Chicken

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Mad Welshie · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:48 am Post subject: Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts, skin and bone on (use boneless chicken breasts if unavailable)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 litres/2.5 pints hot chicken stock
50g/2oz unsalted butter

For the broth

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
125g/4½oz pearl barley
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 x 400g/14oz can butter beans, rinsed and drained
250ml/9fl oz chicken stock
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
For the dumplings
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
100g/3½oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
50g/2oz shredded suet
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50-60ml/1¾-2fl oz water

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. For the chicken, heat the oil in an ovenproof pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken skin-side down for 6-8 minutes, or until the skin is crisp. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then turn over and cook for a minute or two on the other side.
3. Add the chicken stock and butter to the pan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, for the broth, heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
5. Add the pearl barley, lemon zest and juice, butter beans and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer while you make the dumplings.
6. For the dumplings, mix the sage, flour, suet, salt and freshly ground black pepper together in a large bowl. Add enough water to bring the mixture together as a dough. With floured hands, roll into small dumplings about the size of squash balls.
7. Add the dumplings to the broth and simmer for 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the chopped tomatoes.
8. To serve, spoon the broth and dumplings into four servings dishes and top with a chicken breast.

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