Fijian chicken chasseur
The “chasseur” or hunter’s sauce is a French classic. The hunter would go and catch some fowl or game and then pick some mushrooms on the way home to make this perfect, rustic dish.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 whole chicken, chopped into 8 pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cups tinned or fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons normal flour
1 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 cup coconut water (bu)
1 cup over-ripe tomato, diced (or tinned crushed tomato)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme herb
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until browned, turning, about 8 minutes in all. Remove. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
2. Add the butter to the pan and reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to moderately high. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the wine (if using) and bring back to a simmer. Stir in the coconut water, tomatoes, thyme, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices. Reduce the heat; simmer, covered, until the chicken is done, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the parsley and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
5. Serve with steamed rice
Lovo braised lamb shanks
This exotic recipe can be cooked in a gas oven or prepared for the lovo, and has delicious Indian spice flavour that will have everyone talking about your lovo prowess.
Serves 4
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 lamb shanks, trimmed and silver skin removed
2 tablespoons virgin olive or coconut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (dhaniya)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (haldi)
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 cups fresh coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut water (bu)
Fresh coriander
1. Sprinkle the lamb shanks on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan to medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil and when it shimmers add the lamb shanks in one layer. Brown well on all sides and remove to a plate.
2. In the meantime in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil to medium heat and add the onion. Cook the onion until golden brown.
3. In a separate dry frypan, toast the cumin and coriander lightly over a low flame until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and pulverise until a fine powder. Combine with turmeric, curry powder, and the fine garlic paste.
4. Turn on oven to 175C or prepare your lovo pit.
5. Add the garlic and spice mixture to the onions along with the fresh tamarind. Stir for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is very fragrant and garlic is browning but not burned. Stir in the honey, coconut milk and stock and bring to a gently simmer. Taste the sauce and add at least 1 teaspoon of salt.
6. Place the shanks into the pot and cover. If using a kitchen oven, stir and turn the lamb shanks occasionally until nice and tender — about 2-3 hours. If using the lovo, bury and cover as normal and cook for 2 hours.
7. Remove the shanks from the pot and skim the fat from the top of the sauce. (Note: you can make this a day ahead and refrigerate to remove the fat)
8. Return shanks to the pot. Finely chop the coriander and stir throughout the sauce.
9. Serve hot with mashed root crops or rice.
Olive oil-braised vegetables
This flavourful mix of broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and potatoes is braised in olive oil that’s been infused with rosemary, chilli flakes, lemon, and anchovies.
Serves 4
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon crushed anchovies (tinned)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes
6 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
6 sprigs rosemary
1 lemon, ends trimmed, thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed
1 large zucchini, cut diagonally into 1 1/2″-long pieces
500 gram potatoes or other root crop
1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stalk cut into large pieces
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets, stalk cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 sprigs fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary or basil)
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1. Put the olive oil, anchovy paste, chilli flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and lemon slices in a small Dutch oven. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the garlic and the lemon slices are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the zucchini, and cook for 5 minutes more.
3. Add the potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower to the pot and stir once or twice to coat in oil. Cook, covered, without stirring, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften, about 30 minutes.
4. Stir vegetables gently, replace the lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low; cook until the vegetables are very soft and tender, about 60 minutes more.
5. Remove the vegetables from the heat, and stir in parsley and marjoram. Season with salt and pepper.
Chinese braised whole fish
2 whole fish, plate sized, descaled and cleaned
2 teaspoons corn flour
3 tablespoons cooking oil
6 slices ginger
3 green spring onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup Chinese Shaoxing rice wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons Chinese “Chinkiang” black vinegar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1. Using paper towels, pat the fish thoroughly dry. Wrap the fish in fresh paper towels while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. The goal is to make the fish as dry as absolutely possible. Use a sharp knife to score both sides of the fish three times.
2. Once the preparatory work is done, unwrap the fish and dust it with a thin, even layer of cornstarch on both sides. This step will help keep the skin in tact during pan-frying.
3. Heat the wok until it starts to smoke, and immediately add the oil and ginger slices. Reduce the heat to medium. Once the ginger slices start to brown, remove them from the wok and set aside. Carefully lay the fish in the wok, anddo everything in your power not to move or tough the fish for the next 5 minutes. You can tilt the wok around so the oil glides around toevenly brown the fish.
4. After 5 minutes, shake the wok slightly to see if the fish has seared enough to stop sticking to the wok. This is when you can carefully flip the fish over and do the same process for the other side.
5. Once both sides are nicely browned, add the ginger back to the wok along with the spring onions, rice wine, sugar, vinegar, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Keep the heat at medium low, and cook the fish by continuously spooning the cooking liquid over the fish. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes. By now, the sauce should be cooked down and almost syrupy.
6. Serve with steamed rice.
