Easiest recipe you cook and love

I have lots of children and need to feed a crowd - every meal!

This is one of my standbys , we call it "Saturday chicken" as I tend to do it for Saturday lunch and then the kids eat the leftovers in the evening!

One large roasting chicken, prepare as for roasting - herbes de provence/olive oil/lemon inside/salt and pepper. Wash and cut lengthways leeks and/or carrots or cherry tomatoes. Use roasting or pyrex dish just larger than chicken. Place about four cms of rice (usually risotto or shortgrain but other will be ok, even wholegrain if feeling healthy or have nothing else) in the dish and then pour boiling water or stock to cover by about a cm over the rice. Place veg on the rice and then chicken on the veg. I sometimes roast a head of garlic in a corner or a couple of onions. Put in hot oven for fifteen mins and then turn down to moderate for around an hour or so, depending on size of bird. Turn oven off when ready but chicken and rice will wait happily in oven whilst kids argue over who laid the table last. Easy and a whole meal in a single dish. Voila!

nolbombol in Home Cooking

Bordeaux

I would definitely go for the Cochon volant - ate at the Café des Arts a couple of nights ago and the steak tartare was mediocre, it used to be packed out and it wasn't and the meal served told us why....

Think Belle Epoque is more fun at lunchtime than dinner. L'Instant Quai, round the corner, is also a good bet.

If you book Cochon Volant, it is in the old market area of town (Cappucins, named after the original monks!), and accessible by tram, but I would get a taxi back to the hotel at the end of the evening.

I would ask at the tourist board which chateaux have restuarants in the region you are visiting. Have had some interesting meals in great surroundings - with wines to match - in various chateaux.

http://www.relaischateaux.com/en/search-book/hotel-restaurant/cordeillan/

for example.

nolbombol in France

Bordeaux

In that case - will add a couple -

Café des Artes, where I am going this evening. Great food, best steak tartare in town and lots of Frenchmen in polo necks

La Belle Epoque and Les Noailles - waiters in long white aprons, art deco rooms and brasserie food as it should be served and eaten

Merci, on the waterfront, in the Summer. Book but avoid on Mondays (fish).

L'Estocade - sit on a wooden jetty (indoors or out) and eat great fish with all the twinkling lights of the rive gauche behind you.

Have never eaten good meal on rue St Remi or Place St Pierre. Edouard ok for lunch/dinner if everywhere else booked.

Just seen that I have spelled ARCACHON wrong.

Will go now and bath the baby!

nolbombol in France

Bordeaux

I have only just seen this.....

I am glad you enjoyed Bordeaux!

Very few locals go to La Tupina - unless they are lunching wine journos - La Cave de Bigourdie in Chartons is similar but wins hands down on ambiance and the final bill.

For a typical Bordelais meal - real 'south west cooking' I would go for 'Le cochon Volant' in Cappucins, which needs to be booked in advance and is open all night.

Try oysters and a glass of white wine at the market on the Quais - Chartrons, sunday lunchtime. Find somewhere to sit the moment the clock bongs midday.

Seafood - Archachon seafront or Chez Yvette, as already mentioned.

Lovely light and perfect lunches at the department store 'Galeries Lafayette'

http://www.bistrodusommelier.com/ is great and a good place to try Lamprey cooked à la Bordelais..

I could go on and on......

nolbombol in France