Chicken - 

I could go on all night about different recipes with chicken, but for now I`ll just do two of the tastiest and go from there, then  see what next month brings. The first dish being a superb chicken and chilli  combi. The second, a more classic chicken with wild fungi, one of my favourites and definitely worth a try.

Chargrilled and peppered chilli chicken.

Hot chilli, cracked black peppercorns and sweet paprika give real bite to barbecued or grilled chicken breasts, and its good with pork or fish, too.

INGREDIENTS (serves four)

4 large chicken breast fillets

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp salt 

4 tbsp olive oil

METHOD - 

Allow the chicken to come to room temperature, preheat the grill or light the barbeque.

Meanwhile mix together the spices, herbs, seasonings and half of the olive oil, rub this mixture well into thr chicken.

Barbeque or grill well for approx. eight minutes on each side basting with the remaining oil.

Chicken with wild mushroom cream.

This has got to be the single best tasting dish that I`ve ever cooked , the smokey taste of the wild fungi makes it worth the small expense that you`ll have to fork out for them, but take my word for it, the taste is orgasmic, the recipe simple, and once savoured never forgotten. The recipe serves two.

2 -    Nice free range chicken breasts ( skin off )

1 -   pkt. of dried " morels" or "cep " mushrooms soaked in 250 ml warm water.

150 mls - chicken stock.

150 mls.- dry sherry.

250 mls - Double cream ( fresh , not long life )

Method 

1. In a saute or frying pan, melt a large knob of butter , season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then gently fry to seal the meat for one minute each side over a medium heat. Turn up the heat, turn the chicken and add the mushroom stock from the soaked mushrooms. ( reserve the mushrooms to one side )

2. Allow the mushroom stock to boil away and reduce down , keep turning the chicken breasts to ensure even cooking. When the stock has reduced to a syrupy consistency, add the chicken stock and repeat the process of reduction again to the syrupy stage.Don`t forget to keep turning the breasts in the pan. Add the sherry and repeat once again until the syrupy stage is reached , now add the mushrooms and the cream.

3 . Bring the cream to the boil in the pan and then allow to boil away for a minute or so until it begins to thicken up and take on a sauce like consistency. Serve the breast sliced or whole , topped with the mushrooms and the sauce. It goes really well with oven roasted root vegetables.

4 . It really is important when making this dish to taste, taste , and taste again and then you`ll  be able to learn how the flavours change during reduction and exactly when to add the next ingredient.

5 . Now to try , and to prepare yourself for an explosion of the tastebuds and for one of the best tasting experiences of your life. Give me some feedback , let me know what you think, and if you get into difficulty give me a shout and I`ll sort it .