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Mumbai, March 2013:  India Food Network, India’s first full HD food network and a complete guide to simple and delicious home cooking, is in its festive spirit yet again to commemorate ‘Easter’.  Make merry this Easter on 31^st March 2013, with India Food Network as their very own talent- Joel D’souza shows you how to cook your perfect Easter meal and spread the Easter cheer among family and friends

Joel D’souza on the India Food Network prepares an array of mouth-watering dishes for your Special Easter Buffet- Roast Chicken with stuffing, Penne Mediterranean and Tomato Concasse on toast. Easy step by step, delicious recipes that will sweep your guests off their feet.  And if that isn’t enough, the talented chef has put together a few handy tips of what can be done with your leftover Easter lunch.

India Food Network gives you an amazing opportunity to impress your loved one’s this Easter. Catch Joel D’souza on youtube, while he prepares his Easter meal and gives away his secret tips on what to do with your leftover Easter lunch. Here’s wishing you all a ‘Happy Easter’.

Roast chicken with stuffing

Ingredients

1.2 kg chicken (with skin)

Olive oil

Black pepper powder

Salt to taste

For cavity filling:

Rosemary

Sage leaves

2 limes

4 garlic pods

Procedure:

Pat the outer layer of the chicken skin to dry it down

Drying the skin is necessary for the chicken to get crispier

After drying down the chicken skin, butterfly the chicken

Butterflying refers to the process of taking out the backbone so that the chicken lays flat on the roasting pan and hence, cooks evenly and faster

Take a pair of kitchen knives

Pull the chicken by the tail and start cutting the ribs

Tip: You can save the back of the chicken to make stock later on

Press the chicken against the board to flatten it completely

Start applying oil on the chicken

Tip: Instead of oil, you can also use butter and apply it over the skin or use compound butter to put inside the skin

Massage the chicken well with olive oil

The massage will help make the chicken nice and crispy after roasting

Tip: Do not remove the skin of the chicken since the flavours are all there

Flip the chicken over

Sprinkle it with oil and continue massaging

After massaging the chicken with oil, add salt and pepper

Tip: You can apply spices and aromatics as per your preference

On a baking dish, put some rosemary, a few sage leaves, garlic and the limes

Place the chicken on top of the ingredients

The chicken is now ready to go into the oven

Tip: Make sure that the oven is pre-heated for the chicken to turn crispier

Roast the chicken at 220 degrees for 30 minutes

Take the chicken out of the oven and brush it with some more olive oil

Send the chicken back into the oven for 20 minutes

After taking it out again, rest the chicken for 10 minutes

The purpose of resting is to ensure that the meat becomes soft and tender

From the roasted chicken, first cut the drumsticks out

For better presentation, avoid cutting the chicken through the bones

You can sprinkle pan juice on top of the roasted chicken pieces

Tomato Concasse on toast

Ingredients:

4 slices of brown bread

1 medium sized onion, cut finely

2 tbsp olive oil

6 medium sized tomatoes, cut finely

Salt to taste

Korean pepper powder for deep red color

1 whole lime

2 Sage leaves for garnish

1 tbsp fried onion

1 tsp rosemary

2 green chillies, finely chopped

¼ tsp ginger, minced finely

4 garlic, minced finely

1 tbsp black pepper powder

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan

Add the onions

Sauté the onions for a while till the moisture draws out

Tip:

Add salt if you want the moisture to draw out fast

The onions should turn golden brown in color

Add some salt

Once the onions have sautéed nicely, add garlic

Tip: Make sure that the garlic does not burn

Sauté the mixture for 10-30 seconds after adding garlic

Once the aroma of garlic starts coming out, add the remaining ingredients

Add ginger

Tip: For best results, add garlic and ginger in a 3:1 ratio

Add the green chillies

Add 1 tbsp of Korean pepper

Add the tomatoes

Tip:

If you do not have Korean pepper, then you can also use regular red chilli powder, smoked or spiced paprika

Cook the tomatoes on a medium to low flame for about 15-20 minutes

Tip: The tomatoes should have a saucy consistency

Add pepper for flavor

Add the sage leaves

Add salt

Shake the pan well

Allow the ingredients to cook for 20 minutes

As the tomatoes cook, send the bread to toast

Cut the sage leaves for garnishing and add them to the tomatoes

Sprinkle the tomatoes with juice of one lime

Add fried onions when there is about one minute of cooking left for a sweet caramel taste

After removing the bread from the toaster, carve a circle out of its brown side with a cylindrical cutter

Take 1 tbsp of the tomato concasse and place it right on top of the toast

Penne Mediterranean

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

50g whole wheat penne pasta

1/4 glass dry white wine

2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 whole garlic cut into slices

1 whole vegetable bullion cube

Cilantro

30g roasted chicken

100 g button mushrooms

1 tbsp black pepper

Salt to taste

Procedure

TIP

For every litre of water, you need one tsp of salt to boil the pasta

Add the penne pasta to the water

TIP

Keep the pasta in the water for 10 - 11 minutes

Add the vegetable bouillon cube to the stock water

Add the oil to the pan

Add the mushrooms on a high flame

TIP

Sauté the mushrooms till they turn brown and the juices evaporate

Add salt

Add pepper and give it a toss

Switch of the stock

Once the water releases from the mushrooms add the sun dried tomatoes

TIP

Add salt to open the pores of the mushrooms, which enhance the flavors

Add sun dried tomatoes

Add garlic

Add chilli flakes

Add the white wine to the mushrooms

TIP

Increase the flame to let the wine evaporate and let the flavors seep in.

Add the vegetable stock

Add the seasoning

Add pepper

Drain out the pasta

Add the chicken to ensure it gets the flavor of the wine

Add the pasta to the dish

TIP

To make the pasta thick, add corn flour or whole wheat flour to the sauce

Add the cilantro

TIP

You can add basil or parsley instead of the cilantro

You can either garnish with parmesan cheese or use extra virgin olive oil

About India Food Network India Food Network is India’s first full HD food network & a step by step guide to simple and delicious home cooking. From regional Indian cuisine to popular dishes from around the globe, the focus is on make cooking simple and accessible to all including beginners IFN videos have loads of quick tips and easy tricks & the recipes are shot and produced in natural home environments. So you too can cook the perfect dish right at home. Log on to india food network cooking channel