Oven baked onions, Taleggio sauce

Bring a large, deep pan of water to the boil. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6.

Peel 4 medium sized onions, keeping them whole. Add 2 bay leaves and 6 black peppercorns to the boiling water, then lower in the peeled onions. Leave them at a brisk simmer for about 30 minutes, until they are soft and yielding.

Lift out the softened onions with a draining spoon and place them in a baking dish. Pour a little olive oil over the onions, add 30g butter, the leaves from 4 thyme sprigs and a little black pepper, then bake for about 40 minutes, basting once or twice as they cook.

Warm 125ml double cream in a small saucepan over a low heat. Cut 100g Taleggio cheese into small pieces, then leave to melt, without stirring, in the cream, adding 2 sprigs of thyme.

Serve two onions per person together with some of the taleggio thyme sauce

(Recipe from Nigel Slater's A Cook's Book)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Vegetable fritters, rucola mayo

Grate 100g carrots, 100g parsnips and 100g courgette. Finely slice 50g leek.

Mix 1 tsp coarse salt with the veggies and put them in a colander to drain during 30 mins.

Then press out as much water from the mix, put in a bowl and mix with 1,5 tsp dried oregano, 1,5 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 3 finely hacked cloves of garlic, the zest of 2 limes, 3 tbsp almond flour, 3 eggs and salt.

Then use a stick blender to puree 50g sugar free mayo, 50g creme fraiche, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 seedless green chili, 15g rucola (or watercress), the juice of 1/4 lime, salt and pepper.

Pan fry small (ca 7 cm) burgers from the veggie 'batter' in oil, 3 mins per side. Feeds 2

A Janneke Vreugdenhil recipe

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Avocado fries

Mix 1 finely sliced red onion with 180g tomato frito, 2 tbsp hacked coriander leaves, 1 tsp ground cumin, the juice of 1/2 lime, salt, pepper and some Tabasco

Beat 2 eggs. Mix 74g almond flour with 75 grated Parmesan and some black pepper.

Halve 2 avocados. Remove the stones and take out the flesh with a spoon. Then slice each half lengthwise in 3 parts

Pour a thumb of archaide oil in a wok and heat the oil to 180°C

Drag the avocado parts through the beaten egg, then through the almond&cheese mix before frying nice and crispy for 3 mins

Dry on kitchen paper.

A Janneke Vreugdenhil recipe

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Red wine-poached monkfish with corn, mushrooms and black garlic

Slice 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves and place them with 5g thyme in a saucepan and cover with 375ml red wine and 250ml port. Place over a medium heat and reduce to a syrup – this will take several hours

Add 1/2 l chicken stock and reduce until thick and glossy, then strain into a clean saucepan and set aside

Peel 1/2 head of black garlic and place the cloves into a small saucepan and add enough water until they’re only just submerged. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until the cloves are very soft. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth, then stir in 5ml sherry vinegar and 5ml soy sauce. Transfer to a squeezy bottle and reserve in the fridge until needed

Boil 1/2 cob of sweetcorn in salted water for 10 minutes, then drain. Place a griddle pan over a very high heat and add the sweetcorn, grilling until lightly charred all over. Use a serrated knife to remove the kernels from the husk, then set aside

Warm the red wine poaching liquid until just below boiling, then lower 2 trimmed fillets of monkfish (ca 175g each) into it and cook for 12-15 minutes

Meanwhile, heat 1tbsp rapeseed oil in a frying pan and add 50g mushrooms (small, trimmed and washed). Cook for a few minutes until soft, then add 50g baby spinach and allow it to wilt. Add the corn to warm through, then season and drain on kitchen paper

To plate, drain the monkfish and slice each fillet in half. Serve as shown. Place dots of the black garlic around the plate, then finish with a little drizzle of the cooking liquid and picked tarragon leaves

(Here Tom  Anglesea's recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Tuna tartare, horseradish cream

Slice 150g very fresh tuna in small cubes. Hack 1/2 spring onion and 5 physalis berries finely.

Mix everything with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp yuzu juice and black pepper.

