Saturday, August 25, 2007

Barbecued chicken (Murg Kandhari) recipe

Ingredients
2 (600 g (22 oz) each) Chicken broiler, skinned, washed
2 1/2 tsp (5 g) Red chilli powder
3 tbsp (45 ml) 1 1/2 fl oz Lemon (nimbii) juice
3 tbsp (45 ml) 1 1/2 fl oz Pomegranate (anar) juice
1 1/2 cups (300 g) 11 oz Yoghurt (dahi), hung, whisked
2 tbsp (36 g) 1 1/4 oz Ginger (adrak) paste
2 tbsp (36 g) 1 1/4 oz Garlic (lasan) paste
2 tsp (3 g) Black cumin (shahi jeera) seeds
1 tsp (2 g) Black pepper (kali mirch) powder
2 tsp (4 g) Garam masala
Salt to taste
1 tsp (1 g) Saffron (kesar)
4 tbsp (80 ml) 2 3/4 fl oz Double cream
Butter for basting

Method
1. Make 3 deep incisions each on sides of breasts and thighs and 2 on each drumsticks.

2. Mix red chilli powder, lemon juice, and pomegranate juice together; rub over the chicken evenly. Marinate for 2 hours and refrigerate.

3. Mix yoghurt with remaining ingredients (except butter). Marinate the chicken in this mixture for 2 - 3 hours more. Refrigerate.

4. Preheat the oven / tandoor / grill/broiler to 180°C (350°F). Skewer chicken from tail to head, leaving a gap of at last 4 cm. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove, hang the skewers to let the excess moisture drip. Baste with butter and roast again for 4 - 5 minutes. Serve.

serving amount

serves: 4 - 5

Badaam Ka Halwa (Indian Almond delight) recipe

Ingredients
500 g (1.1 lb) Almonds (badaam), blanched, chopped
1 cup (200 g) 7 oz Ghee
1 cup (200 ml) 7 fl oz Milk
3 cups (450 g) 1 lb Sugar
1 tsp (2 g) Green cardamom (choti elaichi) powder
a few strands Saffron (kesar)
Silver leaf (varq), optional

Method
1. In a food processor, grind the almonds with a little milk to make a fine paste.

2. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the almond paste and cook on medium heat until light golden.

3. Add milk and sugar, continue to cook for 10 - 15 minutes more till the moisture evaporates and the mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat. Add green cardamom powder and saffron.

4. To serve cold, spread on a greased tray, cut into small squares and decorate with silver leaf. To serve hot, ladle individual portions on to dessert plates and decorate with silver leaf.

serving amount

serves: 4 - 5

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Dressed Lobster recipe

Ingredients
Lobster
lemon juice
mayonnaise
lettuce

Method
1. Crack the pincer claws with a small hammer and take out the meat with a skewer.

2. Cut the lobster lengthways from head to tail using a sharp knife.

3. Remove the stomach bag on the right side of the head and also the grey spongy parts known as "dead man's fingers".

4. Remove the coral, wash and retain for decoration.

5. Now remove all the meat from the shell. Keep the green liver meat which is edible.

6. Flavour the meat with lemon juice and seasoning or mayonnaise and return to the shell.

7. Serve on a bed of lettuce.


Note Lobsters are best at about 650 g - l kg (1 3/4 - 2 1/2 lbs) as this will give two good servings or about 400 g (3/4 lb) meat.
A well-cooked lobster will feel heavy and the tail should be curled under the body.

1. To prepare and cook a live lobster, first take a skewer or sharp knife and drive through the cross which is on the head.

2. Grip the lobster firmly behind the head and plunge into a large saucepan of boiling salted water.

3. A bay leaf, sprig of parsley or bouquet garni may be added.

4. Cook for 15 minutes for each 450 g (1 lb) of lobster.

5. Allow to cool in the liquid.

6. Leave the antennae on as they form part of the decoration if serving in the shell.

7. When cool, twist off the claws, retaining small claws for garnish.

Catalan Lobster With Peppers recipe

Ingredients
1 large yellow pepper, roasted
1 large red pepper, roasted
2 frozen lobsters
4 large spring onions
4 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
10 black olives, stoned
10 green olives, stoned
generous pinch oregano
1 1/2 tbsp capers
1 lemon
2 sprigs basil
4 tbsp light olive oil
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 red chilli pepper, finely chopped (optional)
salt and black peppercorns

Method
1. Roast the peppers, peel them and cut into thin strips. Cut these strips into small dice shortly before using.

2. Thaw the lobsters very slowly, leaving them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 30 hours or thaw more quickly at room temperature (about 3 hours).

3. When completely thawed, poach in gently simmering salted water or in a court-bouillon for 5 minutes; drain and leave to cool. Place each one in turn on a wooden chopping board, the right way up, and place the tip of a heavy kitchen knife in the centre of the lobster's head where there is usually a cross-shaped indentation.

4. Push firmly downwards or use a mallet to tap the handle of the knife sharply to pierce the shell, cut the lobster lengthwise in half and remove all the white meat. Reserve the soft meat in the head for other uses.

5. Cut the white tail meat into slices about 1/4 in (6 - 7 mm) thick and season. Trim off the roots and leaves of the spring onions, remove the outermost layer and slice the bulb into thin rings; blanch these for 30 seconds in simmering salted water; remove with a slotted spoon and drain.

6. Blanch, peel and seed the tomatoes; cut them into small pieces. Heat 2 tbsp of the light olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and saute the spring onions, chilli pepper, tomatoes, peppers and all the olives.

7. Add the oregano, capers, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat and stir, simmering, for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Heat 2 tbsp of light olive oil in another non-stick frying pan and saute the pieces of lobster over a moderately high heat for about 30 seconds on each side.

8. Spoon some of the vegetable mixture on to heated individual plates, place an equal number of lobster slices on top of each serving and squeeze a little lemon juice over them; sprinkle with olive oil and garnish with small sprigs of fresh basil or parsley.

Lobster Recipes

Live lobsters can be obtained from fishermen at some harbours or, in towns, from specialist fishmongers. As a rule, however, these regal, distinctive shellfish are sold cooked.

Lobsters are available all year round, the most popular sizes are between 500g and 1.5kg in weight. When live, they should feel heavy for their size and be lively when picked up. The dark shells turn bright red on being cooked; if buying a ready-cooked lobster look for a dry firm shell and tightly curled tail. Lobsters are often dressed and eaten cold with mayonnaise, but there are also many superb hot lobster dishes; many of them call for the meat to be prepared, then returned to the shell for presentation.

To boil a lobster plunge it live into plenty of boiling court-bouillon, boil for 20 minutes then leave to cool in the liquid. Lobsters that appear lifeless must be rejected because they will have become waterlogged and lost most of their flesh and flavour. The flesh of a freshly cooked lobster should be white, moist and flavourful. To serve it as half lobster, either cold or hot, first remove the claws by twisting them from the carapace and crack them open with a heavy knife so as to take out the flesh whole. Remove the small legs, then lay the lobster on the work surface and cut into two halves along the natural line on the head, turning it and continuing through the body to the end of the tail. Discard the sac from the head and the black trail through the body. It is now ready to serve cold or for further hot processing according to recipe. To cut a live lobster from raw see the recipe for Lobster Americaine. The thin legs and shells of a cooked lobster should be kept for making soup and sauces.