Sweet & Sour Chicken & Veg

Serves 4

425g can pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
2 tbsp each tomato ketchup
2 tbsp malt vinegar
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp veg oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
1 red and green pepper, chopped
2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
2 skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
125g pack baby corn, sliced lengthways
2 tomatoes, quartered
cooked rice, to serve

Make the sweet and sour sauce by whisking together the pineapple juice, tomato ketchup, malt vinegar and cornflour.  There should be 300ml - add water or stock if you're short.
Heat the oil in a frying pan or work over a high heat.  Add the onion, chilli, peppers, carrots and chicken and stir fry until the veg are starting to soften and the chicken is almost cooked.
Add the corn and sauce.  Bubble for 2 mins, add tomatoes and cook for 2 mins until the sauce thickens, the chicken is cooked and the veg are tender.  Serve with rice if you like.

Spicy Cajun Chicken Quinoa

Serves 4

4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
1 tbsp Cajun spice
4oz quinoa
1 pint hot chicken stock
4oz dried apricots, sliced
1/2 x 250g pack ready to use Puy lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, cut into thin wedges
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
small bunch coriander, chopped

Heat the oven to 200, 180 fan, gas mark 6.  Toss the chicken with the Cajun spice and arrange in a single layer in a roasting tin.  Bake for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked.  Set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the quinoa in the chicken stock for 15 mins until tender, adding the apricots and lentils for the final 5 mins.  Drain and place into a large bowl with the chicken, toss together.
While the quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan and soften the onions for 10-15 mins.  Toss the onions into the quinoa with the coriander and some seasoning and mix well.

Chicken & Chorizo Jambalaya

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1/2oz chorizo, sliced
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
9oz long grain rice
400g can plum tomatoes
12 fl oz chicken stock

Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid and brown the chicken for 5-8 mins until golden.  Remove and set aside.  Tip in the onion and cook for 3-4 mins until soft.  Then add the pepper, garlic, chorizo and Cajun seasoning and cook for 5 more mins.
Stir the chicken back in with the rice, add the tomatoes and stock.  Cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the rice is tender.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Steve made me this for my mothers day meal.  It was nice but the sauce was a bit watery and it wasn't spicy enough for me (this may be because of Steve though and not the actual recipe)!

Serves 4

6 cloves garlic, peeled
3 inches fresh root ginger, peeled
2-3 fresh red chillies, deseeded
olive oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
3 tbsp garam masala
7oz natural yoghurt
4 medium chicken breasts, skinned and cut into large chunks
1 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 tbsp tomato puree
small handful of ground cashew nuts or almonds
sea salt
4fl oz double cream
handful fresh coriander, chopped
juice of 1-2 limes

Grate the garlic and ginger on the finest side of a cheese grater and put to one side in a bowl.  Chop the chillies as finely as you can and mix them in with the ginger and garlic.  Heat a good splash of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.  When they start to pop, add them to the ginger and garlic mixture along with the paprika, cumin, ground coriander and 2 tbsp of the garam masala.  Put half of this mix in a bowl, add the yoghurt and the chicken pieces to it, stir and leave to marinate for half an hour or so.
Melt the butter in the saucepan the mustard seeds were in and add the sliced onions and the remaining half of the spice mix.  Cook gently for 15 mins or so without browning too much - it should start to smell fantastic!  Add the tomato puree, the ground nuts, half a litre of water and 1/2 a tsp of salt.  Stir well and simmer gently for a few mins.  Let this sauce reduce until it thickens slightly and then place to one side.

Put the marinaded chicken on a hot griddle pan or barbecue and sear until cooked through - you can also do this under a preheated grill if you like.
Warm the sauce and add the cream and the other tablespoon of garam masala.  Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.  As soon as it boils, take off the heat and add the grilled chicken.  Check the seasoning once more and serve sprinkled with the chopped coriander, and the lime juice.

Chicken Liver Pate

I'm not allowed to eat pate right now because I'm pregnant but this is one of the first things I'm going to make after giving birth in 5 and a half weeks.  I've craved pate all the way through my pregnancy, just because I can't have it!  The day I give birth I'm sending Steve to the Deli in Waltham to get me some pate - I CAN'T WAIT!

