Alan took up his first post in the kitchen as a porter aged 14. Having worked in a number of Michelin starred kitchens including Inverlochy Castle, Claridges, Nobu, Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons and L’Ortolan, he has refined his craft in leading restaurants.
In 2001, Alan took the title of Executive Chef/Managing Director at L’Ortolan with the task of re-establishing its reputation as a destination dining experience par excellence, culminating in the revered one star award from the Michelin Red Guide early in 2003.Alan was looking for a new challenge and in early 2007, this presented itself when Chef Claude Bosi closed the renowned Hibiscus restaurant in Ludlow to move to London. Alan took this opportunity to establish himself in “the foodie Capital of Great Britain” and re-opened the restaurant as La Bécasse in July 2007. Just six months after opening, La Bécasse was awarded 3 AA Rosettes and in January 2009 was awarded a prestigious Michelin Star, making Alan the only Chef to operate multiple Michelin Starred restaurants outside of London. In 2009 both L’ortolan and La Bécasse were ranked in the National Restaurant Awards top 100 Restaurants in the UK. Alan and the team hope to emulate the success story of La Becasse at the Group’s newly acquired restaurants, Paris House in Woburn and The New Angel in Dartmouth.
Braised chicken in red wine and tarragon served with pomme purée, roast shallots and wild mushrooms
You will need
Serves 4
Chicken
- 1 x 1.5kg chicken
- 750ml red wine
- 2 heads garlic
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1200ml chicken stock
- 150g unsalted butter
Garnish
- pomme purée(see basic recipe)
- 12 roast shallots
- 200g wild mushrooms
- 100g unsalted butter
- 5g chopped garlic
- 12 pieces confit tomato (see basic recipe)
- 50g chopped tarragon
Pomme Purée
- 2 large Desiree potatoes
- 250g coarse sea salt
- 50g butter
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Confit Tomato
- 1 kg ripe cherry vine tomatoes
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Braised chicken in red wine and tarragon served with pomme purée, roast shallots and wild mushrooms.
A classic dish that is hard to beat. It is very important to make sure that the chicken you buy is of the best quality, preferably corn-fed. I like to use traditional free-range chicken from Loué in south-west France. If you have the time, then serve with some wonderful confit tomatoes. However, the dish is equally delicious with just the pomme purée and mushrooms.
Preparation
Portion the chicken by removing the legs and splitting the drumsticks from the thighs, split the crown in to four even pieces. Marinate the chicken in the red wine, garlic, thyme and bay leaves for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Strain the red wine, garlic and herbs and add to the chicken stocks. Dry the chicken thoroughly on kitchen paper. Caramelise the chicken in the butter – it should be golden brown all over. Place the chicken in a casserole dish and cover with the red wine and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and skim. Place the casserole dish in the oven at 150°C and cook for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes, then strain off the stock into a pan and reduce quickly by two-thirds. Correct the seasoning and pour over the cooked chicken. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pomme purée, roast the shallots and pan fry the mushrooms.
Al’s advice
If you find that the tarragon is a little overpowering, blanch it in boiling salted water for 30 seconds and refresh. This leaves you with a much milder flavour.
Pomme Purée
Cover a small baking tray with the salt and place the potatoes on it, making sure there is an even layer under each potato. Bake the potatoes at 180°C for about 1 ½ hours, until soft – the skin should not be too dark. Remove the potatoes from the tray. Cut them in half, scoop out the cooked potato and pass through a fine sieve. Place the dry mash into a pan and beat in the butter over a low heat. Season to taste.
Confit Tomato
I use confit tomatoes for a number of dishes. The principle is the same no matter what size or shape the tomatoes. In small batches, blanch the tomatoes in boiling salted water for 10 seconds and refresh in iced water. Peel off the skins and arrange the tomatoes evenly on a non-stick tray. Sprinkle with the olive oil, salt and pepper and put into a very low oven at 60–70°C overnight, or until the tomatoes have reduced in volume by 50 per cent. Allow to cool, then place in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The object is to intensify the flavour of the tomatoes by the evaporation of the water within. If the tomato already has a good flavour, partially drying it will only make things better.
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