Christmas Delights
- Replies 0
Sorry no photos! Lost my DSLR camera and my external hard drive owing to a leak last wet season (we live aboard a yacht in Cooktown).
MENU: Shio Koji Chicken served with chilled prawns and sliced double-smoked ham; My Mum's Potato Salad; Garden Salad, and Fermented Coleslaw.
Fermented Coleslaw:
You need to start this around a week before serving!
1/4 cabbage, finely sliced
1tsp salt, table
1 carrot, julienned or use a specialty peeler that cuts fine strips
1 small to medium onion, finely sliced
a handful of fresh or dried rose petals, optional but gee it tastes good!
some finely sliced kale if you have it.
Whey or sea salt in water (see below for ratio)
A large glass or pottery container - no plastic please
two zip lock bags to make a seal with.
Dressing of your choice to serve - we like to use whole egg mayo freshened up with zest and juice of a lime
Starting with cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle over a tsp of table salt. With sterile hands (try to wear gloves please!), work salt into cabbage until it becomes somewhat translucent. Squeeze out any water and then mix in the carrot, kale, onion, rose petals and load into a jar. Cover the veg with whey or a brine made of 1tbsp salt dissolved in 500mls water. Now, using two zip lock bags, one inside the other, insert both into the neck of the jar. Fill the inner bag about 2/3 full of tap water, seal it, then use the second bag to make a seal over the lip of the jar by turning it over and folding around the jar lip. Make sure ALL veg is submerged. set aside out of direct sunlight and allow to ferment. Takes 2 to 7 days, depending on temps. Lastly, drain off the whey or brine, add some dressing, chill and serve this amazing gut friendly salad.
Shio Koji Chicken
I prefer to use breast but thighs/legs are great. Bone legs if using.
Starting with 2 large chicken breasts or about 6 to 8 boned legs, marinate in Shio Koji for at least 12 hours prior to baking. Bake in a slow oven with a good knob of hot butter with some crushed garlic added (no need to peel as you will discard the garlic before serving. Crush with a knife, your hand, or find a nice, palm sized flat rock and wash it well before use). Check carefully to make sure you turn off the heat before the chicken is completely cooked through - then rest it to finish cooking.
Serve with peeled and deveined chilled prawns and double smoked ham.
My Mum's Famous Potato Salad
Buy or make a good whole-egg mayo, about 3/4 cup
sour cream, about 3/4cup
English or favorite mustard, about 1tsp
Potatoes, cut into cubes and steamed, about 1kg (read through recipe before cooking them)
2-3tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
2 small sticks of celery from close to the heart, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber, Lebanese
4 strips crispy-fried streak bacon, crumbled
1 medium onion finely diced
*optional: 2 threads of saffron
*optional: two diced hard-boiled eggs, any variety, but duck eggs will only require 1 of.
*optional: chopped mint
*optional: chopped chives
Fry the bacon and set aside on paper towel. Next, steam the cubed potato until just barely cooked, You need them to still be slightly firm. Drain the potato cubes, drizzle over the vinegar and season well with salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pot and allow the cubes to continue cooking.
Meanwhile, combine the mayo, sour cream, saffron and mustard in a large bowl. Add in the potato mix as soon as it's completely cooled. Just before serving, add the remaining ingredients, give a good mix, and serve.
Peachy Keen Garden Salad
Baby gem cos lettuces, 2 of
2 white peaches, finely sliced
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped through
2 large tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
1 small Lebanese cucumber, sliced
1 red capsicum, finely sliced
Lime Vinaigrette (see below)
So, tear up the lettuce, then add the other veg and peaches to a bowl. To make the vinaigrette, add 150mls olive oil to a glass jar, add in zest of a lime, juice of small lime, 75mls vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, a little crushed garli and/or chili flakes if liked, and some mustard. Close the jar, shake to combine, drizzle over chilled and tossed salad and serve.
Bon appetite and merry Christmas
MENU: Shio Koji Chicken served with chilled prawns and sliced double-smoked ham; My Mum's Potato Salad; Garden Salad, and Fermented Coleslaw.
Fermented Coleslaw:
You need to start this around a week before serving!
1/4 cabbage, finely sliced
1tsp salt, table
1 carrot, julienned or use a specialty peeler that cuts fine strips
1 small to medium onion, finely sliced
a handful of fresh or dried rose petals, optional but gee it tastes good!
some finely sliced kale if you have it.
Whey or sea salt in water (see below for ratio)
A large glass or pottery container - no plastic please
two zip lock bags to make a seal with.
Dressing of your choice to serve - we like to use whole egg mayo freshened up with zest and juice of a lime
Starting with cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle over a tsp of table salt. With sterile hands (try to wear gloves please!), work salt into cabbage until it becomes somewhat translucent. Squeeze out any water and then mix in the carrot, kale, onion, rose petals and load into a jar. Cover the veg with whey or a brine made of 1tbsp salt dissolved in 500mls water. Now, using two zip lock bags, one inside the other, insert both into the neck of the jar. Fill the inner bag about 2/3 full of tap water, seal it, then use the second bag to make a seal over the lip of the jar by turning it over and folding around the jar lip. Make sure ALL veg is submerged. set aside out of direct sunlight and allow to ferment. Takes 2 to 7 days, depending on temps. Lastly, drain off the whey or brine, add some dressing, chill and serve this amazing gut friendly salad.
Shio Koji Chicken
I prefer to use breast but thighs/legs are great. Bone legs if using.
Starting with 2 large chicken breasts or about 6 to 8 boned legs, marinate in Shio Koji for at least 12 hours prior to baking. Bake in a slow oven with a good knob of hot butter with some crushed garlic added (no need to peel as you will discard the garlic before serving. Crush with a knife, your hand, or find a nice, palm sized flat rock and wash it well before use). Check carefully to make sure you turn off the heat before the chicken is completely cooked through - then rest it to finish cooking.
Serve with peeled and deveined chilled prawns and double smoked ham.
My Mum's Famous Potato Salad
Buy or make a good whole-egg mayo, about 3/4 cup
sour cream, about 3/4cup
English or favorite mustard, about 1tsp
Potatoes, cut into cubes and steamed, about 1kg (read through recipe before cooking them)
2-3tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
2 small sticks of celery from close to the heart, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber, Lebanese
4 strips crispy-fried streak bacon, crumbled
1 medium onion finely diced
*optional: 2 threads of saffron
*optional: two diced hard-boiled eggs, any variety, but duck eggs will only require 1 of.
*optional: chopped mint
*optional: chopped chives
Fry the bacon and set aside on paper towel. Next, steam the cubed potato until just barely cooked, You need them to still be slightly firm. Drain the potato cubes, drizzle over the vinegar and season well with salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pot and allow the cubes to continue cooking.
Meanwhile, combine the mayo, sour cream, saffron and mustard in a large bowl. Add in the potato mix as soon as it's completely cooled. Just before serving, add the remaining ingredients, give a good mix, and serve.
Peachy Keen Garden Salad
Baby gem cos lettuces, 2 of
2 white peaches, finely sliced
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped through
2 large tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
1 small Lebanese cucumber, sliced
1 red capsicum, finely sliced
Lime Vinaigrette (see below)
So, tear up the lettuce, then add the other veg and peaches to a bowl. To make the vinaigrette, add 150mls olive oil to a glass jar, add in zest of a lime, juice of small lime, 75mls vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, a little crushed garli and/or chili flakes if liked, and some mustard. Close the jar, shake to combine, drizzle over chilled and tossed salad and serve.
Bon appetite and merry Christmas
