What Should I Have for Dinner Tonight?

Kangaroo, Peach and Pomegranate Salad

2026-10-02T07:39:02.695-07:00

This is a further kangaroo recipe that I originally published a number of years ago and made a point of saving from the cyber space void when the publisher ceased operating. It is perfect for a summer's night but enjoyable at any time of year, ideally perhaps with a nice glass of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon...

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 5 min

Ready in: 15 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

4 ounce (110g) kangaroo leg steak
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Generous handful mixed green salad leaves of choice (watercress, baby spinach and rocket/arugula were used in this instance)
6 canned in own juice peach crescent slices
Seeds and juice of half a pomegranate
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon good quality balsamic vinegar

Kangaroo leg steak is added to hot griddle pan

Method

Put your ridged, cast iron griddle pan on to a very high heat and allow it a few minutes to get as hot as possible. Lightly oil the kangaroo steak (as opposed to oiling the pan). This can be done by hand or with a pastry brush. Season the steak with salt and pepper. How long the steak takes to cook will obviously depend upon the thickness more than anything else but as a guide, this approximately 1" (2.5cm) thick steak took 2 to 2.5 minutes each side.

Lift the cooked steak to a chopping boars and allow to rest while you prepare the salad.

Halved pomegranate

There is a very easy way to remove the juice and seeds from a pomegranate. Start by cutting it in half across the middle. Hold the half above a bowl or dish with the cut side down and tap the curved/skin side firmly over and over with a wooden spoon. This should cause the seeds to fall out into the bowl.

Pomegranate seed salad dressing

Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large glass or stone bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar and the pomegranate seeds and juice. Stir very well to combine.

Preparing peach and pomegranate salad

Wash the salad leaves and shake dry. Roughly chop the peach crescents. Add the lot to the salad dressing and gently stir fold to combine.

Sliced kangaroo leg steak

Slice the kangaroo leg steak moderately finely across the grain. Like all types of lean wild game, it should be beautifully pink in the centre. Mix with the salad and plate for service.

Enjoying peach, pomegranate and kangaroo salad

Succulent Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

2026-09-23T07:36:25.433-07:00

Oven baked chicken breast with roast potatoes and broccoli

Chicken breasts are hugely popular, fairly inexpensive and incredibly versatile in the number of ways in which they can be cooked, either whole or having been chopped up in advance. If they do have one failing, however, it is that if they are in any way undercooked, they can represent a health risk, and if they are in any way overcooked, they can be tough and unpalatable. This method of cooking chicken breasts as good as ensures perfect results every time and is a very easy recipe to follow. The accompaniments to the chicken breasts can of course be varied to suit your tastes and preferences but in this instance, the potatoes have to initially be cooked at least a few hours in advance, or cooked the night before and stored in the fridge overnight.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min (plus cooling time for potatoes)

Cook time: 1 hour 10 min

Ready in: 1 hour 40 min (plus cooling time for potatoes)

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients

Baby potatoes as required for 2 people, whole, skin on
Salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly chopped coriander (cilantro)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated/shredded/very finely chopped
2 medium skinless chicken breast fillets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets

Method

Put the potatoes into a pot of cold, salted water, ensuring they are all comfortably covered. Put the pot on to a high heat until the water starts to boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are just softened. Drain, return to the pot and leave to cool. If desired, once they are partly cooled, they can be placed in a suitable container and refrigerated (still in their skins!) overnight.

Olive oil and flavourants are added to casserole dish

Put your oven on to preheat to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Add the olive oil, chopped coriander (cilantro) and garlic to a casserole dish just large enough to accommodate the chicken breasts side by side. Stir briefly with a wooden spoon to combine.

Chicken breasts are added to seasoned oil

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with a little salt and lay them side by side, presentation (smooth) sides up in the casserole dish. Put the lid on the dish and place it into the oven for precisely 20 minutes (reduce accordingly if using fan assisted). When the chicken has been in the oven for 10 minutes, pour the vegetable oil into a deep baking or roasting tray large enough to accommodate all the potatoes and place it in the oven to preheat.

While the chicken is cooking, carefully peel/rub the skin from all the cooled potatoes.

Oven baked chicken breasts

Take the casserole dish from the oven and - being careful of escaping steam - remove the lid. Use a metal skewer to pierce the thickest part of each chicken breast and ensure the juices run clear. Lift with a slotted spoon to a deep plate and cover with foil to rest while you cook potatoes and broccoli.

Carefully add the potatoes to the tray of hot oil and turn them around with a spatula to ensure even coating. Turn oven up to 220C/450F/Gas Mark 8 and cook for 15/20 minutes until golden, giving tray a gentle shake half way through.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the broccoli fillets for 7 to 8 minutes before draining to serve.

Lift the potatoes to a plate covered with kitchen paper to briefly drain before plating your meals.

Easy Indian Lamb Bhuna Recipe

2026-05-19T02:41:25.324-07:00

Lamb bhuna with turmeric rice and garlic and coriander naan

Lamb bhuna was very much my favourite Indian dish as a child and I still very much have a soft spot for it today. I have tried various different ways of preparing it but this is definitely the easiest I have so far discovered and it still affords a very authentic and delicious eating experience.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 1 hour 45 min

Ready in: 2 hours

Yields: 2 servings

Principal lamb bhuna ingredients

Ingredients

1/2 pound (225g) diced leg of lamb
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1 teaspoon medium curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 small white onion, peeled, halved and finely sliced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely sliced
8 ounce (225g) can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 pint fresh chicken stock
Salt and pepper
6 ounces (175g) basmati or long grain rice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1.5 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander (cilantro) - 1 tablespoon for rice, 1/2 tablespoon for bhuna, plus extra to garnish
2 garlic and coriander (cilantro) naan breads to serve, heated and sliced

Spices are added to vegetable oil

Method

Pour the vegetable oil into a large pot. Add the curry powder, chilli powder and garam masala and put the pot on to a low to medium heat. Stir fry the spices gently for a minute or two, just to cook off the harshness - but be very careful not to overcook and burn them or they will turn very bitter and spoil the dish.

Onion, garlic and chilli are added to spiced oil

Add the onion, garlic and chilli to the spicy paste and stir fry gently for another 2 or 3 minutes, just to soften the onion strands.

Lamb is added to onion and spice mix

When the onions are softened, the lamb should be added to the pot. Turn the heat up slightly at this stage to seal the lamb quickly and evenly. Keep stirring all the time with the wooden spoon for the couple of minutes this should take.

Canned tomatoes are added to sealed lamb combination

When the lamb is evenly sealed and browned, pour the canned tomatoes into the pot. Stir well. Add the chicken stock, stir again and turn the heat right up until the liquid starts to simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to achieve as gentle a simmer as possible for approximately an hour and a half, until the lamb is beautifully tender.

When the bhuna is almost ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Stir in the teaspoon of ground turmeric. Wash the rice through a sieve under running cold water before adding to the boiling water. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes or per the pack instructions (do check, as rice types vary).

Coriander is added to drained turmeric rice

Drain the rice through a sieve and return to the empty pot. Allow to steam off for a couple of minutes before stirring in 1 tablespoon of coriander (cilantro), stirring the other 1/2 tablespoon into the bhuna.

Reheat the naan breads as per the pack instructions and slice for service. In this instance, I have plated the rice and bhuna in separate dishes but please as you prefer and serve.

Quick and Easy Kangaroo Chilli

2026-05-16T09:48:08.250-07:00

Kangaroo chilli with rice

Kangaroo is perhaps not something many people would associate with chilli - or as an item to appear on the dinner table. As the world has opened up, however, due to improved transport and the sharing of foodstuffs and ideas, many more ingredients are available to us that we may never have had access to or considered before. This recipe came from a series of kangaroo recipes I prepared a few years back for an article - the online publisher of which has since ceased operating - and I hope it is something you will try. The kangaroo used in this recipe was bought in a High Street supermarket but the meat is widely available online if you have no local stockist.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ready in: 30 min

Yields: 1 serving

Kangaroo leg meat

Ingredients

8 ounce (220g) can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
8 ounce (220g) can red kidney beans in water
1/2 white onion
1 medium size and strength red chilli
1 large garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper
4 ounce (110g) kangaroo leg steak
3 ounces (75g) basmati or long grain rice
1 teaspoon freshly chopped coriander (cilantro), plus a little extra to garnish
2 teaspoons grated cheddar cheese
3 central slices form large green chilli to garnish

Method

Put the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and the pan on to a medium to high heat. Shake the pan extremely regularly to toast the seeds without burning them. You will smell them cooking after a minute or so and this is when they are done. Grind until smooth with a pestle and mortar, or in an electric spice grinder if you prefer.

Sauteing onion and spices

Pour 2 tablespoons only of the oil into a saucepan and bring it up to a medium heat. The half peeled onion should be finely sliced, the garlic clove should be peeled and either finely sliced or diced and seeding the chilli before it is finely chopped is optional. Add the lot to the hot oil, along with the ground cumin seeds, and saute until the onion is just softened, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon.

