Being Small Has Its Advantages - Mini Chicken Pot Pies with a Cajun kick

For the longest time, our society has programmed us to believe that being small was not a good trait, in almost anything.   To go even further, it's being looked down upon.   Unfortunately, many believe that nonsense which is saddening and unhelpful to those who are below the average size.  Bigger does not mean better.  It only means bigger or taller people have more mass structure. The good news is that there are ways to deal with it which require self-discipline and daily self-reminders:

1. Accepting and embracing who you are make you unique
2. Strengthening self-respect prompts respect from others
3. Ridiculing the belief that being short or small is a drawback
4. Learning to laugh at yourself
5. Prioritizing on other things that matter most in your life : your projects, your goals, your dreams (other than wishing to be taller)

By applying the above methods, you'll notice a definite change in your perspective of things in life.   So what if you're being called names and finger-pointed for stretching your muscles a little more than the others to be able to reach out for the cookie jar that's purposely placed on the highest kitchen shelf?  Just get a chair.  Yes, it's more work, but at least you're moving and you are getting that darn cookie jar.  Problem solved.  Nothing else matters more than your well-being and your happiness.


Now you'll ask, 'what does this have anything to do with food?'.  Well, being small can have its advantages.    These mini pot pies can be the perfect appetizers or the original entree that can wow everyone during a holiday dinner party.   Their size makes them practical for a buffet-style dinner for your guests.  They're easy to eat and so fun to prepare.  Invite your guests or your kids to prepare them. Kids love helping out in the kitchen and they have fun cooking when you make a game out of it.


I enjoy making those so much more than making a regular sized chicken pot pie only because it's a different way of making chicken pot pie.  In addition, they're cute.  Who doesn't like biting into canapés or amuse-bouches just before dinner?  They're fun and eye-popping treats that never fail to amaze your guests with 'Ooohs' and 'Aaahs'.  When it comes to cooking, I love being creative and making something a little out of the box for the sake of making my experiments in the kitchen all the more interesting.  The minute I start falling into a routine, I get bored and lose my sense of creativity.


That being said, I hope you will try those for the holidays and I promise that they are treats that you and your guests will love sinking your teeth into.  Adding some cajun spices adds a nice kick to those pies.

Preparation : 15 minutes, Baking time : 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden and flaky

Recipe "au pif":

1/2 kg boneless chicken upper thighs (cut in 2 inch chunks)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cajun spice (found in any local supermarket)

1 red chili pepper (seeds removed and finely chopped)

2 tbsp flour

3/4 tbsp chicken concentrate with 125 ml boiling water (or 125 ml chicken stock)

pinch of coarse sea salt

pinch of ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tbsp olive oil or 1/2 tbsp butter

200 gr frozen puff pastry (defrosted) and a bit of flour

1 egg


Preheat oven at 350F

In a hermetic plastic bag, throw in the chicken, salt and pepper, chili, thyme, rosemary, cajun spice and flour

Seal the bag and shake well until the chicken is well coated and seasoned.

In a medium-size sauce pan, heat oliver oil (or I prefer using butter for flavour) on high. Add in the seasoned chicken and give it a good stir for about 2 minutes.

Add boiling water and the chicken concentrate, or simply your choice of chicken stock.

Cover, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes.   Turn off the heat and stir in the frozen peas.  Put lid back on and set aside.

With a rolling pin, flatten the puff pastry about 30 cm by 20 cm, and 1/2 cm thick. Sprinkle flour on your board under and on top of the puff pastry so as to avoid sticking to the board and rolling pin.

Use of one your small ramequins and trace with a pairing knife a circle just about 1/2 cm wider around the ramequin.  Repeat until you run out of dough.

Fill each ramequin 3/4 full with the chicken stew.

Cover each ramequin with the puff pastry.  Dab a little bit of water around the edges and squeeze the dough lightly around the rim.  With a fork, poke the top of the pastry dough to allow steam to go through while the pies are baking.

Pop the chicken pot pies in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden and flaky.

Serves 4 - 6  people.


share and enjoy!

Laurier Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Montreal, worth the wait?

Laurier Gordon Ramsay restaurant

Most montrealers who gather around a table to relish a good meal and conversation with friends are most likely not star-truck by celebrity-run restaurants. They'll be going to a restaurant mainly to discover new dishes, new flavours, or to simply eat good food with great company. If you categorize yourself as one of the forementioned restaurant-trotters, Laurier Gordon Ramsay's new and hip restaurant might not be for you. On the other hand, if you are merely curious or, even more so, a loyal admirer of the 12 Michelin Star celebrity, and want to see what fuss Chef Ramsay has brought about one of the liveliest streets of Montreal's plateau area, then this family eatery is a must-try.

After reading so many mixed reviews on the newly vamped and hyped up establishment, from both longtime regulars and new customers of the new Rotisserie joint (formerly known as Rotisserie Laurier BBQ before its highly-publicized acquisition), I decided to go and judge for myself yesterday. It was a beautiful Friday evening and as clearly warned by reviewers, the place does fill up quickly at its dinner opening hour. If you beat rush hour traffic and can rapidly grab a parking spot to avoid the anticipated line up of people, you can get a table in no time. If you're a little late like we were, you'd be lucky to have a 45 minute wait. Otherwise, two hours is plenty of time for you to take a stroll around the area or to get into your social media frenzy with your iPhone. Luckily, the place is located in a groovy neighborhood filled with quaint boutiques and charming little cafés and restaurants. One of the hostesses was pleasant enough to let us know that we could walk around during our 45 minute wait but to make sure to come back at least 5 minutes before our table was ready. My friend and I were both getting very hungry, but thankfully the local stores quickly engaged our attention. In fact, we were enjoying our window shopping so much that we had lost track of time. We rushed back to the rotisserie before losing our spot and got back just in time.

