Roasted black leg chicken flavoured with sun-dried tomatoes and served with a white bean, bacon and pepper salad
Serves 2
INGREDIENTSFOR THE CHICKEN
1 black-leg chicken crown (preferably free-range or organic)
Small knob of butter
Deep fried thyme sprigs, to garnish FOR THE SUN-DRIED TOMATO BUTTER
5 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp mild olive oil
2 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs, dried
1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
INGREDIENTSFOR THE CHICKEN
1 black-leg chicken crown (preferably free-range or organic)
Small knob of butter
Deep fried thyme sprigs, to garnish FOR THE SUN-DRIED TOMATO BUTTER
5 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp mild olive oil
2 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs, dried
1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE BEANS
4 tbsp mild olive oil
25g piece smoked streaky bacon
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into four chunks
1 large onion, peeled and cut into four chunks
1 small bunch thyme (about 10 sprigs), tied with string
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
150g dried Tarbais or butter beans, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water
1 good quality chicken stock cube
2 tbsp double cream
4 tbsp semi-skimmed milk FOR THE SALAD
75g piece smoked streaky bacon, cut into 5mm pieces (lardons)
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
½ large red onion, peeled, then outer 2 layers only cut into neat 1cm dice
½ red pepper, deseeded and cut into neat 1cm dice
½ green pepper, deseeded and cut into neat 1cm dice
½ small red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp finely shredded fresh coriander
1 spring onion, trimmed and diagonally sliced
4 tbsp mild olive oil
25g piece smoked streaky bacon
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into four chunks
1 large onion, peeled and cut into four chunks
1 small bunch thyme (about 10 sprigs), tied with string
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
150g dried Tarbais or butter beans, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water
1 good quality chicken stock cube
2 tbsp double cream
4 tbsp semi-skimmed milk FOR THE SALAD
75g piece smoked streaky bacon, cut into 5mm pieces (lardons)
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
½ large red onion, peeled, then outer 2 layers only cut into neat 1cm dice
½ red pepper, deseeded and cut into neat 1cm dice
½ green pepper, deseeded and cut into neat 1cm dice
½ small red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp finely shredded fresh coriander
1 spring onion, trimmed and diagonally sliced
METHOD
1 To cook the beans, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan and fry the piece of bacon, carrot and onion for 6-8 minutes until lightly browned. Add the thyme and garlic and stir in the beans and 1 litre of cold water.
2 Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook the beans at a gentle simmer for about 40 minutes until tender, adding the stock cube after 15 minutes of cooking time. Stir occasionally.
3 Half an hour before the beans are ready, preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Place the chicken on a board. Blend the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in a food processor with just enough oil to form an almost smooth tomato paste (you may need to push the mixture down a couple of times with a spatula).
4 Put the tomato paste in a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, chopped thyme and butter. Using fingers, lift the skin off the breast very gently from the top of the crown, pushing down towards the base to make a pocket, leaving the sides intact to retain the tomato paste.
5 Put the tomato mixture into a piping bag and pipe under the skin all over the breasts. Spread very gently with fingers, ensuring that the skin isn’t broken. Brush lightly with oil and season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, removing from the oven and basting with the pan juices half way through cooking.
6 Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Warm a small pan over a moderate heat and fry the bacon pieces for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add about half a teaspoon of sherry vinegar and deglaze the pan. Set aside. In a second pan, heat about 2 tsp oil and fry the onion for about a minute until very lightly coloured, but still retaining plenty of texture. Deglaze with about half a teaspoon of sherry vinegar. Transfer to a plate.
7 Heat about 2 tsp more oil in the same pan and fry the red and green pepper for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the chilli and crushed garlic, fry for a few seconds then deglaze with sherry vinegar as before. Remove from the heat. Tip all the vegetables into a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
8 Remove the beans from the heat and, using tongs, discard the bacon, onion, carrot and thyme sprigs. Using a slotted spoon, take roughly half the beans and add to the bowl with the bacon, onions and pepper. Return the rest of the beans to the pan and boil for a further 10 minutes until very soft. Take the chicken out of the oven and put on a plate – breast-side down. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
9 Using a slotted spoon, transfer the very soft beans into a jug and add 5 tbsp of the cooking liquid. Blend with a stick blender until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Add the cream and milk and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly. Season to taste. Keep warm over a low heat.
10 Using a sharp knife, carefully take the chicken breasts off the bone – they should still be pink underneath. Heat a non-stick frying pan on the hob and add the knob of butter. Place the chicken breasts, skin-side up, in the pan and fry for a further 2-3 minutes until thoroughly cooked – there should be no pink remaining. Transfer to a board and cut in half diagonally.
11 Toss the shredded coriander and spring onion with the bean salad and spoon into the centre of two warmed plates. Top with the chicken breast pieces. Use a stick blender to blend the pureed beans into a light foam and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with the deep-fried thyme and serve.
To deep fry the thyme sprigsHeat about 5cm of groundnut or sunflower oil in a medium saucepan to around180°C. Using tongs, carefully add 3-4 sprigs of thyme and fry for a few seconds until they stop making a sizzling noise but still retain their colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper (DO NOT ALLOW THE OIL TO OVERHEAT).