Canned tomatoes are added to spiced onion mix

Pour the tomatoes into the pan and stir well and season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat until the combination starts to simmer. Adjust the heat to achieve a gentle but steady simmer.

Red kidney beans are added to spicy tomatoes

Tip the canned kidney beans into a colander in your sink and rinse well under running cold water before adding tot eh spicy tomato mix. Stir well and continue to simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the beans are added to the chilli, wash the rice through a sieve under running cold water and add to a pot of boiling, salted water to simmer for 10 minutes (or as directed on the pack).

Chopping kangaroo leg meat

When the rice is on to cook, chop the kangaroo meat with a cleaver or large chef's knife to around the texture of coarsely minced/ground beef.

Kangaroo meat is browned in hot oil

Pour the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil into a frying pan and bring it up to medium to high heat. Quickly brown the chopped kangaroo meat in the hot oil before removing from the pan with a slotted spoon and stirring it into the simmering sauce. Be sure to drain off as much of the oil as possible before it is added to the sauce.

Stir the teaspoon of coriander into the chilli a couple of minutes before the cooking time is up.

Kangaroo chilli is spooned on to bed of rice

Drain the rice through a sieve and allow it to steam off and dry out for a couple of minutes before arranging in the base of a deep plate in the form of a bed for the chilli. Carefully taste the chilli and adjust the seasoning if required before spooning on to the rice and garnishing with the remaining chopped coriander.

Grated cheese is arranged on chilli

Carefully spoon the cheese onto the centre of the chilli and finish with the 3 chilli slices.

Mushroom Stuffed Calamari in Tomato Sauce

2026-05-14T03:44:51.874-07:00

Stuffed calamari with tomato sauce

I've never really been in the habit of publishing starter/appetizer recipes on this blog but I am very much making an exception for this tantalizing and incredibly tasty little creation. I devised and first published this recipe around 15 years ago and managed to salvage it from the site on which it first appeared before that site went out of business. This dish could also be made in larger portions to serve as a main course, perhaps with additional accompaniments such as broccoli.

Ingredients

2 cleaned and prepared calamari squid mantles, wings and tentacles*
14 ounce (400g) can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 large garlic clove
2 closed cup mushrooms
Butter for frying
Salt and pepper
Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

*Please note that you can find simple but detailed cleaning and preparation instructions for the calamari in my Dab a la Meunier with Calamari Rings post on my fish and seafood blog.

Method

Put 2 (unmedicated!) wooden toothpicks or cocktail sticks into a small bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to let them soften.

Pour the tomatoes into a small saucepan, season with salt and pepper and put the pan onto a medium heat until the tomatoes start to simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain as gentle as simmer as possible for 10 to 15 minutes, until a lush sauce is effectively formed. Be sure to stir frequently with a wooden spoon.

Calamari wings and tentacles are fried in butter

Melt a little butter in a frying pan and stir fry the calamari wings and tentacles for a couple of minutes. Remove to a holding palate and leave for a few minutes until cool.

Sauteing mushrooms and garlic in butter

Finely dice the mushrooms and peeled garlic clove. Melt a little more butter in your pan and stir fry the mushrooms and garlic for a couple of minutes before finely chopping the calamari wings and tentacles and adding to the pan. Stir well, turn off the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Stuffed calamari

Very carefully, use the cooled stuffing mix to almost but not quite fill the calamari mantles (bodies). This can either be done with a teaspoon or by hand but be very gentle and do not overfill the cavities. You don't want them to burst during cooking. Use a toothpick/cocktail stick to seal each package as shown in the image above before sitting them gently in the simmering tomato sauce and covering the pan to simmer for 5 minutes.

Lift the calamari from the sauce with a slotted spoon to a small plate or saucer and carefully twist and gently pull the sticks to remove. plate the sauce in a deep serving plate before sitting the calamari on top and garnishing with the chopped parsley to serve.

Tuna Shish Kebabs with Sweet Potato Fritters

2026-05-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

Tuna shish kebabs with sweet potato fritters

Well, it's been a while! Life has taken a number of unexpected twists and turns for me over the past few years (some good/some bad) and I have had to focus my attentions on matters other than this long established project. I'm pleased to say that now I have managed to organise my life to an extent that I can revisit this blog on a regular basis and hopefully once again share with you tasty, healthy and moderately straightforward recipe ideas that you may wish to try for dinner tonight or any night. So let's take up where we left off a while back with this ultra tasty and healthy idea for tuna loin shish kebabs.

A shish kebab by definition is quite simply cubed bits of meat, threaded on to a skewer and cooked by grilling. While the meat from this originally Mediterranean dish would most often be lamb, goat, or perhaps even beef, there is nothing to stop us using moderately firm fleshed fish such as tuna.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: 1 large or 2 medium servings

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander (cilantro)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons plain (all purpose) flour
4 ounce (110g) tuna loin fillet, chopped into 8 equal sized chunks
1/2 courgette (zucchini), seeded and chopped to 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped to 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces
Vegetable oil for deep frying and oiling kebabs
2 tablespoons soured cream
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon chopped chives

Preparing sweet potato fritters batter

Method

Put 2 wooden skewers into a basin of cold water to soak for 10 minutes. This will prevent them burning during grilling.

When you are grating the sweet potato, do so into the centre of a clean tea towel or similar. Gather up the edges of the tea towel and squeeze hard over your sink to remove as much of the liquid from the sweet potato as possible. This is essential - do not ignore this step or your fritters will not come together properly.

Put the sweet potato into a large bowl. Add the beaten egg, coriander and flour. Season with salt and pepper and stir very well until a thick batter is formed.

Fill a deep frying pan with oil to a depth of about 2 inches (5cm) and bring it up to a medium to high heat. You could use a deep fryer if desired. The oil is hot enough when a little water splashed into it it spits noisily.

Put your kitchen grill (broiler) on to preheat to its highest setting.

Starting to fry sweet potato fritters

Use one or two dessert spoons to quenelle the sweet potato batter before carefully depositing in the hot oil. This much batter should make around 5 or 6 fritters. Adjust the heat under the pan if necessary to maintain a steady fry and turn the fritters carefully ever minute or so.

Tuna shish kebabs ready for grilling

As soon as the fritters are on to cook, thread the tuna chunks, courgette and bell pepper alternately on to the soaked wooden skewers. Lay them on some lightly oiled foil on a grilling tray and use a pastry brush to oil the tops of the kebabs. Grill for 3 minutes each side until done. Be very careful not to overcook the tuna!

Pour the soured cream into a small bowl. Add the grated garlic and most of the chives, reserving some of the chives to garnish. Stir well and transfer to a small ramekin for serving.

Draining sweet potato fritters

Lift the sweet potato fritters from the hot oil to a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain while you remove the kebabs to your serving plate.

Tuna shish kebabs with sweet potato fritters and dip

A fork is best used to slide the tuna and vegetables from the skewers. Plate the potato fritters and dip, garnishing the dip with the last of the chives at the last minute.

Scottish Tattie (Potato) Scone BLT's

2020-08-17T03:53:00.000-07:00

Scottish tattie scone BLT's

When you consider just how popular the BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich actually is around the world, it becomes almost incredible to think that it is nearly always prepared and served up almost exactly the same way. A couple of leaves of (often limp) lettuce, topped with bacon and a couple of slices of tomato, all contained in a burger bun or similar bread roll. This is a great shame, as like so many other simple food concepts, it is very easy to vary it in an almost infinite number of ways to make it all the more exciting and tasty, while still remaining absolutely true to the core concept. This simple but delectable creation adds a Scottish tattie (potato) scone to the basic ingredients list, as well as introducing a spicy little twist to the preparation of the lettuce component. If you can't get (or make!) tattie scones, Irish potato farls are very similar.

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ready in: 15 min
Yields: 2 BLT's

Ingredients

4 British back bacon rashers (or 6 to 8 strips American bacon)
Vegetable oil for frying
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons tomato ketchup
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon hot chilli powder
Salt and black pepper
4 medium green lettuce leaves
1/4 small white onion
2 tattie scones
2 soft bread rolls
1 medium tomato
2 or 3 large basil leaves

Frying bacon rashers

Directions

Pour a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in to a large, non-stick frying pan and put the bacon on to fry for a couple of minutes or so each side over a medium heat until cooked as you like it.

Preparing spicy sauce for lettuce and onion

When the bacon is in the pan, combine the yoghurt, ketchup, chilli powder, mint and some salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Make sure it is well mixed together.

Lettuce and onion are added to spicy sauce

Wash the lettuce leaves, shake dry, roll and shred. Moderately finely dice the peeled onion quarter. Add the lettuce and onion to the spicy sauce and gently stir fold it through to ensure even coating.

Put your kitchen grill (broiler) on to preheat to its highest setting.

