John Cesters Poultry & Game Meat

Venison & Game Meat Melbourne

Chicken, leek and mushroom pie by Karen Martini

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Karen Martini takes us on a tastebud journey with family favourite, but still delicious and mouthwatering.

 

INGREDIENTSScreen shot 2015-10-12 at 5.27.33 PM

6 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in

Salt flakes

Freshly ground pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1 litre chicken stock, hot

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 leeks, finely sliced

65g butter

450g large pine or field mushrooms, carefully cleaned, finely diced

3 sprigs thyme, leaves only

40g plain flour

2 tbsp double cream

2 tsp heaped dijon mustard

1 handful flatleaf parsley, chopped

2 handfuls frozen peas

1 thick piece (about 375g) puff pastry

1 egg, whisked

1 small onion

METHOD:

1. Season the chicken thighs and brown, skin-side down, in a little oil in a large pan over medium heat – about 8 minutes. Flip over and add the hot stock. Simmer gently for 25 minutes or until the thighs are cooked.

2. Remove the cooked chicken and strain the stock. Skim off most of the fat from the stock (you can cool it first, if you like, making it easier to lift the fat from the top). Return the stock to the stove and reduce to about 400 millilitres.

3. For the filling, add about 50 millilitres of oil to a frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and leeks for about 10 minutes over a slow heat to caramelise and soften.

4. Add 25 grams of the butter, the mushrooms and the thyme and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees fan-forced or 210 degrees conventional.

6. In a medium pot, melt 40 grams of butter over a medium heat until starting to sizzle, add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook for 1 minute, stirring all the time, then add the strained stock. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes at a simmer, whisking constantly – it should be smooth and thick.

7. Take the sauce off the heat and leave to cool a little. Whisk in the cream and mustard, and add the mushroom mix, parsley and peas. Tear or chop the chicken and add to the mix. Combine thoroughly, and check and adjust the seasoning – the mix will be quite thick but luscious.

8. Cut the pastry sheet three centimetres larger than your pie dish to make a pastry pie lid. Brush the edge of the dish with the egg, tip the filling in and drop the lid on, crimping to seal. Decorate with the pastry scraps. Make an incision in the top to release steam and brush with egg. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and puffed.

Serves 4

(Karen Martini, 2013)

Syrian Chicken with Ginger, Lemon & Saffron By Karen Martini

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We have another amazing recipe from our friend and customer Karen Martini!
serves 4 mains
difficulty easy
prep time 20mins (approx.)
total time 1hr (approx.)
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 brown onions, thickly sliced
100 grams ginger, cut into matchsticks
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife
2 small red chillies, split
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 pinches saffron threads
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
5 sprigs thyme, leaves only
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons honey
100 grams currants
2 tablespoons vegetable stock powder
½ bunch coriander, leaves only
couscous or rice, to serve

METHOD

Combine the salt, cumin, cinnamon, pepper and turmeric in a large plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake to coat.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, adding a little more oil, if necessary. Add the tomatoes, saffron, cumin seeds and thyme and cook for 2 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the lemon juice and zest, honey, currants, stock powder and enough water to just cover the chicken.

Cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through, and the sauce is slightly reduced.

Stir in the coriander and serve with couscous or rice.

 Click on the shop now button to be taken to our website, where you can order all your poultry and gamemeat needs ONLINE, you can also have them delivered! Who didn’t say shopping can’t be easy and convenient?

(Karen Martini, 2012)

Duck, mandarin & chestnut ragu by Karen Martini

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Now that spring is nearly here, why not try some duck?

This is a recipe from on of our customers, celebrity chef Karen Martini

serves 6 mains
prep time 45mins (approx.)
total time 2hrs 15mins (approx.)

INGREDIENTS:

salt and pepper
20 chestnuts
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, dicedHERO_RP000060_DuckMandarinRagu (1)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 bay leaf
4 mandarins, zested and juiced, plus extra mandarin segments for garnishing
2 leeks, finely sliced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
4 celery stalks, finely diced
5 sprigs thyme
300 ml verjuice
2 teaspoons allspice
approximately 1 litre chicken stock
1 bunch cavolo nero, washed and chopped
100 grams pasta per person
parmesan cheese, to serve

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Trim the duck marylands of excess fat and cut them into thigh and drumstick. Season the duck generously with salt and pepper. Roast the duck pieces on an oven rack for 15 minutes to render away some of the fat and turn the skin crisp and golden. Remove from the oven.

Score the chestnuts. Boil a pot of water and cook the chestnuts for 15 minutes. Remove one at a time and peel off both layers of skin. Slice and set aside.

In a large heavy-based pot, add the oil, onion, garlic, bay leaf and a little salt. Gently sweat over medium heat, then add the zest, leek, carrot and celery. Stir well then cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until golden.

Add the thyme, duck, verjuice, mandarin juice and allspice and simmer for 5 minutes. Add enough stock to cover well and simmer for a further 40 minutes until the duck is about to fall off the bone.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, if using.

Remove the duck from the pot and add the cavolo nero. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes, to cook the cavolo nero and reduce the sauce a little. Tear the duck meat from the bones while it’s still warm, skin and all but no gristle, and return to the sauce.

Season the ragu with lots of pepper. Add the chestnuts and the cooked pasta or gnocchi, if using. Add some peeled mandarin rounds and offer parmesan cheese grated at the table.

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