Hearty Three-Bean Chicken Stew

Bacon, chicken chunks and three different beans, cooked to a rich tomato stew with a ton of different spices, and made creamy by a cheeky handful of cheese stirred in at the end. What's not to like? :)

I improvised this on the fly last night with leftover ingredients, so measurements are totally approximate. Feel free to add or omit anything on the list- I think carrots, zucchini or any chunky vegetables of your choice would make a great addition too.

Hearty Three-Bean Chicken Stew

Serves 8

*If you prefer not to use canned beans, just soak 3/4 cup of dried beans for each kind listed (so 2 1/4 cups dried beans total) overnight in water. Bring to a boil the next day and simmer for about 90 mins-2 hrs until cooked. You can use the water from cooking the beans in your stew.

Snip 200g streaky bacon into bits with some kitchen shears- I like to use Trader Joe's Bacon Ends and Pieces for cooking, and I much prefer kitchen scissors to a knife so I can cut it straight into the pot without getting a chopping board greasy.

Add a touch of olive oil and saute over medium-high heat until the fat from the bacon melts.

Add in and cook for a few minutes:

1 large cooking onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

A few dried chillies, crushed

Cut 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs into small chunks ( far prefer dark meat to white, but you can use chicken breast if preferred). Add to the pot and saute briefly until seared.

Pour in:

1 can (28 oz) chopped tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) each of pinto beans, red kidney beans and white canellini beans, drained (you can use just one type or other varieties if you prefer)

About 1 cup water (or the stock from cooking your dried beans if you did that)

1 tsp each of ground cumin and ground coriander

A generous sprinkling of dried oregano, basil, thyme, smoked paprika and cayenne (or any other herbs you want)

Lots of freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1 bay leaf

Bring to a boil, then simmer on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 30-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened.

Right at the end, stir in a tiny handful of grated cheese to make creamy (I had a Mexican blend of asadero, sharp cheddar, queso blanco and Monterey Jack lying around).

Let cool slightly before serving. Eat on its own, with rice or with bread.

Tastes even better as leftovers the next day!

Homemade British Sausage Rolls

This season we craved a taste of London, so I am proud to share a successful experiment in The Classic British Sausage Roll: herby meaty bits of porky deliciousness, encased in a flaky buttery puff pastry!

It sounds unusual, but some grated lemon zest really turned out to be the secret ingredient to lift and lighten what can sometimes be an overly stodgy treat. I learned the trick online, and I can't recommend it enough. Herbwise I stuck with the classic combo of sage and thyme (and the household highly approved), but feel free to play around with whatever aromatics you see fit. You can also use store bought puff pastry if you're too lazy to make the dough from scratch. Both the filling and pastry can be made a day or two ahead of time.

They're rich, hearty, and quite possibly the best savoury party bites ever. Merry Christmas and happy eating this holiday season everyone! :)

Homemade British Sausage Rolls
Makes about 40 bitesize pieces (*Feel free to make large individual portions if you like. Adjust cooking times accordingly and bear in mind the pastry will puff up.)

• Filling (you can make this several days in advance for the flavours to intensify):

Stir together in a bowl or mush in a ziplock bag to marinate:
1 1/2 lbs minced pork (*I asked my butcher to grind up a piece of pork loin. You can also use shoulder or ready-bought sausagemeat. Some recipes suggest pork belly or adding some streaky bacon... personally I think this would be too fatty)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh chopped sage leaves (roughly a handful)
Roughly 2 tbsp fresh thyme (about 16 sprigs- I usually just run my hand down the stem and pull the leaves off instead of chopping)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and black pepper to taste

Like herby pork Play Doh :)

• Puff pastry

Toss together in a large bowl (*the colder all your ingredients are, the better. It can help to put this whole bowl into the freezer briefly):
2 sticks (230g) very cold butter, diced into cubes
2 cups plain flour
Pinch of salt

Gradually add 1/2 cup ice cold water bit by bit, stirring slowly with a butter knife until incorporated and kneadable (not too sticky). Press with your hands into a rough dough ball (the butter cubes will still be visible) and cling wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 mins or overnight.

To bake:

Have 1 beaten egg and some flour on standby. Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C).

