Food: Breast intentions

This sizzling dinner-party hit proves that dismissing chicken as dull is nothing more than a poultry excuse

Alan Mathieson

TRIED and tested to the point of perfection, this recipe is from one of my Easy Posh Dinner Party courses. After a tasting session, quite a few staff blagged the recipe, and I hear it's a bit of a hit in dinner party circles.

Chicken is often perceived as a little dull, but cooked right it makes a tasty meal. It should go without saying that decent chicken is essential – free-range and organic, please.

The true beauty of this dish is its variety of textures and flavours: crisp chicken skin, robust paprika-flavoured chorizo, smooth waxy potatoes and peppery watercress all work together to create an exciting but harmonious mouthful.

I use an uncured chorizo, which is essentially raw and quite different from the cured meats usually found in supermarkets. The warm, spicy, paprika-rich flavours are drawn out as the sausages soften and cook. Good delis will stock the type used for cooking – I like versions from Clarks Speciality Foods in Edinburgh or Lupe Pintos in both Glasgow and the capital.

ROAST THYME CHICKEN WITH WATERCRESS, TOMATO AND CHORIZO SALAD AND MADEIRA SAUCE

Serves two

For the sauce:

80ml Madeira
30ml port
1 shallot, chopped
2 mushrooms, sliced
120ml beef stock
splash cabernet sauvignon vinegar

To make the sauce, place all the above ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over a medium-high ring until reduced by two-thirds and a rich, deep flavour is achieved. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside until required.

For the dressing:

1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp good white wine vinegar
4 tbsp good olive oil

To make the dressing, place all the ingredients into a bowl, along with some salt and freshly ground pepper, and whisk together. Set aside until you're ready to use it.

For the chicken and chorizo:

2 corn-fed chicken breasts, skin on
salt and pepper
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 clove garlic, skin on
1 small sprig thyme
20g unsalted butter
2 small chorizo picante sausages
2 fresh tomato skinned, deseeded and diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 bunch watercress
6 boiled salad potatoes, cut into large chunks

Preheat the oven to 180¼C. Heat a medium stainless-steel ovenproof frying pan until very hot. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with

salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the sunflower oil to the hot pan and test the temperature (see panel below).

When the temperature is right, place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and allow it to gently caramelise. After two or three minutes, check to see if the skin is evenly coloured, then flip the chicken breasts over and take the pan off the heat. Allow to cool for 30 seconds.

With the blade of a large knife held flat against the garlic clove, use the heel of your hand to press down and crush it underneath. Add the garlic clove – skin on – and the butter to the pan. When the butter begins to froth, place the pan back on the heat and baste the chicken with it.

Place the pan in the oven for eight to ten minutes, or until the chicken's core temperature reaches 76¼C–80¼C. A couple of minutes before you think the chicken will be ready, sprinkle the thyme over the skin side of the breasts, along with a pinch of Maldon salt.

Once it's cooked, remove from the oven and place on a warm tray to rest for four or five minutes.

Next, prepare the chorizo. Rub a little olive oil all over it and place on a baking tray, then roast in the hot oven for eight minutes, or until cooked and coloured. Remove and allow to cool, then slice at an angle into 2cm discs. Reserve the tasty oily juices that have came out while cooking.

To remove the skins from the tomatoes, spear them on to a fork or skewer and hold near a naked flame – a gas burner or blowtorch – and turn until the skins start to blacken and blister. Alternatively, cut a small, shallow cross in the top of each tomato, place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for about 30 seconds, then drain and cover with cold water. Either way, the skin should then peel off easily.

Cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters, scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into neat 5mm dice. These are best used immediately, but will keep refrigerated for 24 hours.

Place the shallots, diced tomatoes and watercress into a large bowl, add the dressing and gently mix through.

To serve, arrange the potato pieces and chorizo chunks in the centre of two warm serving plates. Place a handful of salad on each and place a chicken breast on top. Spoon the Madeira sauce over and around each dish and then drizzle over the reserved chorizo juices. Serve immediately.

Critical points

GETTING your pan to the right temperature is so important that it warrants a section of its own. When frying, it's vital to have a good heat in the pan to let the chicken caramelise, but not so hot that it burns.

How can you tell the temperature? Heat your pan on the hob then hold your hand over the pan. If you can't hold your hand over it, it is too hot – take it off the heat and allow it to cool a little. If you can only feel warmth, crank the heat up a little.

Add some oil to the pan. If it stays in the middle of the pan, it's likely it isn't hot enough. But if the oil quickly spreads and thins, perhaps starting to discolour or give off a haze, the pan is too hot. At a good temperature, the oil will start to spread, and you can swirl it to coat the base of the pan evenly.

