Main Courses Recipes - Fragrant Saffron Chicken
Recipe
Ingredients
2 chickens (about
1.6kg/3 1/2lb each)
1 carrot (sliced)
2 celery sticks
(sliced)
6 black
peppercorns
2 bay leaves
50g/2oz butter
225g/8oz onion
(finely chopped)
1 teaspoon saffron
strands
Grated zest of 1
lemon
4 dried apricots
300ml/1/2pt dry white wine
3 teaspoons clear honey
1 teaspoon mild
curry paste
300ml/1/2pt mayonnaise
300ml/1/2pt double
cream
Salt and pepper
Serves 10
Method:
Place the chicken in
large saucepans. Cover with cold water and add the
carrot, celery, peppercorns and 1 bay leaf. Bring
slowly to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for
about 1 hour. Pierce the thigh joints with a skewer
to test if cooked - the juices should run clear.
Leave the chickens to cool in their liquid.
Drain
the chickens. Remove and discard the skin, take off
all the flesh and discard the bones. Cut the flesh
into bite sized pieces.
Melt the butter in a
medium saucepan and sauté the onion until soft.
Grind the saffron strands to a powder with a pestle
and mortar. Stir into the onions with the apricots,
lemon zest, white wine, honey, curry paste and 1 bay
leaf.
Bring to the boil. Simmer uncovered until well
reduced and the consistency of chutney. This should
take about 10 minutes. Cool and puree in a blender
or food processor, then sieve.
Fold the cold
saffron mixture into the mayonnaise. Whip the cream
until it just holds its shape. Fold it in and
season.
Mix together the chicken and mayonnaise
mixture, and serve on a bed of rice.