Ingredients

• 1 kg/2lb 2oz chicken
• cut into 8 pieces
• 1 carrot
• peeled
• halved
• 1 small onion
• peeled
• halved
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 large sprig thyme
• 25g/1oz butter
• plus extra for frying
• 25g/1oz plain flour
• 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken cooking liquor (from above)
• 115g/4oz baby onions
• peeled
• 115g/4oz button mushrooms
• quartered
• 4 eggs
• yolks only
• 110ml/3¾fl oz double cream
• 2 tbsp tarragon leaves
• picked
• 25g/1oz butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400g/14oz potatoes
• peeled
• diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped flatleaf parsley

Directions

• For the chicken
• place the chicken into a large saucepan and cover with 2.2 litres/3½ pints water.
• Add the carrot
• onion
• garlic
• and thyme and bring to a gentle boil
• then turn down to a simmer and cook for 1¼ hours.
• When the chicken is tender turn off the heat. Set up a large sieve or colander over a large bowl. Strain the contents of the pan through the sieve. The bowl will collect the cooking liquor. Measure out 1 litre/1¾ pints of the liquor for the sauce and set aside.
• Let the chicken cool slightly
• until cool enough to handle
• and using forks
• pick the chicken meat from the bones. Set the chicken aside until needed. Discard the strained onion
• carrot
• garlic and thyme in the sieve.
• For the sauce
• heat a thick based saucepan over a medium heat
• melt the butter
• then add the flour and keep stirring until the butter has been completely absorbed.
• Gradually whisk in the reserved chicken liquor and keep stirring until all the liquor has been added.
• Remove the pan from the heat
• and allow to cool for a minute.
• Whisk the egg yolks and cream together in a bowl then gradually add to the sauce
• mixing well as you pour. Make sure the pan is off the heat at this point
• otherwise the eggs will cook too quickly and curdle the sauce.
• Heat another frying pan over a medium heat
• add a little more butter and the onions and cook until coloured slightly. Then add the mushrooms and cook for a further two minutes.
• Tip the fried onions and mushrooms into the sauce
• still off the heat. Stir in the tarragon then add the chicken. Check the seasoning
• adding salt and freshly ground black pepper
• to taste.
• For the potatoes
• heat a frying pan until medium hot
• add the butter and oil and heat until foaming.
• Add the potatoes and cook for 10 - 12 minutes until golden brown on all sides and just tender.
• Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds then season with salt and black pepper. Stir the parsley through the potatoes.
• To serve
• place a couple of pieces of chicken onto each serving plate and spoon over the sauce. Pile some potatoes alongside.