Roast Provencal Chicken

The roasted chicken was another hit of yesterday's memorial dinner.  Even my cousin Lee, a lifelong vegetarian, was briefly tempted by the aroma.  We roast capons. The bigger bird makes for generous portions.  It also takes longer to cook.  If you flatten it, as I described in this post back in January, you can marinate it more readily and the cooking time is dramatically reduced.  This time round we made two. Nyls and I prepared the marinade, I flattened and marinated the birds, and my father, Nick, manned the barbeque!

Prepare the the marinade several days in advance to allow the herbs and garlic to infuse the oil. Combine:
Zest of 3 lemons
2/3 cup of lemon juice (approximately 3 lemons)
3/8 tsp of pepper
1/2 head of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of dried herbs (Herbs de Provence, rosemary, or the classic parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme)
in a Mason jar. This is enough for one chicken.

On the night before or the morning of:
Flatten a 7 pound chicken
Rub with:
Coarse, kosher, or sea salt.
Place the bird in a large baking dish and pour the marinade over the bird. Marinate for up to 24 hours, turning occasionally. If you start the marinade the night before you should cover and put it in the refrigerator.  If it is the day of you can do it at room temperature.

When you are ready to cook the chicken pre-heat the grill to 400 degrees.  Have one side of the grill on and leave off on the other.  Place the bird on the unheated side and close the lid.  The cooking time is approximately 10 minutes per pound.  Baste the bird with the marinade every fifteen minutes or so.  Do not flip the bird or you will break up the delicious, crispy skin!  Remove, cut into pieces, and serve!

The Perfect Pastry

One of the culinary highlights of yesterday's memorial dinner was Lee's quiche.  The foundation was the fabulous pastry.  Here is Lee's recipe!


Knead together:
1 1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup of butter
Until it forms crumbs.  Add:
2 1/2 tbsps of cider vinegar
3 tbsps of water
And knead lightly.  Roll out and form in the pan. If the filling will create a lot of liquid, like peaches or apples you need to bake the crust to prevent it from getting soggy.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prick holes into the crust and line with:
Tinfoil
Fill to the brim with:
Dry rice or beans
and bake for 20 minutes.  The filler keeps the crust from expanding.  Remove the foil and filler and voila!

Quiche is easy, and so Lee made two, one for dinner yesterday, and one for breakfast this morning. Our friend Abby also prepares and freezes prepared crusts so you can whip up a pie whenever you need one.

A Menu for a Mediterranean Memorial

Jacques Ducau in North Africa as a young man

It has been a few months since my Uncle Jacques passed away.  At the time the cold and dark winter made a memorial seem a sadder occasion than it ought to be. My cousin Lee and I planned a gathering in the summer to celebrate and remember. This weekend, while Lee's daughter visited from England,family and friends gathered at my parent's to remember over a few of things Jacques loved most: good conversation, good food, and good drink.  Jacques would have prepared the entire dinner himself. We shared the load, cooked for most of the day, and we found a new appreciation for just how remarkable Jacques was.

 Here is the menu and a pictures!

First Course:
Fresh Cherries
Salmon in Cream Sauce
French Potato Salad
Crudites with Hummus
A Selection of Cheeses
Baguette
Spicy Pickles and Pickled Asparagus

Second Course:
Gherkins
Grilled Hallumi and Baguette
Beet Salad
Corn on the Cob
Flattened Grilled Chicken
Mediterranean Salad
Quiche
Tart Tatin



The day started with rain.  Then the sun came out, a beautiful breeze tempered the heat.  Three generations of of family gathered on the shore. A pair of local pilots demonstrated their dog-fighting prowess in their bi-planes over the Sound.  We ate, drank, and made merry until the sun went down.

The People

Nyls prepares the marinade for the chicken

Lee making pastry for the quiche

Sooneiah after cleaning the beans

Jacques son Jacques with some of the grandkids: Jack, Elyse, and Sooneiah

John's wife Susan enjoying a moment without one of the twins

Nick and Sylvie in one of their favourite spots

The memorial board

Nyls watching the dog-fighting biplanes over the Sound

Aidan tries on Oma Norma's hat

Aunty Norma talking as usual

Nyls and Aija using their spotting scopes

The Food

The Flattened chicken

Beet Salad

Mediterranean Salad

Grilled Hallumi

Tart Tatin

Maria's Campfire Slovakian Goulash

In this day and age we often get caught up in the latest kitchen gadgets.  I have done a fair bit of campfire cooking in my time, from soups and stews to a boiled pudding made in a bag on a mountaintop.  However, it has been a while.  A visit to a friend's house this weekend was a good reminder of how great - and simple - campfire cookery can be.  This is the second year Maria has made us her traditional Slovakian version of goulash while we visited.  It is more like a meaty soup than the recipe we make, and each time the recipe is a bit different, and equally delicious.  The quantities and ingredients are variable, the results are uniformly excellent.