Serves 8 - 10

300g unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 unsmoked streaky bacon rashers, chopped
450g chicken livers, trimmed of sinew and fat
2 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
crusty bread to serve

First clarify some butter.  Put 100g of the butter in a heavy based pan over a low heat until it has melted and the milk solids begin to sink at the bottom.  Set aside for a few minutes, then strain off the golden butter at the top and reserve.  Discard the solids.  In a separate pan, slowly melt the remaining butter.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion for 5 mins until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the bacon and chicken livers, then cook for 4-5 mins until browned but still soft.  For the last minute, add the brandy and bubble to reduce by half.  Spoon the mixture into a food processor bowl and blend until smooth.  Add the melted butter in a slow, steady stream.  Once it's incorporated, stir in the chopped tarragon and some seasoning.
Pass the pate through a sieve to make it even smoother, then spoon into a dish (or divide among ramekins for individual portions).  Smooth the top and pour over the clarified butter.  Leave to set for at least an hour in the fridge.  Serve with crusty bread.

Tray Baked Chicken, Squashed Potatoes & Creamed Spinach

Serves 4

Potatoes
700g small red skinned potatoes or new potatoes
few sprigs fresh rosemary
couple of bay leaves
6 cloves garlic

Spinach
bunch of spring onions
3 cloves garlic
few fresh thyme tips
1 whole nutmeg, for grating or ground nutmeg
large knob of butter
400g prewashed baby spinach
100ml single cream
25g Parmesan cheese

Chicken 
dried oregano
sweet paprika
knob of butter
4 x skinless chicken breasts
1 lemon
300g cherry tomatoes
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
couple of sprigs fresh rosemary

Seasonings
olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Wash the potatoes, then halve lengthways or leave whole if using new potatoes and add to a large saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover with boiled water, put the lid on and boil hard for around 12 to 14 minutes or until cooked through.
Trim and finely slice the spring onions.  Add to the large shallow pan with a splash of olive oil.  Crush in 3 cloves of unpeeled garlic and add a swig of boiled water.  Pick in the leaves from a few sprigs of thyme, finely grate in 1/4 of the nutmeg or add 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg and add the knob of butter.  Leave to tick away for around 3 mins, stirring occasionally.
Put a large frying pan on over a high heat.  Get out a large sheet of greaseproof paper and sprinkle with a good pinch of dried oregano, salt and pepper and paprika, then drizzle over some olive oil and a lug to the frying pan along with the knob of butter.  Lay the chicken breasts on top of the greaseproof paper and roll them in the flavours.  Add to the hot pan and fry for 4-5 mins, or until golden on both sides.

Pile the spinach into the pan with the spring onions and leave it to wilt.  Keep stirring so it doesn't catch.
Get out a nice roasting tray, quarter the lemon and put it in the tray along with the tomatoes.  Tip in the chicken breasts and any juices from the pan, lay the bacon on top of the chicken.  Put the frying pan back on a medium heat and add the sprigs of rosemary to the pan and move them around so that they get coated in the juices.  Pop them into the tray, then whack the tray under the grill for at least 14 mins.

Check the potatoes are cooked, drain them and let them steam for a couple of mins.  Add a couple of lugs of olive oil, leaves from a few sprigs of rosemary and the bay leaves to the empty frying pan.  Put the potatoes on top of the herbs in a flat layer, drizzle over some olive oil and sprinkle over some salt.  Crush in 6 unpeeled cloves of garlic, then turn the heat up to high.  Get a flat lid from a smaller pan and really press down so you burst and squash the potatoes.  Leave to colour, then toss after about 3 mins and squash down again.

Pour the cream into the spinach.  Turn down the heat and finely grate in the Parmesan.

Keep checking, squashing and turning the potatoes, to brown all over and serve.

Tips
I used new potatoes and still halved them as they would have taken much longer than 12-14 minutes.  I used garlic puree as I didn't have any garlic bulbs and I also used normal streaky bacon instead of smoked as I don't like smoky things.  I used normal paprika as well instead of sweet as that's what I had in the cupboard.  I would wait a lot longer in the process of things to wilt the spinach as it only takes a couple of minutes.  I had to turn mine off and heat it up again at the end.