*My views on Laurier Gordon Ramsay are purely objective and subject to the level of my hunger, which on a scale of 1 to 10 was 10! So I was hungry, but remained impartial*

First Impressions:
The entrance of the place is very crisp and clean with a european country flair. From afar, the white walls with the contrasting dark grey window frames and the huge metallic rooster on the roof top all stand out from the neighbouring buildings . In other words, you really can't miss it. Yet its 'Old-Montreal'-architect-style seems to blend seamlessly well with the rest of the street's decor.

The Staff:
An experienced restaurateur will have a good system in place to run the place smoothly and efficiently. The hostesses and waiters' professional demeanor immediately reflected the owner's engagement towards customers. They were all genuinely friendly and had a good knowledge of the menu. We were lucky to have a waiter with a good sense of humour. He started pronouncing too quickly an item on the menu by saying 'freakin' chicken, when his intention was to say fries and chicken. Hence, the reference of 'freakin' chicken in my tweets. What can I say, the effect of serving such lovely customers as ourselves! Although I couldn't help wondering how the employees were hand-picked by such a renowned temperamental individual. Was there an ad on the paper or a casting call? Being a foodie at heart, the restaurant business is still one of the few things I would really enjoy doing in my lifetime. Who knows what life has in store for any one of us!

apologies for the blur - old camera which I dropped a couple of times accidentally

The Food:
For a foodie always on the lookout for a new gourmet experience, the food has got to be extraordinary. In other words, it's the key ingredient to a successful restaurant. It needs to become a place where you would want to go back for more. I ordered the chicken. After all, it is a rotisserie. My friend ordered the smokey ribs.

Chicken, fries and sauce:
Pleasantly enough, I found the chicken to be well cooked and adequately seasoned. The skin was golden and crispy and the meat was well cooked, moist and juicy. Flavour wasn't missing, but my quarter chicken wasn't too salty either, which I liked. Unlike the reviews I read from longtime customers, I didn't find the fries nor the sauce to be too sweet. The fries were fresh and golden brown with a nice tinge of barbecue flavour, just like BBQ chips! That was a nice surprise! The sauce was actually excellent. Since it was my first time at that rotisserie, I have no comparison to make. BBQ sauces I've tasted in the past from other local rotisseries, like the popular St-Hubert or Swiss Chalet, are often too thick, gooey and salty. Laurier GR's sauce had a nice light velvety texture with a subtle tang. It's the sauce reviewers were raving about. In any respect, I very much enjoyed my meal but it didn't knock off my socks either.

Smokey Ribs:
My friend had given me a piece of the ribs she ordered. We were both disappointed. The meat was dry and didn't fall off the bones like it would from a nicely prepared set of ribs. The sauce was too sweet and didn't add any moisture. We wouldn't recommend it.

Poutine:
Though we were tempted to order it, we had no room! A fellow twitterer had recommended to try it as he had heard from friends that the poutine was excellent. Next time perhaps.

Dessert:
One of the shocking surprises of the evening was the way our waiter was notably straight-forward-honest with us when it came to recommending menu items. My friend and I were both ready to order the moka cake, which was highly rated and acclaimed by numerous local reviews. Fortunately, our waiter was dead-set serious when he described the moka cake as being very dry. It's in fact an old customer favorite from the original Rotisserie Laurier BBQ menu. As a new customer, I really appreciated the honest opinion and the fact that the new owner hadn't taken all away from the original menu just to keep the regulars coming. So instead, we both had the tarte tatin served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's GR's most popular recipe featured on Youtube, so I had to try it. If Gordon Ramsay ever comes across this posting, I must confess that my expectations of his cooking were positively turned around. Whenever I watch his quick recipe clips, I always have the feeling that he over seasons his meats or over sweetens his desserts. I was wrong. The tarte tatin was satisfyingly sweet and tangy, and the crust was pleasingly flaky. In addition, the crème de la crème of the dessert part was the Chef's signature scoop, the oval shaped ice cream scoop that I often see in his cooking clips. Has anyone ever noticed that? Being a fan of many different chefs, I felt excited to feel a six degrees of separation between one of them and myself!

The ambiance:
Modern, loungy, inviting, lively, family-oriented and very noisy. In fact, it's so noisy that I couldn't hear the music playing in the background. My friend must have the hearing of a dog, because she kept asking me if I remembered the songs that were playing. Apparently, it was all 80s music. Great place to have a fun evening with friends or family. Not recommended for a quiet romantic dinner.

The price:
Though my tweets may have mislead followers as I was slightly tipsy and suggested that the bill was too $$$, the food is reasonably priced for the name of the place. Portions are not overly abundant either. It's just right. Notwithstanding, a good roasted chicken can be enjoyed just as much at any other Montreal reputable local rotisseries, with a bit less stress on your wallet.

To cut to the chase, Laurier Gordon Ramsay's restaurant is a must-try place for star-struck fans and party-goers and is a fun experience for the curious minds. Keep in mind that this restaurant is family-style. So if you're looking for fine dining, this is not the place. In all honesty, good company makes your dining experience at Laurier GR more memorable than the food itself. Though I wouldn't bash it, unless I was one who really gets turned off by heavily marketed spots, my energy is more focused on scouting for more family-run restaurants.

What makes this place such an intriguing attraction in Monreal, is only one factor : Mr Gordon Ramsay himself. Having such world wide stature as Ramsay is sufficient to bring in a crowd to a new joint. In my opinion, 'location, location, location' can easily be disregarded. If his restaurant was located on Hochelaga street or at Pointe Saint-Charles, it would still attract a large crowd. As long as it's easily accessible, people will go. Only time will tell how long this place will be around.

This personal review may have enticed you to check out the place for yourself or to completely ignore it, I just hope you enjoyed reading it. If you need a second opinion on Laurier Gordon Ramsay, here is a review on a lunch experience by fellow blogger Jenn.

Bon appétit!

