Let Them Eat Chicken

We're posting this recipe in support of Let Them Eat Chicken, raising awareness of the broiler chicken industry. For more information go to Let Them Eat Chicken. This delicate summer chicken recipe is a favourite from Henrietta Green. The lettuce sauce may sound a bit strange but it's perfect for using bolted lettuce. Serves 4 8-12 chicken portions - wings, breast, thighs or drumsticks (whichever you prefer) or 1 chicken, cut into joints For the Marinade 5 tbsp olive oil juice of 1 lemon bunch of fresh chervil, chopped sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For the Lettuce Sauce 50g/2oz unsalted butter 1 small bunch spring onions, finely chopped 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped 1 Cos or Butterhead lettuce, finely chopped 3 tbsp dry white wine 2 tbsp crème fraiche Method Slash the skin of the chicken joints and put them in a suitable bowl for marinading. Mix the olive oil together with the lemon juice and half of the chervil, season and pour over the chicken. Leave to stand for a couple of hours. To cook the chicken, remove from the marinade and grill the chicken either on a pre-heated grill pan, under a preheated grill or, if the weather holds, on the barbecue. Grill until cooked through, turning occasionally and basting with the marinade. Meanwhile to make the sauce, melt the butter over a low heat and add the spring onions, chilli and cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Add the lettuce and stir until coated in butter. Pour in the white wine, cover and simmer gently for about 5-7 minutes or until the lettuce has thoroughly collapsed. Whiz the sauce in a food processor until smooth. With the machine still running, add the remaining chervil and the crème fraiche. Season and serve with the chicken.

Hake with Onion, Fennel and Tomatoes

Last night, the weather was perfect for a quiet supper in the garden. I cooked hake - an over-looked fish but in my farmers market - and here's how. It's the sort of cooking I like - low maintenance - it doesn't mean the cooking's quick, just the amount of time preparing - then you can leave it to get on by itself. I sliced one large onion and crushed a few (probably about 4-5) garlic cloves and softened them in olive oil. Then I added a couple of thinly sliced potatoes (it would have been better if they'd been waxier), a similarly cut fennel bulb and about 6 quartered tomoates, pour over a glug of white wine and left the whole thing to simmer for about 30 minutes, then I added a couple of hefty hake steaks (well seasoned with sea salt) sprinkled a genenrous handful of finely chopped parsley (the english curly kind, it's more gutsy) and left it to soft. After about 10-ish minutes, it was done and all that was need was a green salad. I gather the weather is holding today but I'm out tonight - at Quo Vadis, I hope. I'll let you know about that - meanwhile any other simple supper recipes in the low maintenance mode? I'd like to hear............