On the first Tuesday of every month we like to head down to Guildford High Street to marvel at all the delicious, locally produced foods and compile a recipe for you based on ingredients we have managed to buy- here’s our offering for the May Farmers Market.We try and support businesses by buying some tasty little treats and picking up fantastic fresh food to cook great meals for under £5 a person. Doing this, it shows that you don’t need to break the bank to eat healthy food that is locally grown, sourced, produced and manufactured.
This is the perfect dish to welcome the transition between Spring and Summer as it combines the strong earthy flavours of the tarragon and asparagus with the lightness of the crème fraiche. Although this may seem an extremely basic dish, don’t be fooled by the powers of simplicity as the depth in taste makes this a must try! These ingredients should cost you no more than £15 and the majority of that is spent on getting quality, free range chicken breasts that are bursting full of flavour.
British Asparagus is just coming into season at this time of year and is one of those great, underused vegetables. Not only does it have a fantastic flavour, but it is one of nature’s power houses and forms the basis of this meal and complements the aromatic tarragon superbly. Rustic new potatoes and artisan bread are lovely side additions, but of course, you could swap these with any number of side dishes.
Ingredients:
3 large free range chicken breasts
Box of fresh baby new potatoes
A bunch of asparagus
Some fresh tarragon
1 large onion
2-3 garlic cloves
350ml chicken stock
A few tablespoons of crème fraiche
An artisan baguette
Seasoning
Cooking time: 30mins
Serves 3-4
Instructions:
- Bring a large saucepan full of water to the boil. Wash and scrub potatoes if needed and add to the pan, leaving for approximately 20mins or until soft.
- Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic and add to a deep, non-stick frying pan or casseroling pan with seasoned chicken breasts.
- Brown the ingredients on a low heat for about 5 minutes, before turning the chicken breasts and repeat, sealing in the juices.
- Wash the tarragon and asparagus, cutting the tough ends of the stalks off the asparagus and chopping into smaller segments if desired. Separate some whole sprigs of tarragon and chop finely.
- Mix the chicken stock and pour over the chicken, garlic and onion in the pan, whilst also adding a generous amount of chopped tarragon to the mix.
- Simmer for approximately 5 minutes before turning the chicken again, adding the asparagus and cooking for another 5 minutes.
- Cut the artisan bread into manageable chunks and place into bowl, before gently stirring 2-3 large tablespoons of crème fraiche into the pan with some more finely chopped tarragon.
- Drain the potatoes and serve up. Give the sauce a quick try and serve if to taste, if not, add more crème fraiche and seasoning as required.
- Plate up and finally sprinkle a small amount of fresh tarragon over the chicken and enjoy!
James Martin