Add:

Stewing Beef

Flank Steak

Hanger Steak

Pork Shoulder

Pork Sausage

Venison (optional, traditional)

Ribs (optional)

Some peeled potatoes

Onions 

Tomatoes

Paprika

Marjoram

Salt 

Pepper

To a large, lidded fireproof pot until it is 2/3 full and cover with:

Water

Hang from a tripod over hot coals and keep at a simmer for seven or eight hours.  For the last hour of cooking add:

More potatoes.

Serve hot with fresh bread.

I have seen many people struggle to cook over a campfire.  The problem is that they try to cook over fire as opposed to coals.  The trick is to make hot coals as quickly as possible, and then feed them from a fire at the side.  The secret is the log cabin approach to fire building.  Old Boy Scouts may swear by the teepee, but nothing makes a good bed of coals faster than a log cabin.  The cabin also acts as a chimney, and you heat the pot before the coals are ready.  Adjust the height of pot over the fire to get the desire temperature.  

Simply Salad Dressing

In this day and age it is hard to compete with the massive industrial processed food machine. If you have ever tried parching your own corn, shelling peas for a big batch of fresh pea soup, or making your own jam you know it is a labour of love. The payoff is knowing where your ingredients have come from and the certainty that the person who grew them has received a fair price for his toil. There are some things where the effort is just too great for the payoff.  Enter Jennifer Reese, the Tipsy Baker.  She did the math, and compiled a list of where the investment in time and energy really pays off in, "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter." If you have not read it yet, it is not too late.

Salad dressing is one of those high return on investment items.  The ingredients are simple, preparation and cleanup are a breeze, and you will save an arm and a leg.  You can also skip cheap oils and chemical emulsifiers like Polysorbate 60 with natural ingredients that have the same effect. There is also a nifty little trick to emulsify your dressing I will relate below. Nyls will provides a handy demonstration of how simple this is as well!

In a glass one cup measure add:
1/3 cup acid (wine vinegar, cider vinegar, balsalmic vinegar, lemon juice lime juice, verjus, or a mixture)
1 tablespoon mustard (choose a flavour to complement the acid)
1 tbsp dried herbs or 3 tbsp fresh herbs (you can use leftovers from a pickle jar as well)
1 clove fresh or pickled garlic (again, leftovers from a picke jar are handy)
1/2 teaspoon of sweetener (sugar or honey, or a tablespoon of balsalmic glaze)
Optional: 1 cooked egg yolk
Stir together and let sit for a while if you have time. Add:
Oil (usually olive* or walnut oil, or peanut oil for an Asian themed dressing at the Hotel Cavell)
Until you have a full cup. Put a small whisk in the cup and spin it between your palms.  Between the air this introduces and the natural emulsifiers in the mustard your dressing will take its time separating.  A quick shake a few days later and you are ready to go.  Decant the lot into a serving bottle and serve.  Store it on the shelf.  None of these ingredients will go bad, especially together.

With this recipe in hand the only reason you should  have left to buy another bottle of Renee's admittedly delicious vinagrette is for the bottle.  You could pay for a salad dressing bottle from your local kitchen supply place. However, one worth paying for will probably set you back as much or more than the salad dressing did. Yet another way to avoid the man getting his pound of flesh from us foodies! 

* Remember that Tom Mueller found that the vast majority of olive oil on grocery store shelves has been adulterated with cheaper oils.  The taste and fridge tests are not reliable, so look for an oil that has been sourced directly from the grower.  You will pay for it, but not as much if you buy in bulk. Five litres of oil will set you back 60% less per litre than a single one.  Or go big with 25l and share with friends!

Come Join Us For Our Year In Food

Its been another busy year at the Hotel Cavell. The spring markets have been loaded with good things to eat.  Before the cycle begins again here's a quick retrospective of some of what's been on the table since last spring!

Come join us this year for even more good things to eat and drink!

Two Big Guys Cook Risotto

One of the joys Toby Stevenson and I share is cooking (though we each have our own copy).  A little bit back we got together to see if there was a difference between cooking risotto the traditional way or in a pressure cooker.  Watch here to see the results!

His Wit is as Thick as Tewkesbury Mustard!

Suzy and I have had the pleasure of visiting Tewkesbury.  While there we enjoyed its local specialty made famous in Shakespeare's Henry IV; a thick mustard.  It has a hefty proportion of horseradish to give it an extra kick.  We brought home a recipe which we've adapted over the past decade into the form below. The batch I threw together on New Years Day was so well received that we've had several requests for the recipe. Here it is!


Grind:
1/2 cup of yellow mustard seeds
1/2 cup of brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of mixed peppercorns
coarsely in a seed grinder or mortar and pestle. Leave some whole seeds intact. Remove to a bowl and add:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup dark beer
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cup freshly grated horseradish
Adjust the beer/vinegar until you have the desired consistency.

