Ingredients
- 300ml dry white wine
- 1 small fennel, sliced or 2 sticks celery, sliced
- 1 large carrot, cut in sticks
- 2 sprigs each thyme, rosemary and tarragon
- 2 large bay leaves
- about 100g/4oz smoked bacon pieces or rinds
- ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp bouillon powder or 2 stock cubes
- 1 whole chicken, about 2kg/4lb 8 oz
- 1 onion, quartered
For the sauce
- 2 egg yolks
- 142ml pot double cream
- handful fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 tsp cornflour
- juice of 1 lemon
Method
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Put the wine, vegetables, herb sprigs, bay leaves, bacon, peppercorns and stock powder or cubes in a large pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins.
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Remove any excess fat from the chicken and push it into the liquor.
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Return the liquor to the boil, then turn heat down. Cover and cook for 11⁄4 hrs until chicken legs feel tender when pierced. Remove from heat, stand for 15 mins, then lift onto a plate. Strain the liquor into a bowl and pour 500ml into a pan. Boil to reduce by half.
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Pull and cut the bird into neat portions, discarding skin, wing tips and backbone. Put on a plate and cover.
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Beat together the yolks, cream and tarragon in a jug. Ladle in a quarter of the liquor, mix, then pour back into the stock and turn the heat down. Mix the cornflour with a little water and add. With a wooden spoon, stir for 3-5 mins until it begins to thicken.6 Remove from the heat, then stir in lemon juice to taste. Pour some sauce over the chicken and put the rest in a jug. Serve with boiled long grain rice.