Chicken | Charlotte's VVeb

My Easy, Cheap, Georgian Beef & Chicken Shashlyk Recipes

06/09/201023/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Whenever I discuss what I do for a living, most people say in amazement, “Surely the cuisine of the region is no more exciting than meat and carbohydrates?” I spend hours explaining just how varied the food is across Central and Eastern Europe. When I talk about former USSR countries, such as Georgia, people are truly shocked how fabulous the traditional dishes are. However, there is nothing wrong with some basic meat recipes such as shashlyk skewers of meat. These are popular, in some form, in many countries, Turkey for one, but for me, they will always remind me of a wonderful meal in Ket in St Petersburg. Shashlyk can be served with a variety of sauces but they key is to get the meat tender and charred. Here’s my easy, cheap, recipe, inspired by the people of Georgia…

Ingredients

500g cubed meat (this can be chicken, beef – though make sure it is not stewing steak or it’ll be tough as old boots – or pork)

2 large white onions cut in quarters

4 bay leaves

1 tsp black peppercorns

Pinch of salt

100ml white wine vinegar

50ml Georgian white wine

150ml cold water

Instructions

Put the all the ingredients into a large bowl and leave to marinate for at least 3 hours

Rinse meat under tap to take away any harsh acidic taste of vinegar

Put meat on skewers (metal work best but as you can see from the photographs, wood will work too, just ensure they have been thoroughly soaked in water to prevent them burning)

Either put on a barbecue/hot coals to seal the outside of the meat for a minute on each side

Heat a griddle pan until it’s steaming, add a teaspoon of rapeseed oil (or vegetable oil but NOT olive oil) and seal the meat for a minute each side

Place in a hot oven (at about 180 degrees Centigrade) and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until cooked through but still tender

Serve on a plate with a sauce of your choice, buckwheat kasha and salad

Related Images:

Chicken in Badacsonyi Wine

04/11/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

This Hungarian recipe is traditionally made with a Balatan wine called Badacsonyi Kekryalii (Blue Handled) which had a full body and distinctive taste. Unfortunately, it’s a bit tough to get hold of Hungarian wine in the UK and I decided to substitute the wine with a dry white and thankfully, due to the wonders of Waitrose, I did managed to get hold of a Hungarian bottle, albeit not Badacsonyi Kekryalii. To find out more about the wine go to Eva’s Wine.

Jewish Biblical Chicken

03/11/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

A good old fashion roast chicken is a staple to many a Jewish meal, particularly across Eastern Europe. This is my take on Biblical Chicken, combining several elements to traditional Jewish recipes and a few of my own personal touches.

Central European Chicken with Wild Mushrooms & Garlic

15/09/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

While a great British roast on a Sunday is all very well and good, sometimes my family and I crave something a little different. This roasted chicken dish with aromatic herbs proved a great alternative. With wild mushrooms, celery, white wine and chicken stock, the wonderful sauce is then combined with that traditional Russian flavour of sour cream.

This is perfect for the ultimate feast and great served either with fresh steamed green beans alone, or with an extra side of boiled new potatoes (my preference being the crumbly the better!)

Ingredients (serves 4)

45ml olive or vegetable oil

1.5kg/3lb whole chicken (you could use chicken pieces, just make sure it’s thighs etc. on the bone)

3 celery sticks (peeled so it is not stringy)

1 garlic cloves, crushed

275g wild mushrooms (personally, I wouldn’t bother slicing, even if large but is up to personal tastes)

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

250ml chicken stock

250ml dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I tend to prefer flat leaf)

120ml sour cream

Salt and ground black pepper

Flat leaf parsley to garnish

Fresh green beans to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius, 375 degrees Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 5

Heat the oil in a roasting tin and brown the chicken all over

Remove the chicken temporarily

Fry the onions for about 2 minutes in the roasting tin

Add the celery, garlic, wild mushrooms and thyme and cook for 3 minutes

Pour in the chicken stock, wine and lemon juice into the roasting tin (or foil dish as in my case)

Sit the chicken on the top of the stock etc.

Sprinkle over half the parsley

Season well

Place the chicken in the oven for 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours or until tender

Baste occasionally to prevent drying out

Remove the chicken from the roasting tin and keep warm

Put the roasting tin on the hob and stir in the sour cream over a gentle heat until you make a thick pouring sauce

Arrange the chicken on a plate, surrounded by the cream and mushroom sauce

Garnish with parsley sprigs

Serve with grean beans and/or potatoes — Serve the chicken with the sauce and fresh green beans

Varna Chicken

14/09/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

This is a really tasty and healthy dish originating from Bulgaria. It’s super quick and requires few dishes so the washing up is limited! The chicken is smothered in a rich, herby sauce. Serve the chicken with rice to mop up all the wonderful juices.

Buckwheat Kasha

10/09/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Kasha is a Russian porridge made with a variety of grains such as barley, wheat, millets and oats. The most popular is buckwheat, which has a distinctive nutty flavour. This version is particularly good served with a fried mushroom and also makes a delicious stuffing for roast chicken. If you buy the buckwheat already roasted, there is no need to dry fry it before adding the stock.

