Jamie Magazine
By Jamie Oliver
Spring chicken & citrus stew
With fennel, asparagus & tarragon
1 hr 35 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
This is a brilliant transitional dish. You’ve got the stew element, which is warming, comforting and exactly what you want during the colder months, but there are loads of fresh colours and flavours to remind you what’s around the corner at this time of year. The lemon and egg sauce you stir through at the end is something I first saw added to Greek stews. I know it might sound a bit unusual, but the results will make you sit up and smile.
Recipe From
Ingredients
1 large free-range chicken
olive oil
6 cloves of garlic
1 large onion
1 bulb of fennel
1 leek
1 handful each of asparagus spears, fresh peas, broad beans
½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ a bunch of fresh dill
a few sprigs of fresh tarragon
600ml organic chicken stock
1 large handful of green olives
1 handful of tinned cannellini beans
2 lemons
2 large free-range eggs
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Method
- Joint the chicken into legs, thighs, breasts and wings.
- Put a large casserole pan over a medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken portions and place in the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, until browned on all sides, turning regularly, then remove to a plate.
- Meanwhile, prep your veg. Peel and finely chop the garlic and onion. Trim and finely chop the fennel, trim and finely slice the leek and snap the woody ends off the asparagus. Pod the peas and broad beans, then pick the herb leaves and finely chop the stalks.
- There should be a few tablespoons of fat left in the pan; if you have more, get rid of most of it. Add the garlic, onion, leek, fennel and herb stalks and cook until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Place the chicken back in the pan, pour in the stock and season with black pepper. Cover with a lid, then cook over medium-low for around 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
- Bring the mixture back up to a boil, destone and stir in the olives, peas, broad beans and cannellini beans. When the vegetables are done, add most of the herb leaves, reserving some for garnish.
- Remove the chicken from the stew and use 2 forks to pull the meat off the bones. Discard the bones, return the meat to the pan, then season to perfection and remove from the heat.
- At this point, the stew will be delicious, but it’s the next step that makes it amazing. Beat the juice of 2 lemons and the eggs together well, then pour slowly into the stew – don’t let it boil or the egg mixture with scramble – it should just add a gorgeous shine.
- Stir in the yoghurt before ladling the stew into bowls. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over each bowl, grate over a little Parmesan and serve sprinkled with the reserved herbs.
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