Starter Recipes

Chicken fritters recipe

ingredients



Serve the fritters with a crisp green salad, or for a more substantial dish, serve with a tasty rice salad.






100 g (4 oz) boneless cooked chicken, skinned and finely chopped
25 g (1 oz) margarine
40 g (1 1/2 oz) plain flour
150 ml (1/4 pint) milk
1 egg yolk
50 g (2 oz) cooked ham, finely chopped
4 button mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
125 g (4 oz) packet batter mix
6 rashers streaky bacon, rinds removed
vegetable oil, for deep frying










method



1. Make the sauce: melt margarine in a saucepan, sprinkle in 25 g (1
oz) flour and stir over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes until
straw-coloured. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the milk and the
egg yolk. Return to heat and simmer, stirring, until thick and smooth.

2. Stir in the chicken, ham, mushrooms and oregano and season to taste
with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture on to a large plate, spread it
out with a knife and leave to cool for 15 - 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 110C/225F/Gas 1/4 and make up the batter according to the packet instructions.

4. Stretch each of the bacon rashers with the back of a knife and then cut them in half.

5. Divide the chicken mixture into 12, then roll each piece into a ball, and shape it into a roll. Wrap each roll with bacon.

6. Spread out the remaining 15 g (1/2 oz) flour on a flat plate and
season with salt and pepper. Dip each roll in the flour until evenly
coated.

7. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190C/375F or until a day-old bread cube browns in 50 seconds.

8. Dip the rolls one at a time into the batter, then drop into the hot oil
and deep fry 6 at a time for about 6 minutes until golden and crispy. 9
Drain on absorbent paper and keep warm in oven while cooking the second
batch.

Serve at once.



serving amount




serves 4

ingredients



This
satisfying soup can be served as a main course. You can add rice and
(bell) peppers to make it even more hearty, as well as colourful.







25 g (1 oz) 2 tbsp butter
350 g (12 oz) boneless chicken
350 g (12 oz) leeks, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
1.2 litres (2 pints) 5 cups chicken stock
1 bouquet garni sachet
8 pitted prunes, halved
salt and white pepper
cooked rice and diced (bell) peppers (optional)










method



1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.

2. Add the chicken and leeks to the saucepan and fry for 8 minutes.

3. Add the chicken stock and bouquet garni sachet and stir well.

4. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Bring the soup to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes.

6. Add the prunes to the saucepan with some cooked rice and diced (bell) peppers (if using) and simmer for about 20 minutes.

7. Remove the bouquet garni sachet from the soup and discard. Serve the chicken and leek soup immediately.



serving amount




serves 4 - 6

yummyyyyy

Parsnip and Apple Soup recipe

information


The
velvety texture of a creamy soup is always welcoming, and the
unmistakable flavour of parsnips, blended with a hint of tart cooking
apple, is very warming. Root crops of all types thrive in fertile East
Anglian soil, but parsnips don't reach their peak until after one or
two hard frosts.



ingredients



Parsnip and apple SOUP. A smooth soup with an interesting garnish of diamond shaped croutons and fresh sage leaves.






25 g (1 oz) butter
700 g (1 1/2 lb) parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Bramley cooking apple, cored, peeled and roughly chopped
1.1 litres (2 pints) chicken stock
4 fresh sage leaves or 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) dried sage
2 cloves
150 ml (5 fl oz) fresh single cream
salt and pepper
fresh sage leaves or parsley and croutons, to garnish










method



1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the parsnips and apple,
cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Pour in the stock, add the sage and cloves. Bring to the boil, cover
then simmer for 30 minutes, until the parsnip is softened.

3. Remove the sage leaves and cloves, leave to cool slightly, then puree in a blender or food processor.

4. Return to the saucepan and reheat gently with the cream. Season to
taste. Serve hot, garnished with the sage or parsley and croutons.


serving amount




serves 6 - 8 (as a starter)

Blue Cheese Dip recipe

ingredients









5 fl oz (142 ml) soured cream
1 garlic clove, skinned and crushed
175 g (6 oz) Blue Stilton cheese, crumbled
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
snipped chives to garnish










method



1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat together well. Do not add too much salt as Stilton can be salty.

2. Put into a small dish and chill well.

Garnish with snipped chives.

Serve with savoury cocktail biscuits, pretzels, stuffed olives, etc.



serving amount




serves 6 - 8