Chocolate chip brioche pudding

Naturally inspired by Nigella, this chocolate chip brioche pudding was the stuff of dreams. It was so easy to make too. Nigella's recipe uses stale bread like a French stick, but because we didn't have any, but I spied chocolate chip brioche buns in the supermarket and I couldn't resist. This serves 6 people generously. 

Ingredients:

1 pack chocolate chip brioche buns, cut into small pieces

3 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 pack milk chocolate chips or 1/2 packet each of white chocolate chips and milk or dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup light brown sugar

A few teaspoons demerera sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade

In a pie dish, add the brioche pieces and chocolate chips. In a large mixing bowl, add all the remaining ingredients except for the demerera sugar and whisk together until blended. Pour the liquid mix over the brioche and gently push down the bread into the liquid. Set aside for 20 mins. Sprinkle over the sugar and bake in the oven for 50 to 60 mins or until the top is golden brown and ouffed up, and the custard is set. 

Butternut squash and saffron risotto

This was my first foray into the world of risottos and this one in particular sounded both relatively straightforward and interesting. I liked the sound of the combination of flavours with this. I would say now that if you don't want to use the butternut squash to think about portion sizes as the squash really bulks this up. This served two of us, greedily, for an evening meal, and gave us leftovers for another lot. At the end of the recipe I'll give some information on how to revive a leftover risotto.

This is adapted from an Ina Garten risotto recipe which can be found at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/butternut-squash-risotto-recipe/index.html

Ingredients (serves 4):
1/1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 cups of chicken stock - 4 cups stock and 2 cups water is fine as well
1 tablespoon butter
6 slices pancetta, sliced into small pieces
1/2 cup minced shallots (optional as far as I'm concerned. I'm made it with and without and can't taste too much of a difference)
1 1/2 cups carnaroli rice
1/2 white wine
A couple of saffron threads (the original recipe says to use a teaspoon but I found even this small amount to be too much. It's strong stuff)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

On a baking tray, spread out the butternut squash pieces, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, smoosh around a bit and put in a preheated oven at 200 degrees centigrade. Bake for about 35 minutes or until cooked through and slightly browned on the outside.

Put the chicken stock in a pan and put on a medium heat until warmed through.

Heat a large pan on a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the pancetta and diced shallots (if using) and fry until the pancetta fat crisps slightly and the shallots are translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat the rice grains in the fat. Add the wine and cook for about two minutes. Add two ladles of stock and the saffron, salt and pepper to taste. Stir continuously until the stock is absorbed into the rice. This will take some time so don't worry if it doesn't seem to be absorbing at first. When the rice has absorbed the liquid add another ladle of stock and repeat the process. Keep doing this until all the stock has been used and the rice is cooked through and tender. The risotto should have a creamy texture when cooked. This process may take between 30-40 minutes. Take the risotto off the heat and add the cubed butternut squash and the parmesan, reserving a little parmesan for people to add at the table if they wish.

Tori kara age (Japanese fried chicken)

This is from the Wagamama cookbook and is very easy to make and delicious served with lime and a nice glass of cold beer. Using chicken thighs means the meat won't dry out which can be a problem if using chicken breasts. I've changed the recipe slightly to make it simpler, with fewer ingredients.

Ingredients:
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons cornflour
vegetable oil, for frying
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix the soy sauce and sugar in a bowl and add the chicken pieces. Marinate for as long as possible but it doesn't have to be more than an hour or so if you're pressed for time. In another bowl, mix the egg, herbs and cornflour until you have a smooth batter. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the batter and coat well. Fill a large pan with enough oil to shallow fry the chicken pieces. Heat to 180 degrees centigrade or until the oil bubbles when you add a small amount of batter. Fry the chicken pieces, in batches if needed, for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove onto a paper towel to drain, and serve with lemon wedges and soy sauce for dipping. 

You can buy the Wagamama cookbook from Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/Wagamama-Cookbook-DVD-Hugo-Arnold/dp/1856266494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365000124&sr=8-1.