Frying tattie scones

When the bacon is ready, lift it to a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain and fry the tattie scones for a minute each side in the same pan in the bacon fat.

Cut the rolls open and toast lightly on the cut sides under the grill/broiler.

Wash the tomato, dry and finely slice.

Spicy lettuce and onion is spooned on to roll bases

Lay the roll halves on a plate, cut sides up. Put a generous spoonful of the spicy lettuce and onion mix on the bottom half of each roll (you probably won't need the whole lot but it will keep in the fridge for a few hours).

Tattie scones are laid on spicy lettuce and onion

Take the tattie scones from the frying pan, lay them briefly on some kitchen paper to remove the excess grease and lay one on top of each lettuce bed.

Bacon rashers are laid on top of tattie scones

Place 2 bacon rashers carefully on top of each tattie scone.

Scottish tattie scone BLT's are closed over and ready to serve

Lay 2 or 3 slices of tomato on top of the bacon on each roll. Roll and shred the basil leaves before scattering over the tomato. Close the rolls over to serve.

This is but one of the endless ways in which it is possible to "spice up" the simple combination that is the BLT. Why not use your imagination to experiment a bit and see what variations on the theme you can come up with?

Easy Roast Chicken and Potatoes

2020-08-08T04:14:00.001-07:00

Roast chicken, roast potatoes and broccoli

Recently, I shared on this blog details of an Indian rogan josh spatchcock chicken served with turmeric and red onion rice recipe. It was mentioned to me by someone that they loved the idea of preparing a chicken in this way but without the spicy influences. For this reason, today I'm sharing a simple, straightforward recipe for roasted spatchcock chicken served with potatoes roasted in the chicken juices.

Potatoes are parboiled prior to being roasted

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 2 hours 20 min

Ready in: 2 hours 30 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Baby new potatoes as required
Salt
1 medium chicken
Black pepper
Vegetable oil
1 medium head of broccoli

Chicken is spatchcocked by removing the backbone

Directions

Wash the potatoes and cut them in half but leave them unpeeled. Put them in to a pot of cold, salted water and simmer for about 15 minutes until just partly cooked. Drain and set aside to steam off, dry out and cool down. Cover until required.

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Sit the chicken broad end down on a chopping board and carefully cut down either side of the backbone with a cleaver or very sharp and robust knife. Remove the bone and discard. Weigh the bird to establish cooking time of 20 minutes per pound and 20 minutes over.

Chicken fully prepared for oven roasting

Lightly oil a deep roasting tray. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on the flesh side and lay on the tray flesh side down. Season the top of the bird liberally with salt only and place the tray in to the oven for the allotted cooking period. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.

Spatchcock roast chicken must be left to rest

Take the chicken from the oven (but don't turn the oven off) and pierce the thickest part of each thigh with a skewer to ensure the juices run clear. If not, cook for 10 more minutes before testing again. Carefully lift to a large plate, cover with foil and leave to rest.

Pour another 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil in to the hot tray and add the cooled potatoes. Turn them around carefully in the oil and roast for 20 minutes, stirring carefully again half way through.

Chop the broccoli in to even sized florets and add to a pot of simmering, salted water for 5 minutes.

Roast potatoes are drained on kitchen paper

Take the potatoes from the oven and lift to a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain. Cut the legs from the chicken and slice off the breast fillets. Drain the broccoli and serve a leg portion and breast portion of the chicken along with half the potatoes and half the broccoli per person.

Rogan Josh Roast Chicken with Rice

2020-05-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

Rogan josh roast chicken with spicy turmeric and onion rice

Roast chicken is a hugely popular dish worldwide and perhaps even the most favourite meal of millions. While simplicity is often the best option in cooking, it is possible to spice up the simple roast chicken in many different ways to give it a little edge or even a twist of variety. This is one such method which sees the spatchcocked chicken liberally coated with rogan josh cooking sauce before it is roasted to perfection in the oven and served with tasty turmeric and onion rice.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus marinating time for chicken)
Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes (approximately, depending upon size of chicken)
Ready in: 2 hours 45 minutes (plus marinating time for chicken)
Serves: 2 large portions with chicken leftovers

Ingredients

1 large whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds)
1 pound jar of rogan josh cooking sauce
Vegetable oil for greasing roasting tray
Salt
6 ounces brown rice (or as desired)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander leaf/cilantro
1/4 small red onion
Black pepper

Skin is firstly loosened on whole chicken

Instructions

Spoon 1/3 of the rogan josh cooking sauce in to a small bowl, cover and set aside for later use. Pour a little vegetable oil in to what will be your cooking tray and use some scrunched up kitchen paper to spread it around to create a thin film coating.

Make sure you know the weight of your chicken, weighing it if necessary. It is easiest if you loosen the skin on the chicken before you start the spatchcock process. Take your time doing this if you have never done it before as it is vitally important not to tear the skin. For this reason, make sure your fingernails are very well trimmed when undertaking this task. Simply start at the neck end of the breasts and carefully slide your flattened hand under the skin, gently easing it firstly free of the breasts then the upper thighs and legs. The skin should appear loose when you are finished but still largely and very much in place.

Backbone is cut from whole chicken

Sit the chicken upright on its beam end on a chopping board, breasts facing away from you. Take a Chinese cleaver or extremely robust and sharp chef's knife and cut down either side of the back bone (it is about an inch wide). Remove the backbone and discard, before opening up the chicken and laying it flat on your chopping board.

Rogan josh sauce is liberally spread over opened chicken cavity

Spoon half the remaining rogan josh sauce (1/3 of the jar) over the opened up chicken cavity area and smooth it over the entire surface. Wipe your hands and lift the chicken on to the roasting tray, breasts side up.

Rogan josh chicken is ready for oven roasting

Lift the skin at the neck end of the chicken and spoon in the remaining rogan josh sauce, using either a flat spoon or your hand again to gently and evenly ease it all the way back over the breasts, the upper thighs and as much of the legs as you can easily reach. Cover the chicken with some foil and leave to marinate at room temperature for at least a couple of hours (longer is better).

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6 and season the chicken skin all over with salt. This will help it to crisp up during cooking. When the oven is heated, cook the chicken for 20 minutes per pound and 20 minutes over.

Rogan josh roast chicken is removed from the oven

Take the chicken from the oven and stick a skewer in to the thickest part of the thigh. The juices should run clear, with no traces of blood. If not, cook for 15 more minutes and test again. If all is OK, set it aside for 30 minutes to rest.

Wash the rice through a sieve under running cold water. Bring a large pot of water, seasoned with plenty salt and the ground turmeric to a rolling boil. Add the rice, stir well and bring back to a modest simmer for 20 minutes (or per the pack instructions), stirring occasionally. Drain well at your sink through the sieve and leave for a few minutes to steam off and dry out.

Cut the leg portions from the chicken and cut each in half to separate the drumsticks from the thighs. Pop the wings free from the main body of the bird. Carefully slice the two breast fillets free from the body and set the carcass, wings and drumsticks aside for later picking/consumption, refrigerating when cool. Lay each breast fillet flat on the chopping board and slice across the way in to 3 or 4 pieces.

Pour the reserved rogan josh sauce in to a small saucepan and heat on a low setting, stirring occasionally, until simmering hot.

Onion and coriander are added to turmeric rice

Return the rice to the empty pot. Slice the onion as thinly as you can and separate in to strands before adding to the rice along with the chopped coriander (cilantro) and some black pepper. Stir to combine. Divide between two serving plates and lay a chicken thigh and breast portions alongside each rice bed. Spoon the heated sauce over the breast meat to serve.

Rogan josh roast chicken portions are plated with turmeric rice

Roast Chicken Thighs with Chilli Sauce

2020-05-12T05:09:00.001-07:00

Roast chicken thighs served on a bed of spicy spinach sauce

It is probably more commonly lunch which is comprised of fridge leftovers but this dinner recipe was devised using principal ingredients which all constituted leftover but uncooked items in my fridge. It's amazing what you can often come up with using such items if you just put a little bit of thought and imagination in to it.

Prep time: 25 minutes (includes oven heating time and chicken resting time)
Cook time: 40 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 5 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients

2 medium to large chicken thighs (skin on)
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
3/4 medium red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
3 plum tomatoes in tomato juice (1/2 of a 14 ounce can)
2 generous handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander leaf/cilantro

Oven ready chicken thighs

Instructions

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.

Season the chicken thighs on the underside with salt and pepper and lay them skin sides up in a suitable casserole dish. Season the skin liberally with salt only. This well help it crisp up and colour during cooking. When the oven is heated, place the dish (without the lid!) in to the oven for 35/40 minutes.

Onion, garlic and chilli powder ready for sauteing

Pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in to a large saucepan. Slice the onion, peel and finely slice the garlic cloves and add them to the pan with the chilli powder. Put the pan on to a medium heat and saute for a few minutes until the onion is just softened.

