Green Olive Crusted Chicken with homemade green olive tapenade

 I LOVE olives !!! and this - I think, has been firmly demonstrated on my blog. Such a shame that on the British Isles there isn't the same selection and variety of olives, that can be found in the Mediterranean . The versatile olive fruit can be eaten as an appetiser, either on its own or stuffed, or  often used as a cooking ingredient especially in the Med.
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Raw olives are incredibly bitter, so once harvested they are cured and then usually preserved in salt or brine. The small, oval olive fruit has a flavour ranging from salty to mild and sweet. It can be harvested at any stage – the immature fruit is green; it turns red-brown and then black when fully ripened – which accounts in part for the variation in flavour.

The Original Tapenade

The original tapenade is a purée that stems from Provence, France and is used as a spread. The word tapenade comes from the Provençal word tapèno, meaning “capers,” which are a common ingredient, but some people think of tapenade as basically “olive paste.” It is considered a gourmet condiment.
There are several sets of ingredients that tapenade may contain, with more variations introduced as time goes on. The original spread contained capers, black olives, and anchovies, all of which were pureed along with olive oil. Other ingredients mentioned include lemon juice, seasonings such as fresh herbs, and garlic. Some recipes specify the type of black olive to be used, such as kalamata, nicoise, or gaeta olives, and some call for mustard, liquor such as cognac or brandy, and red wine vinegar. They differ in whether they use anchovy paste or fillets.

Other ingredients that can be used as a base for tapenades are :
artichokes
portabella mushrooms
sun dried tomatoes
green olives
roasted garlic

Tapenade can be served with vegetables, fish, or meat, and is sometimes used as a stuffing. It is often simply spread on artisan bread, pita, crostini, or crackers for use as an hors d’oeuvre. Some use it as a sandwich spread, while others use it to top baked potatoes or toss it with pasta.
Homemade tapenade can be prepared using a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Tightly covered, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Tapenade butter is created by combining classic tapenade ingredients with butter to make a paste. It is used as a meat garnish or inserted under a chicken’s skin before roasting, and it is sometimes used to create a sauce. Tapenade butter can also be formed into a log, wrapped in plastic wrap, chilled, and served in slices.

My green olive Tapenade

Ingredients
2 cups Spanish green olives (olives stuffed with jalepeno peppers will give this a kick)
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons capers
7 fresh Spanish marinated anchovy fillets
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 tbs olive oil

Method
Place the olives, capers, anchovies, parsley and garlic into a food processor (or use a mortar and pestle for a more authentic paste) . Cover and process until the mixture is finely chopped. Add 6 tablespoons oil and the lemon juice and process just until combined. Do not over process to puree the mixture.

Green Olive Crusted Chicken

Ingredients
Homemade green olive tapenade (enough to spread over 4 chicken breasts)
50g breadcrumbs
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
4 chicken breasts (about 500g)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4. Mix together the tapenade, breadcrumbs, lemon zest and cheese. Press firmly onto each chicken breast to coat. Place on an oiled baking tray and cook in the middle of the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat.

Serve wth seasonal roasted vegetables

Go WILD for GAME

Wild game is a rich and flavoursome meat that includes pheasant, partridge, duck, quail,
 wood pigeon and grouse.

It's packed with vitamins and minerals.....and now is the season to eat it.

If you've not tried game before, Partridge is a good first choice. It has a subtle taste and can be used to make some beautiful dishes. There are two main types of Partridge available (depending on season), the French Partridge (also referred to as Red Legged) is the most common while the English (or grey partridge) is less common but can have a better texture.

Partridge à la Crème

Ingredients

Young partridge
1 small chopped onion
Butter
1 cupful cream
3 drops lemon juice
Seasoning

Method

Season the bird inside and out and truss.
Fry with the onion in the butter until brown.
Cook in a covered casserole in a hot oven for 10 – 15 minutes.
Mix the cream and lemon juice and pour over the bird.
Cook for a further 10 minutes, basting frequently.

For those of you who feel a little more confident cooking wild game, the following

recipe is a firm favourite of mine.

