Ingredients: Serves 4- 4 free-range chicken breasts
- pig's caul fat
- rapeseed oil
For the stuffing- 100g ham hock, or ham, cooked
- 1 free-range chicken breast
- salt & pepper
- 200ml double cream
- 6 leaves fresh tarragon
For the peas and beans- 250g peas
- 250g broad beans
- 100g baby onions
- 200ml chicken stock
- 50g butter
- 50g flour
- 1 little gem lettuce
- 4 rashers of smoked
- streaky bacon fresh thyme
- knob of butter
For the sauce- 300ml chicken stock200ml
- double cream
- 1 punnet pea shoots
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°c/gas mark 4.2. To make the stuffing, remove the meat from the cooked ham hock.Dice 1 of the chicken breasts andplace it in a food processor, season with a little salt and pepper and blitz until smooth. Pour 200ml of the double cream in while the processor is on, until it has all been incorporated. Remove the chicken mixture into a bowl and add the picked ham hock and the fresh chopped tarragon.
3. Divide the mixture onto the top of the four chicken breasts and then wrap in the caul fat to make a parcel. Place them in the fridge until needed.
4. Place the streaky bacon in individual strips flat on a greased baking tray and bake in the oven at 180°c/gas mark 4 for 8-10 minutes until crispy.
5. For the braised peas and broad beans, bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the peas and broadbeans separately, and then refresh in iced water keeping them separate.Remove the outer shell of the broad beans to refine the finished dish. Sear the peeled baby onions in a frying pan until golden brown. Place 200ml of chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil, mix the butter and flour together and whisk into the boiling stock. Shred the lettuce and chop 4 rashers of the crispy bacon. Add the peas, broad beans, baby onions, bacon and lettuce and simmer for 2 minutes. Finish with some chopped thyme and stir in a knob of butter.
6. To make the sauce, in a large saucepan reduce 300ml of chicken stock by two-thirds and add 200ml of double cream. Boil until you've got a good sauce consistency. Brown the chicken in a frying pan with a little rapeseed oil and then transfer onto a baking tray and cook in the oven at 180°c/gas mark 4 for about 20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken. When cooked, remove from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes.
7. Serve the chicken with a pot of the braised peas and broad beans, a piece of crispy bacon, some pea shoots and the sauce.