18 April 2014
In part 01 you learned how to make the perfect roast chicken for a Easter lunch, in this part you’re going to make the side dishes that I love having with the chicken. My advice to you is, make most of these the day before unless specified otherwise, it will save you a lot of time in the kitchen on Easter Sunday. You can pick and choose your favourite from these, however I suggesting serving all of these dishes, they complement each other well and are colourful, aromatic and absolutely scrumptious. Enjoy.
The Side Dishes:
1. Baked Portobello mushroom caps
2. Garlic cream potatoes
3. Mushy peas
4. Buttered corn
5. Oven roasted tomatoes
6. Asparagus sautéed in garlic
7. Caramelized figs with Bocconcini and Parma ham
8. Spicy tangy tomato chutney
9. Onion compote
10. Garlic bread
1. BAKED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM CAPS
Ingredients:
8-12 Large Portobello mushroom caps
1-tbsp. Garlic, minced
3-tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
3-tbsp. Mozzarella cheese, grated
2-tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
Black pepper to season
Lime juice
Procedure:
1. Take off the stems from the mushrooms, chop fine, add the garlic, parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper, mix well, equally divide the ingredients into all the mushroom caps, top them off with the grated mozzarella cheese. Squeeze a little lime juice over each cap, this helps in cutting through the richness.
2. Place the caps in a oven rack and bake for 10-mins at 400 C until the caps are tender. Tip – Put these in with the chicken for the last 10 minutes of browning, see Easter special 01.
2. GARLIC CREAM POTATOES
Ingredients:
8 Potatoes, medium size
6-tbsp. Garlic, minced
1-tbsp. Oregano, dried
1-tbsp. Parsley, dried
3-tbsp. Butter
3-tbsp. Heavy cream
1-tsp. Salt
1-tsp. Pepper
Procedure:
1. This is the fastest way of cooking potatoes; Use a pressure cooker large enough to fit all potatoes, fill in 2 cups of water and 1-tbsp. salt, close the lid, turn up the heat, once the pressure starts building, turn down the heat to minimum, as soon as the whistle goes, turn off the heat and leave the cooker for 15-mins. Open the lid once most of the pressure has released, pierce the potato with a long wooden skewer, it should go through without much resistance, its ready. Take them out of the cooker and keep aside.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, mix together the oregano, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl and keep aside.
3. Cut 6 potatoes in half, lengthwise, scoop out about a tablespoon of the potato flesh from all and keep in a bowl, peel the other 2 remaining potatoes and keep in the same bowl. Now use a masher or fork and mash the potatoes, you want to keep this chunky not smooth, as you’re mashing add the butter and heavy cream mixing well to incorporate, the heat from the potatoes will help speed up the process, now add the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Taste the mix, adjust seasoning, add more butter, cream or any of the other ingredients, till its tasty. Now spoon the mix into the potato cups until all are filled and heaped over the top.
5. You can make these a day or two before and refrigerate, before serving, put a quarter teaspoon of butter on each, and bake them in a preheated oven for 10-mins or salamander for 5-mins until the top has browned. Tip – Put these in the oven with the chicken for the last 10-minutes of browning, see Easter special 01.
6. Alternate cooking method – Pierce the potatoes with a fork on the top, baste with oil, sprinkle generous amount of sea salt on top of each, bake in a preheated oven at 360F for 1-hour, until skin is crisp and potato flesh has cooked.
3. MUSHY PEAS Ingredients:
2-cups Frozen peas, defrosted
1-tbsp. Butter
1-tbsp. Mint leaves, chopped
1-tsp. Lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Put the butter, peas and mint in a sauce pan, turn up the heat, once it sizzles, cover the top and simmer for about 10-mins. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper.
2. Lightly mash the peas with a masher or fork, you can use a immersion blender if you’d like a smooth mash, taste, adjust, taste.
3. Make these a day before and heat before serving.
4. BUTTERED CORN
Ingredients:
4 Ears of sweet American corn
4-tbsp. Butter
4-tsp. Garlic, minced
1-tbsp. Curley leaf parsley, minced
1-tsp. Lime or lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Mix the butter, garlic, pepper and salt, go easy on the salt especially if the butter is salted. Baste the cobs with the garlic butter mix.
2. Cook the corn over an open flame continuously turning them over, you want to get then nice and brown and not burnt. OR Place them in a preheated oven at 450F, turning them occasionally, for about 15-mins OR Place them in a salamander for 10-mins turning occasionally, the rule is cook the kernels don’t burn them.
3. Once ready, stand up each with the stock end in your hand and the nose end on the cutting board, using a sharp knife cut off the kernels off the cob. Place them in a bowl, add the remaining butter, parsley and lime juice, mix well. Now taste for seasoning, adjust, taste.
4. Make this a day before and heat before serving.
PS. Please ignore the shrimp in the image.