Plum tomatoes are added to spiced onions

Pour the tomatoes in to the softened spiced onions and season with salt and pepper. Stir well with a wooden spoon, using the spoon to break up the tomatoes as much as you can. Bring to a simmer for an initial 10 minutes.

Spinach is added to spicy tomato sauce

Wash the spinach leaves under running cold water and shake dry. Add them to the spicy sauce and carefully stir/fold them through. They will quickly wilt and combine with the sauce. Cover and continue to simmer gently while the chicken thighs complete cooking, stirring occasionally.

Coriander is added to spinach sauce

Just before the chicken thighs are due to come out of the oven, stir the coriander leaf in to the sauce, simmer for another couple of minutes only, then remove from the heat and set aside, still covered, to cool slightly and for the flavours of the herb to infuse in to the sauce.

Roast chicken thighs

Take the chicken thighs from the oven and pierce with a fork to ensure the juices run clear. If not, cook for 5 more minutes and test again. If they are ready, cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Spicy spinach sauce bed for chicken thighs

Spoon the sauce in to the middle of a deep serving plate and spread it out to form a bed for the rested chicken thighs.

Seared Swordfish Steak with Spicy Veg

2020-05-10T01:41:00.001-07:00

Seared swordfish steak is served on a bed of spicy stir fried potatoes and peppers

Swordfish is something that is becoming more popular in our supermarkets in recent times. It is very similar to tuna in many ways and should largely be cooked in the same way. That means that, above all, it must not be overcooked or it will be dry, tasteless and extremely unappetising. This recipe sees the swordfish loin fillet steak seared in a very hot pan, leaving it nice and pink in the middle, before it is served as part of a very tasty dinner indeed with stir fried peppers and potatoes.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ready in: 35 min
Serves: 1 person

Ingredients

Peppers and garlic ready for stir frying

1 baking type and size potato
Salt
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 large red chilli pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika/pimenton
Black pepper
Vegetable oil
6 ounce swordfish loin steak

Directions

Stir frying seasoned peppers and garlic

Wash the potato but don't peel it and chop it in to 1 inch chunks. Put the chunks in to a pot of cold, salted water and bring the water up to a simmer for about twenty minutes or until the potato pieces are just softened. Drain through a colander at your sink and briefly set aside to steam off, dry out and partly cool.

Seed the bell pepper halves and chop in to 1/4 inch strips. Cut off and discard the chilli top before slicing thinly in to discs. Peel and thiny slice the garlic cloves.

Bring a couple of tablespoons of oil up to a high heat in a small, non-stick frying pan and fry the peepers and garlic for two or three minutes, seasoned with salt, pepper and the smoked paprika/pimenton.

Swordfish steak is laid in hot frying pan

Add some oil to a similar pan and bring it up to a very high heat. Season the swordfish steak on both sides with salt and pepper and lay it in the pan to fry for around one and a half minutes on its first side.

Boiled potatoes are added to stir fried peppers

Add the potatoes to the pan with the peppers and continue to stir fry.

Swordfish is turned in the pan to fry on second side

Turn the swordfish steak to fry for a similar length of time on its second side.

Stir fried veg bed for swordfish

Use a slotted spoon to lay the peppers and potatoes in the base of a deep serving plate before laying the swordfish fillet on top.

Enjoying seared swordfish with stir fried veg

Roast Duck Breast with Spicy Peppers

2020-05-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

Roasted and sliced duck breast on spicy peppers bed with turmeric boiled potatoes

This is a very simple dish and incredibly tasty as it sees the peppers stir fried in the roasting juices of the duck breast before they are served with turmeric and tarragon buttered potatoes. It can very easily be made in larger quantities, without requiring the use of extra pots and pans.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes
Serves: 1 person

Ingredients

Bell pepper halves and chilli pepper

7 or 8 baby potatoes, as desired
Salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium duck breast fillet (skin on)
Black pepper
1/2 each of red, green and yellow bell peppers
1 large red chilli pepper
1/2 small white onion
Butter
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Directions

Turmeric and salt seasoned potatoes

Start by putting your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.

Wash but don't peel the potatoes and cut each one in half. Add to a pot with the ground turmeric and some salt. Pour in enough cold water to ensure the potatoes are comfortably covered and put the pot on a high heat until the water starts to boil. Reduce the heat to achieve a gentle to moderate simmer for twenty minutes.

Browning skin side of duck breast

Lay the duck breast flesh side down on a chopping board and use a very sharp knife to score through the skin but not in to the flesh in a criss-cross fashion. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Take an ovenproof frying pan or skillet (do make sure this is the case as it is absolutely vital) and lay the duck breast fillet in to the cold pan, skin side down. Put the pan on to a low heat until you can see the fat starting to escape the duck. Only at this point should you increase the heat to high and fry the duck in this way for two further minutes. Turn the duck over and fry for two minutes on the flesh side, simply to seal.

Duck breast ready for the oven

When the duck breast is sealed, place the pan in to your hot oven for ten minutes.

Butter and tarragon are added to turmeric potatoes

Drain the potatoes through a colander at your sink and return them to the empty pot. Allow them to steam off and dry out for a couple of minutes before adding a little bit of butter and the dried tarragon. Swirl the pot slowly and gently to evenly coat all the potatoes.

Roasted duck breast is allowed to rest

Remember to wear an ovenproof glove as you take the pan from the oven and lift the duck breast with a spatula to a small plate to rest. Sit the pan back on the hob and turn on the heat.

Peppers and onion are stir fried in duck fat

Seed and slice the bell pepper halves to around a quarter inch thickness. Cut the top off the chilli and discard before slicing it in to thin discs. Lay the peeled onion half flat on a chopping board and slice across the way that each slice can then be separated in to strands. Add the lot to the frying pan with the duck fat, season with some salt and black pepper, turn up the heat and stir fry for two minutes - remembering that the pan handle will still be hot!

Arrange the potatoes on either side of a square serving plate before carefully slicing the duck breast across the way in to 5 or 6 pieces and laying them on top of the peppers.

Stir fried peppers and turmeric potatoes are arranged on serving plate

Chicken Schnitzel with Mustard Mash

2020-05-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Chicken schnitzel served on a bed of mustard mash with peas

The world in which we live is now sadly a very different place to what it was when I unfortunately got out of the habit of posting to this blog what is incredibly now more than one year ago. The sudden arrival of the coronavirus that leads to the onset of Covid-19 has now not only caused a catastrophic number of deaths around the globe, it has led to monumental lifestyle changes for our planet's population, destined to last to one extent or another for what is likely to be a very long time. Just one of the many effects of these lifestyle changes is that many people are now having to cook family meals at home on a regular basis where they rarely if ever did so back in normal times. For principally this reason among others, I decided that it may be a good idea to revive the blog to help many more people wondering just what they can have for dinner on any given night of the week.

I am starting off with a tasty but fairly simple and straightforward recipe for chicken schnitzel (as opposed to the more popular veal or turkey) which can be made in almost any home setting with a minimum of utensils and ingredients.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes
Serves: 1 adult portion

Ingredients

2 medium sized baking type potatoes (floury/starchy)
Salt
1 fairly large, skinless chicken breast fillet
Black pepper
2 tablespoons plain/all purpose flour
1 egg
3 tablespoons golden breadcrumbs
2 or 3 tablespoons vegetable/sunflower oil for frying
1 cup frozen garden peas
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard (or mustard of choice)
Malt vinegar

Instructions

Start by peeling the potatoes and chopping them to around one and a half inch chunks. Add them to a pot of cold, lightly salted water and put the pot on to a high heat until the water starts to boil. At this stage, reduce the heat to achieve a moderate simmer for about twenty minutes or until the potatoes are just softened.

Stretch come clingfilm over a chopping board and lay the chicken fillet in the centre. Season with a little salt and pepper and stretch a similarly sized sheet over the top. Use a rolling pin or similar to gently pound the chicken to a thickness of around a quarter inch. Do remember that it is not a tough piece of steak and too much pressure will cause it to break apart and be ruined for your purpose.

Chicken breast is flattened between two sheets of clingfilm

Scatter the flour over one small plate and the breadcrumbs over another. Break the egg in to a flat bottomed bowl and beat lightly with a fork until the white and yolk are combined. Pat the chicken fillet firstly in the flour on both sides before dipping it in the egg (making sure it is fully coated) and patting it on both sides in the breadcrumbs.

Chicken fillet is breadcrumbed for frying

When the potatoes have been simmering for about ten minutes, pour some cooking oil in to a small, non-stick frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Lay the breaded chicken in the pan and fry for five to seven minutes each side until cooked.

Breaded chicken fillet is added to hot frying pan

When the potatoes are softened, drain them through a colander at your sink then return them to the empty pot and allow them to steam off for a few minutes to dry out while you bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the peas to simmer for three minutes. Mash the potatoes with a hand-masher and stir the mustard through the mash with a spoon.

Wholegrain mustard is added to mashed potato

Drain the peas through a colander and season in the colander with salt, pepper and malt vinegar. This allows you to shake the colander gently to evenly disperse the seasonings.

