Brian in the Kitchen Recipes
BRIAN IN THE KITCHEN brought to you by Stittsworth Meats
October 16 2018
Gourmet Full Meals At Home - Chicken and Asparagus with Peach and Almond Desert
Asparagus & Halloumi salad
1 lb asparagus
1/2 lb halloumi (it's a cheese...and delish at that!)
1 bulb of fennel
1 red onion
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 an orange
In a large pan of boiling salted water, boil the asparagus until tender, then refresh in cold water.
Preheat a griddle pan over a high heat. Slice and add the halloumi, then cook until charred, turning occasionally.
Trim and finely slice the fennel, then peel and finely slice the onion.
Place into a bowl with the asparagus and halloumi.
Combine the oil with the orange zest and juice, then season well with sea salt and black pepper.
Pour the dressing over the other ingredients, toss well and serve on a platter while the halloumi is still warm.
Flaky Pastry Pesto Chicken
1 sheet of all-butter puff pastry, (cold)
4 skinless chicken breasts
4 heapeing teaspoons green pesto
1 pound ripe cherry tomatoes, on the vine
Preheat the oven to 425ºF Unroll the pastry, cut it in half lengthways, then cut each half widthways into 8 equal strips. Flatten the chicken breasts by pounding with your fist until the fat ends are the same thickness as the skinny ends. Place them in a roasting tray, season with sea salt and black pepper, spread over the pesto, then lay 4 overlapping strips of pastry over each breast, tucking them under at the edges. Brush with a little olive oil. Lightly dress the tomato vines in olive oil, season and put into a second tray. Place the chicken tray on the top shelf of the oven with the tomatoes below, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken to a board with half the tomatoes, squashing the rest in the tray and discarding the vines. Slice the chicken at an angle and serve next to the asparagus, with the whole tomatoes.
Peach & Almond Alaska
1/3 cup flaked almonds
1 can of peach halves in juice (*fresh peaches are WAY better)
4 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
2 large free-range eggs
1/4 sugar
Preheat the grill to high. Toast the almonds on a tray as it heats up, keeping a close eye on them and removing as soon as lightly golden. Slice up the peaches and divide between four ovenproof bowls, along with their juice. Sit a nice round scoop of ice cream on top of each, and place in the freezer.
Separate the eggs. Put the whites into the bowl of a free-standing mixer (save the yolks for another recipe), add a pinch of sea salt and whisk until the mixture forms stiff peaks (you could use an electric hand whisk). With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar until combined. Spoon into a piping bag (I like a star-shaped nozzle) or a large sandwich bag that you can snip the corner off.
Remove the bowls from the freezer and scatter over the toasted almonds. Pipe the meringue over the ice cream as delicately or roughly as you like. Now – I work two at a time to retain maximum control – pop the bowls under the grill for just 2 minutes, or until golden. Remove carefully and serve right away.