5. OVEN DRIED TOMATOES
Ingredients:
2-kg Plum tomatoes, wine ripened are the best
Salt to sprinkle
Procedure:
1. Cut the tomatoes in half, cut off the stem, place them on a baking tray, sprinkle with salt.
2. Place the tomatoes in a preheated oven at 90F for about 6-8 hours, the should be dried, flexible and not brittle. Once done to your satisfaction, remove, cool and store in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator, serve at room temperature.
3. You could use store bought sun dried tomatoes, but this is more fun and much cheaper. Tip – Put the tomatoes in first thing in the morning, timing yourself to put in the chicken to roast.
6. ASPARAGUS SAUTEED IN GARLIC
Ingredients:
500-g Asparagus
4-tbsp. Butter
4-tbsp. Garlic cloves, small
1-tbsp. Basil leaves, fresh, chopped
2-tbsp. Walnuts, crushed or broken
Procedure:
1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan, add the garlic and fry lightly for a few minutes till the garlic gets some colour, add the asparagus and toss well, cover and cook for 10-mins, season well. Do these in batches if the pan is not large enough, you want to cook the asparagus until tender yet crunchy. Garnish with basil leaves and walnuts.
2. Make this fresh before serving.
7. CARAMALIZED FIGS WITH BOCCONCINI AND PARMA HAM
Ingredients:
12 Figs, medium, firm
12 Bocconcini cheese balls, cut in half
2-tbsp. Butter
200-g Pack of Parma Ham
30-ml. Balsamic vinegar
60-ml. Dry red wine
1-tbsp. Minced onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Melt the butter in a pan, cut the figs in half and place the cut side down in the pan, simmer for a few minutes on a low flame till the figs caramalize, turn them over for another minute, remove from pan and place on a kitchen towel to absorb the extra fat.
2. Cut the Bocconcini in half, take one half of the fig, place one half of the cheese on the cut side of the fig, wrap around one half slice of the ham, keep aside, do the same for the rest.
3. Add the minced onion to the buttered pan and sweat for a few minutes, add the balsamic vinegar and wine, season with pepper and reduce the liquid by half, pour the sauce into the serving platter and place all the wrapped figs, cheese side up and serve. This dish is best served at room temperature.
PS. The below picture does not have the cheese, please ignore.
8. SPICY TANGY TOMATO CHUTNEY
Ingredients:
1-kg Tomatoes, chopped
500-g Onions, sliced
1 Red chilli, fresh, chopped
2-Inch Ginger, chopped
250-g Brown sugar
150-ml Red wine
5 Cardamom seeds, not pods
1-tsp. Paprika
Salt to taste
Procedure:
1. Add all the ingredients in a thick bottomed sauce pan, stir while heating, once it sizzles, lower the heat to a light simmer, cover and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes take on a jam like consistency, taste, adjust seasoning, taste, store in glass jars and refrigerate, serve at room temperature.
2. This can be made well in advance and goes with many dishes including burgers, eggs, etc.
9. ONION COMPOTE
Ingredients:
2-kgs. Onions, large
1/2-cup Cooking oil
2 Bay leaves, dried
1-tbsp. Sugar
2-tsp. Salt
Procedure:
1. Cut the onions into medium thick rings, its best to use a mandolin to speed up the process and keep the cuts even. Tip – Keep the hairy knob on the onion while you peel and cut it, your eyes won’t water as much, if not at all.
2. Use a large deep thick bottomed vessel, pour the oil, heat and add the onions, stir vigorously to mix well with the oil and break up almost all the onion rings, sprinkle salt and sugar, stirring continuously on a high heat, ensure you don’t burn the onion. After a few minutes add the bay leaves, reduce the heat to the minimum cover the vessel to caramelize, stirring occasionally. Do this for about 1 hour or until the onion takes on a jam-like consistency, you want to get a deep dark brown colour on the onions.
3. Once ready, discard the bay leaves, and store the compote in jars, refrigerate for future use, this goes well with all meat dishes and will last a few weeks in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
4. Make this a day before and heat before serving.
10. GARLIC BREAD
Ingredients:
3 Garlic loaves, 12 inch long
1/2-cup Garlic, minced
1/2-tbsp. Oregano, dried
1-tbsp. Basil, dried
1/2-tsp. Thyme, dried
1/2-tsp. Rosemary, dried
1/2-tsp. Pepper powder, fresh
1/2-cup Butter
2-tbsp. Curly leaf Parsley, fresh, chopped
2-tbsp. Basil, fresh, chopped
Salt to taste
Procedure:
1. Cut the bread into 1 inch rounds breadthwise, mix all the other ingredients in a bowl, spread the compound butter over the bread, bake in a preheated oven for 5-mins at 250F, until brown.
