Chicken breast with lentils a la Française

  • medium
  • 4
  • 1 hour 40 minutes
Not yet rated

Michael Caines serves up pan-fried chicken breast with a lentils a la Française recipe in this elegant main course. Serving the dish with a creamy celeriac purée elevates the dish, making it a worthy dinner party recipe for those seeking something special.

First published in 2017

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Chicken breast and vegetables

Lentils a la Française

Red wine sauce

Celeriac purée (optional)

Equipment

  • Blender

Method

1
To make the lentils, place the lentils in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then pass through a colander, before refreshing in cold water
2
Place the lentils back in the saucepan and add 700g of water, the garlic, shallot, bacon, carrot and bouillon
3
Bring to the boil and reduce to a slow simmer for 10–15 minutes. The lentils should be tender with no bite, but still holding their shape
4
Once the lentils are cooked, allow to cool, remove the other ingredients (reserve the bacon, finely dice and stir through) and store the lentils in their cooking juices until later
5
To make the red wine sauce, gently simmer the wine in a small saucepan until reduced by half. Add the veal jus, bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Season to taste and set aside
6
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
7
Peel the celeriac and create a large cube by trimming the sides. Cut the cube into a large dice – you will need some of this for the purée and some for garnish in step 9. Reserve the trimmings and the remaining diced celeriac for the purée, if making
8
To make the celeriac purée, combine the celeriac trimmings and dice, water and milk in a saucepan and simmer until the celeriac is soft. Strain, reserving the liquid, and place the celeriac in a blender. Blitz with a little of cooking liquid and the butter until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper
9
To cook the squash, celeriac and parsnip, pan-roast each vegetable in a little vegetable oil, a knob of butter, salt and pepper until golden brown (for approximately 2–3 minutes). Place in the oven for 5 minutes until tender, then remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 180°C/gas mark 4
10
For the baby leeks and onions, cook in a pan of boiling salted water until tender (for around 2–3 minutes) then strain and refresh in cold water. Cut the baby onions in half and sear cut-side down in a hot non-stick pan
11
To cook the chicken, remove from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking and season the skin with salt. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat, add a dash of oil and once hot, place the breasts skin-side down
12
Cook until the skin is golden in colour, then season the flesh and turn each breast over. Transfer the chicken to the oven and cook for 8 minutes before removing and allowing to rest for 10 minutes
13
Gently warm the lentils in a saucepan and once hot, remove from the heat and stir in the butter and parsley. Season to taste
14
Warm the purée and add a spoonful to the centre of the plate, followed the by lentils and the chicken breast. Arrange the winter vegetables around the chicken and finish with a drizzle of red wine sauce
First published in 2017

Michael Caines is one of the most respected chefs in the UK. With his own Michelin-starred country house hotel Lympstone Manor, he is writing the next chapter in his illustrious career.

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