Place the rested dough ball on a well-floured surface, dust the top with more flour (I like to cover it with a sheet of cling wrap to ease clean up) and roll out slightly into a disc. Fold in the edges to form a square, flip it over and roll out into a large rectangle about 0.5 cm thin.

Cut the dough into 4 strips. Working with one piece at a time, roll each dough strip out longer and thinner if necessary. Squeeze a quarter of the meat into a long log with your hands (beware sexual innuendoes from cheeky roommates) and place in the centre of the pastry. Brush one edge with some water or egg wash, and roll it up snugly. 

Cut into about 10 pieces. Arrange on a baking tray.  Repeat with the other 3 strips of pastry and the rest of the meat.

Make a slit or several on top of each piece with a knife (to allow steam to escape). You can also prick with a fork.

Brush each piece with some egg wash.

Bake at 425 F (220C) for 25-30 mins until golden brown and crisp. The oil from the pork may ooze and bubble- don't worry, it's meant to happen :)

Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Serve warm, with some good ol' HP brown sauce if you wanna be really pukka :) Enjoy!

Ayam Goreng Berempah (Malay Spiced Fried Chicken)

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Delectably crunchy and bursting with the robust flavours of a dozen herbs and spices, this Malaysian-style fried chicken is simply hard to beat when it comes to good old juicy, crackling scrumptiousness. Be careful cooking this when you're hungry- once all the aromatics start sizzling away your entire kitchen will fill up with a fragrance that is oh so UH-MAZING.

Serve with rice, or alongside nasi lemak for a more divine experience.

Ayam Goreng Berempah (Malay Spiced Fried Chicken)

Serves 4-6

Chop 1 whole large chicken up into about 12 pieces (or use 12 drumsticks/thighs).

Blend in a grinder to a paste:

4 large cloves garlic

2 medium cooking onions

1" ginger

4 sticks lemongrass (white part only)

Stir together to form a batter:

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp meat curry powder (Baba's is the brand we stick to)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp cornflour

Combine all the chicken, paste and batter in a large container and add a small handful of fresh curry leaves. Mix well and leave to marinate in the refrigerator at least a few hours (overnight is best).

About an hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and leave it to reach room temperature (so the inside isn't cold- you don't want meat that ends up burning on the outside but raw in the middle!).

Heat up a large amount of oil until hot but not smoking-it has reached the correct temperature when you drop a small curry leaf in and it sizzles and bubbles. Drop the chicken pieces in carefully and deep fry over medium heat for about 10-15 mins until golden and crisp (use your discretion- smaller pieces will cook faster).

Shake off excess oil and place on a rack to drain further.

Stuff your face!

Perfect with some homemade nasi lemak!

Rich Tomato Beef Stew

Cold weather calls for hearty comfort food, so here: a simple-to-cook pot of tender beefy goodness with a thick flavoursome gravy to warm you up this winter :) Double the recipe if you like and freeze for a later date- the beef keeps well and will only get tastier with time.

Bon appetit!

Rich Tomato Beef Stew

Serves 2-3

Sweat in a pan over low-medium heat until translucent:

1 onion, sliced into half rings

2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and stir for a few minutes until meat is browned:

600g stewing/braising beef, cut into chunks

2 bay leaves

Generous sprinkling of dried mixed herbs

2 dried chillies, crushed

Salt and black pepper

Stir in, cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours until thickened:

1 large carrot, cut into chunks (or any vegetables/pulses you feel like using)

1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

1 cup water

A good glug of milk

At the last minute, stir in 1 tsp wholegrain mustard and cook a couple more minutes.

Serve hot with rice, couscous or bread.

Rich Chicken and Bacon Cacciatore with Buttered Couscous

By no means an authentic version of the Italian classic (of which a million variations exist anyway), this impromptu version of pollo alla cacciatore or "Hunter's chicken" was something I quickly whipped up using leftover ingredients for a warming lunch earlier today.

Chopped bacon gives the rich tomato gravy an added intensity and smoky flavour that really elevates it in my opinion- feel free to go the more traditional route with wine, olives, mushrooms and peppers, or splash in some balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce if desired.

Serve with lots of gravy alongside buttered couscous (recipe below-by far the fastest easiest thing to cook ever!), rice, rustic bread or pasta.

