Comforting and wholesome,this is the perfect spread to cook for Mother's Day ... or any day.Sophie Hansen/Murdoch BooksFood is a powerful way to communicate what we love,need and feel to the people around us,says NSW farmer and food writer Sophie Hansen and her mum,art teacher Annie Herron.
The pair's new cookbook,Around the Kitchen Table, celebrates this connection,with each recipe an invitation to pause our busy lives and cook or create something satisfying with our hands.
"It's our call to the kitchen table,a wave to come over,sit down and chop,stir,knead,draw,paint,weave or stitch with us,"they write.
Here the duo share a spread of heart-warming recipes perfect for Mother's Day,or any day of the year.
This simple chicken dish is rich and aromatic.Sophie Hansen/Murdoch BooksAngela's chicken
Unctuous,rich and aromatic,this simple chicken dish is one of my favourite things to have for Sunday lunch,especially when served with deliciously golden and cheesy semolina gnocchi.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole chicken,jointed into 8 pieces (you can ask your butcher to do this for you)
- ¼ cup (35g) plain flour
- about 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp (40g) butter
- 1 brown onion,finely chopped
- 1 carrot,peeled and finely diced
- 1 celery stalk,finely diced
- 3 unpeeled garlic cloves,bruised with the back of a knife
- 1 rosemary stalk
- 1 cup (250ml) white wine
- 400g can cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup (125ml)chicken stock
- roughly chopped parsley,to serve
- 1 large free-range chicken
- 2 brown onions,quartered
- 3 carrots,cut into chunks
- 2 celery stalks,cut into chunks
- olive oil,for drizzling
- 1 handful rosemary and thyme sprigs (a mix is nice,but use whatever you have in the garden or fridge)
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup (60ml) boiling water
- ¼ cup (60g) tomato paste
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional). Cut the chicken in half right down the middle and lay it flat in a roasting tin. Surround the chicken with the onion,carrot and celery. Drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt and pepper,then pop it into the oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken and aromatics have browned nicely.
- Transfer everything from the tin into a large stockpot or saucepan and pour in 14 cups (3.5 litres) water. Add the herbs and bay leaf and bring to the boil,skimming any foam or scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 1½ hours.
- Meanwhile,deglaze the roasting tin by placing it on the stove over medium heat (or scrape everything you can from the base of the tin into a saucepan) and adding the boiling water,scraping and stirring so you get all the colour and flavour from the bottom of the tin. Stir in the tomato paste,then pour the mixture into the stock.
- Strain the stock and refrigerate or freeze it. Discard the vegetables. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle,shred the meat and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. (Purists might argue that the chicken will be a touch overcooked,but actually I find it super tasty.)
NoteTo make a reduction jus,pour 2 cups (500ml) of this rich,unctuous stock into a saucepan and cook it over medium heat until it reduces by half. This is beautiful as a gravy for roast chicken or even to use when making a gravy for roast lamb.
Makes about 8 cups (2 litres) stock and 400g cooked chicken
Keep it simple with this side salad.Sophie Hansen/Murdoch BooksGreen salad
Gather a mix of greens,such as rocket,mizuna,oak leaf lettuce,radicchio,sorrel and soft herbs,and separate the leaves from their stems. Wash the leaves,then give them a good shake in a sieve or colander. Gently roll up the leaves in a couple of clean tea towels,then pop them in the fridge until lunch or dinnertime.
Tip the leaves into a serving bowl. Lightly sprinkle with salt,then dress with a classic vinaigrette,made by mixing one part vinegar with three parts extra virgin olive oil. Finish with some toasted flaked almonds and thinly sliced crisp pear. Toss and serve.
This soothing side dish can mostly be prepared in advance.Sophie Hansen/Murdoch Books Baked semolina gnocchi
Very forgiving,very delicious and very soothing,this semolina gnocchi is a total winner and I'd happily have it for dinner on a cold,windy night,just on its own. It's also a fantastic side dish for all kinds of mains. Everything is done in advance and you can have it sitting in the fridge,ready to pop into the oven 40 minutes or so before it's time to eat.
We are jumping around a bit geographically with this dish – it's a Roman classic,while the chicken and the chocolate salami are Piedmontese staples,but as with most of my cooking,it's an amalgamation of flavours and memories. As long as the end result is tasty and proper credit is given to the recipe's origins,that's OK with me.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 eggs,lightly whisked
- 1 cup (180g) semolina
- 2 cups (500ml) full-cream milk
- 1 cup (100g) grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ cup (60g) butter,cut into cubes,plus extra for greasing
- ⅓ cup (80ml) single cream
I love the idea of a snacking cake – a lovely slab that sits in the cake tin for a few days,just waiting to be cut and eaten with a cup of tea. It's not fussy,just plain yet delicious,and a good vehicle for any kind of fruit,preserved or fresh. If that sounds good to you,then this is your cake! The quantities I've given do make quite a large cake,so if you think your household might snack less than mine,please go ahead and halve them.
INGREDIENTS
- 320g unsalted butter,softened
- 2¾ cups (420g) plain flour
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- a good pinch of salt
- ½ cup (130g) Greek-style yoghurt
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup (50g) flaked natural almonds
- ¼ cup (45g) brown sugar
Filling
- 4-5 apples,pears or a similar quantity of preserved fruit,halved and sliced (seenote)
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
Honey jumbles
The stuff of childhood nostalgia,these honey jumbles are such a favourite in my house. And they're a simple melt-and-mix recipe,so are a good opportunity to get the kids involved in baking. I've topped these with orange-flavoured icing,but you could stay with the classic option and do half pink and half white (in which case,just omit the orange juice and zest and use a little lemon juice for the white icing and a tiny drop of pink food colouring for the pink).
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup (65g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (175g) honey
- ¼ cup (45g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1½ cups (225g) plain flour,plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- a pinch of ground cloves
- 1 tbsp milk
Orange icing