Vietnamese Chicken Vermicelli Soup - Request from a Reader

Today, I received a request from a loyal reader of QlinArt to post the chicken vermicelli soup recipe from a previous installment from last year. It was a soup prepared by my mother at my parents' Bon Voyage party from January of 2010. As most of the foods my family and I eat are quick and simple to prepare, I'm very pleased to share this easy recipe of Vietnamese chicken soup. It's a great alternative to the traditional westernized chicken soup when used as a remedy to treat a cold. It's light and soothing, but most importantly very flavourful because of the fresh spices and fresh herbs used in the soup.

Preparation time: 20 minutes, cooking time: 1 hour maxThe broth can be prepared in the advance and frozen, to be taken out later for supper during a busy work week.

Recipe "au pif":
1 lb chicken breasts,
1 large yellow onion, peeled
3 star anise pods
1 whole fresh ginger root (about 2 1/2 inch), rinsed and mashed in mortar
3L (12 cups) water
1 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1/2 lb rice vermicelli (can be found at a local Asian store, some supermarkets carry them as well)
small pinch of ground white pepper

Garnish and accompaniments:
1 cup bean sprouts
2 sprigs of scallions, sliced
2 finger-length red chilies, deseeded and sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges
sprigs of mint leaves
sprigs of coriander leaves
bottled chili sauce or chili paste

Preparing the chicken stock:
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, and add the chicken breasts, skimming off any foam that floats to the surface. Add the ginger, onion and star anise. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 1 hour until the chicken is cooked. Remove from heat.

Remove the chicken stock from the stock. set aside. Strain the stock and return the clear soup to the pot. Season with the fish sauce and ground white pepper, and keep the soup hot over very low heat for about another half hour. Shred the chicken with your hands into small chicken strips.

Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli and let them sit in the boiling water for 2 minutes max. Remove and rinse with cold water, then drain.

Transfer the rice vermicelli to large soupe bowls and top with bean sprouts, onion and chicken strips . Pour the hot soup into each bowl.

Garnish with scallions, coriander and mint.

Serve hot with chili sauce, sliced chilis and a zest of lime juice.
Serves 4 to 6 people.

"Popotte-Santé" Club : Quinoa and Lemongrass

I can't complain about the workplace where I spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. My team mates are friendly and so easy to get along with. The best part is that I discovered that a lot of them love cooking, exploring new foods and would love to know how to use uncommon exotic products in their kitchen. Uncommon to North Americans that is....
Our department's executive assistant, Linda, had the marvelous idea of starting a "Popotte-Santé" club, French Canadian slang for "Healthy Cooking" club. It's created for those who like to share recipes, introduce unknown and unfamiliar foods or simply eat together and talk about good eating, during our lunch break. The main focus is on healthy eating. Stress is one of the major factors causing different health issues such as diabeties, anemia, heart diseases and others. Not only are some of our colleagues affected by these health issues, but so are their loved ones. These hurdles help us to become conscious of the way we eat, our fast-pace lifestyle and the time we ignore to stop, sit back, breathe and eat well.
Our "Popotte-Santé" club takes places the first Mondays of every month. We are a group of about 8 people. We've had our second lunch meeting this week and we're starting to understand what we want to get out of this club. We want to enjoy sharing food and understand how certain foods are beneficial and how some aren't to our health. It's great to have a group of people of different ethnic backgrounds with interesting cooking experiences with whom we can learn and share new culinary ideas. The best part is that we are having a lot of fun, especially tasting and eating the delicious and healthy foods prepared by the club members.
This week my colleague Jean-Pierre brought a wonderful quinoa pilaf dish, seasoned with tumeric, cumin, garlic, mixed with raisins and a little bit of orange juice. I never really tasted quinoa until he introduced it to me a few months back. It was delicious but I didn't really know how to cook it. This week, he shared a bunch of recipes with us and I was amazed on how many ways quinoa can be easily and quickly prepared. It's also not considered to be part of the wheat family but considered more as a grain, which has no gluten.

Here is the quinoa pilaf recipe:
Preparation time : 10 minutes, Cooking time: 25-30 minutes.

Recipe "au pif":
1 1/2 cup quinoa
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, cut in thin round slices

1/2 cup good quality raisins

1/2 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped

1 tsp ground tumeric (aka curcuma)

1/2 cup of fresh orange juice

2 cups cold water

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and brown onions, carrots, and stir in raisins and tumeric.

Stir in the quinoa, coriander and mix well for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add 1/2 orange juice, water and stir until you reach boiling point. Immediately, reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the liquid has completely been absorbed by the quinoa mixture.

Reduce heat to low and cover, let it simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, and let it sit for about 5 minutes, enough time for the quinoa to expand.

Serve immediately, with tofu, meats, fish or any foods of your choice!

Bon appétit!


Next on the list was the dish I prepared for the group; lemongrass chicken strips.

I know, they kinda look like frog legs on this picture. Which is also an interesting food!

This recipe is so easy. The chicken strips were so tasty that my colleague Farah brought back the sprig of lemongrass I had brought for demonstration to our club meeting, so that she could try out the recipe that same evening for dinner. Unfortunately, there was not enough lemongrass for the amount of chicken she had, so the lemongrass taste was less prominent than the chicken strips she had tasted at lunch.

If you'd like to try them out, here is the recipe and please make sure to adjust the quantities of marinade ingredients accordingly, if you are using less or more chicken:


Preparation time : 5 minutes, Cooking time : 15 minutes

Recipe of lemongrass chicken strips "au pif":

1/2 lb pre-cut chicken strips, rinsed with water and lemon to eliminate any bacteria and pat dry with paper towel
1 sprig of lemongrass, remove outer shells and end (you should have about 3 inch of lemongrass inner root), chopped and sliced, then grinded in a food processor until finely minced.
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp of fish sauce, to taste
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil

Mix the lemongrass, garlic and fish sauce in a salad bowl. Then coat the strip in the marinade and mix well with your hands. Set aside.

Heat medium-sized sauce pan on medium high. Wait until the pan is very hot for about 5 minutes.