Peas are seasoned after being drained

Spoon the mustard mash in to the centre of a deep serving plate and spoon the peas around it before laying the chicken schnitzel on top for service.

Peas are arranged around mustard mash bed

Thank you for reading today's recipe and I hope you like it enough to give it a try. I hope you do stay well and manage to return to read more ideas for dinner at home - for one or for the family - in the very near future.

Easy Beef and Spinach Curry

2018-11-12T06:26:00.002-08:00

Beef and spinach curry is served with turmeric mash

Curry is a dish which very often contains a great many different ingredients, including a lengthy list of various spices. This can make it fairly expensive to prepare, particularly when you have to buy a supply of all the spices at the same time. This recipe is nice and simple in that it has a limited number of ingredients and by using minced/ground beef, the often lengthy cooking time is also reduced. It also prominently features spinach, a popular ingredient in Indian cooking but often much maligned in the West.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 pound minced/ground beef
1 medium white onion
2 medium garlic cloves
1 tablespoon medium hot curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
2 large (14 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 yellow bell pepper
2 large, medium strength red chillies
4 to 6 generous handfuls baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander leaf (cilantro), plus extra to garnish

Curry is of course traditionally served with rice or perhaps a type of Indian flat bread. In this instance and just to be a little bit different, turmeric mashed potato was served instead. To make this mash for four people, you will need:

6 large baking potatoes
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
Salt
Butter
2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander/cilantro

Directions

Pour the vegetable oil in to a large pot. Peel the onion, cut it in half down through the core and lay each half flat before moderately finely slicing. Peel and finely slice the garlic cloves. Put the pot on to a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, curry powder and garam masala. Saute for two or three minutes, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, until the onion is softened.

Onion, garlic and spices

Add the beef to the pot and saute as before for a further two or three minutes until the beef is evenly browned.

Beef is stirred through softened spiced onion

Pour the tomatoes in to the pot, season with salt and pepper and stir well. Turn the heat up until the liquid in the pot starts to simmer then adjust the heat to maintain this gentle simmer.

Canned tomatoes are added to spiced beef

Seed and slice the bell pepper to a thickness of around half an inch. Top the chillies and slice fairly finely in to discs. Add both ingredients to the pot, stir well and bring back to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally and making sure the liquid level isn't getting too low. In the very unlikely event of this happening, add a little boiling water from your kettle as required.

Sliced peppers are added to curry

Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and carefully stir them in to the part cooked curry. Bring back up to a simmer and continue to cook as before while you cook the potatoes.

Baby spinach leaves are added to simmering curry combination

Peel the potatoes and cut to around one and a half inch chunks (photo below shows enough potatoes to serve one person only). Add to a very large pot and season with the turmeric and some salt. Pour in plenty of cold water and bring to a simmer for about twenty minutes.

Turmeric and salt are added to peeled and chopped potatoes

When the potatoes are almost ready, stir the chopped coriander in to the curry and simmer for a few more minutes.

Corainder is added to curry at the last minute

Drain the potatoes through a metal sieve or colander (the turmeric will tend to stain a plastic one) and allow to steam off for two or three minutes. Add about two ounces (half a stick) of unsalted butter and mash with a hand masher before stirring in the chopped coriander.

Corainader is added to mashed and spiced potato

Divide the potatoes between the serving plates and spoon the curry alongside. Garnish with the last of the coriander to serve.

Curry and spicy mash are plated

Spicy Cheese Melt Baked Chicken Thighs

2018-11-05T05:38:00.002-08:00

Spicy cheese topped baked chicken thighs with minted potatoes and peas

Chicken thighs, when cooked properly, are by far the most succulent part of the bird. One way of cooking them to all but ensure they are served at their juicy and tender best is to bake them in the oven (as opposed to roasting them) on the bone and in a casserole dish. The dish traps the moisture and thus to a certain extent the flavour, leaving the rested thighs moist, soft and delicious. This recipe cooks the chicken thighs in just this way before adding that little bit extra something in the form of a spicy cheese melt on top of the rested meat.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

2 medium chicken thighs (bone in)
Drizzle of vegetable oil
Hot chilli powder (be careful with amount used)
Salt and pepper
6 to 8 baby new potatoes (or as required)
2 ounces Cheddar or similar hard cheese
1/4 small red onion
1 red chilli
Bit of butter
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
3 tablespoons frozen peas
Malt vinegar (optional)

Seasoned chicken thighs are ready for baking

Directions

If the chicken thighs have been in the fridge, make sure you remove them around half an hour prior to starting cooking to let them come up to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Drizzle a little oil in to a casserole dish large enough to comfortably contain both chicken thighs and wipe it over the base with a piece of kitchen paper. This is just to minimise the risk of the thighs sticking. Peel the skin from the thighs and discard. Season the thighs all over with some salt, pepper and the chilli powder before laying them fleshiest sides up in the casserole dish. Put the lid on to the dish and place it in to your oven for thirty to thirty-five minutes, depending upon the size of the thighs.

When the thighs have been in the oven for about fifteen minutes, wash the potatoes and if they are a little on the large side, cut them in half. Put them in to a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a simmer for about twenty minutes or until just softened all the way through.

Baked chicken thighs

Take the casserole dish from the oven at the end of the allotted cooking time, sit it on a heatproof surface and carefully remove the lid. Use a skewer to pierce the thickest part of each thigh and ensure the juices run clear, with no trace of red or pink remaining. If necessary, cook for five more minutes and test again. Put the lid back in place and set aside for ten minutes to rest.

Spicy cheese topping ingredients

Coarsely grate/shred the cheese in to a deep plate or small bowl. Finely dice the peeled red onion quarter and add it to the cheese along with the topped, seeded (seeds are not nice in the topping) and finely diced chilli. Season with some black pepper and still well to combine. Put your kitchen grill/broiler on to preheat to its highest setting.

Buttered and minted potatoes

Drain the potatoes through a colander at your sink and allow them to steam off for a couple of minutes to dry out. Add the butter and dried mint. Carefully swirl the pot to evenly coat.

Spicy cheese is scattered over baked and rested thighs

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the frozen peas to simmer for three minutes.

Remove the lid once again from the casserole and carefully top the chicken thighs with the cheese combination. Place the dish under the hot grill for a couple of minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Drained peas are seasoned in colander

Drain the peas through a colander and suspend the colander back over the pot before seasoning the peas with salt, black pepper and - if desired - malt vinegar. Gently shake the colander to evenly distribute the seasonings.

Lift the chicken thighs to a serving plate with a slotted spoon. Arrange the potatoes and peas alongside.

Cutting in to spicy cheese topped chicken thigh

Lambs Liver and Beans in Spicy Sauce

2018-11-03T03:17:00.000-07:00

Lambs liver is served on a bed of beans in spicy tomato sauce

Lambs liver truly is a delicious eating experience, provided it is cooked properly. If cooked too long or inappropriately, it will be tough and horrible but when done as cooked below, it is both tasty and tender. Given that it is generally incredibly inexpensive to buy and is particularly nutritious - especially in its iron content - what more reason to you need to give this recipe a try?

Ingredients (Serves 1)

2 or 3 smallish slices of lambs liver
1/2 small red onion
1 large garlic clove
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
Small (8 ounce) can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 small green chilli
1/2 teaspoon dried coriander leaf (cilantro)
Salt and pepper
Smoked paprika
Small (8 ounce) can red kidney beans in water
Vegetable oil for frying liver

Onion and garlic are firstly gently sauteed

Directions

Pour the olive oil in to a small saucepan and put the pan on to a gentle heat. Peel the onion half and slice across the way. Peel the garlic clove and finely dice. Add the onion and the garlic to the oil and saute for a few minutes until the onion is softened.

Tomatoes and seasonings are added to saucepan

Pour the tomatoes in to the saucepan and add the topped and finely diced green chilli, the dried coriander (cilantro) and seasonings in the form of salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and leave to gently bubble away while you attend to the lambs liver.

Steeped lambs liver is patted dry

There is a theory that liver should always be steeped in either water or milk before it is cooked to both remove the excess blood and help tenderise it for the pan. In all honesty, sometimes I steep it and sometimes I don't, depending upon not only the time I have available but also upon how I am preparing it and with what I am serving it. In this particular instance, I did steep it for about ten minutes in cold water before lifting it carefully from the bowl and patting it dry very gently between several sheets of kitchen paper.

Lambs liver is carefully seasoned

Before the liver is cooked, it was seasoned on both sides with salt, black pepper and a generous sprinkling of smoked paprika, though medium to hot chilli powder would work equally well in this dish.

Kidney beans are added to tomato sauce

When the liver is pan ready, drain the kidney beans and wash them through a colander under running cold water to get rid of the horrible, gungy canning impurities. Add them to the sauce, stir well and leave them to heat through only while you cook the liver.

