Chinese Chicken

I'm a great fan of dishes that get on with themselves. Much like people really. If something (or someone) needs constant fussing and endless attention, well, that's not my cup of tea. I'm more the 'you do your thing and I'll do mine' type. Which is exactly why I like this dish. After a little preparation you just leave it for an hour and before you know it dinner's ready. Completely free of hassle.



Take some chicken, I used three fillets and 5 legs (you could take a whole chicken and dismember it if you're into that) and place in an oven dish.
In a bowl combine 1 cup of chicken stock, half a cup of soy sauce and a quarter cup of oyster sauce. Add one tablespoon of dark muscovado sugar and a quarter teaspoon of Chinese five-spice powder. Add three star anise, two cloves of garlic, sliced, and a good chunk of fresh ginger, also sliced.
Pour this over the chicken, cover with a lid or with tinfoil and cook in a preheated 200C oven. Serve with a crispy duck style plate of crunchy veg and some Jasmine rice.



Simple work, complicated flavours. I'm game.

The Ultimate Tiramisu

I Love Tiramisu. I love how it hints at all the different flavours it contains. A hint of coffee, a hint of mascarpone, a hint of chocolate... If it leans too much in any one direction I quickly lose interest, but if it stays somewhere in the middle of all these flavours, there's simply nothing better.
Now, I've had my fair share of Tiramisus in restaurants. Some are spectacular, some are too soft, too warm or too dull. When I saw this recipe I've got to admit, I had my doubts. It seems too small somehow, to achieve the grandeur of a great Tiramisu. While I was making it I thought, for sure, the taste would be dull or lacking. Making it with sponge cake instead of ladyfingers seemed blasphemous. And yet...
Like I said, I've had my fair share of this dessert and this version is absolutely better than most. It's proof that some of the best things in life are simple. Putting this Tiramisu together is an absolute doddle. And eating it? Well...



First, make a good strong cup of espresso coffee, you need about 80ml. Leave that to cool and add 80ml of Tia Maria (or any other good coffee liqueur).
In a bowl beat together 250 grams of mascarpone, 80ml of single cream and 50 grams of icing sugar until thick.
Take about 300 grams of store bought sponge cake and crumble some of this into the bottom of your serving glasses. Press down and trickle over some of the coffee/Tia Maria mixture. Now add a generous dollop of the cream mixture, press down and repeat.
Top with shavings of good dark chocolate and refrigerate for a few hours.
You will swoon. You will 'Ooohh' and 'Aaahh'. You will wonder how a few simple ingredients can create such a delight and your guests will look at you like you're some kind of shaman, not knowing whether to fear or worship you.
Try it. You'll like it.

Oh My Stars

Red onion & Rosemary Pasta

The days I discover great new pasta recipes are among my favourite days.
I love this sauce. It contains only a few ingredients and while cooking it mostly gets on with itself. It’s easy to make but boosts great, deep flavour. What's not to love?

Chop two red onions into half rings and fry in a generous amount of olive oil, with a teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary and half a teaspoon of coarse salt. The trick is to keep the heat as low as possible so the onions soften but don't colour or crisp up. Fry gently, stirring occasionally, for twenty to twenty-five minutes, until the onions are soft and sweet. Add half a tablespoon of dark muscovado sugar and one tablespoon of good balsamic vinegar. Turn up the heat and fry for a few minutes, stirring constantly, caramelising the sugar and the vinegar. At this point the sauce will smell incredibly (almost inedibly) intense, but don’t fret. The flavours will mingle and mellow and will eventually turn into something else entirely.

Add one tin of chopped tomatoes and turn down the heat again. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for another ten minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the sauce has thickened. Use this time to cook the pasta.
I won't be bossy and tell you exactly what pasta to eat with this sauce, but please do give it some thought. This sauce is very soft so you want a type of pasta that remains a little toothsome when cooked. If you don’t have a lot of experience with different kinds of pasta, something like penne is a safe bet. Whatever type you choose, cook it al dente before draping it with the velvety sauce. Add some Parmesan if you want, personally I don’t think it needs it.

Swedish Lemon Poppyseed cakes

Chewy Almond Macaroons

Beat two egg whites until stiff. Fold in 300 grams of powdered almonds, 250 grams of powdered sugar, the zest of one lemon and a pinch of salt. With wet hands, roll into little balls and place in a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and bake in a preheated oven for 10, until they're just starting to colour.