Harissa and Honey Glazed Chicken, Watermelon and Sirene Salad, Mixed Rice Salad and Blueberry Clafoutis
Served to: The Fishleys
On: 07/02/2026
Equipment & Processing
- Preparation: Chamber Vacuum
- Cooking: Sous-Vide
- Finishing: MAAP Gas Blowtorch
1. Harissa and Honey-Glazed Chicken Skewers
I cooked these Sous-Vide at 74C for two hours, then reduced the liquid a little and brushed it over the chicken once skewered. I torched them with the MAAP Gas Blowtorch instead of putting them on the Hibachi. The Hibachi would have been much better to cook from scratch, but the blowtorch/sous-vide combo is much less work and we still have swimming lessons to consider on Saturday mornings. The Harissa I used was not even slightly spicy and our guests' kids nor ours had any problem with it.
Yield: ~1.3kg raw (approx. 18 skewers)
| Ingredients | Method | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 1.3kg Chicken thigh, 1-inch cubes | 1. Prep: Whisk harissa, honey, oil, lemon, garlic, and spices. Reserve 80ml for the final glaze. Toss the chicken with the rest. |
| Marinade/Glaze | 115g (7 tbsp) Harissa paste | 2. Thursday: Seal the chicken in a bag using the Chamber Vacuum Sealer. Refrigerate. |
| 4 tbsp Honey | 3. Saturday: Cook in the Anova Sous Vide water bath at 63.5°C for 2 hours (starting at 08:30). | |
| 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil | 4. Finish: Thread skewers. Use the Maap Gas Blow Torch to char the exterior. Brush with the reserved glaze. | |
| 2 tbsp Lemon juice | ||
| 4 cloves Garlic, minced | ||
| 2 tsp Ground cumin / 1 tsp Smoked paprika / 2 tsp Salt |
2. Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries
This is sensational. It's adapted from an Ottolenghi salad I had at their deli once (by 'adapted' I mean I've been making it from memory and by now probably bears no resemblance to the original...). I didn't have access to Basil or Tarragon (I didn't get to plant any in the garden this year) so just used parsley. I cooked the rice in batches using the Rice Cooker the day before and took them out of the fridge a couple of hourrs before serving to warm to room temperature. The texture was perfect.
Yield: Approx. 1.2kg
| Ingredients | Method | |
|---|---|---|
| Grains | 120g Wild rice / 80g Quinoa | 1. Boil wild rice (35m) and quinoa (9m) separately. Cook basmati via absorption. |
| 175g Basmati rice | 2. Slice onions and fry until dark and crispy. Toast almonds and pine nuts. | |
| Add-ins | 50g Almonds (skins on, chopped) / 50g Pine nuts | 3. Remove grains from fridge. |
| 65g Dried sour cherries | 4. Fold in cherries, nuts, fried onions, rocket, and fresh herbs. Whisk dressing and toss. | |
| 1.5 medium Onions / 30g Rocket | ||
| Herbs/Dress | Parsley, Basil, Tarragon (chopped) | |
| 60ml Olive oil / 45ml Lemon juice |
3. Watermelon & Feta Salad
Another absolute win. I froze the Sirene solid and grated it with a box grater. Superb.
Yield: Approx. 1.4kg
| Ingredients | Method | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | 1.2kg Watermelon cubes 1. Take adult portions and compress in the Chamber Vacuum sealer. Drain the rest in a colander. | |
| 180g Sirene (brined Sheeps' cheese, from Woolies in the green tub) or Feta cheese, cubed | 2. Whisk lime juice and olive oil. | |
| Finishers | 3 tbsp Lime juice | 3. Combine all watermelon. Drizzle with dressing. Gently fold in feta and torn mint. |
| 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil | ||
| 1 cup Fresh mint leaves, torn |
4. Blueberry Clafoutis
- Comments: First one had way too many blueberries in but was still pretty sensational. Dropped from 600g to 450g. I still want to cram those suckers in there, but a slightly higher batter to berry ratio might be nice.
- Serving Notes: Serve from the pan dusted with icing sugar and whipped cream.
Ingredients and Method
| Ingredients | Method |
|---|---|
| 5 large eggs / 150g Granulated sugar | 1. Friday: Blend eggs, sugar, salt, flour, milk, cream, vanilla, and Brandy in the Magimix. Fridge with cling wrap. |
| ¾ tsp Fine sea salt / 175g All-purpose flour | 2. Saturday (13:00): Preheat the 26cm Lodge skillet in a 180°C oven. Place the pan on a lit burner on medium. Butter/sugar the hot pan. |
| 375ml Whole milk / 150ml Heavy cream | 3. Base Layer: Pour 5mm of batter to set the bottom. |
| 450g Fresh blueberries | 4. Bake: Add blueberries and remaining batter. Bake for 35–45 minutes until puffed and set. Middle should reach 80C on thermometer. |
| 2 tsp Vanilla extract / 45ml Brandy | 5. Serve: Dust with icing sugar. Serve warm from the pan. |
Revision History:
- [v1 Archive](_Archive/Blueberry & Brandy Clafoutis - v1 - 2026-02-07-2122.md) - 2026-02-07-2122 Reduced berry amount from 750g to 450g (on first bake I could only fit 600g in the pan...)
- [v2 Archive](_Archive/Blueberry & Brandy Clafoutis - v2 - 2026-02-08-0117.md) - 2026-02-08-0117 removed redundant table column