Mix 75ml whipped cream with 1 tbsp grated horseradish.

Sprinkle 3 pieces of Melba toast with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake in a 150°C oven during 5 mins

Then crush them.

Use a serving ring to plate. Crushed toast at the bottom, followed by the tartare, then the cream and finish with 1/2 physalis.

(Here the video with Jeroen de Pauw making his recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Salmon tartare

Slice 200g very fresh salmon into small cubes

Mix with 1 tbsp very finely cut red onion, 1/2 tbsp finely sliced ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp wasabi, salt, pepper and some lime juice.

Use a fork to mash an avocado and stir in some lime juice and a pinch of salt

Serve as shown, with toasted sesame seeds and some chives

Another Janneke Vreugdenhil recipe

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Asparagus, miso butter, furikake

Pre heat the oven at 200°C

Mix 20g miso, 40g butter (room temperature) and 1/2 tbsp grated ginger, season with black pepper.

Sprinkle some olive oil and sea salt on 6 green asparagus and bake them in the oven for 10 mins. Shake after 5 mins.

Serve with the miso butter and furikake (or roasted almond slivers)

Recipe by Janneke Vreugdenhil

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Follow me on Instagram

 

Dukkah haddock with coarse pea purée

Pre-heat the oven at 160°C

In my larder I still had a jar of dukkah, bought at Ottolenghi's, so for me it was very simple to make this recipe.

Put 300g frozen peas in boiling water for 2 mins, drain and reserve.

Season 2 fillets of haddock (schelvis) with salt, put 4 tbsp dukkah in a soup plate and press the fish in it. Repeat with the other side.

Fry the fish in 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter, 2 mins on each side. Then transfer to a warmed plate, spoon the dukkah that's left in the skillet over the fish and put the plate in the oven.

Wipe the pan clean, then softly fry a finely sliced clove of garlic in 3 tbsp olive oil, with 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp ground cumin. Add the peas, stir well and crush with a fork.

Add 1/2 tbsp tahin and warm through for 2 mins. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Put on warmed plates, top with the fish. Finish with some lemon.

(Recipe by Janneke Vreugdenhil)

PS To make 250g your own dukkah pre heat the oven at 200°C. Mix 75g hacked hazelnuts, 75g hacked almonds, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tbsp nigella seeds, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp aniseed, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp sumak, 3/4 tsp salt.

Pour evenly on a baking tray and roast for 10 mins. add 1 tsp black pepper, cool down and store in 300ml glass jar.

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Crispy veal sweetbread, mustard sauce

Overnight soak 250g sweetbreads in cold water, refreshing the water from time to time, till all the blood is gone, then trim away any membrane or unappetising looking tubes from the outside

Place the sweetbreads in a pot with a dash of vinegar, a chopped shallot and some pepper. Cover with water, then top with a circle of greaseproof paper and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Remove the sweetbreads from the pan and cut them into thick, even slices and season with salt and pepper

Meanwhile, make the mustard dressing. Whisking together 1tbsp Dijon mustard, an egg yolk and 1tsp white wine vinegar and gradually whisk in 100ml sunflower oil and 100 ml olive oil until emulsified

In a small saucepan heat 100 ml water with 1 tbsp chopped shallot, 1 tbsp capers and 1 tbsp chopped parsley until it reaches boiling point. Remove from the heat and drain. Stir the veggies in the mustard dressing 

Pour some flour and Panko separated into two different bowls. Crack an egg and beat it lightly a third bowl. Now cover a piece of meat with the flour and shake to discard the powder in excess. After that, soak the floured meat quickly into the beaten egg, and finally, bread with Panko. Repeat with the rest of the  veal.

Heat 50ml oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the sweetbread slices, and cook over high heat for about 4 minutes on each side, or until each side is nicely browned and crisp.

Serve as shown, with a spoonful of sauerkraut. 

