Check out this month's delicious recipes from the always great Marjorie, as told to Gerry this month on the #MidMorningShow. Some lovely, warm and simple to make recipes in here, with a couple of delicious specials too! Bon Appétit!

 

Marjorie`s Kitchen

                                                                                    Normandy Chicken                                                                                           

Ingredients:

28g (1oz) butter (and more as required)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts each, cut diagonally into 3 strips

2 eating apples, quartered, cored and thickly sliced, skin on

227g/8 oz chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered

90ml/6 tbsp Calvados

132ml/6 rounded tbsp (or 200ml pot) crème fraiche

salt and pepper

2 handfuls (30g) flat-leaf parsley, slightly chopped

Serves 4

Method:

1.         Season the chicken breasts.  Heat a generous knob of butter in a large frying pan until its foaming.

2.         Add the chicken and cook over a high heat for about 10 minutes until browned all over and partly cooked.  Set aside on a plate.

3.         Add another knob of butter to the same pan.  When it’s foaming, add the apple slices and cook them until lightly browned.  Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the plate with the chicken.

4.         Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook them over a fairly high heat for about 4 minutes stirring well, until they are slightly softened.  Return the chicken breasts and apple slices to the pan and reheat everything.

5.         Pour in the calvados and if you want to burn off the alcohol, ignite it (see note) being careful to stand back until the flames subside.

6.         Next stir in the crème fraiche, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is smooth and bubbling.  Cook for a further 10-12 minutes until the chicken is tender.  Add chopped parsley and mix quickly through the calvados chicken as a garnish and for colour.  Serve this dish with potatoes and French beans.

 

Note 1: If you want to burn off the calvados, you can ignite it after you have added it to the hot pan, standing back and ignite using a long match or taper and stand over until the flames have died down.

 

Note 2: This is a great dish for a Fork Supper or Buffet.

 

Tip: Calvados

Calvados is an apple brandy from Normandy, if unavailable, you may use brandy.

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Chicken Fajitas  

Ingredients:

3 chicken fillets sliced lengthways

2 limes, grated zest and juice

10ml/1 dsp caster sugar

30ml/2 tbsp dried oregano

7.5ml/1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper

5ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 orange pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced

45ml/3 tbsp. vegetable oil

8 flour tortillas

Serves 4

To serve:

Guacamole

Tomato salsa

Soured cream

Grated cheddar cheese

 

Method:

1.         Place the sliced chicken breasts in a large bowl.  Add the lime zest and juice, caster sugar, oregano, cayenne and cinnamon.  Mix thoroughly and set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes – longer if you have the time.

2.         Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper.

3.         Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chicken (and onion) and cook for 5-6 minutes, until tender.

4.         Stir in the pepper and onions and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until the chicken strips are cooked through and the vegetables are soft and tender.

5.         Spoon the chicken mixture into a serving dish.

6.         Cook tortillas as per pack instructions.  Keep the tortillas wrapped in a tea towel.

 

To serve:

Spread a little salsa over a warm tortilla and top with a spoonful of guacamole.  Heap a tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the centre, finish with a dollop of soured cream and a little grated cheese.  Fold the tortilla over the filling and serve straight away.

 

Note: It is also nice to serve this with some crème fraiche mixed with sweet chilli sauce.

 

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Guacamole                                                                                      Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:                                                                                                Ingredients:

3-4 medium ripe avocados                                                                 4 vine tomatoes skinned, deseeded and chopped

½ small onion, finely chopped                                                            1 green chilli chopped

30ml/2 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped                      `                       ½ red onion, chopped
Juice of 2 limes (to taste)

1 small chilli deseeded and chopped (optional)                                     15-30ml/1-2 tbsp. coriander

 5ml/1tsp salt                                                                                  Juice of 1 lime

                                                                                                Sea salt

                                                                                   

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste.

Method:

1.         Scoop out the flesh from the avocado and mash with a fork (not too mushy).

2.         Stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste using more salt or lime juice, if wishes.

3.         Cover lightly with cling film and refrigerate (will keep for three days)

                                                                                   

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                                     Rack of Lamb {Carré d`Agneaux aux Cerises}                                            

Ingredients:

1 rack of lamb, 6 cutlets, `frenched`

Salt, pepper, freshly ground

1 tin of red cherries

2 sprigs of rosemary

150ml/1/4 pt of white wine

20g cornflour

1 orange

28g/1 oz olive oil

Preheat oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas 6

Serves 2

Cherry Sauce:

(Sauce aux Cerises)

1.         Empty the cherries with the juice into a saucepan.

2.         Add rosemary, salt, pepper and wine.

3.         Simmer for 10 minutes.

4.         Mix cornflour with a drop of water until mixture is thick but runny.

            Gradually add to cherry sauce until thickened.

5.         Simmer for 5 minutes and squeeze orange juice into sauce and put aside.

 

Lamb

1.         Sprinkle the racks with salt and pepper.

2.         Put lamb in roasting tray, and pour oil over the rack bone up.  Put in the preheated oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, depending on the age of the lamb and how you want it cooked.  Pink is best to eat lamb.

3.         Remove lamb from the oven, cover with tinfoil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.  Resting roasted meat allows the juices to redistribute evenly thereby making the meat more tender and flavoursome.

4.         Carve into 6 cutlets and sauce aux cerises.

 

Marjorie`s Tip:

Most butchers will be happy to `French` the racks for you, otherwise you can often buy them in the supermarket ready prepared.  Serve with mint sauce, and/or redcurrant sauce, new potatoes, carrots and French beans.

Continued….Three Sauces that go nicely with Lamb

 

Black Olive Tapenade

170g/6oz pitted black olives

4 tinned anchovy fillets

2 cloves garlic

60ml/ 4 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil

Salt, pepper and sugar

 

For previous recipes from Marjorie's Kitchen, check them out here.