Roast chicken breast with sage and onion pudding

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There are a few chapters to this delightful roast chicken breast recipe from Sean Hope so it will take some preparation and planning to get it right. Cooking chicken breast with the skin on helps retains the moisture and adds a wonderful rich flavour to the meat.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Roast chicken breast

Suet dough

Sage and onion filling

Madeira gravy

Confit shallots

Confit chorizo

Chestnut mushrooms

Broccoli

Equipment

  • Vac pac maker
  • Water bath
  • Dariole moulds
  • Sous vide bags
  • Fine strainer

Method

1
For the sage and onion stuffing, place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add a small drizzle of rapeseed oil and knob of butter to the pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft
2
Continue to cook until golden brown, then deglaze with the sherry vinegar and reduce until almost dry. Add the honey and fresh chopped sage, season to taste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool
3
For the suet dough, place the flour, suet, salt and pepper into a large bowl and gradually add the water and mix into a dough until it comes together. Place in the fridge to rest for 10 minutes
4
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 2mm. Line 4 greased (180ml capacity) dariole moulds. Line each mould with the pastry, leaving enough dough to allow for the filling
5
Once the filling is cool enough, pack the lined moulds with the sage and onion mix, seal the pudding with a rolled out piece of suet pastry
6
Use 4 square pieces of foil to encase the pudding in the moulds. Steam for 35 minutes. Remove the puddings from the steamer and allow to stand for 10 minutes before turning out and serving
7
For the Madeira gravy, heat a little rapeseed oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Gently cook the shallot and garlic until soft and lightly golden
8
Add the thyme, brown chicken stock and beef jus and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and reduce by half. Add the Madeira, remove from the heat, strain and set aside until required
9
For the confit shallots, combine all the ingredients in a vacuum bag and cook at 91˚C for 35 minutes. Allow to cool in iced water before removing from the pouch. Cut in half length ways and sear in a hot frying pan, flat side down, until golden brown
10
For the confit chorizo, cut the chorizos in half and place into a saucepan with the cider, rapeseed oil and bay leaf. Bring up to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook slowly for 20 minutes
11
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a drizzle of rapeseed oil
12
Add the butter and when it starts to foam - add the garlic and thyme to infuse. Place the chicken breasts into the pan, skin-side down, and seal until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and turn. Cook until you achieve the same colour on the other side
13
Place the chicken into the oven for 6 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for a further 6 minutes before slicing and serving
14
Meanwhile, cut the chestnut mushrooms in half and roast in foaming butter with thyme and a crushed garlic clove. Once soft and golden brown, strain off the excess fat from the pan and deglaze with a splash of Worcestershire sauce
15
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook the broccoli in the boiling water for 2 1/2 minutes. Reheat all the other elements of the dish and dish up onto plates. Serve with the gravy on the side

Hope’s is honest cooking - backed by a deep knowledge of his surroundings and its traditions, as well as an unparalleled ability to coax exceptional flavours out of tiny Rutland’s countryside.

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