(Here Shaun Hill's original recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Gurnard with shrimp and tarragon sauce

Pour 200ml of prawn bisque, the zest of 1/2 an orange, 2 tbsp orange juice with a chopped clove of garlic into a large saucepan and add 20g unsalted butter. Bring to the boil over a medium heat and then let it bubble to reduce down to about 150ml

Then add 2 tbsp cognac, 1 tsp tomato paste and 2 tbsp tomato frito.

Cook for 5 mins, then add 3g hacked tarragon.

For the fish, preheat an oven to 240°C/gas mark 9. Trim the edges of 2 gurnard fillets (poon) to neaten and season them with salt. Heat a large non-stock ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat.

When the pan is hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and carefully add the fish fillets skin-side down. Cook for 2 minutes, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; the fish should still look a little translucent on the top

Carefully turn the fillets over and leave them to finish cooking in the residual heat for 30 seconds or so.

While the fish finishes cooking, give the sauce a good whisk and pour it equally into 2 warmed bowls. Using a palette knife, carefully lift each fish fillet from the pan and place on top of the sauce. 

Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve straight away

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Escargots served on a coulis of watercress with garlic crisps

To make the watercress coulis, pick 2 bunches of watercress (saving the branches for the sauce) and save some nice leaves for plating. Wash carefully
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, until the watercress is soft. Refresh in iced water then drain well

Blend the watercress in a blender until smooth, season with salt and pepper and set the purée aside

To make the garlic chips, peel 3 cloves of garlic and slice finely on a mandoline, or carefully with a sharp knife

Place 80ml milk and an equal quantity of water in a small pan, and bring to the boil. Add the garlic and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Repeat this process twice more with fresh milk and water

Drain the garlic and dry on kitchen paper

Heat 250ml vegetable oil in a small pan to 140℃ and fry the chips until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper

To make the emulsion, sweat 1/4 chopped onion and the leftover watercress stems in 3g butter until soft then add 50ml milk and 10ml cream
Bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Infuse for 1 hour

Strain the emulsion then season with salt and add 3g butter

For plating, warm the emulsion and blend with a hand blender to create a foam

Just before serving, finish the watercress coulis. Heat a small saucepan and add 25g butter, cook until it reaches a nut brown colour then add the reserved watercress purée. Cook for a couple of minutes until the purée has reduced slightly

To warm the snails, melt 1tbsp butter in a frying pan, when it begins to foam add 12 pre cooked snails from a tin. Simmer for 2-3 minutes
Finish with 1tsp chopped garlic, 1tsp chopped parsley, 1tsp chopped shallots, salt and pepper

To plate, place a spoon of the watercress coulis on the bottom of the plate and using a ladle, push to the edges. Arrange the snails and garlic crisps on the plate and finish with the watercress emulsion. 

Garnish with rocket leaves, borage flowers and croutons

(Here Xavier Boyers original recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Squid salad with 'nduja and crème fraîche

Buy cleaned squid tubes and cut one of them into evenly sized 0.5cm ringlets. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the juice of a lemon. Drop the squid in for 30 seconds, strain and refresh in ice cold water. Remove from the water and store in the fridge until required.

For the 'nduja balls, mix 1/2 grated shallot with 40g 'nduja and 100g porc mince. Add 15g breadcrumbs, mix well and form into 8 (ca 20g) balls

Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat with a small amount of olive oil. Fry the balls until golden brown on all sides, remove from the pan, season with salt and allow to rest

Cut or tear a slice of sourdough bread into bitesize chunks. Mix with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and place into a preheated oven set to 180°C/gas mark 4 for 10-12 minutes until crunchy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and store in a warm place

For the vinaigrette, combine 13ml Chardonnay vinegar, salt and 40ml good olive oil in a bowl, or container with lid. Whisk or shake until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly

To prepare the salad, pick out 15g bright green frisée leaves and combine in a bowl with a sliced spring onion, 3g picked chervil leaves and 10g pea shoots. 

Just before serving, add the croutons and dress to taste

Pan-fry the squid in a very hot pan with olive oil for 10-15 seconds, remove. Reheat the 'nduja balls in the same pan. Serve the hot squid and 'nduja on the dressed salad with some dollops of créme frâiche to finish

(Here Dominic Chapmans original recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Traybake with chicken, fennel and chorizo

It'll never win first price in a 'the art of plating' contest, but this is a delicious meal, full of flavours. And only 10 mins of work!

