Seasonal dishes ready to share
THE EASIEST AND BEST gatherings are when everyone pitches in. It's sanity-saving for the host, not to mention energy- and moneysaving. And arguably more fun and interesting. But what do you make when asked to bring a plate?
Bestselling author and country cook Sophie Hansen offers seasonally delicious answers to that perennial question. Drawing inspiration from some of her favourite country cooks, friends, family and bring-a-plate traditions, her book What Can I Bring offers the best recipes to share.
The common thread of all Hansen's recipes and gatherings is the community and kindness that binds us. These recipes and ideas will help glue together your own special gatherings.
REALLY, REALLY GOOD ROAST CHICKEN with ORANGE and BAY
I know. It might seem odd at first to suggest a roast chicken as a portable dish, but why not? Don’t we all love picking up a hot rotisserie chicken on the way to a picnic or for a quick meal? Jean-francois’s recipe is the same only so much better (and cheaper). Here, the bird’s cavity is stued with orange, lemon and bay leaves, and these flavours infuse the chicken as it cooks.
Prep time 15 mins; Cook time 1 hour
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (about 1.6 kg/) (the best you can get your hands on)
2 oranges
2 lemons
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
A small bouquet of garden herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage), finely chopped
3 bay leaves.
Buttered boiled potatoes, to serve Ratatouille, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C and line a roasting tin with baking paper. Drizzle with a little olive oil and place the chicken on top.
Combine the zest and juice of one each of the lemons and oranges and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil, bouquet of herbs and a good amount of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cut the other orange and lemon into quarters and stu. these inside the chicken with the bay leaves. Pour the juice and olive oil mixture over the chicken and place in the oven for 1 hour, or until the skin has turned crispy and golden. Every 20 minutes or so, baste the chicken with the pan juices and turn the tray around in the oven to ensure everything cooks evenly.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and cover the tray with foil. One way to check if your chicken is cooked through is to prod the thickest part of the meat and if the juices run clear it is cooked. If you have a digital meat thermometer, the temperature should be 165C.
Let the chicken rest for at least 20 minutes before carving and serving with the buttered potatoes and ratatouille.
Travel advice
If the intention is to serve your chicken cold, then please allow it to chill right down before leaving the house, and maybe make it the day before. Transport in an insulated ice box or cooler. If hot, time things so the chook is coming out of the oven right before you head out, wrap it tightly in foil and place in a snug airtight container, wrap that in a towel and it should stay warm for an hour.
— Serves 6
STRAWBERRY JAM CRUMBLE SLICE
Melt the butter, mix everything together and you’re done! This one couldn’t be easier, but the key thing is to let it cool completely in the fridge before slicing or it will fall apart. Swap the jam with marmalade if you prefer.
Prep time 10 mins; Cook time 1 hour 5 mins
Ingredients
175 g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
A pinch of salt
1 cup (100 g) rolled oats
1/2 cup (45 g) desiccated coconut 180 g plain (all-purpose) flour
1 cup (320 g) strawberry jam, or jam of your choice
Method
Start by browning the butter. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and melt, stirring as you go. Continue cooking until it begins to brown, about 5–6 minutes, then pour into a bowl or jug and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 160C and grease and line a 20 cm square slice tin.
Combine the cooled brown butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, oats, coconut and flour in a bowl. Mix together with your hands until you have a crumbly dough. Press half of this mixture into the base of your lined tin. Spread this with the jam and crumble the remaining dry mixture over it.
Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before chilling in the fridge. Once well chilled, slice into bars. If you try to slice this while still warm it will crumble and collapse. It will still be tasty, but not so much in ‘bar’ form.
Travel advice
Once fully cooled, transport these bars in a tin or airtight container.
— Makes approx. 20 small squares
Recipes and ideas for special gatherings of friends and family