Ingredients

• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 2 tbsp oil
• 6 small chicken breasts
• boned
• skinned
• 6 banana shallots
• quartered lengthways
• 30g/1oz plain flour
• 400ml/14fl oz chicken stock
• 1½ tbsp chopped lemon thyme leaves
• 12 asparagus spears
• woody ends snapped off
• 1 large lemon
• juice only
• 200ml/7fl oz full-fat crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Heat half the butter and half the oil in a large
• deep
• ovenproof frying pan. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and fry
• in batches if necessary
• for 2 minutes on each side until golden-brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan
• tip in the shallots and fry over a high heat for 5–10 minutes or until lightly golden-brown.
• Put the flour in a bowl
• whisk in 8 tablespoons of the stock and mix until smooth. Add to the pan and bring to the boil
• then pour in the remaining stock. Add the lemon thyme and return the chicken to the pan.
• Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes
• or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Just before serving
• trim the tip from each asparagus spear and slice the stem into short
• even lengths. Cook the tips and sliced stems in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain
• reserving the tips for a garnish.
• Stir the lemon juice
• crème fraîche and parsley into the pan with the chicken. Add the sliced asparagus stems and bring to the boil. Remove the chicken
• slice each breast into three and arrange on a plate. Spoon over the sauce and arrange two asparagus tips in a cross over the top.