Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese summer rolls)
Gỏi Cuốn (pronounced “goy coo-an”) is a delicious, traditional Vietnamese dish. The name translates to “salad rolls” and they are often referred to in English as “summer rolls”. As with any traditional dish, the filling of the roll varies but this recipe uses prawns. The rolls are wrapped with rice paper (bánh tráng) and are served at room temperature or slightly chilled with a dipping sauce. In this case we’ll be making Nước mắm pha which is a popular fish sauce based dip.
These rolls taste amazing and they are really very versatile. They keep very well so they can be made in advance. They can also be made in different sizes so they can be used as an appetiser or a light main course. They are also quite low in fat.
Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese summer rolls)
2015-10-11 12:18:01
Delicious, light Vietnamese summer rolls filled with raw veggies and prawns with a hot, sour dipping sauce.
Prep Time
30 min
Total Time
30 min
For the filling
- 200g rice noodles
- 100g prawns (cooked)
- 2 baby gem lettuce
- 2 carrots
- 6 spring onions
- 2 limes
- Fresh mint, coriander and basil (Thai basil if available)
To wrap
- Rice paper (see tip at end)
For the sauce
- 180ml fish sauce
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 chillies
To prepare
- Prepare the rice noodles as per the instructions on the packet. (Usually by soaking in boiling water for a few minutes then rinsing.) Once cooled, chop roughly.
- Chop everything - the prawns, lettuce, carrots, spring onions, chillies and herbs.
- Juice the two limes.
Make the sauce
- Put the fish sauce into a bowl and add the sugar and rice vinegar. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the chopped chillies, one third of the spring onions, the garlic and about 4-5 tbsp each of the chopped coriander and mint.
- Mix well again and set aside.
Make the filling
- Put the chopped noodles in a large bowl. Add the prawns, lettuce and the remaining spring onion and mix well.
- Add about 4tbsp each of the chopped basil, mint and coriander. Next, add the lime juice and 2 tbsp of the dipping sauce. Mix well again.
Finish the rolls
- To finish the rolls you'll need to rehydrate the rice paper. Again this varies depending on the brand so check the instructions on the packet. Usually it'll involved soaking in either warm or cold water for a minute or two. One prepare one rice paper at a time! Ensure the work surface that you plan to make the roll on is also wet to avoid it sticking.
- Place a spoon or two of the filling on the wrap, just off centre. Start rolling then close in the ends and finish rolling. Once the paper dries a little it will hold.
How much rice paper?
- This depends on what you're making! If you use small pieces of rice paper you'll need 20 - 30 sheets to use all the mixture. These are ideal as appetisers. If you would prefer something a bit more substantial use larger pieces of rice paper - you'll probably need 10 - 12 sheets.
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Prawn Satay
Satay is a delicious, easy sauce to make. It’s also quite light making it ideal for summer. It’s about 39ºC here in Frankfurt at the minute so, in one sense it’s amazing I can even think about food at all! Nevertheless, we have to eat to survive so we might as well make it enjoyable eh?
Satay Sauce with King Prawns
2015-07-02 21:03:02
Serves 2
A light satay sauce with juicy prawns, an easy, quick, healthy alternative to a takeaway!
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
For the sauce
- 300g raw king prawn, shelled and deveined (see tip at end)
- 200ml veg or fish stock
- 400ml coconut milk
- 1 red pepper
- 1 chilli
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 onion
- 2 spring onions
- 1/2 tin of bamboo shoots
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 a lime
- Glug of vegetable oil or wok oil
To Serve
- 150g Basmati rice
You will also need
- A blender or stick blender
To Prepare
- Finely chop the chilli, onion and pepper.
- Boil the kettle and make the stock.
- Set a salted pot of water on the hob to boil.
- Combine the peanut butter, turmeric, soy sauce, stock and lime juice and blend until smooth.
Start the rice
- Once the water is boiling add the rice and set a timer for 10 minutes (adjusting as per the instructions on the packet).
Make the satay sauce
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and the pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and fry for about 5 minutes.
- Add the peanut mix you prepared earlier to the pan as well as the coconut milk. Stir well to combine.