Chilindron

Spanish red pepper stew

Chilindron is one of my favorite dishes, and it is so versatile that it stands outside the normal categories of venison, upland birds, etc. Chilindron (chill-in-DRONE) is a Spanish stew dominated by roasted red peppers, paprika and onions. Most recipes also call for rosemary, olive oil, garlic, some tomatoes, good stock and wine. The stew originates in Aragon, a part of central Spain.

As for what meat to use, the Spanish will typically make this with lamb or chicken. Even this hints at the range this stew possesses. I have made chilindron with good results from chicken, pheasant, rabbit, beef, venison and pork. When switching from light to dark meat, switch from white to red wine, too.

Serves 8.

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken, pheasant, lamb, venison or rabbit, in serving pieces

2 large onions, sliced in half-moons

10 cloves chopped garlic

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon hot paprika

1 jar (15 ounces or so) or 5 roasted red sweet peppers, chopped

1 cup crushed tomatoes

2 cups red or white wine

Stock if needed (chicken or beef or whatever goes with your choice of meat)

1/2 cup diced cured meat: Bacon, pancetta, ham, etc.

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

4 bay leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Large handful of dried mushrooms (optional)

Method

If using, put the mushrooms in a container just large enough to hold them and pour hot water over them. Cover and set aside.

Salt the meat and set aside for 10-20 minutes at room temperature. Use this time to chop the veggies.

Pat the meat dry and pour the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a lid. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides in batches. Do not overcrowd the pot. Set the meat aside in a bowl when browned. Take your time and do this right. Add more oil if needed.

When the meat is browned, add the onions and stir to bring up some of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the onions with a little salt. Cook until they begin to brown, then add the garlic, the cured meat and the mushrooms, if using. Cook until fragrant, then add the meat back to the pot and mix well.

Pour in the wine and turn the heat up to high. Stir and boil furiously until the wine is half gone. Turn the heat back down to medium and add the tomatoes, the roasted red peppers and all the spices and herbs (except the parsley). Stir well. The level of liquid should be about 2/3 the way up the sides of the meat. If it is low, add the stock. I typically need about 2 cups.

Cover and cook at a bare simmer — just barely bubbling — until done. How long is that? Depends on the meat. Rarely is any meat done within an hour, but I’d check a store-bought chicken then. I find pheasants and rabbits take about 90 minutes, boar, pork and hares about 2 hours, and venison and beef up to 3 hours or more.

Right before serving, test for salt and add some if needed. Add black pepper and the parsley and stir well. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, polenta or bread. Simple sauteed greens are a good accompaniment. A big red wine is also a must, ideally something Spanish, like a Rioja.

Now where did I put my painting of that Bird?????

Spanish Olives (Aceitunas)

Spanish olives are rated amongst the best in the world and Spain produces almost 30% of the world's olive oil and is responsible for almost half of the world's olive production, not surprising really as some of the best varieties of olive are found in Spain with a substantial quantity coming from Andalusia.

It was the Phoenicians who first brought the olive tree to Spain, but the Ancient Romans are credited with establishing vast farms of olives, often owned by absentee landlords who lived back in Rome. Although Italy produced its own olives, the Romans relied on Spain as a major supplier of olive oil to the Empire.
At this period green and black olives were cured in salt or brine and eaten both at grand Roman banquets as appetizers and by the common man as a breakfast snack with a hunk of bread.

The Moorish invasion of Spain in the 8th century AD developed and sustained the olive industry in Southern Spain, as it declined in many other parts of the former Roman Empire, introducing new varieties and production methods. 800 years later when the last of the Moors left Spain and it was ruled by Catholic kings, a taste for olive oil was considered to indicate suspicious sympathies for the old regime and lard was re-established as the principle cooking fat in all but the southern regions of Spain.

A handful of olives continued to be a common snack throughout the centuries in Southern Spain. When the tradition of tapas was born, as a snack to accompany a glass of wine in between meals, the first and simplest tapas would have been a slice of bread with a few olives, or a slice of ham

There are hundreds of varieties of olives in cultivation in Spain. These vary according to the region where they are grown and also how they're prepared.The Manzanilla and Queen olives are probably the most well known and popular olives.

Manzanilla Olives
The Manzanillas are grown almost everywhere in Spain and especially Andalusia. They are small and tender and are considered the perfect martini olive, they are also ideal for stuffing, the most popular stuffing being anchovies.