Slowly add 3-4 strips at a time. They should sizzle right away. Let them brown for about 2 minutes on each sides.

Repeat above step until you run out of chicken strips.

Lay the chicken strips on a plate covered with paper towel to absorb the oil away.

Serve hot as finger food or with steamed white rice.

Share and enjoy!


Last but not least, Linda brought this interesting long pepper which can be found at "Olives et Épices" at "Marché Jean-Talon" in Montreal or any other stores that sell spices in bulk, "marché en vrac". This is a very hard type of pepper that you would need to pound first using a mortar and pestle before adding it to your pepper mill. The difference between this pepper and regular black pepper corn is the fragrance. This long black pepper had a sweet and subtle lemony fragrance. It's worth a try.

Stay tuned for our next meeting. But before that, I'll make sure to share more recipes with you as the days are getting longer, I can take pictures later in the day now that natural lighting will be available late afternoons.

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Spicy and Creamy Chicken and Peanut Butter African Stew

My blog has been on hiatus for a little while due to other projects I've been working on, to help out the victims of the recent earthquake in Haïti. I've also been exploring new quick and easy recipes from a book called Glorious One-Pot Meals by Elizabeth Yarnell. It's a great book in which I found this really tasty and exotic African recipe using peanut butter as the main base for the sauce of the stew and coconut milk for the sweet heavenly fragrance.

The first time I tried it out, I had put in too much water or liquid, so I cut down on the liquids so that the rice cooked al dente. You can play around with the amounts, as long as you stick with the main ingredients.

I'm really not happy with the way this picture turned out (just can't wait til the days are longer to have more natural lighting, as we're approaching Spring, since I seem to find time to cook mostly late afternoons), but believe me, this dish is incredibly savoury.

Preparation: 20 minutes, Baking time: 40-45 minutes

Recipe "au pif":

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp butter-flavored margarine or butter

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 cup white rice (long grained or even fast-cooking brown rice will do)

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 lb chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs, cut in about 3 inch chunks

1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced

1/2 cup coconut milk

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely sliced

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, to taste

3 tbsp creamy peanut buter of your choice

3 tomatoes, diced

1/2 sweet potato, cut into small cubes (russett potatoes will also do)

2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed

Preheat oven 450F

Grease Dutch-oven with canola oil or butter-flavored margarine.

Scatter the onion in the pot.

Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tipe the rice into the pot, add the liquid, and stir to make an even layer.

Place the chicken on the rice. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt. Add the bell pepper.

In a measuring cup, whisk the coconut milk, garlic, sliced jalapeno peppers, sea salt and peanut butter until the peanut butter dissolves. Pour over the chicken.

Layer in the tomatoes, potatoes and spinach.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven.

Serve immediately.

Share and enjoy!

Bon Voyage Dinner Party - to Vietnam

Every year in January, my parents host a Bon Voyage dinner party before their departure for a 3 month escape from the harsh winters of Montreal to a warm and comfortable stay in the tropics of southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam. In Asia, they rediscover their roots and heritage from their travels in many Asian countries to explore and taste exotic foods that sometime bring back childhood memories. No one from our family stayed in Vietnam. Like my parents, most of my relatives have moved to Europe during the Vietnam war. In France, my parents attended university and made many friends who shared a common history - Vietnam. Once my parents and their friends obtained their university degrees, they all went their separate ways. Some moved to neighbouring countries, like Switzerland, Belgium...but stayed in Europe. Whereas my parents were the most adventurous ones, they decided to go to the land of opportunities - North America. Back then, in the 70s, Canada and the US were economically booming with a high employment rate. Because of my parents' French background and language, Montreal seemed to be the best choice for the family. So, on a plane we were, my parents, my brother and our nanny!...on our way to Canada.

Our nanny, who was French, was very attached to our family and was also curious to visit Canada. She loved Vietnamese food and ate almost everything that my mother could offer her, except for the very hot red chilli peppers. She would literally turn beet red and cough everything out! Nevertheless, she enjoyed eating with us and watching us eat. You probably noticed in restaurants when Asians eat, we often won't have a conversation while eating in a large group. We'd be quiet, or so to speak, and focus on slurping our noodles, or look at the next piece of food to pick from the center of the table. If we speak, it would be to blurt things out while waiting to be served or once finished eating. As my friend from LA would say, we love good "grub".

So this past weekend, we had Vietnamese food galore which my mother prepared. I didn't have to help out! Which was great because I felt incredibly lazy and tired from all the dinner parties during the holidays. When my mother cooks for the family, she cooks her best stuff : imperial rolls, vermicelli soups, mango and papaya salad.....and lots of fish dipping sauce.

Batch of imperial rolls (the best ones are made with rice paper)

I'm sure during their stay in Vietnam, they'll be sending us photos of their latest food trek in beautiful and colourful outdoor markets which I won't miss sharing with you all.

Rice vermicelli with minced pork and mushrooms

For now, I hope you enjoy these photos of some of the food served at my parents'.

Roasted spicy chicken wings

Have a great one.

Brown-Bag-Roasted Garlic and Chili Cornish Hen with a Touch of Honey

The buttery scent of this dish is the ultimate show-stopper at dinner parties. As guests arrived yesterday for Thanksgiving (Action de Grâce in French), they were immediately drawn by the rich aroma and smell swarming from the kitchen as the cornish hens were slowly roasting in the oven.

I've posted a few recipes of roasted poultry already and you probably noticed that I often use the bag method to roast chicken or hen. I like to use either these special plastic oven bags or greased brown paper bags to roast poultry as it significantly reduces the cooking time of the meat and renders the poultry into a sublimely tender and juicy pièce de résistance.

