Whether at home, or on a camping trip, making and sharing delicious food is a great way to connect with your loved ones, and has always been central to every Snow Peak gathering. London is home to a wealth of amazing eateries (many of which are within a short walk of our St James’s store) and innovative chefs who share our ethos, including, Ana Goncalves and Zijun Meng the husband and wife team behind TĀ TĀ EATERY.
We recently asked the pair to create an exclusive recipe using our Japanese-made cast iron Oven 26cm, and they certainly didn’t disappoint!
“It didn’t take us long after receiving the CAST IRON OVEN 26CM to realise just how versatile it was. The two sections allow you to cook two different dishes at the same time, or they can be used as two separate pieces of kit. We used it exactly like that, as a searing pan and as a heavy cast iron pot for stewing the chicken. The quality and the design are remarkable, and it is a great addition to any household” - Chef Meng.
LEMON CHICKEN WITH WILD GARLIC
Recipe by TĀ TĀ EATERY
Ingredients: (For 4 people)
1kg Good quality chicken thighs, boneless
1.5kg large waxy potato, peeled and cut in to 30g pieces.
1 onion, peeled, cut in quarters with root attached
1 head of garlic, peeled
1 unwaxed lemon, cut into 3 pieces
Oil
Parchment paper
120g Shiro dashi
65g light soy sauce
25g all purpose flour
10g caster sugar
8g sea salt
700ml mineral water
100g wild garlic leaves
20g sesame
Snow Peak Cookware
Cast Iron Oven 26cm
Silicone Spatula or Bamboo Spatula
Instructions:
POTATOES
Rinse the peeled potato chunks under cold water, till the water runs clear. Drain the potatoes and coat them evenly with a little cooking oil, set aside. Preheat the oven to 190c.
Line the oven tray with parchment paper and place the potatoes to roast for 30mins, give them a turn after 15mins. Once done, leave aside to cool.
CHICKEN
Preheat the middle layer of the cast iron pan over medium heat. Spread chicken thighs evenly over a rack, skin side up, and pour boiling water slowly over the chicken skin, pat dry. Turn down the fire to minimum and carefully place 2 to 3 pieces of chicken in the pan at a time, skin side down - do not overcrowd the pan. Slowly render down the chicken fat and wait till the skin becomes crispy, but the flesh is still raw. Once the skin is golden brown, take them out of the pan and place them on a flat tray to rest. Repeat the process until all the chicken thighs are seared.
SAUCE
Once all chicken pieces are seared, add garlic cloves, onion, and lemon pieces into the chicken fat, turn up the heat slightly, and fry everything till they become a light brown colour.
Transfer everything to the big pot but leave the fat behind. Add the flour and let it slowly bubble, scraping with a spatula all the time. Cook for about 3 minutes. Bring 700ml of water to a boil, and add into the flour in 5 stages, make sure to bring the liquid to boil each stage before adding more hot water. Once done, add shiro dashi, light soy sauce, sugar and salt.
COOKING
Place the chicken and potato into the big pot and pour over the sauce. Close the lid, bring the liquid to a boil, and lower the heat to a simmer. Give it a gentle mix every 10mins. Cook for 45 mins in total with lid on. Once done, remove the lid and turn the heat up to max, reduce the liquid till it thickens slightly, Add the wild garlic leaves, and mix gently but thoroughly.Turn off the heat and put the lid back on. Let it sit for a couple of mins before serving.
SERVING
To serve, drizzle one tablespoon of good quality sesame oil and enjoy it with a slice of fresh sourdough bread, with some steamed rice, or by itself.
About TĀ TĀ EATERY
TĀ TĀ EATERY is the brainchild of husband-and-wife chef duo Zijun Meng and Ana Goncalves, who met whilst working in the kitchen of a renowned London restaurant. Influenced by their experiences and respective heritages (Ana is Portuguese and Meng is Chinese), along with elements of Japanese cooking (their Katsu Sandos have a somewhat legendary reputation among Londoners) they create unique, innovative, and delicious cuisine that they describe as ‘London Food’.
They have spent the last few years running a series of pop-ups, residencies, and collaborations across the city, as well as further afield, and recently helped redesign the menu at Soho restaurant Mr Ji.
