Chicken with tarragon sauce, mushrooms, mash, sticky carrots and leeks

Daughter two, for whom this blog was started, is cooking tonight with a friend. She found a recipe on the BBC website, however it was written in a rather complicated way, so I have rewritten it to make the process easier. I included a cooking sequence, to help the process along.

In the traditional manner the original rice in the recipe has been junked and mash is being made. The other veg is a lovely combination of carrots with leeks. The oniony nature of the leeks adds flavour and the cooking process leaves the vegs coated in a lovely, slightly sticky buttery residue. In our house we refer to carrots like this as caramel carrots. Other recipes I've seen use lemon juice, maybe honey, or sugar, but I like the sweetness you get from the veg itself.

For the chicken ·          2 tbsp butter ·          1 tbsp olive oil ·          1 free-range chicken breast, skin removed ·          200ml/7fl oz hot chicken stock For the sauce ·          100ml/3fl oz dry white wine ·          1 shallot, finely chopped ·          250ml/9fl oz double cream ·          handful chopped fresh tarragon ·          1 tsp Dijon mustard ·          salt and freshly ground black pepper For the chestnut mushrooms ·          1 tbsp butter ·          1 tbsp olive oil ·          1 garlic clove ·          5-6 chestnut mushrooms, chopped ·          1 tbsp double cream

Shopping list PER CHICKEN BREAST 3tbsp butter 2tbsp olive oil 1 chicken breast 1 mugful hot stock 1/3 mugful dry white wine 250ml double cream (1 mugful) Tarragon 1tsp Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic Pepper Salt Potatoes Milk Nutmeg 5 carrots 5 leeks Preparation sequence Start by preparing the carrots and leeks and set to cook, peel the potatoes, cut them into small chunks to cook quickly,  then make the sauce, and set aside, then start cooking the chicken, as it simmers prepare and cook the mushrooms, fitting in mashing the potatoes.

Mashed potatoes

·          Cook the potatoes thoroughly

·          Mash with butter and warmed milk, adding a good pinch of nutmeg, and pepper and salt to taste

Caramel carrots and leeks

A patent recipe for delicious slightly sticky veg. Ingredients for three people.

5 medium sized leeks

5 medium sized carrots

·          Peel carrots and cut into fine slices

·          Prepare leeks, cut into 3cm long slices, wash

·          Put carrots and leeks into a pan with a knob of butter, pepper, salt and enough water to cover (only just cover)

·          Put onto the heat and bring to the boil, simmer vigorously with the lid off, until the carrots are cooked

·          Make sure the veg doesn't burn, but only add moisture a spoonful at a time

For the chicken

·          2 tbsp butter

·          1 tbsp olive oil

·          1 free-range chicken breast, skin removed

·          200ml/7fl oz hot chicken stock

For the sauce

·          100ml/3fl oz dry white wine

·          1 shallot, finely chopped

·          250ml/9fl oz double cream

·          handful chopped fresh tarragon

·          1 tsp Dijon mustard

·          salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chestnut mushrooms

·          1 tbsp butter

·          1 tbsp olive oil

·          1 garlic clove

·          5-6 chestnut mushrooms, chopped

·          1 tbsp double cream

Chicken 

·          Heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat.

·          When the butter is foaming, add the chicken and fry for 3-4 minutes, turning once, or until golden-brown on both sides.

·          Add three to four tablespoons of the hot stock (reserving the remaining stock for the sauce), reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the chicken for 12-15 minutes, turning once, or until the chicken is completely cooked through.

·          Remember to baste the chicken regularly during cooking with the stock and chicken juices

Sauce

·          heat the white wine and chopped shallot in a non-reactive saucepan for 2-3 minutes, or until the shallots have softened

·          add the remaining hot chicken stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced by half

·          add the double cream and tarragon and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes

·          stir in the Dijon mustard and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

·          set aside and keep warm

Chestnut mushrooms

·          heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat until the butter melts

·          add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown

·          Add 1 tbsp double cream and cook gently until heated through

To serve

·          cut the chicken into thick slices, and arrange them into a fan shape on a serving plate

·          drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve the mushrooms alongside