Sautéed Chicken with Tarragon Sauce and Skinny Fr...

I usually work on Saturday but fortunately I don’t start until the afternoon. That means I have just enough time to watch Saturday Morning Kitchen and the lovely James Martin. A few weeks ago he prepared this dish. Instantly I knew what we would be having for dinner that night. In fact we love this so much we have had it every week since. It is warm and comforting – perfect for these cold, blustery winter nights. It also has a few of my favourite ingredients in it: Mushrooms, Chicken, Cream, and Tarragon! What’s not to like?

It’s probably for the best that we are not in possession of a deep fat fryer. The combination of my desire to attempt to deep fry every chocolate bar known to mankind and my accident-proneness make the idea of owning such a device more than a little scary. Using oven chips makes this an even easier, but no less tasty, dish to prepare.

In fact this is exactly what I am making for dinner tonight – my mouth is already watering! Oh, while watching the show the addition of the egg yolks was explained as adding richness to the dish and helping to slightly thicken the sauce. In fact the sauce is so good I guarantee you’ll be tempted to lick the plate!

Sautéed Chicken with Tarragon Sauce and Skinny Fries courtesy of James Martin and the BBC Food website

Ingredients

For the chicken

1 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

50g butter

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into chunks

2 shallots, finely sliced

125g pearl or baby onions

125g baby button mushrooms (I used chestnut mushrooms which I cut into thirds)

200ml white wine (plus an extra glass to drink while cooking 🙂 )

300ml chicken stock

150ml double cream

2 free-range egg yolks

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tsp fresh tarragon finely chopped (I used dried tarragon and kept the measurements about the same – but taste as you add it as it does have a strong flavour)

For the Fries

4 large chipping potatoes, peeled and cut into fine chips

vegetable oil, for deep frying

sea salt to taste

OR

you can used oven ready chips and just pop them in the oven and cook according to package directions

Directions

For the chicken: heat a frying pan until medium-hot. Add the oil, half the butter and the chicken and fry until golden-brown and nearly cooked through (approx 3-4 minutes)

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the shallots to the pan and gently fry for 2-3 minutes until translucent

Increase the heat and add the remaining butter, pearl/baby onions and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden-brown

Add the white wine and cook until reduced in volume by half, then add the chicken stock and bring to the boil

Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the chicken and return to the boil

Cook for 2 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through

In a bowl, whisk the cream and egg yolks together. Add to the pan and stir through. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finally, stir the tarragon through the sauce and keep warm until ready to serve

For the skinny fries:

Heat a deep fat fryer to 180C / 350F (Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Don’t leave unattended)

Add the chips amd fry for 4-5 minutes until golden-brown and cooked through

Drain on kitchen paper then sprinkle with sea salt

To serve: spoon the chicken onto the plate then pile the fries alongside

Enjoy!

Omelette With Fresh Herbs And Cheese....

There is a real art to making the perfect omelette. I will confess that I haven’t quite mastered it yet (they tend to be a bit on the mangled side), but I do like to try. For me the key ingredients in any omelette (aside from the eggs) are fresh herbs, freshly ground black pepper and some grated cheese. That’s really all you need for a perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner! Well actually add some freshly sliced tomatoes and a few slices of whole meal toast on the side, and you’re away!

Unfortunately our tomatoes aren’t ready for eating yet – but they are getting there. So for this meal we used tomatoes from our local farm shop. I really can’t wait till we can use our own!

Luna Raye’s Recipe For A Fresh Herb and Cheese Omelette.

Ingredients

6 eggs (I always used organic and free range).

Fresh Herbs:1 Tablespoon Sage finely chopped.

3 Tablespoons Curly Parsley finely chopped.

3 Tablespoons Tarragon finely chopped.

4 Tablespoons Chives finely chopped.

¼ Cup of grated mature cheddar cheese, (You can also use Gruyere).

Salt and some freshly ground black pepper to taste.

