Make this the mother of all Father's Days

Sandy's Saffron Chicken

• 4 chicken fillets
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 1 tbsp tikka masala
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp saffron liquid (a pinch of saffron + 1 tbsp hot milk)
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• fried onions for garnish

Trim the fillets and place in a bowl

Combine yoghurt, lemon, ginger and masala

Beat in salt and pepper and mix into meat

Leave refrigerated for 1 hour

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish

Preheat oven to 200°C

Place dish in oven and cook for 5 minutes

Turn the chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes

Mix saffron with butter and spoon over the chicken

Cook for further 5 minutes until cooked through

Remove onto serving platter, garnish and serve

Fried Onions:

• 1 large onion sliced into thick rings
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp milk
• salt and pepper
• oil for deep frying

Separate the onion rings

Beat cornflour, egg and milk with seasoning

Dip onion into mixture

Deep fry until golden, drain well

Crumbed Chops with mushroom sauce

• 6 lamb chops
• 1 mutton stock cube
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• ½ cup water
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• oil to fry chops
• mushroom sauce to serve

Trim chops, place in a saucepan with stock, garlic, ginger and water

Cook on moderate heat until water is absorbed

Remove from heat and cool

Combine cornflour and eggs in a bowl and whisk

Coat the chops with the egg mixture and roll into crumbs

Place in a plate and refrigerate for half hour

Heat oil and fry until golden

Serve with accompaniments

Mushroom Sauce :

• 4 white button mushrooms
• 1 small onion, halved
• 1½ cup milk
• 15g butter
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• ½ tsp mixed dried herbs
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine mushrooms, onions and milk in a small pan and bring to a boil

Remove from heat and leave aside for the mushroom to infuse until cooled

Heat the butter, add the cornflour and stir until bubbly

Strain the milk in and cook while stirring until smooth, add herbs and seasoning

Chop the mushrooms and add to sauce, discard the onion

Chicken Livers peri-peri

• 500g chicken livers
• ½ cup peri-peri oil
• 2 tbsp chilli garlic sauce
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 2 tsp chicken stock powder
• 2 tbsp peri-peri sauce

Trim livers, rinse and pat with kitchen paper to dry excess moisture

Place in a mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well

Pour over livers and leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight in fridge

Heat oven to grill, place livers in an oven tray and cook until sizzling

Smear any remaining marinade over while grilling

Serve as a starter with a green salad or a light lunch with mashed potatoes

Plaited bred with seed topping

• 6 cups flour
• ½ cup milk powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 60g butter
• 2½ cups warm water
• 1 x 10g sachet of instant yeast
• 1 to 2 tbsp warm milk or water for brushing
• 1 tbsp sesame, poppy or sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp melted butter

Sift flour, milk powder, salt and sugar together

Melt butter, combine with water and yeast

Pour all at once onto dry ingredients and mix well

Knead until smooth on a lightly floured surface

Cover dough and leave in a warm area to rise for 1 hour

Punch down dough and shape into 1 or 2 plaits

Place on a baking sheet and leave aside to rise for 45 minutes

Brush with warm liquid and sprinkle seeds over

Preheat oven to 180°C, bake for 20 to 25 minutes

Remove from oven, brush with melted butter

Wrap in a damp tea towel to retain softness

To make plaits:

Divide dough into 3 equal portions

Make into long sausage shapes

Plait by placing close together and overlapping alternatively from left to right

Creme Caramel

Caramel:

½ cup water

1½ cups sugar

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan

Place over moderate heat and stir until the sugar dissolves

Allow to boil without stirring until the syrup turns honey golden colour

Pour into 8 individual dariole moulds and leave aside to set as it cools

Custard:

• 1½ cups milk
• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 6 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 160°C

Heat milk, remove from heat

Add the evaporated milk, the mixture should be just warm

Whisk eggs, sugar together

Stir in the milk and vanilla essence

Strain into moulds, place moulds onto oven tray

Pour 4 cups hot water into oven tray

Place in oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until custard has set

Remove from oven

Cool and chill

Unmould into dessert bowls and serve

Tips:

Creme caramel can be made in either a round baking dish 20cm or a loaf pan

Dariole mould is a fluted small oven-proof container