Turkey can also be roasted using this bag method, using a much bigger bag such as the ones used for packing your groceries, as long as the poultry is cooked in a well-sealed container that creates a steamy environment for the poultry to slowly cook and to brown at the same time. Another great advantage of using an oven bag or a brown paper bag, as opposed to a oven-safe ceramic covered pot, is that the poultry roasts to a crispy and tender bird as it cooks. This year, I decided to go with smaller poultry, like the cornish hen, because they are easier to prepare and portions are easier to serve. I also find that the meat is also more tender then chicken or turkey.

The left over sauce dripped from the roasting can be used to make a light tasty gravy by slowly stirring the sauce with a bit of flour, no more than a tablesppon, and slowly whisk the mixture until the sauce thickens. I usually don't make any gravy because the cornish hens usually come out very very juicy. I like serving them with salads, vegetables, potatoes or a well seasoned rice. A fine bottle of wine should complete your Thanksgiving dinner.

Preparation time: 10 minutes for both cornish hens, Cooking time : 1 hour in convectional over, 1 1/2 hour in a regular oven.

Recipe "au pif":
2 grain-fed cornish hen (about 2 lbs each)
3 large cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tsp dried chili flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp softened garlic butter
Canola oil

Preheat the oven at 350F.

Prepare the marinade by mixing the honey, garlic, chili flakes, pepper and olive oil in a small salad bowl.

How to spatchcock a chicken or hen (flatten the chicken for the grill or the oven roast):Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using poultry shears or a very sharp knife, cut from the neck to the tail end along either side of the backbone to remove.You'll be cutting through flesh and small bones, so you'll have to use some force; take special care if using a knife.Once the backbone is out, you'll have a clear view of the interior of the cornish hen .With both hands placed on the rib cage, crack open the cornish hen by opening it, like a book, toward the cutting board.Flip over, flatten the cornish hen with your fist and smooth the skin. You've spatchcocked your bird.Marinate the cornish hen by rubbing with your hands all sides of the cornish hen , the skin and the interior, with the already prepared honey-garlic-chili marinade. Let the cornish hen marinate for 24 hours or overnight in a well-sealed container or tupperware.
Rub the softened butter on top top side of the cornish hen.

Line a large baking dish with 2 brown paper bags that have been cut open in halves on one side. Place the cornish hen in the brown lunch paper bags. Take some of the remaining marinade and rub the rest on the cornish hen. Close the bag and seal it well by tucking the open ends under the bird. Grease the top part of the bag with the oil with the help of a soft brush. Make sure the bag is translucid so as to prevent burning while roasting the cornish hen.
Roast the cornish hens for about 1 hour if using a convectional oven, or 1 1/2 hours if using a regular oven, or until the skin of the cornish hen has browned. This is a good indication that the hens are ready. You can peek once in a while to check the skin.

Serve with a side dish roasted vegetables (potatoes, zucchinis, carrots) or herb-fragranced rice.
Serves 4-6 people.

Share and enjoy a great Thanksgiving dinner.

Archives : Roasted Lemongrass and Garlic Spicy Chicken

My favourite time of year is just around this time, when the weather is fantastic, not too hot and not too chilly either - great time to barbecue my favourite finger-licking-good lemongrass and garlic chicken. I've been preparing this chicken the past couple of weeks now and the more frequently I make it, the better this chicken turns out. Practice does lead to perfection...at least to one's tastebuds.

I was on my way back to the office this week and talking to my colleague Fred about food and cooking. Remember Fred? The one who shared his great prosciutto-figs appetizer recipe? And I promised him that I would post this lemongrass chicken recipe again. If you remember, I had one of my first posts a couple years back, but marinade called for lime. This time, I cut out the lime and added much more garlic and much more lemongrass. The result, lip-smacking chicken that anyone will enjoy, your kids and even your dog! Although, dogs aren't supposed to eat anything spicy, but for our dog Frippon, we removed the lemongrass, but we know he really enjoyed the rest of it, including the bones.

Recipe "au pif":1 whole grain-fed chicken
1/2 cup of olive oil
4 tbsp finely minced lemon grass (about two stems of lemongrass)
6 garlic cloves finely minced
3 tsps hot chili flakes
1 tsp hot chili paste
1 tbsp coarse sea salt(or to taste)
2 tsps ground pepper

To prepare the marinade, mix well all above ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl with a spoon.

How to spatchcock a chicken (flatten the chicken for the grill or the oven roast):

Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using poultry shears or a very sharp knife, cut from the neck to the tail end along either side of the backbone to remove.
You'll be cutting through flesh and small bones, so you'll have to use some force; take special care if using a knife.
Once the backbone is out, you'll have a clear view of the interior of the chicken.
With both hands placed on the rib cage, crack open the chicken by opening it, like a book, toward the cutting board.
Flip over, flatten the chicken with your fist and smooth the skin. You've spatchcocked your bird.
Marinate the chicken by rubbing with your hands all sides of the chicken, the skin and the interior, with the already prepared lemon grass-garlic-chili marinade. Let the chicken marinate for 24 hours or overnight in a well-sealed container or tupperware.

Having been marinated overnight, the chicken is ready to be grilled in the BBQ or roasted in the oven.

When grilling on the BBQ, set the thermostat to medium-high and keep the BBQ lid closed, but make sure to flip the chicken once in a while to maintain an even grill and avoid burning. The chicken should be cooked between an hour and an hour and a half.

When oven roasting, set the thermostat at 350F (preferably convectional roasting, if you have that luxury). Place the chicken in an oven bag and follow instructions. These oven bags do wonders to a nice big piece of poultry- they cut down the roasting time by almost half and make the most tender and juiciest chicken or turkey ever. Normally, without an oven bag, the roasting can take almost 2 and half hours. Let the chicken roast in the oven bag for about an hour and a half until the skin is golden brown. Once the skin is golden brown, it's a good indication that the meat is cooked. The juices at the bottom of the pan is a good sign that the chicken is moist and tender. Remove and discard the oven bag and the juices.

To add that final "grilled" touch, place the chicken in the oven and "broil" for about 2-3 minutes until parts of the skin are slightly burnt. And voilà, oven-roasted-broiled chicken without the BBQ.

