Ingredients

• 1 kg/2lb 4oz chicken
• cut into 8 pieces
• 1 carrot
• halved
• 1 small onion
• halved
• 1 leek
• quartered
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed
• 1 large sprig of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 25g/1oz butter
• plus extra for frying
• 25g/1oz plain flour
• 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken cooking liquor (from above)
• 110g/4oz baby onions
• 110g/4oz button mushrooms
• quartered
• 4 free-range egg yolks
• 110ml/4fl oz double cream
• 3 tbsp tarragon leaves
• picked
• 4 banana shallots
• halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400g/14oz fresh garden peas
• podded
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• To poach the chicken
• place the chicken pieces in a large saucepan and cover with 2 litres/3½ pints of water.
• Add the carrot
• onion
• leek
• garlic
• thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for 1¼ hours.
• When the meat is tender
• remove from the heat. Drain the chicken
• reserving 1 litre/1¾ pints of the cooking liquor for making the sauce. Set aside.
• To make the sauce
• heat a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat
• add the butter. When melted
• add the flour and keep stirring until it is completely absorbed.
• Gradually whisk in the reserved poaching liquor
• stirring until all the liquor has been incorporated.
• Drain the meat again and discard any remaining liquor along with the carrot
• onion
• bay leaf
• clove and thyme.
• Place the meat into the sauce.
• Heat a frying pan over a medium heat
• add a little more of the butter and the baby onions. Cook until slightly coloured then add the mushrooms and cook for a further two minutes.
• Tip the onions and mushrooms into the chicken and sauce.
• Whisk the egg yolks and cream together in a bowl then gradually add to the pan
• whisking as you go.
• Remove from the heat and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes.
• Stir in the tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• For the roasted shallots and fresh garden peas
• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Heat a large griddle pan and drizzle the oil over the cut side of the shallots. Place on the griddle pan cut-side down and cook for 2-3 minutes
• or until coloured and charred. Turnover and cook for a few more minutes
• then place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile heat a saucepan of boiling water and season with salt. Once boiling
• add the peas and cook for 3-4 minutes then drain.
• Heat a frying pan and add the butter and peas
• season with salt and pepper and cook gently for a few minutes.
• To serve
• place a couple of pieces of chicken on each plate and spoon over the sauce. Place the roasted shallots and peas next to the chicken.