Tarragon Chicken – hints and tips

What to serve with? Depends in the time of year and whether it's a “sit-down” lunch or a supper or dinner “do”.

As a main it's quite a rich dish so, if you're a lover of rice you could have a fried rice full of colour using all your favourite veggies – sliced mange tout, asparagus, corn, fresh peas, broad beans, whatever is in season.

Jersey Royals are in season at the moment – perfect in my opinion - having said that there are other good varieties of new potatoes available most of the year, Charlottes as an example.

You could create a “roast”. If you love your roasties then substitute for the Jerseys. A large tray of roasted veggies too – onions, fennel, carrots and parsnips and both can be part roasted ahead and then finished later.

How about Yorkshire Pudding – you may think I'm crazy but you'd be surprised how many people love it – with whatever else is served!

The other good news is that you can create exactly the same dish for vegetarians using veggie stock and suitable cream, then submerge Quorn fillets or Quorn pieces. Make the sauce and add the Quorn – it takes 12 minutes from frozen. You can get Vegan and Gluten Free versions too.

I think that's most of the boxes ticked!

Coming up … I know this recipe works

The Tarragon Chicken alternatives

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.

Moving on …

Lockdown may be easing but we're nowhere near any sort of “normal” and I use the word loosely! There are no coffee shops, pubs or restaurants properly open yet although there's some suggestion that may change in the middle of June. The bad news is we still have to cook and as the weeks go by it's getting harder to feel inspired, let alone cook our meals.

The weather has been more than kind which in a way has made life a little easier – a BBQ gives at least an illusion of freedom alfresco.

Over the last few weeks I've given menus hoping that the suggestions given might spark ideas but with no recipes. I've picked a recipe from those menus that I think you'll find useful for happier times to come.

We are all dreaming of the day when family and friends can get together in the same house and when that day dawns feeding them too. The last thing we'll be wanting to do is to eat into - sorry for the pun - that special time by spending it in the kitchen so what follows is an idea which you can approach in different ways.

The following dish is definitely in the “crowd pleaser and lip smackingly good” categories – it never fails.

Tarragon Chicken

Serves 4

4 chicken fillets

drop of Rapeseed/Canola oil and a knob of butter

500ml/1 pint of chicken stock

2 cloves of garlic, mashed (optional)

Bunch of spring onions, finely diced

1 tsp dried tarragon

Fresh tarragon – chopped – approx 2 tbsp

160ml/¼ pt/5 fl oz approx Vermouth or dry white wine

120ml/4fl oz double cream/heavy

celery salt and white pepper

drop of Rapeseed oil/Canola and a knob of butter

You'll need a large frying pan – preferably one you can transfer to the oven. Heat the rapeseed oil and butter and seal the chicken on both sides and set aside. Add the spring onions to the pan with the mashed garlic and dried tarragon - stir fry for 2 minutes then add the stock and the vermouth, let it bubble up, add the salt. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan. You can cook the breasts on the stove or in the oven. If you're using the oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 20 minutes but take care when removing the hot pan! Remove the fillets and wrap in foil to keep hot whilst you bring the liquid to the boil, add the cream and the chicken breasts – simmer gently for another 10 minutes and sprinkle with fresh tarragon and white pepper.

Next up – the alternatives and some hints and tips too.

Time for cake …

… there's a recipe on the blog called Grandad Jack's Tea Loaf – tea loaves are great – they contain eggs but no other fat. The moisture comes in the steeping of the fruit in hot black tea overnight.

You have to be careful that you get the balance of ingredients right – if a tea loaf has a downside it's that it can be dry but you won't know that until you've cut it – it's too late.

I'm always on the look out for something different – here's the Orange Fruit Tea Loaf.

Here's the recipe :

Orange Fruit Tea Loaf

for a 900g loaf

300g mixed dried fruit of your choice -

cranberries work well

150g dark brown sugar

grated zest of two oranges

300ml of hot tea – without milk – just in

case you were wondering

1 egg, lightly beaten

300g self raising flour

a pinch of salt

Mix the dried fruit, sugar, orange zest and hot tea together, cover and leave overnight.