Variations:
1. Add 1-tbsp. of finely minced fresh chilli of your choice, deseed if you don’t want too much heat.
2. Sprinkle cheese of your choice over the bread before baking.
3. Make this a day before and heat before serving.
The Side Dishes:
1. Baked Portobello mushroom caps
2. Garlic cream potatoes
3. Mushy peas
4. Buttered corn
5. Oven roasted tomatoes
6. Asparagus sautéed in garlic
7. Caramelized figs with Bocconcini and Parma ham
8. Spicy tangy tomato chutney
9. Onion compote
10. Garlic bread
1. BAKED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM CAPS
Ingredients:
8-12 Large Portobello mushroom caps
1-tbsp. Garlic, minced
3-tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
3-tbsp. Mozzarella cheese, grated
2-tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
Black pepper to season
Lime juice
Procedure:
1. Take off the stems from the mushrooms, chop fine, add the garlic, parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper, mix well, equally divide the ingredients into all the mushroom caps, top them off with the grated mozzarella cheese. Squeeze a little lime juice over each cap, this helps in cutting through the richness.
2. Place the caps in a oven rack and bake for 10-mins at 400 C until the caps are tender. Tip – Put these in with the chicken for the last 10 minutes of browning, see Easter special 01.
2. GARLIC CREAM POTATOES
Ingredients:
8 Potatoes, medium size
6-tbsp. Garlic, minced
1-tbsp. Oregano, dried
1-tbsp. Parsley, dried
3-tbsp. Butter
3-tbsp. Heavy cream
1-tsp. Salt
1-tsp. Pepper
Procedure:
1. This is the fastest way of cooking potatoes; Use a pressure cooker large enough to fit all potatoes, fill in 2 cups of water and 1-tbsp. salt, close the lid, turn up the heat, once the pressure starts building, turn down the heat to minimum, as soon as the whistle goes, turn off the heat and leave the cooker for 15-mins. Open the lid once most of the pressure has released, pierce the potato with a long wooden skewer, it should go through without much resistance, its ready. Take them out of the cooker and keep aside.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, mix together the oregano, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl and keep aside.
3. Cut 6 potatoes in half, lengthwise, scoop out about a tablespoon of the potato flesh from all and keep in a bowl, peel the other 2 remaining potatoes and keep in the same bowl. Now use a masher or fork and mash the potatoes, you want to keep this chunky not smooth, as you’re mashing add the butter and heavy cream mixing well to incorporate, the heat from the potatoes will help speed up the process, now add the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Taste the mix, adjust seasoning, add more butter, cream or any of the other ingredients, till its tasty. Now spoon the mix into the potato cups until all are filled and heaped over the top.
5. You can make these a day or two before and refrigerate, before serving, put a quarter teaspoon of butter on each, and bake them in a preheated oven for 10-mins or salamander for 5-mins until the top has browned. Tip – Put these in the oven with the chicken for the last 10-minutes of browning, see Easter special 01.
6. Alternate cooking method – Pierce the potatoes with a fork on the top, baste with oil, sprinkle generous amount of sea salt on top of each, bake in a preheated oven at 360F for 1-hour, until skin is crisp and potato flesh has cooked.
3. MUSHY PEAS Ingredients:
2-cups Frozen peas, defrosted
1-tbsp. Butter
1-tbsp. Mint leaves, chopped
1-tsp. Lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Put the butter, peas and mint in a sauce pan, turn up the heat, once it sizzles, cover the top and simmer for about 10-mins. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper.
2. Lightly mash the peas with a masher or fork, you can use a immersion blender if you’d like a smooth mash, taste, adjust, taste.
3. Make these a day before and heat before serving.
4. BUTTERED CORN
Ingredients:
4 Ears of sweet American corn
4-tbsp. Butter
4-tsp. Garlic, minced
1-tbsp. Curley leaf parsley, minced
1-tsp. Lime or lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Mix the butter, garlic, pepper and salt, go easy on the salt especially if the butter is salted. Baste the cobs with the garlic butter mix.
2. Cook the corn over an open flame continuously turning them over, you want to get then nice and brown and not burnt. OR Place them in a preheated oven at 450F, turning them occasionally, for about 15-mins OR Place them in a salamander for 10-mins turning occasionally, the rule is cook the kernels don’t burn them.
3. Once ready, stand up each with the stock end in your hand and the nose end on the cutting board, using a sharp knife cut off the kernels off the cob. Place them in a bowl, add the remaining butter, parsley and lime juice, mix well. Now taste for seasoning, adjust, taste.
4. Make this a day before and heat before serving.
PS. Please ignore the shrimp in the image.
