In My Kitchen with Rosemary Shrager

Recipe for corn-fed chicken breasts with Fortune’s smoked bacon, peas and confit of shallot

I came across this wonderful smoked bacon from Fortunes in Whitby amongst the rows of kippers. It is quite delicious and has a strong distinctive flavour, which the chicken can take on.

You will need

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 4 corn-fed chicken breasts; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 clove garlic, very finely chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves; 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary; pinch of salt;

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For the sauce: 30g butter; 1 rasher bacon, chopped; 1 leek, chopped; 6 medium mushrooms, chopped; 200ml white wine; 300ml chicken stock; 100ml Madeira; 120ml cream; 1 dessertspoon red-currant jelly; salt and pepper

For the peas: 1 kg peas in their pods; 1 gem lettuce; 50g butter; 100g smoked bacon, rind removed, cut into narrow strips; pinch of sugar; salt and pepper;

For the Confit of Shallot: 2 tablespoons duck fat; 12 shallots, peeled, root kept on; bay leaf; 250ml red wine

To garnish: Pea shoots; 8 pieces streaky smoked bacon

Method:

First marinate the breasts in the oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary and salt for at least an hour.

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Meanwhile make the sauce. Melt the butter and soften the bacon and leek. Add the wine and the mushrooms and reduce to 1/3 before doing the same with the stock and after that the Madeira, reducing each time. Strain and put to one side. Melt the fat in a heavy-based saucepan then add the shallots and stir to coat with the fat. Add the other ingredients and cook, covered, over a very low heat for 1 hour. Remove and drain well.

Shell the peas and boil for 3 minutes, drain and refresh. Quarter and shred the lettuce. In a saucepan, melt 30g butter and fry the bacon till golden but not brown. Remove from the fat and put to one side. Add the peas, lettuce and sugar to the pan and season. Toss well, add the bacon, fold in the confit of shallot and keep warm.

Sear the chicken breasts all over in a pan which will go in the oven then roast for 10–12 minutes. Reheat the sauce and add the redcurrant jelly, cream and seasoning. Boil to reduce to the desired consistency. Add the rest of the butter to the peas and divide between 4 plates. Place a breast on top and drizzle some sauce around. Garnish with pea shoots and lean the slices of crispy bacon upright against the chicken breasts. To crisp the streaky bacon put between two baking mats and roast in the oven for 20– 25 minutes approximately at 180C. Remove, allow to cool down.

Onion confit

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons duck fat; 24 pickling onions; bay leaf; thyme; 250ml red wine;

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Method: Melt the fat in a heavy-based saucepan then add the peeled onions and stir to coat with the fat. Add the other ingredients and cook, covered, over very low heat for 1 hour.

Pommes de terre Anna

Ingredients: 800g waxy potatoes, peeled; 100g butter; salt and pepper; Oven 200°C

Method: Cut the potatoes in 1mm slices. Butter 4 metal rings thoroughly and place on a buttered baking tray. Line with potato then dot the bottom layer with butter, salt and pepper. Continue, packing down firmly until the ring is three quarters full.

Cover with rounds of buttered paper and oven bake for about 45 minutes.

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Christine Austin recommends: The light, fruit-forward flavours of Domaine Begude Pinot Noir Rose 2010 from the Limoux region of France are perfect with this dish (Majestic £8.99) or head to Tesco for the herb-strewn red-fruit flavours of their Finest Touriga Nacional 2009 from Portugal, now down to £5 when you buy two bottles.

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