Need one more piece of reassurance? Rather than slapping your chicken in only to get a fierce splatter or hear nothing at all, touch a corner of it into the pan – it should make a satisfying sizzle. This is the sign of a good pan temperature.

Once your chicken is in the pan, skin-side down, leave it alone in the pan and don't be tempted to fiddle with it. This will allow it to caramelise, giving a nice, crisp skin.

Once the skin has crisped and is evenly caramelised, turn the chicken over and add the butter. Basting the chicken in the butter will add an extra depth of flavour, but it also helps prevent the chicken drying out.

If you follow these steps you will be rewarded with moist chicken and a tasty, crispy skin. If you have a temperature probe, check that the core temperature of your chicken has reached at least 75¡C.

Dinner with... Tom Kime

Tom Kime learned his trade under Rick Stein, then showed Jamie Oliver a thing or two when he was his boss. His new book Asian Bites (Dorling Kindersley, £12.99) is a tasting tour of the East, from Turkey through India to Thailand.

What's the best meal you've had?

Some of the best food I have eaten has been street food or food from small markets and cafés. Some delicious morsels include a Vietnamese beef noodle soup with cinnamon, ginger and star anise, eaten in Ho Chi Minh; and in Sicily, I ate spit-roasted baby chicken stuffed with olives, sweet onions, chilli, garlic and rosemary wrapped in tin foil.

What's the worst meal you've had?

Vietnam has got 99% of the best food in the world, but it also has 0.5% of the worst. Soft-boiled chicken foetus, a soup made with congealed ox blood and raw snake heart are on that list.

What's in your fridge?

Bacon, because a bacon sandwich is good at any hour of the day; several types of cheese; a bottle of sauvignon blanc; and organic vegetables.

What's your hangover fix?

The ultimate bloody Mary – with fresh red chilli and horseradish. A fried breakfast always hits the spot too.

What's the most useful utensil in your kitchen?

A stone pestle and mortar. They are versatile, and there is no electrical machine that reproduces the action of crushing and pounding to release such flavour, perfume and essential oils.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

I am a sucker for Green & Black's Maya Gold chocolate.

What's your classic stand-by recipe?

A roast chicken stuffed with lemon and garlic served with lots of gravy.

Who would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?

I would invite Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald because I love music; Elizabeth David, as she is such a food guru; David Attenborough; Ernest Hemingway; Audrey Hepburn; Juliette Binoche; and my wife Kylie.

Which food says home to you?

All of my mum's amazing cooking.

Have you ever been on a diet?

No. It's my idea of hell. Make food as it should be, and then eat less of it.

What's the one food that makes you feel better?

Everything has its place. I love all good food.

Do you buy organic?

Yes, and free-range when possible. The food tastes better, and is much healthier for you and the environment.

How tidy is your kitchen?

As a chef, you're taught always to clean up after yourself. So, yes, it is pretty tidy.

Five ways with... Strawberries

Mark Turner

FOR a fruit that is indelibly linked to luxury and indulgence, strawberries are surprisingly good for you. They are packed full of antioxidants and vitamin C, are low in calories and contain no cholesterol or fat.

Scotland grows some of the best strawberries in the world, and they are at their finest right now. Buy from a pick-your-own farm to get the best fruit at a fraction of the cost of supermarket produce.

1 STRAWBERRY JAM

1kg strawberries, hulled and halved; 1kg jam sugar; knob of butter

Place a layer of strawberries in a preserving pan. Cover with sugar. Top this with a second layer of fruit and again cover with sugar. Continue until the sugar and fruit have been used up. Put the lid on and leave for two hours, stirring once.

Place the pan on a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to its maximum and boil for about five minutes, stirring occasionally until the contents reach setting point. Remove from the heat and test by putting a spoonful of jam on a very cold plate and leaving for a minute – push a finger through it and if the surface wrinkles, it's ready.

(If not, return the pan to the boil for a further minute, then test again.)

Stir the butter into the jam and skim off any scum. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes, stir again, then spoon into warm, sterilised jars. Once the jars are completely cold, seal them tightly.

2 STRAWBERRY PESTO

35g freshly grated parmesan; 35g whole hazelnuts, toasted; a small handful fresh basil; 6 strawberries, hulled; 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil; salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the parmesan, hazelnuts and basil in a blender, and process in short pulses until the mixture forms a paste.

Add the strawberries and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and then mix until smooth.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

This will keep in the fridge for a few days if stored in a sealed jar.

