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BBQ Chicken with Cranberry Teriyaki Glaze with Garlic Bok Choy 

BBQ Chicken

Cranberry Teriyaki Glaze

1 spanish onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 cup dried cranberries
100ml vegetable oil
100g sugar
500ml cranberry juice
1 orange - zest and juice
250ml yellow bean soy
  Salt & pepper

 

  1. Sauté the onions, ginger and cranberries in a pot with 2 tablespoons of the oil till soft.
  2. Add the sugar, cranberry juice, orange juice, zest and soy.
  3. Simmer till reduced by half.
  4. Transfer to a blender and slowly mix with the remaining oil.
  5. Season with salt and pepper. 

 

BBQ Chicken with Garlic Bok Choy

4 free range corn fed chicken thighs
2 bunches baby bok choy, washed and quartered
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy
¼ teaspoon caster sugar
Few drops sesame oil

 

  1. Make a few slashes on the skin side of the chicken.
  2. Brush each thigh with the teriyaki glaze and cook in a 160C oven for 15 minutes.
  3. Bring out and reglaze.
  4. Return to oven at 170C for a further 10-15 minutes till cooked.
  5. Rest the thigh for a few minutes.
  6. Meanwhile heat a wok and swirl in 1 tbsp oil.
  7. Add the minced garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
  8. Add the bok choy and 1 tablespoon of water.
  9. Stir fry for 1 minute.
  10. Add the other seasonings.
  11. Cook for a further 30 seconds.
  12. Transfer to a dish.
  13. Chop the chicken thigh, Chinese style and arrange on top of the garlic bok choy, pouring over any juices from the rested meat.

 

Cooking with Cranberries - preparation tips

Always remember to:

  • Cook frozen cranberries just until they pop. Longer cooking brings out their bitterness and makes them mushy.
  • Do not use aluminium cookware when cooking cranberries as the berries' acid reacts with aluminium and causes it to discolour. Use stainless steel, glass or porcelain.
  • Eliminate foaming and over boiling when cooking frozen cranberries by adding one teaspoon of butter.
 

Preparing cranberries:

  • Chop cranberries in a food processor, using quick on/off pulses, to save time.
  • When cooking, add a little salt or ¼ teaspoon baking soda or baking powder to cranberry sauce to reduce the amount of sugar needed and bring out the cranberry flavour.
  • Soak dried cranberries in warm water, orange juice or a liqueur for 20 to 30 minutes to get plumper berries which can be used as a substitute for frozen or fresh cranberries in many recipes.
  • For baked goods (i.e. muffins, cakes or slices), chop frozen cranberries and toss them with sugar before stirring into the batter to improve sweetening.