Tag: elegant

What to do with leftover chicken and turkey: simple yet elegant chicken or turkey soup

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Eating turkey soup might seem like a chore, but with a few simple steps, you can create a dish with beautiful presentation that anyone would be thrilled to eat after some Black Friday shopping!
Week One: Feel Good Chicken Broth - Broth before stock

Simply make your turkey or chicken soup using a carcass, covered with cold water. Add in extras like peppercorns, herbs (woody or hardy herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme are best), onions and carrots, and allow the stock for simmer for as long as you can – all day if possible. Top up as needed. When you’re ready, drain away everything except the stock, then add to a clean pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until the stock is a tasty soup – you may need to reduce down to a half of the original volume.

To give this dish pretty presentation, fill a bowl with shredded turkey or chicken, and thin cut, cooked vegetables (you can cook them in the broth while its reducing) cut into shapes. Add a sprig of rosemary – this will scent the broth as well as being a pretty garnish. If you really want to impress, serve the bowls as pictured above, then pour the turkey stock from a beautiful presentation jug right at the dinner table!

 Week One: Feel Good Chicken Broth

Scattered summer sushi

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Late to the party again… here I am with scattered summer sushi in October. To be fair, I did come up with this recipe in May, but also, you can eat this any time of year, whether the weather’s sunny, or not. It’s the kind of dish that works better when it’s hot, but it’s still pretty nice around here even in autumn…

And yes, I did get carried away with decorating this, but it was worth it. So pretty! And not too much hassle to prepare, in the grand scheme of things.

Scattered summer sushi

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups Japanese rice (around 430g)
  • 6 tbsp sushi rice vinegar (or check label)
  • 1 tbsp sake (optional)
  • 1 piece dried konbu (optional)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • Large pinch salt
  • Pinch sugar
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 Cucumber
  • 1 Carrot
  • Handful mange tout (cooked)
  • 4 tofu pouches (optional)
  • 16 large prawns (shrimp)
  • 1/2 cup edamame beans (cooked)

METHOD

  • Make your sushi rice – I recommend you buy a rice cooker, as it takes all of the guesswork and stress out of cooking rice. Mine cost me about £10 three years ago and is still working fine. Firstly, wash the rice thoroughly and leave it to soak for half an hour. Then, drain and add your sushi rice to the same quantity of water in your rice cooker. Add the sake and konbu if using, then switch on and leave to cook. Once it has finished, leave it to rest for 15 minutes.
  • Turn the rice out into a damp, flat container (like a Pyrex oven dish) and add the sushi rice vinegar. Using a damp wooden spoon, turn the rice gently to coat it in the seasoning. At the same time, fan the rice to cool it and help it to absorb the dressing. Continue until no visible steam rises from the rice, and place it under a damp kitchen towel.
  • Make thin Japanese omelettes by combining the eggs, egg yolk, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the cornflour dissolved in 4 tsp water. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add enough oil to coat the base. Thinly cover the pan with the egg, and heat until almost set. Then, turn the omelette over to finish it off. Do not allow it to colour. Continue until all the egg has been cooked, then roll the omelettes up and shred them finely.
  • Prepare the carrot by peeling it and cutting it into thin discs. Then, using a flower-shaped cutter, cut the discs into flower shapes.
  • Use your cucumber to make a pretty garnish. A simple method is to cut the cucumber thinly on a diagonal, cut through it to the middle, and then twirl the ends in opposite directions (see picture).
  • If you’re using them, drain the tofu pouches and shred finely. Cut the mange tout at sharp diagonals.
  • Divide the sushi rice into four bowls. Scatter over the shredded tofu, omelette and edamame beans. Finally, arrange the carrots, cucumber and prawns.

Inari Sushi bento

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This pretty little bento is one of my favourites – it’s elegant and healthy… completely unlike me! Inside is sesame vinegar aubergine and spicy soy sauce cucumber, as well as soy sauce and balsamic vinegar chicken.

Inari sushi bento

Recipe for inari sushi


INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups hot, cooked Japanese rice
  • 3 tbsp liquid sushi seasoning
  • 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
  • 6 inari skins

METHOD

  • Pour the sushi seasoning over the rice, then turn and fan until cooled and no longer steaming. Leave to get completely cold before stirring in your black sesame seeds.
  • Open your packet of inari skins, and slit open along the longer side, carefully pulling the edges apart to make a pocket. Fill with the rice and place in the bento rice side up.

Notes

You might want to trim the inari skins down so that they fit in your bento, as some can be taller than your bento is deep. Generally, cutting them in half will make them the right size. Or, you can simply lay a full size piece on its side.

This recipe originally appeared in 501 Bento Box Lunches, published by Graffito Books.