Seasonal Herb Recipes
Chicken with Blackberries and Lemon Balm
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 25g/1oz/2 tbsp Butter
- 15ml/1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
- 60ml/4 tbsp Plain flour
- 150ml/1/4 pint/2/3 Cup Red Wine
- 150ml/1/4 pint/2/3 Cup Chicken Stock
- Grated rind and juice of ½ orange
- 3 Lemon Balm Sprigs, finely chopped
- 150ml/1/4 Pint/2/3 Cup Double Cream
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 115g/4oz/2/3 Cup Fresh Blackberries
- Salt & Ground Black Pepper
- Chopped Lemon Balm & Fresh Blackberries to garnish
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas 4. Trim the chicken breasts, removing any skin. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Fry the chicken until sealed on all sides, then transfer to a casserole. Stir the flour into the remaining fat. Cook for 1 minute, stir in the wine and stock. Heat, stirring until the sauce thickens. Add the orange rind, juice and the lemon balm. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk the cream with the egg yolk and some of the liquid from the casserole; stir into the casserole.
Add the blackberries. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Garnish with lemon balm and blackberries.
Lemonade with Sweet Geranium and & Lemon Balm Leaves
Makes 2 Litres
Ingredients
For the stock syrup
- 450g Caster sugar
- 600ml Water
- 5 Sweet Geranium leaves
- 3-4 Lemon Balm leaves
For the lemonade
- 4 Lemons, juice only
- 2 Oranges, juice only
- 1.5 litres water
To make the stock syrup, place the sugar and water into a saucepan and heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Add the geranium leaves and lemon balm and boil for 2 minutes; leave to cool.
Stir the lemon and orange juice together and add the stock syrup and water. Chill until ready to serve.
Courgette & Sorrel Soup
Ingredients
- 25g Butter
- 1450g courgettes, cut into chunks
- 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 1 small potato, peeled and diced
- 275ml vegetable stock
- 275ml Milk
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
- Large handful of Sorrel, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and toss in the courgettes, onion, garlic and potato.
Cook gently for 15 minutes, with the lid on, stirring occasionally to stop it catching.
Add the stock and milk and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Liquidise the soup using a jug or hand blender, then stir in the crème fraîche and the sorrel. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.
Smoked Chicken & Asparagus Paella with Broad Bean, Almond & Sorrel Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken legs
- Pinch of Paprika
- 8 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 250g chorizo sausages, chopped into chunks
- 2 Chillies, chopped
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 Carrot, finely chopped
- 1 Celery stick, finely chopped
- 100g Short-grain rice
- 1 Beef tomato, chopped
- 200ml White Wine
- 400ml Fresh chicken stock
- 8 Asparagus spears, blanched until just tender
- Pinch of Saffron
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
For the Pesto
- 50g Almonds
- 1 Bunch Sorrel
- 200g Fresh broad beans
- 1 Garlic clove, chopped
- 200g Pecorino cheese, grated
- 25ml Olive Oil
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5. Rub the chicken legs with the paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.
Place the chicken legs in a roasting tray with the garlic cloves and roast for 25 minutes until cooked through.
Take the roast chicken flesh off the bone and reserve the roast garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan. Add in the chorizo, chillies, onion, carrot and celery and fry over a medium heat until the vegetables are softened, around 5 minutes.
Add in the rice and mix in well.
Add the tomato, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Pour the wine in and bring the mixture to the boil. Add the stock 100 millilitres at a time.
Cook for 20 minutes, then add the asparagus, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the roast chicken flesh, reserved roast garlic and saffron. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
To make the pesto, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until lightly browned, taking care not to burn them. Remove and cool.
In a food processor, blend together the dry-fried almonds, sorrel, broad beans, garlic, Pecorino and olive oil into a paste. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
To serve the paella, put a generous helping on a plate, and garnish with the pesto.
Rhubarb and Sweet Cicely Smoothie
Ingredients
- 400g Red Rhubarb
- Handful Sweet Cicely
- Juice and rind of one small Orange
- 75g Caster Sugar (to taste)
- 1 dessertspoon Porridge Oats
- 2 tablespoons Greek Yoghurt
- 100ml Milk
Wash the rhubarb and put it onto a chopping board.
Use a table knife to chop off the rhubarb ends, then cut the trimmed sticks in into 1-2cm cm pieces and put them into a small pan. Add the Sweet Cecily.
Scrub the orange and grate the rind turning the fruit as you grate. Be careful not to grate the pith (white).Add the rind to the pan.
Cut the orange in half and twist each half around a juicer to get the juice out. Add the juice to the pan.
Weigh the sugar and add it to the pan and put the lid on. Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes until the rhubarb is soft. Allow it to cool completely.
Put the cooled pink rhubarb, oats, and yogurt into a food processor.
Keep whizzing until the rhubarb is smooth and then add milk to thin your smoothie.
Recipe from Stirrin' Stuff
