How to truss a poultry

To truss poultry with string, take a piece of butcher's string about three times the length of the bird. Place the bird on its back, tail end nearest to you. Slide the string underneath so that it is cradling the bird in the center if its back.

Now, gently pull the string up the sides...

...then around the wings. Pull the strings toward you, close to the breast, so that the wings are held against the body.

Cross the strings at the base of the breast, then wrap each string around the end of a drumstick.

Tie the ends of the string together, cinching it tightly so that the legs cross.

Then, lift the bird so that the tail end is up and wrap the string around the tail. Tie the string, pulling tightly so that the cavity is covered by the tail.

Place the bird on its back again and bring the string back to the front, then tie it off. Your bird is now ready for the oven.

How to make brown sauce

Espagnole (Brown) Sauce

Ingredients

• ¾ pint (420 ml) of brown meat stock
• 1 oz (30 g) of butter
• 1 oz (30 g) chopped streaky bacon
• 1 chopped carrot
• 1 chopped shallot
• 4 tbsp of chopped mushrooms
• 3 tbsp of flour
• 2 tbsp of tomato purée
• 1 bouquet garni
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Place the butter in a large saucepan and heat gently until it melts.
2. Add the chopped bacon and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the chopped vegetables and continue to gently fry all the ingredients until the vegetables have softened.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour.
5. Return the pan to the heat and cook the flour mixture (roux) until it turns a dark brown colour. Do not allow it to burn.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the meat stock a little at a time.
7. Continue to stir the sauce continuously until it thickens and then add the tomato purée, the bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for about an hour.
9. Skim the top of the sauce from time to time.
10. When the sauce is ready, you should have a thick brown strong-tasting sauce. Strain the sauce into a new pan through a sieve so that only the liquid passes through.
11. Serve as you wish or freeze the sauce in individual batches for later use.

How to Make Chicken Stock

 

Here are two basic ways to make chicken stock. One method uses the leftover bones from a chicken carcass and vegetables, and takes several hours of slow cooking. The second method uses chicken backs and wings, sautéing them first, and takes about 1 hour to prepare. We prefer this second method as it yields a more rich, delicious stock. But the first method can be a great way to not let good bones go to waste.

How to Make Chicken Stock

Method

Method 1. Leftover Chicken Bones

• Leftover bones and skin from a cooked or raw chicken carcass
• Celery
• Onions
• Carrot
• Parsley
• Salt
• Pepper

1 Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add veggies like celery, onion, carrots, parsley. Add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.
2 Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer. Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occassionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.
3 Remove the bones and strain the stock.
4 If making stock for future use in soup you may want to reduce the stock by simmering a few hours longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.
Method 2. Chicken backs, wings, and legs.

• 4 lbs of chicken backs, wings, and or legs that have been hacked with a cleaver into 2-inch pieces. You can ask your butcher to prepare the chicken pieces this way.
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped.
• Olive oil
• 2 quarts of boiling water
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 bay leaves

1 Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add one chopped onion. Sauté until softened and slightly colored - 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2 Add half of the chicken pieces to the pot. Sauté until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to bowl with onions. Sauté the rest of the chicken the same way. Return onion and chicken pieces to the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes.
3 While the chicken pieces are cooking, fill a large tea kettle with 2 quarts of water, bring to a boil.
4 After the chicken pieces have been cooking for 20 minutes, raise the heat level to high, add the 2 quarts of boiling water, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 bay leaves. Return to a low simmer, then cover and barely simmer for about 20 minutes.
5 Strain broth and discard solids. Broth can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for several months.

