Citrus Roast Chicken

Ingredients
2 limes, cut into quarters
4-6 whole garlic cloves
large handful of thyme leaves
2kg free-range chicken
juice of 1 lemon
salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 tbsp Olive oil

Set the oven to gas 6. Push the lime quarters, whole garlic cloves and thyme into the cavity of the chicken.

Place the chicken into a roasting pan and drizzle the lemon juice over. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 2 hours.

Lovely fresh tasting chicken, which I served with couscous and a tomato salad.

Chocolate Orange Cake

2 small oranges (approx 375g)
6 eggs
1/2tsp bicarb
1tsp baking powder
200g almonds
250g caster sugar
50g cocoa

Put the oranges in a pan of water and bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours until soft. Drain and cool, then pulp in a food processor.

Preheat the oven (Gas 4), butter and line a 20com tin.

Add the eggs, baking powder, bicarb, almonds, sugar and cocoa to the food processor. Mix together with the orange pulp into a batter. Pour into the cake tin and bake for an hour. Test with a cocktail stick, or cake tester if your posh! After 45mins you may need to cover with foil to prevent burning.

Leave to cool on a rack, take out of the tine when the cake is cold. Can be eaten as it is decorated with orange peel strips.

However I've taken to covering this with the following icing:-

75g butter
175g dark chocolate melted
300g icing sugar
1tbsp golden syrup
125ml sour cream
1tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan over simmering water, add the golden syrup to the melted mix once its cooled. Then add sour cream, vanilla, and icing sugar. Mix together and decorate your chocoalte orange cake.

Ham in Cherry Coke

6-7 lb/ 2.5-3 kg mildly cured boneless ham

1 onion, peeled & halved

2 litre cherry coke

Water(if the coke doesn’t completely cover the ham)

16-20 whole cloves

Glaze

2-4 tbsp cherry jam

1tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2tsp smoked paprika

2tbsp english mustard powder.

Place the ham in a large pot with a tight fitting lid. Cover the ham completely with cold water. Bring it to a boil and immediately drain the ham in a colander and rinse. This removes the saltiness from the ham without having to soak it overnight.

Rinse out the pot, replace the ham, add the onion and pour the cherry coke to completely cover the ham. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially cover and let it cook for at least 2 – 2 ½ hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C4.

Remove the ham from the cooking liquid and let cool on a cutting board. In the meantime, in a small pot, combine the jam, mustard, paprika and vinegar and stir until the jam is melted. Strip the rind, if any (mine didn’t have any, but I was a little nervous trying to figure that out) and score the top and sides in a diamond pattern and stud with whole cloves.

Place the ham in a roasting pan and glaze with the jam mixture. Bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

My coke didn't quite cover the ham so I topped it up with water, having done some internet research I think next time I make this I will top up with apple juice. Also either use a foil disposable roasting pan, or cover your pan with foil, otherwise lots of scrubbing for your resident dishwasher!!!

I served this on New Years Eve, with red cabbage and potato gratin.

Lobster Thermador

4 lobsters, about 1-1/2 Lb each
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 cup single cream
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1 quartered lemon

Heat 3-4 gallons water to boil in a stockpot, over a high flame. Plunge lobsters headfirst, into boiling water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from pot and drain well. Remove claws and legs, leaving body intact. Remove flesh from claws and legs, and set aside. Cut thin undershell from tail with shears and gently remove flesh from tail shell. Cut flesh to large dice and combine with flesh from claws. Wash shells well and drain. Heat butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour, salt and nutmeg. Heat and stir until bubbly. Whisk in cream and wine. Add lobster and stir to coat well. Remove from heat. Invert shells onto a baking sheet and fill with lobster mixture. Top with grated cheddar cheese. Place in oven briefly to melt cheese and brown lightly. Remove to a serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve hot!

I actully used a cooked frozen lobster, but included the instructions for those brave enough to "kill" their own.

If you haven't tried lobster before I urge you too!! This was delicious, my only regret is that I served it as a starter, (so half a lobster each) and I think we'd have all enjoyed a whole one as a main!!