MARMITE CHICKEN WITH BACON

For some reason, last week I was watching The People’s Cookbook on UKTV and this cute little old lady, Flossie Squires, came on. Now, I probably need to explain what this show is all about. Well, here is the abbreviated summary...there are two professional chefs who choose recipes sent in by viewers. These chefs each choose one viewer’s recipes (usually a main and a dessert each), and then bring in the people who sent the recipes to demonstrate and cook them together. The idea is that the chefs are competing against each other and cook the recipes for a panel of judges (ordinary people like you or me) and whichever recipes are chosen, will eventually be added to The People’s Cookbook when it is published.

Now, going back to the cute little old lady, Flossie (what a great name too!). Well, her recipe for a main was quite simple really. It was basically a roasted chicken...with a twist though. She stuffed her chicken with lemon wedges and herbs, saving two wedges at the end to cram under the wings...then she smeared Marmite all over the chicken before covering it in bacon.

I know – my American friends are saying, “what the hell is Marmite?” Marmite is the Kiwi/British version of Vegemite and it is a very pungent yeast spread that Kiwis, Aussies, and Brits like to use for making sandwiches with or to spread (very sparingly) on toast. It is also good, in moderation as a soup stock flavouring as well. I know I had seen Marmite (and Vegemite) in American groceries on the west coast, so I know it is available if you want to give this recipe a try. (Otherwise, perhaps I can “hook you up” with some...) The folks out here don’t get the American fascination with peanut butter, yet this yeast spread stuff is far more potent than any peanut butter I have ever come across. So – remember to use it sparingly if you plan on eating it straight or adding it to your soups!!!

Anyway, I have changed the recipe just a little, but it was absolutely fantastic and the whole house smelled gorgeous!!! We have a lemon tree in our garden, but I wanted to try this with an orange because I find that lemons are pretty strong when used with chicken. Oranges seem to lend a little citrus without overpowering the other flavours like lemons sometimes can. This recipe is certainly a must try if you like roasted chicken and/or bacon. I have to say also, that no salt is needed due to the saltiness of both the spread and the bacon, so really, garlic and pepper are the only seasonings required! Let’s get this started!


INGREDIENTS:

1 Roasting Chicken (I think mine was about 2 kg, that’s roughly 4-5 Lbs)
1 Large Orange
2-3 Tbsp Marmite or Vegemite (not much flavour variation between the two, really)
2-3 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tsp Black Pepper (more or less)
200-300 Gm Streaky Bacon (about 8 strips or so of American-style Bacon)
½ Cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F).

First cut your orange into several wedges and squeeze just a little juice into a small bowl (perhaps a teaspoon or less – only to help thin the marmite a bit)

Next, add the marmite and garlic then mix thoroughly together.

Now, rinse and pat dry the chicken before sprinkling a bit of pepper inside, and then stuffing all but 2 small wedges of the orange in too.

Next, you will spread the garlicky marmite mixture all over the chicken – top, bottom, sides – before placing the chicken, breast side up, in a shallow roasting dish.

Now, tuck the last two thin orange wedges under the wings before covering the chicken with bacon rashers.

Lastly, you pour the stock (or water, if you don’t have stock) into the bottom of the pan and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes per 500 Gm (per pound) or until the internal temperature is 82° C (180° F).




The bacon can be removed after the first hour if you desire. I cooked my chicken for 2 hours and left the bacon on. It was moist, tender and absolutely fantastic! Now...if you want gravy, you can pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and heat to a boil, and then add a bit of corn flour (corn starch) pre-mixed with either cold milk or cold water to thicken it. Season if desired, and voila!

I par-boiled then roasted potatoes and carrots to accompany our chicken, but you can fix whatever you like as a side accompaniment.

Good health and enjoy!

ROASTED SOUTHERN-STYLE PORK TENDERLOIN

Well, winter is coming...we can all feel it now and I am reluctantly putting my summer clothes, swimming togs, and sandals away and pulling out the warmer jerseys, gloves and coats. I have even draped a scarf or two on my coat rack for easy access in the weeks to come. Although this may be a depressing time for some, I quite enjoy the winter here as it lends so many opportunities for really hearty meals and lovely aromas from the oven cutting through the crisp air.

An absolute MUST TRY if you like lean pork is this genuine American, southern-inspired, makes your mouth water, tenderloin recipe. Even with a touch of seasonal allergies flaring up, I could still smell the wonderful aromas from this one wafting from my oven. I was drooling long before the meat ever made it out of the oven! This is a seasoning combination that I have mucked around with a bit and I think this is perhaps as good as it gets.