- Finally add the prawns, spring onion and bamboo shoots. Simmer for about 3 minutes then remove from the heat.
- The rice should now be ready, drain it.
To serve
- Fluff the rice with a fork then divide evenly between the two bowls.
- Using a ladle scoop a generous amount of prawn satay into each bowl.
- Enjoy immediately!
Prawn panic
- Prawns are tricky. The best way to get them is raw, deshelled and deveined. Most often these will be frozen and will require thawing before cooking. You can of course use fresh, precooked prawns but be warned that these never get as juicy as they don't absorb the sauce. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where you can get fresh prawns, don't forget to add some extra preparation for skinning and deveining them!
Nutty Makes http://nuttymakes.ie/
Perfect Sunday Roast Chicken
So, unfortunately this blog has been a little quieter lately than planned! That’s mainly because I changed jobs and moved country. So I’m sitting here writing this blog from my living room in Germany.
Sunday is really the perfect day to blog about a roast. A roast chicken is of course delicious any day, but there’s always been something special about Sunday dinner for me. And, no roast chicken can compare with this one! Every part of it from the veg to the gravy is delicious and you’ll feel like a proper chef after making it!
Perfect Sunday Roast Chicken
2015-06-21 16:18:32
Serves 4
A delicious, juicy roast chicken with veg, potatoes and homemade gravy that's perfect every time!
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 10 min
For the chicken
- 1 chicken (about 1.6kg)
- 1 lemon
- 1 bulb of garlic
- Few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 3 slices of streaky bacon
For the veg
- About 8 - 10 potatoes depending on size
- Veg of your choice (I used celery, carrot, parsnip and red onion but you can also use a pre-prepared soup mix)
- Few sprigs of fresh rosemary
For the gravy
- 250ml white wine (any kind will do!)
- 500ml chicken stock
You will also need
- Olive oil
- Tinfoil
- A sturdy baking tray, good enough to be used in the oven and on the hob
- Another baking tray
- Small saucepan
- Colander/sieve
To Prepare
- Remove chicken from packet. Season well inside and out with black pepper. Cover and return to fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 240ºC.
- Peel potatoes and half if they are very large. Roughly chop the rest of the veg. Pull the garlic cloves apart but don't peel.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil for the potatoes.
For the veg and potatoes
- Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Add the lemon and about half of the unpeeled garlic cloves. Cook for 12 minutes.
- Remove the lemon and garlic and set aside. Drain the water from the potatoes and give them a good toss to get them fluffy. That is what makes the roast potatoes crispy!
- Put about half of the veg and the rest of the garlic into a baking tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil.
For the chicken
- Remove chicken from fridge and rub with olive oil.
- Stab the lemon lots of times. As it's hot, the juice should just ooze out. Push this, the garlic cloves and the thyme and bay leaves into the cavity of the chicken.
- Turn the heat in the oven down to 200ºC.
- Place the chicken on the bed of vegetables. Cover everything with tinfoil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
Add the rest of the veg
- Baste the chicken with the juices from the pan.
- Add the rest of the veg and the potatoes. Add the rosemary now as well. Cover the chicken breast with the bacon. Drizzle over some more olive oil and give everything a good stir.
- Put back in the oven for another 45 mins. Adjust the time accordingly if your chicken is bigger/smaller.
Finish the chicken
- Take the chicken out of the oven and turn it off.
- Remove the chicken from the tray and put it on a chopping board to let it rest. Pull off the wings. Cover the rest loosely in tinfoil. Letting it rest is what keeps it juicy, don't skip this step!
- Transfer the veg and potatoes (leaving anything that's burned, stuck or soggy) to another baking tray and pop back in the over to keep warm.
Make the gravy
- Put the baking tray on the hob over a high heat. Use a spoon to remove any fat that floats to the surface. Remove the meat from the wings and add to the pan. Mash everything to a pulp. Add a heaped tablespoon of flour and mix well.
- Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Allow the mixture to boil for about 5 minutes.
- Drain the mixture through the sieve into the pot.
To serve
- Put the warm veg on a plate with some of the chicken. Cover with the delicious gravy and enjoy immediately.
