Who would have ever thought that a fussy, borderline vegetarian like myself, would one day become a passionate foodie! My family never ceases to remind me that I only ate the most boring and unadventurous foods in my youth, like plain pasta, rice, potatoes and…my favourite…Maggi two minute noodles! It’s a disgrace knowing that I caused my poor mum so much grief. To her amusement, one meal I did enjoy back then and still do now, is her yummy baked chicken and red rice. It’s definitely far from being bland or boring, it’s actually bursting with delicious flavour.

I often make it with homegrown leek and free-range chicken, but you can substitute with brown onion if you can’t get your hands on leek. You might also try pork rather than chicken. The inclusion of sundried tomatoes is a recent addition by me, so feel free to leave them out if you prefer.

By making a big batch, it makes for a quick and easy reheat dinner, perfect for early Spring with a dollop of natural yoghurt.

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Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
8-10 assorted chicken pieces, e.g. drumstick, thigh and breast (or replace with chicken thigh fillets)
2 bay leaves
Sea salt
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, white and light green part chopped, dark green outer leaves discarded (replace with onion if leek is unavailable)
8-12 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped (optional)
2-3 mild dried whole red chillies, seeds and stem removed and roughly chopped (optional)
1 small red capsicum or 2-3 red bullhorn chillies, seeds and stem removed and roughly chopped
2 cups (440g) medium grain rice, washed and drained
2 teaspoons mild paprika
4 tablespoons (80ml) Italian style tomato passata sauce
Dried vegetable stock e.g. Vegeta/Massel (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
1) Soak chicken pieces in cold water for 30 minutes to remove impurities then discard water.

2) Bring 2 litres water, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt and chicken pieces to the boil, reduce to simmer for 20-30 minutes (10-15 for boneless pieces). Remove chicken pieces and cover to keep warm. Continue to gently simmer chicken cooking liquid.

3) Preheat oven to 250°C.

4) Heat a medium frying pan over low-medium heat. Add oil, leek and a sprinkling of salt, saute without colouring (5 minutes). Turn heat up to medium, add sundried tomatoes, dried chillies, capsicum and saute (3-5 minutes). Add washed rice and stir to coat (2 minutes). Add paprika, once fragrant (1-2 minutes) add tomato passata and mix through (2-3 minutes). Season with 1-2 teaspoons sea salt (or a dried vegetable stock e.g. Vegeta/Massel) and black pepper to taste.Transfer to large baking dish, arrange chicken pieces over rice, pushing down slightly to avoid the meat from drying out.

5) Remove bay leaves from cooking liquid and arrange over rice. Ladle over enough liquid to completely cover rice.
Note: Do not discard remaining cooking liquid.

6) Place in hot oven and cook for 5 minutes then reduce temperature to 220°C and continue to cook for further 25-30 minutes or until rice is cooked and chicken is golden. If rice dries out add an additional 1-2 ladles of the cooking liquid. If rice and chicken brown too quickly cover loosly with a sheet of foil.

7) Allow to stand for 10 minutes and serve while hot with a dollop of natural yoghurt.

Tips:
- Replace chicken with pork.
- For a vegetarian version omit chicken and use a good quality vegetable stock.

Despite being the first day of Spring here in Sydney, I’m still freezing! Apparently it’s hitting 25°C today but I’m not holding my breath as all I can see are grey clouds!

If you’re like me and feel the chill or perhaps you’re just feeling a little low, then I guarantee that Mum’s comforting chicken noodle soup will warm you up.

The one thing I need to mention is the unconventional addition of a packet of chicken noodle soup mix. I’m not sure why mum has always included it, as I’m sure it would taste good without, but it tastes so good that I’m not planning on changing a recipe which in my opinion is perfect.

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Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
4-6 assorted chicken pieces, e.g. wing, neck, drumstick, thigh (with skin and bone in)
1 small onion, peeled and left whole
2-3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 (45g) packet chicken noodle simmer soup mix
100 gm vermicelli egg noodles, coarsely broken
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Lemon to serve

Method
1) Soak chicken pieces in cold water for 30 minutes to remove impurities then discard water.

2) Place chicken in a large pot with onion, celery, carrot and 3 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Skim the surface regularly.

3) Remove chicken and set aside. Remove onion, half the celery pieces and discard.
Note: If you prefer discard all the celery.

4) Add chicken noodle soup packet and vermicelli noodles. Bring the boil and turn off heat. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin, coarsely shred meat and add to soup. Add parsley and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5) Serve while hot with with crusty bread and a generous squeeze of lemon juice or a drizzle of red wine/apple cider vinegar.

Tip: For a thicker consistency whisk 2-3 eggs with a pinch of salt and slowly incorporate into the soup (the soup should be off the heat to avoid curdling).

Alex’s grandma lives in Valence, France. It’s 100km south of Lyon and 100km north of Avignon. When Alex visits her grandma she always requests her favourite home-cooked dish, ‘Poulet au Citron’ and after cooking it for dinner last night I can totally understand why. The combination of sweet raisins, tangy lemon and velvety rum is oh so comforting and of-course delicious too!

It’s a rustic one-pot dish which has been in the family since the early 1900s. You can imagine the ‘Poulet au Citron’ being served for special occasions, placed in the middle of the table and shared with rice and fresh crusty bread. For me, this dish has a real celebratory feel, the rum and raisins would make it perfect for a simple Christmas lunch or special dinner party, served with fluffy rice and buttery green beans.

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Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients
200g raisins
1 free-range or organic chicken, jointed (or substitute with 8-10 assorted pieces of drumstick, thigh and breast)
60g butter
4 onions, sliced
1 cup (250ml) rum
juice of 4 lemons, plus 3-4 pieces of peel
2 tablespoons plain flour
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (optional)

Method
1) In a medium bowl pour over enough water to cover raisins (1½-2 cups), stir and cover. Allow to stand for 1 hour.
2) Heat half the butter in a large casserole or pan (medium-high heat). Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and cook in batches skin side down, turning once until golden (5-7 minutes). Transfer to a warm plate and set aside.
3) Reduce heat (low-medium), add remaining butter, onions and a pinch of salt, stir frequently until translucent (5-7 minutes). Turn the heat up, add raisins and soaking liquid, add the rum and flambé (1 minute). Add lemon juice and peel and return the chicken pieces and juices to the casserole/pan, ensuring all the chicken is covered with liquid. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
4) Remove chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Remove and discard lemon peel. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add flour and whisk quickly. Bring liquid to the boil to slightly thicken (2-3 minutes). Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Return chicken to sauce to warm through and take off heat.
5) Garnish with coarsely chopped parsley and serve with cooked basmati rice.

Tips:
- Ask your butcher to joint the chicken, they’ll do a perfect job and it’s usually free.
- If you don’t have a gas stove and are unable to flambé (flame) the rum, use a long barbecue lighter or lit candle to light the alcohol at the edge of the pan. Stand back, turn your face and have the lid close by. You can also try heating the rum in a small pan before you flambé and add to the sauce. Checkout this helpful YouTube video on How to Flambé.