Sunday, March 05, 2006
Roast Chicken with Red Chard and Onion Gravy
On Saturday, I dared to venture into the unknown and bought Jenny's last bunch of red chard. I was, however, too embarrassed to
admit that I had no clue what to do with it. I don't know why, I've asked her about many things and she's always been incredibly sweet and patient with me. She even gave me some tips on how to save my herbs from dying on my windowsill and that is no mean feat; saying that I am not much of a gardener would be a grave understatement. I manage to kill even weeds. But since I've got my weekly encouragement along with some very useful insights into the world of gardening, my thyme and basil are enjoying a big comeback. I'm hoping my chives will join them soon. And if they do, there is no stopping me from growing a whole herb garden in our living room. I already feel sorry for poor Lofty, because he is not a big fan of the mess I tend to make whenever I experiment in planting. But I better be quiet, I'm not there yet.Back to the red chard, though. It was beautiful the way its deeply scarlet leaves shone in the sunlight on Saturday morning. By Tuesday evening it was starting to go a bit limp, but still looked inviting. Time for a colour game. I found a recipe on the BBC's recipe database that sounded like it would not kill the chard's beautiful red colour, so now I needed something green and something yellow. How about golden roast potatoes and green beans? And to round it all off, I added a chicken leg and some thick onion gravy. Another good, warming dinner for a cold night.
For the chicken:
enough chicken pieces for 2 people (I used 2 legs because I prefer dark meat, but breasts or even a whole bird work just as well; you might have to adjust the cooking time slightly though)
the seasonings of your choice (as you can see, I repeated the lemon, herb and garlic mix of last week, but this is by no means a must; just make sure not to go completely against the flavour of the gravy by adding such things as curry powder)
½ lemon, quartered
½ onion, sliced lengthways
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and lightly crushed
a few springs each of thyme and rosemary (alternatively a bit of dried thyme and a few crushed dried rosemary needles)
For the potatoes:
3 large floury potatoes
2 to 3 tbsp duck or goose fat (olive oil will do, but if you want true flavour, go for animal fat)
water for boiling
a pinch of salt
For the chard:
a bunch of red chard
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
For the beans:
200g French green or bobby beans (I didn't have enough beans left, so I made up the weight with carrots)
1½ tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
For the gravy:
1 large onion, cut into fine slices
2 to 3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp four
40 ml Madeira or Marsala (you can also use red wine, but the gravy will be less rich and slightly more tangy)
125 ml chicken stock
a dash of Worcester sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. They want to be big enough for you to have to take at least two bites. If you cut them too small, they dry out and turn into hard lumps of crust. Put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add the salt and allow to cook until they are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Now take the pan in both hands and shake well. This is a trick I learned from Lofty's nan. The idea here is to rough up the spuds' surface so that they will soak up the fat from the roast and become crisp and golden. If you're tempted to omit this small step out of laziness or in the hope of ending up with a lighter dinner (there is no such thing as a low fat roast potato!), don't. It is what makes the difference between average roast potatoes and great spuds. Believe me, nanny knows best!
Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, on a baking tray and roast for about 15 minutes. When the chicken has had this head start in the oven, melt the duck/goose fat or olive oil over the potatoes and coat them well. Arrange them on the baking trey around the chicken leaving enough room for the steam to escape, tuck the lemon, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves in around it and return to the oven. Lower the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius, and roast for 45 minutes or until the chicken skin is crispy and the juices run clear. Turn the potatoes no more than twice, otherwise they will not brown properly.
For the gravy, heat the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and fry until golden and soft. Reduce the heat, cover and continue cooking until the onions are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat slightly, add the flour and fry for a few more minutes, stirring constantly. When it is beginning to brown, add the liquids and bring to a boil. Now add the stock granules and, if you like, season with salt, pepper and Worcester sauce. Turn the heat down again and continue to simmer gently until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes.
For the beans, melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Then add the beans (and carrots), reduce the heat, cover with a lid and allow to stew in their own juices for 6 to 8 minutes. Add a few drops of water if the mixture appears dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Finally, when everything else is almost ready, trim the chard and cut the dry ends from the stalks. Melt the butter in a large pan or wok over medium heat. When it is hot and sizzling, add the chard and toss around for 1 to 2 minutes until blanched. Do not overcook.
Christine at 7:51 pm