Nutty Makes http://nuttymakes.ie/
Vegetarian Farfalle with a Zesty Pesto Sauce
This dish is a rather unusual one for me. I’m a self-confessed carnivore so cooking a veggie dish when it’s not strictly necessary (because I need to feed a veggie or because I can’t afford meat) is not my usual choice. However, every day is a school day and I’m home alone for the weekend so I thought I’d experiment. I was pretty impressed with the result, not feeling hungry afterwards and I found the sauce really tasty.
Vegetarian Farfalle with a Zesty Pesto Sauce
2015-05-02 21:50:48
Serves 2
Healthy wholewheat farfalle with a zesty pesto and tomato based sauce, with feta cheese and baby spinach.
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
For the sauce
- Glug of olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 jar green pesto
- 75g feta
- Handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
- Handful of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Juice of half a lemon
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
For the pasta
- 150g wholemeal farfalle pasta
To prepare
- Finely chop the garlic and roughly chop the basil and spinach. Crumble the feta cheese.
- Set a pot of salted water on the hob and bring to the boil.
For the pasta
- Cook the pasta in the boiling water as per packet instructions. This is usually about 12-15 minutes.
For the sauce
- Once the pasta is on, heat some olive oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic for about 30 seconds over a medium heat until aromatic.
- Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and mix. Season well with pepper. Turn the heat up to high and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat back to medium. Add the chopped spinach and basil reserving some basil for garnish, the pesto and the lemon juice. Stir well then stir in about 80% of the cheese. Allow to simmer.
To Serve
- Drain the pasta and divide onto two plates. Scoop some sauce onto each plate and crumble the remaining cheese over. Add some basil to garnish. Serve immediately.
Variations?
- Experiment with different types of pasta and different types of pesto until you find a combination you enjoy.
Nutty Makes http://nuttymakes.ie/
Mexican Prawns
These marinated Mexican-inspired prawns are an ideal mid-week dinner as they’re quick and easy to prepare. They are also delicious and good for you!
Mexican Prawns
2015-03-19 10:28:00
Serves 2
Fresh prawns marinated in Mexican inspired spices with stir fry veg is a great, quick, healthy mid-week meal.
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
12 min
Total Time
22 min
For the prawns
- Glug of olive oil
- 300g prawns
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic italian (or half garlic and half basil)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp chilli flakes
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander
For the veg
- 2 large carrots
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 lime
- 10-12 cherry tomatoes (halved) or 1 beef tomato (chopped)
- 1 fresh green chilli
To serve
- 150g rice
- 2 spring onions
To prepare
- Mix all of the prawn spices in a small bowl. Toss the prawns in the olive oil and coat evenly with about 3/4 of the spice mix.
- Finely chop the onions, chilli, garlic and coriander (leaving some coriander for garnish). Roughly chop the carrot and pepper into strips. Chop the spring onion.
- Remove the zest from half the lime and juice the lime.
- Boil the kettle and set a pot of boiling salted water on the hob for the rice.
Cook the rice
- As the rice will take the longest it needs to be put on first. Cook as per instructions on the bag (usually between 10 and 12 minutes depending on the brand and type).
Cook the dish
- Heat a small bit of olive oil in a pan and add the prawns. Cook over a medium heat for about 1 minute on each side or until no longer grey. They need to be sealed, not cooked at this stage. Remove from pan.
- Without cleaning the pan, add the onions and garlic. Add a little more oil if necessary. Cook at a medium high heat (mark 4) until aromatic then add the chilli, tomatoes, coriander, carrot and pepper. Add half the lime juice and all of the zest. Cook for about 5 minutes or until al dente.
- Add the prawns and cook for 2 more minutes.
To serve
- Half the rice between two plates and sprinkle with a little lime juice and the spring onions. Add the prawn and veg mixture then sprinkle over the remaining lime juice and garnish with some coriander. Enjoy immediately.
Fresh prawns or frozen?
- If it's your first time cooking prawns, don't worry! Fresh prawns that are already deshelled and deveined are best as they are the easiest. Fresh prawns are grey and turn to a pinky white when cooked. Cooked prawns can also be used in this recipe but when cooking you should focus more on heating them rather than cooking them as overcooking makes them tough.
