Roast Chicken, Savoury Bread Pudding & Tarragon

 (serves 4)

Ingredients
 
1 organic free-range chicken (about 1.5kg/3lb50z)
1 lemon, halved
fresh thyme
softened, unsalted butter
1 glass white wine
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
For the bread pudding:
450ml/16fl oz milk
1 small bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 whole cloves
grated zest ½ lemon
freshly grated nutmeg
unsalted butter
150g/5oz white bread, crust removed and broken up
1 small onion, peeled and very finely chopped
1 egg and 2 egg whites
salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
Method
1. To make the bread pudding: put the milk, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, cloves, lemon zest and a little nutmeg in a saucepan and heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile prepare the moulds. Brush all over the inside of four chilled dariole moulds with a thin layer of melted butter, then return to the fridge or freezer to chill until the butter has set. Brush with another layer of melted butter and chill again.

3. Put the bread in a bowl, strain over the flavoured milk and leave to soak for 20 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.

5. To prepare the chicken for roasting: set it in a small roasting tin or dish. Squeeze the juice from one lemon half over the bird and put the squeezed half inside the body cavity with some thyme. Truss the bird by tying up the wingtips to the knuckle joints on the legs. Spread softened butter all over the bird, then sprinkle with more thyme (leaves and/or flowertips).

6. Put the chicken into the oven and roast for 1½-1¾ hours, basting with the juices in the tin from time to time. To test if the chicken is cooked pierce the meaty part of the thigh with the tip of a sharp knife, the juices that run out should be clear.

7. Meanwhile, finish the bread pudding. Melt a small knob of butter in a pan and sweat the onion until very soft but not coloured. Add to the soaked bread. Lightly beat the egg with the egg whites and add to the bowl. Mix together thoroughly and season. Spoon into the buttered dariole moulds. Set the moulds on a layer of folded newspaper in a small roasting tin and pour hot water into the tin to come half way up the sides of the moulds.

8. Put into the oven with the chicken to bake for 1 hour.

9. When the chicken has finished cooking, put it on a carving board and set aside in a warm place to rest for 15 minutes. Skim off some of the fat from the juices in the tin. Set the tin over a moderate heat, add the wine and bring to the boil. Check the seasoning, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and the tarragon. Keep hot.

10. Carve the chicken and divide among the hot plates. Turn out the bread puddings and put one on each plate. Moisten the chicken and puddings with the sauce and serve.

Serves 4

1 pound eye round steak, cubed

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon raisins (optional)

5 medium onions, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cups (300 ml) Guinness Stout

8 slices bacon, chopped

3 ounces lard fresh parsley, chopped

double crust pie pastry

1. Cut the steak into bite-size cubes and roll in the salt and pepper seasoned flour. Brown the steak cubes in the lard with the bacon over medium heat in a heavy skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Please the meat in a casserole dish to cool. In the remaining bacon and lard drippings sauté the onions until golden and add to the meat when browned.

2. In a mixing bowl combine raisins and brown sugar with the Guinness. Let stand for 5 minutes for raisins to plump.

3. Add the mixture to the casserole dish, cover tightly and simmer over low heat on in a very moderate oven at 325 degrees F for 2 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally and add a little more Guinness or water if the rich brown gravy gets too thick.

4. Meanwhile, line a deep pie dish with half the prepared pie crust and pre-bake as directed. Add the Guinness and beef mixture from the casserole to the baked pie crust. Cover the meat mixture with the remaining pie crust layer and bake until finished, approximately 10 minutes. Remove pie from the over to cool, slice and serve with potatoes.

5. Variations: Substitute 3 tablespoons honey for the brown sugar. Either ingredient takes the bitter bite out of the Guinness. If you do not care to cook with lard, substitute vegetable oil for browning the meats.

Minted Lamb Pie

 (serves 6)

Ingredients
 
750g – 1kg lamb or hogget
2 Tbsp oil
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 medium-sized parsnips, peeled and diced
1 leek, trimmed, washed and finely diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp flour
1 cup beef stock
1 cup medium sweet sherry or use beef stock
½ cup raisins
2 Tbsp barley or brown rice
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
400g packet flaky puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, beaten (to glaze with)


Cut the lamb into 2-3cm sized pieces. Season well with salt and pepper and brown quickly in hot oil. Set aside.

Add the vegetables to the pan and stir over a moderately high heat until the vegetables begin to brown a little (you may need to add a touch more oil). Stir in the garlic and flour and cook for 1 minute. Do not overcook, as the garlic will burn.

Stir in the sherry or stock, raisins and barley or brown rice and bring to a simmer. Transfer with the lamb to a casserole and cover.

Cook at 160°C until the lamb is tender. Cool, then stir in the mint and season with salt and pepper. Before covering with pastry, cool thoroughly. (If the pastry is placed on a hot filling it will have a soggy layer underneath.)

Transfer the cold mixture to a large pie dish, preferably one with a lip. Place a pie funnel in the center if you have one, or make one from foil. Brush the rim with water or egg glaze.

Roll out the pastry to 2cm larger than the pie dish. Cut a 1cm-wide strip and press this onto the pie dish rim. Then carefully roll the larger piece of pastry over the pie, pressing the top firmly onto the pastry-covered pie rim. Do not pinch the edges together though. Trim the edges.

Brush with egg glaze, being careful to avoid any glaze going over the cut edge of the puff pastry, as it will glue the layers together and prevent them from rising.

Bake at 220°C for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 200°C for a further 20 minutes until the puff pastry is well risen and golden and the filling is hot.