Citylife in Rugeley and Cannock Chase March April 2021

Tastes of the Season
By Simon Smith
Cooking for Mum!
Time to spoil the Mothers again and show
how much you love them after all the hard
work they put in raising a family. But this time
it’s different.
You may have to cook a meal and deliver to
them so they can reheat it but it will still show
how much you care. If you don’t feel like doing
that yourself there are lots of companies that
will be delivering this year and you can find a
list in this magazine on page XX. Many catering
companies have diversified to survive and it’s
good to support them so that when things get
back to normal they are still there to go and
visit.
Mother’s Day was always a quick seller in the
catering trade with many options for dining
but the most popular being the roast as it
always falls on a Sunday. Normally restaurants
take two or three sittings and you can feel a
bit rushed but this year it’s time for a change.
If you are delivering at meal you have prepared
to reheat it will probably be in a foil container
with is quite hard to make attractive but a few
fresh flowers will lift the dish no end, or a
bunch of flowers on the tray.
For the first recipe I’m going to do a really
easy one so the youngsters can prepare it for
the Mum’s or Grandparents, under the
watchful eye of an adult however.
Again, recipes are for two this month because
of lockdown restrictions.
Baked Chicken Breast Italian Style
2 x chicken breasts
1 x mozzarella ball
8 x cherry tomatoes
1 x bunch fresh basil
¼pt tomato juice
3tbsp double cream
Salt and pepper
Method
Lay the chicken breast in a tin foil baking tray
big enough to keep them side by side and not
too huge. Mix the double cream and tomato
30
juice and pour over the chicken. Tear the
mozzarella into strips and place on the chicken
breasts. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and
place on the top. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or
until the chicken breasts are firm and cooked
through. Sprinkle with chopped basil.
Chicken One-Pot Roast
½ chicken (or whole if you have a big
appetite). You can also use chicken portions
without skin if you prefer.
2 x carrots
½ celeriac
1 x parsnip
2 x white potatoes
2 x rashers smoked streaky bacon (or any
bacon you prefer)
2 x sage leaves
2 x bay leaves
1 x sprig rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Peel the carrots, celeriac, potatoes and
parsnips and cut into one-inch chunks. Prepare
the chicken into joints of about two inches
(see photo). Mix the chicken and vegetables in
a bowl with the sage, rosemary and bay leaves,
and toss together. Put in a roasting dish and
season with salt and pepper. Cook in a
preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 35
minutes (turn everything after 15 minutes so it
cooks evenly).
This is another ideal dish for children to do
for their mother’s with dad supervising,
obviously!
Simon Smith runs a catering business from his
production kitchen in Lichfield, providing bespoke private
dinners plus wedding, corporate and event catering.
Simon also undertakes cookery demonstrations around
the country and with local businesses such as Arthur
Price and Tippers. During the summer months Simon
works for private clients both on superyachts and in
villas in St Tropez and Europe. If you are looking for
catering or a day of cookery skills go to
www.simonsmith-chef.com
*Please take extra care when preparing and handling
hot foodstuffs. Go to www.food.gov.uk for further details.