4 Put the tomato paste in a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, chopped thyme and butter. Using fingers, lift the skin off the breast very gently from the top of the crown, pushing down towards the base to make a pocket, leaving the sides intact to retain the tomato paste.
5 Put the tomato mixture into a piping bag and pipe under the skin all over the breasts. Spread very gently with fingers, ensuring that the skin isn’t broken. Brush lightly with oil and season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, removing from the oven and basting with the pan juices half way through cooking.
6 Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Warm a small pan over a moderate heat and fry the bacon pieces for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add about half a teaspoon of sherry vinegar and deglaze the pan. Set aside. In a second pan, heat about 2 tsp oil and fry the onion for about a minute until very lightly coloured, but still retaining plenty of texture. Deglaze with about half a teaspoon of sherry vinegar. Transfer to a plate.
7 Heat about 2 tsp more oil in the same pan and fry the red and green pepper for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the chilli and crushed garlic, fry for a few seconds then deglaze with sherry vinegar as before. Remove from the heat. Tip all the vegetables into a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
8 Remove the beans from the heat and, using tongs, discard the bacon, onion, carrot and thyme sprigs. Using a slotted spoon, take roughly half the beans and add to the bowl with the bacon, onions and pepper. Return the rest of the beans to the pan and boil for a further 10 minutes until very soft. Take the chicken out of the oven and put on a plate – breast-side down. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
9 Using a slotted spoon, transfer the very soft beans into a jug and add 5 tbsp of the cooking liquid. Blend with a stick blender until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Add the cream and milk and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly. Season to taste. Keep warm over a low heat.
10 Using a sharp knife, carefully take the chicken breasts off the bone – they should still be pink underneath. Heat a non-stick frying pan on the hob and add the knob of butter. Place the chicken breasts, skin-side up, in the pan and fry for a further 2-3 minutes until thoroughly cooked – there should be no pink remaining. Transfer to a board and cut in half diagonally.
11 Toss the shredded coriander and spring onion with the bean salad and spoon into the centre of two warmed plates. Top with the chicken breast pieces. Use a stick blender to blend the pureed beans into a light foam and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with the deep-fried thyme and serve.
To deep fry the thyme sprigsHeat about 5cm of groundnut or sunflower oil in a medium saucepan to around180°C. Using tongs, carefully add 3-4 sprigs of thyme and fry for a few seconds until they stop making a sizzling noise but still retain their colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper (DO NOT ALLOW THE OIL TO OVERHEAT).
Recipes tips
Chefs love using black-leg chicken in their dishes as it has more flavour than other breeds. If you can’t get hold of any, use a small free-range or organic chicken instead.
Dried beans take varying times to cook, so you may need to add additional water and increase cooking times accordingly. Taste at intervals until they are tender.
Always grate Parmesan from a block rather than using the pre-grated versions. It will taste better have a fresh, tangy smell.
To make the breadcrumbs, simply dry sliced white bread in a very low oven for about an hour until very crisp but not coloured. Alternatively, leave in the airing cupboard overnight.
Ask your butcher to make the chicken crown if you like. Alternatively, remove the legs, wings and breast bone from a whole chicken yourself. Use to make a casserole or roast and serve cold with a salad.
Basting with the pan juices will help keep the chicken moist as it roasts. Simply hold the hot pan with a dry ovencloth and tip the juices to one end. Spoon over the breast.
In order to retain control of cooking, chefs will often part-roast chicken, then take it off the bone and finish the cooking process by pan-frying. This way, there is less chance that the chicken will be over-cooked.
If you are unsure whether you chicken is cooked, you can always test its internal temperature through the thickest part of the meat. Electronic thermometers are available from good cookware stockists and catering suppliers.
Deglazing pans with a little vinegar or wine after frying will help lift the flavoursome cooking juices which can then be incorporated into the dish.
Chefs love using black-leg chicken in their dishes as it has more flavour than other breeds. If you can’t get hold of any, use a small free-range or organic chicken instead.
Dried beans take varying times to cook, so you may need to add additional water and increase cooking times accordingly. Taste at intervals until they are tender.
Always grate Parmesan from a block rather than using the pre-grated versions. It will taste better have a fresh, tangy smell.
To make the breadcrumbs, simply dry sliced white bread in a very low oven for about an hour until very crisp but not coloured. Alternatively, leave in the airing cupboard overnight.
Ask your butcher to make the chicken crown if you like. Alternatively, remove the legs, wings and breast bone from a whole chicken yourself. Use to make a casserole or roast and serve cold with a salad.
Basting with the pan juices will help keep the chicken moist as it roasts. Simply hold the hot pan with a dry ovencloth and tip the juices to one end. Spoon over the breast.
In order to retain control of cooking, chefs will often part-roast chicken, then take it off the bone and finish the cooking process by pan-frying. This way, there is less chance that the chicken will be over-cooked.
If you are unsure whether you chicken is cooked, you can always test its internal temperature through the thickest part of the meat. Electronic thermometers are available from good cookware stockists and catering suppliers.
Deglazing pans with a little vinegar or wine after frying will help lift the flavoursome cooking juices which can then be incorporated into the dish.
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