So I'm back in Canterbury and all moved into my flat with Robbie. What with being back at uni (I've already read about as much as I did over my entire summer), unpacking my things, repeatedly walking back and forth from classes, preparing for Robbie's job interview and doing lots and lots of food shopping, I've not had heaps of time for blogging - mainly due to the fact that our flat's been internet-free until tonight - yay!
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I'd also like to take this chance to introduce you to a new member of my family - Smudge, a gutsy (and teeny-tiny) tortoiseshell kitten we've adopted!
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Anyway, I have already found time for culinary experiments in the last two weeks - both savoury and sweet - and at the forefront of these is the lovely recipe below for hunters' chicken (barbeque chicken), served with homemade chips and, in my case, corn on the cob - yum. The homemade barbeque sauce is one that I've adapted from Gordon Ramsay's own recipe on his recent 'Ultimate Cookery Course'* program I've been watching. Hope you enjoy.
*Serves 2*
2x chicken breasts
2-4 rashers bacon (fat cut off before cooking - option)
Sauce:
Half onion, finely diced
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped/crushed
Ketchup - 4tbsp
Chilli (or normal) flavoured olive oil - 2 tbsp
Ground black pepper
Brown sugar - 2tsp
Worcester Sauce (Lea & Perrins) - 1tbsp
Paprika - 1tsp
Homemade chips:
1 very large (mine was pretty giant) or 2 medium-large potatoes, peeled & chopped thinly into chips (feel free to do more if you're starving)
Plenty of olive oil
Salt & ground black pepper
Sweetcorn on the cob:
If using corn on the cob, simply place in boiling water for the last 8-9mins of chicken cooking time (or follow whatever cooking instructions are on the packet) and spread with butter once served on your plate.
1. Place an oiled baking tray into an oven, heated to 190-200'. Peel your potato(es) and cut into thin chips before removing the tray from the oven and placing the raw potato chips into the tray. Season well, drizzle over more olive oil (be generous) and place into the oven.
2. Preheat your grill to a high heat, before warming oil in a saucepan and frying onion with garlic until it is starting to brown. Now simply throw in all of the remaining sauce ingredients and stir well on a gentle heat until thoroughly mixed. Leave on a low heat to thicken, stirring occasionally, whilst you cook the rest of your ingredients!
3. Sauce complete; at this point I placed my bacon rashers under the grill and allowed to cook until crispy and browned. This could take up to 15mins - do wait until they're visibly cooked & crisp all over. Do get your chips out and turn them over at some point here before putting them back in the oven. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large wok (a frying pan would do just as well) on the hob.
4. When the bacon rashers are cooked, place onto a piece of kitchen roll, draining excess fat oozing out. Now place your chicken breasts onto the heated wok, allowing them to sizzle and brown well on their bottom side (about 2-3mins depending on the heat of your hob) before turning and browning the other side equally (this time about 3-5mins). There's no rush here - the more golden brown your chicken is, the better.
5. Once you can see that the chicken is all white and nicely browned across its outside (if you can still see raw pink patches, simply continue to cook for longer in the wok), place your bacon underneath the chicken in the wok, before pouring over the barbeque sauce and leaving to cook together on a medium heat on the hob for about 15 or so minutes. Keep tilting the pan to re-douse your chicken breasts in the sauce, keeping them moist as they cook through. Whilst waiting for your chicken to cook through, check on your chips - if they are crispy and brown all over by now, simply keep on their hot baking tray on the side until the chicken is ready.
6. After 15mins, return to your chicken, bacon and barbeque sauce and cut your thickest chicken breast into half, checking that the chicken is entirely white throughout - please make sure there are no pink bits left. When the chicken is completely cooked, serve with your bacon placed on top of the chicken and the sauce spooned over. You could also grate some cheese over the top - but we didn't; to be honest, the sauce is rich enough as it is - plus the chips and corn on the cob's simple tastes really cut through that sweet sauce. Mmm. Enjoy!
Maddie x
* Gordon Ramsay's 'Ultimate Cookery Course' page on the Channel 4 site.
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