French Rabbit Casserole with Lemon & Garlic

 Or as this dish is called in France "Lapin en Cocotte au Citron a L'ail", why is it that to the English at least, dishes sound so much more appetising in French or Italian!

This recipe is from Daniel Galmiche's brilliant "French Brasserie Cookbook" and whilst its a simple dish it does need to be cooked with some care.

In France, Spain and Italy, Rabbit is hugely popular yet in England it is less common. It is very much like Chicken but with a more gamey flavour and I would really encourage you to try it

Its the first time I had attempted this recipe and on reading it through I thought it would benefit from the addition of white wine, but I followed the recipe to the letter and rather glad I did, wine would have changed this dish to something completely different, as it was the sauce was a light syrupy delight.

So for the first time at least, stick to the recipe. This is a spectacular dish a beautiful marriage of flavours and a recipe I whole heartedly urge you to try.

Pre heat your oven to 180c. Put the zest and juice of a lemon in a bowl with a couple of tbsp of Olive Oil and add your Jointed Rabbit, season with Salt and Pepper and let it marinate for 5 minutes.

In a large Casserole dish add 15g of Butter and a good glug of Olive Oil and put on a medium high heat and sauté the rabbit pieces until golden brown, takes around 8 minutes each side. Now add 4 Garlic cloves unpeeled crushed with the flat  edge of your knife and the Lemon marinade, turn the heat down slightly and stir to deglaze your pan.

Reduce the liquid for around 5 minutes until it is slightly syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Add a 500ml of Chicken Stock, I had added the heart liver and head of the Rabbit to a Chicken stock to get more Flavour, and poured it through a sieve into the casserole dish with a couple of sprigs of fresh Thyme bring to the boil and put in the oven 30 to 35 minutes.

After half an hour remove the rabbit from the casserole dish onto an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm in the oven. Return the Casserole dish to the hob and bring the cooking liquid to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, for about 5 minutes until the sauce has the consistency of a light syrup.

Pour the sauce over the Rabbit and serve with some Chopped Parsley and a buttered Spinach

Spanish Roast Chicken

 I have had the most splendid Easter break eating out at some excellent Restaurants for three days running and drinking rather to much, that for Bank Holiday Monday I was ready for a really hearty comforting dish. Had a plump Chicken in the fridge and really wanted to make something very Spanish with it, trawled the internet to find that other than Jamie"s Chicken with Chorizo, A dish never seen in Spain,  there really wasn't that much out there, so set about creating something of my own that would reflect the food and Sunshine that we are so fortunate to enjoy in Andalusia.

 I put two Tsb of Smoked Paprika and one of Picante Paprika into a bowl and added a glug of Olive Oil, and covered this mix over the Chicken, Stuffed the Cavity with some crushed Garlic Cloves and seasoned well with some Salt and a sprinkling of Paprika, and let it sit on the Kitchen worktop on a platter for around half an hour.

I boiled some Potatoes for around 5 minutes along with a Lemon, Placed the hot Lemon which I pierced with a knife into the cavity along with a handful of Parsley Stalks.

Once the potatoes had cooled slightly added the Chicken and Potatoes to the Roasting Tin along with 4 chopped carrots a Sliced Onion 3 Cloves of Garlic and a couple of sliced Tomatoes.

Poured into the tin A good glass of Manzanilla, Fino would do and a Pint Chicken Stock. Seasoned the bird well with Salt flakes and Black Pepper, sprinkled on some dried Oregano and dried Parsley and put in a hot oven at 220c for an Hour.

After an hour I added a handful of black Olives and some Peas and returned to the oven for ten Minutes, Placed the Chicken onto a Platter covered in Tin Foil to rest and returned the tin with the Potatoes and vegetables to the Oven for another 15 minutes.

The dish was so Delicious,I added some Fresh chopped Parsley to the finished dish and served with ladles of the gorgeous jus, the flavours and colours of Spain, mopped up with some fresh Ciabatta bread.

Andalusian Leg of Baby Lamb

When it comes to Lamb we are all to a certain extent at the mercy of our Butcher, and mine did a sterling job with this Milk Fed baby Leg of Lamb, One Leg perfect for two people.

Couldn't be easier, take the Lamb out of the fridge about an hour before you are going to cook it, Pierce it with a sharp knife to make some little holes. Now chop one sprig of Rosemary very finely and put in a bowl with a good glug of Olive Oil,  grate the Zest of a lemon and add Salt and Pepper and spread this over the Lamb using your hands to rub it in.

