W Spring - Main Course
L
Confit Leg & Breast of Organic Edge's
Chicken & Claremont Farm Asparagus
Serves: 4
Ingredients: Method:
Confit leg and breast from Edge & Sons l Cook the potatoes until soft in salted boiling water
l Drain them, before drying off any excess water by returning
them to the pan and placing them back on the heat for a minute
or two. Pass through drum sieve to ensure a smooth puree
l Add a drizzle of olive oil and season well for taste
Breast and leg of organic chicken (1/2 breast and a leg parcel
per person)
Chicken seasoning (Please see the glossary)
Chicken stock (please see the glossary)
Method:
l At the restaurant we buy whole chickens as it fits with the
philosophy of our cuisine to use everything that we possibly can
from such a precious ingredient as organic chicken
l The drumstick and thighs are used for confit before being
pulled and shredded for the parcel garnish
l The skin is used for making the chicken crackling, and the
breast is pan-roasted as the prime cut
l Dust the chicken using the seasoning, both on the skin and
within the butterfly
l If you are cooking this at home, it is more beneficial to
cook the whole crown of chicken in the oven with the meat still
attached. This is because the cage of the bird will retain lots of
natural juices into the meat
l At the restaurant we remove the breast from the bone as we
don’t know how many portions we might cook to order during
service and we don’t want to be wasteful
l Place the cut into a lightly-oiled pan meat-side down to seal,
before turning the breast over to reveal the skin and place into
the oven for 4-5 minutes on 165 degrees until it is just cooked.
This will keep the breast juicy and moist. Rest for 5 minutes
until ready to carve
Sauce
Claremont Farm asparagus, 3 spears per portion peeled and
trimmed then cooked in boiling salted water at the last minute
Morelles, 3 per portion. Brushed and trimmed ready to sauté in
a splash of vegetable oil and butter
3 or 4 shavings of summer truffles per plate, shaved on top of
the chicken during the plating
Chopped tarragon and truffle trimmings for the natural jus.
(We use the double strength chicken stock, see details opposite
for stock for confit leg parcel, which is infused with truffles and
tarragon.)
Method:
l See method of stock for confit leg parcel
Cyprus (Spunta) Potato
2 large Spunta potatoes, washed and peeled, cut into dice
Extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt
38 wirrallife.com
Confit Leg Parcel
Fuille de Bric pastry- 2 sheets cut in half to make four parcels
Chopped parsley
1 tbsp natural Jus
Shredded leg meat
1 egg yolk
10g unsalted butter
A splash of vegetable oil
Poppy seeds
Stock for Confit Leg Parcel
500ml chicken stock, please see the glossary
Mirepoix of vegetables, 1 carrot, 1 leek, 1 onion, 1 celery stick
2 cloves of peeled garlic
175ml good quality white wine
Bouquet garni
5 black peppercorns
Tsp fennel seeds
Maldon sea salt
Ground white pepper
Method:
l Seal the leg and thigh in a hot pan ensuring the browning
and colouration of the meat
l Place into a deep roasting tin, along with the chicken stock,
the mirepoix of vegetables, the wine, garlic, bouquet garni,
peppercorns, fennel seeds and seasoning
l Slow cook this for two hours on 150 degrees until the meat
is so tender it looks like that it is just about to fall apart
l Pass off the liquor, which will now be of double strength,
through a muslin cloth into a pan and reduce it down with a
knob of butter to give it a nice sheen. Finish this jus using the
trimmings of truffle and chopped tarragon leaves
Assembly
Plate all elements before adding the jus.
Chef ’s Recommended Wine:
Waterkloof, Circumstance Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South
Africa 2014