Tuesday, June 18, 2013

First Birthday of this Blog Today and Catalan Chicken with Chickpeas to Celebrate!

Crikey I can hardly believe it is twelve months ago today that I made my first post for a Hamburger! I started the blog really to catalogue recipes for family and friends, a more modern version of a recipe book. I was surprised that other people actually managed to stumble upon it and thrilled when 12 visitors a day grew and grew and people I had never met from all over the world were making my recipes and I theirs. I have had 53,002 visitors since I started, mind boggling.

I love cooking and entertaining but it has become more difficult to post as often as I still go back to the old favourites that I have posted before, what the blog has done is to make me attempt new dishes and try new things more often, and I have made a great many friends in the food blogging and twitter world.

One of my great highlights of the year was to have Nigel Slater actually reading some posts and rather liking them. Surreal.

 Anyway this is based on a recipe I saw in Saturdays Financial Times only they used Quail! I marinated the Chicken with Salt Pepper a squeeze of Lemon and a tbsp of sweet Paprika only an hour or so, then in a Casserole dish melted some butter with a glug of Oil and browned on both sides the Chicken Breasts and set aside.

I added just a touch more butter and added finely chopped Onion Garlic about two cloves and finely diced celery and Carrot and sweated them off gently for about 20 minutes
 Then add some finely chopped Chorizo and a finely chopped Red Chilli and cook out for a further few minutes I added a generous glass of dry White Wine, and of course poured a glass for myself, all cooks should drink whilst they cook simply rude not too!

Now add about a pint of chicken stock let it simmer...I made in a mortar and pestle a very simple Picada, I dry fried some almonds added them to my mortar and pestle along with a garlic clove some rock salt and a touch of Lemon juice and drop of olive oil and crushed them into a paste which I added to the pot and stirred in.
It helps thicken the sauce and gives a lovely depth of flavour

Now add a jar of Chickpeas (cooked) and top with the Chicken put it on a slow low simmer covered with a lid and cook on the stove for around 20 minutes.

Serve on a plate with freshly chopped Parsley and season to taste Delicious only would be better I think with Quail!

7 comments:

  1. Happy Blogoversary, Johnny!

    I for one am always delighted to see what you're cooking up. (although, I must admit, I don't always comment:)

    It sure sounds like you're enjoying the blogging community and it, you. After a long hiatus from my blog, I too have reconnected with visitors and I'm just loving it! I smile to myself when you made that reference to "a glug oil" I often visit a blog with just that name and I do believe she too is on the other side of the pond. (another fabulous plus to the world of blogging:)

    Thank you so much for sharing and here's to many more blogging anniversaries!

    P.S. Another recipe I MUST pin:)

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  2. Happy Birthday Johnny's Kitchen. A year of blogging to be truly proud of. Your recipes are always so inspiring and look delicious. I'm lucky to have made contact with such an enthused foodie. Keep up the good work Johnny. xx

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  3. Congratulations on your first year! That is brilliant! :-) This dish sounds absolutely scrumptious - perfect celebration food. :-)

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  4. Delicious dishes I have seen on this Blog, Congrats for the First Year of Chopped Chorizos Chili and much more, whish you Excellent luck from Buena Park CA

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  5. Mmm this looks delicious! Happy birthday to your blog too :)

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  6. Happy anniversary! Never really been into chic peas but you make them look inviting!

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