Guest Post: From Koek!

Its with great pleasure to bring you a guest post from the very talented Robyn of the South African Food blog Koek, I adore this blog it's very well written and with fantastic recipes. I couldn't resist asking for a recipe as I want Chow and Chatter to highlight food from around the Globe!

I lived with two dietitian friends from South Africa in the UK and have a soft spot for the food and country. She very kindly agreed and shared this wonderful South African Tea inspired dish,

Enjoy!

Chicken paoched in rooibos with balsamic raisin relish

Rooibos (Œred bush¹) tea is as South African as snoek, biltong and

boereworse, koeksisters and milk tart... All of which are lovely, but,

well, they¹ve been done to death. This recipe is something different. The

rooibos tea gives the chicken a lovely earthy colour and flavour, and the

tart relish gives a little kick to the savoury meat. Raisins are also used

quite a lot in traditional South African baking and Cape Malay curries.

Ordinarily I loathe raisins, but I can¹t get enough of this relish which

also works beautifully with cheese and red meat.

Not everyone likes rooibos tea, but I find I prefer it to Ceylon. Plus, you

wouldn¹t believe how good it is for you. It¹s packed with antioxidants, and

has a high content of minerals and polyphenols which help to maintain

healthy skin, teeth and bones, and metabolic processes. Or so they say (you

know... them).

According to a friend of mine, it also cures hiccups, but I don¹t think hers

qualifies as a scientific opinion. My mother, who has for years now made her

own moisturiser (after learning about what actually goes into store-bought

lotions), uses it in her creams and swears blind that it cures eczema. But I

digress.

Serve this as a light lunch on a hot afternoon with some crusty bread, a

green salad and chilled white wine.

Chicken paoched in rooibos with balsamic raisin relish

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 6 bags rooibos tea

For the raisin relish:

• 1 handful raisins
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 generous tsp wholegrain mustard
• 3tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Add the raisins, tea bags and 3 cups water to a medium pot, and bring to

the boil. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes, giving the tea

time to steep. Remove the tea bags and discard. Remove the raisins, which

should be plumper now, and pat dry on paper towel.

2. Return the pot to the stove and submerge the chicken breasts in the tea.

Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until

cooked through.

3. To make the relish, add all the ingredients to a bowl and combine well

(or whack them all in a jar with the lid on tight and give them a good shake

that¹s what I do). Transfer the relish to a small serving bowl.

4. Pat the chicken breasts dry, slice into bite-sized pieces and arrange on

a plate. Serve with the relish sprinkled on top.