Doubleschampion
THIS YEAR, we are in the fortunate position of having most of the four weeks of festivals fall over Shabbat too and, as we may not be preparing bounteous feasts for the masses, we might be inclined to choose recipes with more elaborate time-consuming prep, or — the way I prefer to go — ones that will do double duty as a hot supper and then as a cold lunch.
The recipes will feed four but you can add another portion or two of chicken or double it up if you want to feed more people or have enough for twice. J u s t r e member to take the leftovers out of the fridge 30-40 minutes before you want to eat them, so it all comes to room temperature and the lovely sweet and lemony juices are free-flowing enough to use as a dressing over your salad leaves, topped with a few toasted pine nuts or crushed hazelnuts.
LEMON, HONEY & GINGER CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
3 lemons — 2 juiced, 1 in wedges
3 tbsp runny honey
3-5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
Leaves from four sprigs of rosemary
50ml mild olive or vegetable oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or 3-4 whole A chicken cut into eighths, or four thighs and drumsticks, or breasts with the skin on 750g small washed new potatoes halved, or 750g large potatoes, scrubbed and cut into cubes or four large red onions peeled and cut into wedges, or a mixture A few sprigs of thyme Salt flakes and freshly ground pepper Paprika
METHOD
● Heat oven to 200°C and line the grill pan of your oven with a double layer of foil. In a small pan, combine the juice from two lemons, honey, ginger, rosemary, oil and garlic and heat gently until the honey has melted.
● Spread out the chicken, skin side up, and tuck the potatoes, lemon wedges, red onions if using and thyme sprigs around the chicken.
● Season with salt, a few grinds of black pepper and paprika and drizzle the sauce over everything.
● Roast for 55 -75 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the potatoes and/or onions are crisp and golden.
ROAST CHICKEN WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus extra for drizzling
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
4 tbsp light olive oil
1 large chicken cut into eight, or equivalent Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 lemon, sliced
2 red onions, sliced
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
Large handful each of chopped parsley, mint and coriander
METHOD
● Mix the pomegranate molasses, dried herbs and oil in a jug; season the chicken with salt and pepper and then place everything except the pomegranate seeds and fresh chopped herbs in a ziplock bag to marinate for at least two hours.
● Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan, gas 5 and then line your dish with foil and put a piece of baking parchment in the bottom.
● Tip the chicken in and arrange skin side up.
● Roast for approximately one hour until the chicken is sticky, caramelised and cooked through.
● Arrange on a serving platter and garnish with the herbs and pomegranate seeds.
AUBERGINE & SHALLOT SALAD
INGREDIENTS
4 small aubergines
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3 banana shallots, finely sliced
1 bunch watercress sprigs or lamb’s lettuce 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
METHOD
● Chargrill the aubergines in a hot oven for 2530 minutes on a baking sheet until completely cooked. They will start to collapse and the skin will be charred and blistered.
● Let aubergines sit in a bowl for about ten minutes; skin them and chop the flesh roughly. Add it back to the juices in the bowl, along with balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper.
● Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over a low-medium heat then add shallots and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
● Mix watercress or lettuce into the aubergine and pile into a serving bowl. Top with crispy shallots; drizzle with pomegranate molasses. louismann.co.uk