For proper old-fashioned flavour, buy a chicken that is at least free-range and perhaps organic and corn-fed as well.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: four or five

Trim the excess skin from the neck of the chicken and tuck it under the skin covering the breast. This adds flavour to the meat and helps make the outer skin crispy.

Ingredients for roasted chicken with herbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 whole chicken (about 1.6 kg)

11/2 cups chicken stock (p.303)

20 g butter

Lemon wedges and fresh rosemary sprigs, to garnish

Preparation for roasted chicken with herbs

In a small bowl, combine the parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil to form a paste.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Rinse the chicken; drain and pat dry. Truss the chicken (see p.309), and place it, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the surface of the chicken with the herb mixture.

Roast the chicken, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes, for 1–11/4 hours, or until the juices run clear, with no tinge of pink when a fine skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the flesh between the thigh and the leg.

Remove the chicken and allow it to rest while you make a clear gravy. Tilt the roasting pan, spoon off the fat from the juices and discard.

Add the chicken stock to the juices and boil briskly, stirring and scraping any browned residue off the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has reduced by about half. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, a little at a time. Adjust the seasoning and transfer the gravy to a heated gravy boat or jug.

Garnish the chicken with rosemary sprigs and lemon wedges and serve with the gravy and a selection of steamed vegetables.

Follow Me on Twitter @cherlugossi

A spicy, low-fat and very satisfying curry that combines lots of vegetables with lean, tender lamb chunks and lentils. Serve with wholemeal chappatis or naan.

Ingredients for lamb and eggplant curry

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1⁄2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

4 green cardamom pods, crushed and pods discarded

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

400 g lean leg of lamb, cut into 2.5 cm cubes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

2 red capsicums, deseeded and cut into 2 cm chunks

1 eggplant, cut into 2 cm chunks

1⁄2 cup (100 g) split red lentils

400 ml diluted salt-reduced or homemade beef stock 

1 cinnamon stick

1⁄4 cup (25 g) flaked almonds, toasted

Preparation for lamb and eggplant curry

1. Place the cumin, coriander, fennel, mustard and cardamom in a mortar and crush with a pestle. Add the chilli flakes. Place the lamb in a bowl, add the spices and toss to coat evenly. Cover and chill for about 2 hours, or overnight.

2. Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan or flameproof casserole dish and fry the onion, capsicums and eggplant for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften.

3. Add the spiced lamb and lentils, then stir in the stock and cinnamon. Bring to the boil, then stir, reduce the heat and cover. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the meat is tender. Serve scattered with toasted flaked almonds.

Cook’s Tip

• Curries improve in flavour if made ahead, allowing time for the flavours to mingle. Chill for a few hours or overnight, then reheat gently until thoroughly heated through. This would also freeze well.

Each serving contains

• 28.5 g protein 

• 15 g fat of which 3.5 g saturates 

• 9.5 g carbohydrate

• 4.5 g fibre 

• 277 mg sodium 

• 1218 kilojoules (291 Calories)

Follow Me on Twitter

Pork Menudo is the number one on the list of my comfort foods and it’s hard for me to last a month without trying one…literally. Some would say that I am addicted to this food while others would use the term “obsession”.

Recipe: Menudo

Ingredients

2 lbs pork belly (about 1 kilo)

1/2 lb pork liver (about ¼ kilo)


1 cup carrots, diced


1 cup potatoes, diced


1 cup red bell pepper, chopped


1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 pc lemon or 4 pcs. calamansi


1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. brown sugar


2 cups tomato sauce

1 cup water

1/4 cup cooking oil

Cooking Procedure

Marinade pork with soy sauce and lemon juice for approximately 1 hour

Heat pan and place cooking oil

Fry potatoes and carrots for about 5 minutes and set aside

Sauté garlic and onion in the same pan where the vegetables were fried

Add the marinated pork belly and water then simmer for 15 minutes

Add the pork liver and tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes

Add the fried carrots and potatoes, red bell pepper, and brown sugar then simmer for another 5 minutes

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot. Enjoy!

Number of servings (yield): 6

Recipe: Lechon Kawali

Ingredients

2 lbs pork belly

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp whole pepper corn

5 pcs dried bay leaves

3 cups cooking Oil

34 ounces Water

Cooking Procedure

Place the water on a big cooking pot and bring to a boil

Put-in the pork belly then add 1 tbsp of salt, pepper, and bay leaves and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender

Remove the meat from the pot and let it cool down for a few minutes

Spread 1 tbsp of salt on the meat, make sure to distribute it evenly on all sections

We now need to deep fry the meat. On a dry cooking pot place the cooking oil and heat it up

When the oil is hot enough, put the meat in the cooking pot and let it cook until the immersed side is brown and the meat’s texture is crispy

Flip the meat to cook the opposite side

Remove the meat from the pan, let it cool down a little then slice according to desired portions

Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!

Number of servings (yield): 6

This is one of my favorite food

Batchoy Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb miki noodles, boiled for 1 minute and drained

1 lb pork

1 lb pig’s intentesines; cleaned, boiled, and sliced

1/4 lb pig liver, sliced into strips

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon shimp paste (bagoong or guinamus) * optional

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup pork cracklings (chicharon), crushed

3 tablespoons spring onion, chopped

1/4 cup toasted garlic

7 cups water

Cooking Procedure

Boil water in a cooking pot.

Put-in salt, sugar, onion powder, ground black pepper, and shrimp paste. Cook for a minute.

Add the pork and cook until tender (about 30 to 45 minutes)

Put-in the intestines and liver, and then cook for 6 to 10 minutes.

Remove the pork, liver, and intestine from the broth (caldo). Set aside.

Slice the pork into strips.

Arranged the cooked miki noodles in a single serving bowl.

Place the strips of pork, liver, and intestine on top of the miki noodles.

Pour the broth in the bowl, and then garnish with spring onions and toasted garlic.

Serve hot. Share and enjoy!

Number of servings (yield): 6