Pre heat the oven at 200°C

Quarter a red onion. Slice 2 fennel bulbs in 6 segments. Cut a 50g chorizo sausage in small cubes.

Put 2 chicken legs in a baking tray, surrounded by the onion, the fennel and the chorizo. Season with pepper salt, 1 tsp dried thyme and the zest of an orange.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil and the juice of 1/2 orange. Shake well to cover everything.

Put in the hot oven for 35 mins.

Take out and add 125g cherry tomatoes and bake for another 15 mins.

In a small bowl pour 1 tbsp of boiling water over a pinch of saffron and set aside. Put 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 2 egg yolks and 1 tbsp Dyon mustard into a food processor or blender. Blitz into a paste and very slowly dribble in 150 ml grapeseed oil to make a thick mayonnaise-style sauce. When everything's come together add the saffron, saffron water and the juice from 1/4 lemon, then season to taste. 

Serve with this aïoli.

(Recipe by Janneke Vreugdenhil in her Low-carb Bible) 

Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle

Soba noodles, salmon and cucumber bowl

Peel 1/4 cucumber, remove the seeds and slice thinly.

Peel a celery stick* and slice

Slice a spring onion

Mix 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp sesame oil and 3 tbsp soy sauce to make a dressing

Toast 1 tbsp white and black sesame seeds.

Slice 150g fresh salmon in sashimi-bites

Bring 1l water to the boil, add 90g soba noodles and boil 4 mins. Rinse under the cold tap.

Serve as shown in bowls.

(Recipe from Janneke Vreugdenhil's Low-carb Bible)

* Use the celery leaves for a nice and crispy tempura:

Tomato tartare

Halve 120g small tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil end lemon juice and bake in a 100°C oven for 4 hours. Peel and hack (or use 120g sun-dried tomatoes). 

Mix with 7g capers, 14g finely sliced cornichons, 7g Dyon mustard, 7g finely sliced parsley, 7g finely sliced shallot, 1/2 egg yolk, 3 drops of Tabasco, 3 drops of Worcestersauce, salt and pepper.

Sprinkle 3 pieces of Melba toast with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake in a 150°C oven during 5 mins

Then crush them

Serve as shown, the tartare on top of the crushed Melba, finish with edible flowers

(A Niven Kunz recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Courgetti with anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts

Slice 4 anchovies and 2 cloves of garlic very finely. Sweat them in 4 tbsp olive oil with a pinch of chili flakes till the fish have melted.

In the meantime slice 4 sun-dried tomatoes into strips, hack 12 black olives. Add to the pan with 2 tbsp pine nuts and 3 tsp capers. Warm in 2 mins.

Add 300g courgette pasta for 1 more minute.

Serve with grated Parmesan.

(Another Janneke Vreugdenhil recipe from her Lowcarb Bible)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Sea bass with Chinese five spice

For the sauce, bring 250ml fish stock to the boil with a knob of finely sliced fresh ginger, 1 thinly sliced garlic clove, 1/2 deseeded, chopped red chilli and 2 trimmed and sliced spring onions. Once boiling, add 1tsp soy sauce

Remove the skin from 2 sea bass fillets and place on a waxpaper in a steam basket. Season with salt and 1/2 tbsp Chinese five-spice then add thin strips of 2 spring onions and matchsticks of 1 carrot to the tray

Drizzle the fish in a few drops of sesame oil. Place into a steamer until cooked through, approximately 5-7 minutes

To serve, divide the fish into shallow bowls and ladle the hot sauce  and veggies over the top

(Here Shaun Hills original recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Yuzu scallops

Make the marinade by putting 2tsp yuzu paste into a deep saucer. Spoon 1,5tbsp water over the yuzu paste, and use the back of a teaspoon to mix it together

Place 2 scallops in the marinade for 10 minutes, turning them over half way through

