Tasty Chicken Stew

Here is a nice recipe to make a tasty chicken stew.

Tasty Chicken Stew Ingredients:-
2 Leeks halved and chopped into chunks (1 lb)
2 Carrots cut into chunks (200grams)
2 Parsnips halved and cut into chunks (300grams)
2 Celery stalks finely chopped
Mushrooms sliced (200grams)
Potato’s - leave the skins on any small potatoes or if using bigger, peel and quarter (300grams)
2 Bay Leaves
6 leaves of Sage chopped
2 sprigs of Rosemary stalks removed and chopped
1 Red Pepper cut into big chunks
1 large Clove of Garlic peeled and finely chopped
4 Chicken Thighs with skin removed 
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper to dust the chicken thighs
Olive Oil
2/3 table spoons of Cornflower or some instant potato mix
1 to 1.5 litres of water
Chicken stock cube

Method:-
Sprinkle Flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper. Roll the four Chicken Thighs into the Flour and pat off excess flour.
Gently fry the four Chicken Thighs until golden in colour.
Set the four Chicken Thighs aside to make the vegetable stock.
Cut two Leeks in half and wash to remove any dirt. Then chop into chunks.
Dice the two Celery sticks.
Peel and chop two Carrots. Peel and half two Parsnips then cut into chunks.
Deseed the red pepper and cut into chunks.
Peel and finely chop the Garlic.
Sautee the Leeks, Carrots, Parsnips, Garlic and the Red Pepper in a couple of tablespoons of Olive Oil.
Add in the Bay Leaves, the chopped Sage and Rosemary. Then add about a litre to a litre and a half of water.
Add the stock cube and stir until dissolved, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
Add the Chicken Thighs and any juices, and cook for thirty minutes (30 mins).
Add in the potatoes and the mushrooms and cook for another fifteen minutes (15 mins) or until cooked.
If you want the stock to be thicker, then mix two or three tablespoons of Cornflower with a little water and make a paste. Then add this to the stock and this will thicken the stock when the cornflower is cooked out. Another method is to add a couple of large spoonful of instant potato directly into the stew and this will have the same effect.
Remove Bay Leaves and divide into four portions and serve with crusty bread.

Best Lamb Stock Ever

 

Lamb Stock

Ingredients
3 Legs of Lamb Bones (Saved From The Sunday Roast)
2 Medium White Onions Cut In Half
3 Sticks Celery Cut Into Chunks
2 Medium Carrots Cut Into Chunks
2 Sprigs Of Rosemary
2 Bay Leaves
A Small Bunch Of Parsley (Including The Stalks)
Big Pinch Of Salt
12-15 Black Peppercorns
Water
Large Heavy Bottomed Saucepan or Stockpot

Method

You can peel the carrots and onion if you wish. I only remove the outer skin of the onion when I make stock.
Put all ingredients into the large heavy based saucepan or stockpot.
Top up with water and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for about 2 hours with the lid on. This will break down any meat and muscle around the joints of the bones  and allow the bone marrow to flavour your stock.
 

The Six Bells - Borham Essex

The Six Bells - Borham Essex

http://www.sixbellspubandrestaurantboreham.co.uk/index.php/history

The Six Bells is a family run air conditioned Green King pub with excellent beer on tap. Camera have recently awarded this pub an award for its ale, and it is well deserved.
There are beams and large fire places adding to the ambience of the place. The Six Bells has been a public house since 1830, and prior to this the building was workers cottages dating back to the early 1700's

OPENING TIMES Monday to Friday - 11am to 3pm - 6pm to 11pm Saturday - 11am to 11pm Sunday - 12 noon to 10pm

FOOD SERVED Monday to Friday - 12 noon to 2.30pm Monday Evening - 6pm to 9pm Tuesday - Friday Evenings - 6pm to 9.30pm Saturday - 12 noon to 9.30pm Sunday - 12noon to 8.30pm

The food is excellent and good value for money. Most main courses are around the £12.95 mark.

We have visited here several times in the past year or two and have never been disappointed with what we have eaten. The Chefs are excellent and the waiters and waitresses were always attentive, and the bar staff friendly and cheerful.

The homemade Duck, Venison & Rabbit Pate served with fruit chutney and toast was beautiful and smooth with plenty of toasted bread. The fruit chutney was a wonderful accompaniment.
The Chef's homemade Fishcake served with a sweet chilli sauce was light and tasty and I could have eaten so many more. They were that good. Do not mistake this to be small portions either for all my gluttony.

Along with the main menu, there is a Specials board with more offerings of tasty loveliness.
Now do not take the "specials board" to read that the chef made a big batch and wants to sell these dishes first. This has never been the case as we have always eaten from the special board on all our previous visits.

Game Suet Pudding with seasonal vegetables. You could taste the rabbit, with the meat beautifully tender which melted in the mouth.
There was a trio of Pigeon, Pheasant and Quail breast which was fantastic. Although this is one of the seasonal dishes they do. The meat is all locally sourced and this has to be admired.

There is a reasonable wine list too. We washed our evening meal down with an excellent Valpolicella before tucking into Apple Crumble and Custard, Treacle Sponge and Jam Sponge pudding. The three of us left very full and content and the bill for three starters, three main courses and three deserts, with two coffees and the bottle of wine was approx £95. 

If you forgo the eating then you can sit in the child friendly beer garden out the back and sample the excellent ale on draft.

Whats it all about Alfie . . .

Whats it all about Alfie . . .

This is a new blog that will allow the viewer an insight to various pubs, restaurants and fine dining establishments that we have been to around the world, in the hope you may want to visit some of them too.

As I live in what some people call the"Arse End Of The World" in Essex, I will be featuring some interesting Essex establishments to prove there is more to this county than fake tans and stupidly high stiletto shoes and false eyelashes. And that's just what the boys wear!

We aren't all hedonistic clubbers who swill the strongest of Stella and Jagerbombs for breakfast, although I wouldn't take a lie detector test and say I haven't done this.

So have your knives and forks and napkins at the ready and enjoy your meal.

PW