Chicken and Prosciutto Pot Roast

Chicken and Prosciutto Pot Roast

As much as I relished the World Cup Challenge, I've loved cooking all the food I really enjoy again. Many people think cooking a whole chicken is the chore of a Sunday, but I think it's a great midweek meal with plenty of leftovers to help with lunch in the following days. This dish is simple but the flavours are delicious, especially the tomato sauce. Served with couscous and some stir- fried vegetables, it really is a no fuss dinner that everybody will enjoy!

The secret to the sauce is cooking the chicken on top of it. This allows the chicken to soak up the wonderful tomato flavour and the sauce benefits from the chicken juices and fat. You can remove the skin from the chicken before wrapping with prosciutto if you wish.

Serves 4

1 Whole Free Range Chicken (approx 1.5Kg)
5 slices of Prosciutto/Parma Ham
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1/2 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes (400g)
1 tsp Sugar
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Couscous and Stir-Fried Veg to serve

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

1. Cover the top of the chicken with slightly overlapping slices of prosciutto and sprinkle a little pepper on top. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil over a medium heat in an oven safe casserole dish (ensure the chicken will fit and the dish has a tight fitting lid) and add the onion and chilli. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes to soften. Add the tin of tomatoes and sugar and bring to the boil. Place the chicken on top of the sauce and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour.

3. After an hour, remove the lid and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. (check that it's 73 deg C with a thermometer) Serve with couscous and stir-fried vegetables.

Lentil and Pork Stew

Lentil and Pork Stew

I'm a really big fan of one pot dishes, it saves on the washing up and invariably means that it will be a simple to make yet delicious meal. I didn't always enjoy a good stew but thankfully I have changed my ways and now consider them among my favourite dishes to eat (depending on the stew of course!) This one takes advantage of all round "Super Food" Lentils. I know some people find Lentils a bit bland and boring but as with anything that's cooked in and absorbs liquid, the liquid is the key! I find it best to cook them in a well flavoured stock and to be relatively liberal with the seasoning, the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil added at the very end is also a great flavour boost and really brings everything together beautifully!


I can't let this week go by without mentioning my little tour last weekend which took me to the fabulous city of Cork on Friday. I managed to sneak away from the venue just before the load in to visit the Foodie's Paradise, The English Market! I can't find the words to describe this place, fresh everything, everywhere!! Rows of Fresh Fish of all kinds sitting opposite fridges full of every type of Cheese imaginable aswell as lots of Fruit, Vegetables and to my particular delight, lots of Hams and Charcuterie! As I was going to be in a hot venue all night I was never going to buy too much so I settled on a few slices of Prosciutto di Parma, some Pecorino Cheese and some Kalamata Olives, all of which were devoured over the course of Soundcheck and Gig. I also managed a quick stop in Maher's on Oliver Plunkett Street to pick up my favourite blend of coffee beans and went back to the venue a very happy camper.....until I saw the amount of music equipment to be loaded up a stairs! Ok back to the Stew!!

Serves 4

4tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
200g Good Pork Mince
250g Lentils (Black)
700ml Good Vegetable Stock
1tbsp Tomato Puree
1tsp Dried Oregano
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat 3tbsp of the Olive Oil in a pan over medium heat, add the Onion, Carrot and Red Pepper and season well, cook for 5-7 minutes until softened.

2. Add the Pork Mince and brown well for 5-7 minutes before adding the Lentils and Stock, season well. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to a simmer, cook for 30 minutes before adding the Tomato Puree and Oregano. Stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes. Ensure that the Lentils are tender and adjust the seasoning if necessary, stir in the remaining 1tbsp of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil just before serving. Serve with some crusty bread.

Chicken and Olive Stew

Chicken and Olive Stew

On Saturday I took in my first visit to Naas Farmers Market to see what i could pick up for a Sunday dinner and, although the weather was awfull, the produce on sale was fantastic. The first thing to take my attention was the "Real Olive Company" stall where I picked up some beautiful Organic Kalamata Olives. Having bought these I decided I would make a Chicken and Olive Stew so I trodded over to the Veg stall and picked up some Kildare Spuds, some Runner Beans and some beautiful Italian Cherry Tomatoes. Although I failed to see any Chicken, I did treat myself to a wonderfully strong Farmhouse Cheddar, made in Co.Wicklow. A quick stop on the way home to pick up a Free Range Chicken and I was all set for the Sunday Stew!



This is a great one pot dish and is very easy to make. I bought myself a standalone Induction hob about a month ago and since then I've mostly been doing one pot dishes, I cant go back to the frustratingly slow electric cooker in our house! Use whatever Veg takes your fancy in this and feel free to swap out the whole Chicken for a box of Chicken Thighs/Drumsticks or whatever you prefer. For the Olives, try to buy them with the stone in and remove it yourself, they start to lose flavour as soon as the stone is taken out and there really is no comparison. Its also important to use a good Chicken Stock here, homemade is best but if not then a good quality cube will suffice.

Serves 4

3tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Small Onions (finely chopped)
1 stick Celery (finely chopped)
1 clove Garlic (finely chopped)
1.5Kg Whole Chicken (jointed into 2 breasts and 2 legs and seasoned)
100ml White Wine
500ml Chicken Stock
8 Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)
10 Kalamata Olives (roughly chopped)
1tsp Dried Oregano
2 Dried Bay Leaves
1tbsp White Wine Vinegar
500g Potatoes (2cm diced)
100g Runner Beans (sliced 1cm width)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Add the Oil to a large pan over a medium high heat and add the Onion, Celery and Garlic, season and as soon as the Onion starts to colour add the Chicken Pieces (throw the wings in too) and brown all over. Add the Wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits that are stuck. Cook for 5 mins.

2. Add the Chicken  Stock, Tomatoes, Olives, Oregano, Bay Leaves and Vinegar. Season well, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Potatoes and continue to simmer for another 10-15 mins until everything is just cooked. Add the runner beans, stir well and cook for a further 3-4 mins. Ensure the Chicken is cooked with a thermometer or make sure the juices run clear. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve with some thick, crusty Bread.