Nutty Makes http://nuttymakes.ie/
Thai Green Curry
Thai green curry is my favourite curry to make. The coconut milk combined with the heat of the spices make for a delicious treat. Serve with some sticky basmati rice and you’ll never go back to ordering takeaway again! (Unless it’s a hungover Sunday!)
Thai Green Curry
2015-03-19 14:50:20
Serves 2
Thai green curry is a delicious aromatic and spicy curry with a coconut milk base.
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
45 min
For the dish
- Green curry paste (I use about 1/2 a jar of Blue Dragon paste)
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
- Tin of coconut milk (400g usually)
- Bunch of fresh coriander
- 2 chicken fillets
- 2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
To serve
- 150g rice (ideally basmati)
You will also need
- Large wok or frying pan
- Large bowl
To prepare
- Finely chop the onions, garlic and coriander, reserving some coriander for garnish.
- Boil a kettle of water for the rice.
- Chop the chicken fillets into small chunks.
Make the curry
- Put the chicken in a large bowl. Pour in 1tbsp of dark soy sauce and mix well. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to coat.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium high heat (mark 4). Add the curry paste and heat for about a minute or until aromatic. Add the onions and garlic. Mix well and fry until the veg become soft. Add more oil if required.
- Add the chicken to the pan. Stir well and fry until the chicken is sealed on all sides.
- Add the coconut milk to the pan and stir well. Add the coriander, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Stir well. Turn the heat down to low (mark 2) and simmer without a lid for at least half an hour stirring on occasion.
Make the rice
- When the curry has been simmering for about 15 mins or so, put the rice in a pan of boiling salted water. Check the instructions on the rice but it usually takes between 10 and 15 minutes depending on the brand and type.
To serve
- Serve the rice and curry immediately with some coriander to garnish.
Change the heat of this dish
- Reduce the amount of curry paste for a creamier taste and increase the amount of curry paste and garlic to increase the heat. The heat of the paste depends on the brand so make sure to read the usage instructions on the jar!
Add some veg
- This dish works very well with mangetout and peas. Simple add for the last 5 or 10 minutes of cooking, about the same time you put on the rice.
Make it healthier
- Swap the white rice for wholegrain rice and use low-fat coconut milk. Use a spoon of honey instead of sugar. Be warned that brown rice takes longer (about 40 mins usually) so will need to be put on at the same time as the curry!
Nutty Makes http://nuttymakes.ie/
Blackened Chicken Salad
This salad literally redefined how I thought about salad. Before this, with the exception of Chicken Caesar salad, salad was a starter or a side-dish. This salad is both filling and nutritious, and it’s incredibly easy to make.
Blackened Chicken Salad
2015-02-18 02:31:50
Serves 2
A flavoursome, mixed salad topped with juicy blackened chicken.
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
25 min
For the Chicken
- 2 chicken fillets
- 2 tbsp allspice
- 2 tbsp cajun mix
- 1 tbsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil
For the Salad
- Spinach or a mixture of baby leaves
- Handful of cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 spring onions (chopped)
- 1 lime
- Handful of fresh mint
- Feta cheese
Prepare the dressing
- Zest and juice the lime. Chop the mint and add it to the juice. Next add a good glug of olive oil and stir or shake well to combine. This will keep in the fridge for days.
Prepare the chicken
- Either flatten the chicken fillets or cut into thin strips. Mix all the seasoning together and toss the chicken in it.
Make the salad
- Put your leaves in a large bowl and add the chopped tomatoes and spring onion. Add one third of the dressing and mix well.
- Chop the mango into chunks and scoop out the avocado. Add the fruit to the salad. Crumble the feta in on top. Add one third of the dressing and stir well.
- Fry the chicken over a medium to high heat until cooked through.
To Serve
- Plate the salad and top with the warm chicken strips. Divide the remaining dressing over the chicken.
Fresh Mango or Avocado?
- The current trend in Ireland is to sell fruit to "ripen at home". Unfortunately that means you'll need to buy your mango/avocado in advance and allow it to ripen. Alternatively Lidl have a ready to eat range and you should also be able to get fresh mangos/avocados in your local fruit and veg shop.