Related Images:

Sacivi – Chicken with Walnut Sauce

09/09/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Sacivi is a Georgian dish with a thick sauce containing onion, garlic, walnuts, spices and herbs. Although this is a pretty easy dish to make, it requires plenty of time. The dish must be prepared in advance and chilled for 24 hours before serving. So it’s a good one to serve at a dinner party (particularly if you are serving a tapas or mezze style dinner) as it can all be prepared in advance and all you need to do before putting it on the table is add some garnish. Although this recipe uses chicken, a firm white fish such as monk fish or halibut are viable alternatives.

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Romanian Chicken Ghiveci

27/07/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Stews are big in Romania and all over Eastern Europe. One pot dishes, over time, provided a hearty sustenance for first, peasants in the fields and later, workers in the factories. These dishes are always packed full of flavour from in season produce and, traditionally, home-grown herbs. Served with a side portion of rice or dark rye bread, traditional meals are not only easy but can also be a really cheap way of feeding your 5,000 (family and/or friends). I cooked this for my family and it proved to be every bit delicious as I had anticipated.

Ingredients

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 mild onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 red peppers, seeded and sliced

1.5kg / 3 1/2 lb chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks etc. as chicken on the bone is best for flavour)

3 potatoes, diced

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

3 carrots, cut into chunks

1/2 small celeriac cut into chunks

120 ml dry white wine

2 courgettes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh rosemary, marjoram to garnish

Rye bread and/or white rice to serve

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole

Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until soft

Add the red peppers

Place the chicken pieces in a casserole and brown gently on all sides

After about 15 minutes, add the tomato puree, potatoes, herbs, carrots, celeriac, white wine and season to taste

Cover and cook over a gentle heat for 50 minutes

Add the sliced courgettes 5 minutes before the end of cooking

Season to taste

Garnish with herbs and serve with a portion of white rice or dark rye bread

Serve!

Pr’Potic, Stari Trg, Ljubljana

11/06/200917/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Pr’Potic lies parallel to the bar-lined river in Ljubljana which tends to attract many tourists, particularly in the summer months. Instead, this restaurant is quieter but enjoyed by locals. Inside are about twenty tables, dressed in white and red tablewear, and outside there is seating for about 40 people. The menu is not vast but does boast some wonderful and traditional Slovene dishes and the service makes a meal at this restaurant worth every Euro cent.

The first time I sampled wild boar was at Hotel Toplice on Lake Bled in 2004 while staying there for my sister’s wedding. I was excited to be given the opportunity to eat wild boar again, this time roasted rather than smoked, at Pr’Potic. The wild boar was accompanied by a rich, warming, juniper sauce and bread dumpling and the generous portion ensured one is left feeling particularly stuffed! In addition, the sauce contained a hearty, intensely flavoured cured meat.

Wild Boar in juniper sauce with bread dumpling — Wild Boar

It was also good to see Ljubljanski Krožnik on the menu, a plate consisting of turkey, chicken and veal. The mixed meat plate was served with a portion of polenta and grilled vegetables. The vegetables were crunchy and full of flavour and the meats were tender and moist.

Despite being rather large, rich plates of food which one would normally enjoy accompanied by a red wine such as syrah, the Tilia Sivi Pinot, Vipavska Dolina, 13.5% vol., 2007, a white domestic wine, was refreshing, palette cleansing and cut through the intense flavours of the food perfectly. At present time a meal for two, with wine and water costs roughly 55 Euros. Both a specials and lunch menu are available. Booking is recommended.

Pr’Potic

Stari Trg 21

1000

Ljubljana

Slovenia

Tel: +386 (0)1 425 43 37

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Bulgarian Potted Chicken

03/06/200917/10/2016 by Charlotte J

This recipe is a traditional Bulgarian casserole, cooked on top of the stove in a flameproof pot. The chicken is cooked very slowly on a low heat until it is tender and just before it is falling off the bone. Despite the fact the sauce only uses a small amount of stock and tomatoes, I ended up with rather a lot of sauce. I would recommend serving with bread for the sauce or alternatively, rice.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

8 chicken portions on the bone, I prefer thighs but drumsticks would also be suitable

6-8 firm, ripe tomatoes chopped

2 garlic cloves

3 white onions

250ml chicken stock

2 bay leaves

2 tsp paprika

10 white peppercorns slight crushed/bruised

(It can be difficult to track down white peppercorns, even Waitrose did not stock them! However, it was worth the extra effort.

I do not own a pestle and mortar as my kitchen is so small, so I put them on a freezer bag and bruised using a bottle)

Handful of parsley finely chopped

Instructions

Chop the tomatoes and crush the garlic, then place both in flameproof dish

Place chicken on top of tomatoes

Cover and cook on a gentle heat for 15 minutes

Add the diced onion, bay leaves, paprika, peppercorns and stock

Cover tightly and cook on very low heat, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks or burns, for 2 hours or until the chicken is tender

Depending on how fatty the chicken is, the fat on the top may need to be skimmed

Five minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the finely chopped parsley

Serve!