Let me know if you've been finger-licking and lip-smacking after eating this gourmet chicken. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Thank goodness, I have some leftovers in the oven, which I'm going to get to right away.

Serves 4-6 people.

Share and enjoy!

Tender Chicken in a Spicy Curry and Prune Sauce

That curry powder I've been writing about in my last post was used in this succulent chicken dish. It's a mix of Persian and South East Asian cuisine that complement each other very well. Any good flavourful dish needs that extra kick in aroma by using a little teaspoon of a freshly made curry powder.

This dish has been one of my favourites and my dearest friends for a while now. The chicken melts in your mouth and the sauce is incredibly velvety that we hardly leave a drop of it in our plates.

The prunes, pre-soaked in warm water, adds such an interesting fruity flavour without overpowering the dish with sweetness. It is very easy to make as you simply mix all the ingredients together and leave it on low heat to simmer for no more than 30 minutes. Chicken thighs cook very quickly and become very tender when cooked slowly over low heat.

Recipe "au pif":
4 skinless chicken legs (includes drumstick and thighs)
2 medium sized yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp flour
1/3 cup red wine
10 prunes, pre-soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, water discarded
1 tsp hot chili paste
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp good quality curry powder (hot or mild - your preference)
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups boiling water
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
Fresh coriander to garnish

Heat oil in large deep sauce pan on medium low heat.

Brown the chicken on both sides. Put aside.

Add in the onions, garlic and stir until the onions have softened.

Add in the flour and the wine and stir for about 2 minutes. You should have a thick and velvety texture.

Add in the tomato paste, the chili paste, dijon mustard, curry powder and stir for about 1 minute.

Add in the chicken legs and pour in the boiling water, enough so that the chicken is covered just at the surface.

Add in the bay leaf and the prunes.

Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Cook until the prunes are slightly softened and almost disintegrated.

Serve with brown basmati rice, cooked in water which was drizzled with a bit of oil and melted garlic butter. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Serves 4 people.

Share and enjoy.

Chicken in a Rich Red Lentil and Coconut Milk Sauce

This dish was a hit during the holidays. My 90-year old grandfather who is extremely fussy with food gave his two thumbs up for this holiday meal. My grandfather who is “teething”, or rather, has extremely fragile teeth, can’t eat anything that’s too tough on his gums. This means that the chicken was so tender that he enjoyed eating it without rudely picking into his teeth. If you have a 90 year old Asian grandparent, you’ll know what I mean

Not only was the meat tender, but it bursted with flavour. The lentil sauce was rich and velvety which made it hard for everyone to not devour their meal and to not ask for seconds. As an avid cook, I was so pleased that evening.

Because the lentils are so filling and rich in protein and nutrients, you don’t need to serve this dish with anything else. The key to this awesome dish is to let the chicken cook slowly for a long time until the meat falls off the bones. Your dinner guests won’t even need to use a knife!

Preparation time: 20 minutes, Cooking time: 35-40 minutes.

Recipe “au pif”:4 large chicken thighs, seasoned with 2 tsp coarse sea salt and black pepper
½ cup red lentils
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic glove, chopped coarsely
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 recipe spice blend *
4 cups boiling water
2 tbsp concentrated chicken or vegetable chicken stock, or 1 cube chicken/vegetable stock
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ cup good quality coconut milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Fresh coriander to garnish

* Spice blend recipe:½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp ground tumeric
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp dried chili flakes
5 whole cloves
1 star anise
A pinch of saffron

Mix all spices in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large non-stick Teflon pan, brown the chicken thighs in 1 tsp vegetable oil and put aside.

In a large cooking pot, heat the oil used to brown the chicken on medium high heat and add onions, ginger and garlic. Stir for about 2 minutes until ingredients turn golden brown.

Stir in the spice blend and stir for about 1 minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the coconut milk, carefully place the chicken in the sauce and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 20 minutes, when the lentils are soft, remove chicken and lay on a large serving dish. Stir lentil sauce occasionally.

Remove pot from heat and stir in the coconut milk. Mix well and let it cool for a few minutes.

Use a hand blender to purée the mixture until smooth and velvety. Ladle some of the sauce over the chicken.

Garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve hot with steamed basmati or jasmine rice.

Enjoy.

Lip-Smacking Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

According to my taste buds, this is a dish that really does taste a million times better the next day. The world didn’t exist around me as I was smacking my lips and licking my fingers when I devoured that succulent morsel of juicy and savory chicken thigh the other day. My dinner guests probably found it rude…but did I care? Uh, no, not when something is this good. I could have even acted as my true inner Vietnamese self by sitting with one leg up on the chair while I was at it. But, I didn't. I didn't want to shatter my known image of "prim and proper" Q. If only they knew...

I think it’s a great dish to prepare a Sunday for a well deserved relaxing Monday evening dinner. These mouth-watering chicken upper thighs that have had the time to soak in the herbs and spices will impress not only you, but also your dinner party.

A simple recipe comprised of boneless chicken upper thighs marinated in fish sauce, lemongrass and garlic, then browned to give the thighs full flavour, and slowly simmered in its juices and added lemon. For a final golden crisp look, I like to broil the chicken for about 5 minutes in the oven.

Again, simplicity at its best, for a person always on the go like my good self.

Preparation: 10 minutes (not including marinating time), Cooking time: 20 minutes

Recipe “au pif”:6 boneless chicken upper thighs (skinless thighs can also be used)
3 garlic cloves finely minced
1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped and crushed in mortar
2 tbsp fish sauce
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of sugar
Lemon juice from a half a lemon
½ cup chicken stock
2 tbsp vegetable oil

*To accelerate cooking time, cut wide open the chicken upper thighs by making small 2 in. incisions inside the thighs*
Mix garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs, mix well with your hands or big spoon. Let it sit in marinade for about 30-40 minutes.