Pre-heat your oven 130fan/150c/Gas

Grease your loaf tin.

Stir the egg into the fruit mixture then add the flour and salt. Transfer the mixture into your loaf tin and bake for about 1½ hours until risen and firm. Use a bamboo skewer inserted into the middle of the cake and comes out clean. Turn out and cool on a rack.

Now for a grumble rather than a rant. The recipe is exactly as I found it. When I read it I realised that it mentions “1 egg, lightly beaten”. So often recipes are badly written – not deliberately – the author perhaps presumes the reader will know – NO! Baking is a science and accuracy is important.

I mentioned moisture in your loaf, texture is equally important. I follow my own rule – if it isn't clear always use large eggs.

Hints and Tips

All is not lost if you produce a dry loaf – you'll just have to toast a slice and add butter – breakfast treat?!

I added ½ tsp of orange extract to the mixture. You can definitely smell the orange zest, I just wanted a little extra boost of flavour.

The secret to the success of this loaf is adding the sugar to the mixed fruit, zest and tea and steeping overnight. Other tea loaf recipes I've come across are based on, for example, “2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar” - treating the sugar as a dry ingredient – including it as part of the wet ingredients gives a much better consistency, you can gauge as you're adding the flour gradually to the mixture. “Gradually” is the key, ensuring that the flour is folded in before adding more. I'd already decided to add fresh orange juice if it looked too dry – not necessary!

Old habits die hard – I set my timer for 45 minutes and then turned the loaf tin around. I tested the cake at 1 hour 20 minutes with the skewer which came out clean – out it came. Ovens will vary – a timer will help and remind you to check.

Have a look :

 

As always, taste tested … “the best slice of fruit cake I've had in a long while”.

A great result!

Muse to amuse and exercise for two

I feel just as sorry for our four legged friends at the moment – lockdown and restricted to an hour a day for a walk. I realise that the restrictions have eased a little but some of us are nervous to venture forth.

I'm lucky to have a garden and so went rummaging in the shed – rummage rewarded I dug out Rose's agility kit from way back when. I found hurdles, two tunnels, one short, one longer and then remembered that I'd cobbled together a platform – very scientific, a short plank of wood raised by two bricks at each end. Further research bore fruit – thank you again Amazon and we invested in another hurdle. They are made from sturdy foam so can't hurt – they are so light however that a gust of wind or a stiff breeze might carry them off into the next village! If you see a flying hurdle you'll know it belongs to Rose!

Our routine these days is a morning walk and then around 4pm we have some agility fun – I thought a couple of photos might make you smile :

on the plank – she waits until she's

told to move off

the short tunnel – a treat encourages her

the hurdle – flying high!

It just goes to show what you can assemble with stuff you've got lying around.

A dog will never do what he or she doesn't want to do – I think it's safe to say she's enjoying herself!

Up next … time for cake

Musing VI

Howdy, how are you?

It does seem that things are beginning to change although how we'll adapt to queuing to shop on the “High Street” or your nearest Shopping Centre remains to be seen. We're all nervous of dipping our toe in the water …

I'm beginning this week following on from the “dive in” stir fry in Musing V.

It feels appropriate to serve a retro revival “dive in” weekend dessert treat too – the old ones are the best and this is years old.

A “Pizookie” is a cross between a pizza and a cookie – I've never understood the pizza bit – I know it's possible to buy and make sweet pizzas - you might want to try this after the “dive in” stir fry – keeps the washing up to a minimum!

It's a flexible pud – take it straight from the oven to the table and then spoon scoops of vanilla ice cream into the middle and away you go.

You'll get a crisp “crust” that cracks to reveal a gooey underneath, a molten centre.

Pizookie

Serves 10-12

125g unsalted butter, room temperature

150g light soft brown sugar

100g golden caster sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

200g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarb

½ tsp salt

250g plain chocolate, broken into chunks

Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

Put butter and sugars in a bowl and beat (you can use a hand mixer – or, if you want a workout use a wooden spoon and some good old fashioned elbow grease) for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, following by the vanilla bean paste.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt. Tip it into the butter mixture, beat until combined, then stir through the chocolate. Tip into a 20cm ovenproof frying pan or a shallow cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. 25 minutes will give you a molten centre, 30 minutes a more set version.