5. OVEN DRIED TOMATOES
Ingredients:
2-kg Plum tomatoes, wine ripened are the best
Salt to sprinkle
Procedure:
1. Cut the tomatoes in half, cut off the stem, place them on a baking tray, sprinkle with salt.
2. Place the tomatoes in a preheated oven at 90F for about 6-8 hours, the should be dried, flexible and not brittle. Once done to your satisfaction, remove, cool and store in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator, serve at room temperature.
3. You could use store bought sun dried tomatoes, but this is more fun and much cheaper. Tip – Put the tomatoes in first thing in the morning, timing yourself to put in the chicken to roast.
6. ASPARAGUS SAUTEED IN GARLIC
Ingredients:
500-g Asparagus
4-tbsp. Butter
4-tbsp. Garlic cloves, small
1-tbsp. Basil leaves, fresh, chopped
2-tbsp. Walnuts, crushed or broken
Procedure:
1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan, add the garlic and fry lightly for a few minutes till the garlic gets some colour, add the asparagus and toss well, cover and cook for 10-mins, season well. Do these in batches if the pan is not large enough, you want to cook the asparagus until tender yet crunchy. Garnish with basil leaves and walnuts.
2. Make this fresh before serving.
7. CARAMALIZED FIGS WITH BOCCONCINI AND PARMA HAM
Ingredients:
12 Figs, medium, firm
12 Bocconcini cheese balls, cut in half
2-tbsp. Butter
200-g Pack of Parma Ham
30-ml. Balsamic vinegar
60-ml. Dry red wine
1-tbsp. Minced onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Melt the butter in a pan, cut the figs in half and place the cut side down in the pan, simmer for a few minutes on a low flame till the figs caramalize, turn them over for another minute, remove from pan and place on a kitchen towel to absorb the extra fat.
2. Cut the Bocconcini in half, take one half of the fig, place one half of the cheese on the cut side of the fig, wrap around one half slice of the ham, keep aside, do the same for the rest.
3. Add the minced onion to the buttered pan and sweat for a few minutes, add the balsamic vinegar and wine, season with pepper and reduce the liquid by half, pour the sauce into the serving platter and place all the wrapped figs, cheese side up and serve. This dish is best served at room temperature.
PS. The below picture does not have the cheese, please ignore.
8. SPICY TANGY TOMATO CHUTNEY
Ingredients:
1-kg Tomatoes, chopped
500-g Onions, sliced
1 Red chilli, fresh, chopped
2-Inch Ginger, chopped
250-g Brown sugar
150-ml Red wine
5 Cardamom seeds, not pods
1-tsp. Paprika
Salt to taste
Procedure:
1. Add all the ingredients in a thick bottomed sauce pan, stir while heating, once it sizzles, lower the heat to a light simmer, cover and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes take on a jam like consistency, taste, adjust seasoning, taste, store in glass jars and refrigerate, serve at room temperature.
2. This can be made well in advance and goes with many dishes including burgers, eggs, etc.
9. ONION COMPOTE
Ingredients:
2-kgs. Onions, large
1/2-cup Cooking oil
2 Bay leaves, dried
1-tbsp. Sugar
2-tsp. Salt
Procedure:
1. Cut the onions into medium thick rings, its best to use a mandolin to speed up the process and keep the cuts even. Tip – Keep the hairy knob on the onion while you peel and cut it, your eyes won’t water as much, if not at all.
2. Use a large deep thick bottomed vessel, pour the oil, heat and add the onions, stir vigorously to mix well with the oil and break up almost all the onion rings, sprinkle salt and sugar, stirring continuously on a high heat, ensure you don’t burn the onion. After a few minutes add the bay leaves, reduce the heat to the minimum cover the vessel to caramelize, stirring occasionally. Do this for about 1 hour or until the onion takes on a jam-like consistency, you want to get a deep dark brown colour on the onions.
3. Once ready, discard the bay leaves, and store the compote in jars, refrigerate for future use, this goes well with all meat dishes and will last a few weeks in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
4. Make this a day before and heat before serving.
10. GARLIC BREAD
Ingredients:
3 Garlic loaves, 12 inch long
1/2-cup Garlic, minced
1/2-tbsp. Oregano, dried
1-tbsp. Basil, dried
1/2-tsp. Thyme, dried
1/2-tsp. Rosemary, dried
1/2-tsp. Pepper powder, fresh
1/2-cup Butter
2-tbsp. Curly leaf Parsley, fresh, chopped
2-tbsp. Basil, fresh, chopped
Salt to taste
Procedure:
1. Cut the bread into 1 inch rounds breadthwise, mix all the other ingredients in a bowl, spread the compound butter over the bread, bake in a preheated oven for 5-mins at 250F, until brown.
Variations:
1. Add 1-tbsp. of finely minced fresh chilli of your choice, deseed if you don’t want too much heat.
2. Sprinkle cheese of your choice over the bread before baking.
3. Make this a day before and heat before serving.
