CRISPY CHICKEN, SMOKED MASH, TARRAGON MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

It's a little fancy I suppose. I had this at my mate Hattie's birthday meal once, at a pub. It was really nice then but I thought I reckon I can make it better. So I did just that. About 5 years later. Smoked salt is essential if you can't be asked to smoke a load of mash. The carrots help things along with a lovely sweetness. The chicken skin must be crisped. The sauce is serious. This is a big one.

30-40 Minz

Ingredients

(To Serve 2)

2 Skin on Chicken Breasts
4 Small - Medium Carrots
Salt & Pepper
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Tablespoon of Honey
Tablespoon Wholegrain Mustard
2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
4 Cloves Garlic
3-4 Maris Piper Potatoes
A Shallot
Two Handfuls of Chestnut Mushrooms
100ml White Wine
1 1/2 Tablespoons Dried Tarragon
150ml Double Cream
Juice of Half a Lemon
Half a Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Smoked Olive Oil (or just use Butter if you can't get Smoked Olive Oil)
2 Teaspoons Smoked Salt
100ml Milk

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat the absolute buggery out of your oven. 180ºC please. Peel your carrots and slice them lengthways. You can keep the end bit on if you want that rustic look, otherwise get that chopped up and discarded into a compost bin. Always compost if you can. Stick your carrot sticks into a bowl and give them a tablespoon of olive oil or two, a tablespoon of runny honey and a good bit of wholegrain mustard. Season them with a pinch of salt and black pepper then mix all around and make sure all of the carrots are nicely covered in flavoursome bits. Pop them on a foiled tray and get them into the oven to roast until tender. This should take 20-25 minutes.
To crack on with our chicken, add a splash of olive oil to a pan. Cast iron is best but any frying pan works. Medium-high heat is required. We're looking for golden skin. Place your breasts skin side down in the pan and leave, without touching at all, for at least 3 and a half minutes. Have a quick look. If it's not golden skin underneath then give them another minute. Just give them time until the skin is completely golden and perfect. Whilst this is happening you can season one side with salt and pepper. Crush two cloves of garlic as well. Flip the breasts and admire the golden crispness. Chuck a couple of tablespoons of butter into the pan with the crushed garlic and baste the chicken whilst the other side cooks. This should be about 4 minutes. Wrap them in tin foil but make sure to pour over the pan juice before wrapping. Pop into the oven for 8-10 minutes.
Whilst your carrots and chicken party in the oven, peel and chop your potatoes. Get these into salty water and boil for about 8 minutes, until soft and easy to poke through with a blunt butter knife. Whilst these boil we can finely chop two cloves of garlic, a shallot and thinly slice some mushrooms. Add a knob of butter to the same pan you cooked your chicken in and add the shallots. Season with salt and pepper and soften. Then add your garlic and mix about. After a minute or so on a medium heat you can add your white wine. Cook the wine off for a minute or so then add your mushrooms. Season these with more black pepper before adding your tarragon as they soften. Add your cream, dijon and lemon juice and stir. Pop a lid on and kill the heat. When the chicken is done, set it aside to rest a little but you can pour in the juices and stir through the sauce. That's ready to go.
Drain your spuds and add smoked olive oil. If you can't get smoked olive oil just use a couple of knobs of butter. Smoked sea salt is easy to find. Chuck some of that in to achieve that smoky flavour. Add a splash of milk and blend together with a hand blender to get a smooth mash.
Serve your mash with your chicken on top, carrots at the side and pour over that delightful sauce. This is a date night job I think. It's bound to impress with minimal stress.