Cool for 5 minutes, then add scoops of vanilla ice cream in the middle – dig in!

The ultimate sharing indulgence.

You can make ahead if you prefer, let it cool and then cut into portions. It freezes well too.

Take out portions as required, pop into the fridge and then when you're ready to serve microwave on high for 20 seconds for the gooey version, incidentally the crispy outer edge becomes chewy – perfect with the goo.

Yet again this treat is filling so you might want to think about cutting small portions to freeze.

Here's the proof :

 

Straight from the oven

It actually looks like a slice of pie made

from pastry – pastry it is not

20 seconds later it looks like this

It might be an idea to hide it in the freezer!

I hope that has made your mouth water – definitely another candidate for the “crowd pleaser” and “lip smackingly good” categories. You'll be very popular with the family!

Okey dokey, down to business – here's the menu for this week :

Spaghetti with home-made meatballs and

tomato sauce – or Alfredo if preferred

Fish pie, with a mornay sauce

Tarragon chicken, cheese and

onion mashed potato, griddled asparagus

and roasted fennel

Chilli – meat or veggie

using braising steak for the meat eaters

and Quorn pieces for the veggies

Serve with rice and/or wraps with

sour cream on the top

Veggie roast

Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, roasted

carrots and cauliflower cheese (from the freezer)

Home-made burgers in brioche buns with

a relish and a slaw and wedges on the side

Pork loin steaks with Calvados Cream Sauce

roasted beetroot, peppers and carrots,

sauté potatoes

By now I must have a certain reputation for “rant of the week” - I wouldn't want to disappoint so here it is! Actually it's a continuation of a previous rant – remember Sicilian Lemon Curd replacing the alien abduction of the Marmite Peanut Butter Smooth? The shelf remains bare.

As is my usual plan I mentioned it to Whizzer – hold the front page – there isn't any in her neck of the woods either! I'll make my own, there are after all more important things to worry about. I'll keep you posted.

A little light relief up next ...

Musing V – “dive in” stir fry seasoning and method

For additional seasoning as always it's a matter of personal taste. As a guide if you're including both tail fillet and chorizo it makes sense to enhance the flavours already there – since chorizo already contains paprika and oregano you could add a little more of each. Italian seasoning works well too which is a blend of sesame seeds, salt, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, onion and garlic. Don't forget the golden rule, gently does it with seasoning – one word – TASTE! You can always add, it's impossible to take away.

Choose any or all of the ingredients mentioned – or add some of your own! You'll need a large frying pan or wok. There are only two elements that need cooking ahead. The sliced tail fillet – heat a drop of rapeseed oil in your pan or wok, seal the slices on both sides, seasoning with celery salt and black pepper – set aside and wrap in foil – set aside the residual juices too. Do the same with the chorizo – fry until it begins to crisp, set aside and wrap in foil, again leaving the residual juices in the pan.

When you're ready to serve heat the meat and chorizo juices to a medium heat, add the onion and garlic and fry for 2/3 minutes, add the peppers and potatoes and the remaining veggies – continue to cook, making sure you cover and toss so that they heat through evenly – 3-4 minutes.

Add the tail fillet and chorizo and fold through with the veggies – 3-4 minutes. Finally remove from the heat and add a dressing. It might sound strange but mayo works really well folded through – it depends on how many you're feeding and how big your “dive in” is – working on serving four I'd add two tablespoons to begin with, folding through to coat – be gentle – you want your ingredients to hold their shape and not turn to mush.

You're aiming for a temperature of warm to hot - not hot enough to burn your mouth.

To serve – set the table with a large heatproof mat in the centre, place the frying pan or wok in the centre. Set warmed bowls with spoons and forks – dive in.

Lashings of garlic bread on the side would work very well.

Yum!