Serenading Sundays

For me Sundays are primarily family days and sharing with friends who are family is purrfek. Long lunches, lazy afternoons and then my all time favourite thing, which I didn’t have too much trouble enforcing, my four children had to be home at 20h00 on a Sunday evening, bathed and in their PJ’s ready with blankies, steaming cups of tea and toast in front of the telly to watch the Sunday night movie. That in my books was pure bliss when our house was all dogs, cats and kids.  Now it's just Butch and I!

Today Precious is chief, cook and bottle washer, he has Smokey Citrus Chicken marinating which he’ll serve with a delicious Pineapple and Mint Salsa.   The accompanying Citrusy white wine is chilling and I’ll whip up a fresh leafy salad and the Sunday Surprise is Vietnamese flat bread coated in butter and honey, delicious.

1            whole chicken, flattened

2            cloves garlic, chopped

2            long chilli’s cut (medium heat – optional)

85ml       tomato paste

75ml       soy sauce

15ml       smoked Spanish paprika

4            star anise

5ml        cayenne pepper

2           naartjies/orange, juice and zest of one the other is kept whole to be used later)

125ml    olive oil

30ml      marmalade or honey

15ml      brown sugar

METHOD:

To spatch cock a chicken turn the bird over with the breastbone facing down. Using   kitchen scissors cut along both sides of the spine to remove it.   Flip the bird over again and press down with both hands on the breastbone until it breaks.

To make the marinade:  

Mix together the garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper and star anise. Add the juice of 1 naartjie and the zest of both naartjies, add the olive oil. Mix well.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.Place the chicken in a container suitable for marinating, or a large Ziploc bag, add the marinade.

Marinade for a couple of hours, overnight is best! Remove the chicken from the fridge and braai at room temperature.Reserve the marinade in a bowl and add the marmalade.

Braai the chicken skin side down for 10 minutes until beautifully golden and crispy. Remove some of the coals for a medium heat, baste the chicken with marinade, turning every 10 minutes or so and basting at each turn.Grill for about 30 minutes.

Test by inserting a knitting needle into the thickest part of the meat, if the juice runs clear the chicken is cooked.Remove from the heat, cover with tin foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Cut the second naartjie, sprinkle with brown sugar and grill the two halves flesh down for 3-4 minutes until caramelised and slightly burnt.

Carve the chicken, arrange pieces on a platter, drizzle the warm naartjie juice over the chicken, for a beautiful shine drizzle some olive oil over the pieces too.

Garnish with sprigs of Italian parsley and zest of lemon or naartjie. Bon appétit

 

PINEAPPLE AND MINT SALSA

1             pineapple, cut into dice-sized blocks

1             red chilli, sliced (remove pips for less heat)

1             handful mint, broken into small pieces, (don’t chop mint as it blackens)

1             lime, zest and juice added

1             red onion, chopped

Mix all the ingredients and serve in a pretty bowl at room temperature, flavours intensify at room temperature.

 

VIETNAMESE FLATTENED BAGUETTE

( 3-4 guests, but it’s really moreish so make 2)

 

1           crispy French baguette

45ml      butter, melted

45ml      honey (melt the butter and honey together)

METHOD:

Heat the bread over hot coals turning regularly, 3-4 minutes

Flatten the bread by covering it with a bread board and pressing down firmly

Place inside a clear grill, brush with the melted butter and honey mixture

Close grill and grill for a further 3 minutes turning frequently until bread is crispy, golden and  glistening.   On a board cut into chunky slices. Serve, and wait for the oh’s and ah’s.

  

Dessert should a simple affair like a Pavlova with a Lemon curd my easiest lazy housewife lemon filling, topped with fresh berries and a sprig of mint.  Make an "Eton mess" using this recipe and berries if you're not too sure about a Meringue Roulade

EASY PEASY LEMON FILLING:

1           tin Condensed Milk

2           freshly squeezed Lemons, and grated zest

250ml    cup cream, whipped

Mix the lemon juice, zest and Condensed Milk and fold in the whipped cream.

This recipe can be frozen and used as a lemony ice cream, or use as a mock Cheese cake filling in a biscuit crust garnished with fresh berries.

A lovely filling for a roulade/Swiss roll or rolled meringue which can also be frozen and served as frozen meringue roulade with lemon filling.

Now I’m going to have my Toot the ice is melting!  They say Gin can also give you the blues, can it be?