Verdict
I know I always say the dishes I cook are really nice but they are!  This one was gorgeous and much easier than some of the other meals I've been making.  Steve's plate was clean within minutes of me dishing it up.  Will definitely make this one again.  

Chicken Pie with Broccoli, Mustard & Tarragon

Serves 4

125g Tenderstem broccoli, cut into 2.5cm lengths
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1tbsp wholegrain mustard
300g half fat creme fraiche
4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 x 15g pack fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
3-4 sheets filo pastry

Preheat the oven to 190, gas mark 5.  Plunge the broccoli into boiling water for 2 mins, then drain.  Heat the oil and fry the onion for 3-4 mins, until soft.
Stir in the mustard and creme fraiche.  Add the chicken and simmer gently for 5 mins.  Stir in the tarragon and broccoli.
Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish.  Scrunch up the filo pastry sheets and place over the mixture, brush with melted butter and bake for 20-25 mins, until golden and bubbling.  Serve with steamed veg.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken & Potato Stir Fry

Serves 2

400g salad or new potatoes, diced
1tbsp oil
250g chicken breast, sliced
1 small red pepper, sliced
1tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
2 rings canned pineapple, cubed, plus 2tbsp juice

Boil the potatoes for about 8 mins under tender, then drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and stir fry the chicken, pepper and seasoning for 5 mins.
Add the pineapple, juice and potatoes and cook for 1-2 mins until chicken is cooked through.

Roast Chicken with Lemon & Leek Stuffing

Serves 4-6

1 large chicken
2 lemons, zest and juice
1 bulb garlic
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1tbsp butter
salt and pepper
2 onions
3tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
2 leeks
5 slices white bread, no crusts
fresh parsley
fresh sage
1 medium egg, beaten
6 rashers, smoked streaky bacon
1tbsp plain flour
100ml dry white wine
300ml chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 200, gas mark 6.  Remove the elasticated string from the chicken and sit it in a heavy based roasting tin.  Finely grate the zest from the lemons, then set the zest aside.  Halve one lemon and put 1/2 inside the chicken cavity.  Halve the garlic bulb and put 1/2 in the chicken, along with 2 thyme springs.  Re-tie the legs.  Smear butter over the breast and legs, season and scatter on a few thyme leaves.  Thickly slice 1 onion and scatter around the chicken.  Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil and roast for 1 1/2 hours - drizzle the remaining garlic with oil and add it to the tin after 45 mins.
Trim the leeks and thinly slice the white and pale green part.  Thinly slice the second onion.  Cover and cook the onions and leeks with the remaining oil over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Tear the bread into big chunks and put them in a food processor with the parsley, sage and remaining thyme leaves.  Pulse to make fine breadcrumbs.
Stir the breadcrumbs, zest, juice and egg into the cooked leeks and onions.  Season, set aside and allow to cool for 5-10 mins.
Stretch each rasher a little with a knife, then halve them to make 12 pieces.  Lightly oil a baking tray.  Shape the stuffing into golfball sized balls, then wrap each one in a piece of bacon.  Put the balls on the tray with the loose bacon ends facing down so that they don't unravel as the stuffing cooks.
When the chicken is ready, transfer to a serving board.  Catch any juices that come out of the chicken in the tin.  Leave the chicken to rest for 20-30 mins, but don't cover it, or the skin will go soggy.  Don't worry, it will stay hot.  Meanwhile cook the stuffing balls in the oven at 220, gas mark 7 for 20 mins.  Spoon away any excess fat from the roasting tin, then set it over a low heat.  Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly to make a thick paste.  Add the wine, stir and let it boil until you have a smooth mix.  Gradually add the stock, still stirring all the time, until you have a thin, lump free gravy.  Keep stirring and simmering until the gravy thickens.  Strain into a warmed jug and cover top to keep in the heat.  Press the onion against the mesh of the sieve, to extract as much of its flavour as you can.  Make sure to add in any resting juices that have collected under the chicken too.
Place the chicken on a serving plate surrounded but the stuffing, along with the gravy and soft roasted garlic, ready to squeeze onto your plate and mash into the juices.

