"An urge..."

“ COOKINGWITHMAVIS “ #31           “ An urge… ”

                                      Auctions…..

I don’t suppose YOU  ever get an ‘urge’ ?....DO YOU! -huh?

  

Lately ’COOKINGWITHMAVIS’  has had an  urge!  

 Yes!  A real URGE   to seek out household auctions…the excitement of Saturday morning pre-views…then the antissssipation of going to the auction…

The STRESS leading-up to your “auction lot-number”   - about to roll off the tongue of that eloquent Auctioneer, and ZINNNNNNNG!  Before-you-know-it! ...you’ve either bought ‘what-you-came-for’   …or lost to a “Dealer’ s ”  bid!  Hmmfph!    

You’re  there for no other reason, but to acquire unusual aesthetics that are truly, TRULY, not needed!

A recent resounding bid bought two very stylized 1940s oil paintings …artists unknown, and sohh well priced too!    The larger of the two, is a portrait of an ample-bosomed very  “Colonial” -“W.a.s.p.-ish”   young woman,  staring straight at you, out of that canvas……blue eyes and blonde hair set in curls with pale turquoise dress, of conservative, tailored, square-cut neckline…..

‘My M’  isn’t too partial to her!...

    “Why  do  we  have  to  live  with  dead  people  staring  at  us !!!  ” - says he, gesticulating wildly.

 I choose not to hear, and promptly give her pride-of-place on the livingroom walls.

(In case you didn’t guess, this is a HUGE  compromise  - as I already have 40-plus,   * exceptionally - framed *  ancient  photographic portraits  of my distant ancestors …all bubble-wrapped and in our garage storage.

As, best for us to have no “  Persons  Passed  ”  be staring at us , off our walls! )

♫ Oh dear-what-can-the-matter-be?....

Three-old-ladies-locked-in-the-garagerie…!              ♪♫   ♪

So?   Dare I   unwrap that  sepia   picture of the ‘Great-aunts’ and uncles?...

Of Great ~ Aunt  Minna ,  and Frankie …and Mousy…and Morris   and  Boris ..a-and….. My Granny Dolly   too!

…and thinking of  ‘My M’  , so do I resist !

And so to recipes…..

GRANNY  DOLLY’ S

       BRAISED  CHICKEN .…

                                       

                          MMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…..                                   

 “ Those-of-Them”    ( I have 2 specific close friends in mind here)-  who don’t cook, might be happy to eat whatever plate of food is served-up to them….

In other words… They’ll   eat  ANYTHING!                             ... “ INDISCRIMINATE taste”!

‘My M’  and our dearest friend  “LL- CEO ”  aren’t too dexterous  in any room beginning with a “K”….they’ll  eat  ANTHING  SERVED  UP  TO  THEM                            …( is that to say they have indiscrim…..? )

Out of absolute*lust*  for this dish, they ventured into my kitchen one day, and well produced this wonderfully, simple comfort food …albeit, with heat on high!

Mmmmmmmmmm……….dont be fooled by the simplicity of this recipe…

nehctik>>>>>KKKKKKKKKKKKK<<<<kitchen

                                                            *O*

(I use 2 portions of the ‘brown’ meat of chicken per serving...either 2x thighs or a leg and a thigh, per serving)

INGREDIENTS:

INGREDIENTS FOR GRAN's
BRAISED CHICKEN

POTATOES, ONIONS, FLOUR, CHICKEN PORTIONS,
  OIL, WATER, BLACK PEPPERCORNS, SALT,
 BAYLEAVES, WHITE PEPPER & CHOPPED ONIONS

4 chicken thighs

4 chicken legs   (The white meat will be too dry)

2 large onions, peeled and diced into about 1cm squares (never can be too much browned  onion! ..can use more if you like)

3 large potatoes pre-cooked steamed till almost soft, peel and cubed into 6 pieces

2 Bay leaves

Little flour (about ¼ cup) to coat the chicken pieces

10 whole black peppercorns

Salt to taste

A pinch of white pepper

½ cup to 1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or even better: shop-bought or homemade vegetarian  "chicken-fat" spread called “Schmaltz” …see blog # 20 - how to make your own! )

METHOD:

1)    Coat the chicken pieces lightly in flour/salt/white pepper, shake off the excess flour, and keep about 2 tablespoons of flour aside to add to the pot later,  then gently brown in the oil or schmaltz, till nice and golden, on medium heat.

2)    Remove from pot.

3)    Sauté the onions slowly, in same pot  that you used for the chicken, on medium heat, turning occasionally, till just more than golden browned ,(not burnt!), as this gives flavour and colour to this dish.

4)       Return chicken pieces, with the pre-cooked potatoes, Bay leaves and whole peppercorns to the pot, add the 2 tablespoons seasoned flour,  ½ to 1 cup boiling water, cover and simmer on low heat  for another 45 minutes.

LIGHTLY-BROWNED SAUTÉED
CHICKEN PORTIONS 

SAUTÉED AND CARAMELISED,
BROWNED ONION 

MMmmm... GRAN's BRAISED CHICKEN

Serve on a mound of steamed white rice.

I use Basmati  - or fragrant long grain rice                                    

BASMATI RICE AND SAUCE FROM
 GRAN's BRAISED CHICKEN

Have you made my   SEMOLINA-AND-ROSEWATER CAKE?…

   just see earlier blog #3 – you’ll find it in:

“ RUNNING AWAY FROM ‘MAVIS ”

‘till next time…

     ‘cookingwithmavis’