So, at the grand age of twenty seven my darling boy has flown the nest. Never one to rush in to anything, Bert has kept girls at bay and has led a rather spectacular single life. To be fair, I never encouraged him to move out, he's spent the last few years growing his own business and needed our moral support and with UK property prices soaring, it was almost impossible for him to get a mortgage on anything bigger than a cupboard. Added to which, given that 42% of marriages in England end in divorce, I admired his caution regarding relationships, Bert has always taken emotional intimacy quite seriously and didn't want a trail of abandonment, particularly where children were concerned, behind him, something which is all too common these days.
Although he kept Holly a closely guarded secret for several months, he finally introduced us and both Glenn and I were immediately smitten. Like Bert and I, Holly was born and bred in London before moving to Hampshire, she is smart, full of cockney spirit, funny, beautiful but most importantly, sweet and kind, she seems to be the perfect match for Bertie.
The happy couple have found a lovely starter home, a bijou mews apartment in the centre of Winchester, an ideal destination for young lovers with its world class attractions and architecture, unrivalled shopping and dining, it's a city which is firmly established as a foodie destination (right up Bert's street) and is crammed with hidden treasures, all waiting to be explored.
As the saying goes: I haven't lost a son, I've gained a daughter in law! However, for twenty seven years Bert has always eaten Christmas lunch with me, therefore when he casually told me that he will be spending Christmas with Holly's family I was initially taken a back. But all is not lost, we shall have a mock Christmas day on the Sunday preceeding Christmas with turkey and all the trimmings.
On Christmas day I shall do a lunch that is quick and easy as I've decided Glenn and I will join friends in our local pub for pre dinner drinks. I did a trial run last Sunday and was pleased with the results, for anyone not entertaining a huge crowd this Christmas but still wanting a festive lunch that can be pre-prepared and cooked quickly and effortlessly this is ideal.
Winter spiced chicken
1 medium free range chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest and juice of 2 clementines
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Combiine spices, orange zest and juice with olive oil in a small bowl
Preheat oven 200c/gas 6
Make some cuts in the chicken legs as this will help the chicken cook quicker
Rub the marinade over the chicken and place in the oven
Put frozen Brussels in a baking tray and pour in a good glug of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt and coat all the Brussels, put in the fridge
Go to the pub for an hour.............
Remove chicken from the oven
Add potatoes and parsnips (I par boiled and froze them a couple of days earlier as a time saving exercise) coat with the spiced chicken juices and add more oil if necessary, return to oven
Place Brussels in the oven for 30-40 minutes until tender and caramelised
Remove the chicken from the oven 10 minutes before the veg is cooked and cover with foil
Remove potatoes and parsnips and set aside
Add 2 tablespoons of plain flour to the baking tray and over a low heat stir into the spicy chicken juices, scraping up all the sticky bits at the bottom, gradually add boiling water until you have a thick glossy gravy
Carve the chicken and serve with trimmings and gravy
The Brussels are so much more tastier cooked in the oven and it's so effortless, I'd really recommend this method of cooking them.
'It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.'
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Love Donna xxxx
No comments:
Post a Comment