Par Boil some Potatoes cut in to halves, and let the steam and cool. Slice an Onion and put into a clay casserole dish along with half a sliced Red Pepper, two crushed cloves of garlic a couple of Carrots and a glug of Olive Oil making sure they are all coated. Put the potatoes on top another glug of Oil some Dried Parsley sprinkled on  and then place your Leg of Lamb on top.

Put it into a preheated Oven at 220c, after ten minutes turn the heat down to 200c, Twenty minutes later  add a glass of white wine and a glass of Stock and let it cook in total for an hour.

I use this time to make a fresh Mint Sauce, not very Authentic but I like the way its acidity cuts through the Lamb.
After an hour take out the Lamb and wrap it in tin foil, let it rest for at least half an hour, I put the vegetables and Potatoes back in the oven to brown them all up. So delish all those meat juices have absorbed into the sauce and Potatoes so yummy.

I served with some fresh Peas.

Poulet a L'estragon

 I have been reading Elizabeth David recently , how inspirational! To think she wrote in the 1950's and 1960's a time in post war Britain when Olive Oil, Aubergines, even Courgettes were unheard of. She was very much a pioneer in bringing the colours tastes and aromas of the Mediterranean to our table.

Such an endearing character , a National Treasure. Her writing is beautifully crafted , there is a Waugh, Woodhouse style to it which is wonderfully nostalgic and a pleasure to read.

I was very keen to attempt Poulet a L'estaragon, as Elizabeth David puts it "Tarragon has quite a remarkable affinity with Chicken" beautifully put and so true

Taking a plumb Roasting Bird I made a stuffing for the cavity of Garlic a handful of fresh Tarragon chopped and mixed it into about 100gm of Butter added some salt and Pepper and put in the cavity along with a hot stabbed whole Lemon.

Generously covered the bird with Olive Oil and Seasoned well. Put the bird into a preheated Oven at 200c on its side, after twenty minutes baste and flip to the other side after a further 20 minutes put the bird Breast side up for another 25 minutes.

After the hour and five minutes take the bird out of the oven and add a ladle of flamed Brandy over the whole Bird and return to the oven for five minutes.

Take the bird out and tip it up to let all that Tarragon butter run into the juices in the tray and set the bird to one side covered in tin foil to let it rest.

Spoon off any excess fat and add a wine glass or so of fresh Cream, and stir, I then tipped into another pan and reduced, added a splash of Madeira and some fresh Tarragon.

The result is sumptuous it lifts a basic Roast Chicken into a dish of Escoffier proportions. I was surprised how good it was, definitely in my top ten favourite dishes.

Yorkshire Pudding

You simply can't have Roast Beef without Yorkshire Puddings, this is a fool proof recipe to ensure perfect risen Yorkshire Pudding every time.

I use a half pint Beer Glass fill it to the brim with Plain Flour, Sieve that into a bowl and crack in 3 large fresh Eggs, tsp of Salt and a generous milling of Ground black Pepper. Then I add 4 tbsp of dried Parsley, but you could use finely chopped Fresh Rosemary or Herb de Provence.

Now fill the Beer Glass to the brim with full fat Milk, and using an Electric hand whisk gradually add to the Bowl, a little at a time. Now add just over half a glass of tap water, whisking all the time and put into the fridge for twenty minutes.

Use a muffin tin, they are deeper, add a drop of vegetable Oil to each hole and with your finger rub around the edge of the hole and put into a preheated Oven at 220c for ten minutes so that the Oil is Smoking Hot

Take the mixture out of the fridge give it another whisk so it bubbles up and transfer to a measuring jug,  just makes it easier to pour, Take the Tray from the Oven carefully it should be smoking hot and add the mixture up to the top of each hole, Place in the Oven for twenty minutes, Don't open the oven door, now turn the oven down to 200c, They should be brown and have risen, It takes up to 45 minutes depending on your Oven.

Roast Beef

 During the First World War the French referred to the British Soldiers as Roast Beef, so what could be more fitting for Remembrance Sunday.

To be honest it's almost certainly the one dish British do better than anyone else. I buy Rib of Beef on the bone, this joint weighed just over 3 kilos, it had been hung for 50 days, my butcher did me very proud indeed.

I always take the joint out of the fridge first thing in the morning to bring it up to room temperature. In true Delia Smith fashion I mix 4 Tbsp of Plain Flour with 3 Tbsp of English Mustard Powder Season with freshly Milled Black Pepper and rub onto the meat.