Next, bloom 5g dried wakame by putting it in a dish and covering it with warm water
Make a dressing for the seaweed by mixing together 1tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1/2tbsp sake, 1/2tbsp soy sauce and 1/4tbsp caster sugar

Heat 1tbsp oil in a cast iron skillet. When it's just starting to smoke, put the scallops on the pan and cook for 2 minutes either side. Before you finish cooking, tip the remaining marinade over the scallops in the pan

To serve, toss the seaweed in the dressing and divide it between 2 plates. Place a scallop on each seaweed bed and garnish with 1tsp black sesame seeds. Serve immediately

(Here Rachel Walkers original recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Bowl with kidney beans, coffee and chocolat

Sweat a chopped onion for 10 mins, the add a sliced red chili and 3 finely sliced cloves of garlic.

After 1 min add 1/2 red and 1/2 green paprika, sliced in strips

After another 3 mins add 3/4 tbsp cumin powder, 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, 3/4tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp salt.

A minute later add 100ml vegetable stock, 40ml strong espresso, 10 halved cherry tomatoes and 200ml tomato frito. Bring to a boil, put a lid on the pan and then simmer during 1 hour.

Then add 225g kidney beans from a can, simmer for another 15 mins, then stir in 15g grated chocolate (80% or more, mine was 94%)

Taste and season.

Serve as shown with red onion, grated cheese, avocado, little gem and coriander. 

(Recipe by Janneke Vreugdenhil)

 

Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle

'Wraps' with pulled chicken, cole slaw and coriander mayo

Marinate 400g chicken thighs overnight in 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 and 3/4 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and 1 finely sliced clove of garlic.

Pre heat the oven at 100°C and bake the chicken in the marinade for at least 1 and 1/2 hour. 

In the meantime make a cole slaw from 150g white cabbage, 100g grated carrot, 1 finely sliced red onion, 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, taste and season with salt and peper

Then put 50g mayo, 25g creme fraiche, 15g coriander , 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp jalapeño relish in the blender to make coriander mayo. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tbsp to the cole slaw.

Pull the succulent meat apart with two forks

Use leaves of little gem as wraps, spoon in the chicken, then the slaw and finish with the mayo

(From the Koolhydraatarme Bijbel van Janneke Vreugdenhil)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Stuffed baby squid

Begin by making the tomato sauce. Put 150g very finely sliced onion into a saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil and let it sweat slowly over a low-medium heat for around 15 minutes until it's soft (do not allow it to colour). If it looks as though it might catch, add a splash of water to the pan

Add 500g large, ripe tomatoes, 1tbsp tomato paste and season with salt. Leave to simmer over a low heat for about 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are thick and rich, adding a little water if the level of the liquid gets too low. Remove from the heat

Put 1/2 tbsp oil oil in another pan with 1 chopped clove of garlic and cook over a low-medium heat. When it's almost golden brown, add 10g basil leaves and stir. Pass the oil through a sieve into the cooked tomato sauce

Whisk the sauce to break up the tomatoes. If it's too thick, thin it with a little water, ideally some pasta cooking water. Pass the sauce through a wide-holed sieve resting over a bowl, and use the back of a ladle to extract the smooth mixture. I added 1tbsp homemade red pesto.

Check the seasoning and add more salt if necessary

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6

Blanch 60g frozen peas in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain well

Put 2 baby squid (keep the tentacles) and 1 (boiled) egg white into a food processor and pulse until they are roughly chopped. Add 100g diced romano peppers, the blanched peas and 5g chives and continue to pulse until you have a coarse mixture

Use this mixture to stuff 4 baby squid, keeping some space free at the top. Place a piece of the tentacles at the end of the filling and close the calamari with a rosemary sprig or a toothpick

Trim the other end of each calamari to create a tiny hole and keep the filling from bursting out when cooking

Heat a large heatproof baking dish over a medium heat and fry a garlic clove in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the calamari and fry for a couple of minutes until browned, then pour in 50ml white wine and let it evaporate over a medium-high heat

Add 200ml of the tomato sauce and 100ml fish stock, then transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. You can check the filling is cooked through by sticking a toothpick in the centre of the filling; it should feel hot when you touch your lips. Serve immediately

(Here Francesco Mazzei's original recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Beetroot röstis with hot smoked salmon and creamed horseradish

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Coarsely grate 125g waxy potatoes and 125g yellow beetroot. Place in a clean tea towel or piece of muslin and squeeze out any excess liquid, then place in a bowl. Season lightly with salt and black pepper

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and brush with a little of olive oil. Place two 8.5cm metal rings or cutters on the sheet and fill them the rösti mixture to form a thin cake. 

