Moroccan Spiced Chicken, Couscous, Tzatsiki

We are now selling a delicious Mediterranean couscous mix, so I thought I would experiment with some moroccan flavours for a delicious, easy, mid-week meal. The whole pack can be used for feeding 4-5 people, or if like me you are only feeding one, will last you a while. I used an Andrew's chicken thigh over chicken breast: while most people shy away from leg meat, it is a lot cheaper per kilo and stays extremely succulent and moist. I removed the bone quite easily, gradually taking the knife close to the bone to cut the meat away, so the thigh would lay flatter when cooking. Alternatively we sell skinless and boneless chicken thighs, or you can leave the bone in.

Serves 1 

1 Chicken Thigh- 1 packet of Mediterranean Couscous- Harissa Paste- Cumin- Herbs- Olive Oil- Greek Yoghurt- Cucumber- Mint

In a bowl mix a tablespoon of olive oil with the same of harissa paste, adding mixed herbs, coriander and cumin as you wish, to make a paste. 

Apply this to the top side of the thigh, rubbing into the skin. Leave to marinate for 2 hours at least, covered in the fridge. 

In the meantime I made a lovely tzatsiki to calm down the heat of the harissa. Simply take 2 heaped tablespoons of greek yoghurt and add some grated cucumber and a handful of finely chopped fresh mint. This is ever so cheap to make, healthy and lovely as it is so fresh. You could always make a bigger amount and save it as a dip for another occasion! 

When it comes to cooking heat a pan with a teaspoon of butter. When the pan is hot, add the chicken skin side down to crisp up the skin. Turn over perhaps after 4 minutes, making sure it is brown on both sides and cooked through.  In the meantime cook the couscous to the packet instructions. Slice the chicken and place on top of a bed of couscous, with a large spoonful of tzatsiki on the side. Hope you enjoy, L x

N.B this would also be lovely with our new season's lamb cutlets!

Haloumi Heaven

Finally the sun is shining so I decided to make one of my favourite summer dishes. I may not have been able to grill it on the barbecue but this basic haloumi recipe is still delicious fried in a pan. Haloumi is also a great cheese to buy and have in the fridge ready for when the sun does come out as it has a long date on it until opened; this shouldn't be a problem, it is so yummy it soon gets eaten up!

Four simple ingredients for your basic haloumi: half a block of cypriot haloumi cheese from Andrew's, 2 crushed garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, dried mixed herbs. Haloumi can take a LOT of flavour so don't be shy on your garlic and use as many fresh herbs or spices as you think best. Slice into 4. Leave to marinate while you prepare a salad or accompaniment. (Andrew's sell a great Mediterranean couscous that would go well). Heat your pan on a high heat. Add the haloumi and cook browning it each side making sure you let the cheese soften, you will see it changing texture. Slice into pieces, serve and enjoy! 

New Season's Lamb

It would have been great to visit the new season's lamb with Dad and others from the Q Guild this afternoon... But I think these pictures he took really do speak a 1000 words. It's such a good feeling to know that the lambs we sell are able to roam in these beautiful surroundings at Bridge Farm Chelsworth, only a ten minute drive from the shop.

Q GUILD

The Q Guild is a national guild representing "the highest quality butchers and independent meat retailers in the UK". Naturally it is an organisation that we are really proud to be apart of as Q Guild status is only awarded to those up keeping the highest standards: not only in quality of meat, but also in hygiene. We were especially pleased to be awarded a distinction in both quality and hygiene this week. The Q Guild is also great for meeting other peers in the industry to bounce around new ideas. Next week we are inviting some butchers from the southern eastern region to show them our shop and to visit our spring season lamb being born... Very exciting, so look out for pictures soon! 

Easter: José Pizarro's Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder

I cannot praise this recipe enough, apart from saying it is THE lamb recipe to go for when cooking shoulder of lamb from spring onwards. It's not exactly barbecue weather as it usually is at this time of year but... this recipe is super easy to do in the oven, is delicious with salad and new potatoes, and makes a welcome change from the usual roast leg of lamb with rosemary recipes we start to see at Easter time. Shoulder of lamb is an underrated cut, because of which it is also much cheaper than the leg. The slightly fattier appearance may put people off but slow cooked gently, as in this recipe, the fat simply melts away keeping the joint moist and delicious. Back to the recipe, you simply marinate the lamb in a bottle of white wine, crushed garlic and parsley for 2 hours, before cooking in the oven for 3 hours at 140ºC, basting the meat in its wine infused juices every so often. Click here for José Pizarro's easy to follow recipe and enjoy.

Mary Portas Does Not Horse Around

I have always loved Mary Portas for her devotion to the British high street's independent shops and no-nonsense attitude when it comes to giving business advice, so it was great to see her recent article in the Telegraph reviewing The Ginger Pig butchers shop in London. Not only does Mary give the shop the recognition it deserves, she makes some brilliant observations regarding the traditional quality butcher in general. 

Unsurprisingly, the high street guru sees the horse meat scandal as a great opportunity for Britain's butchers... Yet she also states how important it is for butchers to "play your trump card" and really step up to show consumers what they have to offer. What is wonderful is that Mary notices that the supermarkets aren't always cheaper than traditional butchers although glitzy offers may make it seem so, and that any extra expense one might pay is more than worth it for the experience offered... 

"I am not saying that traditional butchers are always cheaper, but it is certainly true that we must get out of the mindset that prepackaged, mass produced meat is much less expensive [...] What you would certainly miss out on is a fabulous butcher who went out of his way [...] An experience like this is priceless." Mary Portas 

We strive to offer a service that supermarkets simply cannot match and in a time when supermarket is domination is threatening our high streets, I hope not only butchers but all independent retailers will take Mary's advice to really take such opportunities to show the British public the wonderful alternative services they have to offer. Read the full article here. 

Gok Wan's Chinese Belly Pork

Eager to follow the success of Gok Wan's easy recipe for Peking duck, I thought I'd try his recipe for belly pork. Bored of slow-cooking recipes that leave me with flavourless pork, this recipe only took 2.5 hours and made some of the most tender pork I have ever eaten. The main cooking is done by simmering the pork in a large pan for nearly two hours with garlic cloves, ginger, spring onions, a teaspoon of chinese five spice, shaoxing wine and enough water to cover the meat. The thought of boiling meat can be a turn off but the smells that fill the kitchen are divine and it makes the meat surprisingly tender.

 After this initial cooking, you then place the meat in a baking tray and brush with a glaze of soy sauce and honey, and place in an oven (preheated to 215C) for 20-30 minutes until golden and caramelised. Serve with chinese greens and rice to balance out the sticky rich flavour of the meat. NB. Gok uses star anise but for me chinese five spice works just as well and is often more readily available. You could use this cooking method for cooking belly pork in all styles of cuisine, for example we sell some delicious Cottage Delight barbecue sauces that would work well in place of the soy sauce and honey glaze. For the full original recipe click here.