Chicken, Sausage Meat & Leek Pie

Serves 4

olive oil
2 knobs of butter
2lb chicken thighs, cut into pieces
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, finely sliced
small handful of thyme
2tbsp flour
1 wineglass of white wine
1/2 pint milk
salt and pepper
9oz good quality pork sausages
1 x 500g pack of all butter puff pastry
1 egg

Preheat oven to 220, gas mark 7.  Take a large casserole pot and add a lug of olive oil and your butter.  Add the chicken, leeks, carrots, celery and thyme and cook slowly on the hob for 15 minutes.

Turn the heat right up, add the flour, and keep stirring for a couple of minutes before adding the wine, a wineglass of water and the milk.  Season with salt and pepper, then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer very slowly on the hob for 30-40 mins until the chicken is tender.  Stir it every so often so it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.  The sauce should be loose but quite thick.  If it's a little too liquid, just continue to simmer it with the lid off until it thickens slightly.
Pour the chicken mixture into an appropriately sized pie dish.  Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins, roll it into little balls, brown them in a little oil and sprinkle them over the stew.

Roll out your pastry to about 0.5cm thick.  Egg-wash the rim of the dish and drape over the pastry, using a knife to trim the edge of the dish.  Egg-wash the top of the pastry to make it go golden while cooking, then pinch it to crimp it round the edges.  Use the back of a knife to gently criss-cross the top - this allows the pastry to go crisp and flaky.

Cook the pie in the centre of the oven for 30-40 mins, until golden on top.

Serve with sweet potato mash and sweetcorn.  To make the mash put some chopped up normal potatoes and some chopped up sweet potatoes in a pan of boiling water for about 15-20 mins, then mash with loads of butter, salt and pepper.

Tips
When I make this pie I just use a large frying pan for the first step and cover it with a large plate.

Verdict
Totally worth the effort, the chicken is tender, the sausage balls add a real special treat to the dish and the pastry is so good!  

Steamed Apple Chicken

Serves 4

4 boneless chicken breasts
2tsp olive oil
3tsp ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g onions, diced
25g carrots, sliced
140g red pepper, sliced
300g brocolli, broken into florets
250g baby corn
250ml apple juice
cooked rice and salad, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200, gas mark 6.  Take a large piece of tin foil and place the chicken breasts in the centre.  Drizzle over the olive oil and add the ginger, garlic, onions, carrots, pepper, brocolli, and baby corn.
Draw up the sides of the foil and pour in the apple juice.
Scrunch up the foil to seal everything in and place in the oven for 25 mins.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 mins in the foil.
Divide the contents of the foil parcel into 4 and serve with cooked rice and salad.

Hearty Chicken Casserole with Dumplings

Serves 6

3tbsp plain flour
salt and pepper
6 chicken breasts, bone in, each cut into 3 pieces
100ml vegetable oil
4 medium onions, peeled and cut into 8
200g smoked bacon
3 garlic cloves, crushed
300g flat mushrooms, sliced
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into chinks
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
375ml red wine
300ml chicken stock

Dumplings
150g suet and 350g self raising flour

Preheat oven to 200, gas mark 6.
Put the flour in a plastic bag and season.  Drop the chicken into the flour and shake like mad to coat well.
In a large casserole, brown the chicken pieces in the oil over a high heat.  Remove the chicken and reduce the heat.
Add the onions and bacon and cook for 5-8 mins until they are coloured.  Add the garlic, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, bay leaves and red currant jelly.  Stir thoroughly to mix.
Put the chicken back in and stir to coat.  Pour in the wine and stock.  Cover, bring to the boil, then cook in the oven for 40 mins.
Meanwhile for the dumplings, combine the suet, flour and a big pinch of salt in a bowl.  Gradually stir in 150ml warm water, mixing to give a heavy dough, then roll it into golfball size balls.  Take the casserole from the oven, drop the dumplings into it and return to the oven for a final 20 mins, until the dumplings are cooked.

