Category: cumin

Categories
chicken coriander cumin curry onion potatoes spinach yoghurt

indian pot roast chicken

indian pot roast chicken

This meal represent a confluence of good fortune: I receive a job-lot of Total Greek Yoghurt one minute and a copy of Leon Naturally Fast Food the next. I’ve never been so instantly bowled over by a cookbook, it’s extremely wedded to the way I cook and makes perfect sense. It’s beautifully presented in a scrapbook style, and packed with a very real voice. It’s utterly charming.

I was drawn to the pot-roasts, and had a curryish state of mind going in. So this seemed like the one to use as a starting point. I’ve added a few bits and pieces.

It was very satisfying, but personally I underseasoned it. It will be utterly delicious the next time.

Indian chicken pot roast (serves 4):

4 chicken quarters

300ml 0% Total Greek yoghurt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 potatoes, sliced into thick discs

1 lemon, sliced into thick discs

1 onion, sliced into rings

1 large bag of spinach

  1. Brine the chicken in enough water to cover with 8% salt for 6 hours. Afterwards, rinse under a cold tap and pat dry.
  2. Mix the yoghurt and spices together with a pinch of salt and pepper. Marinate the chicken in this lovely pink mix overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Layer the potatoes in the bottom of a large lidded casserole dish. Lay the onions on this, then the lemon slices. Season well, then plop the chicken on top of this with any leftover marinade.
  4. Bake for 1½ to 2 hours, until the chicken is done. Get the chicken out carefully with tongs, tip the spinach in and pop the chicken back on top. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and is tender.
Categories
chicken cumin fennel food tomato

whole barbecue chicken

I love being invited to barbecues, especially for the social aspect. But I do experience a twinge of disappointment when it’s just sausages and burgers from Iceland on offer. All food does taste better outside it’s true, but it’s nice to have something a bit different. How about a whole lamb? How about a whole chicken?

I’ve used Jamie Oliver’s recipe for barbecue sauce from Jamie at Home here, and it’s an absolute cracker. The kicker is the orange juice, it really makes it. Do give it a whirl, it’s amazing. I decided to brine the chicken as I’m bit obssessed with it lately, but you can skip this if you want. You get the tenderest meat from it though.

Whole barbecued chicken (serves 8):

2kg chicken, the best you can afford

1 heaped tablespoon cumin seeds

1 heaped tablespoon fennel seeds

5 cloves

A bunch of thyme, leaves picked

A bunch of rosemary, leaves picked (keep a sprig back for later)

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1 bulb of garlic, broken into cloves and peeled

4 heaped teaspoons paprika

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

150ml tomato ketchup

8 tablespoons olive oil

10 bay leaves

  • Prepare an 8% brine solution. Dunk the chicken in it and soak for at least 6 hours.
  • After this time, remove the chicken from the water and spatchcock it. To do this, cut down the backbone with kitchen scissors and wipe the innards down. Place it right way up and apply a little pressure to the breast, cracking it slightly. It should open like a book. Spear it in place with two skewers crossing over. The spatchcocking will cook it quicker and the skewers keep its shape while it cooks. If you have time dry the chicken out uncovered in the fridge overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C. To make the marinade grind together all the spices with some salt and pepper. Chop the herbs and orange finely and mix that in. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Smother the chicken all over with the marinade and bung on a baking tray in the oven. After it’s been in the oven for 30 minutes, light the barbecue.
  • Cook the chicken for an hour or until the internal temperature reaches 74°C. (For best results, use a meat thermometer).
  • Transfer the whole chicken to the barbecue and sear it well one side. As it cooks use a rosemary sprig to baste it with leftover sauce from your tray. Flip it over and when done, leave to rest on a plate. While it rests, pop the baking tray on the barbecue and let the heat sizzle the leftover marinade and get stickier. Pour this into a jug and serve with the chicken. I recommend plonking on the table and letting everyone have at it like vultures!
Categories
beetroot burger cumin dill food lamb tahini

lamb burgers with beetroot relish

Burger season is definitely in full swing. Check out these lamby beggars. I stole inspiration for this one from Waitrose as it combines lovely Mediterranean flavours with a hint of Middle East. The burger itself was fab, as was the tahini-tainted creme fraiche. The beetroot relish was OK; fresh tasting but lacking a bit of a pep. I tried to rescue it with a blast of salt, red wine vinegar and pepper but it wasn’t quite there. Needs more work.

Lamb burgers with beetroot relish:

2 shallots, finely diced

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 large raw beetroot

1 tbsp roughly chopped dill

500g lamb mince

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

200g Greek yoghurt

2 tablespoons tahini

  1. Dry fry the cumin seeds in a hot pan until toasty. Remove to one side and crush a bit – leave some whole. Mix these with the lamb and sesame seeds, season well and form into burgers. Chill until needed.
  2. Put the shallot in a large bowl. Peel and coarsely grate the beetroot into the bowl. Add a couple of teaspoons of oil and dill. Season generously and mix well. Cover and set aside at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Check for seasoning and add red wine vinegar as required.
  3. Blend the yogurt and tahini together and set aside.
  4. Light the barbecue or preheat the grill. Cook the burgers for about 5 minutes on each side for well done, or until cooked to your liking. Serve in a toasted roll on a bed of salad leaves, topped with the relish and a dollop of tahini cream. Serve the remaining relish and tahini cream on the side.
Categories
cumin food lamb pistachio salad

lamb koftas

With the advent of shallots in my garden, I wanted something to really show them off. And with some lamb mince in the freezer, this recipe from Jamie at Home seemed perfect. So Summery too. I agreed with Alex over at JustCookIt that lamb and bread are destined to be together, especially if both are barbecued. A kebab with a crisp outside, a soft middle and plenty of spicy flavours is absolutely perfect. The onions? Crunchy and sweet, the perfect compliment.

Jamie’s original recipe can be found here.

Lamb koftas:

500g lamb mince

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon ground chilli

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 lemon

A good handful of shelled pistachio nuts bashed up a bit

2 large cos, shredded

Small bunch fresh mint, chopped

Handful of chopped shallots

Bunch of fresh parsley

Splash of white wine vinegar

4 tortillas

4 tablespoons creme fraiche

  1. Mix the lamb with thyme, chilli, cumin, grated lemon zest and pistachios, seasoning well. Grab some skewers and squish handfuls of the meat around a skewer, really clamping to form sausage shapes. Chill until needed.
  2. Cover the onion and parsley with vinegar and a pinch of salt and leave while you get on with everything else.
  3. Brush the kebabs with a little oil and grill (or barbecue, preferably) on all sides until browned. Leave to rest a couple of minutes while you get on with the salad.
  4. Combine the cos and mint and dress with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, adding salt and pepper as necessary.
  5. Chuck the tortillas on the BBQ for about a minute, then turn over and grill until puffed up. Slap the tortilla on the plate, pile on some salad and top with the lamb. Scrunch the onions in your hand to remove the excess juice and throw over the kebabs. Devour in the sunshine.
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