In a large shallow sauce pan, heat oil on medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, add in the chicken thighs and let it sizzle for them to brown, about 1-2 minutes each side.

Lower the heat to low heat, add the lemon juice and chicken stock. Cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Add more fish sauce to taste, if desired.

Again, this is optional, I like to add a final golden crisp look to the chicken by broiling the thighs in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Serve on a bed of fresh watercress or steamed white jasmine rice.
Share and enjoy.

Serves 3-4 people.

Pairing Creamy Curry with a Hot Fresh Baguette

Don't get me wrong. An Indian curry dish is heavenly when eaten with a hot naan bread. But sometimes I do find myself in unexpected situations where I can't find a good naan bread just after fixing myself an awesome curry dish. In the spur of the moment, I'll have this sudden urge to eat a curry dish without thinking about the accompaniment. So what better substitute to a missed out naan? Basmati rice......?

How about a nice hot and crisp baguette....with unsalted butter....Mmmmmh

Trust me, it is goooooood....

It's actually been an accidental and delicious habit which my parents have discovered when I was growing up in France. While my parents were working during the day, I used to stay with a French family who would get fresh baguettes at the local boulangerie everyday and would eat it on every occasion; breakfast, lunch, dinner...late snack, you name it. Soon enough, it became part of my family's daily routine, picking up a fresh baguette at the local boulangerie. After work, my parents would pick me up and prepare dinner. When curry was on the menu and we needed a change from our daily rice diet (or naan was not a well known commodity in Paris) my parents would reach out for the baguette. I remember my father tearing a piece of that hot and crisp bread, spreading unsalted butter on the warm piece, then dipping it in the curry and devouring it like someone who hadn't eaten in days. My mouth always salivated. I was introduced to this family tradition in my early years, have since stuck with it and brought it with me to Canada.

Ask anyone. Any stews or curry-like dishes are great with a good bread, whether it be naan or a baguette.

Preparation: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 15 minutes

Recipe "au pif" of Creamy Tomato Curry with Chicken:
about 1 lb or 5-6 boneless chicken upper thighs (chicken breast is also great) cut in big chunks 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala curry paste (homemade or I also like using Pataks' brand)
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
2 small tomatoes pureed in a food processor
1 tbsp chicken concentrate (thicker than chicken stock - but oh so tasty)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup heavy cream (or 15% champetre cream, even plain soya milk will work)
2 tbsp vegetable oil

On medium-high heat, heat oil in a large pan. Stir in the scallions and the garam masala paste for about 1 minute.

Throw in the pieces of chicken and blend chicken well with the paste and until chicken is lightly brown, for about 1-2 minutes, but not completely cooked.

Stir in the tomato puree, chicken concentrate, water, peas. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Turn off eat. Remove lid and stir in the cream, to give it that velvety texture and extra flavour.

Let it sit for about 5 minutes for the flavours to blend in together.

Serve with a hot naan bread or hot warm crisp baguette and butter.

Serves 4 people.

I would love to hear from you about this wonderful cross cultural culinary experience!

Caribbean Comfort for a Feisty Snow Storm

It doesn't feel like winter is going to end any time soon in Montreal even if Spring is just around the corner. We had our gazillionth snow storm since December and my shovel was put to better use than my skis this year. We had everything this season from hail, to freezing rain and a ton of snow.

To comfort myself, I prepared a spicy and hearty dish that would remind me of the sunny and warm caribbean islands, popular holiday destination spots for canadians. It's a stew that has a very lovely texture and piquancy which stimulates everyone's taste buds for more. But frankly, the topliner of this bourgillon-style stew, is the turkey. It literally melts in your mouth. In all honesty, I was never a huge fan of turkey, as I often found it too dry and gamy. BUT, after having tried this recipe, which was sent to me by an amazing Haitian cook, I now feel more comfortable cooking and experimenting with it.


To add a caribbean flair to this snowy day of a neverending winter, I am so pleased to share this recipe with you which is simple to make. Though cooking time may be almost an hour, 90% of that time is simmering the turkey stew, while you catch up with your e-mails, reading or snoozing.
Preparation: 20 minutes, Cooking time: 55 minutes
Recipe “au pif”:
2 large turkey legs, chopped in pieces
1 tbsp + 1 tsp flavoured salt (you can get at any grocery store: garlic, paprika, cayenne…etc.)
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 yellow onions, sliced thinly in rings
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 large hot chili pepper, sliced
1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp flour
4 cloves (local grocery store)
3-4 sprigs thyme
1 Bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vinegar
2 cups boiling water
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp olive oil

* To clean the bird (eliminate bacteria and gamy taste), soak in lemon juice and vinegar in a large bowl, for about 5 minutes, and pour boiling water. Let it sit for another 5 minutes and drain. Pat dry with paper towel. Remove the skin.

Season turkey with 1 tbsp flavoured salt and black pepper in a large bowl.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil on high heat and brown the turkey to give it colour (the more colour, the tastier). Put turkey aside.

In the same saucepan with turkey fat, heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, add in the flour and half the sliced onions and stir until soft. Add in the chicken stock, tomato paste, garlic, remaining 1 tbsp flavoured salt (or to taste), cloves and stir well for about 1 minute.

Add in the turkey and stir for about 30 seconds. With scissors, cut the ends of the thyme in small pieces over the turkey and stir until the sauce covers the turkey just over 1 cm (about 1/2 inch). Cover the saucepan with lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low and slow-cook or simmer for about 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, uncover and add in the remaining half of the onions and the chilli peppers. Stir once and make sure the onions are nicely incorporated in the sauce with the turkey. Cover with lid and simmer for another 10 minutes. The onions will thicken the sauce. If you want more heat, add more chili pepper, cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce.

The sauce should be finely velvety and the turkey should fall apart from a prick of a fork.

Serve hot with pasta, rice, or a spinach salad.
Serves approx. 4 people.

My caribbeanean guests absolutely loved it. Bon appétit!