If you would like a spicier mustard let the grated horseradish sit for a few minutes before adding it to the vinegar and mustard. It is also worth remembering these immortal words Juvenal attributed to Henry V, "War without fire has no value, no more than sausages without mustard." Enjoy!

Orzi e Pisi al Limone

If you mention orzo in Canada most people will think you has the pasta in mind.  However, the pasta shape is named after the grain its named for, namely barley.  Another surprise is that barley (or orzo) substitutes readily for rice.  When prepared in the manner of risotto the creamy texture is familiar, while the nutty flavour and "al dente" texture of the barley makes for a delicious variation on a familiar theme.  Enjoy with a glass of sparkling wine!

Over medium heat in a small saucepan bring
4 cups chicken stock (unsalted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
to a simmer.  In a frying pan or dutch oven over medium-low heat melt

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Add the whites and pale green parts of :
3 medium leeks, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
and sautee until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add:

1 cup pearl barley
and stir until coated with the oil and butter. Add:
1/2 cup of white wine
and stir until absorbed.  Add:
1/2 cup of warm stock
and stir until absorbed, approximately 4 minutes.  Adjust heat if too fast or slow. Repeat until you have a half cup of stock left and add:
1/2 cup of stock
1 cup of frozen or fresh peas
Stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed and then add:
2 tablespoons of whipping cream
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 to 1 cup of parmesan cheese
Blend in and serve immediately sprinkled with:
Chopped mint leaves
Parmesan cheese.

Quantities can vary, so watch the stock to ensure it does not evaporate too quickly from the side pot.  Add a little water if it is reducing too quickly.  Also, towards the end of the stock start tasting between rounds, and stop when the barley reaches the desired texture.

Arroz con Pollo Anyone?

Along with Julia Child's Beouf Bourginon this is one of the greatest dishes we've ever made. While we follow Julia's Beouf recipe religiously, we've introduced a few variations to this classic Spanish dish to both make it a bit more authentic and flavourful.  Remarkably, the subtle aroma of the basmati rice not only survives but combines with the saffron and paprika into a delightful whole.

Separate:
1 whole chicken (approximately 6 lbs)
into serving sized parts.  Season with:
Salt
Pepper
Heat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Brown the chicken on all sides in batches, then remove to a bowl.  Pour off all but:
4 tablespoons of fat 
from the pan.  Reduce the heat to medium and add:

2 large onions, chopped
6 ounces of sliced Serrano ham (or prosciutto) cut into small squares
Sautee until tender but not brown (approximately 5 minutes) and add
3 cups basmati rice
Stir until the grains are coated with fat.  Add:
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
2 teaspoons of Spanish paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoons of ground pepper

Cook for one more minute.  Add:
5 cups of chicken stock or broth
3/4 teaspoon of oregano
3/8 teaspoon of saffron threads
Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the bottom of the dutch oven to remove any brown bits.  Return the chicken and any juices to the pot.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.  Check to see if the rice is ready.  If it is not, give it 5 more minutes. When the rice just about right, stir in:
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup of roasted red peppers cut into strips
1/2 cup of triple rinsed whole green olives stuffed with pimentos
Cook five minutes more and remove from the heat.  Do not be concerned if all of the liquid has not been absorbed.  Let stand covered for 15 minutes and the remainder of the liquid will be absorbed. Share and enjoy!

For the stock we recommend using extra giblets and necks as it's much more strongly flavoured than what you can buy off the shelf.  This balances the potent effects of the saffron and paprika.  

How to Flatten a Chicken in Three Easy Steps

I have seldom seen a flattened chicken served. This is a shame, as while a little messy, it is a quick and easy process.  It also eases marinating a whole bird, dramatically reduces the cooking time, and makes a great impression when served at a dinner party.  While tonight's big cook will be Arroz con Pollo, which requires that I dissect our six pound bird from Fresh from the Farm into parts, it seemed like a good opportunity to document the process.  All that is required is a cutting board, a sharp knife, and a good pair of kitchen shears.  The high carbon steel knife and shears are two of the most used implements in our kitchen, and both are courtesy of Lee Valley Tools. We usually buy our birds frozen, and then thaw them.  If the bird is still partially frozen it makes managing and cutting it easier.

The first step is to remove the bird's backbone  Flip it over on its breast bone and score the skin with the knife.  Then, take the shears and cut along the lines an pop out the backbone.

Spread the body until you hear a crack as the breastbone loosens. You will now see the the bottom of the breastbone under a membrane.  Score the membrane with the knife on both sides, then use the knife to separate the white meat from the breastbone.  The only trick is to avoid cutting through the skin. You can do this by making smooth angled cuts.  The fat will help keep the knife from going through as well.

Towards the neck hole there are some bigger bones.  Take the shears and cut through them, pop out the breast bone.  Flip over the bird and you're done!

You can avoid wasting the bits if you make stock at the same time.  The fresh chicken and giblets make for the best flavour.  Just make sure to strip off the skin first so the stock isn't too fatty!

Enjoy!