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6

750g chicken thigh and breast fillets, halved
250ml chicken stock
125ml single cream, or creamy milk, plus extra if needed
6 celery stalks, chopped
2 leeks, cut into 1cm pieces
250g new potatoes, halved crossways
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
500g cooked gammon or ham, cut into 2.5cm cubes
50g butter
6tbsp plain flour
1/2tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper
375g ready-made puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1tbsp milk

Put the chicken, stock, cream, celery, leeks, potatoes, garlic and gammon in a large saucepan.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 mins or until the chicken is tender.
Set a colander over a large heatproof measuring jug and pour the contents of the pan into it: you need 500ml of liquid (add extra cream or milk, if needed).
Clean and dry the pan.  Add the butter and melt over a moderate heat.  Stir in flour until bubbling, but don't let it colour.
Add the reserved liquid, about 1/3 at a time, stirring well so that the mixture is thick, smooth and velvety.  Stir in the nutmeg and parsley, then season, to taste.  Add the contents of the colander and toss gently in the sauce until well coated.  Let cool for 10 mins.  You can make the filling in advance to this point and store in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 200, gas mark 6.  Take out a 1.2 litre pie dish, 7.5cm deep, and roll out the pastry so that it is 5mm thick and a bit bigger than the pie dish.  Put the pie dish upside down on the pastry and cut around it, leaving a 3cm border.  Ladle the filling into the dish, piling it up high in the centre.
Set the pastry lid on top and press into place, trimming off any excess.  Cut a little vent in the centre, then brush the egg glaze over the pastry.  Mark patterns in the pastry, if liked, or leave it plain.
Bake towards the top of the oven for 25 mins or until the pastry has puffed, then lower heat to 180, gas mark 4 and cook for 15 mins or until the pastry is crusty and golden.  If you made the filling ahead and it was cold when you put it in the oven, cook for 30 mins more).  If the pastry browns too quickly, cover it with damp parchment.  Serve hot, straight from the dish.

Chicken, Leek & Mushroom Pie

Serves 6

100g butter
2 leeks, cut into 1cm pieces
6 celery stalks, chopped
50g plain flour
250ml chicken stock
125ml single cream
200g button mushrooms
750g cooked roast chicken meat, without skin or bone
salt and pepper
4tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
375g ready-made puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1tbsp milk for glazing

Melt 50g butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and celery and cook for 5 mins, stirring constantly.  Add the flour and mix to a paste.
Stir in the stock and cream and the rest of the butter.  Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 mins.  Remove from heat and add mushrooms and chicken.  Season and add the parlsey.
Preheat the oven to 220, gas mark 7.  Roll out the pastry on a floured surface so that it is 5mm thick and at least 5cm bigger than your pie dish.
Put the pie dish upside down on the pastry and cut around it, leaving a 3cm border.  Cut a 2cm wide strip of pastry to fit around the edge of the dish.  Brush the edge with water and stick the strip on top.  Ladle the filling into the dish, piling it up high in the centre.
Wet the pastry strip.  Set the pastry lid on top and press into place, trimming off any excess.  Cut a small vent in the centre then brush the pastry with the egg glaze.  Mark decorative patterns in the pastry, or leave plain, as preferred.
Bake towards the top of the oven for 25 mins, then reduce to 200, gas mark 6 and cook for a further 15 mins or until the pastry is crusty and golden.  If the pastry browns too quickly, cover it with a folded sheet of damp baking parchment.  Serve hot straight from the dish.

Chicken with Olives & Lemons

Serves 6

1 large chicken
salt and pepper
3 lemons, quartered
24 green and purple giant olives
1kg new potatoes
60ml olive oil

Preheat the oven to 170, gas mark 3.  Season the chicken inside and out and fill the cavity with most of the lemons and olives.  Give it a good shake.
Put the potatoes in the bottom of a large cast-iron pot.  Mix the oil, remaining lemons and olives and squash them a bit.
Put the chicken on top of the potatoes and pour the oil and lemon mixture over it, letting the bits roll off on to the spuds.  Season well, then put the pot in the oven and cook for at least 1.5 hours.
Check the chicken is cooked by sticking a skewer between the legs and breast: if the juice that runs out is clear, it is cooked.  Otherwise, put it back in until it's done.
When done, lift the chicken from the pot and pour all the bits from inside the cavity over the potatoes.  Place the pot over a very high heat and bring to the boil while you cut the chicken into big hunks.  Add the chicken pieces back to the pot, along with any juices, turn off the heat and take the whole lot to the table.

