This chicken recipe comes from Andrew Pern's book, Loose Birds and Game. Andrew is chef-owner of Michelin-starred, The Star Inn at Harome in North Yorkshire.
Andrew describes the dish as ... A soupy sort of stew is the best way, I think, to describe this dish. All the pieces – breast, thigh, drumstick, livers – served in consommé-like broth, full of the beautiful, fresh flavours of our kitchen garden – beans, baby carrots, fennel, bay leaves, etc… a ‘harvest festival’ in a pot!
Andrew describes the dish as ... A soupy sort of stew is the best way, I think, to describe this dish. All the pieces – breast, thigh, drumstick, livers – served in consommé-like broth, full of the beautiful, fresh flavours of our kitchen garden – beans, baby carrots, fennel, bay leaves, etc… a ‘harvest festival’ in a pot!
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 large, whole free-range chicken
- 500ml good chicken stock
- 1 glass fino sherry
- 2 star anise
- 8 baby carrots
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 bulb of fennel
- 6 shallots, topped and tailed
- 2 bay leaves
- 5g flat parsley, chopped
- 25g broad beans
- 100g chilled butter, diced
- a little oil for frying
- seasoning
- to garnish - a few garden herbs
Preparation:
- Split the chicken down into breasts, legs and thighs, and liver, if you wish. Then, heat a little oil in a frying pan and seal all of the meat to a golden brown colour.
- Once cool, take a pad of kitchen towel and pat off all of the oil from the meat.
- Bring the chicken stock to the boil and add the sherry, bay leaves and star anise.
- Chop the fennel and carrots, then add to the stock, along with the chicken, shallots and garlic. Simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- To finish, lift out the chicken and keep warm. Then rapidly reduce down the chicken stock by two thirds to form a broth-like 'juice' and add a few cubes of chilled butter.
- Spoon the chicken and the vegetables into a bowl or plate with a decent rim. Add the broad beans and parsley to the 'juices', simmer for two minutes, then check the seasoning and spoon over the meat and vegetables.
- Serve with crusty bread and a dressed green salad. Garnish with herbs and serve immediately.
