Chicken with lemon and tarragon

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Chicken

Chicken with lemon and tarragon

Main Serves 4 1h 10 min
Of course you could just roast the chicken. The quarters will be a little fiddly to carve but the results will be the same. Alternatively, you can't go wrong with lemon and tarragon so cut the whole chicken into eight (plus four wing joints).

Ingredients

  • 75g butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.6kg chicken, cut into 8 (on the bone) plus wings (save the carcass for stock)
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 125ml dry vermouth or white wine
  • 300ml proper chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 1h

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Heat a medium-large pan over a high heat. Add 50g butter and a drop of oil. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and cook until brown on all sides. Transfer to a casserole, dot with the rest of the butter and the lemon juice and transfer to the oven for about 30 minutes.

  • Step 2

    Meanwhile, pour the vermouth into the frying pan, scraping up any browned bits that cling to the pan with a wooden spoon, and cook over a medium heat until the liquid reduces by about half. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook until slightly thickened. Add the lemon zest and tarragon and season with salt and pepper.

  • Step 3

    Remove the chicken from the oven, pour over the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes