Summer Breeze

Sun Herald

Sunday January 18, 2009

By Karen Martini

Balmy evenings call for light and easy eating. This simple trio of roast chicken, potato salad and berry granita is the perfect choice. By Karen Martini.

1. Chianti and raspberry granita with vanilla ice-cream

Use a chianti you enjoy drinking, as the wine flavour is prominent in this icy dessert.

400ml chianti

120ml water

100g caster sugar

1/2 tbsp liquid glucose

2 strips lemon rind

200g raspberries

500ml good-quality vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Serves 4-6

Place chianti, water, sugar, glucose and lemon rind in a small stainless-steel saucepan. Simmer over high heat for 3-4 minutes, then cool slightly and strain through a sieve into a shallow 30cm x 15cm dish. Scatter over raspberries.

Freeze for 4-6 hours, then use a fork to break up granita. Return dish to freezer until ready to serve. (The granita will keep, covered, for two days in the freezer.)

Chill serving glasses in freezer for 10 minutes. Place a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in each glass. Top with granita and serve immediately.

2. Roasted chicken with coriander seeds, pepper and thyme

The chilli and herb marinade gives the chicken a fragrant kick.

1.6kg free-range organic chicken, cut into eight pieces

3 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp black peppercorns

8 cloves garlic, skin on

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

2 tbsp sea salt

30ml extra virgin olive oil

8 sprigs thyme

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

20ml sherry vinegar

Serves 4

Place chicken pieces in a large, plastic zip-lock bag. Roughly crush coriander seeds and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle, then add garlic and roughly crush. Add chilli and salt. Tip spice mix into bag, add olive oil and massage into chicken. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (overnight if possible) to allow flavours to infuse.

Preheat oven to fan-forced 220C (240C conventional). Remove chicken from bag and place in a 40cm x 25cm ceramic baking dish. Scatter over thyme and tomatoes and roast for 55 minutes or until chicken is golden and cooked.

Remove from oven, drizzle over sherry vinegar and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve chicken with pan juices spooned over. Drink with white burgundy.

3. Baby potatoes with sour cream, pistachios and dill

This nutty potato salad is great with the roasted chicken.

1kg small chat potatoes (kipfler or pink-eye)

60g pistachio nuts, finely chopped (to resemble fresh breadcrumbs)

2 tbsp chopped dill

2 spring onions, finely sliced

3 tbsp sour cream

Serves 4

Cook potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until skins start to split. Drain and allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine pistachios, dill and spring onions in a bowl. Roll potatoes in pistachio mixture and arrange on a serving platter. Top with sour cream. Drink with riesling.

© 2009 Sun Herald

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