Chicken & Potato Curry

Serves 4

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
794g skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
170g baby leaf spinach, roughly chopped
2tbsp medium or hot curry powder
400g can chopped tomatoes
397ml water
salt and pepper
large handful of chopped coriander and mint

Stir fry the onion, chicken, potatoes, spinach and curry powder for 2-3 mins.
Add the chopped tomatoes and water and bring to the boil.  Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 25-30 mins, or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through and tender.
Remove from the heat and season.  Stir in the chopped herbs and serve immediately.

West Country Chicken & Ham Pie

Serves 4

60g butter
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
60g flour, plus more to dust
425ml milk
salt and pepper
1tsp english mustard
300g leftover cooked chicken, cut into chunks
150g cooked ham, cut into chunks
1tbsp flat leaf parsley
freshly grated nutmeg
flour for rolling
300g puff pastry
1 egg yolk, mixed with a little water and salt

Melt the butter in a heavy pan and add the leeks and cook gently for 5 mins.  Pour in a splash of water, reduce the heat, cover and sweat for 10 mins.  Add the flour and stir for 1 min.
Take the pan off the heat and gradually add the milk.  Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring; reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins.  Season, add the mustard, chicken and ham. Heat through then add the parsley and nutmeg to taste.  Set aside and leave to cool a little.
Preheat the oven to 200, gas mark 6.  Spoon the chicken into a pie dish.  On a floured surface, roll the pastry out to the thickness of a 50p piece.
Cut off a strip of pastry, wet it and place it on the lip of the pie dish.  Lay the rest of the pastry on top, pressing down firmly.  Trim off the excess.
Crimp the edges and use pastry scraps to decorate.  Make 3 cuts in the middle to let the steam escape.
Brush with the egg yolk and bake for 30-40 mins, or until golden.

My Chicken Stew (slow cooker)

Serves 3-4

2 x large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 x carrots, peeled and sliced
2 x parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
5 x small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 x onion, chopped
lots of homemade chicken stock
250ml white wine
pepper
Lakeland Herb Sea Salt
couple of tbsp chicken gravy granules
couple of tbsp pearl barley

Fry the chicken breasts in a frying pan with a bit of oil for about 5-8 mins.  Put all the other ingredients, apart from the pearl barley, into the slow cooker.  Add the chicken once it's browned and cook on high for 4 hours.  Add the pearl barley and cook for another hour.
Serve with crusty bread.

I had this for tea tonight and it was so nice, I always make my own chicken stock and it really does make all the difference to the taste.

Coq Au Vin

Serves 4-6

knob of butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
2tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
125g unsmoked back bacon, cut into strips
1 garlic clove, crushed
225g whole shallots
250g chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
300ml good quality red wine
225ml chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2tbsp tomato puree
6 fresh thyme sprigs

Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan. Coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then brown them in the pan in a single layer, in batches.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put into a heavy based casserole.
Fry the bacon in the frying pan over a medium heat for 3 min until beginning to crisps, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min.  Remove the bacon and garlic with a slotted spoon, then add to the casserole.
Cook the shallots in the pan for 5 mins until golden.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 mins until they begin to soften, then transfer both to the casserole.

Put the casserole over a medium heat and add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to the boil, stir, then reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered for 45 mins until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Season, then serve with mash and greens.

Verdict
I made this for tea the other night and although it was nice, I wouldn't make it again.  It was a bit too rich for me.  

Sun-dried Tomato & Chicken Pilaf (slow cooker)

Serves 4
Cooking time - 2-2.5 hours

1tbsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
50g sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
2tsp pesto
1 pint hot chicken stock
150g basmati rice
50g wild rice
salt and pepper
rocket salad, to serve

Preheat the slow cooker.  Heat the oil in a frying pan then fry the chicken breasts on one side only until browned.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve on a plate.
Fry the onion and garlic, if using, in the pan for 5 mins, stirring until lightly browned.  Add the canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.  Pour into the slow cooker pot then stir in the stock.
Rinse the basmati rice well in a sieve under cold running water, then stir into the slow cooker pot with the wild rice.  Arrange the chicken breasts on top of the rice, browned side uppermost, pressing them just below the level of the liquid so that they don't dry out during cooking.  Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2 1/2 - 3 hours until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the rice is tender.
Serve with the rocket salad.