Salad Dressing
- For an extra kick add a drop of chilli oil to the dressing and add chopped coriander. An old pesto jar or jam jar makes an ideal salad shaker; simply add the ingredients and shake to mix.
Nutty Makes http://nuttymakes.ie/
Asian Marinated Duck Breast with Noodles
I was always afraid to cook duck. Firstly, I wasn’t even sure I liked it as I had only previously had it in takeaways. Secondly, once I had decided to try it, I came across so many articles telling me what I could do wrong! Duck isn’t as difficult to cook as you think and, with the help of a timer, you can get it consistently right with this recipe. Be warned however that the timings are particularly important in this recipe.
Asian Duck Breast with Noodles
2015-02-18 03:04:28
Serves 2
Crispy duck breast marinated in an Asian sauce served on a bed of noodles.
Prep Time
1 hr 10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
1 hr 45 min
For the Duck
- 2 Duck Breasts, skin on
For the Marinade
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Peanut Oil
- 1 tbsp Chinese 5 spice (or Thai 7 spice)
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes
To serve
- Noodles of your choice
To Prepare
- Put all the marinade ingredients into a jar and mix well. Transfer to a small dish so you can marinade your duck in it.
- Cut some criss-cross slits into the duck fat, being careful not to pierce or cut the flesh. Add to the marinade and turn well to coat. Cover and put in the fridge for at least an hour. Take out of the fridge 30 mins before cooking to allow to get to room temperature. Also preheat the oven to 180ªC.
Cooking the duck
- Reserve the marinade in a saucepan and place the duck skin-side down into a cold, dry frying pan. Place over a medium heat. After about 9 minutes the skin will be crispy. Keep an eye on the duck as it's very easy to burn it at this stage.
- Remove the fillets from the pan and drain away the majority of the fat that has collected in the pan. Return the duck to the pan flesh side down and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Place the duck skin flesh side down on a rack and place either in the oven for 14 minutes.
- Remove the duck from the oven and cover with foil and allow to stand for about 8 minutes.
Sauce and Noodles
- Put the marinade on the hob and bring to the boil. Lower the temperature and allow to simmer. It will get a syrup-like consistency.
- Cook noodles according to the packet instructions. For extra flavour stir fry the noodles for one minute with a spoon of the duck fat from earlier.
To Serve
- Slice the duck and serve on a bed of noodles topped with the marinade sauce.
Worried about the marinade?
- Seriously, I've made this recipe 5 times and I've never gotten sick! The sauce is boiled and then simmered, killing off any potential bacteria in it. So don't worry!
How well done?
- Following this recipe exactly will give you duck cooked medium. For rare reduce the time in the oven by 2 minutes and for well done, increase it by 2 minutes.
Nutty Makes http://nuttymakes.ie/
Chicken, Basil and Mozzarella Arrabiata
Arrabiata is Italian for “angry”. Nothing like some midweek angry chicken right? This is a simple but intense dish. The recipe uses poached chicken but of course if you prefer to fry or bake it, that will work too. This will also work well with yesterday’s leftover chicken.
Chicken, Basil and Mozzarella Arrabiata
2015-02-18 18:46:18
Serves 2
Succulent poached chicken in an arrabiata sauce with mozzarella and basil.
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
For the sauce
- 1 tin of chopped tomato
- 1 small tin of tomato puree
- Handful of cherry tomatoes (optional)
- Half an onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 fresh chopped chilli (or 1 tsp of chilli paste or flakes)
- Handful of fresh basil (or 2tbsp dried basil)
- Mini mozzarella balls or a ball of mozzarella chopped
- Olive oil
- Glug of red wine (optional)
For the chicken
- 2 chicken fillets
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 clove of garlic
- Squirt of lemon juice
To serve
- Pasta (fresh is the best but any type will do)
- Garlic bread
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- OPTIONAL- Red wine, sugar, cherry tomatoes,
To Prepare
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and add some sea salt, cracked black pepper, a peeled whole clove of garlic and the lemon juice and bay leaves. Turn down to a medium heat.
