Chicken
Baked Chicken with Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella
You've got to love the taste of fresh mozzarella cheese. Buy the best you can afford, I say, and use it sparingly.
Baked Saffron Chicken with Asparagus and Butter Beans
The colours in this spring dish are smashing. The crispy crust on the baked chicken legs and thighs gives a crunchy contrast to the best of the new spring vegetables: asparagus and baby carrots. They are tossed together with large white Spanish butter beans in a light chicken and saffron broth. My friends at Sabato import high-quality Spanish products and their large jars of El Navarrico butter beans are superb.
Bangkok Chinatown Noodles with Chicken and Pickled Squid
One night in Bangkok's Chinatown, I spotted a lone man working his wok over an open fire as if there was no tomorrow. He produced only this dish and there was a continuous line of hungry peaople waiting for one of the tiny plastic stools at his stall to be vacated so that they, too, could be served up a steaming plate of these freshly cooked noodles. I like the simplicity of this dish and the squid is qite an unusual addition.
Barbecued Jerk Chicken
Jerk bears no relation to the dried ‘jerky’ found around the world; it is the term given to the subtle spice mixture that Caribbean people use to flavour their pork and chicken before grilling it over hot coals. I first tasted this dish at the Jamaica Inn while in the Caribbean, and found a similar recipe to the one here in an old collection of recipes put out as a fundraising book in the Cayman Islands. Serve with ice-cold beer, or a chilled light white wine.
Barbecued Tuscan Chicken with Caramelised Lemons
The caramelised lemons in this recipe are a real hit. Encourage your dinner guests to eat them rind and all - they are delicious. Use a decent-sized roasting dish that will fit all the ingredients in a snug-but-not-crowded way.