Then put the Meat into a sturdy Roasting Tin with Two Onion Halves that will help to flavour the Gravy.
Place in a preheated Oven at 220c for twenty minutes, then turn the heat down to 180c and for Rare I cooked for an hour and a half, Medium probably 2 hours in total.

Then let the Meat rest for at least 30 minutes, longer if you can covered in tin Foil, and keep adding the juice as it comes out the joint to your Veal Stock.

To make the gravy and 2tbsp of the Flour Mustard Mix to the roasting tin after spooning off most of the fat from the tray, and mix it together with a spoon on the heat, Then add a good Glass of Red Wine to the pan scrape all those black bits from the tin and with the blackened Onion you will get so much Flavour, gradually add the Veal Stock, stirring to thicken and then pour through a Sieve into a Pan. Unbeatable!

French Lemon & Thyme Roast Chicken

I first had this dish many years ago in a little Restaurant in Provence but this was the first time I have made it for Friends at Home, It was Gloriously easy and a delicious Sunday Lunch It made too.

The Summer Scent of Lemon and Thyme filled the Kitchen, Whilst I chatted with friends drinking  Red Wine, We were all starving by the time our late Lunch was served, and it didn't disappoint. I will be making this more often.

I slow Roasted it, which I always do with Roasting Chickens, makes them infinitely more juicy. Start by washing out the cavity and dry with Kitchen Paper.
After a generous sprinkling of Salt into the cavity I Cut a Lemon into quarters and placed it in the cavity with 4 cloves of Garlic and a bunch of Fresh Thyme and a Bay Leaf

Then I made a Thyme Butter to stuff under the skin, to keep the bird moist.

In a bowl a put a drizzle of Olive Oil , the juice of a large Lemon a drop of Light Soy Sauce and a generous helping of Honey and mix them together, The fragrant bitterness of the Lemon is balanced with the sweetness of the Honey. With a sprig of Thyme as a brush, brush the marinade all over the bird reserving about a third of the mixture.

Put the Bird in a Roasting tin add a Glass of White Wine to the Tin and about half a pint of Chicken stock and place in a pre heated Oven at 90c for an hour and a half. then let it rest for 45 minutes turn the heat up to 210c brush on the remaining marinade Season with Salt and Pepper and return the Bird for a further 20 minutes.

The skin caramelises with the Honey and looks just sensational, rest the Bird for a further 15 minutes before serving.

I sieved the juices from the Roasting tin into a pan Whisked in some butter and served as a delicious Gravy, Try it, it really is very Good.

Boulangere Potatoes

Another French classic that I cook a lot, couldn't be simpler and couldn't be more flavoursome. Boulangere Potatoes take their name from the days when people would take their pots of Potatoes to the bakers to cook in the bakers ovens.

Slice very thinly Potatoes then slice equally thinly Onion and in a buttered dish layer Potatoes then Onions then Potatoes and so on, I added some dried Parsley and Fresh Rosemary seasoning each Layer, Now add lots of knobs of Butter on the top and add Chicken stock halfway up the dish, Then some Milk until it is three quarters full. Place in a preheated Oven for around an Hour until the surface is crisp and golden the underneath is tender and creamy. It is delicious the Potatoes soak up all the stock and herb flavours.

Roast Belly Pork

Sunday wouldn't be Sunday without a Roast, to be honest it was too hot and clammy to make a roast, but I did anyway.

Roast Belly Pork, this is a recipe partly Jamie Oliver partly with the help of The Ample Cook, I scored the skin with a Stanley knife and rubbed in rock salt ,turned it over and seasoned with salt and ground black pepper, put it in a heavy based roasting tin at 240c for 30 minutes.

The skin crisped up and went golden, at the end of the day this is all about crackling and juicy meat. I turned the oven down to 160c, half way between what Jamie suggests and the Ample cook!

After an hour, I lifted the meat to a board and added carrots,  garlic cloves, an onion chopped in half and some pre par boiled potatoes and thyme, then placed the meat on top turned up the heat to 180c and cooked for a further hour. The kitchen by this time had reached screeching temperatures it was like a wretched furnace, drank an Ice cold beer, which helped!

After the hour was up, I took the meat from the oven put on a board covered in tin foil, put the roast potatoes in a serving dish and kept warm discarded the carrot,Plated up the roast onion, spooned off the fat from the roasting tray to a bowl and added Chicken stock to the roasting tin and stirred scrapping all the black bits from the tray to make a lovely gravy,Poured through a sieve into a pan and kept on a low heat.