Lambs liver is added to frying pan

Gently heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and lay in the liver slices. Cook for about three minutes each side until done (the blood no longer runs out of them when pierced). Spoon the beans in to a deep serving plate and spread out before serving the liver slices on top.

Beans in tomato sauce are plated as bed for liver

Hot and Spicy Wings, Onions and Potatoes

2018-10-15T07:54:00.002-07:00

Hot and spicy wings, onions and potatoes

Who doesn't love chicken wings? They are tasty, succulent, satisfying, fun to eat - in fact, they tick all the important boxes and more when we are looking for something for dinner. If there is one downfall many people have, however, when it comes to particularly cooking wings at home, it is a failure to realise just how incredibly versatile they are as well as enjoyable. Do you maybe only eat them from your favourite fast food restaurant, always prepared in the same fashion? Do you cook them at home but always use the same spices and accompaniments? This is just one very straightforward idea to take wings out of any established comfort zone and hopefully and ideally get you thinking of other ways in which you can flavour and prepare these special treats.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

12 chicken wings
3 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon medium hot chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Salt
White pepper
8 baby potatoes
1 medium red onion
1 large green chilli
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaf (cilantro), plus extra to garnish

Directions

If you have the time, you could prepare the spiced oil and marinate the chicken wings for longer than in this recipe but that is not absolutely essential.

Wash the potatoes and cut them in half, unpeeled. Add them to a pot of cold, slightly salted water and bring to a simmer for about twenty minutes or so until cooked. Drain, allow to steam off for a few minutes then cover and leave to cool completely (around half an hour should be sufficient). This is quite important as if you assemble the dish for roasting when the potatoes are still hot, they will tend to absorb some of the oil rather than roast in it.

Potatoes are firstly boiled before being roasted

When the potatoes are on to cook, measure out the oil in to a large glass or stone bowl. Add the curry powder, chilli powder and garaam masala and season well with salt and white pepper.

Spices and seasonings are added to oil

Take a wooden spoon and mix the spices and seasonings in to the oil to form a lump free light paste.

Spices are stirred in to the oil

Cut off and discard the tips from the chicken wings if they are still present. Cut the main body of each wing in half at the natural joint. Add them all to the oil and carefully stir fold them around to evenly coat. Cover with clingfilm and set aside to marinade while the potatoes are cooking and cooling.

Wings are stirred through spiced oil

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Empty the chicken wings in to a large, deep, ovenproof dish, being sure to include as much of the seasoned oil as possible. Add the potatoes. Peel the onion, cut it in half down through the core then lay each half flat and slice to around a quarter inch. Separate each slice in to strands before adding to the wings and potatoes. Top the chilli before slicing thinly in to discs and also adding to the cooking vessel.

Wings, potatoes and onion are added to baking dish

You can try to combine everything using a spoon but this can lead to spillage and take quite some time. The best and quickest way by far to combine everything well is to use your hands. Be sure to wash them especially well afterwards due to handling the chilli.

Combined wings, potatoes and onion are ready for the oven

Place the dish in to your oven for a total of forty minutes, removing it to stir briefly (with a spoon this time!) half way through cooking.

Wings and accompaniments are stirred half way through cooking

When the wings are ready, scatter with the chopped coriander/cilantro and carefully stir it through.

Coriander is added to roasted wings

Set the dish aside for ten minutes uncovered to let the wings rest. Garnish with the last of the coriander immediately before serving as a sharing platter for two.

Coriander is carefully stirred through wings, onion and poratoes

Spicy Spanish Tortilla with Mixed Veg

2018-10-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Spicy Spanish tortilla half with mangetout and stem broccoli

A Spanish tortilla is simply a thick omelette, traditionally made to include onion and potato. It is nothing to do with the crisp like tortilla chips sold in foil bags in supermarkets. They are usually an inch or more thick and are cut in to wedges (like pizza) to serve, either hot or cold. I've made this one a little bit thinner to suit my purpose at the time. This recipe also sees the addition of some dried basil and smoked paprika to give the dish a little bit of extra herb and spice flavour but both are optional. It can be served with your veg of choice but the mangetout and tender stem broccoli served in this instance came conveniently together in a pack from the supermarket and were super quick and easy to cook.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

7 or 8 baby new potatoes
Salt
3 large eggs
White pepper
Generous pinch dried basil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Olive oil
1 medium red onion
Handful mangetout
Handful tender stem broccoli stalks

Directions

Wash the potatoes but leave them unpeeled then cut them in half. Add the pieces to a pot of cold salted water and bring the water to a simmer for about twenty minutes or until the potatoes are just cooked. Drain and set aside to steam off while you prepare the eggs and fry the onion. Note that it's not necessary for the potatoes to cool but letting them steam off and lose the extra moisture is essential. Alternatively, you could cook them in advance and store them in the fridge overnight to save time on the night you are eating. They would have to be fried a little longer at a later stage in this recipe in that case to heat them through.

Boiling halved baby new potatoes

Break the eggs in to a bowl and season with some salt, white pepper, the basil and the smoked paprika. Beat with a fork or small hand whisk until just combined.

Put your kitchen grill (broiler) on to preheat to its highest setting.

Eggs and seasonings for tortilla

Peel the onion and cut it in half down through the core. Lay each half flat on your chopping board and slice to around a quarter inch. Pour two or three tablespoons of olive oil in to a large non-stick frying pan or skillet and bring it up to a medium heat. Add the onion and fry it off over a medium heat for two or three minutes until the strands are separated and just starting to soften.

Starting to fry onions

Add the potatoes to the pan and fry for a further minute or two to just slightly crisp the edges (remember to fry for an extra minute or two if the potatoes have been allowed to cool).

Potatoes are added to lightly fried onions

Ensure the potato and onion pieces are fairly evenly distributed around the pan before carefully pouring in the egg mixture.

Spicy egg mixture is poured over potatoes and onion

Wash the mangetout and stem broccoli before adding to a pan of salted boiling water. Simmer for three minutes before draining at your sink through a colander.

Mangetout and stem broccoli are added to boiling salted water

After a few minutes, you will see the egg is set almost all the way to the top. At this stage, put your pan under the hot grill for a minute or two to complete the setting of the eggs.

Tortilla is almost cooked and ready to go under the grill

When the pan comes out from under the grill, you will see that the eggs have risen slightly as well as set.

Spicy Spanish tortilla

Remember not to cut the tortilla in the pan with a metal knife or you will likely damage and ruin the pan. Either slide it on to a plate for cutting or cut with a plastic spatula. It should be soft enough to do this no problem. Lay half the tortilla on each of two serving plates before adding the drained vegetables.

Tortilla half is plated

Spicy Beef Conchiglie Pasta

2018-08-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

Conchiglie pasta in a spicy beef sauce with fresh Parmesan cheese

A dish simply described as pasta in a beef based tomato sauce will almost inevitably have most people thinking of spag bol. While this is entirely understandable, it is a great shame as there are so many different types of pasta out there and so many ways in which a beef based tomato sauce can be adapted to incorporate a whole range of different flavours. This conchiglie pasta in spicy beef sauce is just one simple example of this adaptation.

Beef is added to a pot and seasoned

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1/2 pound minced/ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil
Salt and black pepper
1/2 medium sized red onion
1/4 each of red, green and yellow bell peppers
1 large garlic clove
14 ounce can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Splash of Tabasco sauce (optional)
2 coffee mugs of dried conchiglie pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

Beef is carefully browned over a medium heat

Directions

Pour a little vegetable or sunflower oil in to a large pot, just to start the beef off before the fat starts melting. Add the beef and put the pot on to a low to medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to break the beef up and stir it around. As the fat is slowly released, the heat can be increased until all the beef is evenly browned.

Onion, peppers and garlic are added to browned beef

Slice the onion half thinly and add it to the beef along with the seeded and diced peppers. Peel the garlic clove and finely dice before also adding this to the pot. Stir around for a couple of minutes over a low to medium heat, just until the onion is starting to soften and glisten.

Tomatoes and spice are added to browned beef and vegetables

Pour the tomatoes in to the pot and add the smoked paprika. If using the Tabasco sauce, add a few drops at this stage but do be careful - it is potent and powerful stuff!

Spicy beef sauce is brought to a gentle simmer

Stir the tomatoes and spices in to the sauce and bring to a very gentle simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Cooked and drained conchiglie pasta is added to spicy beef sauce

The pasta should be added to a large pot of heavily salted water to simmer for seven or eight minutes. It should then be drained and allowed to steam off and dry out. When the sauce is ready, tip the pasta in to the sauce pot.

Conchiglie pasta is carefully stirred through beef sauce

Use a wooden spoon to gently stir the pasta through the sauce before spooning the combination in to two serving plates and garnishing with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Conchiglie pasta in spicy beef sauce is plated

Lambs Liver with Twice Baked Potato

2018-08-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Lambs liver with minted twice potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts

Mint sauce is a well established accompaniment to lambs liver but this recipe takes the pairing of lamb and mint that one step further by also incorporating mint in the starch element of the dish in the form of a twice baked potato.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1 medium to large baking potato
Butter
Generous pinch dried mint
Salt
4 or 5 Chantenay carrots
4 or 5 Brussels sprouts
3 medium slices lambs liver
Black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Mint sauce

Potato is skewered for baking

Directions

Put your oven on to preheat to 220C/450F/Gas Mark 8.

