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Buffalo chicken wings with sour cream and chive dip

Buffalo chicken wings with sour cream and chive dip

ALSO CALLED HOT WINGS, these feature on many American bar menus, as they are excellent firce- food to be enjoyed with a cold beer. The crispy wings have a fiery kick from a liberal coating of hot sauce, so they are usually served with a contrasting and cooling soured cream or blue cheese dip and a handle. of celery sticks.

SERVES 4-5

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buffalo-chicken-wings-with-sour-cream-and-chive-dip

3-4 tbsp plain flour 1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste sea salt
10 chicken wings 50g unsalted butter 4 tbsp hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red-Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce)
1A tsp black pepper 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely crushed vegetable or groundnut oil, for deep-frying lemon wedges, to serve

Sour cream and chive dip:

150ml soured cream 3-4 tbsp mayonnaise handful of chives, finely chopped sea salt and black pepper 1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and a large pinch of salt. Put the chicken wings into a large bowl. Sprinkle the spiced flour mixture over them and toss well until evenly coated, then cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

Meanwhile, put the butter, hot sauce, pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt into a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir together and heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is well blended. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, for the dip, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, adding salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Cover and chill until you are ready to cook the chicken wings.

Heat a 6-7cm depth of oil in a deep-fryer or a heavy-based deep pan to 180°C; a piece of bread dropped into the hot oil should sizzle on contact. Deep-fry the coated chicken wings in batches for 10-15 minutes, or until they begin to brown and crispen, turning them over halfway. Drain on a tray lined with kitchen paper and keep warm while you fry the rest.

Put the crispy wings into a large bowl, pour over the hot sauce mixture and stir until well coated.

Immediately arrange the buffalo wings on a warm platter or in individual bowls and serve with lemon wedges and the sour cream and chive dip.

Chicken in spicy coconut broth

 THIS WONDERFULLY AROMATIC SOUP, called tom ka gai, is one of my favourite Thai starters. It is incredibly easy to make and cooks in next to no time. For a quick midweek supper, serve larger bowls – tossing in some blanched rice noodles and a handful of beansprouts and coriander leaves. Simple and delicious.

SERVES 4-6

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2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 250g sea salt and black pepper
400ml tin reduced-fat coconut milk
600ml water
3cm knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half (or pared zest of 1 lime)
1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and halved lengthway
2 red chillies, halved lengthways and deseeded
1 tbsp palm sugar (or soft light brown sugar)
2½ tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice, or to taste
100g button mushrooms, cleaned handful of coriander leaves, to garnish

 

Thinly slice the chicken breasts, cutting across the grain, into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl, season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan, then add the 600ml water, using the tin as a measure (i.e. ½ tins). Add the ginger, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, chillies, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

Add the mushrooms to the broth and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, stir well and simmer until cooked through; this will only take 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you need to.

Serve the soup in warm bowls, discarding the ginger, lemongrass, chillies and lime leaves if you wish; traditionally, these aromatics are left in the soup but not eaten. Garnish each bowl with some coriander leaves and serve immediately.

chicken-in-spicy-coconut-broth

 

Louisiana seafood gumbo recipe

THIS MIXED SEAFOOD STEW is popular across the southern states. To keep it simple, I’ve limited the main ingredients to chorizo, crabmeat and oysters, however, recipes often feature prawns, crab, crayfish and smoked pork or andouille sausages -feel free to add any of these. Sometimes, instead of a roux, either sliced okra or file powder (a spice made from ground dried sassafras leaves) is used to thicken the stew.

SERVES 4

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6 tbsp vegetable oil
5 tbsp plain flour
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
4 celery sticks, trimmed and chopped
2 red peppers, cored, deseeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
225g chorizo (or andouille) sausage, sliced
800ml fish or chicken stock
400g white crabmeat (or cooked crab claws)
6-7 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
sea salt and black pepper
12 live oysters
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a large, wide pan over a medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture turns golden brown (forming a brown roux).

Tip in the onions, celery, red peppers and garlic.

Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the chorizo and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Gradually add the stock to the pan, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously. Let the mixture simmer, stirring often, for about 30 minutes until the stock is thick and flavourful, and the vegetables are soft.

Add the crabmeat, spring onions, cayenne and salt and pepper to the pan and stir well. Finally, shuck the oysters and tip them into the pan, along with their strained juices. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then turn off the heat.

Ladle the gumbo into warm bowls and scatter over the chopped parsley. Serve at once, with plain rice.

louisiana-seafood-gumbo-recipe

Crab Cakes Recipe

 

MARYLAND IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SUPERB CRAB CAKES.

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They are seasoned with the distinctive flavours of Old Bay spice blend, which is produced by McCormick s and available online from specialist suppliers. If you can t source it. make a simple version using equal amounts of ground bay leaf, mustard seeds, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon and celery salt. Make extra, store in an airtight jar and use to sprinkle onto other seafood dishes.

SERVES 6

  • 500g white crabmeat
  • 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 celery stick, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
  • about 50g fresh white breadcrumbs vegetable or groundnut oil, for frying

To serve:

  1. mayonnaise
  2. lemon wedges
  3. salad leaves

Pick over the crab meat and discard any fragments of shell. Put the onion, celery, mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, beaten egg and chopped parsley into a bowl and mix well. Add the crabmeat and Old Bay seasoning and mix until evenly combined. ; Finally, incorporate 3-4 tbsp of the breadcrumbs – ! enough to obtain a firm mixture.

Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the mixture to firm up slightly.

With damp hands, shape the mixture into 6 or 8 neat patties. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the patties for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve the crab cakes hot with mayonnaise, lemon wedges and salad leaves.

crab-akes-recipe

Lemon souffle

Lemon souffle

IT IS REALLY NOT THAT TRICKY TO MAKE A SOUFFLÉ and I’m determined to prove it! Those of you who shy away from them, please give this recipe a go. The secret lies in making a thick souffle base and adequately whisking the egg whites until they are firm and glossy. Also, it is important to resist opening the oven door until the souffle is ready, otherwise it is liable to collapse,

SERVES 4

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40g unsalted butter, well softened, for brushing 100g caster sugar, plus extra to dust

150ml whole milk

100ml double cream

3 large egg yolks

15g plain flour

10g cornflour

4 large egg whites

finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons icing sugar, to dust

 

Brush 4 individual souffle dishes 250ml capacity with the softened butter, using upward vertical strokes, including the rims. Chill for a few minutes, then brush with a second layer of butter. Sprinkle some caster sugar into each dish, shaking and tipping the dish to dust the butter- coated base and sides evenly. Tip out any excess and chill until needed.

For the souffle base, pour the milk and cream into a heavy-based pan and slowly bring to just below the boil, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and 50g caster sugar together in a large bowl until pale and thick. Sift the flour and cornflour together onto the yolk mixture and whisk again until smooth. Now, slowly add the creamy milk, whisking as you go. Pour the mixture back into the pan and stir constantly over a tow heat with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes or so, until it is smooth and quite thick. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add a few drops of lemon juice, then whisk again. Gradually whisk in the remaining 50g sugar, a spoonful at a time, until you have a very thick, glossy mixture.

 

Stir the lemon zest and juice into the souffl6 base, then whisk in a third of the egg white mix to loosen the mixture. Now carefully fold in the re$i of the egg white, using a large metal spoon, until evenly incorporated.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared dishes, filling them to the top, then tap each once on the work surface to get rid of any air bubbles. Gently smooth the surface with a small palette knife. Run the tip of the palette knife around the inside edge of the dish, then place on a baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-18 minutes or until risen with a slight wobble in the middle. Oust with icing sugar and serve straight away.

lemon-souffle