Fr Alex's Recipes

Savoury

Sticky Chinese chicken traybake

INGREDIENTS

8 chicken thighs , skin on and bone in
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp clear honey
1 ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
thumb-sized knob of ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
bunch spring onions, chopped
50g cashew nuts, toasted
cooked brown rice, to serve

Method

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Arrange the chicken thighs in a large roasting tin and slash the skin 2-3 times on each thigh. Mix together the hoisin, sesame oil, honey, five-spice, ginger, garlic and some seasoning. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat – you could now marinate the chicken for 2 hrs, or overnight if you have time. Roast, skin-side up, for 35 mins, basting at least once.

Stir through the cashew nuts and sprinkle the spring onions over the chicken. Return to the oven for 5 mins, then serve with brown rice.

Sweet

Peach streusel cheesecake

Ingredients

vegetable oil, for the tin
200g digestive biscuits
2 tbsp caster sugar
85g unsalted butter , melted
700g cream cheese
250g mascarpone
280ml soured cream
250g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
3 tbsp plain flour

For the struesel

115g plain flour
60g light brown soft sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
45g unsalted butter , melted
20g roasted hazelnuts , roughly chopped

For the topping

3 ripe, firm peaches
30g light brown soft sugar
1 lemon , juiced
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

METHOD

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line a 20cm round springform, deep tin so that the parchment comes 5cm above the rim. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb, or put in a tightly sealed sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin. Tip into a bowl and stir through the sugar and butter, then tightly pack into the tin. Bake for 10 mins, then leave to cool completely.

STEP 2

For the streusel, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Gradually drizzle in the melted butter, stirring with a fork to combine, until the mixture has formed into clumps. Mix the streusel with the nuts and chill until needed.

STEP 3

Beat together the cream cheese, mascarpone, soured cream, golden caster sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl using a wooden spoon until smooth. Gently fold through the flour using a large metal spoon. Pour the mixture gently into the tin. Top with the streusel and bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins or until set with a vigorous wobble in the middle. Turn off the oven and open the oven door, leave to cool for 2 hrs, then transfer to the fridge to chill overnight.

STEP 4

De-stone and slice the peaches into quarters. Line a roasting tin with baking parchment and put the peaches in the tin. Sprinkle over the sugar, lemon and vanilla, and cover with a layer of parchment. Bake for 15-20 mins or until soft but holding their shape. Leave to cool completely.

STEP 5

Gently push the cheesecake out of the tin and top with the peaches. Slice and serve. Will keep for three days in the fridge.