Roast honey and cumin chicken

MUNCH RATING: 1/5

This recipe is from one of those cards you can pick up free from Waitrose. I was really looking forward to making it as I liked the sound of the honey and cumin. The photo on the card made the chicken and potatoes look really crispy and caramelised, so I thought it would be a really tasty dish. It’s also a one-pot dinner, so I thought it would be quick and easy. But it didn’t quite turn out that way!

Basically the liquid that you have to add doesn’t get absorbed by the potatoes or evaporate, so they don’t get nice and crispy. So after the recommended cooking time I drained off the liquid, took the chicken out of the oven to stop it overcooking and then put the potatoes back in the oven at top whack to crisp up a bit. I left them in for 30 minutes as I couldn’t wait any longer! I started cooking at 5.45pm and it wasn’t ready until 7.30pm – the recipe says it only takes 50-60 minutes!

So the method for this recipe was rubbish and to be honest, it was pretty bland too. The honey and cumin was a nice combination, but it lacked punch. Steve said he preferred my garlic roast chicken which is just something I throw together!

I found the recipe on the Waitrose website and it seems everyone else thought this recipe was fantastic! I’m not sure what they’re doing differently, but this isn’t a recipe I’ll be making again!

• Serves: 4
• Oven temperature: Gas mark 7/425°F/220°C
• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 50 minutes to 1 hour (yeah right!)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 4 chicken legs or thighs, scored
• 700g new potatoes, quartered
• 2 small red onions, quarter (I only had a brown onion)

Directions:

1. Mix together the oil, honey, cumin, garlic and vinegar with seasoning. Pour over the chicken pieces and leave to marinate for 15 minutes (longer if you have time). Whilst the chicken is marinating, preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade, pour the marinade into a large roasting tin and add the potatoes and onions so that the pieces are in a single layer without much space between them. Pour over 150ml cold water and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
3. Add the chicken pieces and toss in the juices. Return to the oven for 35–40 minutes, basting regularly, until the chicken is cooked through, and there is no pink meat. Serve with watercress, rocket and spinach salad or steamed green beans.

Pasta Bake

MUNCH RATING: 4/5

This is basically like a lasagne, but instead of using lasagne sheets you use cooked tagliatelle, so it is much quicker to cook as it is just flashed under the grill. I’ve made dishes like this before with a mince beef tomato sauce, but the addition of the wine really makes a difference, as do the herbs and nutmeg, so they are well worth buying.

• Serves: 4
• You will need: an ovenproof dish about 9 x 9 inches

Ingredients:

• 225g (8oz) minced beef
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 50g (2oz) lean bacon, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 2 Tablespoons red or white wine
• 65ml (2½ fl.oz) stock
• salt and pepper
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 medium tin tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons tomato puree
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• bay leaf
• 100g (4oz) dried tagliatelle
• 450ml (¾ pint) Béchamel sauce*
• 100g (4oz) grated cheese

Directions:

1. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a saucepan, add the bacon and cook until golden brown.
2. Add the onion and carrot and cook slowly until soft and transparent.
3. Stir in the minced beef and cook until the meat changes colour.
4. Add the wine, stock, salt and pepper, nutmeg, tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for approximately 45 minutes.
5. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water with the remaining Tablespoon of oil. Drain well.
6. Place a layer of meat mixture in an ovenproof dish, cover with a layer of tagliatelle, then a layer of Béchamel sauce and then a layer of grated cheese. Repeat these layers finishing with a layer of cheese.
7. Brown under a hot grill or in the top of a hot oven Gas mark 7/425°F/220°C.

* Make the sauce using 450ml (¾ pint) milk, 40g (1½oz) butter and 40g (1½oz) flour.

Beef and Ale Stew

MUNCH RATING: 5/5

This is a really tasty stew and I made a huge batch of it so I could freeze some portions. It tastes even better the next day/reheated.
Next time I’ll try cooking it in my slow cooker.

• Serves: 4-6
• You will need: a large ovenproof casserole dish
• Oven temperature: Gas mark 3/325°F/170°C
• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 2 - 2½ hours

Ingredients:

• 1.3kg (3lb) braising steak (chuck & blade) or beef brisket, cut into large cubes
• 50g (2oz) butter
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper
• 2 level Tablespoons flour
• 1 level Tablespoon soft brown sugar
• 300ml (½ pint) beef stock
• 450ml (¾ pint) brown ale (such as Newcastle Brown Ale)
• 1 Tablespoon wine vinegar
• bouquet garnis (parsley stalks and tarragon wrapped in a bay leaf)
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to Gas mark 3/325°F/170°C.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy based pan and add the oil.
3. Fry the beef quickly on all sides, in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat and add the onions and garlic, cook until golden brown.
5. Push the onions to one side, then add the flour and sugar and cook to colour the roux.
6. Return the beef to the pan, then stir in the stock a little bit at a time. Add the vinegar and brown ale and bring to the boil.
7. Add the bouquet garni and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
8. Cover with damp greaseproof paper and a lid and cook in the oven for 2-2½ hours.

COOK’S NOTES:

• This stew is great with added carrots too as they become really sweet and tender. I cut them into 1 inch triangular wedge chunks and add them after the onions have become golden brown.