Roast Chicken by Ian Green

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Ingredients

Roast corn-fed chicken breast, pearl barley 'risotto', sautéed English marrow and mushroom cream sauce. 

  • 100g wild or girolle mushrooms
  • 2 banana shallots, finely diced
  • 100ml white wine
  • 350ml RSPCA Assured labelled double cream
  • 500ml fresh chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 500g pearl barley
  • 2 tbsp creme fraiche or soft cheese
  • 1/2 small English marrow, washed and cut into cubes
  • 8 leaves Savoy cabbage
  • 4 RSPCA Assured labelled corn-fed chicken breasts
  • 100g butter
Method

For the mushroom sauce

  • Prepare the mushrooms by trimming the stems and lightly brushing away any soil using a damp cloth.  In a small pan, heat a little olive oil and very gently fry (sweat) the finely diced shallots on a very low heat until soft, but not coloured.  
  • Add the white wine and reduce the liquid until you have a syrupy consistency.  Add the double cream and stir. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.  After 5 minutes, the cream sauce will have thickened.  Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve.  Keep warm.
  • In a hot pan, sauté the wild or girolle mushrooms with a little oil and when cooked, place onto a tray or a plate.  When the mushrooms are cool enough to handle, separate half and add to the cream sauce and keep half set aside to garnish.

For the pearl barley ‘risotto’

  • In a pan, heat a little olive oil and sweat off the finely chopped onion until soft.  Then add the pearl barley and stir together before adding enough chicken stock to just cover (the stock must cover the barley, so add extra if needed).  Cook the pearl barley for 40–50 minutes until soft, adding more chicken stock during cooking if required.
  • Remove from the heat, add the crème fraîche or soft cheese and season to taste until you have a risotto consistency.  Keep warm.  Now pan fry the chicken breasts with a little olive oil, skin side up to start with.  Then flip them over, add 50g of butter and fry till the breasts are done and the skin is golden brown.

To assemble

  • In a separate pan, sauté the diced marrow in a little oil until well coloured and soft.  Season to taste and keep warm.  Blanch the cabbage or cavolo nero in salted boiling water for two minutes until soft.  Remove from the water and place into a bowl to drain off the water.  Season.  
  • Spoon the pearl barley ‘risotto’ on to the plates and place the chicken breasts on top.  Serve with the fried marrow, leaves and the mushroom sauce.
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