Drizzle the rösti with a bit more olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm

Meanwhile, stir 1/3tbsp creamed horseradish into 1 tbsp crème fraîche and season with lime zest, dilll, salt and black pepper. 

To serve, place a rösti on each plate and top with flakes of hot smoked salmon and a teaspoon of the dill&horseradish cream. 

Garnish with a little black pepper and a sprinkling of chopped dill, and serve with a few watercress leaves.

Cook's tips

Make and cook the rösti several hours in advance. Reheat in a hot oven for 5 minutes before serving.

(A Country Living recipe)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Hot smoked salmon amuse

< Dill

< Wasabi sesame 

< Mustard sauce

< Hot smoked salmon

< Wakamé/cucumber

Mix 1tbsp whole grain mustard, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 dl sour cream and 1/2tbsp white wine vinegar in the blender blender. Whisk in 1/2dl sunflower oil, bit by bit, to create a nice emulsion. Taste and season.

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7

Julia Moskin's Best Chicken Salad

    What lifts chicken salad up is the pure, clean texture of breast meat – one of the  very few really good uses for this almost entirely flavorless cut. Poaching it is the only way to get the right texture. But if the water boils, the meat contracts and stiffens and is ruined.

To counter this, some years ago Julia Moskin adopted a Chinese method for poaching that is foolproof, low maintenance and ideal for summer cooking. All it requires is a heavy pot – enameled or plain cast-iron is ideal – and a bit of nerve.

This is because you do not cook the chicken. Instead, you slip it into boiling water, turn off the heat and then walk away for at least two hours. 

Over time, the gentle but steady residual heat cooks the chicken through, giving it a texture the California chef and interpreter of Chinese cuisine Barbara Tropp called “plush” – perfect for chicken salad. (It turns out that the Southern-cooking doyenne Edna Lewis poached her chicken in much the same way.)

Choose a heavy pot or Dutch oven with a tightfitting lid. It should be large enough to hold the chicken snugly, but not much bigger. Fill pot about 2/3 full with cold water, but don’t put the chicken in yet. Boil some extra water in a teakettle.

Add 2 scallions and 6 peppercorns to the water, cover and bring to a rolling boil. Turn off heat and slip 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts into the hot water. If needed, add boiling water from the kettle to cover chicken with water by 4 cm. Replace the lid and let chicken rest in the hot water for about 2 hours. Do not turn the flame back on: The pot will retain enough heat to cook chicken thoroughly and safely. (To test, cut into 1 piece of chicken and check the meat near the bone. If it is still pink, return the pot to low heat, bring the water to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes more.)

Lift chicken out of the pot. Remove and discard bones, skin and fat. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then cut or shred into small bite-size pieces and transfer to a bowl. (Meanwhile, simmer cooking liquid until tasty, strain and refrigerate or freeze to use as chicken stock.)

In a bowl, whisk together juice of 1/4 lemon, 70g mayonnaise and 40g creme fraiche. If using, whisk in 1/2 tsp Dyon mustard. Taste and adjust the seasonings and thickness to your liking. Pour over chicken, scraping the bowl clean with a rubber spatula.

Add 1 sliced stick of celery, 1/2 sliced red onion, 1,5 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves and salt and pepper. Toss gently but thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, at least 4 hours. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 

Serve as shown above, with walnuts and apple julienne, as a small appetizer.

Or, as a lunch, with salad, crackers, grapes and cherry tomatoes

(Recipe Julia Moskin, New York Times)

Follow me on Instagram: peterschoenmaker7