Butter Roasted Chicken Ragù...and one of the many times I have tried to get fancy with pasta.

Ok, ok, I am cutting it a little close...but I am still keeping to my 1 post a week promise!
This is going to be a quick one cause I need to get to work early tomorrow, but that's  pretty fitting since this recipe is fairly no-fuss.

I made this for a couple of friends who came over for dinner earlier this week. Having a couple of things to do around the house *coughbingewatchorangeisthenewblackcough* I needed to make something that didn't require me keeping a constant watch on it. This pasta sauce is great because for minimal fuss you get something that tastes like you've been stirring it for hours. Using the oven gave the sauce a depth of flavour that I have yet to achieve from my slow cooker. Anyways...without further ado!

Butter roasted chicken pasta
- 2 large red onions
- 1 bulb garlic
- 6 chicken thighs, skin and bone on
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 500g tomato passata
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes
- 1 chicken stock cube
- sugar and salt to taste

- Cut the onions into rough quarters and separate garlic cloves. Scatter into baking tray and place chicken thighs skin side up on top. Season with oregano, pepper, and salt. Dot the butter on the chicken.

- Roast in a 200'C oven until chicken skin is golden brown. Pour in passata, crumble stock cube, and mix through chilli flakes. Cover the baking tray with foil, then turn oven down to 180'C and bake an additional 45 minutes. After that time, take the foil off and remove chicken from tray. While the meat rests, mash up the sauce and try to fish out as many garlic skins as you can. Debone and roughly chop the meat (This'll be super easy, the chicken will be falling off the bone), then mix back into sauce and place back in oven for an additional 15 minutes.

- Boil your pasta of choice till al dente and serve with a wedge of cheese so people may anoint their serving in cheesy goodness to their heart's content.

Have a good week people!!

Drinking Coffee... and the time Elisa taught me about carico, caldo, comodo.

Hello Elisa!!! 

Everyone meet my beautiful flatmate Elisa Bevacqua from Calabria, Italy. Elisa and I are having a bit of a tandem culture exchange. I've introduced her to soy sauce, and she's introduced me to Italian coffee.

Glorious, glorious Italian coffee.

One of the more recent things I've learnt from her is the following 'Italian Coffee Doctrine'

Carico: Strong

Your coffee must taste strong. Drinking overpriced dishwater (and honestly I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. My GOOD coffee years are but beginning) constitutes breaking this cardinal law.

Caldo: Hot

Your coffee must be piping HOT. Lukewarm muck that's been sitting around forgotten and cold is absolutely unacceptable. Although... I don't know the stand taken with iced coffee....better ask Eli later. :p

Comodo: Comfortable

Coffee drinking should be done when you are comfortable. You should be seated through the entire experience. You MUST take your time.Good coffee shouldn't be wasted on someone too busy to properly taste it. Drink with family, drink with friends, drink on your own, hell drink with your cat if that's what makes you content. The point is to enjoy your cuppa, not rush through it.

Now all this is well and good to know, but let's face it. Everyone's too busy to actually do all these things EVERY SINGLE TIME you make a cuppa. Sometimes you need a caffeine shot to carry you through to the dawn before your big deadline. Sometimes your only option is diluted dishwater. MOST times the cafe is too crowded for you to do anything but sip your coffee while crowded into a corner.

The important thing is that, every once in a while you take a little time for yourself. Step out of your busy work schedule. Put down the phone, the pen, the piping bag, WHATEVER. Reserve that little parcel of time to properly embody Carico, Caldo, Comodo.

You'll be all the better for it.

Aglio Olio Peperoncino...and the time St. Andrews weather went a little mental.

St. Andrews has been on a crazy weather spin the past couple of days. It's been beautiful and sunny out, but walking anywhere is a complete nightmare. I almost got blown onto the street twice yesterday, and the cold has a nasty way of creeping it's way into the neck of your coat. It's times like these I really appreciate being self-catered, and having the freedom to choose what I'd like to have for dinner.

This pasta is one of the easiest things in the world to make. It's simple, it's quick, and it's very flexible. I just added broccoli to my serving today, but you could put in anything you like. Prawns are exceptionally good here. Feel free to adjust the measurements here. I like mine super spicy, so I always throw in an extra shake of chilli flakes. A simple, tailor-made meal. And it'll take you all of 10 minutes. ;)

~ 2 tbsp olive oil
~ 2 big cloves garlic
~ 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
~ 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
~ 1/2 tsp dried oregano
~ sugar (to taste)
~ salt (to taste)

~ spaghetti, for 1 person
~ 1/2 cup broccoli florets

- Get some water boiling in a large pot so you can cook your pasta. If you're in a rush, you can use water from a recently boiled kettle. It's just continue to bubble away on the stove. SALT IT. The water should taste like the sea. That way, you'll season your pasta while it's cooking, and won't have to add a bucket load of salt to your sauce.

- Get out a small frying pan and heat up the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat WAY down. The trick with aglio olio is to be low and slow. You want the oil to infuse with flavour, if it's too hot all your spices will just burn to bits.

- Add the garlic, chilli flakes, pepper, oregano, sugar and salt. Leave the pan alone on it's very low heat. Every once in a while swirl the pan to keep the party going, but for the most part all you have to do is sip a glass of wine.

- At the last 2~3 minutes of your pasta cooking time, throw the broccoli (or any other veggies you're using) into the spaghetti pot. When the pasta is done to your liking, drain it with the vegetables and toss into the pan of spiced oil. Stir to coat. Dish up and enjoy.

And here's a sneak peek for tomorrow's post!

That's all for now!