Baby what-chin

Indeed, that is one heck of a chin.  It looks exactly the same now.  I remember my parents were once given a wooden nutcracker in the shape of a head, the body being the handle.  The articulated jaw was very much like mine in this photo, now I come to think of it.

 Baby Z

 And the beautiful baby Wink

 Z the bridesmaid, demonstrating the strength of The Chin

Z the schoolgirl, showing both Chin and a fair bit of cheek

That's enough old photos, I won't inflict more on you - not that this is necessarily a lifetime guarantee, but no more for now, at any rate.

Someone asked for the chicken recipe.  It's from Josceline Dimbleby's Favourite Food, a wonderful book first published in 1983, which I've cooked more recipes from than almost any other.  I usually serve it with her rice dish, which Ro's friend Zain kindly still praises whenever I speak to him.  Which isn't all that often, to be fair.  

Grilled Chicken marinated with Indian spices

2 – 2.5 lb of small chicken pieces on the bone, eg drumsticks OR

1.5 lb boneless chicken, skinned and cut in pieces

Marinade

1 small onion, roughly sliced

1” fresh ginger, peeled & chopped

6 – 8 cloves garlic, peeled

3 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamon

1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 rounded teaspoon salt

Liquidize marinade ingredients to a smooth paste (if you don’t have or don’t like some of the spices, add more of the ones you do, keeping a balance of heat and aroma).  Mix in bowl with chicken pieces, cover & refrigerate for 4 hours or more.

Heat grill or griddle until very hot.  Cook for 8 – 15 minutes, depending on size of chicken pieces until almost black in patches. 

I tried frying it once and it didn't work.  Seemed to cancel out most of the spice, inexplicably.  But this isn't an overly spicy dish, though it may look it and no single flavour dominates.  For small children you could cut out the cayenne pepper or just put in a pinch, but my lot all like it.

Basmati Rice with whole spices

8 ox/225 g basmati rice

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 oz/25 g butter

8 or so whole cardamon pods

2-3 inches/5-8 cm cinnamon stick

A little more than 1/2 pint/300 ml water

1 level teaspoon salt

Rinse the rice well.  Put in a bowl, cover with salted water and soak for 30 minutes.  Drain.  Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan (JD does love her butter, I tend to use less than this - it does taste good, but I use a lot less butter and oil) add the cardamon and cinnamon, then the rice.  Stir, add water and salt, bring to boil, cover tightly and cook on a low heat for 12-15 minutes only until the rice is tender with a slight bite. 

Sometimes, I am to be seen picking out the cardamon pods, squeezing out the seeds and eating them.  I love cardamon.

I may be chinny and cheeky, but I'm not cute - and I usually avoid links.  However, I seemed to find this hard to resist.  It was, of course, the dog pictures that I liked best.