Then served and loved it,Make no mistake this really is an absolutely belting dish, But probably not mid August in Andalucia! Only mad dogs and Englishmen...

Roast Chicken with Basil and Lemon

I adore all roast meats but Roast Chicken is always popular in our house,I wanted to give it a Summer twist so French Slow Roasted(see my previous post for Slow French Roast Chicken) but made a herb butter with a dozen basil leaves and a clove of Garlic bashed up in the pestle and mortar,with a small drizzle of Olive Oil to loosen it slightly, And some grated lemon zest and mixed into the butter to stuff under the skin and smothered over the legs and skin.

Stuffed the cavity with a lemon,which I blanched with the potatoes pricked it with a fork so the steam would escape into the bird put in handful Basil Stalks a bay leaf. Sprinkled from a height over the bird some dried parsley salt and Pepper, lemon zest and a little glug of Olive Oil.

I served with some roast potatoes which I had cooked with the chicken and then finished them off in a hot oven with some sunflower Oil until they were beautifully crisp and golden,and some Courgette sautéed in a little Olive Oil.Mind blowingly good.....

Goose Fat Roast Potatoes

When it comes to roast potatoes cooking them in Goose fat makes for the King of roasties Crisp on the outside and soft in the middle.

There was a time when it was almost impossible to buy Goose fat,now its widely available in jars and tins and what a difference it makes.

Simply par boil your potatoes in salted water,for around 4 minutes,drain and shake them around to slightly bash the edges to help them crisp,then leave to steam and cool.

Put your goose fat in a roasting tray in the oven at 220' until its smokingly hot and carefully add the potatoes and some unpeeled cloves of garlic to the tray,after 20 minutes turn them over and add some rosemary,another ten minutes or so they should be golden,crispy and ready to take out of the oven serve sprinkled with rock salt.

French Slow Cooked Roast Chicken

The Juiciest Chicken Guaranteed

This is by far the best way of making a Roast Chicken,Start by making a herb butter in a bowl,simply add dried herbs parsley herb de Provence,whatever you fancy in a bowl

Now,wash out the bird,including importantly the cavity and pat dry with kitchen towel,season the inside of the cavity with salt,quite a lot.

Now lift the skin and put your finger under the skin over the breast without breaking the skin,it will come apart easily and stuff your herbed butter under the skin,any remaining butter use to smear over the top of the skin,I kept the bird trussed,just for appearances, so I slashed with a knife some grooves into the legs to help it cook evenly sprinkled with dried herbs salt and pepper and put a bay leaf some sprigs of fresh Rosemary ,a bit of fresh sage and some fresh thyme,and half a lemon and clove of unpeeled garlic into the cavity

I cut into quarters a bulbous spring Onion and put in the roasting tray for with a glass of white wine,and put in a pre heated oven at 90',yep 90' for one and half hours...Now take it out and let it rest for 45 minutes,turn the oven up to 220' and return for around 20 minutes,let it rest for another 15 minutes covered in foil,I promise you it is soooo Juicy

Once you have a bird as juicy as this I promise you won't go back to quick high heat roast chicken again,I had a lovely Fastino V with it,well several bottles because it takes time to cook,Heaven on a plate,I served with just the Jus from the roasting tin roasted potatoes some vegetables and the crunchy sweet Spring Onion

The Best English Roast Lamb

Take a two kilo joint of lamb preferably Halal,it cooks better,Finely chop three to four stalks of rosemary add the zest of a lemon,and two very finely chopped cloves of garlic,mix with a good swig of olive oil in a small bowl and season smear over the lamb,helps to make incisions in lamb and massage into the meat


Peel and half potatoes and par boil in salted water,shake the pan after draining water to bash the edges,put in a roasting tray along with rosemary and a tablespoon dried Parsley and 4 or 5 unpeeled garlic cloves,give a very good glug of olive oil,season well with rock salt and black pepper.

Place the meat over the potatoes in a roasting tray,give another glug of oil add two halves of lemon and place in a roasting tray at 220" for 10 minutes,turn down the heat to 200" and continue to cook for 65 minutes,then wrap the lamb in tin foil and rest for at least 30 minutes.

proper food enjoy and devour we did,I made this for my best friends Ute's Dinner party,all was consumed....and a good time had by us all !