Get the pulses racing with this chicken and clementines mix

Sat, 10 Dec, 2022 - 07:00

Di Curtin

WE can’t really ignore it any longer. Christmas is here and many homes, cities, towns and villages have the lights already erected and shining brightly.

It’s bringing a joyous sparkle to these days of financial doom and gloom, so if you’re worried about your rising costs for electricity this year, which many people are, you probably want to invest in battery-operated Christmas lights.

I will be doing that myself when my tree goes up this coming weekend! Once the decorative glow of Christmas has come to the home, it’s time to bring some seasonal flavours to the table.

Clementines are the fruit of the festive season. Their bright orange skins and citrus fragrance make a welcome addition to fruit bowl.

They make colourful tree decorations, studded with cloves and hung so their natural scent pervades the house.

Also, they are a fruit kids like, as they peel easily and the little segments have a sweet and juicy flavour.

I’m using them this weekend to as a roasted accompaniment to a filling warm salad of pulses and torn cooked chicken.

You can use leftover cooked chicken for this dish or buy a couple of chicken breast fillets to roast and tear.

For dessert, a flaming take on the classic Cherries Jubilee.

As cherries are not in season now, I’m using a mix of frozen berries to do the same job. These are poached lightly with Christmas flavours of mixed spice, then flambe them with brandy for a boozy slant.

Serve them hot over ice cream for a delicious winter dessert.

Festive Pulses & Clementines

Ingredients (serves 4) 100g Puy Lentils, rinsed 50g Lentil soup mix, rinsed 100g brown rice, rinsed 8 clementines, halved Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling 25g chopped walnuts 10 semi dried apricots, snipped 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed (or to taste) 150g baby spinach leaves, wilted Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 200g torn roast chicken Method Place the lentils and rice in a large pan and cover well with cold water.

Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender.

Keep an eye on liquid levels and top up with extra water if necessary.

While the lentils are cooking, place the halved clementines on a baking tray.

Roast in a pre-heated oven, Gas 4 375F 180C (160C fan assisted) for 15 minutes or until caramelised.

When the lentils are ready, drain and place in a bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil, add walnuts, apricots, garlic and spinach and leave for a moment to allow the spinach to wilt lightly.

Season and spoon into warmed bowls.

Scatter shreds of torn chicken on top.

Arrange the clementine halves around the plate. Diners can squeeze the roasted flesh of the clementines onto each dish to finish.

Berries Jubilee

Ingredients (serves 4) 300mls water Juice and finely shredded zest of 2 large oranges ½ tsp mixed spice 75g caster sugar 600g frozen mixed berries 1 tbsp cornflour 2 tbsp brandy Method Place water, orange juice and zest and sugar into a pan. Bring to bubbling.

Add frozen berries and simmer gently for a couple of minutes, till they are beginning to soften.

Mix cornflour with a little water to make a paste, stir into pan. Simmer for another minute or so to thicken.

Stir brandy and tilt pan. Carefully ignite with a flame and stand well back.

When flames have died down, serve hot over ice cream.

WINE MATCH

I’M choosing a crisp and refreshing white for this mix of chicken and pulses with roasted clementines. I’m looking to the excellent festive wine range at Lidl for the extremely affordable Gavi, a white wine from the Piedmont area in the north of Italy.

A little wine lesson before we start - Gavi is the familiar shortened name of this wine, taken from the area where it’s made.

It’s official title is Cortese di Gavi, Cortese being the grape used in production. What you have in a Gavi wine is a lot of refreshing juiciness and a bone dry crispness which will cleanse the palate between mouthfuls.

This is a great wine for veggie- based dishes and will work well here with the pulses and chicken and the tang of roasted clementines squeezed over.

Look for Lidl’s Gavi 2021 DOCG with its beautiful gold trimmed labelling. Packed with tingly fresh fruity tastes, this white will perk up those tastebuds a treat! Try it also with the seafood starters of Christmas where the briskness compliments smoked salmon, oysters and prawns. Just €8.99.

RECEIPT

MAIN DISH

Puy Lentils 500g €1.59

Pulses soup mix 500g €1.09

Baby Spinach 250g €1.15

Semi-Dried Apricots 250g €2.69

2Chopped Walnuts 80g €2.89

Clementines 1kg box €2.99

Roast Chicken leftover

Total: €12.40

DESSERT

Frozen mixed berries 2 x 340g pack €2.20