Featuring Eric Foulkes's Chicken Stroganoff

I was born in Sydney and later moved north to Coffs Harbour. During my school holidays I worked as a kitchen hand and discovered I had a passion for the food industry and the buzz surrounding it while preparing food. I completed my fourth year apprenticeship and am currently the daytime chef at Coffs C.EX Coffs Harbour. It is incredibly fulfilling to be a part of people’s life particularly when they enjoy the food I make and especially when they return to experience new dishes.  

I take pleasure in producing food and my working hours really fit in with my social life. It is an immense feeling meeting new people all the time. One of my regularly comfort meals is steak and chips with salad and my favourite classic dish is Spaghetti Bolognese. In addition I also love stews with tender meat and aromatic flavours. A dish I am really content with is Thai Chicken Curry. Salt and olive oil are essential items to have in the pantry and Red Turmeric is a newly discovered ingredient for me. Akin to all chefs the knife is my most important tool.

I see a lot of premade food ready to serve and that is why I acquire inspiration from chefs like Jamie Oliver with his use of fresh ingredients and I especially like the idea and philosophy around the “Ministry of food”. Therefore it is all about learning from mistakes and seeking advice from one’s peers. I recall one time while catering for a wedding and just before serving the electricity went out, we continued to serve by candlelight that certainly added ambiance to the occasion.

Ecca’s Chicken Stroganoff

One of my recipes I repeatedly cook at home and the whole family value. This is the portion I cook however if you require a lesser amount you can half the ingredients or freeze the leftovers.

Ingredients

2 kg diced chicken thighs

2 medium onions diced

3 garlic cloves diced

15 button mushrooms

3 tbls sweet paprika

2 tbls tomato paste

600 ml sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lemon sliced

Parsley

Method

Sweat onion, garlic and mushroom off in olive oil. Add paprika and cook for approx. 2 min. add diced chicken thighs and cook on low to medium heat for approx. 5 min. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 min. then add sour cream, bring back to boil and season to taste. Serve on a bed of mashed potato with chopped parsley on top and a slice of lemon on the side to be drizzled over the dish.

Note: Boiled rice is also excellent with this dish or freshly steamed vegetables served on the side.

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