Grapes are in season now and they’re wonderful just as they are, as a healthy, refreshing snack at any time of day.
Chicken with Grapes and Guinness
Grapes go really well with chicken, so try this idea which also uses Guinness – just one week too late for St Patrick’s Day!
Serves 4
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, cut into rounds
3 potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
salt and ground black pepper to taste
150mL Guinness
125g seedless black grapes
125g frozen peas
1. Heat the oil and butter in a frypan and fry the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes on each side until the skin is browned.
2. Put the chicken pieces and all the ingredients, except the Guinness and grapes, into a lidded casserole dish, and stir with a big spoon to combine. Pour over the Guinness, cover with a lid and bake in a preheated 150°C oven for about 2 hours. Add the grapes and peas, put the lid back on, and return to the oven for 10 minutes more, then serve as a complete meal with steamed or boiled rice, or crusty bread on the side, to mop up the juices.
Grape and Valencia Orange Salad
Serves 4
4 Valencia oranges
250g red or black seedless grapes
6 mint leaves, finely sliced
150mL yoghurt
1 dessertspoon honey
1. Cut one orange in half and juice it (this will be the dressing).
2. Peel the remaining oranges and break them into segments, trimming off any white pith with a sharp knife.
3. Wash the grapes, drain then remove all stems from the grapes.
4. Combine the grapes, orange segments and shredded mint in a bowl, and pour over the orange juice, and toss gently to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the honey into the yoghurt, then serve the salad, with the yoghurt on the side.
Handy tips: it’s best to combine everything just before serving, but to save a mad rush, you can prepare the oranges, orange juice, grapes and honey yoghurt in advance. Keep each component in separate plastic containers in the fridge, then slice the mint at the last moment, combine everything and serve immediately.
