The joys of growing up...

Strawberry & basil vinegar

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Acidic flavours have never been a big hit with me. In fact, when I was a kid I absolutely hated them. Then I grew up...and a bit, and in the last couple of years I seem to have discovered the pleasures of lemon juice and even vinegar, provided it is of the mellow, gentle variety.

Infusing vinegar is, as Nigella would put it, a real doddle and, as I would put it, also a smart and 'cost-effective' way to dress up an otherwise plain vinegar.

You can infuse vinegar with any possible combination of fruit/herbs/vegetable you can think of, just experiment with small quantities and if you like the result you can always make some more. Two important things to remember are:

1. Make sure that the ingredients you infuse the vinegar with are completely dry.

2. Cover the neck of the bottle or jar you are using to infuse the vinegar with some kitchen paper held in place by an elastic band or a piece of string. This allow the vinegar to breath and avoid the risk of fermentation. You can cork the bottle once the vinegar has been strained.

To make the strawberry & basil vinegar:

250 ml apple vinegar
about 10 strawberries (washed, hulled and perfectly dry)
1 handful basil leaves (washed and perfectly dry)

1. Put all the ingredient together in a bottle or jar, give it a good shake and let it rest in dark and cool place for two weeks.

2. At the end of two weeks, strain the vinegar into a clean bottle.

Use it lavishly on salad, sardines or anchovies or a nice slice of toasted rustic bread with salt and olive oil.

My Cambridge...in no particular order

We have made it to Cambridge.
The house is sorted, the girls' schools seen to, the new job started, the leak under the sink repaired and finally the Internet connected. All I have to do now is enjoy it.

Travelling light...

Orange & lemon jelly with rosemary
featuring in
The bestest glazed chicken...ever

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Due to our imminent move back to Cambridge - with a very limited baggage allowance - I am facing a terrible dilemma: what do I take with me?
Given that 1) I am not even going to debate whether to take or leave staples such as my KitchenAid or favourite pie dishes, and 2) I don't own 80 pairs of shoes, whatever is left of my share of car space will be devoted to food (suprise surprise!).
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Again, taking into accounts that 1) extra-vergin olive oil and Parmesan cheese have always had and always will have a special, guaranteed place in my heart, stomach and luggage, and 2) I can't really take any perishable food as our house won't be ready for another week after we go back and our friends who are going to put up with us lot for that time might not appreciate a horde of stinky cheeses descending upon their fridge...I guess I am left with my various jars and bottles of which I possess an insane number!

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I am already distributing some of them among my friends, but truth to be told, I am very fond of some of them and am quite reticent to let them go, much preferring to enjoy their content together with my friends or (whisper it) by myself.
In short, what I cannot take with me will have to be eaten between now and the 15th September, starting with the jars that have been resting in my cellar the longest.

I made this jelly last January, when our garden was bursting with oranges and lemons, and I made it specially to glaze meat. One of my favourite things to cook is roast chicken: it is stylish and comforting at the same time and the marinade allows you to play with so many different flavours and come up with a unique roast every time! I also love the rub-the-marinade-into-the-meat part when you can almost feel the flavours clutching onto the bird’s skin - and of course I like the added bonus that after preparing the chicken, I can simply pack it into the oven and concentrate on sipping my martini in all tranquility.
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The jelly glaze is sweet and aromatic and works miracles with the soya sauce marinade. I used the last jar of jelly to make this little glazed wonder. I might not leave any orange & lemon jelly behind, but I am definitely taking this recipe with me!

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To make the orange & lemon jelly with rosemary you will need:

1.4kg oranges, sliced
350g lemons, sliced sugar
4 tbspoons chopped rosmary (or other herbs, if you like)

1. Chop the fruit slices and put them in a pan with 2l water and add half the rosemary. Bring to the boil and simmer gently, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, for about 1 1/4 hours (until soft).
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2. Scald the jelly bag (, or cotton or muslin) by pouring boiling water through it. Tie the bag or cloth to the legs of an upturned stool and stand a large non-metallic or stainless steel bowl underneath the jelly bag. Tip the content of the pan into the bag or cloth and leave to strain, undisturbed, in a cool place for 8-12 hours, until the liquid has stopped dripping through.
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3. Measure the juice collected in the bowl and pour it back into the rinsed-out pan. Add 450g sugar for every 570ml/1 pint juice. Heat gently stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved, then raise the heat and boil hard until the setting point is reached. Stir the juice occasionally to make sure the jelly cooks evently and to prevent sticking.
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4. To check for setting point use a thermomether (105 C) or drop a little jelly on a chilled saucer. Push it gently with the tip of your finger: if the jelly surface wrinkles, setting point has been reached.
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5. With the pan off the heat, remove any scum from the surface with a slotted spoon, then stir in the remaining rosemary. Leave the jelly to stand for 10-15 minutes. Have some clean, dry, warm jars standing ready. Ladle the jelly in through a funnel and fill each jar to the top.

To make the glazed chicken you will need:

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2 poussins
4 tbspoons orange & lemon jelly with rosemary
1 tbspoon honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
150ml dry white wine (or dry cider)
4 tbspoons soy sauce
1 tbspoon lime or lemon juice
black pepper, freshly gound
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1. To prepare the marinade, place all the ingredients - except the poussin and the jelly - in a pan an gently heat together until blended. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
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2. Put the poussins in a large non-metallic dish, pour over the cold marinade, cover and leave in the fridge, ideally for 24 hours, or at least for 8 hours. Turn the birds occasionally.
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3. Take the poussins out of the fridge and drain them (reserve the marinade!). Rub the jelly into the poussins and leave them for another two hours in the fridge.

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4. Preheat the oven to 190C and place the poussins on a rack with a roasting tray underneath. The cooking time depends on the size of your birds, mine were ‘standard-sized' poussins and took about 45 minutes (pierce the flesh with a skewer to check when the meat juices are not pink anymore). Baist a couple of times.

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5. When the poussins are cooked, remove them from the oven. Cover them with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

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Note: both recipes have been adapted from this book.