Rich Chicken and Bacon Cacciatore

Serves 2-3

Cut up about 250g cooking bacon (or use pancetta/any other fatty bacon you prefer) into small cubes. Dry fry without oil (both the bacon and chicken will be oily enough) over high heat in a large pot, stirring constantly until the fat starts to render and the cubes begin to go golden.

Turn the heat down to medium and add:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large cooking onion, cut into thin strips

A few bay leaves

Stir and allow to cook in the bacon fat (sinful I know!) until fragrant. Don't worry if at this point things stick to the pan- the addition of chopped tomatoes and water later will deglaze everything nicely.

Throw in 1 kg skin-on chicken thighs/ drumsticks and brown for about 5 mins on both sides, then add:

1 can (400ml) peeled plum tomatoes (bash them a bit to break up the whole pieces). If preferred, regular chopped tomatoes or sieved tomato passata works great too

1 tbsp tomato puree (I used double concentrated)

A bit of water

Good sprinkle of dried mixed herbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sliced carrots (or whatever vegetables/beans you desire)

Cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occassionally for 15-20 mins or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is thickened to a deep rich red.

Serve hot with plenty of gravy alongside buttered couscous (below) or your carb of choice :)

Buttered Couscous with Herbs and Raisins

Serves 2-3

Stir together in a small pot:

About 150g dried couscous (roughly 50-80g per person)

Sprinkling of dried mixed herbs

1 bay leaf

Small handful of raisins

Salt and pepper

Pour in enough boiling water to cover the entire mixture (water level should be about 1 cm above the surface of the couscous), then cover and leave to stand for about 3 mins until all liquid is absorbed.

Add a knob of butter (which will melt in nicely as you stir) and fluff up the couscous grains with a fork. Done!

Dry Fried Spiced Minced Lamb

Made this up as a spur-of-the-moment dinner a couple of nights ago with a pack of discounted lamb mince bought for cheap from our supermarket's reduced-to-clear shelf- no snobbery in this household when it comes to meat, we survive on hoarding near-expired packs and freezing them:)

After a few minutes staring at my cupboard wondering what to chuck in with it, I settled on a few random spices, leftover raisins and a generous sprinkling of toasted coconut- the warmth and aroma of ground spices just elevates everything to a whole different level, and dried fruit is the perfect complement for lamb (particularly mince) both in flavour and texture.

As per usual, feel free to chop and change with sultanas, dried apricots, nuts or whatever floats your boat.

Dry Fried Spiced Minced Lamb

Serves 2-3 alongside rice

Brown over high heat without oil (lamb is quite fatty):

400g minced lamb

1 large onion, sliced into half rings

Few cloves garlic

Few dried chillies, crushed

1 kaffir lime leaf, cut into thin strips

Stir in:

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Generous handful of raisins

Generous handful of dessicated coconut, toasted

Stir fry until dry. Serve with rice.

Crispy Chinese Roast Pork Belly (Siew Yoke/Siobak)

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*Also available cooked-to-order by weight. Please email samtanskitchen@gmail.com for details.

I made this for lunch the other day for the first time after comparing tons of online recipes, and I must say- never have I experienced an atmosphere so electric with anticipation in this house as at the possibility of achieving hawker-standard siew yoke at home.

Thankfully to our collective yelps of delight, the results were just totally, unbelievably perfect! Crisp crunchy golden-orange crackling and succulent just-fatty-enough layers of pork, the entire toppling pile of siew yoke was wiped out between the three of us in no time.

Be warned however- the whole kitchen will smoke up and your entire oven will be covered in oil splatter. It is totally worth it though if you don't mind a bit of cleaning up- the meat truly tastes like it does back home and if Arivind is anything to go by, your nearest and dearest who get to eat it will hail you as God. Funny how much street cred crackling can get you :)

Crispy Chinese Roast Pork Belly (Siew Yoke/Siobak)

Clean 1 kg pork belly and dry thoroughly (I do this by putting the meat skin side down on some kitchen towels after washing).

Stir together the following ingredients to form the marinade:

½ tbsp salt

½ tbsp sugar *optional*

1 large or 2 small cubes nam yue (red fermented/preserved beancurd-available in jars or tins in Asian shops)

½ tbsp five-spice powder

1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

Score the flesh part (not the skin) of the pork belly lightly in diagonal lines and rub in the marinade well. Place the joint in a foil-lined roasting tin, marinated side down so it can sit and absorb the flavours.

