Sam's Silver D of E Cookery Blog

Chicken and mushroom pasta is a great meal for the end of the day. 4 chicken thigh fillets, boneless skinless 1 teaspoon dried basil Salt and pepper, to season 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced  250 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced 1 chicken stock pot Extra salt and pepper, to taste 300 g uncooked penne pasta 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese A handful of fresh parsley, chopped Season chicken thighs with dried basil, salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and sear on both sides until golden brown, cooked through and no longer pink. Remove and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pot. Fry the onion and garlic until the onion becomes transparent, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes). Pour in the white wine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, or until beginning to reduce down. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Then, add the ...

 I haven't had toad in a hole for a very long time and to add to the taste I rapped the sausage in bacon. It was delicious. 210g plain flour, plus a spoonful 1 tsp English mustard powder 4 eggs 400ml milk 4 thyme sprigs, leaves only 8 plain pork sausages 2 tbsp sunflower oil 2 onions, peeled and sliced 1 tsp soft brown sugar 500ml beef stock Make the batter: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 7. Tip 210g plain flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in 1 tsp English mustard powder with a good pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, crack in 4 eggs, then pour in a little from 400ml milk. Whisk the mixture, gradually incorporating some of the flour, until you have a smooth batter in the well. Now add a bit more milk and continue stirring until all the milk and flour has been mixed together. The batter is ready: You should now have a smooth, lump-free batter that is the consistency of double cream. Stir in the leaves from 4 thyme sprigs, then tip the batter back into the jug you m...

 I did Coq au Vin this week as I love both chicken and bacon and was a nice slow cooker meal to do after a day of hard work. 400g/14oz shallots, peeled and left whole 2 carrots, cut into chunky pieces, about 2½cm/1in 2 sticks celery, cut into 1cm/½in slices salt and freshly ground black pepper 100g/3½oz smoked, dry-cured lardons 2 tbsp plain flour 4 whole chicken legs, cut into thighs and drumsticks 1 fresh bay leaf few sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp tomato purée 300ml/½pt full-bodied red wine 100ml/3½fl oz good quality chicken stock 150g/5½oz button or crimini mushrooms, or larger mushrooms cut in half Put the shallots, carrots and celery into a slow cooker, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry the lardons in a large frying pan over a low heat for 10 minutes until crisp, golden and the fat has run from the meat. Remove from the pan and tip most of the fat into a heatproof bowl. Meanwhile, put the flour into a food bag or bow...