sauce:
While the chicken is cooking, heat the butter in heavy-based saucepan.
Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a minute, then stir in the tomato passata and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Add all the spices, coconut, salt and 100ml of the water and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
In a mini food processor, or using a pestle and mortar, blend the cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds and boiling water into a paste. 
Stir this into the sauce followed by the chicken pieces and another 100ml water.
Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through, then stir in the fenugreek, sugar and cream and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Sprinkle with fresh coriander and ginger and serve.


MEAT SAUCE

Inspired by the 1970's 'Godfather' movies, this meat sauce can be eaten with any pasta, rice, quinoa or potatoes.
Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 35 min

INGREDIENTS:

• 500 gms ground beef (including any sausage of your choice eg. Chorizo)
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 1 chilli pepper (optional)
  
• 300 gms pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
  
• 400 gms chopped tomatoes
  
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 100 gms shredded mozzarella cheese
  

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add ground beef, chilli pepper, onion, garlic and mushrooms, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring to crumble the beef, 
until no pink remains; drain excess liquid.
Add remaining ingredients except cheese; mix well.
Place in a casserole dish, cover, and bake for 22 to 25 minutes.
Remove casserole dish from oven, uncover, and top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted.



BOILED CIDER HAM

A home cooked ham can be used for sandwiches and ham salads or added to potato salad.
Often a good thing to have prepared for family and friends and in summer, for picnics.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ham joint 1.75kg, boned and rolled
  
• 1 shallot
  
• 1 large or a medium onion
  
• 500 ml cider
  
• 6 black peppercorns
  
• 3 bay leaves 
  
• 3 apples
  
• juice of 1 lemon 
  
• 100 gm butter
  
• 2 tbsp runny honey
  

METHOD:
Put the ham in a very large saucepan.
Fill with water and bring to the boil. Discard the water.
Peel the shallot and spike it with the cloves, then add it to the pan.
Pour over the cider and add the peppercorns and bay leaves. 
Bring the liquid to the boil, then lower the heat, so that the liquid simmers very gently.
Partially cover the ham with a lid.
Leave the ham to simmer for a couple of hours, scooping off and discarding any froth as it comes to the surface.
When the ham is cooked, it can be left in the cooking liquor until you are ready to carve.
Peel the apples, rubbing them with lemon juice as you go, to stop them browning.
Warm the butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan and add the apples, cut-side down, and leave to cook over a moderate to low heat till tender.
Turn the fruit from time to time, and keep the heat steady, so they colour nicely and become fully tender, but do not brown too much.
Pour the honey and lemon juice into the pan, continue cooking briefly then serve.
Remove the ham from the cooking liquid and carve thinly, serving it with the apples.



RATATOUILLE

This is a good staple for dinner and for summer parties. 
It's good to have some dishes without meat.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
  
• 1 cup tomato puree
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  
• 1 small eggplant
  
• 1 smallish courgette/zucchini
  
• 1 smallish yellow squash
  
• 1 red bell pepper
  
• fresh thyme
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• Few tablespoons soft cheese, for serving
  

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F / 170 degrees C.
Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across.
Put the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce;stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and 
season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.
Trim the ends off the eggplant, courgettes and yellow squash. 
Carefully trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.
Finely cut the eggplant, courgette, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
Arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, 
overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables.
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. 
Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.
Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside.
Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left. 
They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.
Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty bread or with your choice of grain.



POMEGRANATE MOLASSES GLAZED HAM

This is a real dinner party treat and looks wonderful at the table. It tastes really good too.
Serves 10 or more, depending on serving size
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 3 hrs

INGREDIENTS:

• One 3 kg fully cooked ham
  
• 300 ml of pomegranate molasses
  
• 50 gm of brown sugar
  
• 3 tbsp of dijon mustard
  
• 1 tbsp of coarse mustard
  
• Black pepper
  

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 180 C degrees. 
Either line a large deep baking pan with aluminum foil or just use a disposable tin foil baking dish (easier cleanup) and set it aside.
Rinse the ham in cold water a few times to get rid of some of the saltiness.
Pat the ham dry really well and place it in the baking pan, round side down.
Cover the whole thing with aluminum foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours.
Remove the ham from the oven, uncover and turn it so the round side is facing forward,
In a small frying pan, add the sugar and pomegranate molasses and cook over medium low heat until the mixture has melted together. 
Allow it to cool, then stir in the mustard and black pepper and set aside.
Pour the glaze directly over the ham and smear it around the top a bit so its covering the top pretty well. 
Place it back in the oven for 1 more hour making sure to baste it every fifteen minutes.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

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