3 STRAWBERRY PANCAKES

225g plain flour; 1 tsp cream of tartar; 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; pinch salt; 2 tsp caster sugar; 2 beaten eggs; 1/2 pint milk; 150g strawberries, hulled and diced; melted butter

Sieve the first five ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and drop in the eggs. Whisk together, adding the milk slowly as you mix, to create a batter. Fold in the strawberries.

Heat a griddle or heavy-based pan and grease with the melted butter using a piece of kitchen towel. Ladle the batter on to the pan – you can make the pancakes as small or large as you like. Once the bubbles start bursting on the top and the undersides are browned, flip the pancakes and cook the other sides.

4 STRAWBERRY PIECE

Layer sliced strawberries on to buttered wholegrain bread and grind black pepper on top.

5 STRAWBERRY AND SPINACH SALAD

Put 225g washed spinach on a plate and sprinkle a punnet of washed and halved strawberries over the top. Drizzle with a dressing made from 3 tbsp each of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and caster sugar, seasoned with black pepper.

Jacqueline's simple suppers: Good-natured fruit

Short of time but still want a great midweek treat? The Scottish City Chef of the Year has two recipes to fit the bill

WHAT is good-natured fruit? Does this mean they smile? Nope, just that they are grown in the peace and harmony of beautiful surroundings in Angus, and without the use of pesticides. This makes for wonderfully sweet produce.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH STRAWBERRY SALSA

1 punnet good-natured strawberries
1 handful garden mint
good quality chicken breasts

Hull and quarter the strawberries, chop the mint, mix, and leave to the side.

Grill or barbecue the chicken breast, and serve with a spoonful of strawberries.

If you like it hot, a wee green chilli, sliced and added, works well too.

VENISON WITH BALSAMIC RASPBERRIES

Auchtermuchty venison topside/haunch
1/4 tsp rapeseed oil
50ml great-quality balsamic vinegar
1 punnet good-natured raspberries

Pepper the venison and rub with the rapeseed oil. Place in a hot pan for three minutes, pour in the balsamic vinegar and then add the raspberries. Allow the meat to rest for a few minutes before serving with a seasonal salad or vegetables.

Retro treat

THE 1970s have a lot to answer for: flared trousers, platform shoes… and the Bay City Rollers. But by far the decade's greatest achievement was the discovery of convenience food – and there can

be few examples more weird and wonderful than Smash, an instant mashed potato. You didn't need to be Fanny Cradock to create this culinary wonder. No, by simply pouring boiling water over freeze-dried pieces, it would spring to life, revealing soft, fluffy mash in seconds.

Although perhaps not the most nutritionally balanced meal, it was better than cheese on sticks or chicken in a basket. Time for a comeback?

Moira Johnston

Cooking with kids

IN THE summer, I buy cream to eat with Scottish berries. But sometimes my children eat the berries before they reach the table, so I find that we have lots of cream left in the fridge.

This is an ideal time to make your own butter. It is fun and easier than you think, and tastes delicious – just make sure you use double cream that is at room temperature (it will be too cold if you use it straight out of the fridge).

We have to be careful about how much fat we eat so use soft butter, which you can spread more thinly on toast and in sandwiches – and then you will not eat too much. If you can see teeth marks in the butter when you bite, you have spread the butter too thickly.

HOMEMADE BUTTER

Double cream
Jam jar and lid

Half fill the jam jar with double cream and screw the top on tightly. Shake the jar. The cream will slosh from side to side, making a noise. When the sound of the splashing stops, you know you have made whipped cream.

But carry on shaking the jar and suddenly the sloshing noise will return. This can take ten to 15 minutes but it usually takes at least 30 minutes – that's a long time to keep on shaking.

Open the jar and drain off the buttermilk – and you will be left with butter. (The buttermilk makes the butter go sour.)

Fill the jar with cold water, replace the lid carefully and shake the jar again. Drain off the cloudy water and keep doing this until the water stays clear.

Squeeze the ball of butter through a sieve to remove any more buttermilk.

Add a little salt if you want to and then pat your butter into a block and put it into the fridge.

Time-saver: Make your butter in a food processor, but if you use an open-bowl model (for example, a Kenwood Chef), you will need a splatter guard.

Fi Bird

In the larder

Eat me

Edinburgh Chinese restaurant Chop Chop is now selling its award-winning dumplings through Sainsbury's. Choose from pork and prawn, pork and veg, and beef and chilli. (£2.29, www.chop-chop.co.uk)

Read me

Queen of Routine Gina Ford turns her attention to mealtimes and how to give children a nutritious diet without giving in to their fussy ways. (Feeding Made Easy, £12.99, Ebury Publishing)

Use me

Prevent tablecloth take-off with these solid pewter weights. A set of four features a ladybird, butterfly, bee and dragonfly. (£6.99, www.lakeland.co.uk)