First autumn Sunday lunch of the season

We’ve been to Borough Market today (along with a flying visit to Tate Modern and tea at Laura’s followed by a trip to the top of St Paul’s – legs still aching) on the look out for scrumptious things for lunch with Alice and Rebecca tomorrow. Stillfield Farm had a chunky joint of rare breed pork and on our way out I spotted that Turnips had quinces. I’ve just spotted this Sophie Grigson recipe on the BBC good food site and it looks perfect. We brought some apples back from Sussex so I think a slightly quincy apple crumble might be good for pudding. I’ve also got a bag of slightly aging greengages left from last weekend so I think we might have to eat another greengage and almond tart tonight, sigh…Diets are only for week days.

Chicken with cider and tarragon

We had this last Friday night and it worked – I think because the chicken is part poached, part roasted.

1 chicken (happy natch)
3 smallish onions
2 cloves garlic
bunch of tarragon
2 bay leaves
Sprig of lemon thyme
1 lemon (or it might have been two, can’t remember)
Can of cider (think it was strongbow but again can’t remember – really ought to type this up immediately after the event)
Chunk of butter
Double cream
More tarragon

Preheat the oven to 180ish.

Put the chicken in an ovenproof large pan or casserole. Bruise the tarragon stalks (but gently, not aggressively – eek, sound like I’m getting dangerously into domestic violence territory) and stuff them inside the chicken along with the lemon thyme, bay and the lemon chopped into two but not squeezed at this stage. Chop the onions into quarters or eighths depending on their size. Chop the garlic into very small pieces. Plonk these around the chicken. Rub butter into the chicken skin, especially over the breast. Pour over about half of the can of cider. Put it in the oven. You’re going to cook it for whatever the appropriate roasting time for the weight of bird is. After about a third of the cooking time, baste the bird and give the onions a good stir. You might need to add some more cider. Do the same after about two thirds of the time. When the chicken is done (check juices clear etc), take the pan out of the oven and put the bird onto a carving plate and cover it with foil to keep warm. Add any remaining cider, squeeze the lemon halves from inside the bird into the oniony sauce and remove any thyme sprigs or bay leaves that have escaped. Put the pan on the hob and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and add a tablespoon or two of double cream and more freshly chopped tarragon.

I served this with some new potatoes tossed in a bit of lemon juice and curly parsley. I have a vague feeling there may have been a green vegetable but neither Edward nor I can remember for sure. Pudding was apple, blackberry and elderberry crumble with yellow cream, yum yum.

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