Good food, good company and a picturesque environment is the perfect recipe for a picnic, says Clare Latimer

THE wonderful Kenwood concerts are here again. For the next eight weeks we have a constant flow of ordered hampers to drop off so that people can just turn up, eat, drink and be merry enjoying a prepared hamper and the great music that Kenwood provides in a magical setting. Alternatively, just have a picnic on Primrose or Parliament Hill and feast on the food, drink and the views. This recipe is perfect for a lazy summer’s afternoon picnic.

CHICKEN CARABELLA
I started using this recipe in 1973 and it is still one of the most popular dishes that we serve in the summer. Then sauce can be made well before and then just stir in the mayonnaise when ready to serve. This makes it very handy as you can make up extra and then keep it for a quickie dish. Buying a good fresh free-range chicken will definitely improve this dish.
Serves four

Ingredients
One x 1.4 kilo chicken, cooked, and the meat cut into bite-sized cubes, and the carcass reserved;
One tbsp oil;
One small onion, peeled and finely chopped;
Two-teasp curry powder;
One tbsp tomato puree;
Juice of one lemon;
Two heaped tbsp sweet mango chutney;
10 fl oz good bought mayonnaise;
One ripe mango.

Method
Boil the chicken carcass for about 30 minutes in one pint water to make the stock. Put the oil, onion and curry powder into a frying pan and cook slowly for 10 minutes or until soft.
Add three fluid ounces of the chicken stock, tomato puree, lemon juice and chutney. Stir well and simmer for five minutes.
Leave to cool. Stir in the mayonnaise and then the prepared chicken. Transfer to a serving dish, then garnish with the slices of peeled ripe mango.

BROWN RICE SALAD
This to my mind is the best and most healthy rice salad with the wonderful flavours of honey and cumin flowing through the pulses and the nutty crunch of the brown rice. I personally hate sultanas in rice salad but I leave you to add any other ingredients that you may like such as spring onions, cubed beetroot etc.
Serves four

Ingredients
Six whole cloves;
One small onion, peeled;
225g short grain brown rice;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
One heaped teasp cumin;
One tbsp runny honey;
125g salted peanuts;
Half a cucumber, finely chopped;
One tbsp freshly chopped parsley;
One red pepper, cored, deseeded and finely chopped;
One large banana peeled and sliced.

Method
Push the cloves into the onion, and then cook with the rice in salted water according to the instructions on the packet. Drain, discard the onion, then place the rice into a bowl. Add the cumin honey, peanuts, cucumber, parsley, red pepper and black pepper. Stir well and then chill until ready to serve. Add the banana; mix well and then spoon into a serving dish.

Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill
NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk