Duck Confit

4 Large Duck legs
100g of rock salt
900g of duck fat 
Bulb of Garlic
Fresh Thyme
Whole Orange
Handful of Peppercorns
Cooking time 2 1/2 hours



I have a feeling that people think that duck confit is a bit too cheffy. Well it's not, give it a go, this dish comes from Gascony in France.

Make the Duck Confit at least 24 hours before you want to serve this dish.

Sprinkle with a little of the rock salt turn over and do the same again with the Duck legs .  Add a bulb of Garlic and fresh Thyme .Cover and leave inthe fridge for 24 hours don't leave any longer or the Duck will become to salty.



Wash the salt off the Duck legs and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Add the Duck legs to casserole dish with whole orange cut in half and a handful of peppercorns and make sure they are completely submerged; cook on the lowest heat you can.  Bring the Duck fat to a gentle simmer.






You can also serve with braised red gabbage or frisee salad




Enjoy!

Lemon Chicken

This is a traditional Greek method of cooking chicken and is quite delicious. You can't have too much lemon for this dish.  

1. x 1.3 kg Chicken
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 large onion cut in half
1 Celery stick finely sliced
 Lemon Thyme
2 Lemon
300 ml Hot water

Cover and cook slowly for 70 minutes at electric 200C gas mark 6
 
Heat the olive oil in a casserole pot and brown and seasoned Chicken all over . Remove the Chicken and saute the onion until it becomes transparaent. Add all the remaining vegetable and the lemon thyme and saute for a few minutes. Return the Chicken to the pan on top of the vegetables and pour over the juices of the Lemon.  Cut the Lemon rind into very thin strips and add to the dish. 

        






  Yum, finger licking good!!!

                               

Morning after the night before

After the fast of Good Friday time to slaughter porky pig for breakfast...squell little piggy!


Happy St George's day the sun has got it's hat on so let's talk about drinks.  Since it's St George's day and nothing is more English than Pimms.  Pimms has a long illustrious history going back to before the reign of Queen Victoria.  From humble beginnings all the way to the modern depictions of it, as a hooray Henry drink with the tag line Pimms O'Clock.  Here's our tribute to Pimms;

  • 1 part Pimms to 3 parts Lemonade (a part can be as big or as little as you like)
  • Add all the following to a punch bowl / jug
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Halved or sliced Strawberries
  • Small piece of honey dew melon
  • Whole Raspberries 
  • Whole Blackberries
  • Sprig of mint
  • Best served over lashings of ice







So get all over it like a tramp on chips!!! ;)

Bread from the Olde Country

Today, I'm going to bake Soda Bread.  This is an Irish bread that was popular with land-workers and peasants over the past few centuries.  In last few years it has had a bit of a revival, especially, with celebrity endorsement in the form of Paul Rankins range of Irish breads. 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes Elec: 220C Gas Mark: 8

Ingredients:
8oz of  Strong White Bread Flour
4oz of Strong Brown Bread Flour
1tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda
2tsps of Salt
1tsp Sugar
1 Glug of Olive Oil
1tsp of Golden Syrup
250ml of Buttermilk

Method:
  1. Put oven onto the required temperature. Weight your 8oz of white flour and 4oz of brown flour.  Place them both into a good sized mixing bowl.  Add all the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and mix the ingredients vigourously with your clean hands.  Continue to do this for several minutes until all the mixture is in one ball of dough and there is no dry ingredients left.
  2. Once this is done place your ball of dough onto a clean floured work surface and sculpt into desired shape (this is usually a ball shape).  Once completed score knife in a cross about 1cm thickness into the bread, as shown below.  Place onto greased proof paper will a dusting of flour and place in oven. 

When the bread is ready remove from the oven and test if it is ready by tapping the base.  If it sounds hollow then it is cooked perfectly. 






Why not try this with a ploughmans this weekend and enjoy in the sunshine with a ice-cold glass of quality cider!

Hope you enjoy and I will be back soon with more culinary delights :)

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