Wash the potato well and dry with kitchen paper. Take a metal skewer and carefully insert it through the middle of the potato long ways as shown. The metal skewer conducts heat to the centre of the potato and makes for more even cooking. Pierce the potato several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during cooking.

Foil wrapped potato is ready for the oven

Wrap the potato carefully in tinfoil and twist the ends. Sit it on a baking tray and bake for one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes, depending upon the size of the potato, just so as it is cooked all the way through.

Halved baked potato

Take the potato from the oven but don't switch the oven off - you will need it for the second part of the cooking process. Protecting your hands with oven gloves, unwrap the potato and pull the skewer free. If the potato is cooked, the skewer should easily come out. Cut the potato in half length ways with a very sharp knife.

Flesh is scooped out of potato halves

A teaspoon is best used to scoop most of the flesh from each potato half and add it to a small mixing bowl. You want to leave to half shells around an even half inch thick. Add about one ounce (1/4 stick) of butter to the potato flesh along with the pinch of dried mint and some salt. Mix well to combine.

Buttered and seasoned filling is scooped back in to potato halves

Divide the potato flesh mix between the two skin cups and spread out evenly. Try to leave the top slightly uneven with peaks to let them crisp up as they cook. Return to the oven for twenty more minutes.

Chantenay carrots are put on to reach a boil

Wash and top the carrots and add them to a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a simmer for fifteen minutes.

Brussels sprouts are added to partly cooked carrots

When the carrots have been simmering for five minutes, add the washed and trimmed sprouts to simmer with them for the final ten minutes.

Seasoned lambs liver is added to heated frying pan

Carefully wash the liver and pat dry with clean kitchen paper. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Bring a little oil up to a medium heat in a non-stick frying pan and add the liver to fry for three or four minutes on their first side, depending upon thickness.

Liver is turned in frying pan to fry on second side

Turn the liver slices to fry for a similar length of time on their second sides.

Butter is added to drained sprouts and carrots

Drain the carrots and sprouts through a colander at your sink and return to the empty pot. Add a little butter and gently swirl the pot to ensure even cooking. Plate the meal components and finish off with a teaspoon or two of mint sauce on top of the lambs liver.

Liver, baked potato, carrots and sprouts are arranged on serving plate

Curried Baked Chicken and Pineapple

2018-01-31T06:24:00.000-08:00

Curried chicken breasts are baked with pineapple and served with turmeric spiced boiled potatoes

Chicken and pineapple is a very popular combination in many Asian dishes but it is perhaps more commonly combined as part of a stir fry rather than baked this way in the oven. The idea is a simple one however - with few ingredients and little work - and worked really well, with the chicken coming out of the oven super tender and delicious and the pineapple rings entirely holding their shape.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

2 chicken breast fillets
2 teaspoons medium hot curry powder
Salt and pepper
2 pineapple rings (canned in own juice)
7 or 8 baby new potatoes
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Curry powder and seasonings are added to chicken breast

Directions

Put the chicken breast fillets in to a casserole dish. Scatter over the curry powder and further season with salt and black pepper. Use your fingers to gently rub the seasonings over and in to the breasts, not forgetting the undersides. Cover and leave to dry marinate for a minimum half hour.

Pineapple rings are laid on marinated chicken breasts

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. When the oven is heated, take the lid from the casserole dish and lay a pineapple ring on top of each chicken fillet. Replace the lid and put the dish in to the oven for twenty-five minutes.

Turmeric and seasonings are added to baby potatoes

When the chicken has been in the oven for ten minutes, wash the potatoes, cut them in half and add them to a pot. Season with the turmeric and some salt and pepper. Pour enough water in to the pot that the potatoes are comfortably covered and bring to a simmer for twenty minutes.

When the chicken comes out of the oven, use a skewer to ensure the juices run clear then set aside to rest for ten minutes while the potatoes complete cooking. Drain the cooked potatoes through a colander or sieve at your sink and plate up the ingredients.

Curry breasts and pineapple are plated with potatoes

Homemade Pie, Mash and Mushy Peas

2018-01-21T12:21:00.001-08:00

Homemade beef and vegetable pie with mashed potatoes and mushy peas

Pie, mash and mushy peas is a classic British dish, often associated with the sadly now largely gone pie and mash houses of the East End of London. The concept varies slightly depending upon location and interpretation and in the previously referred to retail outlets, the pie and mash was (and in a small few places still is) often served with jellied eels and liquor. The pie in this instance was filled with shin beef and vegetable stew which must be firstly prepared and then left to cool before the pie can be assembled. It may be a good idea therefore to plan this dish in advance, make the stew one night, leave it to cool and refrigerate it overnight in preparation for making and serving the pie the following evening for dinner.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1/2 pound (225g) shin beef
2 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
Salt and black pepper
1 medium carrot
1 stick of celery
1/2 medium white onion
1 pint fresh beef stock
10 ounces (250g) puff pastry
Flour for rolling pastry
Butter
1 large egg
3 medium to large baking potatoes
14 ounce (400g) can of mushy peas*
Malt vinegar

*You can of course make the mushy peas yourself but I personally find steeping the dried peas and the whole process more trouble than it is generally worth and almost always go for the canned option

Diced shin beef ready for browning

Directions

It may be that you buy your beef already diced. If not, you want to chop it to around three-quarter inch (2cm) chunks. Pour the vegetable oil in to a large saucepan, add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Put the pan on to a medium heat and brown/seal the beef, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. This should take two to three minutes.

Vegetables are added to browned beef

Scrub, top, tail and dice moderately finely dice the carrot. Wash the celery stick, trim and chop to pieces around the same size as the carrot. Peel the onion half and slice fairly thinly. Add the prepared vegetables to the brown beef and stir well before pouring in the beef stock. Turn the heat up until the stock reaches a simmer then cover the pan and adjust the heat to achieve as gentle a simmer as possible for two to two and a half hours until the beef is super tender. Do check it every so often just to ensure the liquid level is not getting too low. In the unlikely event this should happen, simply add a little boiling water from your kettle.

Beef stew must be left to cool

When the beef stew is ready, it is imperative it be allowed to cool completely before the pies are assembled. If the stew is hot - or even warm - when it is added to the assembly, it will soak in to the pastry and the pies will collapse.

One third of the pastry is used to make the pie lid

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

The pies should be assembled one at a time, using 5 ounces (125g) pastry in each instance. Lay the first portion of pastry on a chopping board and cut one third of it to roll the lid with the remaining two-thirds to be used to form the base/body of the pie.

Pie dish is used as template for cutting lid

The small ceramic dishes used for assembling these pies are about 3 inches (7.5cm) in diameter and one inch (2.5cm) deep. It is important that you measure the diameter and depth as it will determine the size of the template required for cutting the pastry circle that forms the main body of each pie.

Start by rolling out the lid portion of pastry on a floured board to an approximate square just slightly larger than the upper diameter of the pie dish. The dish can then be used as a template to cut the lid for the pie.

Suitable larger utensil is used to cut pie base and body

You may have to rake through your kitchen cupboards/closets to find a suitable template for cutting the body portion of each pie. You want a circular item around one inch (2.5cm) larger in diameter than the sum of the diameter plus twice the depth of the pie dish.

Roll out the body portion of the pastry to a square just larger than the template you will be using then cut the circle from the pastry in the same way as before.

Pastry discs ready for assembling pie

The inside of the pie dishes require to be greased with some butter. This is to ensure the pies can easily be removed when cooked.

Pie body pastry disc is fitted in to pie dish

The larger circle should be placed in the pie dish and carefully pressed in place to ensure it touches the edges of the dish all round. There should be a slight, regular overhang all the way around.

Cooled beef stew filling is spooned in to pie dish

Spoon enough of the cooled stew in to the dish to almost but not quite reach the brim. Do be sure to include a little gravy to keep the meat moist but not so much that the pastry will become soggy. A tablespoon or so per pie is about right.

Lid is fitted on to pie and glazed with beaten egg

Lay the lid on the pie, tuck it in carefully around the edges and glaze with beaten egg.

Crimped and glazed pie is ready for the oven

Carefully fold over and crimp the pie edges around the perimeter of the lid. Glaze with more beaten egg and cut a small steam vent in the centre with the tip of a sharp knife. Place the pies on a baking tray and in to the oven for thirty to thirty-five minutes until the pastry is beautifully golden.

When the pies are around half way through their cooking time, peel the potatoes and chop to around one and a half inch (4cm) chunks. Do not cut them too small or they will absorb too much water and you will have soggy mash. Place in a large pot of cold water, season with salt and bring to a simmer for twenty to twenty-five minutes until just softened.

