Lemon, Rosemary and Garlic Chicken

So it is spring at last!  As Brits we instinctively feel the need to get the barbeque out as soon as the warm sun appears...and why not?  We are accustomed to such changeable conditions that have learnt to act quickly when the sun shines, discarding our boots for flip-flops and glugging down Pimm's with abandonment because, let's face it, we never know how long it's going to last...
So I'm all for celebrating each sunny day enthusiastically and barbequing as often as is feasibly possible!
This is a very simple, Italian-inspired marinade which is full of Mediterranean flavours and makes for very tasty, juicy chicken.  Try to get ready-boned chicken thighs for this, it's a long, messy job to do it yourself.  You can use chicken breasts if you prefer, but you will need to flatten them out a bit by bashing them between two pieces of cling film with a rolling pin before marinating. 
As we always need a Plan B, this is also great griddled or fried on the hob if the weather is not barbeque friendly.

 

Ingredients

4-5 Chicken Thigh Fillets

3-4 sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

3 cloves Garlic, sliced

4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Lemon

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

• Put the rosemary sprigs into a bowl with the sliced garlic, sea salt and pepper, bash them with the blunt end of a knife a few times to release the flavours, or use a pestle and mortar.  
• Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl with the rosemary, tear the lemon halves in half and pop them in too.  Pour in the olive oil and give it all a good stir.
• Trim the chicken thighs by opening them out and cutting off any fatty bits then put them into the marinade.  Squish the chicken around to get it thoroughly covered in all the lemony juices. Leave to marinate for at least an hour in the fridge until ready to cook.
• To cook the chicken thighs, take them out of the marinade and place, as flat as you can, onto a hot barbeque, griddle pan or frying pan, cook for approx. 5-7 minutes each side until cooked all the way through.  If you are using flattened chicken breast it will probably not need as long.
• Serve immediately with salad, in a pitta or just eat with your fingers, yum!!

Coconut and Lime Cake

Coconut and lime are a classic combination and work so well in this beautifully light, moist cake.
I make this two different ways depending on how I feel, sometimes with a syrup poured over the warm cake so it soaks in, other times (like in the picture below) I make a runny icing and trickle this over the warm cake to form a glaze.

 

Ingredients

150g Soft Butter (spreadable is fine)

175g Caster Sugar

Fine Zest of 1 Lime

2 Large Eggs

3 heaped tablespoons Natural Yoghurt

175g Self-Raising Flour

50g Desiccated Coconut

For the Syrup

Juice of 1 Lime

50g Caster Sugar plus more for sprinkling

Or for Icing Glaze

Juice of 1 Lime

50-100g of Icing Sugar (depending how thick you want it)

• Preheat the oven to 175C (fan) and line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
• Whisk the butter, caster sugar and lime zest together until pale and fluffy.
• Slowly whisk in the eggs and natural yoghurt then gradually add the flour and coconut.
• Spoon the mixture into the lined tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
• Let it cool for 5 minutes in the tin.
• For the syrup put the lime juice and the caster sugar into a small pan, heat for a very short time whilst swirling the pan until the sugar is mostly dissolved.  Pour the syrup over the cake while it is still in the tin, sprinkle with some extra caster sugar then let it cool completely.
• For the icing take the cake out of the tin and put it onto a plate.  Mix the lime juice with the icing sugar to the thickness you want (I like it runny enough to slightly soak in leaving a glaze on the top but you can make it thicker if you like more icing).  Trickle the icing over the top of the cake so that it runs randomly down the sides then leave to set.

 

 

Rhubarb and Custard Shortbread Tart

This is a beautiful tart, making the most of seasonal British rhubarb by combining it with rich vanilla custard and a shortbread base.  The three elements of the tart can be made in advance (in fact the colour of the rhubarb is more vivid the day after it has been cooked) then put together a few hours before serving.

 

Ingredients

For the Rhubarb

Approx. 400g Rhubarb

150g Caster Sugar

For the Base

50g Caster Sugar

100g Soft Butter

150g Plain Flour

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the Custard

300ml Double Cream

50ml Milk

50g Caster Sugar

3 Large Egg Yolks

1 tablespoon Corn Flour

seeds from 1 Vanilla Pod or

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

·     To cook the rhubarb, preheat the oven to 175⁰C.  Cut the rhubarb into short pieces and rinse in a colander.  Tip it into a large oven-proof dish with the caster sugar and spread it all out so  it is in a single layer.  Put into the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the rhubarb is soft and tender but still holding its shape whilst surrounded by a pink syrup.  Transfer the rhubarb and syrup into a bowl to cool then cover and refrigerate until needed.

·     To make the base, increase the oven temperature to 200⁰C and thoroughly butter a loose-bottomed tart/flan tin (approx. 25cm diameter).  Beat the butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy then work in the flour.  Mix vigorously until all the flour is incorporated and you have a stiff, crumbly dough.

·     Press the dough so it covers the base of the tin then ease it up the sides, keep going until it is as even as possible across the base and the sides.  Bake it for 15 minutes until lightly golden brown, it will feel soft but will crisp up as it cools.  Let it cool completely before removing from the tin.

·     For the custard, whisk all the ingredients together in a small pan.  Over a low heat, stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick and steaming but don't let it boil.  Pour it into a bowl and cover with cling film or greaseproof paper, gently placing it on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin forming.  Chill until needed.

·     Gently take the soft pieces of rhubarb out of the syrup using a slotted spoon or sieve then arrange evenly over the custard.  Incidentally, the syrup is wonderful spooned into a glass and topped with Prosecco for a beautifully pink rhubarb bellini.

·     Serve the tart within a few hours of assembling.