- Boil another pan of water with sea salt for the pasta.
- Finely chop the garlic, onion and chilli.
Poaching the chicken
- Place the chicken fillets in the flavoured water and turn to a low heat (about 2 on the hob). Cook at that temperature with the lid on for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow to stand with the lid on for 15 more minutes.
Making the sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, fry the garlic and onion in the olive oil over a medium high heat until soft. Add the chilli and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the tin of tomatoes and tomato puree. Mix well, then season and add the basil. Add the red wine at this stage also if using. Bring to the boil then turn the heat to low. Once the chicken is ready tear it into shreds and add to the sauce. This will be fine until the rest is ready, just stir it occasionally.
Cooking the pasta
- Prepare the pasta as per the instructions on the pack. This is usually about 10 - 12 minutes for regular pasta and about 5 minutes for fresh pasta. If you're also making garlic bread, put it in the oven now!
To serve
- Add the mozzarella to the sauce and mix well. Serve the pasta immediately with the sauce and garlic bread.
Too hot?
- If you underestimated the heat of the chilli then add a spoon of sugar to calm the heat. The mozzarella will also help take the edge off the sauce.
Not hot enough?
- Ramp up the heat by adding extra chilli and garlic.
Nutty Makes http://nuttymakes.ie/
Chicken Kievs with Mediterranean Wedges
This recipe takes a little more effort that the others but it is delicious. The garlic in the kievs really complements the garlic on the potatoes. A recipe for when you want to impress someone.
Chicken Kievs with Mediterranean Wedges
2014-12-06 18:48:33
Serves 2
Delicious garlicky kievs served with lightly herbed potato wedges
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
For the Kievs
- 2 large chicken fillets
- 2 slices of smoked streaky bacon
- 1 large egg
- Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp of plain flour
- 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
- Handful of parsley, lightly chopped
- Chunk of butter (at room temperature)
- Sprinkle of cayenne pepper and black pepper
- Sunflower Oil
- 1 lemon
For the Wedges
- 3 large potatoes (or more if you're hungry), peeling and chopped into wedges
- Olive oil
- Handful of freshly chopped parsley
- I tbsp of oregano
- 1/2 tbsp each of chilli flakes and basil
- 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
- Knob of butter
- Grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
You will also need
- Greaseproof paper
- A handful of toothpicks
To Prepare
- First make the garlic butter by mashing the garlic and the parley along with a sprinkle of black pepper and cayenne pepper. If your butter isn't salted (i.e. it's not Irish butter) add some salt too. Roll the mixture in clingfilm and put in the fridge to cool. Preheat the oven to 180º.
- Fry the rashers over a medium heat until crispy then drain on some kitchen paper.
For the Wedges
- Put the wedges in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place in the oven on greaseproof paper and bake for 30 mins.
For the Chicken
- Start this step when the wedges have been on for about 15 mins. Slice into the thickest part of the chicken breast with a sharp knife to make a pocket. Stuff in some of the garlic butter we made earlier along with some broken up pieces of the crispy bacon. Seal the pocket with a toothpick or two.
- Heat a frying pan with about 3cm of sunflower oil. Arrange three plates for breading the fillets, one with the flour, the next with the egg and the last with the breadcrumbs. Lightly season the flour plate with salt and pepper and a small bit of parmesan. Coat your stuffed fillets in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Ensure the oil is sizzling hot then add the breaded fillets. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Be careful, they burn quickly!
- Remove the fillets from the oil and place in the oven on some greaseproof paper. Bake for 12 minutes.
Finish the wedges
- Melt the knob of butter in a frying pan and add the herbs for the wedges. Remove the wedges from the oven and toss in this butter mixture. Place back on the greaseproof paper, sprinkling the wedges with parmesan. Return to the oven until the chicken is cooked through.
To serve
- Squeeze some lemon juice over the chicken kiev and the wedges. Add a lemon wedge to the plate and serve immediately.
Big date night?
- Reduce the amount of garlic in both the kievs and the potatoes if you're not sure your date likes garlic! Serve with a glass of ice cold white wine.
No lemon?
- Substitute in a lime, it'll work just as well!
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