Mushy peas are re-heated in a small saucepan

When the pies are ready, take them from the oven and set them aside (still in the dishes) to rest while you finish the preparation of the mash and mushy peas.

Drain the potatoes when they are softened through a colander at your sink and leave them to steam off for a few minutes. This gets rid of the excess moisture and is a further means of preventing soggy mash.

Pour the mushy peas in to a saucepan and gently heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. They will only take a few minutes. Season with black pepper and malt vinegar.

Potatoes are hand mashed with butter

Put the potatoes back in to the empty pot and add some butter. Mash with a hand masher.

Mash and mushy peas are plated

Divide the mash and the mushy peas between two serving plates. Carefully loosen the pies around the edges with a blunt edged knife before tipping them carefully out of the dishes in to your hand (protected by a cloth). Lay a pie on each plate and serve immediately.

Pie is plated with mash and mushy peas

Roast Chicken Thighs on Conchiglie Pasta in Balsamic Tomato Sauce

2017-06-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

Roast chicken thighs on conchiglie pasta in balsamic sauce

Roast chicken is probably not something often associated with being served on pasta but this combination does work very well. The chicken thighs are roasted simply in the oven with some seasoning before being served on a bed of conchiglie pasta in a rich balsamic and tomato sauce.

Prepared sauce ingredients

Ingredients (Serves 1)

2 whole chicken thighs (skin on)
Salt and black pepper
4 baby plum tomatoes
1/4 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Generous pinch dried basil
Generous pinch dried oregano
1 cup dried conchiglie pasta shells
Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Directions

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Season the chicken thighs on the under/flesh side with salt and pepper and with salt only on the skin sides. Lay them skin sides up on a lightly oiled roasting tray and place the tray in to the oven for thirty minutes, or thirty-five minutes for especially large thighs. After this time, pierce the thickest part of each thigh with a skewer (or fork) and ensure the juices run clear. If not, return to the oven for five further minutes and test again. Lift to a heated plate, cover with tinfoil and allow to rest for ten minutes.

Combining balsamic sauce ingredients

When the chicken thighs have been in the oven for about fifteen minutes, pour the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar in to a small saucepan. Wash and dry the tomatoes before cutting them in half down through the centre. Add to the saucepan along with the onion slices before grating in the peeled garlic clove. Add the dried herbs and season with salt and pepper. Stir well with a wooden spoon and place the pot on a low heat until the liquid just starts to simmer. Maintain as low a simmer as possible for about fifteen minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have broken down and a thick sauce is formed.

Drained conchiglie pasta

The pasta will take eight to ten minutes to cook, depending upon how al dente you wish it to be when it is served. It should be added to a large pot of heavily salted, boiling water, stirred briefly and left to cook for the desired period of time. It should then be drained through a colander or sieve and allowed to steam off and dry out for a couple of minutes.

Balsamic pasta sauce

When the sauce is ready, it will have changed colour, be really thick and gooey and the onion strings will be super soft.

Pasta is added to balsamic sauce

Tip the pasta in to the sauce and stir fold very carefully with a wooden spoon, so as not to break up the soft shells.

Pasta in balsamic sauce

Spoon the pasta in to a deep plate and spread out to form a serving bed for the rested chicken thighs.

Chicken thighs are laid on pasta in balsamic sauce

Lay the chicken thighs on top of the pasta and sauce, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

Enjoying roast chicken thighs on balsamic pasta sauce

Spicy Griddled Chicken on Roasted Veg

2017-04-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

Paprika spiced griddled chicken breast on roasted vegetables

Griddling (grilling) meats of many different types indoors is an excellent way of ensuring your meal is served tender, juicy and attractive on the plate. Yes, it requires extensive ventilation of one type or another in your kitchen due to the smoke but the many benefits of cooking in this way far outweigh that one minor inconvenience. While beef steak is probably the most common meat cooked on a griddle or grill pan of this type, a simple bit of careful experimentation can bring wonderful dividends.

Vegetables are oiled and seasoned for roasting

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1 12 ounce tray of mixed Mediterranean style roasting vegetables*
1 large garlic clove
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Pinch of dried oregano
Pinch of dried basil
1 skinless chicken breast fillet
2 teaspoons (approximately) smoked paprika
Vegetable oil for grilling

*You can assemble your own choice of similar vegetables in a small roasting tray if your local supermarket does not stock oven ready trays like the one used in this recipe

Directions

Put your oven on to preheat to 220C/450F/Gas Mark 8.

While you're waiting for the oven to preheat, lay the chicken breast fillet flat on a chopping board and very carefully cut it in half horizontally with a cleaver or chef's knife. This is not difficult but obviously does require great care. It is best done by laying your free hand flat on top of the chicken as you slowly slice through it.

Sliced chicken breast fillet

Lay the chicken pieces on a large plate and scatter with the smoked paprika on both sides. Rub the paprika in to the flesh gently with your hands. Do not salt at this stage as the salt will draw some of the moisture from the chicken as it marinates and lead to it perhaps being served tougher than it should be. Cover the plate and set briefly aside.

Chicken is seasoned with smoked paprika

Peel the garlic clove and grate it in to the tray of vegetables. Season with the salt, pepper and dried herbs before drizzling with a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Stir carefully with a wooden spoon and place it on a roasting tray and in to the heated oven for half an hour.

Marinated chicken is oiled for griddling

When the vegetables are half way through their cooking process, start your cast iron griddle pan heating on the highest heat on your stove. It will take a few minutes to get smoking hot. Drizzle the chicken fillets with a little vegetable oil and ensure they are evenly coated all over but not excessively so. Remember always to oil the food when cooking in this way and never the pan. Season on both sides with a little salt and pepper.

Chicken slices are laid in smoking hot griddle pan

Lay the chicken fillets carefully in to the hot pan. They will take about three minutes each side to cook, depending upon their thickness.

Chicken is turned to cook on second side

Heavy duty cooking tongs are best used to turn the chicken. Never use anything made of plastic, such as a spatula, when cooking in a pan of this type.

Cooked chicken is briefly left to rest

Lift the chicken fillets to a heated clean plate when done, cover with tinfoil and leave them for a few minutes to rest until the vegetables are ready.

Roasted Mediterranean vegetables

Lift the roasted vegetables with a slotted spoon on to your serving plate and arrange the griddled chicken pieces on top.

Tucking in to super tender spicy chicken

Curried Swordfish Steak on Turmeric Rice

2017-02-26T09:34:00.001-08:00

Curried swordfish and sauteed bell peppers on turmeric herb rice

Swordfish was at one time only available in very specific parts of the world where the fish could be caught fresh. In modern times, however, with vacuum packing and freezing techniques, it can often and very easily be purchased online for delivery right to your door. The swordfish steak used in this recipe was bought in just such a way as part of a larger exotic meats and fish package.

The swordfish steak should be defrosted completely in the fridge overnight before being cooked.

Swordfish fillet is patted in curry powder and seasonings

Ingredients (Serves 1)

6 ounce skinless and boneless swordfish steak
2 teaspoons medium curry powder
Salt and pepper
4 ounces (half cup) or as desired basmati rice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Vegetable oil for frying
2 teaspoons freshly chopped coriander leaf (cilantro) plus extra to garnish
1 garlic clove
Small handful mixed bell pepper slices

Seasoned swordfish is left to dry marinate

Directions

Spoon the curry powder in to a flat bottomed bowl or on to a small plate. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Pat the swordfish carefully all over in the powder to evenly coat, cover and leave to dry marinade for at least half an hour.

Rice is simmered in turmeric water

Put the turmeric in to a large pot and add around half a teaspoon of salt. Pour in plenty of boiling water and bring back to a simmer. Wash the rice thoroughly through a sieve under running cold water at your sink and add to the simmering water. Stir briefly but well and bring back to a simmer for ten minutes.

Swordfish fillet is laid in frying pan

When the rice simmering time is almost up, pour a couple of tablespoons of oil in to a frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Add the swordfish to fry for an initial three minutes.

Swordfish fillet is turned to fry on second side

Drain the rice through the sieve at your sink and set it aside to steam off for a few minutes. Turn the swordfish steak to fry for three further minutes on the second side.

Garlic and seasonings are added to drained rice

Tip the rice back in to the empty pot and add the chopped coriander (cilantro). Peel the garlic clove and grate it in to the rice. Season with black pepper and stir well to combine the seasonings evenly.

Bell pepper strips are quickly sauteed in hot frying pan

Lift the swordfish steak to a heated plate to rest for a couple of minutes while you stir fry the peppers (seasoned with a little more salt and pepper) in the vacated pan for a couple of minutes.

Swordfish fillet is laid on rice bed

Arrange the rice on a suitable plate to form a bed for the fish and lay the swordfish steak on top.

Sauteed peppers are made to top swordfish

Lift the pepper slices on to the swordfish with cooking tongs, garnish with the last of the coriander and serve immediately.

Cutting in to curried swordfish steak