Queen Olives
Queen olives are large, plump and fleshy and are grown in the Seville province of Andalusia. They are perfect for stuffing as they are large and fantastic in aroma and flavour and go really well with peppers, almonds or seafood.

Picual Olives
The most important variety of olive is the Picual and is grown in the provinces of Jaen, Cordoba and Granada in Andalusia. This olive represents almost 50% of Spain's olive production and is delightfully peppery and fresh.

Hojiblanca Olives
The Hojiblanca olive is a pure delight and the first olive I tried that I immediately liked due to its intense and diverse flavour - it tastes like lots of olives in one it is peppery, then fruity with traces of almonds and even grassy hints. The name comes from the leaves, hoja meaning leaf and blanca white and from a distance these trees look vary bright and almost silver.

Arbequina Olives
Another of my recommendations is the Arbequina olive which comes from Aragon and Catalonia and is Spain's best loved olive. The fruit is small and delicate with lovely diverse flavours ranging from smoky and mild to earthy and fruity with hints of artichokes and even apple.

Verdial Olives
The Sierra Magina in the Jaen province of Andalusia is home to the beautifully dark Verdial olive which is quite large with a distinct fruity, yet spicy flavour. I would recommend this olive to a seasoned connoisseur as it is robust and commands respect.

Picolimon Olives
The Picolimon olive is a great table olive with its juicy fullness and fresh citrus flavour. They are round and fleshy and go really well with nuts and dried fruit as an aperitif.

Picudo Olives
The Picudo olive with its lovely unique pointed end like a peak which is from where the name is derived, is generally found in the Andausian regions of Malaga, Jaen, Granada and especially Baena in Cordoba . It is a sweet and fruity olive with soft juicy flesh and makes for a popular table olive in both the green and black varieties.

Carried these back in my suitcase

Generally olives are harvested whilst still green and as a result they are not yet fully ripe and if eaten raw are very hard and bitter. Before bottling, they have to be 'cured' and this is where the fun begins when choosing your favourite type of olive. Initially the preparation for bottling begins with washing and then storing in brine for a long period of time to remove the bitterness and soften them.

During the curing process of green olives, the brine is often prepared with different herbs and aromatics for an exciting but subtly flavoured olive. In some cases families who have been curing their own olives for generations use carefully guarded secret recipes which results in a totally unique olive.


How olives are stuffed:
For centuries, olives were pitted and stuffed by hand. Today everything is done by machines. Sweet Spanish Pepper (pimiento) is the most common stuffing., however my personal favourites are stuffed with anchovies. After harvesting the peppers are placed in brine and shipped to the Seville area where the peppers are ground and mixed with gelling agents to make a reconstituted paste. The paste is then cut and formed into ribbons that are fed into pitting and stuffing machines. The machines pit the olive, take the pimiento and cut them into small pieces and stuff them into the olives all in one smooth operation. Over 1000 olives can be stuffed per hour.

Aceitunas- sabor de anchoa

Slow cooked chicken with olives and capers

Ingredients
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
2 tomatoes
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove
1small jar/tin of Spanish green olives
small jar of capers


Method
In a large cooking pot, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sear the chicken pieces until all sides have a brown, crisp sear.

While chicken is searing, cut the tomatoes and onion into large chunks, place in blender along with the garlic, and blend until it forms a thick sauce.

Once Chicken is done searing add the sauce and the remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil, cover the pot and lower the temperature.

Simmer for two hours or until the chicken becomes tender.

Add salt and pepper to taste

Recipe of the day

Thai curry ingredients - Watercolour





THAI JUNGLE CURRY

(Krung Kaeng Pha Gai)

This recipe for Thai Jungle Curry, is based on a famous dish from Chiang Mai. Spicy and layered with flavor, Jungle curry is a splendid variation of red curry, but with the addition of a few key ingredients. While the authentic Jungle Curry is usually made with wild meats (which most Westerners would have trouble obtaining and stomaching), this is a version using chicken.