3 – 4 Vine tomatoes sliced and served on the side.

A few slices of buttered wholemeal toast cut into triangles.

Directions

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk.

Add the grated cheese and the chopped herbs and mix together.

Season with some freshly ground salt and pepper.

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and when melted add the egg mixture. It’s important NOT to let the butter brown as this means the pan is too hot.

While the mixture is cooking use a spatula to lift the edges of the omelette so that some of the uncooked mixture runs underneath.

When the omelette is set (or a golden brown colour) underneath it’s time to flip it over. It will still be slightly runny on top and as you flip it, it will finish cooking through.

This is usually where I cross my fingers and hope for the best (or more likely I call my husband in to deal with it so that I can go and pour the wine!)

NOTE: Tonight I finally realized where it was all going wrong. For too long I was trying to cook ‘Kent’s biggest omelette’ in my kitchen. This is NOT a good idea and it makes omelette management very tricky. More often then not a large portion of it ends up on the stove top (which I then have to clean – not fun!). So the key to success is a smaller pan and cooking each omelette individually.

Have fun experimenting with different herbs and above all – enjoy!

Fresh herbs for my omelette; Parsley, Chives, Sage and Tarragon.

Omelette with Fresh Herbs and Cheese.

Beltane Celebration: Get Out In Nature And Don’t...

Despite the dark gloomy clouds and bouts of torrential rain we had in most parts of the UK we still managed to have a wonderful Beltane weekend. Beltane is the Celtic festival of fire and light and it is celebrated on April 30th – May 1st.

It’s a wonderful time of year. The days are lengthening, flowers and plants are starting to blossom and bloom, butterflies and bees are making an appearance in the garden and everyone has a slight spring in their step.

One of the best ways to celebrate this time of year is to get outside in nature. Whether it’s a walk around the block, a 10 mile hike, a visit to your local park or even just pottering around in your garden, make the effort to get out doors. This weekend I stayed away from my computer and spent as much time as I could (rain permitting) in the garden.

We sowed some seeds, Rocket (Arugula) which is a wonderful peppery salad leaf and some Genovese Basil. My mouth is already watering in anticipation of a Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Salad. The pots are all lined up in our little greenhouse and we hope to see some spouting soon.

Last year we bought some herbs from our local farmers market and they have really taken off. I have really enjoyed being able to cook with fresh Sage, Rosemary, Lemon Thyme and Tarragon. This year we decided to add a few more herbs to our garden; Coriander, Curly Parsley and Apple Mint. Although we had problems previously growing tomatoes and chillies we thought we’d have a go at some sugar snap peas. Our not so very green fingers are crossed!

Beltane is also a very special time for working with Fairies. There are many things you can do to honour them and show your commitment to nature:

• Look into recycling schemes.
• Support animal and environmental charities.
• Buy more organic produce.
• If you’re in a park or on a hike and you see some litter then (if it isn’t too disgusting) pick it up and dispose of it properly.
• Give away unwanted clothing and goods to charity.
• Use gentler more natural cleaners in the home instead of harsh scary chemicals.

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to honour the Fairies and to celebrate this wonderful time of year is to get off the couch, get away from the computer or television and go outside! You may also want to leave a little treat for Nature’s Angels as a thank you for all their hard work.

For the Garden Fairies I like to put out seeds (sunflower and pumpkin are good) as well as chopped fruit (apples, pears, plums, blackberries and blueberries). For my House Fairy I like to leave out some milk and honey or mead as well as something sweet like organic chocolate, cookies or cake. If you have an animal companion please make sure they can’t get at any Fairy Treats you leave out, chocolate is toxic to many animals but especially to dogs.

The leaving of a gift is a lovely way to acknowledge the Fairies and thank them for their continual help in watching over your garden and plants, protecting your home and animal companions, and to celebrate the beauty and abundance of nature. Breathe some fresh air, listen to the birds and don’t forget the Fairies!

Fairy and Violets

Sage, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary and Tarragon