Sunday Lunch

Day 7, AC: Today I cooked.

First, I gave Ale Kitchen Duty for Breakfast. She fed the men omlettes.

Actually, I have to cook.... Sunday lunch, plus chef cousin's birthday chez nous. Now this cousin, he's a real, live Chef, from a real famous culinary school. Yep, the CIA no less. So I just HAVE to roll up my sleeves and cook for the man who maks some of the best meals I have ever eaten (at his restaurant in Goa, Sublime).

I decide to follow Blogspotter Genesia Alves' (Love in the kitchen,laughter at the table)recipe for 'Scarborough Chicken'. It seems so simple and so summery!


Will it impress Chris?

I take a deep breath and get to work.

GENESIA'S SCARBOROUGH CHICKEN

First I wash 4 chicken breasts. I have left them whole with the bone and the skin.

Then I use my lovely stone mortar and pestle, a gift from Super Goddess Lola Khambatta, to crush some cloves of garlic, and sprigs of good organic Green Tokri flat leaf parsley, some thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano. I bruise them gently and inhale their fresh scent. I lovingly add salt and the juice of 3 limboos, borrowed from Shabari, the Lovely Neighbour. I leave them to marinade in the fridge for over an hour, while I make the Potato Salad ( summer means heaps of Kartoffel Salad, recipe below).

Here Chris points out that the chicken breasts are rather plump. They will never cook in a frying pan.He explains how I could otherwise butterfly them so they pan fry faster. He comes to show me how to debone them, but spying my impressive griddle pan, he expertly suggests that I use it with some remaining bacon fat to just sear the breasts, 2 at a time, and seal the juices in. I should then pop them all into a hot oven for 30 minutes. Sounds easy!

I do just that, even remembering to deglaze the pan and thereby basting the chicken in all the herby bits, the bacon fat and chicken juices. It smells divine and 30 minutes in the oven later, voila!

The chicken is tender, juicy and moist. It's flavour is delicate and is well paired with the Potato Salad and another of lettuce with tomato and avocado. I sip a large glass of ice with water, squirted lime and mint leaves. Aaaah!

Bet you Carmeline can't beat this!

RECIPE FOR MY POTATO SALAD:

Boil baby potatoes ( well scrubbed with their skins on) till tender but not over cooked.
Finely chop an onion, some parsley, celery.
DIce one cripst Granny Smith Apple.
Whip the mayonnaise ( I confess I havent mastered making mayo yet, so I used Karen's Mayonnaise) and add some salt and pepper. Add a good dollop of Dijon mustard to taste, beating them well together.
Fry some bacon crisp and cut into bits with kitchen scissors.

Assemble the potatoes, apple, onion, greens and season. Squirt some freshly squeezed lime. Toss well. Pour the mayo over and let it coat the salad lightly. Dont drown the salad in the mayo. Top with the bacon bits.
Enjoy!

I've discovered one thing: it's not Hestia I need to become, but Nigella. THE Domestic Goddess. The one and only Domestic Goddess who has career, husband, family and fame all in the palm of her hand ( the other has a whisk or a spatula or a knife...)