Pot-Roasted Chicken with Tarragon Cream
Slow-roasted whole chicken with smoked bacon and cider, drizzled with rich creamy tarragon sauce, warm and comforting
Ingredients
oil
2 teaspoons
large onion (chopped)
1
smoked bacon lardons
250g (9oz)
large free-range organic chicken
1, about 1.8kg (4lb)
fresh tarragon
large handful
dry cider
500ml (18fl oz)
half-fat single cream
3-4 tablespoons
Instructions
1
Fry the accompaniments
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, soften the onions, then remove and set aside. Add the bacon lardons and fry until golden and crisp, then lift out with a slotted spoon and drain. Brown the chicken all over in the bacon fat, turning with the help of two large wooden spoons. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan).
2
Assemble and transfer to the oven
Return the onions and bacon to the casserole. Tuck a few whole sprigs of tarragon inside the chicken, then sit the chicken on the bacon mixture. Season and pour the cider around the chicken.
3
Slow roast
Bring to the boil on the hob, then transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours. Lift out the whole chicken (it will be very tender – two fish slices will help) and place on a platter, covered with foil to keep warm. Chop the remaining tarragon. Skim off any excess fat from the pan, add the tarragon and cream, and simmer on the hob for a few minutes.
4
Serve
The easiest way to eat this is to strip the meat off the bone, slice and spoon over the sauce. Serve with green beans and steamed potatoes.