Even though I am using (Mexican) chilli powder, it is not “hot”. If you think you’d prefer a bit of bite, you might try adding a hint of cayenne to this mix, but it is very flavoursome just the way I have written it below. The measurements are more “best guess” really and any leftover spice mix was added to a wild rice pilaf cooked in beef broth, which was nice as well.

In any case, let’s get down to it, shall we?

INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms (1 Lb) Pork Tenderloin
¼ Cup (more or less) Olive Oil
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
½ Tsp Thyme
1 Pinch Allspice
2-3 Bay Leaves, finely crushed
½ Tsp Oregano
*Sea Salt
½ Cup Dry White Wine
½ Cup Chicken broth

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to about 220° C (425 ° F).

Line your baking dish or roasting pan with stalks of celery and/or carrots to use as a rack to keep the meat from submerging in the pan juices whilst cooking. (A cool trick I think I learned from Alton Brown.)

First, trim any thick fat if necessary and rinse/dry meat before rubbing with oil and placing into a shallow baking dish or roasting pan.

Mix spices together in a small bowl and rub them over the oiled meat evenly – top, sides and bottom.

Next, pour wine and broth into the bottom of the pan.

Now, put the pan into the oven to roast for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat is between 65 and 70° C (150 and 155° F).

Remember to tent the meat with foil and leave it to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Also, the pan juices can be used to make thin gravy if desired, or simply used as-is to spoon over the meat. This is a nice dish to have with mashed swedes in cream (rutabagas for my fellow Yankees out there) and/or with rice and steamed veggies.

Enjoy!

CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

This is a really good one...although, half the family claims this style of dumplings to be German, and the other half say it’s French (Joie, any opinion?). These dumplings are made more like a sort of noodle rather than an American biscuit or doughy spoonful of half-cooked goo. I think this is what I like so much about my dumplings as opposed to anything you can get in a restaurant or at a friend’s house for dinner.

I thought this would be a good down-home comfort-food style recipe to post in honour of my late Aunt Ruth. She passed away this week after an awful struggle with diabetes and associated complications. She was a real countrified lady who knew her way around a kitchen. I remember her house was always full of music, laughter, and usually a pot-luck style feast for about 20 people or so! She was a real biscuits & gravy, country fried steak, deep fried southern-style chicken, Johnny Cash & Loretta Lynn lovin’ woman.

Aunt Ruth raised some great kids with the help of her husband, my late Uncle Lew, despite not having much in the way of money much of the time. They were never short on love. Her family have all had great faith, strength, and now a knowledge that their Mom is in a far greater place...with the man she loved for most of her life, and the daughter she had recently lost to the angels. Aunt Ruth was a kind and thoughtful wife, mother, aunt, and granny.

The weather is chilling down here now...not much like the heavenly warmth of Hawaii over the last couple of weeks...and I am hankerin’ for some real comfort food, so I hope you try and enjoy this family favourite that my folks shared with me and, that I am now passing on to you.

SOUP ~ INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms (1 Lb) Chicken Pieces, with skin preferred (I use boneless thighs and/or breasts)
*Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, paprika to taste
½ Cup Flour
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Carrots, roughly chopped
2 Celery Stalks, roughly chopped
1 Med Onion, roughly chopped
1-2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
4 Cups Chicken or Veggie Broth
1 – 2 Cups Hot Water - optional

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First lightly season and flour the chicken pieces, and then lightly coat with flour.

Now, in your soup/stock pot, heat oil and quickly brown the coated chicken pieces then move them onto a separate plate to the side for a moment.

Next, add the butter and quickly heat the carrots, celery and onion before adding the garlic and cooking an additional minute.

Return the chicken and add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add hot water if you like more broth in your soup, otherwise this will become quite thick and gravy-like.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer.

Now it’s time to make the dumplings...


DUMPLING ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Flour
1 Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Pepper
½ Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Chicken Fat, skimmed from soup (or oil)
1 Egg
**1 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped

**Only add a bit at a time, enough to bring dumpling dough together into non-sticky firm ball for rolling flat.

DIRECTIONS:

Sift all dry ingredients together into a medium bowl and slowly mix in the fat/oil and the egg.

Carefully add the milk in just a bit at a time until the dough is fully combined and the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, but dough is not sticky. (If the dough becomes sticky, just add a spoonful of flour at a time until the consistency is right.)

Now add the parsley and knead gently on a floured surface.

Roll the dough into a rectangle only about ½ Cm (¼ In) thick and then, using a sharp knife, slice into ribbons and then again crossways into little squares.

Carefully drop the dumplings into the soup and allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy this one – it’s simply delicious.