Cider mayonnaise

My life revolves delightfully around food and often work takes up six and occasionally seven days a week. So at the weekend it’s often something quick and easy that I am after.

Summer screams out for lighter food and even getting the barbecue out if the weather permits.

Cold dishes and salads come to the fore and fish maybe takes greater prominence, but sometimes a piece of roasted meat or poultry is still what I really want.

A traditional Sunday roast may not fit the bill but a warm salad with roasted meat or poultry should hit the spot.

The variations are endless and if you do something like roast a chicken and cook a pan of new potatoes, some Jersey Royals maybe, you can still have the cold leftovers that are the bonus from a roast.

Chicken is so versatile and one of my favourite meats. A good free-range bird roasted so it is still moist with a crispy, salty skin is delicious. Take out the wishbone to make carving easier, cut off the wings, if you like, to make a little stock. Rub the bird with a glug of olive oil and season well with Maldon sea salt. Add 2 cm of water to the roasting tin and cook at 180C in a fan oven. Invest in a temperature probe so you can make sure the bird reaches a safe temperature, 70C in the thickest part of the bird. Just as importantly, this means that you don’t need to err on the side of caution and end up overcooking it.

The water creates some steam which I find helps to keep the chicken moist and generally shortens cooking times.

Resting is the next important bit and I normally wait to cook my new potatoes until the chicken is out of the oven to ensure a good 30 minutes’ rest. Just put the chicken somewhere warm but don’t cover it in foil as this retains too much heat and can make the skin soggy. Somewhere above the cooker is good or in the top oven if you have one and it is off.

So some freshly cooked new potatoes, maybe a bunch of asparagus too, some little gem lettuce and the chicken roughly broken into pieces.

All it needs is a dressing, and a fresh cider mayonnaise works a treat. A mayonnaise is maybe too thick on its own but if you let it down with some reduced chicken stock or some well flavoured apple juice you can achieve the right consistency without any loss of flavour.

Cider Mayonnaise

1 Blackacre Farm free range egg yolk

100ml neutral oil such as grape seed

10g dijon mustard

250ml dry cider, reduced to around 50ml

Cider vinegar to taste

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Reduced chicken stock or apple juice

Combine the egg yolks, mustard, the reduced cider and a splash of vinegar in a narrow jug.

Add a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Using a stick blender gradually add the oil.

If the mix becomes too thick as you go just add a little of the apple juice or stock to keep things blending well.

Once all the oil is incorporated adjust the seasoning, the acidity with more vinegar and finally thin to a thick dressing with the apple juice or stock.

It is best to make fresh mayonnaise as you need it.

I have made this dish several times and the variations are endless; slow-cooked pork shoulder, roast duck, whatever you fancy.

I demonstrated the dish at a show recently using char-grilled loin of kid goat and quickly charred the lettuce bringing those barbecue flavours into the kitchen.

Follow Russell on Twitter @siennadorset also check out @CabritoGoatMeat and @blackacrefarm.

Or go to the Sienna Restaurant website