Chicken · Proper comfort food
Pot Roast Chicken with Fennel, Lemon & Tarragon
One pot, a good chicken, and a big handful of tarragon. The bird cooks slowly on a bed of soft fennel and shallots, then it all gets a splash of cream at the end. Proper comfort food.
Method
Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4).
Season the chicken well inside and out. Cut the lemon in half and push one half into the cavity with the halved garlic bulb and the tarragon stalks. Keep the other lemon half for later.
Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole pot over a medium heat. Brown the chicken gently for about 5 minutes until lightly golden, then lift it out onto a plate.
Turn the heat down and add the shallots with a pinch of salt. Let them soften for about 6 minutes, then add the fennel, celery and sliced garlic. Sweat everything gently for another 3 to 4 minutes until just soft but not coloured.
Pour in the wine and let it bubble for a couple of minutes until it's reduced by about half.
Add the stock and bay leaves. Sit the chicken back in the pot, breast side up, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Put the lid on and pop it in the oven for 1 hour.
Take the lid off and give it another 20 to 30 minutes, until the skin is golden and the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh.
Lift the chicken onto a board, cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the pot back on the hob over a medium heat. Stir in the cream and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Squeeze in the juice from the other lemon half and stir in most of the tarragon. Taste and season.
Put the chicken back in the pot, spoon the sauce over and scatter with the rest of the tarragon. Take it straight to the table. Good with buttery new potatoes, mash, or crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Ben's Tip
Use a pot that only just fits the chicken. Snug is good: the stock comes further up the bird and the legs braise while the breast stays moist. In a big pot the liquid sits too shallow and boils away in the oven.
To Drink
Roast chicken flatters almost anything, but a white Burgundy, or any good Chardonnay with a touch of oak, is the classic for a reason.
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