Weekly Menu for 19th July - 23 July. Blog for my use (no need to read this post if you like!)
Monday:
Poule au Pot
Ingredients
One fine, fresh free-range chicken
Turnips, onions and celery
One leek
Thyme, bay and parsley for a bouquet garni
Salt and pepper
250ml Cream
50g Butter
Plain white flour
Method
Poule au Pot is a really rich and decadent dish, but it's really simple to make and needs only really simple ingredients.
This classic dish is just root vegetables, onions and a bouquet garni and they all go into the pot with the chicken and cold water.
Simmered for a few hours, the chicken is beautifully poached and has a lovely flavour.
The poaching liquid is reduced and then turned into a sauce simply with cream or possibly a béchamel sauce which gets poured back over the meat.
So first of all the water goes in the pot and the chicken is placed in there while you slice the vegetables, turnips, onions, celery and a leek.
Make a little bouquet garni of thyme, bay leaf and flat leaf parsley and pop that in there.
Pack the vegetables in around the chicken and add a little salt and pepper, but not too much. You season it at the end when you are making the sauce.
Put the lid on and let it simmer for about two hours.
After that lift out the chicken, which is meltingly poached, and take out the vegetables as well.
Now you can reduce the liquid in the same pot.
Strain this now, because there are lots of bits of leek that are still floating in it.
The stock goes back on the heat and it's going to bubble away and reduce by about half before we put the cream in and finish off the dish.
While the fresh chicken stock is reducing, make a simple roux to finish the thickening process.
Start by melting some butter in a small, heavy cast iron pan, into which you sprinkle some plain white flour, and stir it around until the flour has been completely absorbed by the butter.
It's important that the flour is completely cooked before adding the stock.
Gently and slowly pour the stock onto the roux and then do the same with the cream.
Give it a good stir and there you have it: a lovely silky sauce to pour over the chicken.
It is a hit in my home and my pic doesn't do justice to the taste and aroma!
Tuesday!
Plain old spaghetti bolognaise and a delicious Baguette filled with garlic and herb butter.
Wednesday!
Cheddar and Bacon Quiche with a green salad.. quick and easy ... I've got a school meeting and a hungry family waiting for their dinner...always a hit in my home.
Thursday!
Family dinner at dad for his 72nd! Happy Birthday dear dad x
Friday! For Eddie...
Grilled Salmon Burgers with guacamole.
1 side raw salmon
burger rolls
Guacamole.
1 red onoin,finely chopped.
1 red pepper deseeded and finely chopped.
2 avocados,mashed
coriander to garnish
Method
Cut salmon into sizes to fit rolls and sear 1 minute either side,
Combine onion, red pepper and avo in a bowl and chill.
To serve, place guacamole and coriander on the bun and top with the salmon.
Serve immediately.
Delicious. A busy week ahead!
I'll see you soon!
Shel
No comments:
Post a Comment