Score the skin part this time, using a sharp knife and being as thorough as possible. Rub in lots of salt all over, deep into each cut.

Leave the joint uncovered overnight to dry completely. Room temperature is fine in cold climates like London, but you should refrigerate the meat if it's hot where you are.

When ready to cook, lift the joint up and place a flat wire rack underneath to enable fat to drip off into the pan. Pat dry if there is any moisture left on the skin and bake in the middle of a 200C/395 F fan-assisted oven.

After 20 mins, remove and stab the skin all over as much as possible using two forks, one in each hand (I find this much steadier and faster than just using one hand). Drizzle the skin all over with a few tablespoons of rice vinegar.

Return the pan to the oven and switch it to grill/broil setting (upper heat only) at very high heat, about 250C/485 F. You will see the crackling start to bubble and pop wherever you poked with a fork. Grill for a further 30 mins, opening the oven door intermittently to let smoke escape, until the skin gets slightly burnt and charred. Don't worry about the blackened bits- it can be removed easily and is essential to ensure the crackling achieves the correct crispiness.

Once cooked, remove from the oven, scrape off any burnt parts with a serrated knife and leave to rest 15 mins before chopping.

Cheat tip: if any parts of the skin are still soft, just take the joint out of the oven and flip the entire thing upside down onto a large frying pan on the stove, skin side first (you can also cut it into more manageable pieces first if you like). Sear the skin on high heat with no added oil, until everything pops and crisps up. Watch out for oil splutter!

Listen to the satisfying crunch as you cut your siew yoke into chunks.

Save the cleaning up for later and devour with hot steaming rice. Make sure not to leave leftovers- the crackling goes soft when left overnight.

Enjoy!

Malaysian Beef Rendang (Spicy Dry Beef Stew with Coconut)

Rendang, when made well, can be a simply luscious experience. This most traditional and delectable of Malay dishes essentially consists of melt-in-the-mouth beef chunks, slow-cooked in rich coconut cream and freshly ground Asian spices until it is tender, moist and bursting with a complex blend of mouthwatering flavours.

It isn't the simplest or fastest dish to cook up, but trust me- the delicious end result is well worth it. The secret to the beautiful taste lies in the kerisik- toasted grated coconut pounded to an oily paste. I use dessicated coconut, but if you are lucky enough to have fresh grated coconut easily available then do go for that. As with most Asian dishes, don't worry about being too exact with the shallots/garlic/dried chillies- the quantities provided are rough estimates and you should increase/decrease as needed depending on the size of each clove or bulb, and your own personal taste. Also by all means make this one or two days before you intend to eat it- the flavour simple improves and intensifies the longer it is kept :) Who says leftovers can't be amazing?

Malaysian Beef Rendang (Spicy Dry Beef Stew with Coconut)

Serves 6

Pre-Preparation

• Spice Paste
  

Blend together until smooth:

6 small red shallots

6 cloves garlic

1” galangal

1” ginger

4 stalks lemongrass (white part only)

12 dried chillies-soaked for a few hours or overnight in warm water and deseeded

A few candlenuts

• Kerisik

Toast 1½ cups dessicated coconut (makes about 6-8 tablespoons) slowly over low-medium heat until it turns from white to golden brown, stirring frequently. Then pound with a pestle and mortar, or grind in a spice mill (once it has cooled) until it forms an oily paste.

*Kerisik keeps well so you can make a big batch and store for future use if desired*

Cooking the Rendang

Heat 5 tbsp oil and fry spice paste until fragrant. Add:

1 cinnamon stick

4 cloves

4 star anise

4 cardamom pods

Add and brown briefly:

1 kg stewing/casserole beef, cut into cubes

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2” lengths and smashed

Pour in and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until almost cooked:

1 cup (250ml) coconut cream

1 cup water

2 tsp tamarind juice (soak a bit of dried tamarind pulp/block/paste in warm water, then pour through a sieve and discard seeds/fibres)

Blend well into meat, cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally for 2 hours or until gravy is dry and meat is tender:

8 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly

8 tbsp kerisik

1 turmeric leaf (if you have it)

1 heaped tbsp palm sugar (or dark brown muscovado sugar if you can't get palm)

Salt to taste

Serve with hot rice or soft roti.