This second method comes from The Best Recipe cookbook by Cook's Illustrated. They got it from In Pursuit of Flavor, by Edna Lewis. This makes a truly flavorful stock. With chicken backs at about $1 lb, a good value as well.
Method 3: Use Chicken Feet
See How to make stock from chicken feet. If you have access to chicken feet, they make the most fabulous gelatinous stock.
Note about the Fat
I've seen a lot of newer cookbooks advocate the skimming of the fat from the stock. We prefer the traditional method of letting the fat settle in a layer on top of the stock as it cools. This way, the fat acts as a protective layer against bacteria, which is found in the air. The stock will last longer if you keep the fat layer on it. Just lift up the layer of fat and remove the stock when you want to use it. Every few days, bring the stock to a simmer for 10 minutes and let it cool, again with the fat forming a protective layer. Your stock can be stored in the refrigerator and used for up to a couple of weeks this way.

fish and chips

Ingredients
beef dripping or oil, for deep frying (beef dripping is used in the traditional method and gives a far better flavour, but sunflower or vegetable oil will work just as well)

For the fish
4x175g/6oz thick cod or haddock fillets, taken from the head end rather than the tail end of the fish

225g/8oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

salt and freshly ground black pepper

300ml/10fl oz fridge-cold lager

For the chips
6-8 large floury potatoes, such as maris piper, king edward, desiree (depending on how hungry you are)

Preparation method
1.Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and preheat the dripping or oil to 120C/250F.

2.For the chips, peel the potatoes and cut into whatever size you prefer. Wash well in cold water, drain and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Put the potatoes into the fryer and allow them to fry gently for about 8-10 minutes, until they are soft but still pale. Check they're cooked by piercing with a small, sharp knife. Lift out of the pan and leave to cool slightly on greaseproof paper.

3.Increase the heat of the fryer to 180C/350F.

4.Season the fish and dust lightly with flour; this enables the batter to stick to the fish.

5.To make the batter, sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl and whisk in the lager to give a thick batter, adding a little extra beer if it seems over-thick. It should be the consistency of very thick double cream and should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Season with salt and thickly coat 2 of the fillets with the batter. Carefully place in the hot fat and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove from the pan, drain and sit on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, then keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining 2 fillets in the same way.

6.Once the fish is cooked, return the chips to the fryer and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Shake off any excess fat and season with salt before serving with the crispy fish. If liked, you can serve with tinned mushy peas and bread and butter, for the authentic experience!

Cream of mushroom soup

Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound regular white mushrooms, cleaned, quartered or sliced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
Minced parsley for garnish


Method


1 In a food processor, coarsely chop mushrooms and lemon juice.

2 Melt butter in (4-5 quart) sauce pan and lightly sauté shallots on medium heat. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf, sauté over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears.
3 Add salt, pepper, cream and chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

4 Add cornstarch and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning and add more lemon juice to taste.

Serves 4. Serve sprinkled with a little parsley.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup taco sauce
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
salt
8 (8 inch) soft corn or flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
sliced black olives for topping



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil to the skillet.

3. Add ground chicken and season with chili powder and cumin. Brown the meat (about 5 minutes).

4. Add taco sauce, black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through then season with salt to taste.

5. Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining Tablespoon of olive oil.

6. Cut the tortillas in quarters for easy layering.

7. Start with a layer of the meat mixture, then layer with tortillas and then cheese.Repeat for a second layer, ending with cheese.

8. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is slightly browned.

9. Remove from oven, top with sliced black olives and serve.

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. baby red potatoes, washed and quartered
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Spray an oven-proof dish with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Add potatoes and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat.

4. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

5. Place dish in oven and bake for 15 minutes, stir and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.

6. Sprinkle with dried basil, adjust salt and pepper as needed, cover and allow to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4.



Monterrey Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons Bull's Eye barbecue sauce
4 slices crisp bacon
1/2 cup monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend
fresh tomato, chopped
chives


Monterrey Chicken Directions:

1. Pound chicken breasts until somewhat flattened, season with salt and pepper.

2. Spray cooking spray in a nonstick skillet.

3. Cook chicken breasts for 6-8 minutes on one side. Turn breasts over, cook for 6-8 minutes longer or until no longer pink inside.

4. Remove chicken from skillet and place in a casserole dish or baking pan.

5. Top chicken breasts with barbecue sauce, bacon, and cheese.

6. Broil chicken breasts in oven until cheese is melted.

7. Sprinkle with a small amount of fresh chopped tomatoes and chives. Serves 4.