Menu for 15/02/2012

Menu

1. CARROT SOUP

2. CHICKEN MARYLAND WITH GRAVY

3. POM MES CROQUETTES

4. BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

Carrot Soup

Serves 4
Preparation: 5 min – Cooking: 30 min

Ingredients

• 30ml (2 tbsp) butter
• 8 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 litre (4 cups) boiling water or chicken/vegetable stock
• 45ml (3 tbsp) rice, washed
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 5ml (1 tsp) butter
• mint or chervil, shredded for garnish

Method

1. Melt butter and toss carrots and onions until coated. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, adding a little water if necessary. Add boiling water or stock, and rice. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Whiz with a hand blender or in a food processor. Return the purée to pan and reheat tasting for salt and pepper and season accordingly.
3. Add butter, divide among serving bowls and top with herbs.

Serving Suggestion

• Especially in the winter this makes a good starter.

Serving Suggestion

• If you find the soup a tad bit too thick, add stock or water to thin.
• Add a chopped potato or two to the soup instead of rice if you prefer.

Chicken Maryland with Gravy

Ingredients

2 chicken thighs, wings or breasts
1 cup cold milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, black
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or oregano, or sweet basil, or all three
1/4 teaspoon paprika, if available
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons butter

Gravy Ingredients

Some chicken giblets
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup milk

Sides

Corn on the cob, mash potatoes, fried bacon slices

Cooking Directions

(Part A) Cooking the chicken
1. Mix the flour with salt, pepper, thyme (and/or orgeano, basil), paprika in a bowl
2. Dip the chicken thighs, wings or breasts into the cold milk.
3. Remove from milk and cover with the flour mixture.
4. Heat a pan using medium-high heat, and add the butter to the pan.
5. Fry the chicken pieces until golden on both sides.
6. Then reduce to a very low heat, and let the chicken cook through. Turn it over once.

(Part B) Making the gravy
7. Heat a pan to medium heat, adding in butter.
8. Add in chicken giblets, garlic, onion.
9. Fry for 30 seconds or so to develop the flavor of the onion and get the juices out of the giblets.
10. Add milk and chicken stock, and bring to boil.
11. Then simmer for a few minutes.
12. Strain, and pour over the chicken when ready to serve.

Add sides like corn on the cob, mash potates and bacon slices for a full meal.

Serves: 1 (for more people, just multiply the recipe by the number of people you want to serve)

Pom mes Coquettes

Ingredients

250 gm mashed potatoes
100 gm bread crumbs
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Method

1.                Add seasoning in the mashed potatoes.

2.                Make the round balls and keep aside.

3.                Beat egg and give egg wash to all the round balls.

4.                Cover the balls with bread crumbs and deep fry them.

BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 Tablespoons butter or margarine, more or less as needed, at room temperature
• 5 slices crust-on white bread
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add cinnamon to sugar in cup and mix well. Set aside.

Generously spread one side of each piece of bread with butter or margarine. Cutting diagonally, slice each in half. Arrange triangle slices in pan, slightly overlapping, with butter-side up and cut edges facing the same direction, making a spiral. As you add the bread, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and raisins.

Put milk in small bowl, add eggs, and using whisk or fork, mix to blend well. Pour milk mixture over bread and raisins in baking pan. Set aside for about 15 minutes for bread to absorb liquid.

Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Serve the pudding while still warm in individual dessert bowls. It is eaten plain or with cream poured over it.