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 large chicken breasts, cut into pieces
Generous handfuls of fresh coriander, basil, and slivers of red chili for topping

for the Jungle Curry sauce
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 medium size piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh lemongrass , minced
2 Tbsp fresh green peppercorns
6 cloves garlic, chopped
6 kaffir lime leaves, cut into slivers with scissors (available frozen at Asian stores)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1-2 fresh red chilies
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian stores)
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 can good-quality coconut milk


Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place all curry sauce ingredients in a food processor. Process well to form a sauce. If using a smaller chopper:only add a little of the coconut milk - just enough to keep the blades moving. The rest can be added later, along with the chicken.If you don't have a food processor or chopper: finely mince the ingredients and then stir all together in a bowl with the coconut milk to create the curry sauce.

Place the chicken in a casserole dish and pour the curry sauce over top. Mix together. Cover the curry and place in the oven for 1 hour. If adding vegetables: Remove curry after 40 minutes and add your vegetables, then return to the oven to bake for 20 more minutes.

Check the curry after 1 hour, ensuring the chicken is well cooked. If needed, return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until chicken is well done.

Before serving, stir sauce well and do a taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce (1/2 Tbsp. at a time) . If not spicy enough, add more chili or chili sauce. If too spicy, add a little more coconut milk or plain yogurt. If too sour for your taste, add a little sugar.

Serve right in the casserole dish, Top with generous amounts of fresh coriander and basil, and thin strips of fresh red chili. Serve with plain rice  ENJOY!

Thailand - Chiang Mai

http://www.1stopchiangmai.com/

La Paella - A great, bank holiday, family meal

Seafood Paella ingredients - oil on canvas



PAELLA VALENCIANA

The Muslims introduced rice growing to the Valencia region in south east Spain in the year 711AD, and today vast paddy fields grow acres of world famous Valencian rice which make perfect paellas.


Paella was originally a laborers' meal, cooked over an open fire in the fields and eaten directly from the pan using wooden spoons. It was at one time, common place for marsh rats to be eaten in the Paella, as rats were found in profusion along the marshy coastline

Paddy fields, Valencia

Snails were the most commonly used meat as they were cheap ; for special occasions rabbit or duck would be added and the well-off would have chicken. Anyone that tries to tell you that the original paella was a seafood dish is wrong. However, seafood paella  Paella Marisco, seems to be a favourite with tourists. Another favourite is seafood and meat combined, known as Paella Mista

Despite tourists' desire to get a well-made fresh paella and their willingness to pay over the odds for it, one of the appeals of paella to the Spanish is that it can be cooked in large quantities and will still taste good later that day or even the next day, which is a good thing as making paella is a laborious task. Making large quantities saves time later. It is popular in restaurants as it can be served all day and is popular with restaurant clientele as they can have 'instant' paella without the hassle of making it themselves.


In Valencia things are a little different, making paella is a part of local pride and every mother claims to make the best paella in the land!  So, you can only imagine how surprised I was when I came 3rd in a local Paella cooking contest in Valencia. These competitions are held in the streets, during the fabulous fiestas, known as 'LAS FALLAS'.  http://www.lasfallas.net/

Now, where did I put that medal????

Here is the recipe for Paella Valenciana, the main dish I cooked on 'COME DINE WITH ME'




Chris and Lorraine on Come dine with me


Ingredients
6 tablespoon olive oil

1whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 rabbit, cleaned and cut into pieces

1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled and finely chopped 

2 tomato, finely chopped

1 can butter beans

1 lb fresh string less beans

1 chicken stock cube

salt to taste

1 pinch saffron threads

dried thyme to taste (optional)

dried rosemary to taste (optional)

1 lb Paella rice

4 lemons

Method

Heat a paella pan (un Paellero) over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil. Add the chicken, rabbit and garlic; cook and stir until nicely browned. Move the browned meat to the sides of the pan, and add the tomato, butter beans and green beans.

Fill the paella pan almost to the top with water, measuring the water as you put it in. This is to help you to determine how much rice to add, as paella pans come in different sizes. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 25 mins to make a nice broth.

Season with a generous amount of salt, and just enough saffron to make a nice yellow color. Season with thyme and rosemary if desired. The goal is to make a rich tasting broth that will soak into the rice to make it delicious. Stir in half as much rice as the amount of water in the pan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Let stand for 10 mins - then garnish with lemon wedges and serve.



Paella Valenciana



http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/tv-show/come-dine-with-me-recipes/series-11/paella-valenciana-recipe