Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Roast Chicken with Creamed Leeks
I think I have a magic freezer. Every time I
empty it to get something out I have trouble getting everything back in. Honestly, it's getting beyond a joke now. In the past few weeks I have pulled out two portions of sausages, a packet of Chinese snacks and a litre of milk, and not replaced them with anything new. Still, when I got a tub of basil pesto and a bag of sliced strawberries out for tomorrow's dinner, I was left with two chicken breasts on the bone that would not fit back in the gap they had come out of. Why is that? Do I have a self-refilling fridge? Or is it now finally time for that defrosting session that I have been planning for the past three months? The first option definitely sounds more desirable albeit less likely. I guess I'll have to empty the freezer after all.Watch this space, you can expect a few cooking experiments in the near future. But don't worry, even though I love his approach to "Kitchen Chemistry", I'm not going to follow Heston Blumenthal's advice and try to make such 'unexpected pleasures' as sweet ice cream with bacon and egg flavour. - And if you think I'm kidding check out the menu of his Michelin star decorated restaurant The Fat Duck.
Today I was faced with a big block of frozen raw chicken, hardly the sort of thing you want if dinner has to be on the table in only 2 hours and you are not planning on serving chicken tartare ice cream with raw potato carpaccio. Although, coming to think of it, it does have a certain posh ring to it. Do you think that I could find someone out there with more interest in pretence than food who might eat it? Better not, I wouldn't want to poison anyone. Instead, I enlisted the help of my much-hated microwave (hated because I find it unpredictable, not because I have some strange spiritual/ideological objection against modern technology) to thaw the chicken breasts before roasting them smothered in herb and garlic butter and slinging them on top of a pile of creamed leeks.
For the chicken:
2 chicken breasts left together on the bone
a large knob of butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (I used a mix of rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and basil)
a pinch of salt
For the creamy leeks:
1 tbsp butter
2 large leeks (or 4 small ones), chopped
55ml cream
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Mash the garlic and herbs with the butter. Cut the chicken skin between the two breasts along the central bone. Gently ease it away from the meat, leaving it attached at the very outside to make two pockets. Spread the butter evenly between the meat and the skin and rub the skin with a bit of salt. Roast in the oven until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes in a warm spot to let the meat re-absorb the juices.
Meanwhile, for the creamy leeks, heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Fry chopped leek until tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in the cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until thickened, then add the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Heat through for a couple of minutes. Serve with the chicken breasts and boiled potatoes (and, if you're greedy like me, butter-stewed spring vegetables).
Christine at 11:05 pm
