1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
750g/1lb 11oz sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
400g/14oz carrots, peeled and sliced
2 knobs of butter
2 Parmesan crusts
1 sprig of rosemary
about 750ml/11/4 pints stock (I use chicken)
salt and black pepper
1 small tub of crème fraîche to serve
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
1 Before doing anything, place the thyme leaves in a mortar and pestle and give them a good grinding. Add the chilli oil and leave to infuse while you make the soup.
2 Heat the olive oil in a large pan on a low-medium heat and fry the onions and garlic for 8-10 minutes, until softened. Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, butter, Parmesan crusts and rosemary (still in a whole sprig), season well with salt and pepper and let them sweat down until they start to soften. This tends to happen quicker if you cover the pan – use tin foil tightly sealed around the top of the pan if you don’t have a lid – I spend far too much time trying to find lids!
3 Once the vegetables have started to soften (and not before, as we want to intensify the flavour of the vegetables), add the stock and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are really tender.
4 Once you have reached this stage, remove the Parmesan crusts and the rosemary sprig with a slotted spoon and scrape off any melted softened bits of Parmesan into the vegetables. Tip the soup into a blender and whiz until completely smooth. Return to the pan and check the seasoning.
5 Transfer to a warm serving bowl or bowls and serve with a spoon of crème fraîche in the centre, then drizzle over the thyme-infused chilli oil.
We all love chicken, especially as individual pies on our plates, or spooned out as a wonderful thick stew from the huge pan bubbling on the stove. On warmer days, or when we’re not so hungry, a light stir-fry or simple grilled chicken breast with a fresh green salad always goes down well. A roast chicken is equally simple to prepare and will keep the children at the table for ages, picking away at the bird; and if there’s any left over it will do for a soup, a salad, or to fill sandwiches. Don’t think of a roast just as a winter dish, either – a roasted chicken can be flavoured with summery citrus flavours and herbs and taste just as delicious with new potatoes and salad as with a load of roasted vegetables and gravy.
Chicken is fantastically versatile – whether it’s the whole bird or specific bits of it. I love using thighs in particular: the cheeks of meat on the bone are so succulent and always retain their juiciness (even in slow-cooked one-pot dishes that have been on the stove for hours and hours by the time Gordon and I get to eat). On a practical level, too, thighs are the most economical cut to buy.
Although chicken in any form is one of my favourite speedy ingredients for weeknight meals, duck is a delicious alternative – and one that’s no longer such a luxury now that it has become more readily available. Duck might be a tiny bit pricier than chicken, but it’s just as easy to cook and is a tasty and impressive dish to serve to friends or family. I like to leave the skin on when cooking it because, although duck is a lean healthy option, the fat that is released during cooking keeps it beautifully moist. You can always remove the skin once it’s cooked. I think the main ingredient of a dish should always be its focus and it doesn’t need to be disguised with other flavours; it should just be simply prepared in order to bring out its delicious taste.
This is unbelievably quick and simple but the results are delicious. I usually serve it with roasted new potatoes and lots more salad.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg white
2 tbsp olive oil
2 handfuls of rocket leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
black pepper
FOR THE PASTE
leaves from 40g pack of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp capers in vinegar, drained and rinsed
1 plump garlic clove, peeled and crushed
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes plus at least 20 minutes marinating
1 Combine all the paste ingredients and season with pepper. I think the quickest way of doing this is to use a hand-held blender, but a knife and chopping board does just as well.
2 Score the top of the chicken breasts diagonally several times at about 2cm/3/4 inch intervals and 5mm/1/4 inch deep. Brush with the egg white, then smear the paste into the chicken and push down into the scored slits to form a crust, pressing firmly to compact. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for anything between 20 minutes and 2 hours.
3 When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4, then heat the olive oil in a non-stick, ovenproof frying pan on a low-medium heat. Carefully place the chicken breasts, scored side down, in the shimmering oil and fry for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for a further 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over again and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.
4 Remove from the pan and cut the chicken into slices along the existing cuts. Arrange the chicken slices on the rocket and serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze over.
This is a very straightforward dish that takes only an hour or so to cook once you have chopped up all the vegetables. It’s ideal for an informal, stress-free Saturday lunch with friends, served with plain brown rice and a crunchy salad. I have given ingredients for four people, but it’s easy to make in bulk for a larger group.
3 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3