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Pan-fried chicken with a green peppercorn and strawberry sauce and sauteed potatoes
Strawberry sandwiches
Strawberry Bread
Pan-fried chicken with a green peppercorn and strawberry sauce and sauteed potatoes
Ingredients:
For the potatoes
2 Jersey Royal potatoes, or similar new potatoes, chopped into 2cm/¾in cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary
For the chicken
1 tbsp dried green peppercorns
1 chicken breast, skin on
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp gin
190ml/6½fl oz chicken stock
8 strawberries
125ml/4¼fl oz double cream
For the side salad
3 strawberries
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
handful lettuce leaves
To serve
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
handful pea shoots
Directions:
1. For the potatoes, boil the potatoes in salted water for 10-12 minutes, or until just tender, then drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and rosemary and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown, then add the potatoes and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden-brown on all sides.
3. For the chicken, crush the peppercorns in a pestle and mortar and sprinkle over both sides of the chicken.
4. Heat the oil and the butter in a frying pan, add the chicken, skin-side down, and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown, then turn and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, add the garlic, then add the gin and set alight with a match to flambé. Let the flames flare up and die down. (Caution: hold the pan at a distance to prevent the flames from burning you.) Once the alcohol has burnt off and the flame has died down, add the chicken stock and the strawberries and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the strawberries have completely softened and the volume of liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the double cream and heat through for 2-3 minutes.
6. For the side salad, blend the strawberries, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and thyme in a food processor until smooth. Dress the lettuce leaves with this vinaigrette and mix well to coat.
7. To serve, spoon the potatoes into the centre of a serving plate and place the chicken breast on top. Drizzle over the pan juices. Pile the dressed salad alongside and garnish with the chives and pea shoots.
Ingredients:
8 thin slices crusty white bread
55g/2oz unsalted butter, softened
255g/9oz strawberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
fresh ground black pepper (optional)
Directions:
1. Lightly butter the bread. Hull the strawberries and slice fairly thickly (about 3mm/1/8in slices).
2. Arrange the strawberry slices on the bread as close together as possible without overlapping. Sprinkle lightly with caster sugar and add a few twists of black pepper if using.
3. Place a round of buttered bread on top to complete the sandwich and cut into halves or quarters.
Variation To make a summer tea-time treat into an indulgent pudding, spread the bread thickly with clotted cream (instead of the butter) and be a bit more generous with the caster sugar.
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled, quartered
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9×5x3-inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Add eggs and oil and mix well. Stir in strawberries and nuts and mix again.
3. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 1 hour until top is golden.
4. Cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.