Chico's Spicy Chicken with Eggplant and Bell Peppers

If you're not into cooking that much but would like to eat something homemade that's quick and easy, then you must try this recipe. This Thai-inspired dish is hot and is as yummy as it looks on the picture. The chicken stays plump and juicy, the veggies are vibrant and crunchy, and the sauce is simply spicy and succulent. Plus it looks damn great, people will think you spent hours cooking this gourmet stir-fry. It's incredibly easy and fast to make that anyone can cook it. It's great for people on the go with hectic schedules or busy jobs. Proof - my brother Chi (aka Chico), who loves frozen ready-made meals, who enjoys eating out and taking out, who seldom enjoys cooking or rarely gets excited about food...made this delicious and colourful dish, all by himself and before my very own teary eyes. Tears of joy, of course. *
*As the dish came together, I could already smell the heavenly fragrance simmering from the stir-fried chicken and eggplants. My stomach was growling like a lion. I was ready to devour the entire plate.

It's 15 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking.

Recipe "au pif":
3/4 lb chicken breast, cut in thin 2 inch slices
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 asian eggplants (or baby eggplants) cut diagonally in thin slices
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 red hot chillies, thinly sliced
3-4 tbsp of soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp of oyster sauce
handful of basil leaves to garnish
Oil for stir frying*
Mix chicken with soya sauce, oyster sauce and garlic, with your hands. Leave it to marinate for minimum 30 minutes (the longer the better - more flavour)
*
Heat oil in 12 inch wok (or large skillet) on high heat. Add in the chicken and you should hear that sizzzzzling.... and stir-fry until half cooked (should still see a little bit of pink in the center of the chicken), for about 2 minutes.
*
Add in the sliced eggplants and stir. Lower the heat to medium-high. Cover for about 3-4 minutes.
*
Remove lid and add in the red bell peppers and the chillies, stir for about 2 minutes. Cover for another 2-3 minutes.*
Chicken should not be overcooked but tender and juicy, eggplants well cooked and red bell peppers are vibrant red and crunchy. Covering the wok should have created juice from the eggplants and the red bell peppers.*
Garnish with basil.*
Serve with steamed Jasmine rice.*
Serves 4 people.
*You'll not only impress your guests but yourself too, especially if you consider yourself a novice in the kitchen.

Bucket of Lemongrass and Honey Chicken

After a long hectic week at work, I crave for fast food that will take no time, but still taste delicious. These wings are great for unexpected guests - it's easy, fast and lip-smaking-finger licking good.

Recipe "au pif":
1 1/2 - 2 lbs chicken wings and drumsticks (approx. 10-12 pieces)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh lemongrass
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 - 3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
thin slices of 1/2 large lemon
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Cointreau
oil for cooking (olive or canola)

Clean chicken and pat dry.


Marinate chicken in lemongrass-garlic-fish sauce mixture overnight.


Heat about 1 tbsp oil in large sauce pan, on medium-high heat (you don't want to burn the chicken). Gently add in the chicken to cook until they have colour. The more colour, the tastier the chicken. Add in the soya sauce. Turn them over when necessary so that they are golden brown all around. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Throw in the lemon slices and stir. Cover with lid and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
Stir again.

(OPTIONAL): Since I love liquor in just about everything, I add about 2 tbsp of Cointreau (orange fragranced liquor) to elevate the citrus and sweet flavour of the dish. Yummy.

Cover again, and cook on medium-low heat for another 5 minutes - until chicken is cooked throughout.

Discard lemons and serve.

Serves 4 people. Fast and easy.

Eat as a snack or as a main course with steamed white rice.

Braised Chicken in Rum

After my final exams end of November, I felt so burnt and tired that I took a small break from almost everything, including food blogging. This past month has been the most hectic of the year so far, having a new colleague on board to train, being audited for really exciting (SOX- Sarbanes Oxley) processes, backing up another colleague who was away on holidays, in Goa(eating fantastic indian food, of course. Sigh). Despite the busy schedule, there were two things that pre-occupied my mind, good food and s--.
..Sox, what did you think?

To unwind and celebrate the little free time I had back, I did better than having a drink...I had food and liquor all in one dish.

I had the plate of this sublime chicken in liquor dish all set up and nicely decorated but the picture turned out so dark and lifeless. When I depend on natural lighting to take good food shots, I have to rush and cook everything I need before the sun goes down, which means 3:30pm in Montreal these days. Didn't happen today, so I took a picture of the chicken still simmering in the rum and wine sauce, with the onions and mushrooms that you can still see the sauce bubbling in the background. The lighting isn't the best but I still think the shot did the whole chicken ensemble justice. The sauce was incredibly flavourful and the chicken just fell apart by a simple prick of a fork.

Recipe "au pif":
6 chicken drumsticks (legs/thigh)
1/2 cup thick smoked bacon, cubed
2 cups mushrooms
10 baby white onions
1 large garlic clove
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup rum
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
salt
pepper
olive oil

*I usually like removing the skin and cartilage off of the end of the drumstick so that the chicken cooks faster.

Heat about a tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan and add in the chicken. Cook about 5 minutes by turning them over until the chicken is brown all around. Remove and put aside.

Heat another tbsp of olive oil and add in the mushrooms, onions and the garlic clove. Sauté for 2 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and put aside.

Heat a small pan and add in the bacon. Stir and sauté for about 2 minutes until brown and crisp. Turn off heat, add in the mushroom, onions and garlic to the bacon and mix.

In a large deep pan, add in half of the mushroom-bacon mix in one layer. Gently lay the chicken over that first layer and add in the remaining half of the mushroom-bacon mix on top. Add in the wine, rum, chicken stock, bay leaves and thyme. The chicken should be slightly covered by the broth. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat, for about 30-35 minutes.

Whether you have a big family or guests over, you can leave the pot in the oven (300F ) to keep piping hot until ready to serve.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, plain rice or pasta.

Serves 4-6 people.