Honey Chicken, Honey Beer

...Put your chicken pieces onto a baking tray and put in a preheated oven at about 200c. As they cook, blend three large spoons of honey, two teaspoons of Wholegrain Mustard, one teaspoon of dijon mustard and some parsley, if you have it.

After about ten minutes, give the chicken a coat of this sweet gunk, and put back in. Give it another ten, the repeat. Then another ten, and repeat. Keep coating, and you'll end up with great glazed chicken. It's like continual hopping that Dogfish Head do, but with food.

Serve with corn on the cob, and a cool pint of Cropton's Honey Gold for a quick and tasty midweek TV supper. Now, where's that Charlie Brooker programme I Sky+'d from last night...

Quick Honey & Mustard Chicken with A Simple Potato Gratin

As you all know, I recently hit yet another Beer Festival and made this super-simple dish to eat when we got back. The main reason for choosing this was one that I have been discussing with John recently - Inebriation. Half - Cutness. Merriness. A side effect, albeit an entirely pleasant one (in moderation) of a weekend's Beer tasting. The simplicity lies in the make-ahead feel of the meal, and the fact that cutting a few corners never hurt anyone.

Quick Honey & Mustard Chicken (Serves two)

You will need:

Two medium sized Chicken Breasts

A tablespoon of Grain Mustard, such as Gray Poupon

Two Tablespoons of good, thick, runny honey

1. Mix the honey and mustard well in a dish, then cover tightly with cling film. Refrigerate and go to the Beer Festival.

2. When you return, 'Butterfly' the breasts and then pour over the Mustard Honey. Place under a pre-heated grill and cook. (About 20 minutes).

Now, that's pretty easy, and to be honest you could stop right there. Put the meat in a warmed , buttered baguette and you've got a tasty sandwich right there with which to soak up that good booze. If you want to make something more of it (and are up to it) - then:

A Simple Potato Gratin

You will need:

One large waxy potato, peeled, sliced as thin as you like it

One pot of double cream (about 350ml)

3 crushed Garlic Cloves

Shake of Black Pepper, Shake of Nutmeg

2 teaspoons of olive oil

1. Preheat your oven to about 2ooc.

2. Gently saute your sliced potato in large pan in the olive oil (not too much heat;not too much oil), and then when colouring slightly, pour over your cream and discard the Garlic. This par-cooking shortens the oven time - something your grumbling belly wants.

3. Let it bubble away for about 20 minutes to soften further, on a low, low heat.

4. Finally, transfer into gratin or deep dish and place in the oven to brown. That'll take about 20 minutes.

Not complex cooking, I know, but this dish is big on flavour and fills your belly; soaking up beer as it goes. Or, like me, you could sink a pint of Springhead's Roaring Meg as you go. What can I say? I wanted another beer, and Meg's citrussy style and huge floral aromas cut through the cream, complimented the sweet/hot chicken but didn't add any more weight to the meal. In some ways, a perfect match-up.

Beats a Doner pizza anyday.