Persian Chicken

This dish was inspired by one of my foodie friends on Facebook, Sarah Thomas (a.k.a Lady T), who announced on Friday that she was going to make Persian Chicken the following night, with sour cherries. I googled and came up with various recipes which bore no resemblance to one another. This one particularly, on the BBC website, is sooo not Persian in feel! (BBC Good Food Recipes)


I love the Middle-eastern method of mixing meat with fruit and nuts, so that was my starting point; I deliberately decided to omit garlic - but succumbed slightly and added a little to the vegetable couscous!

For the marinade:

Mix together 50 ml olive oil with 1 dstsp lemon curd,  1 dstsp honey, 2 dstsp lemon juice, 1 scant tsp paprika, 1 tsp of ginger purée, 1 heaped tsp of turmeric and the same of cumin. I added just a pinch each of S+P. 

Marinate one chicken breast per person for at least 6 hours - overnight would be better, I think.

To cook: 

Soften a handful of chopped onion in butter and oil and set aside; in the same pan sauté the drained chicken breasts - retaining the marinade - and when the meat starts to colour return the onions to the pan, together with 2 small lemons in thickish slices, and 2 small handfuls of dates (dried). Stir in the marinade, together with 3 dstsp yoghurt and 2 dstsp honey. 

Heat through and scatter with a handful each of flaked almonds and walnut pieces, before baking in a very hot oven for 10 minutes.

Hannah and I had ours with vegetable couscous and salad.

To make, mix the couscous with hot water and leave to stand for about 5 minutes; I gently fried a little chopped onion, courgette, leek, peppers and broccoli florets with 1 tsp chopped garlic and a tbsp of dried mixed fruit in butter and oil, before mixing in the fluffed-up couscous.

My effort may not have been as aromatic as Sarah's, which included sour cherries, preserved lemons and pomegranate molasses - but it was pretty damn' tasty!

Allergic to Indigestible Red Tape

I am sick to the back teeth of  well-paid, fat-cat charity officials dumping more and more of their pet excrement on hard-pressed restaurateurs! (Big Hospitality, 25th January 2012)

What on earth is wrong with allergy-suffers simply opening their mouths before placing their order and asking if a particular dish contains something harmful to them? Instead of bleating for more legislation, why don't these charity saints do something useful - like producing fact-sheets they can mail to every food outlet in the country? Might keep them quiet for a bit!

Leek & Dolcelatte Pasta Gratin

Take two small handfuls of chopped leeks and two spring onions; sweat in a little butter and oil to soften. Mix with 200ml of leek & potato soup - mine was leftover home-made - and bring to the boil.

Add 50g of Dolcelatte and 1 dstsp creme fraiche. When thoroughly combined, add four big handfuls of penne or macaroni cooked to al dente.

Transfer to an oven-proof dish and sprinkle on 2 handfuls of breadcrumbs. Bake in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

Exercising a hobby-horse called "Discretion"

I never know whether to be saddened or comforted when I read that the USA has similar problems with "Nanny" over drink-related matters as here in Britain. (Serious Eats, 12th January 2012).

In many - possibly most - areas now civilised people can't have a slug of wine with a picnic......

Book your place on the merry-go-round

In the wonderful merry-go-round world of commerce, it has been reported that Booker are to take on the likes of Brakes and 3663 with a new service called Chef Direct
(Caterer, 12th January 2011).

Those of us with a longer memory than that of a goldfish may recall that at the end of last century (1999) there was a division/company called Booker Foodservice which was sold off and rebranded as 3663........

SoupOn Promotions

Despite many of the major chains in casual dining claiming last year that they would revert to charging full price for meals in 2012, Restaurant Magazine reports that New Year Resolutions didn't count for much!
(Big Hospitality, 11th January 2012)

PubCo Shenanigans (The saga reaches Parliament)

The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee of MPs is not happy with the government's fudge and have forced a debate on the whoe issue of the tie.
(Morning Advertiser, 11th January 2012)

The Posers Inn (Pub & Kitchen)

Has anyone else noticed that since the term "Gastro-pub" bit the dust, the trendy new label de nos jours - straitened times, and we're all in this together - is "Pub & Kitchen"?

In two separate reports today in Big Hospitality's email digest, the homely new name features heavily.

The New Moon Pub Company (clever name as the principals' surnames are Newman & Mooney) is planning further openings in the North-West after the runaway success of The Lord Binning Pub & Kitchen at Kelsall, near Chester. 
(Big Hospitality, 6th January 2012).

What's more, they've both got solid track records with some of the most successful brands in the industry.

In another story on the expansion of a new pub company, this one called Distinctive Inns, the centrepiece of the operation is a venue called The Riverside Pub & Kitchen, at Newark, near Nottingham. (Big Hospitality, 6th January 2012) .

Not quite so sure about this "joint venture" with Punch!

Toffee Pineapple in Rum Syrup

My first attempt at this dish was two thick slice of pineapples - trimmed, and one cored - sautéed in butter, and then flamed with a dash of dark rum.

When I made it for Hannah, to give a touch more "body" to the sauce, I  added about a dessertspoon of golden syrup - after the fire had died down!

The slight crunch was intriguing - particularly with the Whisky & Ginger ice cream from the "Amazing Freezer Shop" in Old Swan (50p for 500ml; pineapple, 20p clearout at Asda; own label dark rum under a tenner from Morrisons)!

PubCo Shenanigans (Continued)

 After my previous post on the subject (Still Room Whispers, 25th November 2011), I didn't think things could get any more laughable: Think again, Anthony!

Although Ed Davey, the government minister responsible, admitted to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee that the tied model "did not appear to be working", he and his bosses - David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Vince Cable - have taken the decision not to introduce a Statutory Code of Practice for the pub industry. Needless to say, there has been an uproar from tenants and lessees groups: Morning Advertiser, 5th January 2012

Eurosceptic Beer

Tim Martin, the founder of Wetherspoons, seldom misses a trick! Enter "Veto Ale".
Morning Advertiser, 3rd January 2012