If you prefer to plan ahead, slow cooking and then freezing the
chicken breasts works well – all that's required is to defrost the
cooked chicken and make the sauce. Don't forget to freeze the stock
too!
For
the slow cooking
4 large chicken breasts
drop of Rapeseed/Canola oil and a knob of butter
500ml/1 pint of chicken stock
Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan until hot. Seal
the chicken on both sides, set aside in your slow cooker. Add the
stock to the residual juices in the pan and bring to the boil – add
to your fillets and slow cook for 2/3 hours, depending on the
thickness of the fillets.
Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before use if you freeze after
cooking.
You can always slow cook more than four fillets but don't forget
to freeze in quantities that suit you.
You can “smoke” chicken breasts – poach the breasts gently
in chicken stock for 20 minutes – turn the chicken after 10
minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken to continue to
poach in the stock with the lid on.
If you're not sure what “poaching” and how to achieve it :
Poaching is a technique involving submerging food in a liquid –
in this case stock – milk and wine are also used.
It's considered to be a healthy method of cooking since it doesn't
use fat to cook or flavour the food. Poaching uses a low temperature
which means it's perfect for delicate food like chicken which has a
tendency either to fall apart or become dry. The chicken remains
succulent and full of flavour with whatever aromatics you've used in
the stock.
Speaking of aromatics, if, like me, you occasionally slow cook a
whole chicken infused with star anise and save the strained stock -
I'm poaching the chicken breasts in the anise stock from my stash in
the freezer. Since the recipe is Tarragon Chicken and tarragon has
an aniseed flavour it's the perfect fit.
The sauce can then be cooked to the point where all that's
required is to add the cream, fresh tarragon and white pepper.
What's not to love.
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