Thank you Elle Magazine!

My apologies for my long silence. My time is not really my own at the moment and as much as I would like to take pictures of the food I am cooking, it just doesn't seem right to say to the guests on board, "hold it, I just need to take some pictures first...". In the time I have had free, I have not really been in the mood for cooking. So in short I don't have very much to write about right now. 

BUT... before I left Cape Town a few months ago, I was asked by Elle magazine to contribute to a piece they were wanting to run about six food bloggers they think highly of. This is a huge huge honor for me, as the bloggers I was chosen to contribute with are the real deal. Fabulously talented Chefs, food stylists and photographers and then there's little old me, just telling my story day by day.

I didn't have much time to get the story together as I was insanely busy at the time and had to leave for France within days. But the dish I did choose to contribute is such a winner.  The article has been released now and can be found in the July issue of Elle Magazine South Africa. I have sadly not been able to see it yet (being on the other side of the plant and all). But I do, of course, have the original pictures and recipe here.  

Lemon and thyme chicken casserole
Serves 4 – 6


2 small ripe lemons
2 Tbsp of olive oil
2 Tbsp of smooth Dijon mustard
4 Tbsp of peach chutney
1 Tbsp of fresh thyme leaves (1 ½ tsp of dried thyme)
1 tsp of salt
½ tsp of fresh ground black pepper
8 chicken pieces, 4 legs and 4 thighs with the skin on
6 small potatoes, well washed with skins on and quartered lengthways
6 shallots (or 4 small onions), with skins on, halved or quartered
1 whole bulb of garlic, cut in half across the width with skin still on
Extra salt, pepper and fresh thyme for seasoning


Preheat your oven to 160˚C and place the rack in the middle of the oven.


In a casserole dish (large enough to hold all of your ingredients) add the marinade ingredients. Halve the lemons and squeeze them by hand into the dish, picking out any pips. Place the squeezed out lemon in the dish (they will give off a great aroma while baking). Add the oil, mustard, chutney, thyme, salt and pepper to the lemon juice and mix this up to combine. Add your chicken pieces and swish them around the dish to cover them with the sauce. Leave them skin side up for baking. 


To the dish add the potatoes also covering them with the sauce. Add the shallots and the bulb of garlic slightly broken up. Arrange the ingredients so that they look attractive and with the skin of the chicken uncovered for better roasting. 





Season the dish with extra salt and freshly ground black pepper and scatter it with extra fresh thyme sprigs. Bake this for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the chicken and potatoes are tender. If they have not got enough colour, you can turn up the grill for a few minutes until the chicken is golden brown. 


Serve with fine green beans, lightly steamed until bright green in colour and still firm. Toss them with butter, a little salt and flaked almonds.