Pippa Kendrick - The Intolerant Gourmet - Free-from Recipes for Everyone

Add the chicken and mix in thoroughly so that all the pieces are coated in the spice mixture. Pour over the chopped tomatoes, along with 150ml/5fl oz water, and add the tomato quarters. Cover with a lid, then bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Once the curry is cooked, stir in the ground almonds and garam masala and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Finely chop the coriander, sprinkle over the top of the rogan josh and serve with steamed white basmati rice.

Lemon and Cashew Nut Rice

This mildly spiced rice is ideal for serving alongside any of the curries in this book. Indeed, it provides a fresh and zesty accompaniment to any Indian meal.

Serves 4

Contains nuts

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50g/1¾oz unsalted

cashew nuts

½ tbsp groundnut or rapeseed oil 175g/6oz white basmati rice

½ tsp turmeric

A bunch of coriander

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy-based frying pan, dry-fry the cashew nuts over a medium–high heat for 3–4 minutes or until golden, shaking the pan regularly to ensure they don’t burn. Remove from the heat, season with salt and set aside to cool.

Pour the groundnut or rapeseed oil into a large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the rice and turmeric and gently fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Pour over 500ml/18fl oz water, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and leave the rice to simmer for 10–15 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy.

Remove from the heat and leave to stand for a minute or two before fluffing up with a fork. Finely chop the coriander and stir into the rice with the toasted cashews, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then serve.

Roasted Redcurrant Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary New Potatoes

If I were to be scrupulously honest, I would say that this is really a cheat’s version of a Sunday roast, with all of the flavour but half the work. It really is none the worse for it, however, and can transform a springtime supper or lunch into a time-saving delight for the senses. One of the beauties of this dish is that you cook it all together, not only bypassing the faff of having a numbers of pots and pans on the go, but also allowing the flavours of the dish to mesh in a beautifully fragrant way. Once the chicken is in the oven, you could lightly dress a fresh herb and baby-leaf salad to accompany it while sipping from a glass of something lovely – the perfect way to cook.

Serves 4

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5 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

Grated zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp lemon juice

4 skinless chicken breasts

450g/1lb new potatoes

4 sprigs of rosemary

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crush just two of the cloves of garlic and finely chop the parsley, then add to a large bowl, mixing them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the redcurrant jelly and lemon zest and juice.

Using a sharp knife and cutting to a depth of about 1cm/½in, score each chicken breast diagonally 3–4 times. Place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade, turning each breast in the mixture to ensure it is thoroughly coated and the marinade penetrates the cuts in the meat. Season well with salt and pepper, then cover the bowl and leave for a minimum of 30 minutes to absorb the flavours.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

Halve the potatoes and place in a large roasting tin with the remaining olive oil, whole garlic cloves and the sprigs of rosemary. Season well with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce the temperature to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Place the chicken breasts in the roasting tin so that they are resting on top of the potatoes. Pour over the remaining marinade and return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Spring Chicken with Lemon and Herbs and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This is a beautiful spring dish, simple to make but packed full of flavour. I like to serve it with a large salad of fresh lettuce leaves: red oak, rocket, cos and radicchio are all perfect. Equally, a pea and green bean salad would make a great accompaniment.

Serves 4

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1 x 1.6kg/3½lb chicken

1kg/2lb 3oz sweet potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the herb rub

3 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

A small bunch of marjoram

Leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme

2 tbsp dairy-free margarine (ideally Pure Sunflower Spread)

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (reserving the juiced halves) and finely chopped peel of ½ lemon

1 tbsp English mustard (1 heaped tbsp mustard powder mixed with 1 tbsp water)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas mark 9.

Make the herb rub by first crushing the garlic and finely chopping the parsley and marjoram. Mix them together in a bowl with the thyme leaves, margarine, lemon zest and peel and mustard, seasoning well with salt and pepper.

Using a spoon, carefully lift the skin of the chicken from around its cavity and, with your hands, push the lemon and herb rub underneath the skin, spreading over the chicken as far and as evenly as you can without breaking the skin. Place the chicken in a large roasting tin, stuffing the cavity with the leftover lemon halves, then pour the lemon juice over the whole chicken and season well with salt and pepper.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks, approximately 5cm/2in in size. Surround the chicken with the sweet potatoes and pour over the olive oil.

Place in the oven, immediately reducing the temperature to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7, and roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the chicken is golden and, when pierced with a skewer, the juices run clear. (Always test the meat of the thigh rather than the breast as it is the slowest to cook.) If you feel the chicken or sweet potatoes are browning too quickly, then cover with foil for the remaining cooking time.

Once roasted, remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Herbed Lamb on a Bed of Leeks and Cannellini Beans

This recipe is perfect for spring, with all the wonderful fresh lamb that is available at this time of year. The ingredients are so simple, yet produce a classic combination of texture and flavour – the rich meat with the tender, tangy leeks and the creamy bite of the cannellini beans. This dish makes a meal in itself, but it’s also delicious served with lightly crushed Jersey Royal new potatoes, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.

Serves 4

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350g/12oz leeks

5 cloves of garlic

A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

Leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary

3 tbsp olive oil

4 lamb chops or 8 lamb cutlets

2 x 400g tins of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

150ml/5fl oz chicken or vegetable stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Halve the leeks lengthways and slice into thin half-moons, then crush the garlic and finely chop the parsley. Place the leeks in a large roasting tin or ovenproof dish, add the crushed garlic and the rosemary leaves and pour over the olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and mix together thoroughly. Level out the leeks so that they form an even layer and then place the lamb chops or cutlets on top, spacing them evenly apart.